Title: Wipe Away the Tears
Author: Moon Gazer
Rating: PG-13
Warnings and Comments: This story is a bit darker than my normal works, and
involves vampires, murder, death, ect. Also, I admit, I have taken some of the
rules of vampire lore and twisted them to my own needs. This story is in no way
a good reference to use for your own stories. Thanks to all the people who read
this over for me, including my friends, and a few of my teachers. Blessed be!
In a dark room, illuminated only by a fire and a few candles, sat a young woman.
To all appearances, she looked about 23, though a quick glance in her eyes
revealed her to be much older. Her hair was a curious mix ranging from light
brown to a blonde so light it appeared silver, was pulled back in a French
braid, though pieces of it had worked their way loose, due to the fact that she
kept weaving her fingers into it, before roughly pulling them out in
frustration. Several papers were scattered before her, covered in nearly
illegible scrawl. Finally pushing her chair back, she took one last look at the
papers before resignedly picking them up and heaving the whole lot into the
fireplace. A low chuckle broke into her satisfied reverie and she whirled
about, wand half drawn. The silhouetted figure at the door stepped forward and
she recognized Albus Dumbledore. His eyes twinkled as he glanced at the
fireplace.
"I believe it is safe to assume that your endeavors to update Professor
Binns curriculum are proceeding at a less than satisfactory pace?"
She tucked her wand back into its hiding place and smiled.
"Yes, you could say that. I do believe, however, that I've found the best
way to proceed."
Dumbledore smiled back at her.
"Come Serenite, it's time for the staff meeting. I had the feeling you
would lose track of time, and so took the liberty of coming to get you. Besides,
you've been holed up in the room long enough."
Serenite, for that was her name, glanced at her watch in surprise.
"Is it really that late? All right, give me a minute, if you will."
"Take your time." Dumbledore replied, pulling a small brown bag from his
robes, which turned out to be full of candy. Serenite glanced at him as she
hurriedly re-braided her hair.
"What kind today?" she asked, gesturing towards the bag.
"A Muggle candy that goes by the rather unfortunate name of Jawbreakers
(1). Despite the rather discouraging name, they're quite good."
"Hm, I'm sure." Serenite, having finished her hair, gathered up the few
papers she hadn't tossed to the fire, and turned to face Dumbledore.
"Ah, so you're ready? Off we go then."
Closing the door, Serenite activated the wards, and hurried after
Dumbledore. Being so new to the school, it wouldn't do to get lost. It really
was quite nice of Dumbledore, and quite like him, Serenite mused, to help
someone without ever letting him or her know that they were being helped.
They came to a statue of a centaur, and after whispering the password
(peanut brittle), it swung back with a harsh grating noise. Behind it stood a
small door, which let to a cheerily lit interior.
Serenite blinked owlishly at the sudden light, which after the comparative
darkness of her chambers and the halls seemed blinding. When her eyes had
finally adjusted, she glanced around the room, which gave a general air of being
cluttered and well used. Several of the professors were already there, and she
recognized a few. She had never met them, never having attended Hogwarts, but
she had run into a few when she had come for her interview. There was
McGonagall, with her strict bun and expression firmly in place. Lupin (or Remus,
as he had insisted she call him), and...
"Severus!"
The man in question glanced up sharply, regarding her with as much shock
as she did him.
"What are you doing here?" They both exclaimed at the same time.
"I work here." Severus replied.
"So do I."
"I'll take it you two know each other?" Dumbledore interrupted.
Serenite chuckled as Severus glared at her.
"You could say that."
She took a seat near him.
"So," she murmured so that only he could hear, " how has my dark savior
been?"
He snorted at the title she gave him.
"I should hardly think that saving you from being cheated by a second rate
herb seller elevates me to the over glorified status that you have so
dramatically addressed me by."
Serenite laughed slightly, a deep throaty sound.
" You haven't changed at all, I see."
"Neither have you, it seems."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"I wouldn't. The last time I saw you, I told you that you were an
immature, over dramatic, half breed who should never be allowed near a magicians
hat, no less a wand."
