Is This Love? - Chapter One - Constants Are Changing

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Hey all! I'm back (a year later, hopefully a year wiser!) with a new fic! I hope my writing has improved over the past year, and I hope you'll comment telling me what you think of it!

This fic would be taking place during their sixth year, just...very very different.

Rated for future scenes; this is going to turn hot very very fast!

Edit (10/03): I decided to combine chapters one and two, as they were when I originally wrote them. If you're reading this after this date, feel free to skip ahead to chapter three after this one!

Pairings
Harry Potter/Cedric Diggory
Draco Malfoy/OC

--- Chapter One - Yuki ---

Yuki Shiraishi stepped through the barrier of Platform 9 ¾, grinning to himself. His older brother, in wizarding university back in Japan, had taken bets that he would never find the secret entrance to the British school's train platform. Hogwarts was spoken of in legend back home, though most stories told of the curses that haunted the old castle. Thinking of the ghost stories he had been told – most by the same brother, always trying to scare him – he shivered a little. He hated ghosts, but he had been told to come to Hogwarts, and so had no choice...

The platform was crowded as he dragged his luggage with him to the train, and he had to maneuver around students and parents, all chatting loudly while animals squawked and howled in their cages. The noise was a little comforting, something of a reminder of the ordered chaos that was the train stations back home. He took what little comfort he could; his parents had dropped him off at Narita Airport with presents and farewells, leaving him to make his way to England and through London alone.

He managed to get onto the train by himself, his luggage dragging heavily behind him on the steps. The inside of the train was no quieter than the outside, and he was forced to flatten himself against the wall several times as students ran past him, chasing each other or jockeying for better compartments. He slowly made his way to the back of the train, eventually coming onto an empty compartment and shoving his stuff into the luggage rack within. With the door shut, there was finally peace, and he sat down with a little relieved sigh.

He was sixteen, fresh from the tenth grade at Tokyo's magical campus. Just a month ago, at the start of summer vacation, he had been preparing for a trip to Australia with his family when a message had come for him from the headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, telling him that he was urgently needed at the British school. His parents had protested – he was top of his class, after all, and Britain was a long way away – but there had been a flurry of letters and they had finally given in. And so he had bid farewell to his friends at the end of summer and made his way across the world to England, ending up where he was sitting right at that moment...

His hands were in his pockets, searching for his MP3 player. The people at the Leaky Cauldron had told him that the technology wouldn't be able to work at the school, thanks to the magic floating around, but it was working perfectly fine at the moment. He was sure it would continue to work at the castle; he had modified it himself to use magic instead of a Muggle battery. All of his electronics – a laptop, though he knew there would be no Internet; his cell phone; and a digital camera – were in his bag, and he hoped no one would find them.

The headphones were tangled from being in his pockets, and he struggled with them for a few moments before finally noticing that there were some people standing outside his compartment talking. One of them was a silvery-haired boy, and the other was a girl with a face like a pug next to him. They seemed to be arguing, though he couldn't make out what they were saying. A moment later, the girl ran off, and the boy turned around, opening the compartment door and slamming it behind him.

"Um..."

The boy flopped down on the seat across from him, staring out the window, apparently ignoring him. Yuki studied him, taking in his refined appearance – everything about him was pale, from his hair to his skin and his blue eyes – and wondering how plain he looked in comparison. With his long brown hair and caramel eyes, he had stood out in Japan, but here in England he would be ordinary at best. Nothing compared to the boy sitting in front of him.

"Who're you?" the boy asked finally.

"Boku? Anou... Shiraishi Yuki desu," he said quickly, before remembering where he was. "I'm sorry... I mean, my name is Yuki Shiraishi." The boy was studying him with those pale eyes, and Yuki met them carefully.

"You're a transfer student?" Yuki nodded. "From..."

"Japan," he said quickly.

The boy nodded. "Welcome to Hogwarts, I guess. I'm Draco Malfoy."

Yuki nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

There was an insistent tapping on the glass suddenly, and the pug-faced girl from before was at the window again, motioning at Draco. The boy groaned and sank further in his seat, showing no signs of moving.

"Is...she your girlfriend?" he asked Draco.

"No, she's annoying is what she is. Won't leave me alone..."

Yuki raised his hand, concentrating. Suddenly, a shower of sparks fell from the overhead grating above the girl's head, causing her to shriek and run off down the corridor. Yuki let his hand fall with a little smile.

Draco was looking at him with his eyebrow raised. "You did that without a wand," he said softly.

"Ah...um, we're taught to use our magic without wands," Yuki said quickly. "I don't even have one."

