I don't own Hellsing or Harry Potter, and I'm not making any money from this.

The news about Black spread through the school like wildfire. Mihnea hadn't been in study hall when Seamus made the announcement of his discovery, but it didn't take long for him to hear all about it. But, of course, a mass murderer being sighted about thirty miles away from the school didn't prevent business going on as usual. Classes were still held and homework was still given out. And Mihnea had his stocking duties down in Snape's storerooms to take care of.

Snape was a hard nut to crack when trying to discern what he was thinking. He hardly ever showed emotion except for extremely small snatches that were difficult to spot. However, the boy had been around his head of house long enough to identify when he was disturbed by something. Perhaps 'disturbed' wasn't the right word. It was too strong and implied fearfulness. No, rather, Snape was... upset about something. Irritated, even. So Mihnea wasn't terribly surprised to learn during one of his restocking sessions that Dumbledore was coming down to the Potion's Master's office to have a talk with him. It had to have something to do with the news of Black being spotted. He half thought he'd get the chance to listen in and see what it was about.

Unfortunately, Snape shot that idea down almost as quickly as it came to him.

"I won't be needing you for stocking this afternoon." the man told him. "However, there is a small bit of business I can't be bothered with at the moment." he picked up a large vial filled with a murky green potion. "Deliver this to Professor Lupin for me."

Mihnea studied the bottle and slowly quirked a brow. It was stoppered, so he couldn't smell the contents, but it looked suspiciously like a wolfsbane potion. He had strongly suspected Lupin was a werewolf from the moment he stepped foot into his first class, but didn't have any solid proof of it. That bottle pretty much confirmed it.

"Sir, is that...?" he began, only to have Snape cut him off.

"I am required to say that it's medicine and nothing more." the man told him meaningfully. He extended the vial. "Deliver it, Mr. Bassarab."

That sounded like a not so subtle way of telling him that the potion was precisely what he thought it was. Mihnea took the glass bottle and inclined his head. "Yes, professor."

As he made his way of out of the dungeons and up into the main part of the castle, Mihnea wondered if perhaps he had indulged in listening in on Professor Snape's conversations a bit too often. It was starting to seem that the man knew him well enough to understand that he didn't need to be around if he wanted to have an entirely private conversation. The boy could have Pixie hang out near Snape's office more often to listen in for him, but that would quickly draw attention. It would be strange to others for his cat to be lurking around in a particular place all the time. He was going to have to talk to the twins about getting a set of those 'extendable ears' they'd come up with. They would probably make him pay for them, but it would be a worthwhile investment. Having his head of house block all his spying attempts was starting to get annoying.

The Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom had one of the most interesting setups of all the rooms in the castle. Rather than the professor's office being situated a few doors down the hall, it was actually located inside the classroom itself. One simply had to walk up a short, rounded staircase at the end of the room to reach it. When Mihnea knocked on the door, he immediately noticed he couldn't hear any sound coming from within. That was a bit strange. Even if a teacher was doing nothing more than sitting quietly at their desk, he could usually make out some sort of noise. The rustling of papers being flipped through or the scrape of a drawer being opened. But here, there was nothing but absolute silence. He half thought that no one was there until the door was pulled open from the inside.

"Mr. Bassarab?" Lupin questioned upon seeing the boy standing there. His face brightened and he stepped back out of the way. "I apologize if I kept you waiting. I've been working on grading a few papers. Come in, come in."

One of the many reasons Mihnea suspected this man might be a werewolf (on top of having a scent that definitely wasn't human) was his unusual behavior patterns. He was always thoughtful, open, and friendly to students, but the boy also noticed that with the approach of the full moon, he was growing more and more animated. Not hyper exactly, but you could tell that he was filled with more energy than he usually was. His face had more color to it and the faint traces of gray in his hair were almost unnoticeable. Mihnea imagined that after he went through his transformation, everything would change and the professor would look like he'd been run over by a bus. At least until he had adequate time to recover.

Lupin waited until he walked inside of the room to clasp his hands in front of him. "Now, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

Mihnea held up the bottle of potion. "Professor Snape sent me to give this to you."

The man looked at the bottle and quirked a brow. "Did he, now? How interesting. Well, this is very fortunate because I've been meaning to have a conversation with you, but you're difficult to track down outside of class."

The boy immediately went very still. Lupin wanted to have a conversation with him? He wondered if he should be nervous. The first thought that popped into his head was that if he could sense that Lupin was a werewolf, then he might be able to do the exact same thing with him. He wasn't really sure how he felt about that. Professor Lupin was a likeable sort of person, and Mihnea thought his classes were the best he'd ever had. But he'd been keeping everything under wraps for so long, the idea of it coming out was still... unnerving.

