Disclaimer: I OWN HARRY POTTER! lawyers march in with pitchforks OKAY! I don't own Harry Potter! lawyers march off Gits. scowls after them

Warning: Might be a bit confusing as it switches from first person point of view to third person point of view frequently.

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"Damned by the Darkness"

Chapter 2

"Hey, Bri, what's up with you?"

"Nothing," snarled Briana Weasley, now sixteen and in her sixth year at Hogwarts. She sat beside the grounds, her best friend Nicole Tiernan sitting beside her. The other girl wrinkled her nose at Briana's tone.

"Well, you don't have to be so prissy. What crawled up your broomstick?"

"Nothing," snapped Briana. "Just leave me alone."

"Fine," said Nicole. "I'll see you in Potions."

As Nicole got to her feet and started to storm off, Briana turned and started to call after her.

"Nicki…oh, nevermind."

The sixteen-year-old fell back into the downy grass, staring up at the clouds rolling across the sky above her. It had been nine years. Nine years to the day since she had seen the one soul she had ever really connected to.

Harry. The boy she had met when she had been only five. He had been her companion in exploring the woods for three years of her childhood, her inspiration for many of the pranks she had pulled on her family. Then he had disappeared from her life after she had been bitten by a snake. She remembered that very clearly.

It just wasn't fair. She had been robbed of the one friend she'd had in her childhood years by Aurors – who she had forever had a hatred for afterwards.

And today was nine years to the day.

Merlin, life really sucked.

I watched Briana from my hiding place at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. She looked exactly like I remembered. Long crimson hair, eyes like the sky, and a smile that brightened up everything around her.

My heart ached as I felt her own sadness.

It had been nine years. Nine years of separation from the one thing that had allowed me to love again.

I hadn't felt love since Ginny had died at the hands of Voldemort.

Gods, I couldn't stand it.

I had to talk to her.

Briana was certain she felt eyes on her. Ever since she was seven, she had been able to sense when people were watching her. She also knew who was entering a room before they entered and could predict who it was calling through the Floo. Her parents called it a gift; her elder brothers and sister called it freaky.

But she was certain she was being watched.

Yet she couldn't see anyone.

I crept across the grounds towards her, my footsteps silent. Would she recognize me?

Oh, now there was a stupid question.

Harry, Harry, Harry, what sort of a fool are you?

Yes, I am talking to myself. Bugger off.

Of course she would recognize me. My appearance hadn't changed in two hundred and fifty years. Why would it have changed in nine?

"Kitten," I whispered to her back as I got close, reaching out to touch her crimson hair.

"Kitten," was all that Briana needed to hear.

"Harry!" she shrieked, her heart leaping into her throat. Whirling about, she threw herself at him, pulling him into a warm bear hug. She could hear a chuckle rumble through him as he laughed.

"Hello, kitten. Miss me?"

"Miss you?" exclaimed Briana, shoving herself back from him to stare into his brilliant green eyes, which seemed to have grown even brighter since the last time she had seen them. "Of course I missed you!"

Harry smiled down at her, his eyes dancing.

"I missed you too, kitten. Ah, what House are you…Slytherin! Oh, you are a sly kitten."

Briana flushed and laughed, shoving him lightly.

"Sly nothing," she said. "Just ambitious."

"Oh?" said Harry. "And what is your great ambition, kitten?"

"To keep the innocents safe. To stop what happened two hundred and sixty-one years ago from happening again."

Harry's expression darkened and he asked, "And what happened that long ago that you should be worried about?"

"Voldemort," replied Briana. "He came back to power after a fourteen year stint of absence where he had no power. The only reason he came back to power was by kidnapping the wizard who had defeated him the first time and using his blood in a potion. This young wizard had a scar…"

Harry's expression turned to one of horror as she reached up and brushed aside a lock of his dark hair. Just before he had been turned, he had allowed his hair to grow out over his scar to hide it.

Briana's nimble fingers brushed the dark hair aside, revealing the jagged lightning bolt scar.

