It was currently the beginning of November, just one month closer to the Month of Christ.
There was the occasional whisper of his name but for the most part everyone has accepted Hadrian's presence within Hogwarts.
Almost everyone.
It was the first week of November after Hadrian saved Hermione from the Troll, she moved to the Slytherin table where she sat next to Daphne, in front of Hadrian. Malfoy was almost about to insult her but he remembered Hadrian's warning about those who exercise blood prejudices.
"You'll find out just how dirty your blood will be on the ground."
Draco shivered so he instead simply said "Granger."
She nodded and looked at Daphne who was a lot more welcoming as she held her hand out to Hermione. "Daphne Greengrass."
Hermione smiled and shook her hand "Hermione Granger."
Hermione then turned her head to look at Hadrian who had a small smile on his face as he bowed his head to her.
"Hadrian, I wanted to say thank you. For saving me from the Troll." Hermione said sheepishly as she fidgeted in her seat.
"You're quite welcome. Though I believe my companion, Venom deserves a thank you as well."
To which Venom stood up on the bench, his front legs on the table as he stared at Hermione with expectations.
Hermione was still a little nervous at the sight of one of the most dangerous reptiles in the world but steeled herself as she said "Thanks Venom."
Venom flicked his tongue before eating a chicken leg.
Hadrian chuckled and looked at Hermione before frowning as he looked behind her to see Ron approaching the table.
"Hermione, what are you doing with a bunch of snakes?" Ron asked rather rudely.
Hermione turned around and answered "Well I'm trying to have a polite conversation with them before you rudely interrupted us."
Ron glared at her "You should stay away. No good comes from fraternizing with a bunch of Dark Wizards. Especially a blood sucking leech like him." He said the last part while glaring at Hadrian.
Before anybody could speak or even Professor McGonogall stand up, Hadrian spoke "556."
Ron blinked in confusion and everyone around, even at the Teacher's table. "What?"
Hadrian fished a cigarette out of his coat and put it in between his lips and grinded his sharp fingernails together. Causing a spark that lit up the cigarette.
Hadrian inhaled some smoke before blowing it out and looked up at Ron and repeated "556. That's how many times I've been called that term. Think of anything, I guarantee, I've been called it before."
Hadrian stood up and phased through the table, much to everyone's surprise. Ron began to back up and even fell onto the bench of the Ravenclaw table, which made some of the students back away.
Hadrian leaned close to Ron's face and took a puff before blowing some smoke in his face, making the pathetic redhead cough and close his eyes from the burning smoke. Hadrian whispered "I'd quit while I'm ahead, if I were you."
Hadrian stood up and turned his back to Ron who shook badly. "Now kindly remove yourself from my presence, you're disturbing our conversation."
Ron made a beeline to the entrance to the Great Hall and several students snickered.
Hadrian phased back through the table and sat down.
Suffice to say, there was more to the vampire than what they've seen already.
"How did you do that?" Daphne asked before Hermione could ask.
Hadrian chuckled and removed the cigarette from his mouth before answering "I turned myself into mist."
Hermione blinked at the simple and nonchalant answer that Hadrian gave. "Just like that?"
Hadrian cocked an eyebrow at her "Were you expecting an overly complicated answer about how I dematerialized parts of my body to phase through solid matter?"
Hermione looked a little sheepish and answered "No I suppose not."
Hadrian released a chuckle and placed the cigarette back in his mouth and took another puff.
And so Hadrian gained another acquaintance. But that was not on his mind right now. He wanted to hunt. He wanted to drain the blood of whatever was in his path. The blood in his flask had ran dry and a new shipment wouldn't arrive for another few days. He needed blood.
Or a student will go missing.
As the full moon shined down upon the castle, Hadrian faced the Forbidden Forest. He took a puff of smoke before tossing it away onto the moist grass.
He began to walk toward the forest before picking up his pace. He closed his eyes before opening them uo to reveal the sounds of the forest increase. His eyesight also heightened to reveal the very smallest details and could see farther, like an owl.
He could see the moisture in the fog, the crisp shine on the trees from the moon, and even see some of the owl and the inside, with their blood stream and beating of their hearts.
This was what he enjoyed the most, outside of playing with human lives. To let his senses go, to truly see the beauty of the smallest details.
But like all things, it must come to an end.
His pointed ears picked up the neigh of a horse. It was a painful neigh which meant something was attacking it.
It was to the west of the vampire so Hadrian climbed up one of the decayed tall trees before launching to another. Then another.
All the while no noise was made; as if he was never there.