"Oo, that smarts. But you can't scare me that easily and you know it."
Severus turned to face her, his features half in shadow. Though his face
never changed, she could see the smile in his eyes.
"Yes, I did always wonder what peculiar twist in your psyche allowed you
to put up with me."
Serenite would have replied, but she was interrupted as Dumbledore called
the meeting to order.
"Here we are, with another new year, and a few announcements. Firstly,
though we are greatly saddened at the departure of Professor Binns, we all hope
that he will enjoy his retirement. Taking his place will be Miss Serenite
Delalune."
Albus paused to gesture towards Serenite, who in turn smiled back at the
interested gazes she was now receiving.
"On another note, we would like to welcome back Professor Lupin, who will
be taking over the Defense Against the Dark Arts classes once again." This
announcement was met by a smattering of applause and several approving smiles.
The rest of the meeting passed in the normal beginning of term mundane-
ness, interspersed with what seemed like endless gallons of tea. Serenite was
busily controlling the urge to fidget and trying to look interested as Professor
Sprout finished up the many reasons why it was imperative to by a new type of
fertilizer for the Mandrakes. A quick glance around the room told her she
wasn't alone in her frustrations. Remus was beginning to methodically tighten
and loosen his grip on his teacup, though a smile was firmly in place.
McGonagall's lips had become even more pursed, though it was surprising to
Serenite that such a thing was possible. She glanced quickly to her left and
half wished she hadn't, the urge to laugh came on so quickly. Severus looked
ready to happily butcher said Mandrakes if they were mentioned just once more.
Even Dumbledores smile was beginning to look a little forced.
Perhaps Sprout realized that her audience wasn't as keen on the subject as
she was (or perhaps it was the fact that Snape was steadily reaching into his
robe pockets, his hands uncomfortably close to his wand), but she quickly
finished up and sat down. Dumbledore beamed at her and stood.
"Well, unless anyone else has any announcements to make..." a silence
pervaded the room, "...it seems that this meeting is over."
Serenite lingered out in the hall, nodding politely at the welcomes she
received. Finally Snape stepped out of the room. Spotting her, he grinned
wryly. She smiled back at him and they began to walk together.
"So, why the sudden desire to teach, Serenite?" Snape inquired after a
few minutes of silence had passed. Serenite shrugged.
"I just wanted to actually do something. I had things I needed to get
away from."
Snape nodded but didn't inquire further into the subject.
"So, how is your mate? Jared, I believe his name was?"
Serenite's' steps faltered for a moment, and her hand came up to grasp a
small silver pendant that hung on a cord around her neck. Snape stopped
walking.
"Serenite, what is it?"
Serenite bit her lower lip before answering in a low voice.
"Jared and I...are no longer bonded."
Snapes eyes widened almost imperceptibly.
"What? Wait, not here. Come with me."
He led her down a myriad of hallways, past the dungeons. Pausing about 20
paces past the dungeon doors, he tapped on an inconspicuous brick, distinguished
only by a slight chip on its top right corner. Then, drawing his wand, he
murmured the passwords to open his wards, and a large rectangular part of the
wall slid aside, revealing a large, comfortably lit room. The furniture was
masculine friendly, and done in a dark mahogany and forest green upholstery. A
fire burned in the large fireplace and cast a friendly light on the nearby
tables, which were covered in an organized clutter of papers, notes and vials of
half finished experiments.
Snape steered Serenite towards one of the armchairs near the fireplace,
before turning towards the fire to put on some water for tea.
"Now, what happened?" he asked as they waited for the water to heat up.
Serenite looked at him for a moment in silence. His dark eyes seemed open and
inviting. It was slightly disturbing; knowing as she did that it was an
expression he rarely used. She took another minute to look at him, registering
the changes that had occurred since she had last seen him, years ago. His
cheekbones, always prominent, stood out in sharp relief. His nose looked as
though it had been broken a few more times, and he wore his long, black hair
down, instead of back. As a matter of fact, now that she looked carefully, she
was surprised that she had even recognized him; he was so changed, except for
his eyes. She paused for a moment, bemused at her thoughts before it penetrated
her mind that he was waiting for an answer.
