A/N so here is the next chapter hope you enjoy it.

Please tell me how I am doing I hope everyone isnt too out of character if they are oh well that's why its fanfiction

These first few chapters are mainly introductions the action will pick up soon.

Chapter two

Not quite so secret

Surprisingly Harry made it through the feast with little problems. He was however slightly worried about Ron and Hermione neither of them had shown up but Ron's little sister Ginny had been sorted and placed in Gryffindor.

At the end of the feast the headmaster told him to stay behind. This is when Harry's nervousness reached a fever pitch they could have figured it out already could they?

He was so upset he hardly noticed it was Snape that led him up to the Headmaster's office. Although something did penetrate his nervousness he could feel the presence of another vampire. It was a kind of electric pulse that repeatedly smacked into him, and they were emanating from the Potions Professor. Of course it was just Harry's luck that the rumors were true about Severus being a vampire. Now he knew his task of hiding his vampirism just became monumentally harder.

Harry had gotten a few texts on vampires over the summer. He knew the only reason Snape had not sensed him yet was because he was too new. As the year went on Harry's presence would become more and more noticeable and with Snape's annoying tendency to hover over him hoping for a mistake he knew it would be next to impossible to keep hidden forever.

It sounded like he needed to find something to mask his presence and if something didn't exist well then he would just have to invent it himself.

The two vampires reached the headmaster's circular office quickly. The ride up the moving staircase was silent although the constant Presence Harry felt from Severus never left it felt like Severus was very old or made by someone who was extremely powerful either of those two things attributed to a vampires Presence. Harry's hoped his wouldn't be that strong it would be easier to hide. He knew better then to kid himself with his luck he was created by the oldest and the strangest making his presence strong even from the beginning.

His thoughts were brought sharply into focus by the Headmaster clearing his throat and offering him a lemon drop. He politely declined and Dumbledore got down to business.

"I know you noticed that Miss. Granger and Mr. Weasley were not at the feast. Both student were caught in a flying Ford Angela. I am sorry to be the one to tell you but both students were expelled from Hogwarts. They may choose to seek education else ware. It was not a full magical world expulsion just a school expulsion. I know you three were very close take care of yourself and keep up with your studies." Dumbledore said seriously.

"Ron and Hermione are gone? They were caught in a flying car? What happened?" Harry asked the first two things to himself and the last he addressed to Dumbledore.

"The barrier at the train station didn't let them through and instead of contacting someone by owl post they decided to steal the car. It might have been overlooked but they were seen by several muggles and the rules on this are very clear. Again I am sorry to have to tell you this." Dumbledore explained.

Harry just nodded his head he couldn't believe his two best friends were gone. He thanked Dumbledore for informing him then asked for the password to the Gryffindor dorms.

Dumbledore smiled sadly told him the password and wished him goodnight. It was a very subdued Harry Potter that made it back to Gryffindor tower. By then everyone had been told and everyone looked at Harry with pity. Pity was the one thing Harry couldn't stand.

He went up to bed and pulled the curtains around it. It wouldn't do for one of the other boys to find him in his trance like sleep. Instead of sleeping with his eyes closed Harry now slept with his eyes open he didn't process any information it was like he was dead. It was also extremely hard to wake him luckily the sun did that.

He had to remember to give himself time to put on his potion. He took a drink of his bloodlust potion then slowly drifted into his trance sleep. He didn't dream more like went back through memories he could now remember every minute detail of his life in startling clarity.

The first week of classes flew by, instead of hanging out with Ron and Hermione like he used to do he now throw himself into his studies. You were now far more likely to see Harry in the library then the Quidditch pitch.

His extra attention to his studies showed in his classes. He was not a super human by any stretch of the term but he was a very talented wizard with a lot of raw power backing his spells.

He was also working on something to mask his Presence he had about twenty pages of notes covered in cross outs ink smears and multiple theories. He had two main ones that he thought might work they were both potion based with an activation spell.

The time he was both looking forward to and dreading was Snape's potions class. He loved potions now partly because he depended on them to live a slightly normal life and partly because when he was brewing potions was the only time his mind settled and he was able to concentrate on only one thing.

He also found with his new senses he just sort of knew what a potion needed he rarely needed to read the directions more then once. Friday after lunch was his first Potions class it was a double period with the Slytherins.

He entered the dungeons quietly and swiftly five minutes early. In fact he was the first Gryffindor there. He knew he would need a dose of his potion sometime today he had worked out a schedule the first few days so he decided to take it now before too many people saw him. He glanced around not seeing the professor. He could sense him somewhere close he scanned the shadows and pinpointed the professor's location. No wonder he usually appeared out of thin air he had the shadows wrapped around him like a cloak. Harry wondered when he would be able to do something like that.

