Don't own.

This chapter is mostly about the blood binding of the side ship here - Vlad and Erin before they have their baby bat!

Plus a little joke Emma has been begging me to put in, so if you aren't big on Vlad and Erin then stop after the first line break.

-YDHP-

Harry was sat with Ingrid, Erin and Vlad discussing baby names. He was sure he was missing a joke somewhere when Vlad grinned mischievously before suggesting 'Barry'. "Right, because you enjoyed being called Barry so much?" Vlad pouted, tossing the baby name book (published 1254 AD apparently) back to his sister and resuming hugging his fiance. Their blood binding day was tomorrow, and Harry was best man while the Count was officiating. This was apparently a big deal to Vlad, as his father had not been thrilled about Vlad marrying a half fang. They shouldn't technically be together now, it wasn't traditional but nobody was going to seperate Vlad from the vampiress carrying his child before tonight unless they had a death wish.

"Do you even know if you're having a boy or a girl?" Vlad shook his head, stroking the swell of Erin's stomach. "No, Erin wanted it to be a surprise and I'm happy with a healthy baby." That in itself was a bold statement, Harry couldn't care less himself but vampires were very much big on the "son and heir" deal, and as the 'Chosen One' Vlad was expected to produce one, and especially expected to want one. Ingrid had thanked him thoroughly and roughly when he said he wouldn't mind in the slightest if they weren't having a boy, though they'd found out entirely by mistake as Madam Pomfrey had exclaimed "oh a little baby boy" at the early scan. Ingrid had spent years insecure in herself because of Count Dracula, but these days Vlad had worked him down to shutting up entirely about it as a compromise to their blazing rows. Plus Harry expected Tonks helped.

"Oh I don't know, even if we pick ten names they might turn out not to suit him at all. And his middle name is going to be Harry regardless, that's basically tradition in both worlds." Harry nodded, in no mood to argue with Ingrid about anything given how she tried to stake him with a carrot yesterday for suggesting they go to bed before she'd decided she was done eating (carrots dipped in honey and sheep blood this month, it was worse than peanut butter and pigs blood), though she wasn't actually eating when he asked. Ingrid was due to give birth in two months, and he thought Erin was about a month behind that, though that would imply that Vlad was being totally honest about when they'd hooked up before actually dating, and Harry hadn't really wanted to know.

Harry was still recovering from Ingrid's 'apology', even his constantly rising stamina as she grew more hormonal with pregnancy taxed this morning in their coffin. They'd actually overslept, Vlad chuckling in between looking mildly ill as he pointed out Harry reeked of Ingrid - he hadn't had time to shower before collapsing in exhaustion, getting up only as Vlad knocked the door and Harry hadn't been awake enough to remember to go and rinse off. Not to mention the bite mark on Harry's shoulder, the scratch marks down his chest as he hadn't even put on a t-shirt. Harry retaliated by pointing out Vlad and Erin had been caught naked in the blood mirror room only a week previously, to which Vlad protested vehemently even though he knew it was true. Smiling to himself in memory, Harry let the girls talking about cravings and who knows what else wash over him. Vlad was more attentive, but then he was getting married tomorrow, he was bound to be a little more emotional.

"Come on Erin, it's nearly daylight so time for you two to say goodbye til the ceremony." Vlad and Erin both grumbled and kissed desperately, Ingrid gagging and turning away, tossing a fireball at them when they showed no signs of stopping. "Seriously, you wouldn't see each other while you were asleep anyway! Now come on!" Ingrid grabbed hold of Erin, kissing Harry goodbye and dragging Erin away to the 'female quarters'. The ceremony was happening in Vlad and Erin's castle, so neither of them were leaving the building but Harry was under strict orders to lock Vlad's coffin after they went down for the night and not open it before the sun was down unless it was an emergency.

Vlad was clearly anxious as they went to settle in their coffins for the night, side by side singles just like for Harry and Ingrid's blood binding day. "What if she doesn't turn up Harry?" "Vlad, as you vampires say, have you got sun stroke? Erin is crazy about you, not to mention heavily pregnant and again, crazy about you. She wouldn't be binding with you if she wasn't." Vlad was sat curled up in a ball in his coffin, rocking back and forth slightly with wide eyes. "I love her, I want to spend forever with her. I just worry she's only doing this because of the baby and that she'll regret being bound to me for eternity." Rolling his eyes while he was sure Vlad couldn't see, Harry sighed and sat back up.

