Morticia made her way to the infirmary. Madam Pomfrey had quickly taken to the 'young' girl, who helped her regularly. Morticia had taken to the matron as well. She smiled a forced smile as she entered the matron's office. "Hello, Madam Pomfrey."

"Hello, dear. I have a present for you." Poppy looked up from the cabinet she was looking through and smiled at the girl fondly. Morticia had few friends and seemed so alone. Poppy liked to pamper her on occasion, though this was the first time she had gotten the girl a present.

"A present? For me?" Morticia was beyond surprised. She could think of no special occasion or action that warranted a gift. Her grandfather was the only one to ever buy her things. A curious expression graced her face as she looked at Poppy.

"Yes, over there." Poppy pointed to a small box on her desk. She had gotten quite a look when she had purchased the gift, as not too many people bought the contents of the box, humans at any rate.

Morticia walked over to the desk. "Why?" She asked as she picked up the small white box with a blood red bow. She smiled upon seeing the lollipops inside. "Thank you."

"I knew your report was due today. I thought you could use a pick me up." Poppy walked over to the girl.

Morticia nodded. "Yes. They didn't... The looks they gave me." She closed her eyes against the memory of the fear and loathing that her classmates had gazed upon her with.

"They'll get over it. They always do." Poppy placed an arm around her shoulders and squeezed her tightly.

Morticia was not convinced. Their eyes had been cold and disgusted, many scared. Hermione's eyes were the ones she remember the best. Hers and Malfoy's. "I hope. You know how most view... how they look at us."

Poppy nodded. She knew full well how many looked down on Morticia and those like her. She felt sad for the girl. No child should go through what Morticia was. "You're friends with Miss Granger and Mr. Potter, right?"

Again Morticia nodded. Hermione's face at the front of her mind. "Hermione... Even she looked at me differently."

"She'll come around, so will Mr. Potter. They have more than one friend of an unusual persuasion."

Morticia was not so sure. She knew of Professor Lupin's curse. She could smell it on him, as she was sure he could smell hers. Hagrid was at least half unhuman and they knew at least one of the centaurs from the Forbidden Forest. She had also not seen Harry's reaction and had no true impression on how he saw her heritage, what it meant. Still, there were many things against her. "I hope. But... If their friend Ron keeps... He doesn't like me, never has."

Poppy just looked at her. She knew full well how Ronald Weasley could take things. "He's a high strung boy, it takes him a while but he'll warm up, too." She had to admit to herself, though, that two months of already not liking Morticia did not weigh in the girl's favor.

Morticia sighed. She had not confidence in that. Humans changed like the weather, true, but some were quite steadfast. "I should probably head down to lunch."

Poppy squeezed her to her side again and slowly walked her to the door. She felt downright awful for her. No one, no matter their bloodline, should ever have to go through what Morticia was, but... so many did. "Chin up, dear. Come back after classes. We'll go over my potions stock, see what we need to get from Severus.

Morticia nodded in agreement though they had done so only two days earlier. She seriously doubt Poppy had used that many potions in that length of time, especially since the matron only went over her stores once every two weeks regularly. She had a feeling Poppy was making excuses. "I hope he doesn't want to... well... I used my own blood in a potion as fresh blood is always stronger." She shrugged slightly. "I hope he doesn't think he just found a blood bank or something."

Poppy smiled. Severus came off that way most of the time to most people. "He isn't like that, and if he did try, he'd have to deal with me." Poppy gave her a look that read Severus would severally regret trying.

Morticia grinned. "After classes." She headed out the door and down the hall. Poppy watched her go then turned back to her work. She indeed did know how many of each potions she had. She just wanted to get the girl's mind off other things.

Slowly, Morticia made her way to the Great Hall. She had no doubt the entire school was well aware of exactly she was. The rumor mill rivaled the speed of light. She was just reaching the doors when Harry came up behind her. "And I thought Mione could be long winded!" He his tone was happy, jovial.

She turned to him. He was smiling at her like he always did. "Harry..." She was thrown by his demeanor.

"That's my name." He continued to smile.

"You... don't mind being around me?" She looked at him slightly puzzled.

Harry looked back with his own funny expression and shrugged. "Why would I?"

"You aren't afraid I'll suck you dry?" She was perplexed by him. She had always found him different, odd slightly, but this floored her.

"Nope." He had no idea what she was talking about, so he answered honestly.

She seemed to read his mind. "You don't get it, do you?"

He frowned. "Get what?"

"What I am. Who I am." She said it all slowly, as though to a small child. At times, she wondered if Harry didn't process things like one.

"You're Morticia Tepes." He was getting more and more confused the longer she beat around the bush.

Morticia smiled wryly. "Yes, Harry, I am, but..." She shook her head. "They'll tell you." Of that, she had absolutely no doubt. She turned from the Great Hall deciding she just was not up to going inside. She would return to Gryffindor tower until time for her next class.

"Where are you going?" Harry started following her.

"To the tower."

"Why?" He persisted.

Morticia stopped and sighed. At such times she felt her age. "I... need to write a letter, do some assignments..."

Harry cut her off. She had over a month's worth of assignments done in advance. She went through most of them quicker than Hermione. "Come on. It can wait half an hour." He grabbed her hand an pulled her inside to their table. He rolled his eyes at having to do pull her and shove her into a seat.

Morticia struggled slightly, not wanting to hurt Harry. "Harry, this isn't a good idea," she warned him.

"Why not?" He asked as he sat her down then sat down next to her.

"They... they won't accept me," she told him very softly. Everyone was eyeing her, most scooting away to leave a nice gap of space around her and Harry.

"Why not? You keep saying stuff like that. You're freaking me out." He looked at her in earnest.

