Author's Note: Yeees! I'm finally on my summer break, which means I can write lots more fan fiction! I'm really getting into this particular fic at the moment, and I hope you like it! It's my baby, so treat it carefully!
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Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters affiliated with the Harry Potter books. All I own is the plot, and the new characters!
The Dark Rose: Chapter 1 – The Plan Unfolds
"I do not care how you look for it, Peter's!" Said Rufus Scrimgeour his voice raised and his tempter waning. "Just find the damned creature, or it'll be your head if you don't!"
The Auror Peter's nodded furiously and left the room in a hurry. Rufus Scrimgeour sighed and fell into his chair behind the desk; his brow was sweating with the stress of the situation. He could quite believe that only a year into his first term as Minister for Magic he was contemplating his position; he had never even dreamt of what he was facing now. One of his top spies had come back with fearful news; Voldemort planned to attack Hogwarts using a group of Vampires known as the Ancient's. They were the strongest of all Vampires, and were the hardest to defeat. They had researched and found that the only way to stop this potential tragedy unfolding was to kill the leader of the Ancients, using another of the Ancients. Meaning they had to get a Vampire on their side; an almost impossible task, if it were not for an outcast of the Ancients being spotted in France. Scrimgeour knew that it was a long shot, but he had to consider every option during times like these. Ever since Dumbledore's death, Scrimgeour knew that Voldemort would have gained strength, knowing that his age old adversary was defeated. He would think himself unstoppable. "Well, we'll show him we're not giving up!" Scrimgeour thought defiantly.
It took ten of the Ministries finest Auror's more than two months to locate of a Vampire, and former Auror herself, Maiara Daemon. She was tracked down in the darkest forests of France, and was found to be carrying the most horrific scars and bloody wounds any of the Auror's had seen. She was weak, and took little persuading to travel back to England, bound to the Auror's like an animal. Travelling back took longer than expected, with the Auror's only travelling by night, as they were unable to carry side-along apparition with the Vampire.
Back in England, not a week later…
"Maiara, you must see that this is the only option we have right now!" Pleaded Rufus Scrimgeour, moving from the fireplace and towards a womanly figure half hidden by shadow.
"But that as it may Minister," replied a cold and emotionless voice. "I simply cannot do what you propose! For one, I'd be far too exposed and secondly I do not think that the children's parents will appreciate me teaching them."
Rufus Scrimgeour sighed heartily. He had known the whole time that persuading Maiara, a Vampire for over 250 years, to come to the rescue of the very people that had persecuted her since she was transformed into a demon was not going to be easy. He studied her features carefully; he could tell that she was once a woman of great and pure beauty. She seemed to be terminally ill; she had white skin, which was stretched tightly across her face and body, as if there was too little of it to cover her. She had long, dank black her which was tied roughly into a bun, and her eyes, her eyes were as cold as anything he had seen in his life. They showed no emotion whatsoever, and even though the eyes were said to be the window to the soul, he could see no soul within this woman. He suddenly felt an overwhelming surge of pity, though he knew she would kill him if he admitted feeling so. Vampires were not ones to accept help or empathy from humans, and spent most of their eternal lives reflecting sorrowfully on their past lives as mortals.
"I understand your concerns Maiara, and I appreciate this is a lot to ask." He admitted, taking another cautious step towards his guest, who seemed to recoil at this polite gesture. "But I will make it worth your while. In return for your services, I shall grant you citizenship in England. You shall not be tracked or restrained, and you shall go where ever you wish."
Maiara considered him for a moment. This was indeed a very attractive offer, for she had spent the past quarter of a millennium dodging Ministries across the world. To be able to move untracked around England would be a dream come true…that is, if Vampires had dreams. She had a shrewd suspicion that Scrimgeour was only offering her this deal because he didn't expect her to survive the year. However, she knew that she was defeated; the pull of his offer was just too strong. Sighing grudgingly, she moved out of the shadows and towards the Minister, and this time it was his turn to recoil. This did not bother Maiara; she had spent her life being rejected by humans, so it wasn't going to begin to bother her now.
"I think you have yourself a deal, Minister Scrimgeour." She stated coldly. "Though I shall need a wand, I had mine destroyed when the Ministry found out what I was all those years ago."
