A/N: Sorry about the wait. But the more I work on it, the better it is,
right? So, I hope you are not disappointed.
* * *
I admit the massacre was not all my idea. My Girl contributed, of course. It was early in the morning, the day before Ginny turned her new bloke, Draco. I was just beginning to go to sleep when Hermione awoke me.
"Harry?" her gentle voice whispered into my ear. I felt her run her cold hand through my hair.
"Mmm," I answered, barely awake.
"You'd do anything for Princess, wouldn't you?" Two icy hands stroked my back. I flipped over lazily and turned to her, playing with the loose strand of hair that graced her cheek.
"Anything."
"Bring me the moon and the stars?"
"As many stars as I can carry."
She beamed at me. "You know what I want?" she whispered.
"What, Princess?" I answered quietly.
"Blood," she said with a giggle, as if it were a big secret she wasn't allowed to share. "Lots of blood. Not just a hunt. A party, with a great blood-flavored cake. Bring it to me?"
I promised her I would, although I wasn't quite sure how. And a day later, I figured out how to give her what she wanted.
We returned home from Hogwarts that night, Ginny carrying Draco's limp body. Hermione and I made a beeline for our bedroom.
"I know how to make My Girl happy," I told her, pulling her close to me as we slipped into bed.
"How?" she wished to know.
"A party," I explained quietly. "A killing party for My Girl. We'll kill everyone one we meet, until my Princess is full."
"Can we invite Ginny and her boy?"
"Anything you want, you can bring." Vampires are evil by nature; they have no memory of their past lives, no conscience. They kill without remorse. Technically we shouldn't be able to love, but nothing gave me greater joy (besides killing) than making My Girl happy.
Hermione beamed at me. "That's right," she agreed with me, pressing her mouth to mine, my hands touching her face. "Anything I want, I can-ooh! Harry! That feels-mmm."
* * *
The next day we explained everything to Ginny, who loved the plan. Draco, however, was more difficult to convince. He was a great git, loud and violent. He didn't appreciate the joy of the torture and the abuse; he just wanted to eat and run. Unfortunately, Ginny had grown attached to him, and wouldn't let him go. And because Hermione wouldn't go without her childe tagging along, I put up with the little twit. A mistake I'd learn later.
Hermione decided to invite other vampires we'd met to our hunting party. They weren't as bold as My Girl and I. They feared the First, and what he would do if he found out what was going on. I convinced them I would handle the First. Then they agreed.
One June night, when the air was warm and the sun was just beginning to set, we set out for our party. "Where do you want to go, Princess?" I asked impatiently. I hadn't fed for two days, and it was a struggle to wait for Hermione to choose a place. Fifteen other vampires waited in our bedroom as she decided, and they had even less patience than I did.
"The school," she said slowly. "The one where Little Red Pretty made her dragon." I frowned; Hogwarts was filled with powerful teachers and wizard students. It would be heavily warded after four of its students went missing in the same year.
"Love-" I began, but Hermione looked up at me, like a lost little kitten. She whimpered softly. Ginny went to her, wrapping her arms around My Girl, shooting murderous glares at me.
"Good going," Draco murmured behind me. I turned around, and found the twat smirking at me. I growled deep in my throat. The git's sneer faded and I turned back to Hermione. A single teardrop ran down her face, then another; from her eyes trickled bloody tears. The sight of her crying twisted my chest into a knot.
"Princess, I'm sorry," I told her, bending down on my knees. "I'm a bad, bad man. We can go to the school. Anything for you." Hermione's frown vanished. She wiped away her tears and put her finger to my mouth. With a smile I licked the blood away. "Forgive me?"
"Harry's a good boy" was all she said, but I knew she forgave me. She looked up to our vampire guests. "Shall we begin the party?" She vanished from the room and I followed, along with the rest of the guests.