"Vlad, in case you missed that disgusting show of tongue action before Ingrid dragged her away, Erin is all over you. If she didn't want to be with you, she would have not told you about the baby until it was born and let you see it after. Erin is binding with you because she wants to, now go to sleep before I have Madam Pomfrey come over here to tie you down and force sleeping potions down your neck again." Vlad shuddered at the memory, the school nurse was a fierce woman and had actually spelled ropes onto Vlad's wrists when he wouldn't take the Dreamless Sleep last time they ended up in the Hospital Wing after one of their... adventures at Hogwarts. The image of the all-powerful Chosen One vampire at the mercy of a woman in an apron holding a stick of wood still amused him now. "Stop laughing." "I'm not!" "You were thinking about it, stop!" Sighing in defeat, Harry lay back down. "I'm spending a day away from my own pregnant vampiress to be here for tradition, the least you can do is shut up and sleep!"

Vlad finally lay down, grumbling as he did so but laying down nonetheless. Harry waited until his coffin lid closed before spelling it locked. Vlad could break through it if he really wanted to, but Harry had added an alarm so he'd be woken if Vlad did so and could go drag him back to sleeping. "Night Harry." "Night Vlad."

Waking up as the sun went down, the anxiety and nerves hit Vlad all over again. Trying to sit up, he hit his head as the coffin wouldn't open. "Harry James Potter, did you lock me in!?" The lid flipped up a moment later, Harry's apologetic face meeting him from across the room. "Sorry, I had orders from Ingrid." Knowing his sister, Vlad let the anger fade away. "Right, get in the shower and then it's time to get dressed." Vlad nodded, clambering out of the coffin and hurrying to shower. Glad for magic once again, he flicked his hand to dry himself magically and pulled on his boxers - revenge for Harry doing the same. "My eyes!" Score one for Vlad. Harry was covering his face, holding out Vlad's deep red shirt. Shrugging it on, Vlad pulled on his socks, taking trousers from Harry next and grinning as Harry held the nightshade without dying. "Look, another vampire perk!" Clicking his fingers to put his boots on rather than bend down and risk creasing the suit, Vlad was as ready as he'd ever be. "Is my hair staging a rebellion?"

Harry grinned but shook his head, informing Vlad he looked fine. Sometimes having no reflection was a real bother. Drawing in a deep breath he didn't need, Vlad carefully sipped his goblet of soya blood before stating he was as ready as he'd ever be. They flitted off to the blood binding room together, the usual red and black mixed in with some blue - Erin loved blue. Harry often joked that was why she liked him, Vlad's typical Dracula blues sparkling with power and happiness as he stood next to Harry at the altar. Though he was now a full sized adult thanks to some strange quirk of magic, Wolfie was still the ring bearer and stood beaming next to the Count on the altar. Ingrid waved at him from her spot as maid of honour or something, though she took the time to scowl at the row of Gryffindor boys sat near to her.

"Ready Vladdy? It's not too late to change your mind!" Scowling at his father, Vlad forced his face to relax. "I'm never going to change my mind, now behave before I ask Remus to do it." The Count's typical aversion to werewolves kicked in and he straightened up, flipping his long hair over his shoulders and holding the cards with his words on in front of him. Bertrand offered Vlad a quick squeeze on his shoulder as he passed to the huge grand piano, the haunting melody filling the air. Turning round, Vlad saw Erin being walked down the aisle by her brother - another half fang. They'd come from a family of slayers, and while her parents had agreed not to try and stake them regardless of the ceasefire, they weren't any other kind of supportive. His soon-to-be blood wife looked heart-beatingly beautiful in a midnight blue dress, a deep red bouqet of roses clutched in her hand to match Vlad's shirt.

Erin offered him a bright smile as she stood next to him, letting Ryan place her hand in Vlad's as they turned to face his father. A pointed glance hurried the Count along, blurring through the vows and promises before they both sliced across their palms, an echo of a heartbeat shared between them as their blood linked them forever. Erin's blinding smile matched his own as he kissed her, clapping everywhere around them but Vlad had eyes only for his new wife. Harry clapped him on the shoulder, congratulating him happily as Vlad felt happiness burn through him. Tonks was quick to drag his father away before he started talking, knowing as well as anyone he had a habit of saying the wrong thing and being fully unapologetic. Thanking the slayers who attended in spite of the heavy VHC presence, Vlad refused to relinquish his hold on Erin's hand until after they danced. And that was only because Ingrid pried them apart.