Severus waited patiently as she regarded him. She hadn't changed much
over the years, but then, he had never really expected her to. She still wore
her hair braided, and as usual, pieces from the side were escaping from the tie.
Around her neck, she still wore that pendent he'd given her for protection when
they'd first met. It'd been more of a joke than anything, seeing as how well
Jared protected her. Her high cheekbones were slightly more prominent, as
though she hadn't been eating well. The fire reflected in her blue hazel eyes
and cast a curious amber ring around her pupils. A voice in the back of
Severus's head also noted that she'd outgrown the coltish stage she'd been at
when they'd last met, finally growing into her long limbs.
He drew his thoughts back to the present as she stirred, her right hand
rising to fidget with the end of her braid, a classic sign of nervousness. He
sat quietly, doing his best to relax her by remaining calm himself.
"Jared and I are no longer bonded." She began, " we...separated about four
years ago."
Severus nodded. That explained why her body had matured so quickly since
he had last seen her. Being bloodbound to a vampire, while not granting
immortality, did slow down the aging process considerably. And Jared, being
quite a powerful vampire, could provide a very strong bond. On the other hand,
sharing such a strong bond could be devastating once that bond was broken.
"Did you...have a misunderstanding?" He asked, knowing that the two of
them had been involved on more than a bond level.
Serenite shook her head.
"No, it's not that. It came time for him to feed, and..."
She paused, clearly fighting with unhappy memories.
"And?" Severus prompted gently. For a long while there was no sound in
the room other than the fire crackling. Finally, she answered.
"He lost control."
Snape visibly blanched. An out of control vampire was not something to be
taken lightly. It was like letting a werewolf loose in a crowded room, but
worse. At least you could see, and shoot a werewolf.
"How?" he asked, before cursing himself, "No, you don't have to answer
that."
Serenite shook her head and smiled softly at him.
"I don't mind. Normally Jared would feed a little each evening. But over
the years, he's made more than just a few enemies."
Severus nodded and motioned for her to continue as he took the kettle off
the fire and began to prepare two cups of tea.
"One of them, a vampiric witch named Genisca, trapped him for nearly a
week. He escaped, but he was ravenous. I scarcely recognized him when he
appeared at the door, but I did realize that he was out of control. I tried to
run, very foolish of me, since it only increased his frenzy. He caught me just
outside of the forest near our home. He began to drink and showed no signs of
stopping. At first, I let him, assuming that if he took too much, he would
simply turn me. The thought didn't particularly worry me. But then I started
to grow faint and he was still ravenous and I realized that I wouldn't be
enough. He had been too long without a feed, and once he was done with me, he
would seek out new prey. I couldn't let him do that. Not in that state. He
never would have forgiven himself."
Severus silently handed her a cup, before settling back down into his
seat.
"I was trying to think of a way out of there, when my pendent hit my hand.
I grabbed it...and cut myself. It had changed into a dagger, with the symbol
itself embedded in the blade."
Serenite paused and looked at him with a wry grin.
"I'm sure we never thought when you gave me that pendent, that it would be
used for this."
"You killed him?" Severus asked quietly. A haunted look settled across
Serenite's features.
"Yes, I killed him."
Severus said nothing; did nothing. After all, he mused, what do you say
to comfort a person who's killed their mate of the last 200 years?
Finally Serenite stirred, drinking some of her tea. Severus brought his
cup to his lips before a thought crossed his mind.
"Serenite...are you...?"
She looked at him confused for a moment. He tapped his canines to
clarify.
"Oh! No, I'm not. I am on the hunt for my next mate though."
Severus frowned at her.
"Serenite, you of all people should know that a mortal could only be bound
once. Breaking your first bond must have near killed you. Why set yourself up
for more pain and disappointment?"
Serenite looked away from him. He had no idea just how close his words had
been to reality.
