You - yeah, it was kinda a filler to bridge them back to Hogwarts, but at least we're here now!

Warnings for sexual activity.

-YDHP-

It took until Hogwarts was in sight for the Aurors to stop sticking their heads in, though Vlad suspected it was at least partly down to them silencing the door so the aurors couldn't eavesdrop. It did put a dent in George being able to call him "big brother", which she wouldn't get much chance to do at Hogwarts, though Vlad promised they would get to hang out sometime still.

"I'm gonna go find the twins, check they haven't swapped their robes in some Parent Trap thing."

"Remember George, you can't tell them."

"I know. Sucks. Ah well."

She threw her arms around Vlad, squeezing him tight and he smiled, watching his little sister amble off down the train in search of her friends. Scruff hooted indignantly at being left behind, beady eyes on Phantom and Lily who were napping in Harry's lap but apparently still posed a threat.

"Don't worry, when we leave Phantom goes back in her carrier and Lily goes with Harry, so you can stop glaring."

Scruff cawed in a rather un-owl-like way, then put his head under his wing and ignored them. It was remarkable... George had picked the owl equivalent of Ingrid. The train began to slow down, prompting everyone to scramble around and pull on their school robes. Except Hermione and Draco, who already had theirs on. Phantom and Lily both protested being moved, Vlad just managing to get his familiar in her carrier before she realised the situation, grumbling from inside until Vlad dropped a treat through the bars.

"Go to sleep, you can make a nuisance of yourself again when we get to the dorms."

Phantom flicked her tail, picked up the treat and turned herself around, leaving everyone staring at her furry butt instead of her face. Rolling his eyes, Vlad placed her securely in the luggage rack next to an unimpressed Scruff.

"Phantom is scared of birds, so you would probably win in a fight."

They disembarked the train, aurors still milling about the place and running all sorts of checks with their wands over trunks. Vlad would like to see them get into any of the trunks charmed locked. Some of them still left paint-stains on intruders. He almost asked Harry if they could put Samael's trunk down with them, just for the amusement imagining them opening a trunk and finding a Basilisk.

As he stood watching other students clamber into carriages, Vlad saw a couple of the students who had parents in Riddle's ranks. Clearly, the warning to leave him be was in full force - one or two actually made an effort to give him a wide berth. He didn't like the idea of his being Marked being public knowledge. Even if it was a particular public.

Nausea rolled through him when he saw Charity Burbage's empty seat, seeing some pink-clad monstrosity of a woman in Tonks' seat. Definitely the vampire-hater, he decided. Nobody liked vampires and wore that much pink frills. Ingrid looked to be considering setting her outfit on fire for kicks.

When the pink monster caught sight of Ingrid, with the six inches clear space around her at all times making her stand out quite easily, her face clouded over.

Yep. Vampire hater.

Bertrand entered the room, obviously having been held up - Vlad bet on the Aurors - and pink-lady practically hexed him for walking past her, recoiling from the vampire as he surreptitiously dropped Vlad's note to Dumbledore. The Headmaster managed to keep a relatively straight face as he looked down at it, eyes flicking between the empty sest at the Head table and Vlad for a second. Not obvious at all to those who would be looking... gee, thanks Dumbledore.

Harry was watching the whole thing calmly, brushing his fingers against Vlad's under the table as they took their seats.

"Welcome back students, to a new year at Hogwarts! Now, let's begin the Sorting shall we?"

There was an undercurrent of chat about the fuzzy pink creature masquerading as a person, but everyone fell silent as the first years were led into the room. Some were shaking, others staring awestruck at the ceiling above. One Vlad felt looked a lot like someone he couldn't put his finger on was looking at the other students, small brown eyes keenly observing.

"Were we really that small?"

"Probably smaller. The average height in the UK has probably gone up since we were eleven."

"Dork."

Harry smiled as he said it, but the hush descended as McGonogall stood up and brandished the name scroll.

"Anderson, Justin!"

The list was smaller this year, Vlad noticed. Perhaps the Voldemort-threat was making parents homeschool or send their children elsewhere. A handful of current students seemed to be missing too. The empty spot at the Head Table seemed to be watching him, remembering Charity Burbage's sobbing face turning cold, eyes glazing over as Riddle killed her while he could only look on. He was by far the youngest attendee at that meeting, but perhaps Riddle didn't trust the children of his followers not to wet their pants seeing a real, actual death.