His expression must have become guarded, because Lupin gave him a reassuring look. "There's no need to be nervous." he told him sincerely. "You're not in trouble. Just a friendly conversation and nothing more."

Mihnea studied him carefully. "About what, sir?"

"Well, lets just say that people like me develop a habit of being observant." he said. "You strike me as a very interesting sort of person, Mihnea. Do you mind if I call you Mihnea?"

"Um... no sir." the boy said, remaining watchful.

Lupin gave him another reassuring look and motioned toward the door that was still open behind him. "Push that closed, if you would. There are muffling wards on this room to prevent any sound from getting out."

That must have been why he couldn't hear anything before, Mihnea thought to himself. He closed the door, then turned back around to face his professor.

"Now then," the man said. "I assure you that you have my full confidence, and anything that is said in this room will stay in this room. Can I expect the same from you in return?"

Yep, Lupin definitely sensed something. Jesus this was awkward. But really, if anyone were going to find out, it was probably best for it to be someone like him. Slowly, not feeling comfortable with the decision but making it all the same, Mihnea inclined his head.

"Yes sir." he said.

The professor smiled brightly. "Good lad." he said, then waved his arm. "Come sit down."

Rather than having him sit down across from his desk like most of the other teachers would have, Lupin took a more informal approach. He pulled himself up by his arms to sit on top of his desk, while Mihnea chose a chair in front of him. The whole thing was a ploy to calm his nerves, he imagined. People tended to be more comfortable in casual settings. The man studied him silently for a moment, then cleared his throat.

"I imagine you're wondering what all of this is about." he commented.

Mihnea hesitated for the briefest of moments, then blew out a long stream of air. "Actually, sir, I think I know exactly what this is about."

"Ah." he said with a kind smile. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised." he leaned back a bit, balancing himself on his arms. "You know, when you set foot into my classroom that first day, I knew you were different from your classmates. You're doing remarkably well in my class and I've noticed you have a particular and... unique, let's say, mindset when it comes to Defense Against the Dark Arts. A perception of dark creatures which is very unusual to find in someone your age." he paused and inclined his head slightly to look down his nose at him. "I also couldn't help but notice that you seemed to be a bit uncomfortable during our lesson on vampires last week."

Damn it. He thought to himself. Mihnea thought he'd been doing a pretty good job of hiding the fact that they were talking about something he didn't really want to be in the middle of. He'd actually participated and made comments during the lecture (even if most of the information presented wasn't right). But of course, no lesson on vampires could go without mentioning the great and infamous Count Dracula. The moment his father's name came up in the discussion, he had shut his mouth to prevent saying something he had no business saying in front of his classmates. He should have known that someone as observant as Lupin would have been paying attention...

When the boy made no move to say anything in response, Lupin pushed himself upright again. "How long have you been this way, Mihnea?" he asked in a gentle tone.

"How long have you been a werewolf?" Mihnea countered.

Lupin shook his head with a small laugh. "I knew you of all people would have figured it out." he said, then made a small hand gesture. "I was bitten by a werewolf when I was a young boy. Just before my eighth birthday, to be exact."

Oh wow. Mihnea had heard of werewolf attacks on young children before, but they didn't usually leave them alive. Most people who were infected with lycanthropy were bitten as adults or teenagers. Surviving something that vicious at such a young age was... impressive. His already positive perception of this man just went up several notches.

"I'm sorry." he said, truly meaning it.

Lupin lifted his shoulders in the smallest of shrugs. "There's nothing to be sorry for. It was a long time ago." he then took on a more prodding tone. "Now tell me about yourself, Mihnea. When did you become a vampire?"

This was the part that was hardest to explain. Mihnea sure as hell wasn't going to tell him everything no matter how much he trusted him. But there were some things he just couldn't get around.

"I'm not a full vampire." he told him. "Only half. I was... born this way." Sort of, he added mentally.

One of the professor's eyebrows went up. "Half? That does explain why you don't seem to be affected by sunlight..." he paused thoughtfully. "This is extremely rare. I've only heard of one other like you.. I take it your mother was turned while she was carrying you?"

He just had to ask that, didn't he? Mihnea fought back the urge to sigh.

"No, sir. My mother is human." he said. "My father is a vampire."

At that, Lupin looked completely taken aback. The boy wasn't the least bit surprised to see it either. There were very specific circumstances known in the magical world where a half vampire could be 'conceived'. Mihnea himself didn't fit into any of them so he was, very literally, an anomaly.

"That's... not possible." Professor Lupin said, shaking his head at the thought. "Vampires are rendered sterile by their transformation..."

