Chapter Ten: Striking Back

Hesitantly, Severus found himself reaching up to his mouth. Fangs? Actual noticeable fangs? It couldn't be! Fair enough he had teeth that gave the slight hint of fangs, but not the actual full elongated canines. His finger tip knocked into his tooth then travelled down. And down. And down to the very pointed tip. He knew he must look like an idiot standing there with his finger tip on his tooth, but he honestly didn't know what else to do. Thousands of thoughts tumbled through his mind. Too many for him to sort though.

"Severus?" His eyes widened and he span away from Hermione. He didn't want her to see him like that for some reason. She had already seen, he wouldn't have even known if she hadn't pointed them out but that didn't mean he wanted her seeing him look like an animal. And Nightshade wasn't around to bite him back into line. His finger was no longer resting on his elongated fang. Instead his hand was covering his mouth, forcing him to breathe through his nose.

The earthy scent of wood shavings laced itself into his awareness. Wood shavings, parchment, oil paint and lavender. Cleanly female and somehow other worldly. "Severus," her voice had a hint of worry to it. But it was a soft almost lilting tone that slowly sank into his consciousness. Not the word. A voice as alluring as her appearance. "Are you okay?" He felt her hand lay on his shoulder. A warm, comforting, tempting weight. A mental image of her bared neck and shoulders flashed across his mind. He tensed. He felt his teeth scraping together, a sign that his fangs were elongating even further. He didn't try to talk. Irrational as it was he was sure his words would come out as some hideous hiss. He could hear her heart beat. Strong and rhythmic. Her blood would be moving fast and smoothly through her body if her heart beat was anything to go by. His bottom jaw began to ache.

She pulled him around to face her. Concern in her hazel eyes. His gaze slipped down to her pale, supple neck, resting on the divine meet between shoulder and neck. "I've already seen," she said quietly, talking hold of his wrist. She hadn't seen, not all of it, but that tiny little flicker on her throat that showed her pulse to the world was steadily convincing him that he didn't care. "It doesn't bother me." He let her gently pull his hand away, but kept his mouth closed. "It just shocked me a little." Didn't she realise just how she affected him? Affected the Vampire in him?

Then her eyes were caught by his. A slight flicker of cold shivered through his eyeballs for less than a second. Her shoulders slumped, her expression faded to near emptiness. Good. Eyes fixed on the scarred over mark given to her by another of his kind, he slipped his arm around her corseted waist and pulled her against him. The other Vampire had been a fool to let her go. He wouldn't make that mistake. Wanting to feel her skin on more than his lips when he tasted her life, his free hand reached up to her neck. Rather than resist, she leaned into the touch. She was his. Savouring the moment, he leaned towards her neck, mouth open and fangs bared. Ready to replace the others mark with one of his own. His hand slid over her warm flesh to the back of her neck. She moaned quietly.

Teeth resting on her skin he was suddenly himself again. Horror widened his eyes and froze him in place. Had he really just been about to bite Hermione? Taking a deep breath, Severus took his teeth from her neck, leaving it thankfully unmarked. Closing his mouth he leaned forward slightly to see where his hand had ended up. His finger tips were resting on her Clan tattoo. So that was what had restored him to his senses. It had done nothing for Hermione though. She still stood, unresisting and subtly leaning into him. What did that mean? he wondered.

With a deep breath, he quickly snatched his hands away and leapt back. Almost afraid that he would once again try for her throat with the influence of the Vampire magic gone. He didn't, and the urge to do so remained blessedly stifled. Now to how he was meant to rouse Hermione. What ever he had done to her had been done either by accident or by pure instinct. Now with that instinct gone he had no idea how to proceed. Warmth fluttered in his eyes for a heart beat.

She blinked and swayed. Shaking her head slightly and frowning. Had he done that? Or had she come to her senses on her own? Either way she looked confused. And how the hell was he going to explain what just happened? Making a hasty decision to stay silent until she brought it up, he turned his head away slightly, his mouth firmly closed.

"I feel a bit dizzy," she murmured, almost to herself as she steadied on her feet.