Before he knew it, the Sorting was over. Only four new Gryffindors, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff gaining seven a piece and Slytherin an even six.

The feast was the usual chaotic mass of chatter and chewing, but Vlad struggled to feel hungry and had to force himself to take a few mouthful of potatoes and chicken when he thought people were getting suspicious. Harry's usual voracious appetite helped mask it - a lot of food vanished into the two seat stretch containing the two of them.

He scrounged up enough desire to eat some of the spiced pumpkin pie at dessert, but it sat heavily in his stomach and he barely finished the small piece before admitting defeat and waiting for Dumbledore to start the speech that would let him escape to the dorm, where Harry's arms would be waiting.

"You ok Vlad?"

"Yeah, think I overloaded on sweets on the train."

"Rookie mistake mate, trust us"

"We know."

Smiling tightly at Fred and George, Vlad tried to ignore the fact he was being stared at by a nightmare in pink fuzz. Even her hat was pink, with a big bow on. Ingrid must be in actual pain witnessing it - she hated pink above all colours.

Eventually the clatter of cutlery began to slow, only a dedicated few (including Harry) still eating as Dumbledore got to his feet. His heart pounded.

"Unfortunately, Professor Burbage has had to tend to a personal emergency" that was an odd thing to call being murdered "and so Muggle Studies classes may be delayed in starting. Aside from that pickle, let me welcome you all to another year at Hogwarts! We welcome a new member of staff to the school. Students, please meet Dolores Umbridge, our new Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher!"

There was a smattering of rather polite applause as everyone tried to size up Umbridge. Vlad already knew she worked for the Ministry, was against anything not totally human and magical - up to and including her own squib brother.

Several other students obviously recognised Fudge's right hand woman, muttering amongst themselves. Dumbledore called for quiet again, the Hall falling silent except for a first year Ravenclaw knocking their cup over in haste to sit up straight.

"Now, this year will-"

Cutting off Dumbledore had never been done, yet the persistent high-pitched "hem-hem" sound emitting from the pink monster was undoubtedly interrupting the headmaster.

"Our new professor has something to say. As you wish Professor Umrbidge."

The woman was barely any taller standing than sitting, squat and Vlad was horrified to discover her skirt was of the same violent hue of pink and furry, her shoes had pink bows on and the whole effect was overpowering.

"Thank you headmaster" her voice was as hideous as her visage "for that warm welcome. And it is so nice to be up here, seeing all your bright, happy faces smiling back at me. I really hope we'll all be good friends."

Students shared bemused looks - she was talking like they were all small children, unappreciated by many of the teenage and older.

"I'll be friends if she doesn't try to lend me her cardigan."

A handful of snickers broke out in a pocket of Gryffindor students, which all quieted under a glare from McGonogall. Vlad struggled to pay attention to Umbridge's grating voice, dreading OWL year classes trying to pay attention to the shrill harpy as his vampiric hearing began to develop.

"... perfect what can be perfected, and prune practices that ought to be prohibited."

"I'm sure we would all like to thank Professor Umbridge for that speech" another smattering of polite applause "but I think it's time for bed! First years, your prefects will show you the way."

"Oh! That's us. Come on Draco. First years, this way!"

Hermione leapt into action, but Vlad caught Bertrand gesturing for him to hang back. Harry fell into step with Vlad as they left the steady stream of students vacating the Hall, fairly certain Dumbledore wanted an explanation for the note.

Since Dumbledore was going to be integral - dead or alive - to Vlad's cover as a Death Eater, the conversation was inevitable. Recognising the back room as one he was pushed into when becoming a Triwizard participant by force, Vlad watched as Bertrand stood guard at the door, only Dumbledore coming into the room before the door was locked and silenced.

"Mr Potter, you-"

"Anything you ask me, I guarantee Harry already knows."

"Very well. Is this true?"

He held up Vlad's note, face clouding when Vlad nodded.

"I was there."

"How exactly-"

Vlad sighed, unbuttoned his robes and lifted his jumper and shirt up to expose his branded chest.

"Riddle put me in that Tournament to test if I was a worthy recruit. My freedom came with a price."

