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

Syn ran a finger along the edge of the metal circle around her neck and peered across the dimly lit room. At any other time Orchis would have been slow, but it was an unusually busy night. She liked to go out every now and again outside of official surveillance missions to keep her toes in the water, so to speak. It gave her a chance to catch up on the gossip and show her face. The nightlife scene moved quickly and one had to deliberately make regular public appearances to stay relevant. Besides, she had her acquaintances working at the vampire-centric clubs around town to keep up with. The bleeders and donors rarely went to the police as it was and with everything going on lately, the situation wasn't getting any better.

She sipped her drink – pomegranate juice with a splash of tonic water – and narrowed her eyes at the conspicuous shadow in the far corner. Syn had suspected she was being followed for a while, but this was getting ridiculous. She fished her phone out of her bag and scrolled through the contact list. Upon locating the number she wanted, she hit the dial button and held the device up to her ear. When the person picked up on the second ring, the redhead allowed no time for a greeting.

"What the hell are you doing?" She demanded.

"What are you talking about?" An irritated male voice responded.

"You've been creeping in the corner like a bloody serial killer for the past half hour." Syn quirked a brow at the shadowy form she'd been keeping an eye on, noting how it was now nervously shifting from foot to foot. "Get your ass over here before you get thrown out."

The dark shape froze and looked in her direction. "You're shitting me."

The redhead rolled her eyes. "Idiot" she muttered under her breath and hung up the phone, dropping it back into her handbag. The figure across the room looked around for a moment as if to assure himself of his safety, then pushed himself away from the wall to cautiously approach her booth.

"Nice." Syn commented when he finally slid in across from her. "So we've gone from skunk to sewage." She studied the dark hair streaked with various shades of green. "Very classy."

DuPre scowled at her in response. "I prefer to think of it as being a chameleon."

She snorted. "I thought the point of being a chameleon was to blend in, not stick out like a sore thumb." She fired back.

The young auror narrowed his eyes at her. "I wasn't expecting you to be out on your own." He commented, giving her a sideways look that she imagined he thought made him look clever. He glanced down at her neck. "Back on your leash, I see. Where's tall, dark, and scary?"

"Why are you worried about it?"

He shrugged. "Just curious. I got the impression he was a little possessive." His cocked his head to the side. "Does he know about your day job?"

Syn's jaw clenched. "Did the Ministry send you here to threaten me?"

"Threaten?" DuPre asked with a faux blink of innocence. "No... Just asking a few questions."

"And as we established the last time you tried to interrogate me, you're horrible at it." She countered, gesturing to the space around them with a whirl of her finger. "In case you've forgotten, you're on enemy territory right now. Not exactly the best place to try to show off. Maybe someone should let your boss know that you need more training before they let you out of the sandbox to play with the big kids."

An odd expression crossed his features – as if he were partly insulted and partly… something else. Impressed, maybe, though that wasn't quite right. DuPre pursed his lips thoughtfully and changed tactics.

"You're running low." He said, nodding to her drink. "Can I buy you another?

"What do you want?"

The man's eyes flashed with irritation, but the look quickly faded. "I'm trying to be nice here." He huffed. "If our assignments are going to have us constantly crossing paths like this, it would make both of our lives easier if we were on friendly terms."

"You not following me around would also make our lives easier." Syn pointed out. "And is far more likely to happen."

"Are you sure that's what you want?" DuPre challenged. "If I ask to be removed, my superiors will just send another auror to keep an eye on you. Probably someone better trained and harder to spot… and not as open minded as me. Is that a risk you want to take?"

The statement gave her pause and she sat back to study him. What an interesting thing to say. "Who do you work for?"

"Who do you work for?" He countered.

The redhead's eyes narrowed. "You already know that."

One of DuPre's brows notched upward. "Do I?"

"If you don't, then why are you here right now?"

He shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe I like you." He offered, as if that explained his behavior. "Most of my job is really quite dull, so interesting things catch my attention. At least you give me something nice to look at."

Syn's face contorted into a scowl so deep that it made her facial muscles ache. "Don't make me come across this table to kick your ass." She hissed at him.