"The All Father spoke to me." She stated simply.
Snape was visibly shocked, she could see. The All Father Ihad/I appeared to her, just as she was about to turn the knife she had used to kill Jared on herself.
" The All Father?" Snape asked quietly, "What did he say?"
Serenite shrugged.
"Just to find a new mate and soon."
They sat silently for a few minutes longer, listening to the sounds of the school around them. After a while, Serenite broke the silence.
"Well, enough about me. How have you been?"
Snape raised one eyebrow at her obvious bid to change the subject, but
played along.
"Fine."
"Hm...so, do they know that you're..." she grinned wickedly and tapped her
canines. Snape laughed shortly.
"Rumors abound, but they have no idea how true some of them are. I prefer
it that way."
Serenite laughed.
"You would."
Snape smiled dryly.
"What is that particular statement supposed to mean?"
"Got me."
Snape refrained from the urge to roll his eyes. She always had been
rather flippant, he remembered. And at the moment, she was dozing off in his
room. He briefly considered waking her up and sending her to her own rooms, but
casually dismissed the thought. She rarely slept for more than a few hours at a
time, if he remembered correctly. She was going to have a horrid crick in her
neck, however, if he didn't move her. Setting down his cup, he stood, grimacing
as his back popped. Walking over to her, he picked her up. She stirred
slightly and blearily opened her eyes.
"Shh, go back to sleep. We can finish talking later."
She nodded and closed her eyes, allowing her head to roll back, exposing
her neck. Severus felt a twinge of hunger, but firmly squashed it as old bite
marks came into sight. That was odd, he thought. Despite the Muggle
stereotypes, most bonded pairs drank from the wrist, not the neck. That must
have been where she had been bitten when Jared attacked her.
He lay her down on the bed and removed her shoes before looking back at
her neck. The mark though faded with age (four years worth, he reminded
himself) looked savage and unclean, as though she had been shaken when the feed
took place. On an impulse, he reached down and took her right hand, turning it
palm up. There, very faintly, was a seamed line from where she had grabbed the
knife. He let her hand go and covered her up, before retreating to one of the
tables near the fireplace.
He shuffled through the papers and pulled out a large, worn out parchment,
dog-eared around the edges and yellow with age. It turned out to be a family
tree; a vamperic family tree to be exact. Tracing up from the bottom, Severus
stopped when he reached the second generation. Three names over from his own
was Jared's. Taking a quill from a nearby inkwell, he penned in the vampires
date of death. Taking out his wand, he magically erased the line showing the
link to Serenite, though he left her name on the tree. Then he quietly rolled
the parchment back up and resumed his chair by the fire, waiting for Serenite to
wake up.
She did awake, two hours later, as he had predicted. For a moment she
looked around the room, disoriented, before her eyes lit on him and she blinked
a few times. He chuckled to himself. He should have known she'd be a slow
riser.
Serenite had been peacefully dreaming that she was back in hers and
Jared's house and as she slowly rose through the layers of sleep, she had
thoroughly expected to see the small, cherry red fireplace, the light airy room,
and the small black kitten Jared had brought home for her one night. What she
actually saw were the tall, but dark stone walls, dark, heavy furniture, and
instead of a kitten, Severus Snape staring quietly at the fire.
She must have made some noise of surprise, because he turned to face her.
They regarded each other for a moment, before he turned away.
"Did you sleep well?"
She yawned and stretched, catlike, before answering.
"Quite."
"Hm, well far be it from me to be inhospitable, but perhaps you should be
getting back to your own chambers. It's half past one and we both have classes
to teach tomorrow."
Her eyebrows rose in surprise, and she kicked back the blankets and began
hunting for her shoes.
"Behind you."
"Thanks. Is it really that late?"
"I believe so, as I am not prone to gross exaggerations."
"Hm, yes, well goodnight, Severus."
"Goodnight, Serenite."
He sat near the fire for a long while after she'd left, before standing
with a sigh and getting ready for bed.
(1) Jawbreakers aren't mine. Some rich candy company owns them.