Now he was adjusting to Dumbledore's unique magical signature (it changed with age, and he was the oldest magician Vlad knew) he realised it was different, dark magic pulsing around part of his hand.

"Are you injured professor?"

"Cursed, is perhaps the correct word."

"Fatally? Or rather, terminal?"

Harry watched the exchange, growing nervous enough that Vlad could feel it.

"Why do you ask?"

"Curiosity. The magic around your hand seems to be quite settled in, and I assumed you would be cured if possible."

The old man raised a bushy eyebrow, leaving Vlad fairly sure he wasn't being believed. Still, he lifted his arm and pulled back the sleeve, revealing a blackened injury covering his hand like a burn, barely masked by a notice-me- not charm on the fabric of his robes. Harry blinked in surprise, squinting and Vlad wondered if he could see the magic now he had control over his forms.

"It's familiar somehow... what did this?"

"Naivety and the emotions of an old fool. I trust that your placement amongst Voldemort's ranks is a carefully constructed ruse?"

"He wants my best friend dead, what do you think?"

It felt alien to call Harry that now, now he had his mate as his own but he wasn't going to out Harry.

"Severus?"

"Safe. I'm not taking his place ferrying between you two with information and false leads. I have Riddle where I want him, quiet and wary. Back to your original question, yes, I watched him kill Charity Burbage. You'll need a new Muggle Studies teacher, and I would quite like to go to bed headmaster."

"You could not stop it?"

"I'm powerful, but I'm not a hundred death eaters and Voldemort at once powerful."

Did the man really think Vlad didn't feel guilty for being unable to save the woman? He agreed with her philosophy, both in magic and vampirism, being against the superiority of pureblood or purebreed.

"Very well. Off you go Vlad, Harry."

Bertrand quietly enquired as to whether or not Vlad needed him in Hogwarts that night, but Vlad waved him off to go see his boyfriend and their daughter. Harry followed him up a couple of shortcut passages, eventually stopping him when sure they were alone.

"What was that about asking Dumbledore if his curse was fatal?"

"Because Riddle wants you to kill him. If Dumbledore dies of something else, it'll solve that problem."

Harry frowned, brow creasing in thought.

"And him dying is ok with you?"

"I don't know. There's no love lost, he's been pretty naff at keeping the school safe. We've both been kidnapped, death eaters roam the halls at will and werewolves broke into the grounds. And that curse on his hand... I can't place it but I know the magic."

Vlad thought Harry sometimes forgot he was dating a Dracula, that senseless murder and death on the battlefields were two very different things to Vlad - if not to vampires in general.

"We better get upstairs before its suspicious we're gone."

He got the feeling Harry was a little wrong-footed, chest tingling with the first threats of pain and Vlad wasn't sure it was his scar.


For such a compassionate and emotional vampire, Vlad could certainly come across as a cold bastard sometimes.

Harry pondered it as he brushed his teeth, unsure how he felt about Vlad's nearly-callous disregard for Dumbledore potentially dying. He could see where Vlad was coming from on some level, Dumbledore had a lot of failures behind him and several had cost Vlad in blood, sweat and tears.

And Vlad had been through one hell of a summer, his whole family turned inside out and everything he thought he knew about himself twisted. Harry spat in the sink and rinsed his mouth, sighing to himself. His boyfriend needed support, not judgement.

Vlad and his uncanny sense of Harry's feelings had him staying in his own bed, hunched in pain when Harry tried to go to him. He didn't turn him away, but Harry knew he was scared.

"I'm sorry I'm a monster."

"You're not. You're many things Vlad, but you're not a monster."

He had to mean it; Vlad would know if he didn't. Vlad fell asleep with his hand fisted in Harry's t-shirt, stiff and still curled up like he was hurting. He was coming into his majority as a vampire, but Vlad had never looked younger.

They only had one days respite before school began, and the unsurety of Umbridge was rampant in conversations during that day off. Hermione and Draco had a prefects meeting where they were tasked with patrols and other duties - Draco helpfully made a copy of his schedule, meaning should Vlad have to get around the school undetected, he had an idea of who would be where.

The vampire disappeared for the better part of an hour that afternoon, worrying Harry until he turned up at dinner quiet but unharmed. Dumbledore was watching him intently, and Vlad muttered that he'd been grilled by the headmaster about his 'alliances' and it was exhaustingly dull to repeat himself.