DuPre's face lit up in amusement. "In a miniskirt and heels?" He asked with a chuckle. "You might have some trouble with that. But if you insist, I'd be more than happy to watch." He tilted his head sideways and glanced downward, openly running his eyes along the bare leg that was visible to him. "It's a shame you're so marked up though. I bet you were gorgeous before you let the bloodsuckers get their hands on you."

The words hit her like a punch to the gut. He had no right. One of her arms instinctively reared back, intending to punch the smug look off his face. However, DuPre anticipated her reaction and managed to grab hold of her wrist before her fist made contact. He roughly jerked her arm down to the table and narrowed his eyes at her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were…"

"Hands off the lady." A cold, calm voice instructed. "Now."

The voice came from their left, and Syn and DuPre both looked up to see who it was. She blew a sigh of relief past her lips at the sight of the employee who'd come over. Thank God, she thought. Daniel, the bartender, was more of a loose acquaintance than friend, but he was good at his job and prided himself on keeping the place drama free on the nights he worked. Most people likened him to a Viking, with shoulder length blonde hair and bright blue eyes – and a thick, red-tinged beard that made him look much rougher than he actually was. Standing over six feet and solidly built, he was physically imposing enough that he could usually keep people in line with just a warning look. Not that 'bar fights' were particularly common in a place like Orchis, but there were always stray people that wandered in to stir up trouble – usually men with a chip on their shoulder or who felt they had something to prove. It was generally understood that such situations were best handled quickly by the human staff. When things escalated to the point of vampires involving themselves, things got… messy. And messy drew attention that no one wanted.

The young auror froze at the sight of him and let go of her wrist, holding up his hands in a non-threatening gesture. "I'm just having a conversation with my friend here." He told him. "I don't want any trouble."

Daniel gave him a good once over. "Is that so?" He asked in a flat tone. "Sure as hell looks like you do to me." His gaze flicked toward Syn. "Are you alright?"

She nodded and assured him that she was fine. He jerked his head back toward DuPre. "Is he a friend of yours?"

The redhead turned to look the auror directly in the eyes. "No, he's not."

Daniel gave her a single nod of understanding. He crossed his arms over his chest and turned to address the wizard still sitting across from her. "It's only bleeders and donors allowed here, mate. House rules. You don't look like either, so you need to find somewhere else to be."

DuPre glared at him. "There's been a misunderstanding…"

"Let me make this simple for you." Daniel said forcefully, interrupting him. "You have two options. You can either get up right now and leave on your own, or I can throw your ass in a supply closet and she," He pointed at Syn. "Can call her master to come deal with you himself. Your choice."

Syn allowed herself to enjoy the sight of the young man's nervous swallow and the color draining from his face. She wasn't planning on doing anything to cause too much of a scene, but it was fun to see the man sweat. He should have considered the consequences of his actions before walking into a place like this unprepared. After a long, tense silence, DuPre finally shoved himself up to his feet. He jerked his black leather jacket around himself with a snort and turned on his heel to stomp off toward the exit. What a child, Syn thought to herself.

Daniel kept his gaze firmly trained on the man's back until the main doors closed behind him. Once he was gone, he breathed out a puff of air and glanced down at her. "Sorry about that." He apologized. "I would have come sooner, but we're a little short staffed tonight." He jerked his head toward the door. "You have trouble with him before?"

"A couple of times." The redhead confirmed. "He likes to follow me around."

He frowned deeply and wrinkled his nose in distaste. "I'll spread the word around. Make sure the other places know what he looks like." He told her. "When you have plans to go out, call ahead and let them know you're coming. We'll make sure he stays away from you."

With the resources available for aurors to use, she didn't know how effective their efforts would be, but the gesture was appreciated all the same. She gave him a grateful smile.

"Thank you, but you don't have to go to all that trouble…" She began, but Daniel waved her off.

"It's nothing we wouldn't do for anyone else in our shoes." He said, then held up his arm to show the herald bracelet on his wrist. "We look out for each other, yeah? God knows no one else will."