"Are you alright?" She frowned at the question, as if looking for some reason that she shouldn't be. Did she not remember?

"Erm, yeah," she finally replied, hesitance in her voice. "Yeah, I guess it's from hunger. Probably a result of the amount I threw up on the way here." Despite the firmness of her words, Hermione didn't quite sound convinced. Severus however was very convinced of something. She couldn't remember what he had almost done to her.

They were saved from any further awkwardness by the parting of roots in the doorway, leaving the tanned Catherine in their wake. "Time for dinner," she intoned brightly with a smile. Draco standing to her side leaning against the wall with a frown. The young mans grey eyes took in the pair of them oddly, as though searching for something. He was wearing heavy knee high leather boots and brown breaches. But his upper half was uncovered allowing for the continued exposure of his huge albino bats wings.

It was then that Severus decided he had better not be left alone with Hermione while Nightshade was not awake.

The dining room they had been lead to had the same glass like walls and black glossy floor as the rest of the structure. There was a stout thick wooden table in the centre, round like the room itself, with five chairs around it and the places set for eating. Despite the lack of decoration, it was still a warm and inviting place.

Hermione found herself sitting between Draco and Snape. Draco to her right, Snape to her left. She still had the feeling that she had forgotten something. Not something important, but something she really shouldn't have forgotten. Well, it would most likely come back to her eventually. What worried her more was that Snape was being oddly quiet. It simply wasn't like him to act like that. He didn't even role his eyes when Hermione and Draco had started to ridicule each other.

Catherine rose from her seat besides the Potions Master as the roots of the doorway parted semi silently. The look of utter adoration on the warriors face left little doubt that the woman revealed by the roots was Penny. She was rather short, most likely just over five foot, with sleek blond hair and crystalline blue eyes. Her frame was boyish and her skin was pale enough to suggest she hadn't seen sunlight for years. Not only that but she looked quite sickly and weak. Yet the strength that rolled from her was immense. A soft smile on her pallid pink lips, she embraced Catherine and gave the warrior a brief kiss before turning to greet her guests.

"Welcome, my name is Penny," she said. Her voice an odd combination of extreme power and soft weakness as she took the seat Catherine pulled out for her. "I apologise for the manner used to bring you here Hermione." The Living Ghost frowned. It was no surprise that she knew her name; she could feel the connection between the two older women. Similar to the cool flow of magic, but different at the same time. That wasn't what had caused her frown however.What caused her to frown was how very familiar this Penny was to her.

"That's okay," she answered slowly. "I understand why you had to call me. Have I met you before?" A brilliant smile graced her round face.

"Yes you have. I was a nurse before I came here. You frightened the life out me when you Ghosted through the needle." Hermione's jaw dropped. It couldn't be. She would have remembered if that nurse had this kind of presence about her. Than again, the sudden discovery of a further oddity could have overwhelmed that. The pale woman chuckled quietly and shook her head. "I've changed a lot since then my dear. I was a later bloomer when it came to my gifts, much like young Draco here."

"What do you mean?" asked Draco, his wings twitching irritably as though to assert their presence. She could feel a ripple of confusion and annoyance wash through their own link.

"Well, really, you're both later bloomers. Most likely because of the life you have each lead. Usually your gift is triggered when you're rather young. Between five and nine tends to be the norm. Then, once you start puberty, your gifts develop in variety and strength," she explained, still good natured. "But you two, your gifts have only been developing in that way for the last year at the most. You needn't worry about it though. It tends to mean you'll end up either more skilled or more powerful or both."

Then her blue eyes turn to Snape. A frown graced her smooth brow and a look of worry pursed her lips. "Who let this one in?" she asked, near harshly. At last the man gave a response. His eyebrows rose.

"Excuse me?" It was easy to see that he was offended by the question.

"I did Penny," answered Catherine a frown on her own brow. "Should I not have?"

"He's a Dark Wolf," was the severe reply the warrior gained. "And there is much blood on his hands." At that he cringed. Reflexively, Hermione reached out and laid her hand on his arm. A show of silent support and a gesture of comfort. It seemed his conscience still plagued him.

