Author: Hi everyone! New Chapter for His Shining Light! I've been busy with a new job and sleep schedule, so I haven't had time to really write this week. However, thank you all for your reviews and favs, you guys are amazing!
Sirius stood beside Elaine's hospital bed as Madam Pomfrey dabbed small amounts of healing salve on her cuts and scrapes.
" I swear Elaine Winters, you're more accident prone than an Erumpent in a China Cabinet." The healer tsked as Elaine winced as the salve stung her cheeks. " If you're not on a broom, you may as well have a bubble charm around you!"
" That's not actually a bad idea." Sirius laughed, flashing Elaine a charming smile.
She was not charmed.
She simply raised an eyebrow at him and he wiggled his eyebrows at her, attempting to get a smile from her.
It did not work.
" Maybe Professor Flitwick knows a charm that will wrap you in bubbles."
" You're not funny." Elaine said causing Sirius' grin to grow.
" Of course I am, Ellie. Right now, you're just not in a mood to receive it. However El's, most of Hogwarts thinks that I am quite humorous." Sirius said as the doors to the Hospital Wing opened silently to reveal Professor Dumbledore, his midnight blue robes billowing behind him as he walked towards them.
Behind him, looking equally concerned, was both Professors McGonagall and Sprout.
" Headmaster?" Madam Pomfrey said curiously. " What brings you here?"
" I simply came to check on Miss Winters here."
Sirius saw Elaine's face turn the color of her hair as Dumbledore turned a kind smile on her. He watched her face duck down suddenly, hiding it behind a wall of rust colored hair.
He noticed her trying her best to avoid Professor Sprout's gaze.
" I'll just give you a-"
" No need to leave, Mister Black. I'm sure Miss Winters wouldn't mind a friend being with her during this conversation." Dumbledore said patting Sirius' shoulder as the fifth year went to stand.
Sirius noticed the relieved look on Elaine's face when he took his seat beside her. He saw how the grip she had on her bed linen relaxed.
" You fell, correct?" Professor Sprout said causing Elaine to flinch.
" Miss Winters, if you feel up to it, could you please explain to us what happened to you this evening." Dumbledore said calmly, conjuring three chairs and offering two of them to Professors McGonagall and Sprout before taking one himself.
Sirius saw Elaine fidget under their concerned and intense gaze. Without thinking, he reached out and squeezed her small hand in reassurance.
Professor McGonagall gave a small cough and Sirius looked up to see Dumbledore giving him a knowing smile. He even saw Professor McGonagall's face soften at the action.
" Whenever you are ready, Miss Winter." Professor Sprout said and Elaine took a deep, shaky breath before she recounted the evenings events.
" I see…" Dumbledore said once Elaine had finished. He sat there for a while, stroking his white beard in silent thought.
" I will say this, Elaine Winters. You are extremely lucky to have gotten away with just a few scrapes." Professor Sprout said placing a gloved hand gently on the teen's shoulder.
Elaine shifted slightly, brushing her hair off of her neck, revealing a small cut.
" May I?" Dumbledore asked, his blue eyes locking on her neck. When she nodded, he leaned forward to examine the cut there. " You say he did not bite you, correct?"
" I didn't feel him bite me." Elaine said and when the headmaster remained silent, she began to develop this sense of unease.
" Professor?" Sirius said his own nerves worsening as Dumbledore sat back.
" You weren't technically bitten, Miss Winters. There is a mark on your neck that appears to be from a vampire fang."
Sirius saw the color drain completely from both Elaine's and Professor Sprout's faces.
" Am…Am I-"
" No Miss Winters, I do not believe you will become a Vampire." Dumbledore said causing the entire room to relax. " Vampire bites are not like that of Werewolves. You cannot simply turn from the bite. They convert others to their ranks completely differently."
Sirius hadn't realized that he had been holding his breath until that moment.
" Vampire Venom is still wildly unknown to the Wizarding World. We do know that it gives the Maker many different forms of control over its victim." Dumbledore sighed. " It is completely out of our knowledge how much venom you received or even if you have any at all. We also do not know how it will affect you. I'm sorry that we don't have any answers for you, Miss Winters."