"Not bad," Draco nodded approvingly. "Maybe you can show me some tricks sometime."

Yuki nodded eagerly. "I'd love to."

As the train passed out of London and into the countryside, Draco stood with a groan. "I guess I'd better at least go and keep her from trying to kill you. I'll see you at... Wait. You haven't been sorted already, have you?" Yuki shook his head, and Draco smiled. "I hope you're in Slytherin. Seeya around."

The door closed behind him, and Yuki sat back in his seat with a little smile on his face.

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"Shiraishi, Yuki!"

The witch at the front of the Great Hall called his name, and Yuki went forward nervously. I twas obvious he wasn't a first year; short as he was, he still towered over the eleven-year olds gathered with him. And with his last name so far down the alphabet...

Professor McGonagall motioned him onto the stool, holding up the hat, and he sat down gingerly. The hat was lowered onto his head, not falling completely over his face, like it did the younger students, but the brim dropped over to cover his eyes, hiding all but his face from his sight.

"Oho, a transfer student, hm?" the hat said in his ear. "You've got an interesting past..." Yuki froze, his heart pounding wildly. "Mother's a fox demon, father's from an old family of demon hunters.... So that's why he sent for you. You're just what he needs..."

"Um..."

"But as for your house...hm, I see you can be sly, like the fox spirit you carry...but you are noble as well, like your father taught you. Smart, too – top of your class back home, I see – and you care for your friends. Very interesting. I could place you in any house..."

Yuki's thoughts flashed briefly to the pale boy in the dark suit.

"...but if you want, I suppose that's fine. SLYTHERIN!"

The last word was shouted to the hall, and Yuki looked over at the cheering Slytherin table, immediately locating Draco Malfoy and his cronies. Draco looked up as he approached, shoving another boy down the bench to make room for him.

"So you're one of us," Draco said as he sat down. "Welcome to the best house in the school."

"Yuki, was it?" the pug-faced girl sneered as she tried to hang on to Draco's arm.

Draco shook her off. "Yuki, these are the usual group. Crabbe, Goyle--" Yuki couldn't tell the two boulders apart, even with names, "--Pansy, and Blaise on your other side." The boy who had been shoved over nodded in a surprisingly civil manner considering his new position.

Food appeared on the plates before them, and anything else Draco was going to say was drowned out by the sound of everyone settling in to eat. Yuki's stomach growled, and he too reached for something to eat.

An hour later, when the last of the desserts had faded from the table, the room went unexpectedly silent. Yuki looked up from where Draco was levitating his glass to see Professor Dumbledore standing at the head table.

"The very best of evenings to you!" There were whispers through the Great Hall, and Yuki could see why; Dumbledore's right hand was black and dead-looking. The headmaster shook his sleeve over it and continued as if nothing had happened. "Nothing to worry about. Now...to our new students, welcome, to our old students, welcome back! Another year full of magical adventure awaits you..."

Draco was still levitating his glass; Yuki watched it while he listened.

"Mr. Filch, our caretaker, has asked me to say that there is a blanket ban on any joke items bought at the shop called Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

"Those wishing to play for their House Quidditch teams should give their names to their Heads of House as usual. We are also looking for new Quidditch commentators, who should do likewise.

"We are pleased to welcome a new member of staff this year. Professor Slughorn is a former colleague of mine who has agreed to resume his old post of Potions master."

A shock seemed to run through all of the Slytherin table, and when Yuki looked up, it seemed the same had happened to the rest of the Hall.

"Professor Snape, meanwhile," Dumbledore raised his voice over the muttering of the Hall, "will be taking over the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"No!"

Yuki looked up at the boy who had spoken. Over at the Gryffindor table was a boy with messy black hair and vivid green eyes who seemed to be oblivious to the attention he was gathering.

"Who's he?" he asked Draco, and the other Slytherin sneered.

"Potter. Harry Potter. You've heard of him, I bet."

Yuki nodded silently, but Dumbledore resumed speaking before he could ask anything else.

"Now, as everyone in this Hall knows, Lord Voldemort and his followers are once more at large and gaining in strength." Draco was levitating his fork. "I cannot emphasize strongly enough how dangerous the present situation is, and how much care each of us at Hogwarts must take to ensure that we remain safe. The castle's magical fortifications have been strengthened over the summer, but we must still guard scrupulously against carelessness on the part of any student or member of staff. I urge you, therefore, to abide by any security restrictions your teachers might impose on you, however irksome you might find them – in particular, the rule that you are not to be out of bed after house. I implore you, should you notice anything strange or suspicious within or outside the castle, to report it to a member of staff immediately. I trust you to conduct yourselves, always, with the utmost regard for your own and others' safety."