"Yes, yes I shall have that sorted for you." He said, waving her concern away with his hand. "Though as a precaution, we shall be situating Auror's around Hogwarts to keep an eye on you. This is just to watch for developments around that castle, and they'll be there if you need to report any developments to them."
Maiara frowned. "To keep an eye on me," she thought bitterly to herself. "What does he think I'm going to do? Turn the whole school into an army of Vampires!"
"I understand," she replied tonelessly. "Right well, if that's all Minister, I must return to my room. I fear the sun shall be up early this morning."
Rufus Scrimgeour nodded. "I shall get the Auror's to escort you to your quarters," he said warily. "They will then lock you in your room. I do apologise, but it's just a precaution."
"How many times am I going to hear the damn phrase 'just a precaution'?" Though Maiara, feeling temper rise. However, she simply nodded and allowed herself to be led from the room and into the hands of two Auror's. She gave them the fiercest look she could muster, chuckling to herself at the looks of terror on their faces.
Summer at the Burrow…
"I tell you Arthur I shall not let one in my house!" Mrs Weasley argued fiercely with her husband, brandishing an official looking letter from the Ministry for Magic.
"Molly, darling, she has no other place to stay!" He retorted, though backing slightly away from his wife, who looked as if she was about to explode. "The Ministry wants her at the centre of the Order, and as this is the centre now, he wishes her to stay with us! He assures us that she poses no threat, and Remus has agreed to stay and keep an eye out!"
Mrs Weasley was practically bursting with rage, and Mr Weasley suddenly feared for his life. He had seen no problem with housing Maiara, and had agreed when Rufus has mentioned the idea to him yesterday. He had assured him that Maiara would be closely watched by Auror's, and that she simply needed an out-of-the-way place to stay until the new school term began.
"It's all officially sorted now, so everything is out of my hands Molly!" He said, trying to bring the argument to a close. "She'll be arriving tomorrow night around 11pm, and it's only for a month!"
Mrs Weasley said nothing, and simply threw the letter down on the table and left the room. Mr Weasley breathed a sigh of relief, though knowing that he would probably be sleeping on the sofa tonight. Truth be told, Arthur was more worried about the whole affair than he was letting on. It had been only a week ago that there had been a large meeting of departments in the Ministry, and the Minister had explained that Voldemort had recently paid a visit to a group of Vampires in Romania known as the 'Ancients'. These Vampires were the first, many of them over a thousand years old. A spy for the Ministry had informed them that Voldemort planned to use these Vampires in his war, to which the Ancients would agree, as Voldemort had promised them enough blood to feed them for centuries to come. The only way that these creatures can be stopped is if the leader is killed, but he can only be killed by a creature of his own kind. This meant getting an Ancient on their side, which proved tricky until Maiara Daemon was tracked down. She had fled the clutches of the Ancients, and was found hiding in the depths of France. She had apparently suffered a nasty attack by the leader, and had become the brunt of his temper. So of course, she was not on the Ancients side. And even though it took some persuading, she finally agreed to the plan. The Ministry decided to post her as the new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts, as it was believed that Voldemort planned to attack the school when all the Ancients were on his side.
Arthur knew that if any parent found out that a Vampire would be teaching their children, they would withdraw them from Hogwarts immediately. So it had been military operation to prevent the Prophet from finding out what the Ministry was up to, which had been especially hard since many of it's reporters were infiltrating the Ministry undetected until they had done the damage. He glanced at the Ministry letter Mrs Weasley had thrown on the kitchen table, knowing that this letter would be the beginning's of hard times at the Burrow. Harry had arrived this morning, and would have to be told about the Ministries and Voldemort's plans. He was, after all, the one who would ultimately be Voldemort's downfall. He glanced at his watch; it was almost midnight, so he thought he'd chance trying to sleep in the same room as his wife. Though if her temper was anything to go by, she would have locked the door by now. As he made his way up the stairs, an overwhelming sense of dread engulfed him, and for the first time since he had heard the news, Arthur began to feel scared. He couldn't imagine what lay ahead, and if truth be told, a part of him didn't want to know. Relieved to find his bedroom door unlocked and his wife asleep, Arthur got silently into his nightshirt and slipped softly into bed with Molly. He held her tight in his arms as he drifted into an uncomfortable sleep, his dreams plagued with images of what might be the future.
