Speculations about love's credentials, or lack of credentials, cannot either enhance or diminish love's absoluteness. –A.J. Toynbee

Harry lounged lazily in the vampire's arms and watched the newly falling snow through the window.

"Awake again?" the blonde asked.

"Not really. How are you feeling?" Harry asked, turning so that green met blue.

"Good enough. I might not even need to feed tonight."

Harry smiled and playfully said, "Yay! A full night of sleep!"

"Don't get too excited. I said might. I'm just saying that maybe I'm finally getting used to it," the immortal said. "I'll need to draw less, I told you that, didn't I?"

"No, but I read it in the book," Harry replied, before sitting straight up suddenly in panic. "Oh shit!"

"What?" the vampire asked, concerned.

"The book. Dumbledore has it in his office. Remus found it under my pillow and gave it to the Headmaster. They can both read it," he hissed.

"It's okay, Harry," the vampire said, pulling Harry back down to his previous position. "We'll either get it back or we won't. Don't worry. It's just a book."

"I can hear Hermione's outrage from here," Harry joked.

"Dear God. You had to drag Granger into this?" the immortal asked.

"Like it or not, she is still my friend. Even though she and Ron rarely give a shit about me anymore unless it suits their purpose," Harry replied, sighing. "Part and parcel of taking Harry Potter as your blood consort, I suppose. All the emotional problems and angst you could ever want, with none of the rewards."

"I wouldn't say that. You're… just complex. But you're far too loving and compassionate to make me think of you as 'not rewarding'," he said, squeezing the Gryffindor again. He listened as sounds of laughter came from the hallway outside. "We should really go to dinner. If both of us aren't there, they'll figure it out. And you need to eat."

"Maybe, but I don't know if I can face my friends right now," Harry replied, sinking deeper into his master's embrace.

The vampire sighed. "Harry, there's a bloody good reason you're in Gryffindor. You're courageous, and you are my rock. You can face them, and I'll be right here," he said, kissing Harry's forehead and placing his hand on Harry's heart. "I have faith in you. Put your shoes on. You go first."

Harry took a deep breath before entering the Great Hall. He cast a venomous look toward the Staff table where Sirius and Remus sat, then sat at the empty end of the Gryffindor table, in front of the fireplace. He reached for his fork and began eating the roast beef and potatoes that appeared on his plate. The vampire was right. He was hungry. But then again, he had been skipping meals lately, and there was no reason to pretend that he wasn't losing weight. He just was rarely hungry any more and he would have checked the book to see if that was normal, except that it was still in the capable hands of one Albus Dumbledore. Sighing, he stabbed at a potato and nearly sent it flying across the table.

He was halfway done before Ron and Hermione came close and sat down across from him. Harry tried not to sigh too heavily, but kept eating silently.

"Harry… you're not speaking to us?" Ron asked.

"Depends," he said, reaching for his goblet. "Give me a good reason to talk to you and I will. I take it someone explained the situation to you?"

"Remus did, yes," Hermione replied gently.

"I thought as much," Harry muttered, drinking his pumpkin juice. "I expected him to ask you to find out who he was."

"He didn't, but we still are kind of curious," Ron said.

Hermione hit Ron on the left arm.

"Ow! What was that for?" Ron asked.

"For being a prat, one might suppose," an acid voice said passing by the table and heading for his own.

"Oh, shut up, Malfoy," Ron retorted, rubbing his arm.

Harry went back to eating, completely ignoring the presence of the Slytherin. His left thumb had worked its way under his shirt and he stroked the bite mark thoughtfully.

Hermione tried to get his attention. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said, giving his blanket answer while poking at his food.

"Harry, we promise not to push you into saying anything if you don't want to," Ron said.

"But if you do, we'll listen," Hermione added gently.

"Just so as you know, it's not bloody likely. But tell you what. Since you guys probably aren't too happy with my whole solitary kick, what say the three of us leg it to Hogsmeade tomorrow and finish up our shopping, as Christmas Eve is a day away?" Harry replied.

Their faces lit up, and for the first time in weeks, Harry smiled, secure in the thought that things would be okay.

Harry lay on the sofa that night at two in the morning, awaiting the vampire, just in case he was needed. He had fallen asleep as soon as he lay down and he snored softly in the velvet cushions. A blanket was drawn over his right shoulder and he faced the fire.

The vampire did not disappoint. He gently brushed aside the bangs from Harry's scar, then the fingers trailed down his temple to his cheekbones and finally his jaw. Harry stirred, but did not wake. The vampire smiled at Harry and stroked his face for a few minutes more, lovingly. He finished by planting a gentle kiss on Harry's scar and, using his own powers, ensured that the Gryffindor would sleep soundly that night.

The blonde removed his boots and joined Harry on the couch, as it was deep enough for two people to sleep comfortably. He draped his right arm possessively over Harry's stomach and went to sleep as well.

Morning found them in the same spot, and Harry woke first. He yawned, careful not to move too much, then watched as the dying embers of the fire glowed his house color.

"Sleep well?" a groggy voice asked from behind him.

Harry turned to face his master. "I… did. You weren't thirsty?"