"What's a Dark Wolf?" asked Draco, obviously hoping to alleviate some of the tension in the room.

"I can guess," was the slow reply from Snape. "Is it a werewolf Vampire hybrid of some description?" Penny's eyes narrowed in a combination of confusion and suspicion.

"A human with Vampire blood, infected by a werewolf's bite. Very rare, very dangerous. Immortal and savage. Where the werewolf is only a danger on the night of the full moon, you will change the night before with the rising of the moon and not turn back to your Vampire form until the moon sets the night after it has been full. Almost three days as a monster whose only thought is to kill." There was no cruelty in Penny's voice, only a small amount of uncertainty. As though she wasn't sure she should be telling them this. The look of pure horror of Sna- no, on Severus's face seemed to reassure her however. Hermione squeezed his arm, hoping it would be a mild comfort to him. "Silver is deadly to you if used to lance your heart, and it will burn to the touch. Other than that only decapitation will kill you. Not only that, but you have Vampire instincts to contend with. This means you are a danger to those you find attractive if the wolf in you is not in attendance-"

"If you'll excuse me." Brushing her hand from his arm, Severus rose to his feet looking faintly ill. She moved to stop him, but Draco stopped her with a hand on her own arm and a silent plea to let him go. Almost shakily, he walked out of the room.

Unbidden, panic rose in her. She stumbled to say something, anything, that would fight against what this sickly looking woman had said to him. She should be going after him! She was his apprentice for Merlin's sake! It was part of her duty to be there for him! Suddenly she felt three times as nauseous as she had in flight.

"He needed to know Ghost," Draco told her softly.

"But-"

"No buts. If he hadn't known then he would have changed in the middle of the Orders Headquarters. Do you really think he would have been able to live with himself after that?" No, was the honest answer. He had enough guilt to contend with.

Penny leaned forward, steepling her fingers with her elbows on the table. Regret was written on her features and a frown was on Catherine's brow, as though she wasn't entirely sure what she had just witnessed. Hermione still stumbled over and choked on words. She didn't know what to do.

"I take it none of you knew the full extent of his condition?"

Hermione shook her head wordlessly, but Draco gave a steadier "no." The pale woman nodded.

"There is more to it; I'll point him in the direction he needs to look to find answers about what he is. He doesn't need to drink blood in case you're wondering. Though he will occasionally get the urge to. But that is not what we are here to discuss."

Numb was the only way to describe the way he felt. Despite the fact that Nightshade was now awake and grovelling for forgiveness over not being there when he had nearly bitten Hermione, Severus could locate no feeling. Not spite towards the woman who had told him of his condition. Not anger towards Nightshade for not being there to stop him. Not even awe at his surroundings or interest in the sword fighting lesson going on below.

He was stood on a sort of platform that ringed the round wall of the training grounds at least forty feet beneath him, leaning against the stone railing that was to prevent people from falling. His dark eyes listlessly watching Hermione strike and parry as she duelled against Catherine. A sword and her gifts the only weapons she was allowed. Her rapid improvement would have astounded him at any other time, but now he could spark absolutely no interest to life in him. Watching the blur of black slam her sword down against the green and blue blurs, he let out a sigh. Catherine crashed her arm into the flat of her own blade in an attempt to push Hermione back, but blade, arm, and all went straight through Hermione's sword and the Living Ghost bashed her free elbow into Catherine's jaw. Until this lesson, Ghosting had taken Hermione almost exclusive concentration. But now it seemed to come as natural as breathing to her.

How do you absorb the fact that you're immortal? Despite living in a word of magic where anything was possible, despite meeting several Vampires in his time, despite knowing of the Philosophers Stone, Severus still couldn't believe that only silver and having his head cut off would be the death of him. Not only was it a very unpleasant way to die either way, he simply couldn't come to terms with a potential eternity stretched out in front of him. Then there was the people he knew. How do you come to terms with the fact that you would most likely live to see every one of them die? Worse yet, wither, grow old then fade away before his eyes while he stayed exactly as he was. It was unfathomable.

