Title: I hope you know by now
Author: keg369
Gear: crossover
Pairings: None at this time.
Warnings: blood, guts, general mayhem, and a wee bit of language
Author's Note: I don't own Harry Potter or Darren Shan.
Darren wrinkled his nose at the hat Professor McGonagall brought to him. She stood beside him not meeting his eyes. He guessed she was still embarrassed from the night before.
Darren really wasn't in the mood for this. The large mass of children staring at him made him self-conscious.
He was use to being in front of people he had gotten experience with that from performing for the Cirque du Freak. But he hadn't slept very well that day.
Mr. Crepsley had forced him into a coffin and he never slept very well in coffins not since the night he was buried. And worrying about all the things that could go wrong with just everything and knowing his luck they probably would.
"You have to put this on your head."
He looked at her curiously, "Why."
She blushed a little her face softening for a moment the frown slipping.
Darren thought she must have been quite pretty when she was younger. "It will sort you into the house that's best for you."
Darren looked down at the hat in her hands he very much doubted a hat knew what was best for him. But he bowed his head and the old thing was placed upon his brow.
The invasion on his mind was sudden and very unwelcome.
"My. My. That's quite the mental barrier you have there."
Despite the situation Darren couldn't help but chuckle, "I bet you say that to all the half vampires."
The hat chuckled out loud unknown to Darren. Making everyone else in the Great hall look at each other having never seen the hat do anything close to laughing.
"And a charmer too. You'll have to let me see at lest a little bit of your mind, sweetie, or else I can't sort you."
"Sorry but there's no way in hell."
Darren vaguely wondered if hats were supposed to call people sweetie. A mental picture of middle age waitress appeared in his head.
Then he was in a café. Looking up at the pretty middle aged women he was just picturing. The woman sat the coffee she was pouring down. And moved to set across from Darren looking at him with surprise.
After a moment she smiled at him looking rather pleased, "Never done it this way before. But. Mother did always say I should always try new things."
She was very cute blond hair, brown eyes, pink dress, and white apron. She sat her chin in her right hand leaning forward her matching pink nails clearly visible.
Darren willed himself not to panic glaring at her, "Where are we? Who are you?"
She chuckled again, " Somewhere between you and me I imagine. Since you wouldn't let me in we had to meet somewhere to get this done."
He tilted his head puzzled, "So you pulled me out of my mind to talk to you here? Why do you look like…"
"I simply grabbed on to the image it was close to the surface of your mind. So I didn't have to go to far in to get it. Didn't even brush your barriers. But the rest of this…" she waved her hand around the café "I had nothing to do with."
Darren leaned back in the leather seat of the booth, "ok. So I just talk to you and you put me in one of the house's no peeking in my mind?"
She nodded, "I must say you're quite a bit older than the children that usually come to the school." He glanced at his reflection in the window to find he no longer looked sixteen but the age he should. A hansom but at lest fairly normal looking man stared back at him not an annoyingly pretty teenaged boy. He blinked at his reflection. "Its how you see yourself. Do you not really look like this?"
He blinked at the hat, "Not normally no." It was then he realized fully he was speaking to a hat "So you're a hat what's that like?"
She shrugged " You get use to it." He chuckled and found himself liking the hat very much. "Maybe we can talk about me later Sweetie. But right now we don't have time I have to get you sorted. So I can get back to my beauty sleep."
Darren arched an eyebrow at the hat "Beauty sleep?"
The hat nodded "What do you think I do all year knit socks?"
Darren held his hands up in defense, "You can do whatever you like in your own spare time."
She tilted her head looking at him out of the corner of her eye, "So tell me about yourself?"
Darren shrugged, "Not much to tell really. Half-vampire prince. My favorite food is pickled onions. I like wolves, spiders and snakes. Umm…"
"Snakes?"
Darren looked into her eyes and sent a picture of Evra Von. "One of my best friends"
"I see. Please continue."
"Well let's see I love to read and write there's not much else does it really matter? Can't you just put me somewhere?"
For a moment she looked annoyed, "No that's not how this is done. I can usually narrow it down to two houses. And If I have trouble deciding I'll let you chose ok."
He sighed, " I don't know what to tell you! I like puzzles! I love hunting with Mr. Crepsley! I… "
"Hunting?"
"Yes hunting. Hunting for anything really. Out smarting your prey it's the best feeling in the world." He blushed then he hadn't meant to lose his temper.
But her eyes had gotten calculating "I think I may know the house for you sweet prince."
"Fine" he said shortly for all he liked the hat this conversation was getting very old.
"All right then so it will have to be Slytherin! "
He opened his eyes to find the hall he had just left it. The wide eyes of children still staring at him.
As the hat was lifted from his head he heard the hat whisper, "Don't be a stranger sweetie."
He took a moment to right himself it wouldn't do for the act if he stumbled or something.
"What was that all about? It was like you weren't even in your body for a moment? I called and called but you didn't answer."
Darren almost smiled at the worry in Mr. Crepsley's tone "Don't worry just had to meet a hat in a café."
"What?"
"Hat. Actually quite pretty, blond, you would like her. Nice conversationalist too until she started to pry a little to much."
