A/N: I just figured out how to use the Traffic Graph and I realized there are more people reading this that what I had first imagined. Accept his chapter as an early Christmas gift. Thank you so much for all the comments, every and each one of them are treasured and they lighten up my day.

I hid in the room I had shared with Charlie. Sev stopped by later to tell me I would return to my usual schedule of classes the next morning. He didn't mention what happened and neither did I.

My rhythm of studies returned to what it was. The only difference was that I was trying to avoid him as much as I could, finding my own way to classes and doing the homework in unused classrooms. It didn't lessen my anxiety though. I couldn't avoid him forever, since Sev was responsible for teaching me two different subjects.

It was weird sitting in the classroom with him. I couldn't even look at him without feeling embarrassed and guilty by my reaction. Yes, by my reaction, not by my actions. I didn't regret going to his room to fuck Charlie, but those broken fingers probably had hurt a lot. I rubbed my chest uncomfortably with the memory. The anxiety made me feel like I had a giant ball of emptiness in the middle of my chest, and I felt that pressure all the time. I couldn't even take deep breaths.

"Are you feeling well?" Snape asked me, coming close to my table and checking the results of my potion. It was not excellent, but I think it deserved a good grade. My chopping, cutting, and slicing were always perfect.

"Yes." The anxiety was bigger when he was close to me. What the hell was happening?

"Meet me in my office today at eight."

"Why?" I made a face, not liking that situation.

"Because I'm asking you to."

"Ugh. Fine." I knew that if I didn't show up, he would drag me there anyway. Stubborn fucking bastard.

So later that day I went to his office, which was in a totally different part of the castle. I assumed he wanted the students to think his quarters were behind the office, so the actual location remained a mystery. I waited for a little after sunset before heading there, because I had no way to check on a watch or something.

"You're ten minutes late," he said as soon as I entered. I sneered.

"As if I had a way to check what time it is."

Sev gestured to the chair and I sat, my arms crossed in defiance and unfriendliness. I wanted him to know that I was not happy to stay here.

"Can you tell me when did you start having these emotional flashbacks?"

I blinked.

"These what?"

"Emotional flashbacks," he repeated as if he was speaking to a child. "An emotional regression to a previous situation of trauma, very common in people who had been through an abusive childhood. Many triggers can activate an emotional flashback, which might include feelings such as fear, shame..." My body trembled violently with those two words. "...alienation, rage, grief, and depression." Sev concluded with a pointed look at me.

"I'm not in an emotional flashback."

"I didn't say you were, but I can't say it's surprising you're still feeling the effects."

I just looked at him with boredom, as everything about that situation was nothing but a waste of time. My fists were closed tightly.

"To overcome an emotional flashback, one must first recognize and accept what is happening."

"Are you trying to help me?" I said incredulously.

"Yes, and can you please cooperate? It's not like I have nothing else to do than to babysitter an unstable incubus with complex PTSD."

Now the hollow of anxiety had a pit of burning anger for company.

"Well, I don't want to occupy your precious time," I said in my most venomous voice. "I'm not into an emotional flashback and I do not fucking have complex PTSD. I would really appreciate it if you never bring that subject up again." I got up from my chair, fuming.

"Mr. Prince, wait."

I hated the way he said that name as if I was nothing but a troubled teenage student which he had no option but to look after.

"What now?"

He opened a drawer on his desk and gave me a package. I stared at the birthday-themed wrapper.

"Happy birthday."

All my anger disappeared in one exhale, but I still couldn't relax completely. I was still waiting for the catch.

"It's not my fucking birthday."

"Hendrieke Sergei von Diederick was born on August 24th. Funny you don't know that."

I just scowled at him, having given my excuse many times already. I tore the paper to reveal a pocket watch. It wasn't that weird watch with planets and symbols Dumbledore had, but a normal, muggle watch.

"Now have no excuses to be late."

I almost threw the watch at his head. One must have real talent to spoil a gift with just a phrase. Suddenly, it was clear to me why I was attached to Sev. It wasn't for some stupid magical stuff between vampires and humans; it was just because he reminded me immensely of someone. A chuckle escaped my lips.