Then there were his Vampire instincts. Undeniable as they had already risen in him twice, both in the presence of Hermione. He certainly couldn't say he didn't find her attractive now. Yet with her past and his present he could only hope that a father daughter relationship would develop instead of the alternative. He would be lying if he said he hadn't thought about cancelling her apprenticeship. Though he had thrown the thought away almost as soon as it had come. Hermione would have been devastated if he had shoved her in the direction of another Master for either of her apprenticeships. It would have been safer for her to go, but since when had she ever agreed that the safest course of action was the course of action she was going to follow. Not to mention he wasn't entirely sure whose stubbornness would win that battle, his or hers.

Penny was standing behind him. She had been for almost ten minutes, most likely thinking herself unnoticed. But her fluttering heart beat and peculiarly sea like scent had given her away in an instant. He was getting rather bored of her standing there though. It wasn't as if she would be disturbing him. "Do have a particular reason to stand gawking at me?" he drawled blandly. The woman gave a small, startled gasp, then confidently approached to stand beside him. He didn't bother looking at her and instead faked an interest in the battle below. An odd sort of possessiveness finally creeping through the numbness around his heat. He wasn't entirely sure how he felt about someone teaching his apprentice with the level of intimacy required for her to learn as fast as she was.

"I hope I didn't offend you earlier," she said quietly.

"And if you did? Would it really matter?" He didn't like this woman. Not because what she had told him, but there was just something about her that seemed entirely too human. Like every little nook and cranny of this woman's humanity had been exploited and developped to its full. It made the hairs on the back of his neck and on his arms stand on end just to be near her.

"I suppose not, you had to know of what you were regardless." She remained silent for a while then continued. "You should let her go." At that a mirthless smile found his lips and a low, almost growl like, chuckle rumbled from his chest.

"It's obvious from that, that you don't know her," he replied with an amused yet bored note to his silky voice. "I thought about handing her over to a different Master for them to teach her, but I doubt she would agree. And when Hermione doesn't agree with something she can be as unmovable as a mountain. So you see, Telepath," he twisted the word into an insult on his tongue. "It isn't just me who would need to let go, she would have to release the grip already cast in iron that she holds over me." Hermione disappeared into the ground below and a harsh curse from Catherine reached his ears just before the young woman reappeared and swiped the warrior's legs from under her.

"Well, Wolf, you had best take care of her. My people would not be pleased if she came to any harm, and while fire doesn't kill you, I dare say one or all of our Pyrokinetics could weaken you with it enough for one of us to decapitate you should your teeth have anything to do with any harm that befalls her."

"If I harm her," he replied, a playfully spiteful ring to his voice. "Your people will be at the back of a very long line of people after my head, and since I would gladly let the person first in line, most likely Draco, take it, you'll have to live with the disappointment of being unable to collect." A glance to the woman showed anything but disappointment. Instead she gave a proud nod and straightened her posture.

"You'll do just fine." At that he raised an eyebrow. "While empathy has long since escaped me, I know love when I see it. You'll take care of her, as long as you have your spirit wolf to keep you in check."

"What are you talking about?"

"Hermione haas been through hell-"

"A fact I am well aware of," he interrupted snappishly. Loosing his patience with this woman. "Get to the point."

"After the approaching full moon, you will be a fully fledged Dark Wolf." Penny turned her head to stare him in the eyes. She had the potential to be intimidating, but her nature was too warm for that. "While now you have the strength, speed, stamina and endurance of a human, once your body has had the time to rearrange itself you will be close to unstoppable." His eyebrow rose. That he highly doubted. It was most likely something blown out of all proportion like most muggle interpretations of magical beings. "Stand by her, support her, but most of all, protect her. There is only so much her bonded brother can do for her," she continued, gesturing to Draco as he winged his way around the training field. Practicing aerial manoeuvres and battle under the guidance of a woman with wide scaly green wings and red scales in the place of skin. "She doesn't need another brother and she most certainly doesn't need a father. So be what she needs when the time is right."

Without even waiting for a response, she turned to walk away but stopped after five or so steps and turned back to look at him. "Oh and Severus?" He raised an eyebrow, showing her he was listening. "Everything you need to know about what you are can be found in a book called Hybrids and Half-breeds: the Origins and Explanations Of. I hope you manage to find a copy, it could save someone's life at some point."

