Author's Note: Hey, you people out there! Yeah, you! Please review my story because it makes me very, very happy when you do! (Wow, that rhymed. What a poet I am... Or not. Well, seriously, read and review! I'll give you a biiiiig kiss??? Only if you want it... geez... I'm not a pervert or something... shifty eyes)
Harry had lost his friends, his respect, his identity in general... And he had never felt better.
He grinned at Rebecca, who was nestled comfortably on his lap. So what if Hermione and Ron had decided they were too good for him? He didn't need them. He had the hottest girl at Hogwarts, possibly the hottest girl in the wizarding world, who was totally crazy about him. Plus... He had a whole new group of friends. And unlike his old friends, they would stick by him no matter what. They were, after all, linked by blood.
A light tingling sensation tickled Harry's ear, and he realized that Rebecca was biting it softly. His smile only grew wider. His hand crept along the small of her back, pulling her closer. She giggled quietly into his ear and began to trace kisses down his jawline and onto his neck, where she lingered for a time, clutching his chest as she kissed it time and time again. But Harry slowly pushed her away. It was his turn.
Ignoring her look of confusion, he cupped her chin with his hand and kissed her fiercely. She responded in the same way... Happily, he now went to her neck, his mouth watering at the sound of her pulse that he heard as he neared it. His lips caressed the skin at first, then pressed into it harder. His teeth came out, pearly fangs that had appeared only the night before, and finally, after what seemed hours of waiting, sank into her neck. The sound of her gasp didn't stop him or even make him falter. Her hands shoving against him only made him bite harder, enjoying the delicious flow of blood--of life--that went through him, replenishing his body in a way that only his fellow vampires could understand. Her legs flailed out and kicked him, and he fell off her, landing on the floor with a dull thud.
He stared up at her desperately. He was still so hungry... She couldn't force him to stop now. But somehow Rebecca had. She stood over him, panting, tears streaking her cheeks, and slapped a hand over her bleeding neck. Slowly she backed away.
"What was that? What were you doing?" she sobbed. She sank into a bunk, obviously weak. "Oh God, Oh God..."
Harry tried to paint an expression of confusion onto his face even as he wiped away remaining blood with the back of his hand. "Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. I just got carried away is all. It won't happen again," he promised, knowing already that it was a lie.
"Harry... You bit me... Drank my blood... Are you a...? What are you?" Rebecca demanded.
"You think I'm a... a..." It was then that Harry realized he had never actually stated out loud what he had been becoming all this time. How pathetic was he? "You think I'm a vampire?" he completed finally. Nervously, he looked away from her, unable to meet her eyes.
She let out another loud sob. "I... don't... know... You just bit me, and I feel so weak now and different, and--" She broke down into hysterical crying. "What did you do to me?"
"Nothing. I would never do anything--"
"But you did! You bit me, Harry!" Rebecca shrieked.
It felt like a moment that should have been an epiphany for Harry. He should have heard a choir sing or a light bulb should have gone off just over his head. But her words meant next to nothing to him now. Biting her hadn't been the wrong thing to do... It had been the only right thing he'd done in a long, long time. And so he felt no guilt for covering up, hoping for another chance to finish the job. She was the one... He had to make sure that she was with him forever.
"I... I'm sorry. But I'm not a... a vampire, okay? I just... I think I love you. I've never been in love before. I don't know what to do or how to act around you," he admitted. At least it was true. It just... wasn't a completely appropriate excuse.
Rebecca got up onto her feet and wobbled over to the door. "You know what Harry? Good luck with that! Because I can't be with some blood-sucking freak, okay?" she screamed. He wished she wouldn't be so loud. Especially when he was trying to stay low profile.
"You know where to find me," Harry murmured as she slammed the door.
He wasn't concerned. Not at all. She'd be back.
Being without her was so painful. More painful than anything he'd ever felt in his life.
Even though he told himself that he didn't need Rebecca, that she would come back to him soon enough, he still hungered for her immensely. His stomach grumbled for the thousandth time in the past five minutes, but he pushed his physical needs aside. She would come back. He just needed to work a little harder at it. If she didn't want to come back on her own, he would have to seduce her back. It shouldn't be too difficult. She was hugely infatuated with him for reasons unknown even to him. All he knew was once he began the process of becoming a vampire, she became interested. He must be somehow more seductive now...