Author: Moon Gazer
Rating: PG-13
Warnings and Comments: This story is a bit darker than my normal works, and
involves vampires, murder, death, ect. Also, I admit, I have taken some of the
rules of vampire lore and twisted them to my own needs. This story is in no way
a good reference to use for your own stories. Thanks to all the people who read
this over for me, including my friends, and a few of my teachers. Blessed be!
In a dark room, illuminated only by a fire and a few candles, sat a young woman.
To all appearances, she looked about 23, though a quick glance in her eyes
revealed her to be much older. Her hair was a curious mix ranging from light
brown to a blonde so light it appeared silver, was pulled back in a French
braid, though pieces of it had worked their way loose, due to the fact that she
kept weaving her fingers into it, before roughly pulling them out in
frustration. Several papers were scattered before her, covered in nearly
illegible scrawl. Finally pushing her chair back, she took one last look at the
papers before resignedly picking them up and heaving the whole lot into the
fireplace. A low chuckle broke into her satisfied reverie and she whirled
about, wand half drawn. The silhouetted figure at the door stepped forward and
she recognized Albus Dumbledore. His eyes twinkled as he glanced at the
fireplace.
"I believe it is safe to assume that your endeavors to update Professor
Binns curriculum are proceeding at a less than satisfactory pace?"
She tucked her wand back into its hiding place and smiled.
"Yes, you could say that. I do believe, however, that I've found the best
way to proceed."
Dumbledore smiled back at her.
"Come Serenite, it's time for the staff meeting. I had the feeling you
would lose track of time, and so took the liberty of coming to get you. Besides,
you've been holed up in the room long enough."
Serenite, for that was her name, glanced at her watch in surprise.
"Is it really that late? All right, give me a minute, if you will."
"Take your time." Dumbledore replied, pulling a small brown bag from his
robes, which turned out to be full of candy. Serenite glanced at him as she
hurriedly re-braided her hair.
"What kind today?" she asked, gesturing towards the bag.
"A Muggle candy that goes by the rather unfortunate name of Jawbreakers
(1). Despite the rather discouraging name, they're quite good."
"Hm, I'm sure." Serenite, having finished her hair, gathered up the few
papers she hadn't tossed to the fire, and turned to face Dumbledore.
"Ah, so you're ready? Off we go then."
Closing the door, Serenite activated the wards, and hurried after
Dumbledore. Being so new to the school, it wouldn't do to get lost. It really
was quite nice of Dumbledore, and quite like him, Serenite mused, to help
someone without ever letting him or her know that they were being helped.
They came to a statue of a centaur, and after whispering the password
(peanut brittle), it swung back with a harsh grating noise. Behind it stood a
small door, which let to a cheerily lit interior.
Serenite blinked owlishly at the sudden light, which after the comparative
darkness of her chambers and the halls seemed blinding. When her eyes had
finally adjusted, she glanced around the room, which gave a general air of being
cluttered and well used. Several of the professors were already there, and she
recognized a few. She had never met them, never having attended Hogwarts, but
she had run into a few when she had come for her interview. There was
McGonagall, with her strict bun and expression firmly in place. Lupin (or Remus,
as he had insisted she call him), and...
"Severus!"
The man in question glanced up sharply, regarding her with as much shock
as she did him.
"What are you doing here?" They both exclaimed at the same time.
"I work here." Severus replied.
"So do I."
"I'll take it you two know each other?" Dumbledore interrupted.
Serenite chuckled as Severus glared at her.
"You could say that."
She took a seat near him.
"So," she murmured so that only he could hear, " how has my dark savior
been?"
He snorted at the title she gave him.
"I should hardly think that saving you from being cheated by a second rate
herb seller elevates me to the over glorified status that you have so
dramatically addressed me by."
Serenite laughed slightly, a deep throaty sound.
" You haven't changed at all, I see."
"Neither have you, it seems."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"I wouldn't. The last time I saw you, I told you that you were an
immature, over dramatic, half breed who should never be allowed near a magicians
hat, no less a wand."