"Oh, dear. You're just like him." I looked at Sev with sorrow. How had I been so blind?

His eyes widened slightly, trying to understand what I was saying, but I suddenly felt tired to the bone, and that conversation needed to end.

"Have a good night," I said, leaving before he could answer or ask me to stay, the watch clutched on my hand.

We didn't have any meaningful conversation after that. Ah, of course, he tried to talk to me, but I wasn't having it. The stupid threats of "detention" and "house points" were useless to me. I managed my anxiety the same way I always did: punching a wall until my knuckles bled. It was harder to do it now than when I was just a human.

A few days before September 1st, Dumble-door called me on his office again,

"Good afternoon, my boy. Lemon drop?" I shook my head and sat. He ate one of those things happily and cleared his throat. "Well, as you know, Mr. Prince, you are quite a dangerous creature to stay hidden at a school. That's why I'm going to entrust your secret to some selected students."

"Harry and his squad," I deduced.

"Yes, I'm talking about Harry. On September 1st, right after the feast, Severus is going to bring you here so I can introduce you two. Note that, while the students are here, you must stay under the radar as much as you can."

"Severus said I'll probably go to Slytherin. Is there a Slytherin student to watch me as well?"

"I'm afraid I cannot trust any of those boys with your identity."

I chuckled, already finding one million ways to break those rules and wreak havoc on the castle.

"May I ask what is so amusing, Mr. Prince?"

"How does it work? The charm on this stupid choker?" I asked, ignoring his question. "Do you know my location with exact precision? And how do you keep track of it? Do you have a map of the castle or something, or it's just a list of the places I'm in?"

Dumbledore pulled an amulet off his pocket and showed me. It was like a little rounded mirror encrusted on a metal frame. It had two dots in front of each other, and that was everything it had to see. The blood-red one had my name under it, and the white one had Dumble's name. At the top of the mirror the words "Headmaster's Office" could be seen, and this was the only way to identify the room.

"It shows me exactly where you are and who is with you. It gets warm whenever you enter a room you're not supposed to be in, and this artifact can't be stolen, modified, or destroyed. If you cast a spell or use any type of incubus magic, it also gets warm and shows me exactly what happened. I can also check something that has already happened in the last twenty-four hours."

The one million ways to break the rules diminished slightly, but I was happy with the outcome. I wondered if Albus wanted me to break the rules because it seemed way too easy.

"You're the only one who can check it?"

"No. I can pass this artifact to whoever I trust."

Fuck. "Fine. I'll be here. But I suggest bringing Granger and Weasley too. I bet Harry's going to be embarrassed to tell them everything."

"Embarrassed?"

"Yeah, of course. Harry is a teenager, no one ever explained to him anything about relationships or sex, and the only thing he ever did was kissing Cho Chang last year. Once. How is he going to talk to his friends about their task to keep an incubus at bay and prevent the massive orgy with the students?"

He blushed slightly with my words, and I couldn't help but grin deviously, knowing exactly what his fantasies were. Creepy old man.

"I understand. Yes, we can invite the three of them to explain everything."

"Am I free to go then?"

"Yes. If you ever need anything, you can come to me," he said with slight hope.

"Right… Bye." I had a feeling I was not the one who needed something.

Doing magic using a wand was harder than I thought. It was easy to go through the theoretical aspects of Transfiguration and Charms — I was under constant supervision, so it wasn't like I had a choice but to study it. Potions were easy if you didn't get distracted, and DADA was fine, but slightly boring, as Astronomy and Ancient Runes were. Arithmancy was kicking my balls.

But I still hadn't managed to produce magic with a wand. Apparently teaching magical creatures to reach their magical core and push it through a wooden thing was different than teaching a wizard. They were getting incredibly frustrated with my lack of progress, but no more than I was.

I was living in Hogwarts, a fucking magic castle, a place that I always dreamed to study, and I couldn't produce even a stupid light like I had the first time I touched the wand. Apparently, my life was supposed to be nothing but a collection of miseries.

The night before the arrival of the students I finally had some time off to read the book I nicked from Flourish and Blotts. I really hoped it had some answers for me.