Draco didn't really care what it might look like as he crept to Snape's room. He had waited for Hermione to be asleep so there wouldn't be any chance she would overhear his thoughts and feelings on this night. He had even put his wings away, leaving him feeling confined somewhere he should always feel free, just to try and make himself a bit less noticeable. The way he felt, his wings would most likely have feathers and the rustling of wings was something he didn't feel very willing to chance. He tapped quietly on the roots. They opened, exposing the room beyond.

Snape was sat at the desk with his sleeves rolled up, staring at his fore arm with a frown. He gave Draco a glance and a nod, permitting him to enter. Once he had stepped into the room, the roots closed up the door way again.

"Are you okay? Is it your Dark Mark?" After taking a deep, almost mournful breath, the potions Master turned to him.

"In a way. It's gone."

"I thought you'd be happy about something like that," Draco found himself stating in mild shock, but Snape shook his head.

"I didn't notice until now, but Voldemort must have removed it the night I was bitten. I suppose that explains the pain in my arm." His frown deepened. "It was as much a part of me as my sarcasm and now it's gone," he let out another heavy sigh. "I suppose I only felt that way because how much it hurt getting it."

"Err, speaking of Voldemort. That kind of brings me to the reason I came here." The Dark Wolf raised an eyebrow and slowly looked him over head to toe and back again with obvious scepticism in his blue-black eyes.

"Running off to join up with him? I can't say I blame you if you are, it's not as if the thought hasn't crossed my mind as well."

"No!" he cried, not entirely sure if it was in shock or horror. Then, more calmly, "no," he repeated. "Nothing like that." The temptation to ask if Snape had been serious when he said he'd thought about returning to Voldemort was certainly noticeable, but he had a different reason for this late night visit. "You know about my logical imagination?" Snape gave a brief nod. "I kind of had a dream that may or may not have been down to my gift. Usually I share everything I've seen with Hermione, but I don't think she should know about this. You though, I think you might have a right to know."

Reluctantly, Draco told him about the vision dream he had had before the Ministers announcement on the wireless. He didn't go into much detail when it came to Hermione killing the thirty armed muggles, he did however describe her exact appearance as a Vampire, the emotions he had felt coming from the man in the shadow and their exchange, including the wedding rings. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting when he disclosed the identity of the man in the shadows. Crashing disappointment perhaps. Absolute heart break maybe. Or at least some mild malcontent. What he didn't expect was what he got.

No sooner had the words, "I think Hermione is going to end up marrying Voldemort," left his lips, had the professor started to quietly snigger. The sniggering didn't last that long however and soon it was full blown howling laughter. Leaning back in his chair, Snape slid down to a comfortable slouch, mirth easy to see and hear. Through it however, Draco couldn't help but think of how Hermione would like his laugh. He almost growled at that thought. To say Draco was getting a bit sick of Hermione's hormones interfering with his day to day life would be an understatement.

It was quarter of an hour before Snape finally managed to get a grip on himself. Quarter of hour of Draco standing there feeling like the biggest prick on the face of the earth and getting more and more unnerved by Snape's very out of character behaviour. Oh bloody hell, I've pushed him over the edge, he thought. I driven him mad.

"I'm sorry," he snickered once he had gotten a bit of control over himself. Though his shoulders were still shaking with barely suppressed laughter. "It's just, with all the events of today and everything else that's happened lately. What you've just told me seems like the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" Then he was laughing again. His head on the desk this time and he would periodically hit the wood with his hand as Draco edged towards the door. This bout of hysterics didn't last very long though and soon he was only grinning like a madman instead of laughing like one and rising to his feet.

"Draco, I think that dream of yours is more likely to be the result of something you ate before falling asleep than being one of your visions," he said, guiding the blond towards the door without even attempting sobriety.

"Perhaps," he muttered, feeling pretty damn humiliated. "It just didn't feel right though."