Elaine looked down at her hands, shuddering at the thought of the venom that could be inside her.
" How long would it take for it to leave my system?" She asked in a small voice causing Sirius to squeeze her hand again. He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb and he himself began to relax along with her.
" It can vary anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Affects can be anything from hallucinations, strange dreams to fluctuating hormones or even trance like tendencies." Dumbledore said and Elaine tightened her grip on Sirius' hand.
" But she won't Convert, correct?" Sirius said, wanting to reiterate something good.
" Miss Winters, did you consume any of his blood?" Dumbledore asked causing Elaine to give him a horrified look.
" No Professor!"
" Then no Mister Black, Miss Winters is not at risk of Converting." Dumbledore said offering them a reassuring smile. " What we do know that one cannot become a vampire without at least consuming the Maker's blood. A vampire could consume as much blood as they like from their victim and not convert them."
" Did you by chance learn this vampire's name, Miss Winters?" Professor McGonagall asked Elaine who bit her lip.
" Gavin Griffith."
A hushed silence fell over them.
" Are you sure?" Dumbledore asked cautiously.
" Y-Yes…why?"
" He's one of the oldest and most blood thirsty Vampires on record." Sirius said to everyone's surprise. " No one knows exactly how old he is but he supposedly took part in a few of the Crusades. Some stories say that he fought on both sides of the wars, enjoying the bloodshed of the wars."
Professor McGonagall raised a curious eyebrow at his sudden wealth of knowledge.
" My parents used to tell Regulus and I stories about him when we were small. They would threatened us into behaving by telling us that Gavin Griffith would rip our throats out while we slept."
" That's horrible!" Elaine gasped gripping his hand tighter and Sirius merely shrugged.
" You met my mother." Was all he had to say.
" Albus, the Ministry will need to be alerted to this!" Professor McGonagall said firmly. " If Gavin Griffith is here then it is possible that Hadeon is either here or on his way."
" Hadeon?"
" Another old leech." Sirius said. " Just as, if not more bloody and sadistic as Gavin."
" Why would he let Winters go? Surely he would have known she would inform a staff member of his appearance." Professor Sprout asked.
" Perhaps he thought he had frightened her into keeping silent." Professor McGonagall said. " Meeting a Vampire alone in the Forest would be enough to frighten any fifteen year old."
" I believe it goes without saying Miss Winters, that the Forest is now off limits to even Prefects." Dumbledore said firmly causing Elaine to nod sadly.
" Even if she's helping Hagrid?" Sirius asked, hoping to find an exception to the rule for her.
" Yes Mister Black, even if she's helping Hagrid." Dumbledore said. " This incident happened while she was assisting him."
" Hagrid's not in trouble is he?" Elaine asked suddenly. " Please Professor, it wasn't Hagrid's fault! I take full responsibility f-"
" Miss Winters, Hagrid is not in trouble." Dumbledore said calmly. " Rest assure of that. However, he and I have had a discussion about allowing students under his supervision to wander around the Forest alone…even if they are as well educated and trained with Magical Creatures as you are."
Elaine's face reddened again as Dumbledore gave her an encouraging wink.
" Now, I do believe we should give you an opportunity to get some rest. Though, I'm not sure how much rest you'll be able to get with the approaching storm."
" Storm?" Sirius said taking his eyes off of Elaine to look at the Headmaster.
" Yes and from what I hear, it's going to be a very powerful one. Lots of wind, thunder AND lightning." Dumbledore said calmly, enjoying the excitement flash through Sirius' grey eyes. " Well, I do believe it is time for bed."
The Headmaster stood swiftly, Professors McGonagall and Sprout following his lead. " I shall send some hot chocolate up for you, Miss Winters. I must say, I rather enjoy mine with lots of marshmallows and just a hint of cinnamon. What say you?"
" Y-Yes sir."
" I shall have a cup sent up for you and I believe one for Mister Black, as well." Dumbledore chuckled. " I find a warm drink shared amongst friends will chase away any and all gloominess."
" Try not to stay to long, Black." Professor McGonagall stated, an amused smile gracing her normally thin mouth. " Keep in mind that Winters needs her rest and that Madam Pomfrey will be in and out of the Wing constantly."