Nighttime had cast dark shadows over everything in the courtyard, andHarry glanced back at the place that he was now leaving.He hadn't actually gone to school for the past three days. The morning after his transformation he'd felt the burning of his skin that the sun's rays produced, and had realized what it meant for him. He could never go out into the sunlight again. He'd hidden under his blankets until his friends left the room, telling anyone who came to visit him that he was very contagious. When Madame Pomfrey had come in the second day, he'd just told her that he would go to class the next day, and camped out in his room for a bit longer. So far it had worked, although he was feeling rather caged. But he knew he couldn't avoid daylight any longer. He had to find a new place to hide.... Right after he found Rebecca and tried to win her back.
There was her dormitory. He knew boys weren't allowed inside, so he looked around for any girls who looked like they were going in. Luckily he spotted Hermione trotting quickly along the path, darting along the building and appearing to be slightly frazzled. He jogged up to her with an apologetic look on his face.
"Hey," he murmured.
"Hello," Hermione said cooly. Even through her coldness, she couldn't help watching his lips in fascination. "What do you want?"
Harry smiled charmingly. "I was wondering if you could get Rebecca for me."
"Rebecca? That tramp?"
Anger surged through Harry's body. "She is not a tramp, Hermione!" he shouted. He flinched. He had to get a grip on himself. Otherwise, how could he ever have control of Rebecca? Now calm, he added, "Please? I need to talk to her."
She looked a bit frightened. "Are you sure you're alright? You haven't been to school in ages..."
"Three days. Three days is not ages."
"Okay, fine. I was just... concerned. I'll get her, alright?" Hermione replied, gathering her things more tightly and heading for the dormitory door.
"Hey, 'Mione?"
She turned to face the boy who, until recently, had been one of her closest friends.
"Thanks," he murmured, grinning hugely. Hermione seemed transfixed on his lips once again, unable to go back into the dorm. After several long moments of standing there, she finally, reluctantly turned away and went back inside, a tender smile fixed on her face.
And Harry was once again left on his own in the night. It actually good to him, comfortable... The only thing that could really make it better would be for Rebecca to be here with him. The way she was meant to be. Just like Harry. Together... who knew what they could do? All he knew was that he needed a companion, someone to be with all these hours that he was sure to be alone now that he was unlike the rest of the students he used to know. She had it in her to be a vampire too, he just knew it.
He leaned onto a tree, trying again to quiet his rumbling stomach. It would be okay. He would have food as soon as Rebecca was with him. All he would need until then was patience. Everything would fall into place soon enough. Just a few more moments and everything would be perfect for Harry...
"She doesn't want to see you," a voice said, right in front of Harry. He looked up to see Hermione staring at him.
"What? Why?" he demanded.
"She says... you're a blood-sucking freak," Hermione whispered, seeming to be ashamed of the accusation.
Although what Rebecca said was true, he couldn't help but feel offended at her not coming back to him. He pressed his hands against his forehad in frustration, ruffling his hair at the same time. He'd thought... she still loved him, even if he'd made a mistake in biting her too soon. But now... He wasn't sure what to believe. He had to get her back. He just had to in order to survive.
Hermione appeared to misunderstand his emotions. "Harry... I don't know why she would say a thing like that. It was really terrible of her. But... even if she's being a bitch to you, don't you think it's time you went back to class? You look terrible," she told him, setting a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Thanks," Harry muttered sarcastically, although he didn't especially care what he looked like. "But I can't go back to class. You wouldn't understand."
"I used to understand. Because you used to tell me what was happening."
"Don't even pretend to know me now!" he hissed. He slumped down to the bottom of the tree.
Hermione's face quickly turned a bright red with anger. "How much can you change in two weeks?! I still know you, probably better than almost anyone! So don't tell me that I don't know you, alright? I know you, whether you like it or not, whatever what's happened since the beginning of the term!" she shouted at him.
A sharp buzzing went through Harry's ears at the sound of her shrieks, and he covered them harshly with his palms. "Can you scream a little quieter? Oh... Ah..." he moaned, rubbing his temples as something ressembling a migraine began pounding through his head.
"Sorry," she mumbled, awkwardly standing in front of him. "So do you want me to tell her something?"
He thought for a moment. "Yes. Tell her that I love her, and I miss her. But I can't see her again. Or you, for that matter." He had to get out of this place. Besides... If Rebecca knew he was gone, maybe she would see the error of her ways and go out looking for him.
"What?" Hermione asked. Tears clouded her voice and she sat down next to him, trying to make eye contact.
Harry continued to look away, and was surprised to find that he was actually sad that he would never see these people again, except for when he was hungry. Hogwarts had been his home for all these years, his only place of comfort. Suddenly everything had changed. He had to get Rebecca to come back to him, but he couldn't live here anymore.
