A/N: Not mine. Please review!
Lupin-
I can't explain it all here. I need you to come to Hogwarts as soon as you get this letter.
Do not bring Sirius with you, and please don't tell him about this letter, or whom you are coming to see. I will answer your questions when you get here.
Severus Snape
Remus Lupin had just apparated outside of Hogwarts. He didn't know why he was listening to Snape, but something in the letter told him this wasn't a wild goose chase. Something was up. Something big.
Lupin opened up the gates, waved hello to Hagrid, and proceeded to the castle.
~*~*~*~
Severus Snape had all the ingredients. He was literally twitching from hunger and thirst, but he didn't dare satisfy either of the needs. He swallowed, then jumped as the doors to his classroom banged open. In strode Lupin, looking curious, but trying to hide it.
"You wrote, Severus?"
"I know the cure." With those four words, Lupin's expression turned to disbelief, then to hopeful, next to skeptical, and finally rested on something close to hurt. The expression provoked Snape's temper. "I mean it. I know how to cure us both."
" 'Us both?' What the hell does that mean? You don't seem to be a werewolf, unless memory fails me, of course." Lupin said skeptically.
"You're right, Lupin, I'm not a werewolf. I recently became what I am, actually."
"And that would be…"
"A vampire. I am a vampire, Lupin, and the only thing we need to add to the potions to cure us is a bit of each other's blood. I will cut my finger and add a few drops to your potion, and you will do the same to my potion." Snape said, a strange smile twisting his features. "I have made enough for both of us, and for the person who made me what I am. That person will be here tonight…in a few hours, actually. I assume you can wait that long?"
"H-how? I mean…you…a vampire?" Lupin said, looking stricken.
"Sit down. We have a while. I'll tell you my tale. Would you like some tea? I'm afraid I've…lost my, er, liking of it." Snape said, the corners of his mouth twitching.
"No, thanks…er, pardon me, but how do I know you're not joking?" Lupin asked suspiciously.
Snape laughed. Then he grinned toothily, showing his teeth. He closed his eyes in concentration, and his canines began to grow and sharpen. He ran his tongue over his newly lengthened teeth. Then they shortened and blunted, becoming normal once again.
It was then that Remus realized how pale he was, not to mention how thin he was. He looked like he was on the verge of starvation. Snape was keeping distance between himself and Lupin, constantly wringing his hands, keeping them busy. The question in his eyes was very apparent…
"No…I haven't bitten anyone…except my creator…she makes sure I am fed…but I am supposed to fend for myself…she…has…has…" He stopped. Lupin was staring at him with pity in his eyes. Snape did not want pity-not from Lupin, to say the least.
Snape forced a smile. He had been resisting the urge to rip back Lupin's head and sink his hollow teeth into his juglar, to lap up all the blood, to fill the need inside of him. It would make his creator proud…
But, no. He had never done that to anyone, except his creator, of course. She was the only reason he hadn't been feeding off students. She let him feed off her…for a price. She drank more of his blood everytime. She was trying to force him to give in to his needs, but he wouldn't. Tonight, he would cure himself, Lupin, and her.
"Tell me, Severus." Lupin said.
And tell him he would.
~*~*~*~
Snape supposed it started with the dreams. A beautiful woman with ruby red lips, dark brown eyes that were almost black, long black hair, and ivory white skin would come into his chambers, tell him to relax, then kiss his throat. The next day they were obviously dreams…right? But he found two tiny puncture marks on his throat surrounded by light bruising (the words from a muggle movie came to his mind: "Free tiny puncture mahks on herr froat." "Three?" "Two! Two tiny puncture mahks on herr froat.") But that was insane…no vampire would dare enter the castle. No way.
But then slytherins reported seeing a woman hanging around the dungeons late at night. The descriptions matched up perfectly. But it was too late. Snape had started to bite her back; and he enjoyed it. God help him, he enjoyed it. He was content with that life. Immortality? No problem. He was well fed. He was content.
Around the time he stared biting back, Snape stopped coming to the meals with the rest of the school. He was full, but that wasn't the only reason. Every time he tried to eat something, his teeth would change. It was annoying, to say the least. Snape was terrified Dumbledore would see his teeth, and cast him out. Many times he had wanted to go to the elderly headmaster and ask for help, but he couldn't. She didn't want him to, therefore he wouldn't.
Then, about a week ago, something happened he couldn't ignore.
Potter had been slicing up caterpillars, and his knife slipped. He cut himself, and started to bleed. Snape had turned around, then frozen. His teeth transformed inside his mouth. An inarticulate cry
(GIMME THAT!!!)
had formed in his brain (mouth? stomach?) and he almost obeyed it. He leaned over Harry's shoulder and pretended to examine the wound, while really searching for an artery on the side of Potter's throat. At the last minute, Snape realized what he was about to do. He stopped himself, and dismissed the class. He was almost visibly shaken.