Sirius felt his jaw go slack as he caught her hidden meaning, quickly releasing Elaine's hand. " W-Wha-I-w-never! PROFESSOR!"
" Get some rest Winters, I'll be in to check on you in the morning." Professor Sprout chuckled, patting Elaine's shoulder comfortingly. " Keep your hands to yourself, Black."
With that, the three left the Hospital Wing, leaving Sirius still spluttering in their wake.
After finishing their hot cocoa Sirius saw Elaine's eyes slowly start to droop. She told him that he didn't have to stay and that if he wanted he could head back to Gryffindor Tower.
He simply told her that she could shove it and that he wasn't leaving until she fell asleep.
" But Sirius, it would be rude for me to fall asleep while you're here!" Elaine said as he set her cup down beside his on the beside counter.
" Don't care Winters, just relax and get some rest."
" Really?" She said weakly. " You're back to calling me Winters…"
Sirius bit his lip at her words.
He had been so worried about her earlier that he had called her Ellie.
When she kissed his cheek and told him that she had like it, he was at a lose…now, he felt like they were moving to fast. Elaine was a nice person and he didn't want to hurt her.
He wasn't that great of a person.
Not with the kind of family he had. Not with how they had raised him to view others who weren't pure bloods.
Sirius had had feelings for her for quite a while now but he refused to act on them.
He didn't deserve someone as kind as her.
And she deserved so much better than him.
Elaine had finally fallen asleep around nine o'clock, just before Madam Pomfrey had come to usher him out.
" You'll be able to see her in the morning but right now, she needs her rest! Now off you go!"
Sirius made his way towards Gryffindor Tower, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails bit into his palms. His mind raced with the details of the evenings events.
" Fucking leech…" He growled low at the thought of Gavin's hands touching Elaine. Of them roaming greedily over her. Knowing Elaine, she more than likely had begged him to let her go.
Once Sirius found the bastard he would make him pay for what he did.
For the fear that he saw in her eyes.
" There you are!"
Sirius almost jumped right out of his skin at the sound of James' voice came from no where. He looked around quickly just before his best friend's disembodied face appeared just off to his left.
" Don't do that!" Sirius hissed, hurrying swiftly over to him.
" What the devil took you so long!" James demanded opening the invisibility cloak enough for Sirius to slip under. " The map said you've been in the Hospital Wing with Winters all this time! What happened, did she fall down the Grand Staircase again or fall into the Black Lake?"
" I'll tell you later. We need to get Peter and get outside quick! I heard Dumbledore mention an electrical storm is gonna hit Hogwarts soon!"
" Bloody hell, let's get a move on it then!" James said as they made their way back to Gryffindor Tower.
Once there, they hurried over to the spiral staircase that led to their dorm room. Sirius made his way over to Remus' wall locker and grabbed the large bottle hidden there. He quickly made the mental calculation of how much of the Animagus Potion could be divided amongst three people.
He glanced over to see James attempting to shake Peter awake.
" What?" The sleepy boy asked, pulling a pillow over his face, trying his best to go back to sleep.
" Come on Peter, wake up!" James said continuing to shake his friend. " This may be our only chance! If we miss it, we'll have to start all over!"
" Here…" Sirius said, handing the potion to James. " Peter, up and at 'em, buddy! There's mischief to be made!"
He was greated with a loud snore, indicating that the blonde boy had fallen back asleep.
" Alright Petey boy, we gave you fair warning This is gonna hurt!"
Before James could ask what Sirius meant, he saw him grab ahold of Peter's mattress and flip it.
" GYAH!" Peter said in a rather high girlish tone as he landed on the floor with a loud thud.
" Sorry Petey, but we don't have any time to waste! There's a storm a brew'n and we need to get up to the Astronamy Tower right quick!" Sirius said. " Hurry and get dressed, we've got a limited w-"
Sirius froze when there was a light tapping on their dormitory door. He and James exchanged nervous glances before Sirius went to answer it.
After making sure James had safely hidden the potion in his robes, he opened the door to reveal Lily.
" Evans! What are you doing h-"
" I heard Elaine ended up in the Hospital Wing again! Is she alright?" Lily asked worriedly. " She didn't over do anything, did sh-"
" She's fine, Evans. She just tripped."