Sometimes Syn forgot just how tightly knit the underground community could be. It felt almost wrong to take advantage of the benefits when she didn't really belong. Or did she? There was always a line in her mind separating herself from other humans who dallied with vampires. Her situation was entirely different; or that's what she kept telling herself. Time, though, had a funny way of blurring even the sharpest of edges. It was getting harder and harder to tell how different she actually was. The Ministry of Magic certainly wouldn't make a distinction… and most muggles wouldn't either, if she were honest about it.

The redhead pulled herself out of her musings to find Daniel studying her with concern. "You need anything?" He offered. He gestured to her drink. "I can bring you a refill on the house. Might take me a minute to get it back to you, though. The bar has been a little busier than we were expecting."

She flashed him another grateful smile. "No thanks, but I appreciate it." He told him with a shake of her head. "But…" She leaned back to look past his shoulder toward the bar area. It wasn't overloaded with people, but did appear steady. A single person would be on their toes keeping up. He had probably pulled a waitress with basic training to cover for him so he could come to her rescue. "Could you use some help?"

The man blinked at her. "What, put you to work?" He asked, nodding toward the collar around her throat. "I don't want to get anyone in trouble."

Syn shook her head. "No one will get in trouble." She promised. "Consider it my way of paying you back for helping me out."

He pursed his lips, looking her up and down in appraisal. "You know your way around a bar?"

"I'm a veteran of The Green Faerie." She informed him, straightening her posture and gesturing to herself with a thumb. "I think I can handle yours."

"Well, I be damned!" Daniel replied, his eyes lighting up in recognition. "You used to work for Beacon? You should have said so!" He stepped back and waved for her to follow. "Come on then. I'll show you where everything is."

When they first stepped back behind the bar, the waitress covering for Daniel slumped in relief.

"Thank God!" She sighed dramatically. "I didn't think I'd make it much longer! You know I don't know half of what these people ask for. What in God's name is a Horsefeather?"

"Rye whiskey, ginger beer, bitters, and lemon juice." Syn replied on instinct, sliding her way through to get a view of the situation. She looked around. "Do you have an apron?"

The woman blinked at her and Daniel jerked a thumb in her direction. "Cassie, this is Syn." He told her. "She's offered to help us out."

"Oh, I know who she is." Cassie replied, giving her a good once over. She recognized that she was being studied, but in a curious, rather than nefarious way. The woman pulled her brown hair back into a loose bun to get it out of her face and gave her a friendly smile. "You sure you know what you're getting into, love?"

"I think I can handle it." The redhead replied easily.

Cassie glanced down at her feet at gasped. "Oh, Honey. Not in those shoes, you're not!" She dropped the towel she had been using to wipe the counter and disappeared into a backroom. Moments later, she reappeared with a pair of flat, slide on sandals. She tossed them on the floor in front of her and wagged a finger at her feet. "Don't want you breaking your neck trying to run around in those. I'll put them up for you."

Syn breathed out a thankful sigh and dutifully kicked off her heels to exchange them for the more comfortable shoes. This woman was a bloody saint. Her feet had been killing her.

Another waitress with copper colored skin and an enormous mane of black curls came up to the bar, ripping several pages of orders loose from her notepad. She passed them over to Daniel, but paused when she saw the new addition behind the counter. Marissa, as she was introduced, was the only other employee there. Service related, that is. No wonder all of them looked so hurried. Even on a slow night Orchis was a big enough place to provide each of them with more than enough work to do. With the bar area now covered, the two waitresses made a beeline for the floor to tend to the other patrons. Daniel reclaimed his duty of preparing the drink orders that came in, and since they were getting dangerously close to running out of usable glasswear, Syn took over dishwashing duty. Once that situation was under control, she manned one end of the counter while Daniel took the other, splitting the customers between them to make for quicker service.

It was nice to have something to keep her busy. Engaging in the simpler tasks of one of her first jobs was something Syn didn't get to do often and she genuinely enjoyed it. Not to mention, offering her services at the bar gave her a chance to talk to the employees and keep an ear out for interesting conversations amongst the other customers. Most of it was inconsequential stuff. Petty drama in the community. So and so did such and such and pissed someone off… blah blah blah, ad nauseum. However, she did manage to catch wind of a few interesting tidbits of information interspersed among the rest. Rumors that someone had purchased the Purgatorium building and was doing renovations. Whispers of new vampires in town that no one had seen before. New, marked humans making appearances around the local places who seemed to be associated with said vampires – some of whom came across as strange and possibly not quite as 'human' as they looked.