10:30 the next evening…
"You know, even by the Wizarding world's standards this all seems mad." Stated Ron, the hastily stuffing a pastry into his mouth.
"Oh Ron I do wish you'd eat with more decorum." Hermione scoffed, looking with distain at Ron's half open mouth full of food. "I dread the day you meet my parents." She added, a slight smile playing across her lips.
Harry smirked as Hermione brushed crumbs off Ron's jumper. Yes Ron and Hermione were meant to be together, but Hermione seemed to act more like his mother than his girlfriend. And as Ron constantly reminded her, he already had one mother, he didn't need another. Even through their frequent arguments, Harry saw that they were very much love, something that Harry was a little jealous of. His own attempts at romance had been a total disaster, and he'd given up hope of ever having what you would call a 'normal' relationship. However, this was only at the back of his mind. What was worrying him the most was the imminent arrival of their guest and the subject of their arrival? Mr Weasley had briefed Harry, Ron and Hermione on what was going on, and this frankly terrified Harry. Of all the creatures Harry had come up against, Vampires seemed to fear him the most. This was partly due to the fact that he didn't know what to expect, for he had only read about them in text books. And the idea of a bloodthirsty night killer living in the same house as him somewhat rightly gave in shivers of fear.
"She had better be on time Arthur," Mrs Weasley spat coldly. "I don't wish to wait around all night for her."
"O-Oh, I'm sure she'll be on time." Mr Weasley answered tentatively, not looking his wife in the eye.
Harry had noticed certain hostility between Mr and Mrs Weasley, and it wasn't until late afternoon that Mr Weasley had told him that it was because he had allowed the Ministry to house a Vampire in their home. And if Harry was honest with himself, he'd be annoyed if he were in Mrs Weasley's shoes.
"Remus will be escorting her," Mr Weasley attempted to engage his wife in conversation. "Minister Scrimgeour didn't want her to travel here alone."
"Oh well I suppose that's comforting." Mrs Weasley replied scathingly.
Ron rolled his eyes at his parents, and turned his attention back to Hermione who seemed to be complaining about Ron's choice of jumper. Harry chuckled again, feeling that he had better start trying to see the funny side of things. For that was the only way he was going to survive this year without going insane, and he needed to keeps his wits about him.
When the grandfather clock struck 11pm, everyone in the living room jumped a foot in the air. They all spun expectantly to the fireplace, and sure enough, green flames erupted in the grate and several tones of soot fell from the chimney. Seconds later, Remus Lupin appeared in the fireplace, a glowing green band on his left wrist and it was immediately after he had stepped out of the grate that Harry saw what this was for. Another figure emerged from the gloom of the fireplace attached to Lupin, a green band of her own on her wrist, and Harry felt a sudden urge to back away. The woman that stepped out of the grate seemed to be ill. Even though her features gave Harry the impression that she was once very beautiful, Harry could see that she was a shadow of her former self. She had pale skin, pale as the snow and long, unkempt ebony hair, which was falling out of the plat which it was roughly tied in. She had cold, pale blue eyes; unnaturally pale and Harry thought they seemed unsuitable for her face. She didn't say a word to anyone as she brushed the soot off her jet black robes, she simply stared silently around the room as if scrutinising everyone there. Harry saw Mrs Weasley rush over to Remus to help, though she didn't look her guest in the eye. It seemed she was too disgusted to make eye contact just yet.
"Oh Remus, are you alright?" Mrs Weasley fussed, brushing yet more soot off his robes.
"Yes I'm fine Molly, no need to fuss." He replied cheerily, as if trying to lighten the mood. "Right then, now we're here I think I should be allowed to remove these binds." He said, indicating to the green handcuff-like implements attaching him and the Vampire.
"Oh well if you're sure." Said Mrs Weasley, glancing warily at her guest for the first time.
Remus smiled at Mrs Weasley's obviously mistrust of the Vampire, though he thought that he couldn't blame her for being wary. Some of the most horrific murders in history had been carried out by Vampires. He took his wand from the breast pocket of his robes and pointed it at the binds securing him to the Vampire, and immediately they liquefied into the air. He rubbed his wrists where the binds had grasped tightly, and motioned for his company to take a seat. An offer which she did not take and Remus decided not to press the matter.