Now that Harry knew where he was he was able to face away from him to take the potion. He thought he had gotten away with it until he saw Draco's knowing gaze. Harry flashed him a sheepish smile then turned back to the front of the room.

The Slytherins all came in and sat down silently in ones and twos. Just as Harry had predicted the rest of the Gryffindors showed up in a pack right as the bell rang. Snape did his usually entrance melting out of the shadows Harry would have thought it very impressive if he hadn't already known he was there.

They came to a slight problem when picking groups Ron and Hermione weren't there to pair up with, and he absolutely refused to be put with the walking potions disaster Neville. Surprisingly Draco offered for him to join their group. So Harry was now working with Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini on the Slytherin side of the dungeons. He ended up getting quite a few scathing glares from his own house as well as mutinous looks from Slytherin. He just ignored them all and followed the directions he was given.

Draco knew what he was doing when he asked Harry to join them. Both he and Blaise were a little awed watching the Gryffindor work. Of course being Slytherins it didn't show on there faces but the awe was there. Harry was so engrossed in what he was doing that he didn't notice when the other two stepped back and gave him room to work. He was barely aware when Professor Snape came to there group and just watched Harry.

Snape couldn't believe the grace and precision Harry was using with his potion. From what he was shown last year this shouldn't be possible. Last year Harry was mediocre at best with potions, now he was obviously competent if not adapt at this.

Harry only came out of his self imposed trance when the potion was completely finished. He got a small smile on his face when he realized it was perfectly done. Snape also snapped out of his daze and called out, "Bottle your potions and bring them to the front you have five minutes." Everyone all rushed to hand their potions in. Harry saw the potential for disaster so he cast a shatter proof charm on the flask that held his, Draco's, and Blaise's potion. It was a good thing to because one of the Gryffindors Harry didn't see exactly who stuck their foot out. He didn't fall but the vial slipped from his hand.

Snape saw what happened his wand was out before the vial hit expecting it to shatter. When it hit the floor without bursting he knew someone had cast a charm on the vial now would be a perfect time to test Potter.

"Potter, did you cast an unbreakable charm on the vial?" at Harry's nod he continued. "Did you even stop to consider how the charm would affect the potion inside?"

"With all due respect professor yes I did. I know the dandelion root in the potion stabilized this particular potion from that charm. If the root was not pleasant I would have used a different shielding charm." Harry answered respectfully. Not the snaky reply Snape was expecting most second years would not have known about the root.

"Good at least you weren't so lazy you didn't open a book." Snape replied moving on neither giving or taking points which for Snape was a big thing because he had been known to take points off Harry for breathing too loudly.

Harry finished handing in their potion then went back to collect his stuff. He was nearly at the door when Snape called him. "Potter stay after class."

Harry waited for everyone to leave then moved up next to Snape. "What is it Professor?" He asked a little nervously.

"I wanted to ask where this new skill with potions came from. Last year to put it bluntly you were terrible this year your good enough my godson volunteered to work with you and the potion came out perfect. So what happened?" Snape asked then backed off a little to give Harry some air.

Harry let out an almost unnoticed sigh of relief that the topic was not his vampirism. "This summer I decided to stop being a push over I reread all my old text books and read my new ones as soon as I got them. Except for defense Lockhart is a joke. Anyway with out Ron and Hermione I was able to concentrate and I realized I like potions. Apparently I am not as bad as I thought." Harry explained again respectfully.

"I expect the same level of skill for the rest of the year." With that Snape stalked through the door to his office leaving Harry to scramble back to Gryffindor tower.

While Harry was breathing a sigh of relief in the tower and starting on the days homework the other vampire in the castle was sulking in his office. Instead of answering his questions his little chat with Potter gave him more questions then answers. "What caused the shift in the boy's thinking? Were his previous friends holding him back? Why did he stay with his Godson over the summer? And last but not least what was the relief he saw in his student's eyes? Severus wasn't a spy for anything he knew Harry was hiding something probably something big. Keeping secrets however was not a Gryffindor trait it was most definitely a Slytherin one. Harry was better at hiding then some in his own house that worried Snape a little. What was so important that it required such secrecy? He didn't think he would ever now." After his little chat with himself Snape decided to keep an extra close eye on the boy. Who knows the boy may just surprise him.

Over the next few weeks Snape made good on his promise to himself. He watched the boy during meals and during his potions class and came up with some startling things. One Harry didn't eat much pretty much the same amount that Severus himself ate. Two Harry had cycles throughout the day of one minute being down and tired and awake and active the next, once Snape had seen him drinking from a silver flask he kept tucked in his robes. Three the boy's concentration and general magical skills had improved in all his areas of study. He also observed clinically that the boy had been right the defense teacher Lockhart was indeed a joke.