Ron chose that time to speak. "What are you doin', man?" He asked Harry like Harry had lost his mind.

Harry started piling food on his plate. "Eating lunch with Morticia."

"Are you nuts?" Ron hissed and shook his head. Morticia knew the feeling was mutual among all of Harry's friends, people she had thought may have been her friends. She stared at her empty plate, making no move to eat or speak.

"Ron..." Hermione looked uncertain if she should say anything, but she could not just sit by and watch.

"Come on, Morticia. You better eat," Harry said but his words went unheard.

"What are you even doing here?" Ron asked Morticia nastily. His eyes were hard and mean as they glared at her.

"Ron, shut up," Hermione told him.

"What the hell is going on here?" Harry demanded as Morticia looked up at Ron, not defending herself. Her eyes held a deep sadness. However, again, Harry seemed to be unheard.

"What?" Ron asked Hermione. "None of us want her here!" He exclaimed.

"What are you talking about? I want her here. She's my friend." Harry looked around angrily. He could not believe his friends would so easily turn on someone for any reason, especially one of their own.

Morticia stood with a blank expression. "If you would excuse me." She bowed slightly and turned, starting for the door. She held her head high and strode confidently. Her grandfather had taught her well. She would show no weakness to any of them for any reason, no matter how she felt on the inside.

"No, stay! Ron can go sit somewhere else," Harry tried.

Morticia stopped and looked back. "He's right, you know." She spoked clearly so they all could hear here, everyone in the room. Many of the teachers looked torn in doing something or just letting it play out. "You are the only one that wants me here. In this room or this school."

"So, then sit with me," Harry argued on.

"Let her go, Harry. It's what she wants," Hermione told him softly. He looked at her and Ron in disbelief. He could not fathom them behaving in such a way. He stood and followed Morticia, finally catching up to her in the common room of their tower.

"What was that all about?" Harry demanded.

Morticia tightly clutched the gift she had received from Poppy as she turned from the stairs to face him. Then, she walked over to a book case and pulled down a book called The History of Monsters in the Wizarding World. She handed it to him. "Tepes," she told him simply before again starting for the stairs.

"Morticia," he said in exasperation, "just tell me."

Sighing, she once more turned to face him. He just would not let her get away, to hide for a little while. On a whim, she made him an offer, "Would you like a lollipop?"

He looked at her weird. "Okay..." He was not sure why she was offering a lollipop instead of an answer to his question. She unwrapped one of the treats and handed it over to him. He took it without hesitation. No sooner had he placed it in his mouth did he start to spit it back out. "It tastes like blood!"

"It's blood flavored." She handed over the wrapper. "What else would it taste like?" She held her hand out for him to return the lollipop to her. She was not going to let a piece of Poppy's gift go to waste.

"Why would you want a blood flavored lollipop?" He handed it back to her and watched in slight wonder as she put it in her mouth and seemed to savor the flavor.

She sighed. "Did you even listen to me in class?"

"Yeah. Your great great grandfather was a knight." He shrugged. He hoped he was right as he had actually started to doze off on her.

She looked at him funny. "What? I didn't even make mention of my great great grandfather."

Harry blushed. He had been caught. "Well... you were kind of long winded..."

"I talked of my grandfather, who was a prince in the mid fifteenth century."

"And... Could you get to the point? Geez, you are worse than Mione."

Morticia snorted. At the moment, she did not appreciate the comparison. "He's still alive. I am certain you have heard of him."

Thinking she had to be joking, Harry commented, "He must be really old."

"Five hundred and seventy years to be exact." She looked and spoke seriously, though the lollipop diminished the affect slightly. "Dracula. What does the name mean to you, Harry?" She pronounced Dracula drah-koola.

"Yeah... He's like the vampire, right?"

"And that would make me what, Harry?" She asked, again speaking to him as though he were a small child.

"Really smart?" He hazarded a guess.

"What?" The answer through her off at first. The innocense and simplicity of looking at things from Harry's point of view amazed her, exceedingly.

"You keep going around and around the issue! Can't girls just spit out what's on their mind?" He was beyond frustrated.

"I'm a vampire, alright!" She exclaimed. "Or half of one, to be exact."

"Really?" He looked at her in surprise and awe. "Cool! Can you turn into a bat?" He asked excitedly. Morticia dropped her head forward and pulled the lollipop from her mouth as she started to giggle. Her giggles soon turned to hysterical laughter. "Are you okay?" He put a hand to her shoulder. Her laughter turned to sobs as she nodded she was. He took her into a hug. "What's wrong?"

"You are so naive and innocent." She sniffed and smiled at him.

"So?"

"Thank you for not caring, Harry, about what I am." She hugged him tightly.

"Why should I? I mean, one of my best friends is a werewolf."

"You think the others would look at it that way." She had a sad look in her eye as she pulled back from him.

"They can be stupid some times. I can't believe you put me through all that just to tell me you're a vampire... Geez!"

She smiled ruefully. "It's not that simple, but I'm sorry." She slipped her lollipop back into her mouth.

"Why isn't it? So you're a vampire? Big deal!"

"I'm a creature of darkness and a killer... They are afraid of me. When their parents find out..." She could only fathom what the reaction would be, but she knew it would not be good.

"Dumbledore wanted you here. He won't let anything happen." Harry reassured her confidently.

"I hope you are right." She looked at the time. "I believe we have Herbology."

"Great... Wanna skip and play chess?" He smiled at her.

"No. We can not miss class." She shrunk the box of lollipops and put them in her pocket.

"You really do sound like Mione. Thought you didn't want to be around them?"

"That does not change that we have class." She eyed him.

"Alright... You can be my partner." He put an arm around her. They went upstairs, gathered their things, and hurried to Herbology as others came in to get ready for their own classes.