"Right well, I think it's high time for introductions." He exclaimed brightly to the Vampire, who did not seem to want to talk to anyone. "I'm sure your hosts would appreciate knowing the name of the person they are welcoming to their home." He added in an undertone to the Vampire, who frowned with obviously discontent.
"My name is Maiara Daemon," she voiced at last, and Harry felt a chill crawl up his spine as she spoke. "And I thank you for agreeing to house me, I am only sorry that it was brought to you on such short notice."
Remus smiled in approval. "Now the introductions are out of the way," he said taking a seat next to Harry. "I feel that it is high time for some explanations, and I know that Maiara has a few things she'd like to say."
Maiara scowled at Remus, who seemed to instantly regret inviting her to speak more to everyone. Harry got the impression that all Maiara wanted to do was be on her own, something it seemed she would not get until she had given her fair share of information. Still scowling, Maiara removed her travelling cloak to reveal a red medieval corset top, with long sleeves. A large belt held a holster for her wand, and tight black trousers clung to her hourglass figure. She wore large, black boots which were covered in an assortment of straps. Around her neck Harry saw a delicate, ornate silver necklace. She placed her travelling cloak on the back of Remus' chair, and then returned to the front of the room.
"I do not feel that this is the time for the entire tale," she voiced emotionlessly. "The finer details I shall tell when the time is right. However, I do think it is time for me to quash some stereotypes which you have obviously been harbouring since I arrived." She spoke more to Mrs Weasley than anyone else in the room. "Yes I am a Vampire; however this does not mean I wish to kill you while you sleep. Believe me when I say that no harm will come to you whilst I am here."
"But don't you get like, cravings for blood?" Voiced Ron stupidly, earning him a scolding from both his mother and Hermione.
"On the contrary Master Weasley, I shall not need to get cravings during my time here." She answered rather mysteriously, and Harry got the impression that she had already drained her fair share of victims before she arrived. "As I was saying, I shall not be a threat to any of you, so I hope that's cleared the air a little." Mrs Weasley's furious stare did not waver, and Harry suspected Maiara was going to have to do a lot more than that to convince Mrs Weasley that she was trustworthy. "I would like now to invite you to ask me any question that you may have, to hopefully make you more comfortable."
For a few moments there was silence. It seemed that everyone had questions they were burning to ask, but didn't know whether it was safe to ask them or not. After a tense silence, it was Ron who asked the first question, though Harry thought he might as well have just signed his own death warrant.
"When was the last time you killed someone?" Ron asked innocently, while Hermione hit him sharply on the arm.
"Ow!" Exclaimed Ron, looking hurt and rubbing the part of his arm Hermione had hit.
To Harry's surprise, Maiara smiled. "What a question Master Weasley," she said a hint of amusement in her voice. "But I do not like the term kill, it gives the impression that we do not have to kill. We simply have to feed, just as you do. And to answer your question, it has indeed been a while since I last fed. We Vampires can sustain our energies for months after feeding, and if I recall the last feeding was about two months ago."
An uneasy silence followed this rather blunt answer to Ron's question. Harry could sense the disgust in Maiara's voice, and he thought that maybe she did not like to kill, or feed or whatever he should call it.
"I would like to add," Maiara voiced once more after almost a minute of silence. "That most Vampires do not enjoy feeding on humans; I especially do not like the idea of taking a life to satisfy my hunger."
"How did you become a Vampire?" Hermione suddenly asked, looking somewhat scared.
Maiara was silent for a moment. And Harry could tell that this question had brought some painful memories to her attention. Even though her face showed little emotion, her eyes gave away the great sadness within her. After she had composed herself, Maiara answered Hermione's question.
"I do not remember every detail, as the years have passed by like seconds." Maiara said, so quietly that everyone had to lean forward to hear her. "But I was once the Ministries top Auror, and almost 250 years ago, I and nineteen other Auror's were sent to Romania to deal with a group of Vampires known as the Ancients." Maiara paused for a moment, as if trying to summon up some kind of emotion in her voice. However, it remained as emotionless as ever. "The only way, as you know, to stop the Ancients is if one of their own kind kills the leader. So, one of the Auror's who came with me, bravely stepped up to sacrifice himself to the Vampires. Once he was a Vampire like them, he was to kill the leader and rid the world of their evil. Though we did not get that far, as the Ancients ambushed and killed all my companions. Then…I was bitten by their leader. To make the transformation complete, I had to drink his blood also."