"Just tell me latter."
"Your highness." he looked at Professor McGonagall "You must go set with your house now." She motioned to the table farthest to his left.
He scanned it barely interested. When his eyes meet the boy he had meet the previous night. The one who reminded him of Steve the one named Draco. The lad's gray eyes were wide staring back.
A devilish smile worked its way on to his face. As he made a beeline for the dragon putting a swagger in his step this would be fun.
He came to a stop at occupied the bench opposite Draco. Not taking his eyes off Draco's he told the boy in the seat to move.
"Find somewhere else to set." The boy he had stopped behind couldn't get out of the set fast enough he tripped over his own feet. Darren caught him with one arm lifting him up and setting him back on his feet all with his eyes still locked with Draco's.
He sat down pushing aside the boy he had just moved dinner.
Mr. Crepsley lingered somewhere behind him more than likely hungry as hell they hadn't eaten since Vampire Mountain after all.
"Larten."
"Yes my lord?"
"Go socialize with your new friend… Master Hagrid was it? I will be fine."
The sifting of cloth behind him told that Mr. Crepsley had bowed. His footsteps were deafening as he walked away the entire room was silent as the dead.
He smiled his best smile at Draco, "So what's good to eat around here besides you?"
A pale shade of pink stained the boy's face at Darren's teasing. But after a moment the cool gray eyes became calculating. It would appear Draco knew Darren was just messing with him. The boy did have a brain after all.
The smirk was back, "Not much I'm afraid. The bread pudding is fair."
Darren looked at the plates that had appeared in front of him indifferently. reaching for the bread pudding. "So tell me about this house fixation everyone seems to have here. It was never explained to be properly."
Draco's smirk got wider making look like the bad boy he more than likely was. "Well Slytherin is the best of course only the best of the best end up here. Ravenclaw is ok I guess load of nerds they are. Hufflepuff bunch of wimps don't even worry about them. Gryffindor is just a bunch of meddling mudbloods that are lead by Harry Potter."
Darren arched an eyebrow he was supposed to be like this boy? " What pray tell is a mudblood and who is Harry Potter?"
Draco looked at him shocked, " You don't know who Harry Potter is!"
Darren gave him a dry look, "Imbecile. I would not have asked had if knew."
Draco's cheeks became pink once more, " Well Harry Potter defeated the Dark Lord fifth teen years ago. Its hard to believe you haven't heard about that."
Darren picked up a goblet taking a sniff before he sipped the buttery liquid.
"The only Dark Lord I know is my father. And I know for a fact he's still undead and kicking. So you'll have to be more specific."
Draco looked befuddled and then bit out in a low voice, "Lord Voldemort."
Darren's eyes sharpened on the boy in front of him, "Mr. Crepsley."
"What is it Darren?"
"Why is this boy telling me that the snake man we're suppose to be helping them fight is dead?"
"He 'died' a while back don't worry your pretty little head about it."
"Oh the Snake man I remember. Now answer my first question."
Draco looked a little angry he obviously wasn't use to being ordered around. But he answered nonetheless, " Mudbloods are flukes in the natural order of things. Don't have any magical parents to speak of. They should all just die."
Darren blinked at the hateful statement put a wig and contacts on him and he really was Steve.
He had an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach then. It was as if he had his best childhood friend back if not for just a little while. His heart rebelled at the thought. And he snarled at Draco who jumped back in surprise.
He quickly got himself back under control glancing at Draco. He had to cover this up some how, " I haven't feed in a while you see. No blood makes me a bit… would you care to join me in my rooms my coffin needs a good breaking in."
Draco was pale as a sheet and very frightened but managed to say "no… no thank you."
Darren nodded and got up "Larten we are leaving."
He walked quickly towards the door feeling as if the hounds of hell were after him.
"Darren what's wrong? You didn't eat hardly anything."
"Nothings wrong I just…" in his haste to leave he crashed into a girl.
He automatically grabbed her arms to stop her from falling. But he did so too hard and she cried out in pain the books she was carry falling to their feet.
Why had he not seen her! He loosened his grip and almost said he was sorry. Before remembering Vampire Princes do not say they're sorry. He looked down at the girls face to find two almost familiar brown eyes.
'Debby?' But the girl in front of him was certainly not Debby. The pale skin and very different features told him that much. But what was it with this place and reminding of people from his past this whole thing was just…was just he was very ready to go home.
The sent of blood penetrated his thoughts he focused on the girl in his hands once more there was a clean cut along her cheek. He glared at it he was so careless. His fingernails must have cut her.
Without thinking he licked the cut making sure to get as much of his salvia on it as possible. The girl gasp and he heard a lot of people yelling which he ignored.
He backed up letting her go licking his lips. The girl's blood tasted just like Draco's had. Normal for the most part but a little something extra.
The girl was fingering the cut with nicely shaped hands as it healed under her fingers.
"Its healed."
He bent down picked up her books deposited them in her arms.
He gave a small bow and practically ran out the doors leaving lots of very confused people in his wake.
AN: I tried to make this a lot longer. I hope you guys liked it. See you next time.