The vampire smiled. "Technically speaking, it's more of a hunger than a thirst. And no. So you're headed to Hogsmeade today?"

"Last minute shopping to do, love," Harry said, turning over completely to face him.

"And it doesn't hurt that you managed to patch things up between you and your friends. See, I had faith in you," the vampire said, stroking Harry's cheek again.

Harry smiled in response. "And what about you?"

"I'll probably go on my own. I have a bit of shopping to do myself." They sat up. "What time is it, Harry?"

"Eight oh five. Almost time for breakfast."

"You really should eat more, you know?" the vampire asked, trailing his hand down Harry's flat stomach to where his hip bones jutted out at the waist of his pajama pants. "You're far too thin, especially after last year."

"So I lost muscle mass. I've always been small," Harry replied.

"I'm just saying. A bit more muscle and maybe some body fat reserves would do you some good."

"You're acting like… like my mother would… I think," Harry said, nearly trailing off as he turned away.

The vampire's heart sank. He hated Harry's pain, the way it consumed him when he thought of things he would never have. Then came the fateful words that were like a wooden stake, although technically, it wouldn't have killed this kind of vampire any more than a normal human would die with an impaled object through their heart.

"You think they'd be proud of me?" Harry asked, barely above a whisper.

"Gods, yes!" he said a little too loudly, almost startling the brunette. "Harry," he continued, turning the Gryffindor's jaw back towards him. "Your life is a study in compassion, love and courage. Living for 10 years with those wretched Muggles, and yet you genuinely care for others, where some would have turned to hate. Then you come here, facing almost inconceivable danger every year and save so many lives bravely fighting it. You defeated Voldemort in some form 4 times. And me? So many people would have run in the other direction if faced with an Accursed. And you never ask for anything in return. You loyally keep my secret. If anyone in this world is not proud of you, then they do not deserve you," he replied gently.

Harry's green eyes were glassy with tears. "I used to think that you had it all, you know? A mother and father. Wealth, power, prestige, a large family, book smarts…"

"And I lost most of that. But you're right. I do have it all. I have the heart of the Boy Who Lived… and that's worth more than anything my parents ever gave me," he said, kissing Harry tenderly on the lips.

When they broke apart, Harry smiled and said in a shaky voice, "Screw breakfast. Let's go nick something from the kitchens… together."

Ron walked into the Gryffindor Common Room after breakfast that morning. He tucked a few coppery strands behind his left ear and looked to his right, where he found Harry sitting on the couch, a mildly manic grin on his face as he looked at the fireplace. "Where've you been, mate?"

Harry turned, his eyes mirthful for the first time that Ron could remember this year. "Went to the kitchens for breakfast instead. I'd been meaning to visit Dobby for quite some time." He picked up his left shoe from the floor and pulled it on, tying his shoelaces in a double knot. "You ready to head out?"

"Yeah. Let me go get my cloak and we can find Hermione," Ron replied, frowning slightly as he caught sight of a vivid bruise on Harry's neck. "Harry, that's not another…"

He put his hand to his neck and sighed. "No. That would be an actual honest-to-God hickey." Giving another manic grin, he said, "You should see the one I gave. Turtlenecks for a week with that one, I promise you."

Ron smiled. "I understand. I have experience with those." He walked to the stairs and up to his dorm room. He shook his head at Harry's mood and entered the 7th year's room.
Harry's things were sitting, folded neatly on the bed. The Invisibility Cloak, the Map and his pajamas lay there, as though they had been there all night long. For a guy who used to be habitually dirty, he was remarkably neat. Had been too, ever since his absence from the middle to the end of 6th year.

Ron opened his closet and pulled out his long cloak, wrapping it tightly around his shoulders. He then grabbed his money pouch from the shelf where he hid it wound in his scarf and walked back downstairs to rejoin Harry.

Hermione was already sitting on the couch next to him, her brown hair in wavy tresses that fell over her shoulders. "So whom did you need to shop for?" she asked. "You've already bought Ron's present, I know. I assume you wouldn't invite me if you were buying my present, and I know for a fact that I helped you pick out presents for Remus, Sirius and most of the Gryffindors."

"Well, I almost forgot my gift for the Headmaster. And…"

"And for the…"

"You can say vampire. He's pretty okay with it, and he's not in here just now," Harry said dismissively.

"What do you call him?" she asked gently.

"Oh, well…" he said, looking at the ceiling. "Well, there's the traditional label of Master, or dominus. But if you mean nicknames?"

She nodded.

"Korintur – that's ruler of lands. Or actually, the best is in Quenya, which is a real language you know? Hir nin i Rîw. Rue for short."

"Rue?"

"It's the anglicized form of the elven word Winter."

"He's pale?"

"Actually yes. But then you should have known that, as that is a classic trait of vampirism. You're slipping, Hermione," Harry said, smiling at her. "Let me rephrase that… he's only pale when he hasn't fed for a while."

She returned the smile. "You kept your secrets well, you know. We didn't know for certain until Remus told us."

Harry sighed. "As you two might imagine," Harry said, including Ron in his gaze, "it wasn't something that I felt exceptionally free to share. It's not truly my secret to keep or disclose."