Mihnea sniffed. "My parents have been known to do a lot of things that shouldn't be possible."

"So I see." he said, seeming to assume he was referring to himself and nothing else. He gestured for the potion the boy still held in his hands and used his wand to conjure up a mug to pour the green fluid into. "You should consider yourself lucky you don't have to subject yourself to this." he said, holding up the mug. "It tastes terrible."

The boy wrinkled his nose. If it tasted anything like it smelled, it was probably worse than drinking sewage.

"I can imagine." he said.

Lupin chuckled good naturedly, but made a face as he sniffed the potion. He quickly gulped it down to get it down his throat before he could gag. The moment all of it was gone, a shiver ran through him.

"Awful stuff." he said again, then set the original bottle down on the desk beside him. "Does Professor Snape know about you?"

Mihnea shook his head. "No, sir. Only Dumbledore knows." he paused. "I... would prefer to keep it that way."

"You haven't told any of your friends?" the man prodded.

Friends? Mihnea wondered. He coughed. "I... don't have any friends here, sir."

Again, one of Lupin's brows went up. "Are you sure of that? You seem to be on good terms with the Weasley twins."

The boy had to stop and think about that one. Were they his friends? He'd never been on bad terms with Fred and George. They had pretty much just left each other alone. But after that conversation he'd had with George over the summer, they all were making more of an effort to talk and be nice to each other. But would you call something like that 'friendship'? Mihnea wasn't really sure.

"George is dating my cousin." he settled on saying. "We sort of... agreed to be nice to each other."

The man's eyes lit up in understanding. "Ah, so you've worked out a gentleman's agreement." he commented, sounding amused. "I see. Your cousin is... Miss Stryker? How do you get on with her group of friends?"

"Well enough, I suppose." Mihnea thought back to when he had to help Granger, Potter, and Weasley out of the mess they'd made the year before. "I don't really do that much with them. They're just... there."

There was a short moment where Lupin just sat back and studied him. Trying to discern what it was he wanted to say. Finally, he opened his mouth to speak.

"I understand any reluctance you may have to making friends." he told him. "It's... frightening, to think of forming ties with someone when you hold such a big secret. I remember when I was in school, I was scared to death of anyone finding out about me. I always thought that if anyone knew, they would run away and I'd be left alone."

Mihnea found himself entranced by the man's words. That was precisely how he felt. It was strange to hear his own thoughts and feelings coming out of someone else's mouth. He leaned forward slightly.

"How did you deal with it?" he asked.

"Well, I only had a small group of friends, you see." he replied. "I did my best to make excuses, but during my third year, they started to notice that I was always conveniently missing during the days when there was a full moon. We all were members of Gryffindor house, and... well, I suppose with your cousin being sorted there, you'd know all about the Gryffindor penchant for figuring out about things they want to know."

Oh, yes. Mihnea definitely knew all about that. He inclined his head silently and Lupin nodded in return.

"They cornered me one day to question me about it and I had no choice but to admit being a werewolf." the man went on with a nostalgic look on his face. "I believe I've never been more nervous than I was then. But they accepted it and me, and our friendship grew stronger because of it." he crossed his ankles and clasped his hands in his lap. "It's hard, being different. I won't lie to you about that. But... there are people out there with good souls. You don't have to be completely alone." Lupin made a sweeping hand gesture. "If anything, I always have an open door. Our circumstances may be different, but I have a set of ears well trained for listening. As I said before, anything said here, stays here. Believe you me, I do know what that's like."

He honestly wasn't quite sure what to think. This man... was offering a hell of a lot. There were several things... a lot of things actually, that he would have liked to be able to talk to someone about but couldn't because of his unique situation. Connie was the only go-to person he really had. While he trusted her immensely and would tell her anything, she was still human. And a girl. She could listen all day long, but there were still things that were beyond her understanding. It would be nice, Mihnea decided. To have a confidant at school.

"...Thank you, professor." he said slowly.

Lupin smiled again and jumped off his desk. "Think nothing of it." he told him. "Trust me in this, Mihnea. I've been around and seen a lot of things. It's been my experience that it's better for people in our situation to stick together." he paused half a moment and gave him an almost playful look. "I imagine having the stigma of being a Slytherin attached to you doesn't help matters much."

He'd been wondering when that little tidbit was going to rear it's head. Mihnea sighed and shook his head. "No, it really doesn't."

That inspired a good natured chuckle as the man patted his shoulder to signal him to rise from his chair. Mihnea had just pushed himself up and was turning to leave when a knock sounded at the door. Lupin frowned and stepped past him to see who it could be.

"Just a moment." he told him, then pulled open the door to look outside. "Ah! Miss Lovegood, is it?"