" Madam Pomfrey wouldn't have admitted her if she simply tripped!" Lily said, her voice straining. " Sirius, why-"
" She's fine Evans, really!" Sirius said quickly. " She tripped and got a few cuts so Madam Pomfrey wanted to keep her overnight, for observation. To make sure she didn't have a c-con…concubison?"
" A concusion?" Lily said relaxing slightly, seeming willing to accept the excuse. " Did she hit her head?"
" I didn't see it but she seemed fine when I left her a few minutes ago." Sirius said calmly. " We can see her in the morning. Trust me Evans, she's fine."
He watched Lily bite her lip, still slightly unsure of what to think.
" Listen Evans, I really should close the door. Peter farts pretty bad in his sleep. You really don't need to smell it…plus James sometimes sleep walks…you know, in the nude!"
" HEY!" A unanimous shout from both James and Peter came from inside the room.
Lily's cheeks turned the color of her hair at Sirius' words.
" It's not something you should see, Evans." Sirius whispered. " Seriously, James…buck arse naked…not a single stitch of clothing on him. At the moment, he currently doesn't have any pants on. Right now, there are TWO moons in the sky. And of course a-"
" SIRIUS!" James yelled from inside the room as Lily's face reddened more.
" I-I should just be going!" Lily said quickly.
" You sure? You might get a look at something you may l-"
" I am perfectly sure, Sirius! Have a goodnight!" Lily said, her face now the color of her dark red hair. The female Prefect spun quickly on her heels and hurried to the girl's dormitory.
Sirius turned back to see James' face was almost the same exact color of Lily's hair.
" What?"
" Was that really necessary?" James asked.
" Got rid of her, though."
" But now she's going t-"
" Oh come on James, don't act like you don't want her picturing you naked." Sirius said taking the potion from him. " In reality, I did you a favor."
" Oh yeah! Well what if I talked about you like this to Winters?"
Sirius almost dropped the potion at his friend's words.
" I don't know what you're talking about!" Sirius snapped, his face reddening.
" Oh come on Sirius, everyone knows that you like Winters. I'm fairly certain, that all of the teachers and the rest of the students know that you like her. You're the only one that has any kind of doubt about it!" James said grabbing the invisibility cloak.
" Seriously Sirius, you should just admit to yourself that you like her." Peter said calmly, pulling his trousers over his pajamas.
" I do like her."
His words caused both of them to stare dumbfounded at him.
" As a friend."
" Then why are you SO protective of her?" James asked in a hushed voice as they made their way down the spiral staircase.
" You met Bellatrix and Narcissa…"
" So? Are you saying that you only spend time with her because you feel guilty about how your cousins treat her?"
" Yeah! Also, you'd never flip a mattress over on Lainey like you did me!" Peter whined softly as James wrapped the cloak around all three of them.
" She's a lot cuter that you are, Petey." Sirius said before bumping into James.
" You just called Winters cute." James said locking eyes with Sirius.
" Don't you agree that she's better looking than old Petey?" Sirius said his face reddening as he tried to cover his tracks.
" Ever single girl in the world is better looking there Peter, but you are trying to change the subject." James said as Peter gave them both a pouty look.
" I don't see why everyone's using me as the ugly example."
" We never said you were ugly, Petey. We're just saying you're not OUR cup of tea." James said as they managed to slip past the portrait of the Fat Lady.
SLAM!
They tensed under the cloak as the portrait swung closed with a loud slam. The Fat Lady snorted loudly, interrupting her long chain of snores. They watched her readjust calmly in her frame a bit before she went back to snoring loudly.
" But back to how you really Lainey!" Peter said quietly causing Sirius' eyebrow to twitch.
" You two are worse then fishwives." He groaned in annoyance.
" Aw come on Sirius, you and Winters could be a couple!" James grinned, elbowing his friend eagerly. " Then you two can go on dates with Evans and I!"
" James, that implies that Evans wants to go on a date with you." Peter laughed causing the other two to shush him.
" She wants to date me, Petey old buddy. She just doesn't want to admit to herself that she does."
" Mighty full of yourself, James." Sirius smirked as they made their way to the Astronomy Tower.