We reformed outside of Hogwarts, staring at the forbidding-looking citadel. I could smell the blood so strongly from the outside. The night air seemed cold for May; my head began to ache. I began to feel weak.
~This place seems awfully familiar~, Draco commented to the rest of us. I rolled my eyes; well, of course it seems familiar, you blithering idiot, you died here!
~This is where I found you~, Ginny explained, grabbing Draco's arm. ~This is where I found you and made you mine~.
Hermione smiled at their flirtation, and turned her attention back to the castle. "Time to dance, Harry," she told me as we teleported into the castle. We both reformed in a girls' dormitory. Five girlies lay in their beds, asleep. My Girl stared at them like they were presents on Christmas morning.
~I don't know which one to open first, ~ Hermione confessed. She pressed her hands to her mouth to suppress her giddy laughter.
~Anyone you want, Princess. ~ A second later I was at a girl's bed, drinking her dry. My headache was gone; I was warmer; my powers were at full strength.
When I killed the girl, I laid her back down on her pillow, covering her neck up with her blankets. Her roommates would get quite the nasty shock in the morning. Still hungry, I moved onto the next dormitory, Hermione right beside me.
Within fifteen minutes, the school was filled with the sounds of terrified screeches. Vampires have the power to cloak ourselves in silence, but we generally prefer a good throaty scream from our kills. I know I do.
I headed to a boys' dormitory, I'm not sure which house. All four boys were asleep. I frowned; there were five beds and four boys. Where was the other? Had he been killed already? A strange feeling nagged at me, but I ignored it.
Looking at all the boys, my eyes landed on one in particular; Redboy, Hermione's old friend. The one who'd been trying to keep her sane as I drove her insane. Didn't do too good of a job, did he now?
"Is he a friend?" a voice asked quietly. Hermione's deep brown eyes studied the boy; they were filled with a sadness I'd never seen. She looked at him with such tenderness- tenderness usually reserved for me. "His hair's on fire, like Little Red Pretty's." My Girl reached out her hand to touch his face.
Quickly I snared her hand in mine. "I've never seen him before," I answered sharply, although I knew we'd been friends when I was alive. Hermione and Redboy and I- what could that have been like?
You'll never know, so stop asking yourself, I ordered. "Come, Princess," I said. "No need to waste time here. Let's get you a lil' treat."
We left the dormitory behind and entered the halls of Hogwarts. Teachers were up, throwing a fit. Grabbing their wands and darting down the halls in their nightcaps after some vampire. They paid no attention to my girl and I. A group of little girlies ran through the corridors, screaming as one clutched her neck and cried. Hermione rested her head on my shoulder.
"Best party ever, Harry," she purred happily. "I love the music."
"The-oh." I was about to ask what music, but realized she meant all the screaming. "Anything for you, Hermione." She pressed her lips to my cheek.
"Harry," a sharp voice said, one that cut into my ears. I closed my eyes. Ooh, I knew that voice. Both of us turned around.
"I know you," Hermione said slowly, studying the new man. "You're the voice in my head." I looked between her and Snape, confused. " 'Don't go, Hermione. Come home to Hogwarts. Don't drink from the man.'" She smiled. "You didn't want me to play games with Harry. Wanted to keep my Prince and me apart. You're a bad man."
A memory flashed through my head; the night Hermione awoke. She didn't want to feed, and I asked her why. "The dark man in my head," she answered. "He wants me to go home." I glared at the other vampire; he wanted to take her away from me!
Snape said nothing, turning his eyes to me. "Princess," I said, turning to Hermione, "Harry's got a business matter. Run along with Ginny and Draco." She nodded and disappeared.
The older vampire watched me quietly. "You came back that night."
"Now, I've been meaning to ask you 'bout that," I began, ignoring the chaos that was ringing in my ears. "What the hell happened to '"I will personally stand guard in front of Miss Granger's room with an axe and stake'?"
Snape's emotionless face twisted itself into a nasty grimace. "The First forbid me to."