There was a brief pause, and Dumbledore smiled.

"But now, your beds await, as warm as comfortable as you could possibly wish, and I know that your top priority is to be well-rested for your lessons tomorrow. Let us therefore say good night. Pip pip! Also, if Mr. Harry Potter and Shiraishi Yuki-kun could meet me in my office."

Yuki looked up in surprise, freezing as he started to move. The boy who had spoke out earlier was looking at the headmaster as well.

"Ugh...both of them at once? Good luck," Draco drawled. "I'll wait for you in the common room, Yuki." Yuki nodded and made his way over to where Harry Potter was standing.

Fifteen minutes later, they were standing in Professor Dumbledore's office, facing the old man at his desk. The headmaster regarded them with twinkling blue eyes.

"Harry, I'm sure you've heard of Yuki, our newest transfer student." Yuki glanced sideways at Harry; the other boy nodded without looking at him. Even so, he managed to catch a glimpse of startingly green eyes and the famed lightning bold scar as black hair brushed across it. "And you, Yuki, have obviously heard of Mr. Potter." Yuki nodded quickly. "I'm sure the two of you will learn to get along just fine. You'll be living together this year."

There was a moment's stunned silence. Then Harry said what Yuki was thinking, bursting out with an incredulous, "What!?"

"This is for your own safety, Harry," Dumbledore said with the same calm smile. "Yuki has abilities that will keep you safe from harm this year. And you can show him around the school, help him adjust to life in a new place." The smile became even wider, as if he were giving them some great present.

Before Yuki could say anything, there was a house-elf at tugging at his arm. Another was pulling Harry away, and Dumbledore continued to smile. "Your apartments are at the top of the Northwest Tower. Your things have already been moved up. You'll take classes with your respective houses, but if you go outside of the school, for Hogsmeade visits and the like, you must stay together."

Another long journey through the castle, all the while being helpfully prodded by the house-elves. Harry refused to look at him, even when they were left alone in the tower room.

The room they were standing in was a common room, decorated in shades of red and silver. There was a sofa in front of a roaring fire, surrounded by two squishy chairs. The bookshelves on the other end of the room were filled with books, and some rested on a table nearby. There were two other doors, one covered with a red and gold lion scroll, the other with a green and silver snake scroll.

Harry made his way to the red door in a huff. "Just because he told his to live together..."

Yuki watched him walk away, a little flustered and at a loss for words. "Anou..." he started. "I... yoroshiku onegaishimasu!" he exclaimed, bowing.

Harry paused with his hand on the door. "What does that mean."

"Oh..." Yuki paused. "Um, it means... I hope we'll be able to get along..."

The emerald eyed-boy snorted. "You're friends with Malfoy, aren't you, Don't you know what he is?" When Yuki looked at him in confusion, Harry sighed and said, "He's a Death Eater. Y'know...Voldemort's bunch? He's one of them."

"But..." Yuki was silent in shock for a few moments. Draco had been so nice to him... "He's...too young, right? He can't be..."

A look of something like pity came over Harry's face. "I guess you don't know much about Voldemort, or the kind of people that follow him. Draco is one of those people."

"...oh," was all Yuki could say.

"You'll see soon enough," Harry told him, disappearing into his room.

Yuki sat down on the couch, trying to process everything that had happened. Nearly a day earlier, he had departed Japan, and now he was sharing a dorm with the Boy Who Lived.... Even so, he wondered if Draco was wondering where he was.

The fire had died down to coals when he finally got up and made his way to his bedrooom. The air was cooler in there, and he quickly changed into his pajamas and dove into bed, curling up, under the blankets.

--- Chapter Two - Harry ---

Harry was curled up in his own bed, pondering the situation. He heard Yuki's door close after a while, and started to consider getting out of bed to go to Gryffindor Tower. Ron and Hermione were probably worried...

He was rolling over to get out of bed, his bare chest exposed to the night air, when there was a soft clicking sound at the bedroom door, like a lock being turned. He sat up quickly, moonlight shining in the window to illuminate the bed while throwing the rest of the room into shadow.

"Uh...Yuki?" he called cautiously. The little transfer student had gone to his room...right?

"We'll attend to him in just a moment, Harry," a low, sensuous and somehow familiar voice said from the shadows. "For now, all I'm interested in is you."

Harry reached for his wand, only to find it flying from his hand. There was a brief spark of magic as the person at the door caught it, but not enough to illuminate who held it. There was a chuckle from the man, who said, "Harry, Harry, Harry... if you try to resist, this might hurt a lot more than it has to..."