The boy even helped him unknowingly in his quest to find the boys secret. The boy had asked permission to use a practice lab. Snape had said yes on one condition he had to observe. He was surprised to see a look of reservation cross the boys face before slowly nodding his head.

What Snape saw in the lab puzzled him Harry made the same two potions like clockwork that looked startlingly familiar. And every once and a while he would make a potion that Severus had never seen before. If Severus wasn't positive the boy didn't have it in him he would have sworn the boy had invented it.

The very next class after the first batch of the unknown potion had been brewed Snape once again saw Harry drinking from the little silver flask. This time he watched for the signs, and he was not disappointed. Harry cheeks got a little more color to them although they still looked a bit like marble, and the bright emerald eyes got even brighter. Snape was just coherent enough to get the students started on their potions. He couldn't believe what his mind was telling him. It couldn't be it just couldn't be. If Potter was what he was thinking then way couldn't he feel him? If it was true it had to have happened over the summer and at least a faint presence should be detectable but from Harry he got nothing.

At the end of this class Snape intended to get some answers the easy way or the hard way. He just had to wait untill everyone was gone.

Harry and his group had finished another perfect potion and was heading to the door when Snape called him to stay after again. Harry knew deep in his gut he was in trouble.

"Don't worry Potter your not in trouble yet." Snape said coming up behind him.

"What do you want?" Harry asked a little of his fear bleeding into his voice.

"I know you have been hiding something I have been watching you. If you don't tell me I will have to go to the headmaster." Snape demanded.

"There is no need to go to the Headmaster." Harry pressed.

"And why is that?" Snape asked.

"Because there is nothing to tell." Harry said trying to project his sincerity.

Snape was impressed with Harry's skill but it wasn't enough. He crept up behind his student then basically pounced. Soon he held a struggling Harry tight against his own immortal body. Snape bit his own finger and pushed it into Harry's mouth.

Harry couldn't help it it is a natural reaction to the presence of blood in a vampires mouth. His fangs lengthened and he started to suck the blood from the wound.

Snape satisfied that he had found the answer let Harry feed for a few moments before removing his finger. "Yes Mr. Potter nothing indeed."

"What are you going to do now?" Harry asked trying to regain his composure that was the first time he had feed on real blood since his turning.

"You're lucky I won't go to the headmaster for the simple reason I don't want to deal with the headache I know that conversation will produce. I would like you to answer a few questions if you can." Snape explained.

"Thank you for not going to Dumbledore I don't want to deal with the general outrage from the public if they found out. I will try to answer your questions but I might not be able to." Harry answered.

"First things first where is your Sire it's forbidden to abandon your Childe?" Snape asked.

"Then my sire is a fugitive I never saw his face and haven't had contact since the night I was turned." Harry explained.

"Next how are you masking your Presence your old enough it should be there?" Snape continued.

"You remember that light blue potion I made?" Harry got a nod. "I invented it it masks a vampires Presence. I haven't tested it on a wizard but if my theory is correct it should also alter a wizard's signature." He explained.

"I don't have to ask who's been making the potions your skill is all the answer I need. I do wonder who all knows?" Snape asked again.

"Well both of us my Sire and Draco knows a little but not the whole story." Harry answered.

"Draco? How much does he know?" Snape asked sounding a little startled.

"He knows I have to take a potion and apply one topically. He doesn't know why yet. Although I did promise him if he guessed right I would tell him the truth. He hasn't guessed at all yet." Harry answered.

"I have seen how well you can keep a secret I don't recommend telling anyone. The only way I figured it out is you act just like I do. I don't know exactly what will happen but if the school finds out it could be really bad for you." Snape explained.

"You better get back to Gryffindor tower now. Oh and keep taking the Presence masking potion it could come in handy. I will take over your education fledglings do not survive long without a teacher." With that Snape once again blended back into the shadows.

Harry followed his advice and went back to Gryffindor tower. He followed his ritual of getting ready making sure the last thing he did was take the potion. He noticed he was getting low he would have to make more soon. He was very nervous about Snape offering to be his teacher. He knew grudges don't let go easily he hoped Snape wasn't doing it out of some bizarre vampire etiquette he really didn't want to be a burden on anyone. Especially one that didn't seem to care about him in the first place.

He fell into his trance sleep fitfully reliving his bad memories instead of the good ones. He saw his parents die and him killing Quirrel. All he saw was death and pain. The next morning he came out of his trance slowly still exhausted like he hadn't slept at all. He took his potion then got ready for the day.