"Trust me on this Draco, Voldemort likes his women easy and idiotic and that's when he actually bothers with women. He got his heart broke years ago and isn't willing to repeat that experience. No to mention I don't think he'd be able to handle Hermione. She'd drive him insane within a week. And she'd most likely bombarda his bollocks off after the first two days of him trying to pester her into bed."

"When you put it like that it does seem a bit stupid that I was worrying about it." He was still chuckling slightly when the roots pulled apart.

"I don't advise telling Hermione though."

"Why?" Draco asked warily. Thinking for a second that perhaps the laughter had been a rouse.

"Because she would most likely either panic and fret about it, or she would throw up." That sounded reasonable enough. The last time Hermione had seen Voldemort he was bald and didn't have a nose. He had seen her drawings of him and she had clearly found his appearance more than a little gross.

"Thanks for listening anyway." Now he thought about it, it did seem pretty rediculous that he had actually considered that dream being even vaguely plausible. Hermione ending up a psychotic vampire he could see, she loathed muggles and she knew quite a few Vampires so one of those might end up turning her, but marrying Voldemort? What had he been eating before that.

"Go and get some sleep Draco, you've got a long flight ahead of you tomorrow." Nodding, he stepped out of Snape's room, the woody roots tangling back together as he made his way to his own room.

Nagini had been mortified when he told her what he planned to do. Mortified that he had been thinking so small. She had been right of course, Nagini was always right. She had still worried and fussed over him though, so much so that it had taken him hours to convince her he would be fine.

Now, as he usually did before any situation remotely like this, Voldemort found his emotions slowly shutting down. He couldn't say that cold swept through him, it would have been pure bliss if it had. No, this was simply the lukewarm of nonchalance. He knew his red eyes would be glowing slightly in the dim light that was left to the day, adding an almost monstrous glint to his almost entirely human features. Let it. Let his followers see him as a monster this night. How else could they see him if all their eyes could find of him was a shadow with glowing coals for eyes. But let his victims see him as a man. For while men may fear monsters who commit monstrous acts, they fear men who commit monstrous acts far, far more. Let these pitiful men and few women know the face of fear tonight. Let the muggle world know their stupidity in accepting a war with his kind.

He could feel the restlessness of impatience and anticipation drifting in waves from the ten shadow clad Death Eaters behind him. They wore no masks. They didn't need disguises now they had been given their pardons and now they fought against people they wanted to see their faces. But they still wore dark clothing, as he had instructed them. His pets weren't quite ready for their first outing yet. And besides, he wanted this to be horrific in a human way. He wanted who ever opened the door to his work tonight to know that the sight that greeted them had been wrought by monstrously human hands.

A slow, cruel smile crawled into position on his lips, twisting his face to demonic menace. This must be what a wolf feels like when they come across an easy kill. One they know will never escape and couldn't even inflict any harm if it tried. The joy of blood lust griped at his long cold heart.

It would be terrible.

It would be horrific.

It would be so utterly human.

"Kill every one of them," he ordered coldly, his voice reaching for his previous hiss as he spoke over his shoulders to his more than qualified murderers. "And don't do it cleanly."

Their apparitions were silent, as he had taught. But they were not lazy. The shadows disappeared as he watched, his hunger growing by the second, gnawing at the very core of his being. There would be blood on his hands before this night was out. Oh yes, there would be much blood on his hands.

The last shadow faded out of existence, closely followed by a man too much of a monster to be called a man, and yet too much of a man to be called a monster.

A/N Thank you to Elia Black-cat, killinguwithumbrellas, professor.bat, Rageful Jewel, notwritten, Kalison Artor, Dreamweaver and pstibbons for reviewing. I really, really appreciate it.

Oh, and I've been reading over the rest of my fic myself and I've been suitably horrified by all the typos and wordsjoiningtogetherlikethis so I'm going back over all of it and sorting out as many as I can. Though I do point out that I'm English, so what some of you see as spelling mistakes are just the English spellings (things like colour).

I'll also be making a few more adjustments.

For example, I meant to mention in Chapter Nine that the real name for the G.E. is Saldren, so I'll be incorporating that as well as a few other minor details.