"Oo, that smarts. But you can't scare me that easily and you know it."
Severus turned to face her, his features half in shadow. Though his face
never changed, she could see the smile in his eyes.
"Yes, I did always wonder what peculiar twist in your psyche allowed you
to put up with me."
Serenite would have replied, but she was interrupted as Dumbledore called
the meeting to order.
"Here we are, with another new year, and a few announcements. Firstly,
though we are greatly saddened at the departure of Professor Binns, we all hope
that he will enjoy his retirement. Taking his place will be Miss Serenite
Delalune."
Albus paused to gesture towards Serenite, who in turn smiled back at the
interested gazes she was now receiving.
"On another note, we would like to welcome back Professor Lupin, who will
be taking over the Defense Against the Dark Arts classes once again." This
announcement was met by a smattering of applause and several approving smiles.
The rest of the meeting passed in the normal beginning of term mundane-
ness, interspersed with what seemed like endless gallons of tea. Serenite was
busily controlling the urge to fidget and trying to look interested as Professor
Sprout finished up the many reasons why it was imperative to by a new type of
fertilizer for the Mandrakes. A quick glance around the room told her she
wasn't alone in her frustrations. Remus was beginning to methodically tighten
and loosen his grip on his teacup, though a smile was firmly in place.
McGonagall's lips had become even more pursed, though it was surprising to
Serenite that such a thing was possible. She glanced quickly to her left and
half wished she hadn't, the urge to laugh came on so quickly. Severus looked
ready to happily butcher said Mandrakes if they were mentioned just once more.
Even Dumbledores smile was beginning to look a little forced.
Perhaps Sprout realized that her audience wasn't as keen on the subject as
she was (or perhaps it was the fact that Snape was steadily reaching into his
robe pockets, his hands uncomfortably close to his wand), but she quickly
finished up and sat down. Dumbledore beamed at her and stood.
"Well, unless anyone else has any announcements to make..." a silence
pervaded the room, "...it seems that this meeting is over."
Serenite lingered out in the hall, nodding politely at the welcomes she
received. Finally Snape stepped out of the room. Spotting her, he grinned
wryly. She smiled back at him and they began to walk together.
"So, why the sudden desire to teach, Serenite?" Snape inquired after a
few minutes of silence had passed. Serenite shrugged.
"I just wanted to actually do something. I had things I needed to get
away from."
Snape nodded but didn't inquire further into the subject.
"So, how is your mate? Jared, I believe his name was?"
Serenite's' steps faltered for a moment, and her hand came up to grasp a
small silver pendant that hung on a cord around her neck. Snape stopped
walking.
"Serenite, what is it?"
Serenite bit her lower lip before answering in a low voice.
"Jared and I...are no longer bonded."
Snapes eyes widened almost imperceptibly.
"What? Wait, not here. Come with me."
He led her down a myriad of hallways, past the dungeons. Pausing about 20
paces past the dungeon doors, he tapped on an inconspicuous brick, distinguished
only by a slight chip on its top right corner. Then, drawing his wand, he
murmured the passwords to open his wards, and a large rectangular part of the
wall slid aside, revealing a large, comfortably lit room. The furniture was
masculine friendly, and done in a dark mahogany and forest green upholstery. A
fire burned in the large fireplace and cast a friendly light on the nearby
tables, which were covered in an organized clutter of papers, notes and vials of
half finished experiments.
Snape steered Serenite towards one of the armchairs near the fireplace,
before turning towards the fire to put on some water for tea.
"Now, what happened?" he asked as they waited for the water to heat up.
Serenite looked at him for a moment in silence. His dark eyes seemed open and
inviting. It was slightly disturbing; knowing as she did that it was an
expression he rarely used. She took another minute to look at him, registering
the changes that had occurred since she had last seen him, years ago. His
cheekbones, always prominent, stood out in sharp relief. His nose looked as
though it had been broken a few more times, and he wore his long, black hair
down, instead of back. As a matter of fact, now that she looked carefully, she
was surprised that she had even recognized him; he was so changed, except for
his eyes. She paused for a moment, bemused at her thoughts before it penetrated
her mind that he was waiting for an answer.