"He wanted information on other students who are on that side" Vlad opened up in bed that night properly "and I had no names to offer since I was the only student at the last 'meeting'. I have plenty of ideas, like the students who are Marked but the minute he starts talking to them, I look like a snitch and Riddle can get suspicious. I didn't go through all that for Dumbledore to get me in a garlic pit."

Harry supposed he could understand that, hoping to reassure Vlad that they were still ok when he reached for Vlad's waistband. Vlad let him, face going slack with pleasure the second Harry's fingers wrapped around his semi-erect cock, filling out against his hand and Harry wondered how different it would feel when full-vampire Vlad was colder than a snake-metabolism made Harry.

Vlad reached for his pyjamas next, their erections settling and nuzzling against the other while Vlad spat on his hand and wrapped it around their lengths. Harry rocked his hips, gasping at the feelings of the sensitive skin sliding against each other. Precum leaked down between them, slicking the slide further and Vlad's hand slipped in his mindless pursuit of climax. Harry took over, holding them together and watching hungrily as Vlad responded.

The fire between them sexually only grew, Vlad's attraction to Harry both physical and biological meaning he was intensely responsive, and that was incredibly appealing to Harry. Vlad arched his back, hips rocking up and grinding harder against Harry. It was impossible not to think if Vlad would respond like that if they were closer, but he also knew that with Vlad's bond to him, that absolutely had to be a step they took when ready emotionally, not just physically.

Vlad came first, hot and wet across Harry's fingers but he kept moving his hips, bringing Harry over the edge with him and taking the brunt of the mess across his stomach. Shuddering as Vlad charmed the mess away, Harry righted his boyfriends bottoms and then his own, the climax leaving them both sleepy and tactile. Vlad murmured "I love you" against his neck repeatedly, even as he fell asleep.

The morning came with their schedules, a deep groan of annoyance from Vlad as he saw 'Defence Against The Dark Arts' after break, with double Potions on the morning. The potions they made became more complex that year in preparation for OWLs, meaning they couldn't always be done in one hour.

"If Umbridge breaks the teachers curse I'm dropping Defence for OWLs."

"Vlad! Did we hear correctly?"

"You would drop a class?"

"Dear me Fred"

"There's hope to corrupt all geeks George!"

The twins fell silent under a glare from Hermione, who had a fresh wave of "don't corrupt the first years" fuelling her now she had a prefect badge. Harry wasn't sure how to be Quidditch Captain... maybe he could ask Cedric what it specifically meant.

"Isn't it your NEWT year now?"

"Yeah..."

"... so what?"

"We did alright in OWLs"

"As proved by the fact our mother hasn't killed us."

"However, we have a free period first thing"

"And chaos to cause."

"Bye!"

Hermione rolled her eyes as the twins grabbed toast and apples apiece, then ran off. Professor Moonshine was somehow at the classroom before them, despite Harry's certainty the man had been halfway through an omelette when they left the Great Hall.

"Fifth year! OWL year. So, we will be revisiting some key points from your previous years for practice, then moving on to more complex mixtures. For the first half, let's see everyone make a simple Cure for Boils."

Their OWL class seemed surprised to be assigned such a simple potion, but a couple of explosions and cursing said that simple was a good place to start. Living with Severus Snape meant Malfoy Manor students had been doing Potion practice all summer, meaning his and Vlad's and Hermione and Draco's potions were pretty much perfect.

Second half of their class was another simple, basic Wiggenweld potion. The basic healer had served them several times. Vlad and Harry were in the Potions cupboard arguing lightly on which Wiggenweld bark was the better choice - dried or fresher, when Vlad picked up another jar and looked at it closely. Harry could smell it - phoenix ash.

"You alright?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah. Just realised I have no idea if what I am is the same as say, Fawkes. Am I different? Or is this where all phoenixes come from?"

"No idea, but let's not talk about it where we can be overheard?"

Vlad nodded, putting the jar back and grabbing the dried Wiggenweld bark before Harry could argue. Most of the students had already taken fresh, and Harry agreed with that choice but Vlad disagreed. A Healing student versus a healing creature... Harry gave Vlad the benefit of the doubt, and amazingly Moonshine congratulated them for the best choice.

"Who picked the Wiggenweld bark?"