Syn knew better than to seem too invested in these things, but they were odd enough that just asking a question or two wouldn't raise suspicion. In the lulls between customers, she gently prodded at Daniel to see if he knew anything about it. He confirmed that he had heard the rumors about the vampires before. Apparently people had been noticing them for the past couple of weeks, though they hadn't made an appearance at Orchis yet. They interacted with others very little, if at all, and seemed to be more standoffish and watchful than anything else. The humans that accompanied them were a little more social than their masters, but again, tended to come off as standoffish. The whole thing sounded incredibly strange. Every description and explanation she heard involved some variant of 'observant', 'watchful', and 'curious' - making it sound like they were scoping things out for themselves. Possibly looking for something… or someone. The redhead couldn't be sure from what little she knew, but it was definitely something worth looking into.

The story about Purgatorium turned out to be true; or at least had significant evidence to back it up. While some of the patrons had only heard gossip about it, Marissa had gotten the news directly from the realtor that sold the property. Her story about how that happened had seemed a bit… dodgy at first. It was quite vague and left out large chunks explaining how she crossed paths with such a person. After reading between the lines, Syn suspected that the younger woman had probably slept with the realtor for money and was trying to keep it under wraps to stay out of trouble. Which was fair, the redhead thought. Life could be tough and people did what they had to do to pay their bills. She didn't personally agree with the idea, but if the woman made the choice for herself and no one got hurt, then it wasn't really anyone's business. God knows she had no room to judge anyone for their life decisions.

The hours whittled away until it was finally time to prepare for closing. The girls bussed tables on the floor and brought their trays of dishes and glasswear up to the bar to be cleaned and put away. Daniel pulled the money from the register drawer and carted it to the backroom to count and balance the till. Syn was left to clean up the bar area and urge along the few customers left who hadn't yet finished their drinks. Eventually, they too went on their way and she found herself alone.

For a while, at least.

She had just crouched down to return a blender to its proper place in one of the lower cabinets when a voice caught her attention.

"How quaint." Alucard purred from somewhere above her head. "I'm not normally prone to nostalgia, but I can't help but find this situation strangely familiar…"

The redhead glanced up to find the vampire perched on one of the barstools as if he belonged there, his crimson eyes peering at her in bemusement.

"Does it?" She asked, pretending to not know what he was referring to. "I can't imagine why."

He just smirked as she pushed herself up to her feet and grabbed a towel to wipe her hands.

"Hey, Syn!" Daniel called out from the back. "Don't forget about your shoes…" His words dropped off when he stepped out and saw Alucard sitting there. "Oh. Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

The No Life King's gaze slid from her onto him, his expression shifting to become more serious. "Why is my woman behind your bar instead of in front of it as she should be?"

The bartender froze, as if searching for the best way to respond. Syn rolled her eyes.

"I'm repaying him for helping me out earlier." She reported.

"I see." Alucard drawled. He looked back at her face before glancing down at her wrist with a frown. "Your admirer is beginning to push his boundaries." He reached out to run a finger across a faint bruise forming where DuPre had grabbed her. "If he puts his hands on you again, I will make him regret it."

Behind her, Daniel coughed. "I called the owner of the Citadel to tell him what happened. He's going to pass the message along to the others." He told him. "There will be a blanket ban in force by the end of the day."

The vampire sniffed. "This one is a crafty sort. He'll find a way to get past you." He said, as if speaking to a child who didn't understand what they were talking about. He paused to study him pensively. "However, I do commend your effort."

With that, he gave Daniel a nod – a subtle gesture indicating that he acknowledged and appreciated the trouble he'd gone to. It might not happen that often, but Alucard was usually willing to give credit where it was due if he felt it had been earned. The bartender returned the nod then excused himself, leaving the pair of them alone once more.

Syn glanced down to where he was still touching her arm. "I didn't realize he'd grabbed me so hard." She said, making a face. "It won't be there for long."