Interested, Mihnea peered around the professor's shoulder and saw a short, tiny looking girl with long, dirty blonde hair and silver eyes. She smiled up at Lupin with a strange, dreamy looking expression.

"Yes sir." she replied. "I'm sorry to bother you, but Professor Flitwick sent me to tell you he found a boggart in his office. He's locked it up in a trunk and he thought you might want it."

He couldn't see Lupin's face, but it was clear from the way his voice changed that he was indeed interested. "Flitwick caught himself a boggart?" he questioned. "What wonderful news! I've been meaning to acquire one for my third years, but I haven't been able to track one down yet. I'll head down there right away." he paused and looked back. "Is there anything else you needed, Mihnea?"

The boy shook his head. He couldn't think of any reason to keep him away from something he obviously needed for one of his classes. Lupin nodded and pointed to the empty potion bottle sitting on his desk.

"If you would, please return that to Professor Snape for me." he requested. "He's been known to be insanely protective of his glassware. And do pull the door shut on your way out."

He inclined his head to show he understood and went to retrieve the bottle. When Mihnea turned back around, Professor Lupin was already downstairs and halfway out of the classroom, leaving him alone with that strange girl. She was still wearing that faraway, dreamy look on her face. The oddness she gave off was enhanced by the fact she had her wand stuck behind her left ear like a pencil and had a necklace of butterbeer corks painted with different designs hanging around her neck. The mass of her hair hung in the way, but he was pretty sure those objects dangling from her earrings were radishes. What an interesting fashion statement. She cocked her head slightly to the side, studying the space around his head rather than looking directly at him.

"Hello." she said, her eyes moving from his face to his tie. "You're a Slytherin."

Mihnea blinked at her. She didn't look intimidated or afraid... just pointing out a fact. It was weird. He glanced down at the colors present on her own uniform.

"You're a Ravenclaw."

The girl smiled and nodded. "I am." she said, then stuck out her hand. "I'm Luna Lovegood."

So she was still going to talk to him even knowing he was a member of the house everyone hated? That was interesting to say the least. She was so tiny in stature and looked so young, she had to be a first or second year at most. He slowly reached out and took her hand.

"Mihnea Bassarab." he said, introducing himself.

"I know." she replied, like she'd been expecting it. "I've heard about you. Everyone makes you sound scary, but you don't seem that scary to me." she leaned forward a bit and studied his face. "You have very pretty eyes."

Again, Mihnea just blinked. There were a handful of Slytherin girls who had some sort of weird crush on him. The few who had enough of a backbone to actually talk to him had given him similar compliments. But Luna didn't sound like a girl with a crush. In fact, her tone was exactly the same as when she pointed out he was a Slytherin. It sounded like she was just making an observation. Or thinking out loud or something. How on earth was one supposed to react to that?

"Um... thank you." he said, then noticed her feet. She was wearing no shoes, but did have two different colored socks on – one red and one blue. They weren't normal looking socks either. These were the kind that were made to look like knitted gloves for the feet. "You have nice socks."

Her whole face lit up as if he'd given her the most wonderful compliment in the world. "Thank you!" she said with a wide smile. "I made them myself."

She made her own socks? That was actually impressive, given how intricate making 'fingers' for each of the toes had to be. Mihnea shook his head and went back to studying her. "Why aren't you wearing any shoes?"

Luna shrugged. "My belongings have a habit of disappearing." she replied. "I suspect nargles are behind it. That's why I wear this necklace. It's a charm to protect against them, see?"

She held out her necklace of assorted corks for his appraisal. Mihnea had personally never heard of 'nargles' but suspected that if they existed, they had nothing to do with her belongings going missing. It sounded more like people were stealing them and hiding them from her. As he was thinking up an appropriate response, Luna's eyes began wondering around the room like she had suddenly grown bored.

"It's nice outside today. I think I'll go play with the thestrals." she said, then gave him a small wave. "It was nice to meet you, Mihnea Bassarab."

With that, she turned on her heel and skipped down the staircase as if she hadn't a care in the world. Mihnea just watched her go, feeling completely flabbergasted. It took a few moments, but the weight of what she said finally hit him. There was only an extremely small group of students at Hogwarts who could see the thestrals. Those that could never talked about them because of their dark reputation. But that tiny, weird girl was going to go off and play with them. Like she didn't care about what other people thought of them. That was... amazing.

Mihnea quickly pulled the door of Professor Lupin's office closed and rushed down the stairs after her.

"Hey!" he called out. "Wait up!"

A.N: I love how when a girl tells Mihnea that he has pretty eyes, he comes back with "you have nice socks." XD