"Merlin," she breathed. "Harry Potter."

"Aye," murmured Harry. "Did you happen to read about the last battle that happened right here on the Hogwarts grounds?"

Briana only nodded and said, "They found out you were a vampire. Oh Merlin…" She started to pull away from him and Harry grabbed her wrists. He was barely holding onto her but Briana couldn't move. She started to shake as she thought about how easily he could harm her.

Harry sensed her fear and whispered, "I'd never hurt you, kitten. Yes, I am a vampire. I won't deny what I am."

"Why didn't you tell me?" mumbled Briana, her sixteen-year-old mind not believing him. But the seven-year-old little girl that still lingered inside cried out for her to trust him. No matter what he was.

She wasn't that little girl anymore though.

And he was still the sixteen-year-old boy she had known.

"You wanted me to try to explain to a seven-year-old that I was a blood-sucking fiend?" said Harry. "You wouldn't have believed me."

"You don't know that."

Harry arched an eyebrow at her and she flushed.

"Don't I?" he asked. "This is the reason I never told you what I am. I didn't want you to be afraid of me."

"Why shouldn't I be?" exclaimed Briana, her voice turning shrill. "You're a vampire!"

"It wasn't my choice!" bellowed Harry, eyes flashing fire. As Briana cringed, he took a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry, kitten. I'm tired of people being afraid of me. I'm tired of them thinking that vampires are just Dark creatures that have nothing else to do but drink blood. We're not all like that." He stared deep into her frightened eyes and added, "I'd never hurt you, kitten. You're the first person I've grown close to in two hundred and fifty years."

"Promise?" whispered Briana in a childish tone. "Promise you won't hurt me?"

Harry smiled and let out of one of her wrists to brush a lock of crimson hair behind her ear. "I promise," he whispered back, releasing her other wrist. She stared at him in fear for a moment then looked away.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "But the records of that time…they said you were ruthless."

"In getting rid of Voldemort," assured Harry. "No one told you that there are different types of vampires, did they?"

"There are different types of vampires?"

Harry began to laugh at her shocked expression and replied, "Well, there are different kinds of humans as well."

"Huh?"

"Muggles and wizards, kitten, Muggles and wizards." Harry smiled at her still shocked expression and continued, "Both human, yet one with the gift of magic and one without."

"Oh, that poses a question," said Briana suddenly. "Can you still do magic? Or was it sort of…canceled out when you were changed?"

"Of course not. I'm still a wizard, even if I am a vampire. Vampirism has no power to cancel out what I am. Just like someone bitten by a werewolf who's a wizard. They're still a wizard and a werewolf at the same time."

"Are there different types of them too?" asked Briana, to which Harry nodded.

"Yes." He then looked around and said, "Maybe we should continue this conversation another time. If things are still conducted like they were in my years here, its almost time for dinner."

Briana blinked and looked down at her watch, letting out a surprised squeak.

"Oh Merlin, it is! And I missed Potions! Professor Snape is going to kill me!"

Harry blinked and moaned, "Don't tell me he actually was a vampire!"

"Huh?"

"Is this a Severus Snape teaching Potions or some descendant?"

"Descendant," said Briana. "Severus Snape was her great-great-great-something grandfather."

"Snape had children? There's a new one." Harry chuckled and added, "Oh, I wish Ron were here. He would have loved that."

"You did know him, didn't you?" said Briana, looking at him in a new light. "That's why you were always around the house. You were watching us for him, weren't you?"

Harry nodded solemnly, his expression grave.

"Yeah. That's me. The proverbial guardian angel."

"Well," said Briana, "I'm glad it was you." She slowly rose to her feet and blinked when Harry got to his feet in a fluid motion. When he saw her staring at him, his pale cheeks tinged pink.

"Vampire agility," he muttered.

"Oh. How long are you staying this time?" Briana winced at the sound of her voice as she said that. She had sounded as though she was accusing him of something.

