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.

Cyfrgolledig atyn yr Dywyllwch

"Damned by the Darkness"

Chapter 3

"C'mon, Bri, tell meeeeeeeee!"

"Okay, okay, calm down, Nicki." Briana sighed and flopped down on her bed with a sigh. Harry, still in snake form, uncurled from about her wrist and slithered out onto the bed. The redhead watched him as he moved up under her pillow.

"Bri? You gonna tell me or what?"

"Sure, Nicki, sure." Briana pushed herself up on her elbows and blew a lock of hair out of her eyes.

"Okay," she continued, "you remember when I told you I used to have a friend when I was seven?"

"The guy. With the glowing green eyes."

"Yeah."

"What about him?"

Briana grinned and said, "He came back!"

Nicole arched an eyebrow.

"Wouldn't he be nearly thirty now?"

If he were mortal, he would be, thought Briana. Have I gotten used to Harry being a vampire that fast? And me…what am I? I have his blood in me, don't it? What am I?

"Sure," said Briana, only to hear Harry hiss from under her pillow, "Actually I would be two hundred and seventy-five."

"So…that's sort of weird, ain't it?"

Briana shrugged and replied, "You have to know him."

"So introduce us! C'mon, girl, I want to meet this guy!"

"You want to show her?" hissed Briana in Parseltongue to the snake curled under her pillow.

"As long as you are sure she won't go telling someone I'm here," came the reply. "The Ministry has been deathly afraid of me ever since I was changed. If they find out I'm here and that the both of you know…let us just say it won't be all honey and roses."

"She's trustworthy. And she's a Slytherin for cripes sake!"

"Good point. Perhaps you should fill her in before I make my grand entrance."

"Okay." Briana smiled at her friend and said, "So you really want to meet him?"

"Sure, girl!"

"Okay. But there's a few things you've got to know first…"

"You're shittin' me, aren't you?"

"Nicki!"

"I'm sorry, Bri," said Nicole. "It's just…a vampire? Couldn't be. They're all bloodthirsty killers."

"I resent that remark!"

Briana growled softly and cried, "Oh, c'mon, Nicki! You don't believe all that rubbish about werewolves being bad!"

"Werewolves are a completely different story."

"Oh?" Briana arched an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Besides my uncle Nicholas is one and he's as sweet as a lamb."

"Well, what's wrong with vampire's? They're sort of the same as werewolves."

"Please. Bri, werewolves are at least half human. Vampire's aren't even mortal! And I've heard that when they're changed, they lose their souls."

"Rubbish," sneered Harry, flicking out his tongue irritably.

"Stop that," hissed Briana, brushing the snake away from her neck.

"Sorry, kitten. She doesn't sound convinced."

"It takes a lot to convince Nicki."

"How about a vampire appearing in front of her eyes?"

"I don't think that's such a…" Briana trailed off as the snake vanished with a soft pop!. Harry appeared a second later, lounging casually on the end of her bed. "…good idea."

"Holy fuck!" exclaimed Nicole, leaping back. "Who the hell are you!"

Harry grinned and bowed, replying "Harry Potter, at your service, Miss Tiernan."

"Harry Potter? The vampire?" Nicole turned an accusing look on her friend. "You didn't say your friend Harry was Harry-bloody-Potter!"

Briana smiled sheepishly and said, "Er…sorry?"

"I'll make you be sorry, Briana Weasley! But first I'm going to hide under my bed."

As Nicole started to go through with her plan, Harry chuckled and said, "Please don't. I swear I won't hurt you."

"Oh, yeah," sneered Nicole. "Like I'm really going to believe a vampire."

Harry scowled at that and grumbled, "Y'know, I have truly begun to see how prejudiced people really are. One vampire goes on a rampage and kills a few hundred people and the next thing the rest of us know we're all like that! Bloody bollocks."

"What are you talking about?"

"Dracula's what I'm talking about," replied Harry. "If it hadn't been for him, vampires might have a little acceptance in society."

"You must be joking," said Nicole. "This is a joke, right? Bri, you're pulling my leg."

Briana sighed and looked hopelessly at Harry, muttering, "Can't you do something to convince her?"