There was clearing that revealed the source of the painful neigh.
A Unicorn.
A unicorn with snow white fur and mane and a spiral horn that gave the fantastical creature it's name.
It laid on its side with a black shape hunched over its neck. It could've been a vampire but Hadrian was not fooled. There was no scent of vampiric blood on the shape. Hadrian growled and his red orbs glowed like headlights of a vehicle.
Hadrian launched himself towards the shape which looked up at the vampire before being grabbed and thrown to a tree. The shape turned its head to the side as it collided with a tree and slid down onto its side, on top of the exposed roots.
Hadrian got a better look of the shape and noted, it was a cloak. Someone was hiding within that cloak.
The Vampire Prince bared his fangs and hissed at the stranger which made it get up before looking up above Hadrian to see a horse gallop behind the vampire.
Hadrian launched himself above and flipped behind the horse only to find a man not on the horse. Combined with the horse.
A Centuar.
The Centaur jumped over the wounded Unicorn before bringing his front hooves to try and cave the strangers head in. Only for it to float away like a phantom.
Hadrian watched it flow away before looking up at the centaur and bow his head. "Greetings Centuar."
The Centuar bowed with one leg bent "Greetings Hadrian Dracul. I am Firenze. Mars spoke about your arrival."
Hadrian stood up straight and looked at the injured unicorn. His eyes showed sympathy for a split second before walking towards it and knelt down.
The Unicorn twitched a bit as its breath became heavy and slower with each second. Silver liquid matted its snowy fur. The Unicorn looked at the Prince.
A creature of Dark and a pure creature of Light stared at each other and understanding was seen in each other's eyes.
The Unicorn knew it was going to die. Hadrian could save it, but he would've had to give it his own blood. Which in turn, would turn the Unicorn into a Nightmare.
The Unicorn wished not such a fate and burden on Hadrian so it simply laid its head down.
Hadrian placed a hand on the Equine's snout as his other hand drifted across its mid section before finding the heartbeat.
He shoved his entire hand through, piercing it's heart and giving the Unicorn the peaceful slumber.
Hadrian pulled his hand out, completely covered in silver. He wiped it on his coat, making note to wash it soon.
Firenze walked towards the Vampire Prince and spoke somberly "Jupiter spoke of this moment. The purest of creature being given peace by the darkest creature."
Hadrian frowned before speaking "Artemis will see to it that this creature is accepted into the realm of her Lunar Kingdom."
Firenze nodded "All mythical creatures are in her realm. She speaks highly of you. You are her greatest hunter."
Hadrian stood up before watching as the glow of the moon cocooned around the Unicorn before it faded from existence.
Hadrian closed his eyes respect before walking away and pulled a cigarette from his pocket and placed it in between his lips.
He scraped his fingernails together to create a spark, lighting up the cigarette and taking a whiff of the roll of tobacco.
He exhaled, releasing a trail of smoke before asking the Centaur "Firenze, why was that Unicorn attacked?"
"Can you think of no one?"
Hadrian frowned before taking another inhale "So he truly was never dead."
Firenze nodded "He's after something within the castle. I believe the Headmaster has deemed a room unsafe."
Hadrian was silent for a few moments before soft chuckling could be heard. It evolved into laughter as Hadrian rolled his head back and laughed.
After about a minute or two of the Prince laughing, he calmed down "So the Headmaster wished to endanger his students by keeping an object of interest for him in a school. He's an even bigger fool than I took him for."
Firenze spoke "The Universe works in mysterious ways."
Hadrian chuckled and took another inhale.
It became silent as all that was heard was the burning of the cigarette and the various birds and howls from wolves.
Firenze decided to ask "What shall you do now?"
Hadrian did not answer, for the centaur already had the answer.
All that was said was "It was a pleasure to meet you, Firenze." Before Hadrian crushed the paper roll, snuffing out the flames and dropping it onto the ground. The Vampire Prince walked off towards the illuminating light of the castle.
The wet dirt swallowed the cigarette before a little seedling of a tree sprouted from the ground.
Firenze watched the young vampire leave before looking up at the starry sky, towards the shine of the moon.
"May the great Goddess of the Moon grant you strength and lead you through the darkness with her shining moonlight."
The night ended with Firenze trotting off after his tribe.
But for Hadrian? The night may be over but the Hunt was far from over.
AN: Hey guys. I'm so sorry it took so long to update. I pretty much needed to let my brain rest. I had a bad case of Writer's Block. But I'm glad to have gotten this out.The way the world is in right now, I think we all could use a distraction. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I look forward to writing more for you guys.