"There's that damn First again," I sighed. "Why is everyone so afraid of him?"
"Why, Harry?" Snape asked me, ignoring my comments about the First. I was surprised by the sincerity in his voice. "You tortured and changed her!"
"Well, I was going to send her flowers, but I ate the florist," I explained, smirking. My eyes dropped to his hand, where he gripped a stake. "Going to kill me with that? Or will it piss off the First?" Squinting at the wood, it suddenly lit on the fire. The professor dropped it collapsed, and it became a pile of ashes on the ground. "Oops."
"How ironic," began Snape, his voice strained with composure, "that the boy who faced down Voldemort and saved the world launched a massacre on Hogwarts."
"Life's funny like that," I answered coolly, despite the fact I had no idea what he was talking about. Who the hell is Voldemort? I wondered. "Now, if you excuse me, I haven't finished dinner." I winked at him. "Maybe you'd like to join in?" Before he could answer, I left him behind, and met up with My Girl.
* * *
"What fun!" Draco commented as we returned to our flat. "All those defenseless little children. Easy- although I'd rather have a good brawl."
"Like having your ass kicked, do you?" I muttered. Ginny clung to her boy tightly, running her hands through his fine blond hair.
"Time for bed, Draco?" she whispered to him, giggling. He nodded excitedly and they both hurried off to their bedroom. Hermione and I went to our room.
"Did you have fun, Princess?"
She nodded, almost asleep already. "Lots of fun with my Prince. Lots of blood for the Princess. Drip, drip, drip." A moment later her eyes closed and she was asleep. I kissed her forehead and laid down on my pillow.
Not a moment later was I abruptly awoken, pushed out of bed and onto the floor. "Hey-" I looked up, and there stood one of the First's minions, dressed in the same black silk robes.
"The First summons you," the vampire decreed.
"Figure he would," I said, sounding very nonchalant. I began to pull on my shirt.
"He is angry."
"Not that hard to anger him, it seems." I finished my shirt buttons. "All right, then. Let's go."
And we left.
* * *
I admit the massacre was not all my idea. My Girl contributed, of course. It was early in the morning, the day before Ginny turned her new bloke, Draco. I was just beginning to go to sleep when Hermione awoke me.
"Harry?" her gentle voice whispered into my ear. I felt her run her cold hand through my hair.
"Mmm," I answered, barely awake.
"You'd do anything for Princess, wouldn't you?" Two icy hands stroked my back. I flipped over lazily and turned to her, playing with the loose strand of hair that graced her cheek.
"Anything."
"Bring me the moon and the stars?"
"As many stars as I can carry."
She beamed at me. "You know what I want?" she whispered.
"What, Princess?" I answered quietly.
"Blood," she said with a giggle, as if it were a big secret she wasn't allowed to share. "Lots of blood. Not just a hunt. A party, with a great blood-flavored cake. Bring it to me?"
I promised her I would, although I wasn't quite sure how. And a day later, I figured out how to give her what she wanted.
We returned home from Hogwarts that night, Ginny carrying Draco's limp body. Hermione and I made a beeline for our bedroom.
"I know how to make My Girl happy," I told her, pulling her close to me as we slipped into bed.
"How?" she wished to know.
"A party," I explained quietly. "A killing party for My Girl. We'll kill everyone one we meet, until my Princess is full."
"Can we invite Ginny and her boy?"
"Anything you want, you can bring." Vampires are evil by nature; they have no memory of their past lives, no conscience. They kill without remorse. Technically we shouldn't be able to love, but nothing gave me greater joy (besides killing) than making My Girl happy.
Hermione beamed at me. "That's right," she agreed with me, pressing her mouth to mine, my hands touching her face. "Anything I want, I can-ooh! Harry! That feels-mmm."