" Trust me, probably within a year of us graduating she and I will be engaged or maybe married." James grinned happily. " Evans likes me, she's just to shy to admit it."
" Evans shy? I highly doubt it." Sirius laughed.
" In matters of the heart she is!" James said smugly. " You guys have seen the way she looks at me."
" With disgust?" Sirius smirked as they unlatched the door to the highest level of the Astronomy Tower.
" Not as bad disgust!" James said throwing off the cloak and closing the door, his black hair even messier than normal.
" Well that's progress, I guess." Peter laughed before turning his gaze to the greenish blue sky. " What's the next step?" He asked nervously.
" Just like we've been doing, recite the incantation once more before consuming the potion." Sirius said as he examined the liquid inside the bottle.
" Evans shy? I highly doubt it." Sirius laughed.
" In matters of the heart she is!" James said smugly. " You guys have seen the way she looks at me."
" With disgust?" Sirius smirked as they unlatched the door to the highest level of the Astronomy Tower.
" Not as bad disgust!" James said throwing off the cloak and closing the door, his black hair even messier than normal.
" Well that's progress, I guess." Peter laughed before turning his gaze to the greenish blue sky. " What's the next step?" He asked nervously.
" Just like we've been doing, recite the incantation once more before consuming the potion." Sirius said as he examined the liquid inside the bottle.
" Are you alright, Sir?" James asked noticing his friend's change in mood.
" Yeah…I was just thinking of other ways the animagus form will be helpful, aside from Remus…" Sirius said, his fist tightening to the point that his hand bled.
" What are you talking about?" Peter asked.
" Does this have anything to do with why the two of you were at the Hospital Wing?" James asked. " She didn't really fall into the Black Lake did she? What the heck did Hagrid have you two helping him with?"
" She didn't fall in the Black Lake, James." Sirius said eerily calmly. " We were helping Hagrid with the school's Thestrals."
" W-We have Thestrals?" Peter gaped in disbelief.
" Winters said they are what pull the school's carriages." Sirius said, surprised when James nodded. " You've seen them?"
" I was in the room when my Gran passed a few years ago." James said shrugging. " I've been able to see them for the past two years. Winters and I have discussed them occasionally."
" Really?" Sirius said in disbelief.
" Yeah. That's how I know she likes Magical Creatures and that she's been helping Hagrid occasionally."
James grinned at the sight of Sirius being uncomfortable with him knowing so much about Elaine.
" You know, Winters talks about you a lot." James said causing Sirius' face to pinken. " Something about how much she wished she could sink her fingers into those long black hair and to have you press your-"
" Shut it, James!" Sirius snapped just as a loud clap of thunder rang out.
" Pay back's a hag, my friend. Pay back's a hag!" James laughed. " If you just admit that you like Winters then we'd all be happier."
" We?"
" Me, Remus, Evans and Petey-boy!" James laughed. " We've had to deal with Evans worrying about how you treat Winters and whether or not you two are going to just say screw it and end up together."
" Have you lot really spent this much time thinking about this?" Sirius asked, gaping in disbelief at his two friends.
" Well, between that and whether Dolorus Umbridge was going to make her move on you." James said almost laughing at the look of horror on his friend's face then the mention of the Slytherin Prefect setting her toad like sights on him.
" The thought of hooking up with Lainey doesn't seem to bad now, does it!" Peter laughed causing Sirius to glare at him.
" If I ever were to be with Ellie, it wouldn't be to just avoid the likes of Dolorus Umbridge!" Sirius snapped at his blonde friend. " That's unfair to Ellie!"
" I don't think you ever need to worry about being like your family, Sirius." James said grinning at his friend. " You're nothing like them."
Elaine found herself walking towards the Forbidden Forest.
Her body, no matter how hard she tried to fight it, seemed to have a mind of its own.
Every single cell in her body screamed at her to run back to the castle. She had promised her teachers that she wouldn't wander the grounds.
Especially the Forest.
Her mind was screaming at her muscles to stop moving forward and run back to safety.
But still she continued forward into the Forest, past the Thestral's paddock where Tenebrus snuggled securely against his mother, and further along the path into solid darkness.
" N-No!" She whimpered weakly realizing exactly where she was being led.