Severus waited patiently as she regarded him. She hadn't changed much
over the years, but then, he had never really expected her to. She still wore
her hair braided, and as usual, pieces from the side were escaping from the tie.
Around her neck, she still wore that pendent he'd given her for protection when
they'd first met. It'd been more of a joke than anything, seeing as how well
Jared protected her. Her high cheekbones were slightly more prominent, as
though she hadn't been eating well. The fire reflected in her blue hazel eyes
and cast a curious amber ring around her pupils. A voice in the back of
Severus's head also noted that she'd outgrown the coltish stage she'd been at
when they'd last met, finally growing into her long limbs.
He drew his thoughts back to the present as she stirred, her right hand
rising to fidget with the end of her braid, a classic sign of nervousness. He
sat quietly, doing his best to relax her by remaining calm himself.
"Jared and I are no longer bonded." She began, " we...separated about four
years ago."
Severus nodded. That explained why her body had matured so quickly since
he had last seen her. Being bloodbound to a vampire, while not granting
immortality, did slow down the aging process considerably. And Jared, being
quite a powerful vampire, could provide a very strong bond. On the other hand,
sharing such a strong bond could be devastating once that bond was broken.
"Did you...have a misunderstanding?" He asked, knowing that the two of
them had been involved on more than a bond level.
Serenite shook her head.
"No, it's not that. It came time for him to feed, and..."
She paused, clearly fighting with unhappy memories.
"And?" Severus prompted gently. For a long while there was no sound in
the room other than the fire crackling. Finally, she answered.
"He lost control."
Snape visibly blanched. An out of control vampire was not something to be
taken lightly. It was like letting a werewolf loose in a crowded room, but
worse. At least you could see, and shoot a werewolf.
"How?" he asked, before cursing himself, "No, you don't have to answer
that."
Serenite shook her head and smiled softly at him.
"I don't mind. Normally Jared would feed a little each evening. But over
the years, he's made more than just a few enemies."
Severus nodded and motioned for her to continue as he took the kettle off
the fire and began to prepare two cups of tea.
"One of them, a vampiric witch named Genisca, trapped him for nearly a
week. He escaped, but he was ravenous. I scarcely recognized him when he
appeared at the door, but I did realize that he was out of control. I tried to
run, very foolish of me, since it only increased his frenzy. He caught me just
outside of the forest near our home. He began to drink and showed no signs of
stopping. At first, I let him, assuming that if he took too much, he would
simply turn me. The thought didn't particularly worry me. But then I started
to grow faint and he was still ravenous and I realized that I wouldn't be
enough. He had been too long without a feed, and once he was done with me, he
would seek out new prey. I couldn't let him do that. Not in that state. He
never would have forgiven himself."
Severus silently handed her a cup, before settling back down into his
seat.
"I was trying to think of a way out of there, when my pendent hit my hand.
I grabbed it...and cut myself. It had changed into a dagger, with the symbol
itself embedded in the blade."
Serenite paused and looked at him with a wry grin.
"I'm sure we never thought when you gave me that pendent, that it would be
used for this."
"You killed him?" Severus asked quietly. A haunted look settled across
Serenite's features.
"Yes, I killed him."
Severus said nothing; did nothing. After all, he mused, what do you say
to comfort a person who's killed their mate of the last 200 years?
Finally Serenite stirred, drinking some of her tea. Severus brought his
cup to his lips before a thought crossed his mind.
"Serenite...are you...?"
She looked at him confused for a moment. He tapped his canines to
clarify.
"Oh! No, I'm not. I am on the hunt for my next mate though."
Severus frowned at her.
"Serenite, you of all people should know that a mortal could only be bound
once. Breaking your first bond must have near killed you. Why set yourself up
for more pain and disappointment?"
Serenite looked away from him. He had no idea just how close his words had
been to reality.