Vlad raised his hand, nodding when Moonshine asked if it was dried. He threw Harry a smug grin, one Harry wanted to kiss off his stupid face.

"Fresher bark tends to resist the other ingredients for longer. Dried is more agreeable. Five points to Gryffindor! For homework, I want an essay on ingredient reactivity. Any ingredient you choose. Amaze me. Class dismissed!"

Bemused, they cleaned up their stations and headed for the between-classes break in the Great Hall. It was fifteen minutes, with snacks and pumpkin juice on the tables or a place people could work during free periods without being threatened by Madam Pince in the library. It was a little early in the year to be doing work, but September had yet to cool down and so the fresh cold pumpkin juice was welcome to many.

"We better go to Defence. Unless someone wants to massively injure me so I don't have to look at that woman?"

"Nope. Come on Vlad."

Hermione grabbed his arm and dragged a protesting Vlad away, Harry and Draco laughing as they followed. Umbridge stood at the front of the classroom waiting with a sickly smile, and everything in the room - from the bricks to the skeleton suspended from the ceiling - was a faint shade of pink. Umbridge looked particularly cringeworthy in a violent shade of fuchsia, and Harry could see a moving picture of a cat on the woman's desk.

Everyone sat in their seats, unsure what to expect. Umbridge swanned about, throwing a visible sour look to Vlad and Harry watched his boyfriend scratch at his arm absently. Sniffing, Harry detected what was distressing the vampire - Wolfsbane. The woman showed a smidgen of surprise when Draco didn't react, showing that his cure-breed (as Vlad called it) status was unknown and the new teacher still thought he was a werewolf.

"Wands away! Welcome to your first class. Ordinary Wizarding Levels... more commonly known as OWLs. The Ministry has decided to address your splintered and haphazard education in this subject so far."

Harry raised an eyebrow, unsure what that meant - yes, they had had different teachers each year but aside from Lockhart, they had all been competent, and Remus and Tonks had both been pretty great.

"Didn't the Ministry send our last teacher? So... you disagree with your bosses choice?"

Vlad couldn't resist challenging her - he abhorred the Ministry Of Magic. Umbridge seemed to swell with anger, breathing out like an irate marshmallow.

"I was referring to all your previous tutelage."

"Which one? The one being controlled by Voldemort, or the-"

"Silence! Students will raise their hand if they wish to speak in my classroom."

Vlad raised his hand, but others joined in, Harry included.

"Mr Zabini?"

"There doesn't seem to be anything about using defensive magic in these books, and last I checked there's a practical on our OWLs exam."

"I can't think of why you would need to use magic in my classroom."

"We're not gonna use magic?"

Goyle piped up, looking stunned.

"Raise your hand to speak Mr Goyle. It is the opinion of the Ministry that a theoretical understanding of the magic involved will be sufficient to get you through your examinations. And after all, that's what school is all about."

Vlad kept his hand up, as did Harry and eventually Umbridge turned to him.

"Yes Mr Potter?"

"What about preparing us for whats out there? For life after and outside of school?"

"Out there? What do you mean?"

"He means there's a psychopath kidnapping and killing kids and you're not teaching anyone to protect themselves-"

"Detention, Mr Dracula!"

A collective gasp ran through the room - despite extra curricular escapades, Vlad was known as quite a model student, had the lowest detentions record of any Gryffindor boy other than Draco.

"Silence! You are believing in a danger the Ministry has under control, and that is terribly disruptive for your education. Please turn to chapter one and begin reading."

Everyone opened their books to the first page, a tense silence filling the air as Vlad and Umbridge squared off in an intense staring match. Harry caught the faint gold tint of Vlad's eyes as he used a sly tactic to win, forcing Umbridge to turn away and blink, even yawning into her hand.

She continued to scowl through the class, not uttering a sound other than her shoes clacking on the ground. Vlad was asked to stay behind after to arrange his detention, and the Hogwarts rumour mill was in full effect as by the time they reached Transfiguration, McGonogall clearly knew about it.

"How bad can it be? She doesn't seem to know what to do with a wand."

Vlad's face was set in thought over dinner, pushing steak pie around his plate.

"Hmm. Time will tell."

-YDHP-

The overwhelming urge to have Ingrid eat Umbridge is strong.