Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the people, locations, or animals depicted therewith. I only own the plot for this story and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Dark Souls

By Bellatrix Black

Chapter 3: Uninvited Attention

But it's only when I sleep,

I see you in my dreams

Got me spinning around and round

Turning upside down

Only hear you breathe, somewhere in my dreams

Got me spinning around and round

Turning upside down, It's only when I sleep

- The Corrs "Only When I Sleep"

The following days passed quickly for Hermione, she either wrapped herself up in schoolwork or into Luis's journal. She became trapped within his tale, letting her mind only imagine the things he had seen and the things he had done. The monster inside of him had been so cruel, yet so refined. Ron and Harry seemed to notice a change in her demeanor, as she was prone to be snappish lately. They steered clear of her for the later parts of the evening but in the day things seemed OK. Hermione had taken to now carrying Luis's journal in her backpack. At first she had worried if she would lose it. But she didn't trust leaving it in her room after Lavender and Parvati had decided to go snooping through her trunk. It wasn't until Potions two weeks later that she began to worry that she had made the wrong choice.

She had been standing outside Potions dungeon right after class. Looking for her quill she noticed the book wasn't in her bag.

"Oh shoot" she huffed as she turned to go back into the classroom.

"What Hermione?" Ron enquired, edgy about spending anymore time down in the dungeons.

"Err… I forgot my potions book, go on without me, I'll catch up later" she murmured loudly as she hurried past Dean and Lavender who were the last of the students to leave. Professor Snape must have been in his office, she noted as she made her way over to her desk. She searched underneath her desk until she finally spotted the small black book, peeking out from under her chair.

"Gotcha" Hermione said softly as she slipped her fingers around it and pulled it out in front of her. The crimson lettering on the cover seemed to shimmer at her touch and she reached to put the book back into her bag. Stopping, she closed her bag and put it down next to her. Taking her seat she opened the small black book and began to read where she had last left off. Luis had been in Ireland for well over a month and now he and Alexandra had decided on a new method of attracting prey.

So we all sat there in out elegant nightclothes, smiling and laughing as the night passed away. Alexandra and her dark curls, her red lips' were shooting me hungry looks. She was getting impatient and we had already spent half of this evening entertaining our guests. I got up and locked the doors and windows, dimming down the candlelight's so that naught but ten were lit in the entire room.

"I'm afraid we must call this an evening", I insisted loudly and they all got up from their places at the table. Heading towards the door, they waited for myself to appear with light to guide them. Instead a merely hid myself from their view, as did Alexandra. I could hear the worry in their voices as they conversed over what to do now.

"Juliet" I called softly, making the daughter of the farmhand look up.

"Juliet" I called again. She left the living room, in search of my voice and I soon cornered her in the kitchen. I fed off her there, in the moonlight from the window I saw the fear in her eyes, which only made me jerk her body harder until there was nothing. No breath. No life. Nothing. Letting her body drop to the ground, I heard a loud shriek from the living room. Alexandra had decided to show herself. My how I loved when she fed. Her very essence… her very nature… It was not just dangerous, it was powerful. I returned to her side and fed but not before-

Suddenly the book was jerked out of Hermione's hands. Looking up furiously, she found it to be none other than Draco Malfoy. By his side stood his two oafs, Crabbe and Goyle, both of which sneered as Draco clutched the book tightly.

"So what is it our little mudblood is reading today?" he asked questioningly as he eyed the book.

"None of your business Malfoy" she growled as she shot up and attempted to grab onto the book to no avail. He simply held it away from her grasp before turning around and circling some of the desks as he flipped lazily from page to page.

"Give it here, I don't have time for your buffoonery" she hissed at him but he continued to ignore her.

"Ireland was never what I had imagined it would be. The people, the places, all of which soon became dull and lifeless before my eyes. Alexandra and myself became bored with the atmosphere and decided we should once again return to London. I always did enjoy the taste of people there personally" Draco read out mockingly, "A love story Granger? Or one on geography?"