"But why did you let him complete the transformation?" Hermione pressed. "Surely it was better to die than to live eternity alone."
"I was a coward, Miss." Maiara admitted, turning to the fireplace. "I was plagued with fear about death, I wasn't yet ready to let go of life. I had a husband and a baby daughter, and was desperate to see them again. So I gave in, like a coward I chose this life, if you can call it a life, over dying like a hero."
Harry suddenly felt an overwhelming surge of sympathy and respect for Maiara. Even though she seemed to think she was a coward for not dying, Harry thought she was incredibly brave and selfless. All she had thought of in her dying moments were her husband and child, she didn't care about dying. She just wanted to see her family, and give her child back her mother.
"I think it was brave of you." Harry voiced quietly, looking directly at Maiara. "To give up the easy way out to see your family, I'd give anything to see my family again, just like you."
At this comment, Maiara turned sharply round to face Harry. Her face full of stunned confusion, and for the first time since she arrived, Maiara felt a flicker of emotion. Never in her life had she been called brave, well not since her demise into a beast anyway. She had spent the past 250 years wondering the world alone, full of self hatred for giving into Elian. Now, by the words of a 17 year old boy, Maiara began to feel more at home than ever. It was astonishing what words can do to comfort the soul, well if I have any soul left, Maiara thought sadly. Then, for the first time in centuries, Maiara stretched her face into a warm and thankful smile. It was amazing how this simple act could change someone's features so dramatically. Her features softened, and she looked more human than ever, even her old beauty which had been suppressed all these years began to shine through.
"I thank you for your words Master Potter; no one has spoken such words of comfort to me in an age." Maiara said graciously.
"Did you ever get to see your family again?" Mrs Weasley voiced quietly from the corner of the room. It seemed that she was starting to warm to Maiara.
"No, I didn't." Maiara answered quietly, and it seemed she did not wish to answer the question further, so Mrs Weasley left it there.
"Right, I think it's high time everyone was in bed." Mr Weasley said, looking at the clock on the mantelpiece, it was past midnight.
Obediently, everyone rose from their seats and made their way to their rooms. All except Remus and Maiara, who stayed and watched everyone leave. Remus then turned to Maiara, his face full of concern. Though he knew that Maiara would just wave his concerns aside, she wasn't one for taking pity. He stood up and made his way towards where Maiara stood.
"H-How are you feeling?" He asked timidly, meeting Maiara's gaze.
"As well as can be expected thank you." She replied coldly, walking away from Remus. "I am going to take a walk, night is the only time I am able to experience nature. I do not need you to follow me; I am not going to run away. I wish to be by myself. Goodnight, Master Lupin."
"Goodnight Maiara." He replied softly, watching as she left the house and into the depths of darkness.
As he watched her leave, Remus felt something stir within him. Something that he knew he shouldn't feel, for after all she was a Vampire; and immortal beast, who killed humans just to feed her hunger. But he couldn't help feeling a strong connection with her. Both had been changed into the beasts they had become against their will, and both were living their lives alone. He found mesmerising; her features, though unconventional, Remus found stunning. Her porcelain white skin, her ebony hair and her ruby red lips all made his heart shudder with emotion. Ever since he first saw her, he knew their connection was strong, even if Maiara did not want to admit it yet. He sighed to himself as he made his way to the spare room that Molly and Arthur had provided for him, his thoughts of Maiara never wavering. He looked solemnly out of his window, his eyes resting on a shadowy figure standing motionless in the Weasley's garden. Remus recognised it almost immediately as Maiara. She seemed to simply taking in the feel of nature, her head tilted towards the crescent moon, basking in its silvery glow. Remus resisted the urge to go down there and join her, for he knew she wanted to be by herself. The sun would soon be up, and she would spend the day shut in the basement of the Weasley's house. Sighing, Remus climbed into bed, though he did not sleep for a good couple of hours.
Thank you for reading! And I hope you'll review as well! He he! I do like to read your reviews, and any improvements you think I could make. However, only constructive criticism will be noted!