The vampire hummed and wrapped his fingers around her wrist, pulling it toward him. His lips brushed lightly over the bruise and his eyes flicked to hers as his jaws parted. He sank his teeth into the skin directly over the blemish. Hard. Her lashes fluttered as her free hand gripped the edge of the counter to keep herself steady. Alucard was never particularly gentle when he fed from her, and it never failed to make her go a bit weak in the knees. He licked the stray smears of blood from his lips when he pulled away. The bite left its own bruise – larger and darker in color – which erased all traces of the mark that had been there before. The corner of his mouth twitched upward in approval.

"Mm." He purred. "Much better."

Syn blinked a few times, willing her overstimulated nerves to behave themselves. "Stop it." She admonished, though with surprisingly little force. She pulled her arm back, fully expecting him to let go. "I have to help cl…"

Alucard's fingers tightened around her wrist. "You are not beholden to this place." He interrupted. His eyes moved over her shoulder to rest on the large clock hanging on the wall behind her. "And I believe it's time to leave, is it not?"

The redhead paused to give him an odd look, glancing over her shoulder at the clock, then back at him. What was the deal? Sure, the place officially closed down in ten minutes, but he rarely concerned himself with the time. It's not like anyone was going to throw them out. Curious, she brushed up against the boundary of their connection, hoping to get some clue about what was provoking his strange behavior. Rather than the answers she sought, Syn was met with a mental barrier. Her lips turned downward. She had never been given – nor did she expect – complete access to the contents of his mind, but being completely blocked out was… disconcerting. She felt herself lean back from him.

What's wrong? She asked mentally. If this is about the auror…

The boy is troublesome, but he does not concern me. The vampire replied. You could handle him on your own. His expression remained unchanged, but a spark of dark emotion flashed in his eyes. The wizard was not the only one watching you tonight.

A chill shot down her spine and suddenly she understood. She cleared her throat and nodded. "I'll get my things."

Alucard finally released her arm and she immediately headed toward the back. Reminding herself to put on a smile, she pushed the door open and stepped through the opening. Marissa was on one side of the room loading glasses and plates into an industrial sized dishwasher, while Daniel was seated at a table flipping through stacks of money. He glanced up at the click of the door closing.

"Everything good?" He asked.

"Yeah." She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and tucked a lock of hair back behind her ear. "It's time for me to go." She said, giving him an apologetic look. "I would have stayed longer to help close, but…"

He waved her off before she could finish. "No worries. I think we've got it from here." He said. "I'm almost finished with this anyway." He pushed himself back from the table to stand. "Your stuff is locked up in the safe. I'll grab it for you."

She thanked him with a smile and waited as he went to retrieve her handbag and shoes. Marissa finished loading up the dishwasher and dried her hands on a towel, making a playful comment over her shoulder about how she'd already stayed longer than they expected. Once her 'master' showed up and started giving her 'that look', they all knew that she was being collected for the night. Syn shrugged off the tease with an eyeroll. Let them think what they wanted. At least they were sensible enough to not act like jealous teenagers. It was one of the many reasons why she got along with the older, more established donors better than the others.

When Daniel came back with her belongings, she was surprised to find a slip of paper with all of their phone numbers passed to her as well. To stay in touch, he told her meaningfully. Syn inclined her head in acknowledgement and thanked him for it. New contacts were always useful. Cassie was still busy out on the floor so she'd miss out on speaking to her directly, but she said her goodbyes to the others, exchanged the comfortable sandals out for her own heels once more, then slipped out. Alucard was waiting patiently by the bar when she returned to the main floor.

"Shall we?" He said, gallantly offering his arm.

Syn reached out to grasp his elbow and nodded, allowing him to lead the way. She half expected him to transport them directly to the parking garage where her motorcycle was once they got outside. However, that didn't seem to be part of the plan. When the main doors closed behind them, Alucard slipped an arm around her waist to pull her firmly against his side and set off down the street at a leisurely pace. He obviously wasn't concerned about leaving the area quickly.

So… do you want to tell me what's going on? She prodded, keeping her eyes trained forward. Have the werewolves been sniffing around?