Harry smiled gently and reached out to brush his fingers over her cheek. "As long as you want."

"Would forever be long enough?"

Harry laughed and shook his head. He replied, "I believe I could pull that one off but I don't know how well you could, kitten."

"I know," muttered Briana. "I'd better get going. Nicki's going to rake me over as is."

"Nicki?" said Harry as Briana shouldered her bag.

"Nicole Tiernan. A friend."

"I see. Hmm…"

Briana frowned at him and asked, "What?"

"Nothing. I was just…" Harry trailed off for a moment before he smiled mischievously at her. "Do they still allow pets at Hogwarts?"

"Yes," replied Briana with a frown. "Why?"

Harry just smirked at her.

"I hear they teach Parseltongue now," he mused, winking at her.

Briana blinked then began to grin as she realized what he was suggesting.

"Hey, Bri, what happened to you?" exclaimed Nicole as her friend sat down across from her. She frowned at the scarlet-haired girl as she noticed the twinkle in her eyes and the smile quirking at her lips. "Okay, spill, girl."

"What?" said Briana innocently, dropping her bag at her feet.

"After lunch you were as testy as Binns. Now you're like that prat Lockhart we had last year."

"Don't remind me of him," growled Briana, pouring cider into her goblet. "And who says anything happened?"

"I do," said Nicole. She then leaned across the table and whispered, "What's his name?"

"Nicki!" exclaimed Briana, glancing about them.

"What?"

"Hush!"

"Hey, I wanna know! C'mon, Bri, teeeeell meeee."

"Later," hissed Briana.

"Party-pooper," grumbled Nicole, glaring.

"Is she always like that?" hissed a voice from Briana's wrist. The sixteen-year-old casually propped her chin in her palm and hissed back in Parseltongue via sotto voce.

"Yes."

"Hyperactive humans. Vampire's are never like that."

Briana chuckled and said, "I feel like I should be insulted."

A black snake featuring a gray lightning bolt scar on its forehead poked it head out of her sleeve and flicked its tongue at her. "Sorry, kitten."

"S'alright. Surely there's got to be one vampire out there like Nicki."

"Okay, one."

"You know her?"

"She's my Bloodsister," hissed Harry the snake in a tired tone. "One of the most infernal creatures in all existence."

"Bloodsister?" said Briana in confusion.

"Yes. We were both made by the same vampire, so we're connected by her blood. Hence Bloodsister. With a capital B."

"So you have one."

There was a small pause before Harry muttered, "Seven, actually."

Briana winced.

"You poor dear. Are you the only…"

"Bri!"

"What?" exclaimed Briana, scowling at Nicole.

"You were spacing, girl. Got me right worried."

"Sorry, Nicki."

"What were you saying?"

"Oh, are you the only guy?"

"I have one Bloodbrother. Had another one but a freelance vampire slayer got him. Bastards."

"Bri, you're spacing again."

"Sorry, Nicki. Just not completely here right now."

Nicole laughed and said, "I believe that's the reason I said you were spacing."

Briana just scowled at her then picked up her bag and said, "I'm not hungry anymore. You want to head on down?"

"Sure, why not? I want to know who this guy is."

Briana groaned and tipped back her head as she walked out of the Great Hall, Nicole right behind her.

"I already told you, Nicki, there…is…no…guy. Get it through your head."

"C'mon, girl! I know there's a guy! Just admit it."

"Persistent, isn't she?" muttered Harry, a chuckle in his voice.

"Very," whispered back Briana.

"What?" said Nicole in confusion.

"Nothing, Nicki. Let's get down before Snape gets on us."

"Right-o. Tally-ho and forward march!" Nicole bounded forward towards the stairs that led down to the dungeons, grinning at her friend over her shoulder. "C'mon, Bri, let's roll!"

Briana shook her head and muttered, "Americans. All of them are nuts."

"I concur."

The youngest Weasley laughed aloud at that, which caused Nicole to stare at her.