That evening Severus Snape couldn't sleep. He kept pacing his rooms, his face clouded with an expression even more gloomy than usually. At the sound of his shoes on the cold dungeon floor, all the people on the nearest portraits hid themselves, not wanting to get in the Potions Master's way. Only the Slytherin snake on the painting on his door hissed soothingly to him. The Potions Master didn't seem to notice.

Severus was drawn out of his thoughts when the clock stroke midnight. He stopped in front of his large bookshelves and started picking out all his Defence Against the Dark Arts books, his books on mystical creatures and beasts, the books on Northern European fictional monsters, and, finally, vampires. Having picked out all of these, he took the huge pile of books to his desk and set them down, muttering, "I should have known."

Although he would never admit it to anyone, even having trouble admitting it to himself, he felt guilty for what had happened to Minerva. If he had been more watchful and wise, he would have known who Alfons was. He would have found out sooner, and would have prevented the whole thing. He had known things were strange with Vereiha but he hadn't done anything about it. And now he hated himself because of it.

He sat down, deciding to spend the rest of this sleepless night browsing through material on the nosferatu. His hope was to find ways to help Minerva, to keep Alfons away, and, if he was lucky, to get rid of him.

Severus knew he had never been a good friend, bur he was a loyal friend. Even he had a heart, and even he could respect what other people did for him. Minerva had always been her friend, ever since he started working at Hogwarts. They were rivals, of course. Slytherin and Gryffindor, what would you expect? But she was also the only person who ever asked how he feels about things, the only one who listened closely whenever he had anything to say, and the only one who actually felt sorry for him when he had any mishaps.

And he liked that. He liked to argue with her and he liked to agree with her. He would let her pity himself in hard times, and he would share a good laugh with her in the happy ones. She was definitely his friend. His only friend, to be precise. The other teachers detested him, to say the least, and Dumbledore, although he helped Severus, was still his boss.

He had to help her. If not in any other way, he would keep her safe. Yes, this was the promise he made to himself. He would protect Minerva from the vampire.

Just as he had turned another page in a Defence Agains the Dark Arts book to read about the defence methods of vampires, he saw a large shadow move past his window quickly. Severus looked out the window from where he was seated, and he could have sworn it was a bat out there.

A bat... A bat?!

With a jolt, he was up on his feet and rushing out of his rooms, heading to the Hospital Wing.


Severus only stopped when the doors to the infirmary didn't open before him like he had hoped them to. He pushed the doors, only then coming to the conclusion that the place was locked during the night.

Severus took a step back and reached for his wand.

"Severus?" he heard Poppy's sleepy voice say. "What are you doing up here?"

He turned and found himself facing the med-witch who had obviously came to look when she heard the noise of his quick steps. She was wearing her faint red dressing gown and her hair was loose, the moonlight that peeked in from the windows made her silver hair glint beautifully. He would compliment that later.

Poppy eyed him with obvious curiosity as if it had been the first time she had found him wandering around the castle at night.

"I came to check on Minerva." He knew how pathetic that sounded. "I have a feeling the vamire might come back for her," he added quickly.

Poppy wanted to say something but she was overcome by a yawn.

"Now please, open the door, or I'll do it myself," Severus said impatiently.

"What's your hurry?" Poppy wondered out loud, but stepped to the infirmary doors. She took out the keys that she always carried around and unlocked the door, careful not to make a sound to wake the patients.

Before she could even move out of the way, Severus pushed the doors open and stormed inside. She followed behind closely, only to come to a halt when she saw what was happening. The sight before the two of them was horrifying.

A tall man figure with a wide cape was leaning over Minerva's bed. His shoulder-lenght hair was black, his long claws digged into the skin near Minerva's shoulders. The vampire's face was buried into her neck, his breathing was hard and his movements forceful.

Minerva seemed unconscious. Her face was white as the snow, and her weak body made no attempt of objection. She was pressed strongly against the vampire, slowly being drained from her lifeblood.

At the sound of Severus and Poppy's steps, the monster looked up at them, raising his mouth from the small cuts on his victim's neck. His bright red eyes held a fierce look in them, a trickle of blood running down his chin.

Poppy gasped in shock, Severus kept his steady face. It was Alfons!

His eyes were no longer blue, his hair no longer blonde, but it was him. It was his face and his body, but he had changed from the humble man he usually was into an attrocious beast.

Severus started to run towards him, but Alfons stepped back and, even faster than Minerva would have, transformed. The bat gave a screech and flew out of the window, disappearing into the night.

Severus quickly sat beside Minerva and checked her pulse. "Alive," he sighed, relieved.

Poppy hurried to them, her hand pressed against her chest in order to steady her racing heart. "That was Alfons!" she said, not willing to believe it really.

"Yes. I knew," Severus replied, his look now fixed on Minerva. Her long black hair was loose, framing her pale face in soft waves. She had a pained expression on her face.

"You knew? Well, why didn't you say so?" Poppy asked in annoyance as she also sat by Minerva's side. She picked the things she needed from the table nearby and started to clean the cuts once again.

"Would you have believed me?" His voice held a tone of sneer.

Poppy had to agree, "No, I wouldn't have." She wanted to add that she wouldn't have thought he would come here to save Minerva either, but kept silent, knowing that he had come after all and it didn't matter what his purpose had been.

Suddenly, Poppy had a feeling that something was not right. She moved her hand near Minerva's nose and mouth, and found that the witch was not breathing. Quickly reaching for her wand and pointing it at her patient's throat, she said, "Anapneo!"

Minerva took in a deep and long awaited breath. Poppy gave a sigh. Severus watched silently as the med-witch nursed Minerva's wounds.

"I believe we must make a transfusion," Poppy finally said to break the silence. "A very Muggle way of course, but I'm afraid she won't hold on otherwise."

"I can do it," Severus replied without hesitation. He regretted it the next second, yet somewhere in his mind he knew that he would do even a lot more only to help save Minerva.

"You?" Poppy asked, looking at him from head to toes. "I don't think she would want Slytherin blood in her veins."

"Oh, for God's sake, is Hufflepuff any better?" he burst out, annoyed. "Or are you planning to plunder the next true Gryffindor in this school, Dumbledore?"

Poppy silently turned back to Minerva. There was a long silence as they thought of the worst things that could happen to her.

"Very well," Poppy said as she stood up, facing Severus."We'll do it tomorrow. Her wounds must be at least a little bit healed. Now go, I'll stay watch."

But Severus didn't move. He kept his eyes on the witch laying in the bed in front of him. "You go, I'll stay. I can't sleep anyway."

Poppy watched him curiously for another minute, but then a new yawn reminded her that she was actually rather tired.

"Alright," she said as she passed Severus on her way out of the infirmary. "I'll see you in the morning."

Severus nodded. The doors closed after Poppy.

Severus carefully reached out and caressed Minerva's hair and head. He silently promised that this would never happen again. Alfons would never again get near her.