The two nodded.

A few minutes later, the three Gryffindors followed one another out of the Portrait hole, having obtained permission to walk out the front doors from Dumbledore himself. As they walked across the grounds, they talked quietly. But to Harry's great relief, it was either filled with bickering about the importance of the upcoming NEWTs or silence, and Harry contributed little to the conversation.

He was grateful for the respite and smiled as they entered the boundaries of Hogsmeade. Harry headed for Honeydukes first, not knowing what he could get the Headmaster, or the vampire, as a smaller present.

After a half hour of agonizing decisions, Harry decided to get a box of every flavor beans (as a bit of tongue in cheek gift), some chocolate bars and a pair of warm wool socks for the Headmaster. Picking up the candies, he walked over to where Ron and Hermione was standing, the shorter of the two berating her boyfriend for his insensitivity. "What's wrong?" he asked from behind Hermione.

She jumped and turned as Ron said, "Maybe we've finally found a use for these."

Hermione fully expected Harry to be upset, or start in on Ron as she had.

To her surprise, he took the red lollipop from Ron's hand and stared at it for a moment, before doubling over in laughter. "You know, he actually loves these," he choked out, barely on the edge of composure. He took a few more from the bin and said, "And they'd make a good gift. Sort of a request for a respite. Quirky undead sense of humor and all that."

"Harry, you're not serious," Hermione said. "These are Blood flavored Lollipops!"

"No, I'm not Sirius," he said in a somber tone. "But my godfather is. Rue really does love these." He dumped the armful on the counter as he turned to them and said, "Just one last stop… Gladrags."

By the time they made it to the clothing store, the lunch crowd had left, leaving only a few patrons inside. Harry made a beeline for the counter he had last visited. "You're holding an item for Harry Potter."

The clerk smiled at him flirtingly and pulled out a black velvet bag. "Here you are. Already paid for it?"

"Yes," he said, pulling out a piece of parchment, handing it to the young woman.

"That seems to be in order," she said, passing the bag to him.

"Thank you," Harry said, turning and heading for the sock department.

"What did you get?" Ron asked.

Harry smiled, and opened the drawstring bag, stopping dead in his tracks as he pulled out the witch's address written on a piece of parchment, with a beautiful signature underneath. "I swear I didn't ask for this," he said. Placing the paper in his pocket, he tipped the bag over and out fell a black leather cord suspending a silver pendant in the shape of a dragon, with emerald eyes. "This is what I bought."

Hermione gasped softly, and said, "It's beautiful."

"Very cool, mate."

"Thanks. It's for Rue."

"He likes dragons?" Ron asked.

"Yeah. A bit like Hagrid that way." Harry placed the necklace back into the bag and drew the strings, dropping it into his pants pocket.

"What's he like? I mean… you don't have to tell us his name, but the way you talk about him…" Hermione asked.

Harry laughed, pausing at the socks area. He picked up a particularly loud red, purple and gold pair, then decided to pass. "Okay, no names. He's different than he is in classes." He sighed, looking for the words as though they were emblazoned on the ceiling in flaming 6-inch letters. "He's very pensive and quiet unless he has something to say, but you would imagine a person in his position would be."

"You care a great deal about him, don't you?" Ron asked.

"Yeah." Harry smiled again. "I guess I do. I mean, it hurts, you know, like you'd expect. But then he holds me in his arms and I know, not think… I know that I am safe and protected. No one's ever made me feel like that before."

Hermione put his arm on his, lowering the socks that were in his hand. "Harry, that's love."

He looked from her to Ron. "I suppose. But… with the Dursleys, I was never… you know… for the first 5 years that I lived with them, my name was 'boy'. After that, the pronoun became it, not him, unless people were around. Like I wasn't human. I never felt… loved… until I met the two of you. But it's a different kind of love, you know? Like falling in a lake that is both ice and fire."

Hermione nodded. "You're in love with him. We understand completely. That's the way I feel about Ron. Have you told him about this?"

Harry looked at her confused. "Why would I need to tell Ron? He's standing right there."

"Not him. Him," she said, frustrated.

"Try to be more careful with antecedents, then. And no." He bit his lip. "I haven't. As you might expect, I'm not really good with saying these kinds of things. How do you say it? Walk up to him and say, 'Rue, I love you so much that it hurts, and I want to know if you're in love with me too, so that we can plan our future together like Ron and Hermione have'?"

A small crash came from a section behind them, where a clothing rack seemed to have been knocked over. The trio turned, startled, until Harry realized exactly who it was. Harry hastily grabbed a pair of socks, the purple, scarlet and gold, then paid for them and left. "How about we head to the Three Broomsticks for a light lunch?"

The other two agreed, and before they entered the pub, Harry stopped them and asked, "You two aren't upset about all this?"

Ron sighed. "Well, you were acting like a bastard. Unfortunately, so were we, so you didn't seem quite so bad."

Harry smiled.

"Just don't push us away like that again," Hermione replied. "We forgive you this time."

"Yeah. We're kind of attached to you, Harry. You're awful hard to hate," Ron added.

--00--

Thanks to my reviewers!

Next chapter: Feeding time and Stress about the future.