She was being let to HIM.
Panic started to flood her body as she continued to fight against the all powerful lure pulling her deeper into the blackness.
Elaine felt as though a bucket of ice water was poured onto her as she saw a pair of glowing moss green eyes.
With each step she took, she was able to make out the outline of Gavin, his long shaggy red hair becoming more and more pronounced.
" Hello, My Little Hufflepuff." He said, his bone white teeth flashing brightly in the darkness.
Elaine's heartache quickened as he approached her.
" Calm yourself, Little Hufflepuff." He said, reaching up to stroke her cheek with one cool finger. He seemed to enjoy the feel of her warm skin.
His grin widened as she continued to tremble.
" If I was going to hurt you, I'd have done it already." He said leaning forward and inhaled her scent deeply.
" What do you want?" Elaine asked, attempting to sound brave.
" I was simply curious to see if my plan had worked."
" What plan?" Elaine asked indignantly.
" I wanted to see if my venom had taken hold inside you yet."
" Why does it matter if it did or not?" She asked cautiously, dreading the answer.
" I now know where you are at all times. I'll know that status of your mental, physical and emotional health at all times."
" Why!" Elaine demanded.
" You belong to me now, My Little Hufflepuff."
" I do not!" Elaine huffed angrily.
" Oh but you do." Gavin laughed at the sudden rush of red to her face. He for some reason, was extremely glad that he had complete control over her body.
If she were to have even a single ounce of control, he knew that she'd knock him out flat.
His Little Hufflepuff was definitely a feisty one.
She had strong blood flowing through her.
She was more than likely a Pure Blood.
He was slightly curious as to which bloodline she hailed from.
Judging from her eye shape she was either of the LeStrange, Black or Carrow lines.
If she were, it was odd that she had her beautiful red locks. That was mainly present in the Weasley and Winters bloodlines.
He returned his attention back to Elaine, noting the determined look that was present there. A small bead of sweat was trickling down her cheek from her struggle.
A small chuckle escaped him at the sight.
She was trying to break his hold.
She was precious.
" Try all you like, but you're fighting a losing battle." Gavin smirked.
" Piss off, you bastard!" Elaine growled.
" False, my parents were happily married." Gavin said calmly stepping closer to her, his gaze rolling over her figure hungrily.
" Hey! Eyes up here!" Elaine said her face reddening.
His smirk widened as he reached his hand up and trailed it down from her throat and onto her breasts.
" KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF!" She squeaked, her voice starting to crack as he ignored her and popped the top button of her pajama top.
" I SAID-"
There went another button and he took a step closer to plant his lips against her rapidly beating pulse.
A small eager whimper escaped her as he trailed his tongue downward. He pulled her tightly to him as he continued nipping his way downward, enjoying her whimpers.
" Does that boy ever touch you like this?" Gavin asked as she became out of breath, struggling to maintain a grasp on her emotions.
He could tell by the change in her scent that she was enjoying his touch.
" W-What boy?" She asked nervously, her cheek red with arousal.
" The one I saw you touching earlier." Gavin whispered, sliding his hand inside her shirt and cupped her supple breast in his calloused hand.
" L-Let g-HAH!" Elaine gasped as he pinched her nipple lightly.
" Like that do you." Gavin smirked, dragging a fang lightly across her throat. A small trickle of blood swelled to the surface.
" N-No!"
" Does he touch you like this." Gavin smirked, twisting her nipple more, as the trickle rolled downwards towards her breast.
He received his answer when he saw her bite her lip and look away.
" He does not…but you want him to." He grinned, undoing another button.
" S-Stop!" Elaine whimpered as he pressed his mouth between her breasts, licking the blood up teasingly.
He ignored her whimpering please until he heard her whimper: Sirius.
" Was it THAT boy's name that you just muttered?" Gavin growled threateningly, tightening his hold around her waist.
" Let go!" Elaine said, her voice cracking slightly from panic.
" You don't belong to him, Little Hufflepuff." Gavin growled. " You're mine!"
" I don't belong to you, or anyone!"
" Oh yes you do, and the sooner you realize it, the easier it will be for you!" He grinned before pressing his blood stained lips against hers.