"The All Father spoke to me." She stated simply.
Snape was visibly shocked, she could see. The All Father Ihad/I appeared to her, just as she was about to turn the knife she had used to kill Jared on herself.
" The All Father?" Snape asked quietly, "What did he say?"
Serenite shrugged.
"Just to find a new mate and soon."
They sat silently for a few minutes longer, listening to the sounds of the school around them. After a while, Serenite broke the silence.
"Well, enough about me. How have you been?"
Snape raised one eyebrow at her obvious bid to change the subject, but
played along.
"Fine."
"Hm...so, do they know that you're..." she grinned wickedly and tapped her
canines. Snape laughed shortly.
"Rumors abound, but they have no idea how true some of them are. I prefer
it that way."
Serenite laughed.
"You would."
Snape smiled dryly.
"What is that particular statement supposed to mean?"
"Got me."
Snape refrained from the urge to roll his eyes. She always had been
rather flippant, he remembered. And at the moment, she was dozing off in his
room. He briefly considered waking her up and sending her to her own rooms, but
casually dismissed the thought. She rarely slept for more than a few hours at a
time, if he remembered correctly. She was going to have a horrid crick in her
neck, however, if he didn't move her. Setting down his cup, he stood, grimacing
as his back popped. Walking over to her, he picked her up. She stirred
slightly and blearily opened her eyes.
"Shh, go back to sleep. We can finish talking later."
She nodded and closed her eyes, allowing her head to roll back, exposing
her neck. Severus felt a twinge of hunger, but firmly squashed it as old bite
marks came into sight. That was odd, he thought. Despite the Muggle
stereotypes, most bonded pairs drank from the wrist, not the neck. That must
have been where she had been bitten when Jared attacked her.
He lay her down on the bed and removed her shoes before looking back at
her neck. The mark though faded with age (four years worth, he reminded
himself) looked savage and unclean, as though she had been shaken when the feed
took place. On an impulse, he reached down and took her right hand, turning it
palm up. There, very faintly, was a seamed line from where she had grabbed the
knife. He let her hand go and covered her up, before retreating to one of the
tables near the fireplace.
He shuffled through the papers and pulled out a large, worn out parchment,
dog-eared around the edges and yellow with age. It turned out to be a family
tree; a vamperic family tree to be exact. Tracing up from the bottom, Severus
stopped when he reached the second generation. Three names over from his own
was Jared's. Taking a quill from a nearby inkwell, he penned in the vampires
date of death. Taking out his wand, he magically erased the line showing the
link to Serenite, though he left her name on the tree. Then he quietly rolled
the parchment back up and resumed his chair by the fire, waiting for Serenite to
wake up.
She did awake, two hours later, as he had predicted. For a moment she
looked around the room, disoriented, before her eyes lit on him and she blinked
a few times. He chuckled to himself. He should have known she'd be a slow
riser.
Serenite had been peacefully dreaming that she was back in hers and
Jared's house and as she slowly rose through the layers of sleep, she had
thoroughly expected to see the small, cherry red fireplace, the light airy room,
and the small black kitten Jared had brought home for her one night. What she
actually saw were the tall, but dark stone walls, dark, heavy furniture, and
instead of a kitten, Severus Snape staring quietly at the fire.
She must have made some noise of surprise, because he turned to face her.
They regarded each other for a moment, before he turned away.
"Did you sleep well?"
She yawned and stretched, catlike, before answering.
"Quite."
"Hm, well far be it from me to be inhospitable, but perhaps you should be
getting back to your own chambers. It's half past one and we both have classes
to teach tomorrow."
Her eyebrows rose in surprise, and she kicked back the blankets and began
hunting for her shoes.
"Behind you."
"Thanks. Is it really that late?"
"I believe so, as I am not prone to gross exaggerations."
"Hm, yes, well goodnight, Severus."
"Goodnight, Serenite."
He sat near the fire for a long while after she'd left, before standing
with a sigh and getting ready for bed.
(1) Jawbreakers aren't mine. Some rich candy company owns them.