* * *
The next day we explained everything to Ginny, who loved the plan. Draco, however, was more difficult to convince. He was a great git, loud and violent. He didn't appreciate the joy of the torture and the abuse; he just wanted to eat and run. Unfortunately, Ginny had grown attached to him, and wouldn't let him go. And because Hermione wouldn't go without her childe tagging along, I put up with the little twit. A mistake I'd learn later.
Hermione decided to invite other vampires we'd met to our hunting party. They weren't as bold as My Girl and I. They feared the First, and what he would do if he found out what was going on. I convinced them I would handle the First. Then they agreed.
One June night, when the air was warm and the sun was just beginning to set, we set out for our party. "Where do you want to go, Princess?" I asked impatiently. I hadn't fed for two days, and it was a struggle to wait for Hermione to choose a place. Fifteen other vampires waited in our bedroom as she decided, and they had even less patience than I did.
"The school," she said slowly. "The one where Little Red Pretty made her dragon." I frowned; Hogwarts was filled with powerful teachers and wizard students. It would be heavily warded after four of its students went missing in the same year.
"Love-" I began, but Hermione looked up at me, like a lost little kitten. She whimpered softly. Ginny went to her, wrapping her arms around My Girl, shooting murderous glares at me.
"Good going," Draco murmured behind me. I turned around, and found the twat smirking at me. I growled deep in my throat. The git's sneer faded and I turned back to Hermione. A single teardrop ran down her face, then another; from her eyes trickled bloody tears. The sight of her crying twisted my chest into a knot.
"Princess, I'm sorry," I told her, bending down on my knees. "I'm a bad, bad man. We can go to the school. Anything for you." Hermione's frown vanished. She wiped away her tears and put her finger to my mouth. With a smile I licked the blood away. "Forgive me?"
"Harry's a good boy" was all she said, but I knew she forgave me. She looked up to our vampire guests. "Shall we begin the party?" She vanished from the room and I followed, along with the rest of the guests.
We reformed outside of Hogwarts, staring at the forbidding-looking citadel. I could smell the blood so strongly from the outside. The night air seemed cold for May; my head began to ache. I began to feel weak.
~This place seems awfully familiar~, Draco commented to the rest of us. I rolled my eyes; well, of course it seems familiar, you blithering idiot, you died here!
~This is where I found you~, Ginny explained, grabbing Draco's arm. ~This is where I found you and made you mine~.
Hermione smiled at their flirtation, and turned her attention back to the castle. "Time to dance, Harry," she told me as we teleported into the castle. We both reformed in a girls' dormitory. Five girlies lay in their beds, asleep. My Girl stared at them like they were presents on Christmas morning.
~I don't know which one to open first, ~ Hermione confessed. She pressed her hands to her mouth to suppress her giddy laughter.
~Anyone you want, Princess. ~ A second later I was at a girl's bed, drinking her dry. My headache was gone; I was warmer; my powers were at full strength.
When I killed the girl, I laid her back down on her pillow, covering her neck up with her blankets. Her roommates would get quite the nasty shock in the morning. Still hungry, I moved onto the next dormitory, Hermione right beside me.
Within fifteen minutes, the school was filled with the sounds of terrified screeches. Vampires have the power to cloak ourselves in silence, but we generally prefer a good throaty scream from our kills. I know I do.
I headed to a boys' dormitory, I'm not sure which house. All four boys were asleep. I frowned; there were five beds and four boys. Where was the other? Had he been killed already? A strange feeling nagged at me, but I ignored it.
Looking at all the boys, my eyes landed on one in particular; Redboy, Hermione's old friend. The one who'd been trying to keep her sane as I drove her insane. Didn't do too good of a job, did he now?
"Is he a friend?" a voice asked quietly. Hermione's deep brown eyes studied the boy; they were filled with a sadness I'd never seen. She looked at him with such tenderness- tenderness usually reserved for me. "His hair's on fire, like Little Red Pretty's." My Girl reached out her hand to touch his face.