Traditional trade off of best man and head bridesmaid was common apparently, and Vlad had danced with Ingrid at her blood binding so he supposed it was only fair he dance with her at his. Erin was laughing with Harry at Vlad's face by the time the song was over, letting Ingrid go as soon as it was appropriate to go back to clutching Erin tightly and smiling. "Happiest day of my un-life." He answered in response to Erin asking why he was 'grinning like a loon'. She returned the sentiment, and Vlad reluctantly gave her up again to let her dance with Ryan while he went to get a drink. "So Vladdo, we all thought you'd turn out biting for the other team like Neville but instead you landed a hot chick just like Harry!" "Seamus, that's my sister you're talking about, don't make me hurt you." Seamus was unapologetic, and Vlad was certain by the end of the night he'd either be completely intoxicated or going home with Neville as though nobody would notice. Not that anyone cared that Seamus 'bit' for both teams, it was just funny to watch him think nobody knew.

Harry joined the Gryffindor boys a few moments later, pointing out to Vlad's anxious eyes that Erin was fine, sat chatting with Ingrid and Hermione and that she definitely had a drink. He knew he was a little over-emotional but he couldn't help himself, today had been nerve wracking as well as pure joy. "So, the Chosen Two are both undead and married, who knew that would happen when these two scrawny kids turned up at school looking lost and confused?" "Never mind that the Gryffindor golden boy ended up marrying queen of the Slytherins." "You're one to talk Draco, given how you're dating a Ravenclaw muggle born, I bet your father had a seizure just hearing about it." Draco laughed, agreeing his father had not been 'thrilled'. "Well, he knows he owes you both hugely for getting him out of trouble for my sake, and neither of you are pure bloods so he's in no place to actually argue. Doesn't mean he doesn't scowl and occasionally try to push me at Slytherin pure blood girls at the Malfoy parties of course."

"Well, no Slytherins here other than Ingrid, though my mum would have made an excellent Slytherin had she been magical." His vampire mother, Magda, was currently flirting with no less than four wizarding males of the Weasley family, and Harry was falling about laughing next to him saying imagine if Vlad's future half-brother or sister were all vampiric other than bright red hair. "Please no, my mum already has a half-werewolf half-vampire child, let's not add Dimidius to the mix!" Dimidius were still unaccepted in vampire society until they were eighteen and opted to stay a vampire, as their human side would die but Vlad had pushed to change the laws to leave the family alone until such a time, unless one vampire or vampiress was consistently flouting the rules and putting vampire secrecy at risk.

"Still, it would be hilarious." "If you say so Potter, don't you have someone else to annoy?" Harry shoved his shoulder jokingly, plying Vlad with a goblet of soya and swearing to magically restrain him if he didn't stop staring at Erin every three seconds. "Right, because you looked away from Ingrid for ages at your binding day?" Harry conceded his point, making Vlad finish his drink before he went to retrieve his wife again. "Party is winding down slightly, we'll be off in a minute. I just need to give Ingrid this." Erin looked at the wrapped gift strangely, smirking when Vlad flashed her an image of a baby vampire rattle inscribed with the name 'Barry' on in bright pink letters. "She's going to kill you." "Why do you think I wrapped it? Gives us a second or two head start. Ready?" Erin nodded, sharing his mischief mood as they went to say goodbye to everyone. "No biting dad, remember!" Tonks grabbed hold of the Count, promising to make him behave and shooting a stinging hex or two in Magda's direction for good measure. Shaking his head at how shockingly like his father the witch was, Vlad hugged Harry and Ingrid goodbye and bid his old dorm mates farewells.

"Til the next time Vladdo!" Seamus was considerably less discreet tonight, already standing close to Neville with a smirk on his face. Gripping Erin's hand tightly, Vlad held out the 'gift' for Ingrid. "Go go go!" Vlad and Erin flitted off quickly, racing against Ingrid's speedy hands. "VLAD!" Falling about laughing before they could take their bat forms, Vlad let the happiness of the day wash through him. "I love you." Erin smiled softly at him, making his stomach flutter like it did every time. "I love you too you idiot, now let's go before Ingrid catches up with us!" Scrambling to his feet, Vlad watched for Erin turning into a bat before he followed, catching Ingrid coming up behind them, though still human and shouting threats involving large pointy wooden things when they returned. Right now he was off to enjoy his bloodmoon with his lifelong bloodwife.

-YDHP-

So, that's Vlad and Erin married off! And Barry making an appearance tehe.