His response slid into her mind, serious and firm. Not now.

The redhead frowned. Damn it, if someone or something else was following her around, she had a right to know. Does it have something to do with the new vampires in town? She asked. I heard some rumors…

Alucard's grip on her waist tightened and a low growl rumbled in his chest. I said not now, woman. His voice snapped in her head. Keep walking.

His reaction to her question only increased the sense of wrongness hanging about the situation. Something had the vampire's hackles raised. Surely if there were some imminent danger lurking about, she'd be able to sense something. She felt nothing remotely close to one of her 'bad feelings', and yet Alucard's behavior was so… worrisome. Nearly two decades of living in close quarters with him had taught her the subtle difference in his moods. Even as strong willed and stubborn as she was, she recognized that there were certain times when she should not argue with him. It was a rare occurrence, as the No Life King usually took great delight in her displays of defiance. But when his amusement faded away to a serious countenance and an unmistakable tone of voice that commanded obedience, Syn understood that it was time to close her mouth and keep her attitude in check.

Nothing else was said between them for their rest of their walk. They arrived at Syn's motorcycle without incident and Alucard finally loosened his grip on her waist. The redhead fished her keys out of her purse and unlocked the storage compartment behind the seat. The purely cosmetic heels on her feet would make driving impossible, so she kicked them off and traded them for a pair of old sneakers she kept with her bike just for these sorts of occasions. Straddling the massive machine in a short skirt was a little awkward, but wearing a pair of bike shorts underneath helped to protect her modesty. She tossed her bag and heels into the storage compartment and locked it up before balancing on the seat to pull the sneakers onto her bare feet. When she finished, she glanced up to find the vampire keeping a watchful eye on the shadows surrounding them.

"Alucard?" She asked, concerned.

He narrowed his eyes at a distant corner of the garage before turning his gaze to her. He beckoned her to her feet with a finger. "Come here."

Syn dutifully rose and stepped forward as he asked, but gasped in surprise when he reached for her neck. "What are you…"

He laid a finger over her lips to quiet her. Not here, goddess. He said. She pressed her lips together in a firm line and he withdrew his finger, returning to his previous task. Without a word of explanation, he slid his hands under her hair and behind her neck to work at the locking mechanism of her collar. There was a faint metallic click as it unfastened and he gently removed it from her throat.

The redhead was stunned. Her collar was a symbol publicly tying her to him. It provided safety and helped her blend in. It was never put on or taken off anywhere other than inside Hellsing's walls. Discomfort and confusion twisted her insides. Why was he taking it off in public where someone could see? What the hell did that mean?

"Go straight home." He instructed. "Do not stop anywhere and do not look back."

Syn blinked at him, not understanding. "But…"

Alucard growled and grabbed the junction where her neck met her shoulder and jerked her forward, pressing his mouth to hers in a deep, bruising kiss. She gasped and grabbed at the front of his coat as a fang sank into her tongue, filling her mouth with blood. A pleased sounding purr rumbled against her lips as he licked it all away, leaving only a small dribble that escaped from the corner of her mouth. His tongue darted out to catch it when he pulled away and his thumb pressed insistently against the pulse of her throat.

I do not want you here for this. He told her, his scorching eyes bearing down on her with insistence. Go home. Do not give your report to Sir Integra until I return.

Again, the redhead blinked. "What are you doing?" She asked in an urgent whisper.

"For now, it is not your concern." He replied. When he saw the beginnings of her frown, he took hold of her chin with a firm grip and held her face in place as he leaned forward to press his lips against her ear. Do as I say, goddess. Go home and wait for me.

Every fiber of her being went rigid. Nothing about this felt right, aside from the overwhelming sensation that she should do exactly as she was told. She sucked in a deep breath when she felt the sharpness of his teeth bite into her earlobe.

I want an explanation. She insisted.

Later. He promised, then withdrew from her and straightened up to his full height. Now go.

Pressing for more wasn't getting her anywhere, and she had a feeling that Alucard wouldn't tolerate any more questions from her. Hoping beyond hope that he was telling the truth, she climbed onto her bike, cranked it up, and peeled out of the parking garage.

She drove straight home. And she didn't look back.

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