"Who are you?" Harry tried to sound confident, but there was a quaver in his voice.

"You've forgotten me already?" There was a long moment of silence, and Harry was sure his pounding heart was audible.

Then there was a sound like rushing air, and the moonlight was abruptly blocked out as the person pinned him to the bed, almost as if he had flown across the room. He tried to scream, but a hand covered his mouth, keeping him silent as golden eyes looked straight into his.

"For the time being, you can call me 'master'," and then the eyes were gone. He briefly caught sight of something white flashing in the light...then everything else ceased to matter as fangs sank into his jugular vein.

There was, to his amazement, no pain, only bliss as the vampire drank from him. He moaned softly, trying to raise his pinned arms to pulled the vampire closer, and there was a soft chuckle as they were released. His hands came up to hold on to the vampire's back, his entire body writhing in ecstasy. As his blood was drained from him, and his sense of everything but the teeth in his throat faded, his grip began to weaken, but he tried to hold on to that pleasure as long as possible.

All too soon, however, the fangs were withdrawn, and Harry managed a pitiful whimper, wanting that bliss again even as he started to slip into unconsciousness and death.

"No... I won't let you die. Not like I did..." He smelled the coppery scent of blood again, but not his own; the cold skin that had been against him moments ago touched his lips, this time dripping blood from a newly opened wound. "Drink, Harry," the voice urged him, and he closed his lips over the wound, drinking his sire's blood.

The arm was drawn away all too soon as a feeling like fire burned through his veins. He tried to pull the arm back, but the vampire only wrapped the non-bleeding arm around him, pulling him close to a cool body. Again, and again, the feeling of flame shot through him, and the man's hand was the only thing keeping his screams muffled.

"It'll be over soon," the vampire soothed, kissing his forehead.

As a last flare of pain shot through harry, a muffled cry of, "Cedric!" left him. Then he was still in the shocked vampire's arms.

A few minutes later, Harry opened his eyes, his change complete. They were still green, but they glowed softly and had slits for pupils. He opened his mouth, tongue running over his new extended canines, then looked up at Cedric's face, now perfectly visible with his new eyes to illuminate the darkness.

"How are you alive?" he asked incredulously. "I saw you die..."

"I'm not exactly alive," Cedric told him softly, his golden eyes sad. "You-Know-Who used Dark Magic to bring me back and change me into this. He wanted me to be an assassin for him, but Dumbledore helped me break his control."

Harry's eyes were wide. "And...why did you change me?"

"I had to see you again, and...you're safer like this, Harry. You'll be stronger than ever, and with the right blood, you'll defeat You-Know-Who easily."

"The right blood?"

Cedric's eyes gleamed. "That transfer student."

Harry frowned. "Yuki? But I can't..."

As the emerald-eyed boy spoke, Cedric began to move, lifting Harry off the bed and carrying him easily out the room. "I heard you talking with him before. He's with Malfoy, isn't he?" His sire walked with him through their common room and opened Yuki's door silently. "You can smell him, can't you?"

Harry nodded slowly. Even from across the room, he could smell the warm blood, hear it rushing through Yuki's body...

"He's different, Harry. He's not human. His blood will give you unimaginable power, power that you need..."

Harry tried to shake his head, even as the back of his throat burned with thirst. "I can't," he tried, but his eyes, sharp as an owl's in the night, were fixed on Yuki's pulse point as Cedric carried him across the room.

"You're thirsty, aren't you?" Cedric whispered in his ear. Yuki was stirring, blinking as he tried to make out the two figures beside his bed. "Go on. Feed."

With a hungry growl, Harry pushed himself out of Cedric's arms, landing heavily on top of Yuki. The Japanese boy yelped, but the sound turned into a scream as Harry's fangs sank into his throat.

Yuki's blood was even better than Cedric's, Harry noted absently. Hot and strong as it flowed over his tongue, the taste and Yuki's heat and the thrashing body beneath him... It was an intoxicating mix, and Harry continued to drink deeply.

Finally, he felt Yuki pass out, though he could tell if it was from blood loss or the shock, and he managed to pull himself away, blood still on his tongue.

Cedric turned him around by the shoulders and kissed him hard, their tongues meeting and tangling together. His sire moaned softly, tasting the blood on his tongue.

When they parted, Cedric said, "You left him alive."

"I can't just kill him..." Harry mumbled, embarrassed. A moment later, however, Cedric patted his head with a smile.

"Probably a better idea. He can be your pet, and you can feed more from him, in order to increase your strength."

Harry nodded, and Cedric kissed him again. Behind them, Yuki moaned weakly.

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