"Sure." Harry turned and flashed a grin at Nicole, his fangs fully extended. The dark-haired girl yelped and fell off her bed onto the floor. "I believe I convinced her."

"Or scared her to death," said Briana. She leaned towards her friend's bed and called, "Nicki? You okay?"

"Perfectly peachy," grumbled Nicole, clambering back up onto her bed. She looked Harry up and down before saying, "So, you're really a vampire?"

"One hundred percent," replied Harry, grinning again. Nicole winced but his teeth had returned to normal. "And I won't bite you, I swear."

"Sworn off humans?" asked Nicole.

Harry looked appalled at the thought. "I'm not some absurd vampire from a fantasy novel. Only a mortal would think that a vampire would completely swear off human blood. Sheesh." He sat up sharply and added, "And – only a mortal would think that vampire's drain their prey dry."

"You don't?" said Briana.

"If vampire's did that, humanity wouldn't have survived as long as it has," explained Harry. "No, you take a bit here another bit there and that's it for the night. You space it out. Bad business to just go about draining people and leaving their bodies sprawled on the street. Besides, vampires can't drain a human in one go. We aren't empty barrels."

"Good to know," mumbled Nicole, leaning away from him. "So, um, what are you doing here? If I may ask."

"You may." Harry smiled at Briana and reached out to ruffle her hair. "I'm looking after the kitten here."

Briana batted his hand away playfully, ignoring the stare Nicole was fixing on them.

"Kitten?"

"His nickname for me," explained Briana. She then looked at Harry and asked, "Why did you start calling me that anyway?"

Harry chuckled and replied, "Because the first time I saw you was when your brother hexed you with those cat ears."

"You have to be kidding me! Harry, please tell me you're joking."

"No joke, kitten. They fit you quite well."

Briana began to laugh but was interrupted as Nicole hissed, "Hush!"

"What?" whispered Briana, looking from her friend to Harry, who was suddenly alert. He turned his brilliant green eyes on her and replied, "Someone's coming."

"You have to get out of here!" hissed Nicole softly. "If one of those other chits see you, they'll report it for sure!"

"No need," said Harry, vanishing from sight. A black cat hopped up into Briana's lap a moment later, purring loudly as it rubbed its head against her ribs. The girl grinned and scratched along the creature's spine as Nicole gaped in awe.

"Nifty trick," she remarked just before the door opened and the three girls who they shared their dorm with entered. All three of them were Pureblood's and from the more famous wizarding families. At least those families that had once been in Dark circles and probably still were. The three girl's considered both of them scum; Briana because she was a Weasley and Nicole because she was an American. Briana and Nicole considered all three of them not worthy of living.

It was a well-oiled relationship.

The lead girl, a blond chit with an upturned nose, sneered at the cat in Briana's lap and spat, "Where did you get that flea bitten creature?"

"He's not flea bitten," defended Briana. She smiled down at the cat and added, "Are you, Harry?"

The 'cat' meowed and flicked his tail in response.

"Foul creature," sneered one of the other girl's. "It's even worse than that owl of yours, Weasley."

"Oh shut up, Llyr, you old cow," snapped Nicole. "Bri's Nicodemus could beat your sorry excuse for an owl any day."

"You shut up about Precious, Yank," spat the girl right back venomously.

The last girl rolled her eyes and said, "Let's not fight tonight. Please."

"Sod off, Lyda," snapped the first girl. "If you want to side with the Weasel and the Yank, just say so."

Lyda glared and spat, "I think I will, Brittany!"

"Bint!" shrieked Brittany to Lyda's back as the girl vanished into the bathroom. Lyda's hand appeared and flashed what looked to be a peace sign reversed at the girl. Brittany's face with red in fury.

"Why you…"

"Not tonight," said Llyr, placing a hand on Brittany's arm. "If she wants 'em, let her have 'em."

Brittany shrugged off her hand and stormed out of the dorm. Llyr stood there for a moment before she followed.

"Well," remarked Harry softly as he reappeared. "That was interesting."

"Shut up," snapped Briana, hitting him with a pillow.

Author's Note

Damned by the Darkness is the translation of Cyfrgolledig atyn yr Dywyllwch for those who've been asking.