Crabbe and Goyle both smirked and chuckled to themselves as Hermione seethed.

"You have no idea what you're talking about Malfoy, now give it here"

Hermione outstretched her hand, her eyes blazing with anger and even of worry. This book was hers, if Draco found out it had belonged to a member of his extended family he might try to take it from her and for some unexplainable reason, she refused to let that happen.

Draco scanned a few more pages with his eyes, pure delight shone on his face at the fact that he had managed to 'upset the mudblood'. He flipped the cover closed and glanced at the title. Running his fingers over the crimson words the smile soon disappeared from his face.

Worried, Hermione quickly reached over and snatched the book from his hands. Stuffing it into her bag, she attempted to leave but Draco caught a hold of her arm tightly.

"Where did you get that?" he asked gruffly.

"None of your damn business" she hissed. Draco opened his mouth as if to say something, but just then the door to Professor Snape's office opened and their Potions Master stepped out to face them.

"What are you four doing in here?" his soft menacing voice commanded, but Draco said nothing, still waiting for Hermione's answer. Crabbe and Goyle shot each other weary glances.

"I was just leaving" Hermione insisted, ignoring Draco as she tugged her arm from his grip and hurried out the door. Once outside she made a mad dash for the Great Hall, not wanting to leave any chance that Draco could catch her in the hallway.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

The events in the Potions classroom had shaken Hermione up, but she didn't make it obvious to her friends. She merely shrugged them off at dinner, leaving Harry and Ron to talk Quidditch. Draco was busy conversing with Pansy, though obviously not happily and Hermione sighed gladly as she made her way up to Gryffindor Tower.

She sprawled herself out on her bed, glancing from book to book as her attention continued to waver before she felt her eyelids become heavy. Nodding in an attempt to keep her head high and her eyes open, she soon gave up and felt herself drift away to sleep.

"So that's your name" came a soft voice.

"Hermione" it came again, as if singing her name upon the wind. Hermione was sitting on her bed in Gryffindor Tower. She got up, hearing the voice so close yet so far away.

"Who are you?" she asked as she pulled the hangings from her bed.

"You know who I am already" called the voice, this time from behind her. She spun around quickly, and heard nothing but a soft laugh.

"Do not be silly Hermione, it will only hurt for a second" he whispered, before she felt a cold hand on her shoulder. He spun her around, looking her in the eyes for a moment. Fear filled those brown pools of light and it only made the experience more enjoyable for him.

"Luis?" she whispered, and she felt a small solemn tear roll down her face. He was going to kill her. He was going to steal her soul from her body and set it free. The hand on her shoulder moved up until it came to rest on her neck. He pulled her hair away from her face. Hermione made no move to get away. She couldn't. Paralyzed with fear she sobbed softly but he took no notice. Leaning over, he placed a small kiss on her neck, before biting down, piercing her flesh with his fangs.

"NO!" Hermione woke up with a start. Her body drenched in sweat and breathing fast and deeply, she glanced around the room. Nothing. No-one. The hanging around Lavender and Parvati's bed's had been pulled and she could hear the sound of Parvati's soft snores.

Hermione glanced at her clock. 1:47am. Her short dream had taken so long. Running her fingers through her hair, she clutched it tightly in anger. All this fuss over a dream. A silly little dream. A dream caused by that book she had in her possession. She pulled the book out of her bag and glared at it only for a moment. Perhaps she should have never taken it from the library, after all, hadn't Mr. Weasley warned them of just how dangerous books could be? But this book had been in the library, meant for students to read? Right? No wait, it had been in storage. Perhaps this was the reason why. Throwing the book down next to her bed and getting up, Hermione tugged on her nightgown and headed down stairs to the common room.

