"Winter," Snape whispered, pulling off the lid to her coffin. It was a bit early for Winter to be up, but Snape wanted her to be super prepared for the classes of the day.

When Winter did sleep, she looked especially like a vampire. Her hair was pulled back, out of her face and bits and pieces lay upon her shoulders. Her eyes were shut and looked slightly sunken in with dark circles underneath, which she typically hid using some sort of Muggle makeup. Her fangs protruded slightly from her mouth that she slept with slightly open. She had on a lng black night dress that hugged her body and her neck. Her arms lay crossed over her chest as though dead. Winter never took a breath at night, as well.

And you would believe her dead if you didn't know her. If you didn't know what she was. If you didn't know she was a vampire.

Winter opened her gleaming red eyes and rose out her coffin, like in some silly American horror movie. She uncrossed her arms and stretched out her back and shoulders.

"Ah, good morning, Severus," she said, standing up to stretched out her legs. "Have you ever tried sleeping in a coffin?"

"No," Snape replied. "And I don't believe I ever will."

"That's unfortunate," Winter replied, rolling her head around her neck, popping a few of her muscles. "I quite like it."

"Well, we're very different creatures," Snape replied, patting her shoulder. "I'll see you later, at breakfast."

"Okay," Winter replied.

Snape shut the door to his office, and Winter dressed. She filled her bag with what she would need, dropping a few bottles of the potion into a side pocket. She took her first breath since before she had gone to bed and sighed. There were too many scents for her to distinguish who was who.

Winter walked down to the Great Hall. A few early risers, like herself, were seated at their tables. She took a seat at the Slytherin table and munched on a piece of extra crisp bacon. She was lost in thought about how this year would go. How the year would work out considering she wasn't like the rest of them. She pulled out her battered potions book and looked over some of the potions written in it. Like Snape had done years before, she had written in easy short cuts for the potions. She had scribbled notes about controlling herself when in large crowds or around people who bothered her hunger. She had scribbled in notes pertaining to other vampires throughout the ages, like Count Dracula. She didn't idolize him, but she did rather like him, in some sadistic way.

More people started coming in an hour later. That was when Winter took her leave and went on to wander around for a little while before going to her first class. Snape had gone over her schedule last night, feeling that time could be used with the dunderheads of the Slytherin group, such as Crabbe and Goyle.

Winter sat down in her Ancient Runes class, watching the teacher right out notes on the board.

"Who are you?" a girl with long, slightly-bushy hair asked, taking a seat next to her. "I don't believe I've ever seen you before."

"Winter Trace," Winter answered, kicking her feet up on the desk. "I transferred here from a school in Transylvania. Some rubbish happened, and now I'm here."

"What happened?" she asked. "Oh, and I'm Hermione Granger. Pleased to meet you."

"Oh, they thought I wasn't right for the school or something," Winter scoffed. "I was one of the smartest there."

"Well, you'll have competition for that role here," Hermione said. "Slytherin?"

"Yeah," Winter said. "Gryffindor. Hm. I would."

"You would what?" Hermione asked.

"Become better friends with a Gryffindor than someone in my own house," Winter said.

"You should meet my friends," Hermione said. "I think you might be able to get along with them. We'll just find a place to meet since we can't exactly go to each others common rooms."

"You do that," Winter said, watching other students come into the room.

"Can I ask you one more question?" Hermione asked.

"You just did," Winter smirked. "But go ahead."

"Thanks," Hermione said. "Why are your eyes red?"

Winter started and dropped her feet to the ground. "I, uh, use Muggle contacts."

"Oh," Hermione said. "Do your parents send you pacages of them."

"No," Winter said, looking morose. "My parents left me. I have to buy them myself."

"I'm sorry," Hermione said, touching her arm lightly.

"Yeah," Winter sighed. "I am, too."

She and Hermione had the rest of their classes together, and became quick friends. The Slytherins all gave her weird looks, but Winter didn't care. She never cared what others thought of her. That afternoon after classes, they sat around in the courtyard, Winter hiding in the shadows, putting on sunscreen.

"Are you allergic to the sun?" Ron Wealsey asked, a boy with flame red hair.

"Yeah," Winter said. "In Transylvania, I had night classes because of it. But I'm tired of that."

"Night classes? Awesome!" Ron said.

"They were okay," Winter shrugged. "You got lonely quickly."

"So how do you like Hogwarts?" Harry Potter asked. Winter had quickly learned his history, amazed, yet also somehow, afraid of the man he kept mentioning. Afraid of Voldemort. But she never showed it.

"I like," Winter said. "I like the ghosts. I like most of the teachers."

"I bet you hate Snape, just like the rest of us," Ron said.

"Actually, I lived with Snape this summer," Winter said, staring slightly puzzled at Ron. "He's a friend of mine and the family. You hate him?"

"Yeah!" Harry said. "He's a jerk to us! He's unfair, too!"

Winter shrugged. "Well, we just have different opinions. I think we can get past this."

"Of course we can," Hermione said.

They got to know each other until the sun started to set. Winter excused herself and went to fund something to eat in the Great Hall. She ate and left, ignoring the watchful eye of Draco Malfoy.

She stayed in Snape's office, studying and working on homework that the teachers assigned. She had a ton of homework for Runes. A fifteen inch essay, two translations, and she had to read several heavy, thick books by Wednesday.

The door was open, and as Winter breathed, she caught something in the breeze.

"I know that scent," she muttered, drifting into the empty corridor.

She drifted past Peeves who was cackling about some idiocy, but she ignored him. She kept following the scent until she came up to a turn in the corridor. Winter glanced around the wall to see Draco Malfoy strutting towards her.

"Crud," she whispered and took off, leaving her bag on the floor in the process. She realized this by the time she had reached the Defense Agaisnt the Dark Arts classroom.

"Seriously?" she said to herself and turned around again, just to see Draco Malfoy walking towards her.

"Did you drop this by chance?" he asked, holding out the bag.

"Uh, yeah," Winter said, stretching out her hand and looking down, hiding her eyes from view.

"Don't hide your amazing eyes," Draco, handing her the bag and lifting her face up.

Winter stared at him, unsure of what she was feeling. She had quit breathing by now, but faked the movements. That gnawing hunger was back, eating at her stomach. She cursed herself for not taking at least a sip of the potion.

Draco meanwhile, was amazed with her red eyes, and the fact that she hadn't yet run from him. His heart was hammering in his chest just being this close to her. Just touching her. He was so close to her, and she seemed so uncomfortable.

"What are you two doing?" a dark voice said from a little ways away.

"Snape," Winter sighed in relief and broke away from Draco. She walked away, her cloack flapping slightly behind her.

Draco stared at Snape.

"Why are her eyes red?" he asked. "And I noticed she had fangs...Professor, is Winter even human?"

Was that a little shorter than the last one? I'm sorry if it is. I wanted the cliffhanger. Heh. Well, review, yes? Please tell me if anyone likes this!
-xXRayneXx