"I'm leaving Hogwarts," he whispered.
"No!" she whispered, grabbing his shoulders so he would look at her, which he did reluctantly. "How can you...? I thought you loved it here. And I'm here, and Ron, and... well, and Rebecca..."
Harry sighed. "I have to leave, for all of your sakes. I'd only make it worse for you here."
"Harry, you can't leave. I won't let you leave!" Hermione cried, tears falling down her cheeks in big droplets.
"Let me go! It's better this way!" he insisted, pulling her arms off him and walking away. He hadn't expected Hermione to put up such a fight about it.
But she jogged up behind him, keeping up with his long-strided pace. "Don't leave me! Don't leave... us! Please? I... I know that it hasn't been perfect here the last couple years, but so many people will love and miss you. I'll love and miss you. Just... don't go, okay? Don't leave Hogwarts," she managed to say through her clogged throat.
Harry had a hold on her. It was just dawning on him now, after all this time. Somehow he'd made Hermione fall in love with him after his transformation. It explained all of this: how she was acting around him, how much she was battling to keep him around... Everything was falling into place. Just not with Rebecca. Harry turned and faced her suddenly. "You'll miss me?" he demanded. He had suddenly gotten an idea.
"Yes," she said unfalteringly.
"You'll love me?"
"Y-yes," she stuttered.
Smiling, he wrapped his arms around her slowly, and he felt her shiver. "Are you cold?" he asked.
"Harry... What're you doing?" Hermione demanded, though not moving an inch away from him.
"It's just, you seem cold. You need me to warm you up," he whispered, leaning over her ear and talking into it seductively. "Don't you?"
She was obviously confused and flustered, but she nodded. "Yes," she murmured.
Without another word, he kissed her with all the passion he could muster, and she was returning it, clinging to him tightly. He pulled away, smiling, and quickly went back in, tracing kissed along her jawline and moving in on her neck. He was just so hungry... His lips made contact with her pale, soft neck and began to massage it gently. His fangs came out. He was ready, he was--
"What are we doing?" she asked breathlessly, pulling away.
"I'm... I'm not sure..."
"Because... What about Rebecca? And... What about... I dunno... our friendship?"
"It's fine. We're making it better."
"How is this better?" she demanded. She was obviously fighting off a fresh batch of tears.
"It just is. Trust me. You trust me, right?" Harry asked softly.
Hermione nodded, seeming to lose all her anxiousness from the moment before as she stared into his deep green eyes. "I do."
His lips touched her throat again, softly, and he gave her one last peck on the lips before proceeding to caress the tender skin there, his body hungrily demanding its blood. But he had to move slowly... Make sure she was still in a trance state... Otherwise, it would turn out like it had with Rebecca... He ran his fingers through her messy brown hair and slowly let his fangs come out once again. He kissed her neck once more, harder, and heard her moan softly. She was ready. She wanted it. All he needed was one more moment.
"Ready?" he found himself asking, although he didn't know why.
"Yes. Yes!" she whispered back to him.
His teeth sank into her neck carefully. She gasped aloud, but didn't push him away. Her blood poured into his mouth, the rich, filling taste finally soothing his hunger. He sucked greedily, and as he did, he felt more powerful than ever. His headache went away almost immediately. His body was suddenly charged up, and he realized he'd been running on empty for so long that he'd forgotten what it felt like to be complete. Hermione was weakly moaning, but he ignored her and continued to drink. It was his turn, after all. The girl seemed to give up fighting at all, and then a moment later she helped him along, pressing him harder into her neck. He really had timed it right this time. She wanted him to do this almost as much as he wanted to. The blood flow slowed, and he worried that he had taken too much. He didn't want her to die... He had just needed food, and... She loved him, didn't she? She would become a vampire for him if he asked her to. All she needed was a little nudging.
"Hermione?" Harry asked as he pulled away.
"Uh?" Hermione mumbled, her eyes lacking focus.
"Here." He offered her his wrist. "Bite it."
She looked confused, but brought her mouth to it and bit his wrist tentatively. She looked shocked at the taste of his blood in her mouth, but at the same time... She was enjoying it. He realized that right now she was probably feeling that overwhelming sense of new power that he had felt while he was being initiated. The stinging where she was biting him meant nothing when compared to the pride he felt for making her part of such a great thing.
After long moments, Hermione pulled away. She looked excited, livid, and yet fear was portrayed on her face. Smiling nervously, she looked up at him.
"What now?"