His creator was not happy with his refusal to drink the blood of others. She had been doing it for 200 years, as she "kindly" pointed out. But he couldn't. He was a teacher. He had some pride, and dignity.
For the first time in over a month, Snape saw himself as he was. He had not left the school in ages, nor had he seen the outside of his dark dungeons in weeks. His sallow skin was as white as Hers. He had successfully isolated himself from the rest of the school. Eventually, people would have noticed his absence from, well, the world. He had always been private, otherwise people would have noticed by now.
Snape was digusted with himself. He buried himself in his library, reading up on vampires. Only a werewolf could kill one without the stakes or garlic. An idea had formed in his brain. The chances of it working were slim, but who cared?
Of course, he hid his work from his creator. He continued to feed, but found no pleasure in it. He did it merely to stay alive.
Once he planned out the potion, he realized he had subconsciously made measurements for three. He planned to save her, though he didn't officially know her name. Digging deeper, he realized he loved her, despite the fact that she had damned him.
~*~*~*~
"And that's why we're here." Snape concluded, wringing his hands.
Lupin sat, seemingly thoughtful. He had listened to Snape's story without interruption. Now, he just sat…thinking hard. "Er, Severus?"
"Yes?"
"What happens if the potion doesn't work?"
"It won't harm you."
Slight pause. Then, "What about you?"
"That's irrelevant. Now, let's add the blood. It needs to simmer a bit." Snape pulled out a small knife and cut his finger. He squeezed it, allowing a few drops to fall off into one of the three vials in front of them. He used a spell to heel himself, then handed the knife to Lupin, who followed suit. After adding his blood to the remaining vials (one for each vampire) he handed the knife back.
They sat in silence for a moment, thinking of
(Tiny puncture mahks on herr froat…GIMME…two!…plans)
about what was to come.
"Why do you want to save her?" Lupin asked him quietly.
"I guess its loyalty. She's 235 years old, and she deserves to be mortal again." Snape replied, almost defiantly. He opened his mouth to reply, but suddenly froze. Every nerve ending was on a hair trigger. His eyes became distant, and a smile hinted around the corners of his mouth. He sat for a moment, then stood up, and headed for his sleeping quarters.
"She's hear…follow me…bring the potions…" Snape whispered, not looking at Lupin.
Snape seemed to glide silently across the floor. Lupin followed, fear seeping into his veins. They reached Snape's Quarters, and Lupin gasped.
She stood in the middle of the room, a smile similar to Snape's on her mouth. She was beautiful, but so pale. Her eyes flickered to Lupin, then focused on Snape, who was right in front of her. He touched the side of her face, then leaned in to kiss her gently. She returned the kiss, then flipped the hair off of her ivory neck, and exposed the arteries to him.
He leaned down, teeth bared, and sunk them into her neck. He suckled gently for about ten minutes, then pulled back. Lupin realized that the color had returned to Snape's face. He looked satisfied; full.
Snape held her gaze for a moment, then moved his greasy hair away from his neck. She latched onto his throat, sucking deeply. Snape showed no sign of resistance. If he ever had
("But, Lucy, I'm British!")
there was no trace of it left in him. He seemed to be greatly enjoying it. She started to pull away, but he held her face to his throat, encouraging her to continue.
Lupin watched in horror as the color drained from Snape's features. Even as his strength ebbed away, Snape still held her. He looked at Lupin after what seemed like an eternity, paler still. He seemed to consider what to say.
"Do you…have the…the…potions?" Snape rasped. It seemed an effort for him to speak. His voice came out small and weak, but still he held her.
Lupin nodded, staring transfixed at the vampiress and Snape.
"Good…hand it to me…to me…p-please…" He looked about to faint. Lupin thrust them into Snape's outstretched hand. Lupin's fingers brushed Snape's, and Lupin suppressed a gasp as he felt Snape's ice cold didgets.
Snape finally pushed her away, and forced her mouth open. He unstopped the vials with one swift movement, and poured the liquid down her throat
(froat…free tiny puncture mahks…froat…)
and forced her to swallow. She tried to sputter, but he forced her mouth closed. He quickly swallowed his own. He shuddered, then collapsed.
"SNAPE!!!" Lupin yelled, stepping forward. The woman glanced at him, but stayed out of his way. Lupin picked Snape up, only to find that he was paler than Sirius Black had been when he came out of Azkaban. Snape was shuddering slightly…then he stopped. He opened his eyes, glanced around, and then locked eyes with Lupin.
"Sorry you had to see that…I realized she needed blood…at least until her body starts to supply her with her own amount…the potion worked…drink yours…" Snape said this all very weakly, then he fainted dead away.
A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope you liked this so far, I actually typed this up a LONG time ago, so cut me some slack! No, the vampire woman is not an MS, in case you were wondering :P. I used to really like vampires, and so I used some old theories and sorta combined it with Harry Potter. Oh, and if you want to know what the "muggle movie" was, you should see Dracula, Dead and Loving It. Please review, I still have more to add!