Quickly I snared her hand in mine. "I've never seen him before," I answered sharply, although I knew we'd been friends when I was alive. Hermione and Redboy and I- what could that have been like?
You'll never know, so stop asking yourself, I ordered. "Come, Princess," I said. "No need to waste time here. Let's get you a lil' treat."
We left the dormitory behind and entered the halls of Hogwarts. Teachers were up, throwing a fit. Grabbing their wands and darting down the halls in their nightcaps after some vampire. They paid no attention to my girl and I. A group of little girlies ran through the corridors, screaming as one clutched her neck and cried. Hermione rested her head on my shoulder.
"Best party ever, Harry," she purred happily. "I love the music."
"The-oh." I was about to ask what music, but realized she meant all the screaming. "Anything for you, Hermione." She pressed her lips to my cheek.
"Harry," a sharp voice said, one that cut into my ears. I closed my eyes. Ooh, I knew that voice. Both of us turned around.
"I know you," Hermione said slowly, studying the new man. "You're the voice in my head." I looked between her and Snape, confused. " 'Don't go, Hermione. Come home to Hogwarts. Don't drink from the man.'" She smiled. "You didn't want me to play games with Harry. Wanted to keep my Prince and me apart. You're a bad man."
A memory flashed through my head; the night Hermione awoke. She didn't want to feed, and I asked her why. "The dark man in my head," she answered. "He wants me to go home." I glared at the other vampire; he wanted to take her away from me!
Snape said nothing, turning his eyes to me. "Princess," I said, turning to Hermione, "Harry's got a business matter. Run along with Ginny and Draco." She nodded and disappeared.
The older vampire watched me quietly. "You came back that night."
"Now, I've been meaning to ask you 'bout that," I began, ignoring the chaos that was ringing in my ears. "What the hell happened to '"I will personally stand guard in front of Miss Granger's room with an axe and stake'?"
Snape's emotionless face twisted itself into a nasty grimace. "The First forbid me to."
"There's that damn First again," I sighed. "Why is everyone so afraid of him?"
"Why, Harry?" Snape asked me, ignoring my comments about the First. I was surprised by the sincerity in his voice. "You tortured and changed her!"
"Well, I was going to send her flowers, but I ate the florist," I explained, smirking. My eyes dropped to his hand, where he gripped a stake. "Going to kill me with that? Or will it piss off the First?" Squinting at the wood, it suddenly lit on the fire. The professor dropped it collapsed, and it became a pile of ashes on the ground. "Oops."
"How ironic," began Snape, his voice strained with composure, "that the boy who faced down Voldemort and saved the world launched a massacre on Hogwarts."
"Life's funny like that," I answered coolly, despite the fact I had no idea what he was talking about. Who the hell is Voldemort? I wondered. "Now, if you excuse me, I haven't finished dinner." I winked at him. "Maybe you'd like to join in?" Before he could answer, I left him behind, and met up with My Girl.
* * *
"What fun!" Draco commented as we returned to our flat. "All those defenseless little children. Easy- although I'd rather have a good brawl."
"Like having your ass kicked, do you?" I muttered. Ginny clung to her boy tightly, running her hands through his fine blond hair.
"Time for bed, Draco?" she whispered to him, giggling. He nodded excitedly and they both hurried off to their bedroom. Hermione and I went to our room.
"Did you have fun, Princess?"
She nodded, almost asleep already. "Lots of fun with my Prince. Lots of blood for the Princess. Drip, drip, drip." A moment later her eyes closed and she was asleep. I kissed her forehead and laid down on my pillow.
Not a moment later was I abruptly awoken, pushed out of bed and onto the floor. "Hey-" I looked up, and there stood one of the First's minions, dressed in the same black silk robes.
"The First summons you," the vampire decreed.
"Figure he would," I said, sounding very nonchalant. I began to pull on my shirt.
"He is angry."
"Not that hard to anger him, it seems." I finished my shirt buttons. "All right, then. Let's go."
And we left.