Nobody was awake at this hour, to no surprise. She sat herself down in front of the fireplace. Perhaps she should have just stayed in bed and attempted to sleep. Goodness knows how tired she was but worry was all that consumed her. Worry over that stupid book. She considered for a moment, fetching it and bringing it to the common room. To roast there in front of the fire, but her mind refused to allow her to do so. For some reason she felt binded to the book.

Sighing and defeated, she leant back in her chair and watched the colors the common room fire painted across the ceiling. She let her eyelids droop slightly before she heard it, the soft voice that drafted in with the breeze.

"Hermione" it called softly and she shot up out of her chair, her eyes darting across the room.

'Perhaps I'm just hallucinating' her mind raced, but the voice sounded again, this time stronger, deeper.

"Hermione my dearest" it called softly from behind her. She turned around to see no one was there, nothing, just silence. Turning back she gasped and almost lost her footing. Sitting across from where she was standing, was a tall man with shoulder length, light blonde hair. The flames in the fireplace illuminated his deep senseless eyes and his skin was deathly pale.

"My dear, you really should cover up. It's rather cold tonight" he said softly, eyeing her thin robe. The man stood up and took a step towards Hermione, making her take a step back.

"You have nothing to fear," he pointed out, a little more than a whisper, "I'm not here to hurt you".

"Then why are you here… Luis" she asked, finally finding what could be defined as a voice. Her tone was an attempt to be strict, but her senses were so clouded that she had no idea what to do.

"So you have been reading my journal". He took another step forward and this time Hermione stood rooted to her spot.

"I-if you want the journal back, I'll understand..." she offered but he shook his head.

"I want you to keep it, as a gift for setting me free once more"

"Setting you free?"

A confused look past over Hermione's face and suddenly the man who had been in front of her disappeared.

"Yes, set me free", came his voice from behind her. He was so close she could feel his cold breath on the back of her neck. Hermione tried to speak but the words refused to come and she stood there, motionless as he ran his fingers down her arm.

"You're the one," and he said lightly, "who awoke me from my sleep. You're the one who broke the seal on my journal and allowed myself to awaken from a century and a half of slumber".

The hair's on the back of Hermione's neck began to bristle and she shivered as he ran his fingers slowly down the curve of her back.

"W-what do you want with me?" she questioned as once again her voice returned. Luis stepped out from behind her and faced the younger girl. Watching the fear well up in her eyes and her breathing quicken, he almost laughed. She would have been so easy to take advantage of right then and there. To feed off of. Or perhaps for something more. But no. He could not hurt this girl. This one who had set him free, awoken him from his damnation and allowed his body to move once more.

"I'm not quite sure, but somehow I shall show you my gratitude" he whispered.

They both stood there in the silence for a few more minutes as he admired her eyes, watched them study him and refuse to catch his gaze all at the same time.

"Why were you made to sleep?" she asked, hoping that silence would not prevail for the next few hours. The last thing she needed was to stand there looking dumb as well as deaf. A hardened look came over Luis' face and Hermione almost regretted the question.

"My family, through the ages have been hunting me. Let's just leave it at that"

Hermione nodded quickly and they heard a loud thud sound from the dorms. Hermione glanced over and Luis furrowed his brow.

"I must go, I've not fed tonight and I wish to do so before sunrise"

As she turned her gaze back to where he had stood, she realized he was gone. Looking around the common room she saw him nowhere in sight and she breathed a soft sigh of relief.

~ENDCHAPTER3~

A/N- Chapter three, ready and done. I just went through a rather scary phase where I thought I might have busted the A drive on my mum's computer (which is the only one I can use for net access) and since the computer I use to write my fics on (since I'm not allowed to use mum's computer) doesn't have a modem or a CD writer on it, I was worried like hell of how I was going to be able to get these chapters up.

Anyway, it seems things are fine now. All questions and comments about this chapter are deeply appreciated. So remember to review me. It's not that hard and it takes such a short amount of time to let people know you're actually reading and what you like or hate about what you read.

Bellatrix Black