AN: WELP! This was a chapter that I never thought I would write. I was planning on just leaving it and being all mysterious etc. HOWEVER, I got a couple of comments of here and on and I thought I would write about what I thought would happen. Although, if you want to just leave it up to your own imaginings I wouldn't read this chapter and the first can just act as a stand alone.

Vlad was more than a little grateful for his two and a half years of secret wanderings through the castle at night as he bolted from the classroom, leaving a dumbstruck Hermione in his wake. He tore through the crowd of perturbed students their mutterings barely reached his ear as Vlad hoped to everything unholy that he wasn't being followed.

His heart hammered in his disbelief, beating in time with his hurried footsteps as he disappeared behind a tapestry of Olgen the Petulant that hung in the DADA corridor. The dust tickled uncomfortably in his nose as he caught his breath, leaning his forehead against the coolness of the rough stone of the secret passage. Hermione's face swirled in his mind and he rushed down the secret passageway, the small twist in her mouth and the gasp that escaped her lips played over in his mind. Her face bore biting betrayal as she looked at him, the dots connecting before her eyes and she pulled away from him.

That was all Vlad needed to know. She knew and thought him a monster, he had waited for this day. All his unlife he wondered what would happen when a breather found out what lay below his skin. The simmering shadows that he had denied for so long, but Snape had laid it out in front of him for all to see as if he was something to be studied and dissected under fluorescent lights.

The cobwebs caught at his clothes as he tripped through the dark, tears blurring his vision as he followed the familiar narrow stone archway that led to Bertrand's chambers deeper in the labyrinth of Hogwarts.

He felt his breath catch with hiccupping sobs, as he reached the old wooden door, "Seva," he whispered, and the door opened with a creak. Vlad knew that the sun was at its peak, and normally Vlad would not barge into his tutor's room and wake him at this hour, but he felt this was a warranted excuse. Stepping in Vlad looked around the spartan room for a moment, he took in the dim shadows that played in the corners. With careful movements Vlad approached his tutor's plain shroud, giving the older vampire's shoulder a little shake with a murmured, "Bertrand."

With a flutter of fabric his tutor awoke with a snarl and bared fangs, his eyes glowing a deep crimson. Vlad only sighed, unperturbed, as his tutor was never very cheery when he woke. As Bertrand's eyes met his, his mouth clamped shut with a click, "Oh Vlad—sorry I didn't realise it was you…are you alright?" his eyes shifted back to their muddied green as he blinked blearily up at the boy.

Knees weak, Vlad wanted to collapse in front of the man, "I—In class," he let out a calming breath, trying to reign in the chaos of his emotions, "Snape in class he covered vampires in class…"

Bertrand raised a singular eyebrow at his student as he scanned his face, "And this is a problem?"

"Yes Bertrand!" Vlad hissed, "Of course it's a problem when he didn't just cover adult vampires!" he sat himself upon the ground holding his head in his hands.

"Ah…I see. So, who suspects?" Bertrand asked, extricating himself from his shroud he shifted around to face the young vampire.

"It's not that Hermione suspects," said Vlad as he raked his hands through his hair, his voice caught on her name as her accusing eyes swam before his in illusory eddies.

Bertrand cocked his head, "Then you have no pro—"

"She knows."

The temperature in the room plummeted at Vlad's words, both vampires sat stock still for what seemed like an eternity.

"Are you sure? How could she know? No offense Vlad but I wouldn't say you are the most vampiric vampire," Bertrand muttered with a small smirk.

Vlad let a chuckle slide pass his lips with a sardonic rumble as he wiped the tears from his eyes with his fists, "I guess the boggart may have had something to do with it as well as the whole 'smartest-witch-of-her-age' gig. She joined the dots. Besides Snape mentioned that I would run a bit colder than a br—human."

The young vampire had never seen such cold rage overtake his tutor's face, his normally composed façade shattered before his eyes as the older vampire grit his teeth, "Well this is unfortunate oversight on your teacher's part, I assume she didn't take it very well?"

"About as well as Dumbledore finding all his robes have been turned black," Vlad said as Bertrand hummed his face dark, "I assume she's already told Harry."

Bertrand's head whipped up, eyes sharp, "You cannot let this get out Vlad, you're not powerful enough to take on a whole school of hateful wand-wielding breathers. Especially if you're seen to be a threat to their Boy-Who-Lived. Even with my help."

"Well what am I meant to do?" Vlad asked desperately, realising the dire position he had found himself in. He felt a strange sense of déjà vu, he had sat once before in the darkness of a castle with similar stabs of fear before his family had moved to Stokely. The way the breathers had screamed at them, with monstrous twisted faces as if possessed by vengeful demons had chilled him to the bone as a child. But these humans had the ability to end their unlives with just a word.

"You could hypnotise her possibly? The boy too," Bertrand said with a sigh, holding his nose with his forefinger and thumb, rubbing circles into his skin.

"I—I don't think I could," Vlad stuttered.

Bertrand gave him a quizzical look, "You should be able to, we've been practicing. You did fine with Flitch, this shouldn't be any different…" the withering look that Vlad shot him could have cracked a mirror as the older vampire's face fell, "Oh Vlad, you didn't? You really do take after your father sometimes," the man said with a frown.

"The way Snape spoke about us I…I know breathers hate us but," Vlad sighed a weight settled itself on his shoulders making him slump, "Sometimes I'm around them so much I forget that we're different, like there isn't a big distance between me and them. Maybe I should just talk to Hermione…explain that I'm not—you know evil?" the young vampire said coming to his feet with shaking legs.

Bertrand stayed in his seat, "Do you think that wise?" he asked his brow crinkling like paper with concern, "Would she believe you?"

"I guess I've got to hope," Vlad mumbled with a shrug as he dusted the silver strands of cobwebs off his school robes.

A growl escaped from Bertrand's mouth as he stood, towering over the boy, "So, you're going to risk your unlife for a girl to like you? I could just hypnotise her myself if your feelings are going to get in the way!"

Vlad shot to his feet, his body moving without his permission as he glared at his tutor. His head only just came to the man's chest so he craned his head to look into the older man's eyes, "No! You can't! She deserves better than that!"

Bertrand stood his ground, his face hard, "Are you willing to risk your unlife just because she doesn't deserve it?" Vlad came up short at that, the concern oozed out of Bertrand despite his aptitude with hiding his emotions. The jumping muscle in his jaw gave him away every time.

Standing his ground Vlad said gravely, "Yes! Look come with me, keep an eye out, outside the common room? I assume she's there. The password is Pig Snout. If you hear any trouble just come, get me and we can leave this place. Run back to Stokely. I promise just…let me do this. I need to explain," the older vampire sighed, it was a world-weary breath that hung between them.

"Obviously you're not going to be convinced otherwise," Bertrand said with a roll of his eyes, stepping away from the young vampire to the door, "So, you can try and talk to this breather. If it doesn't go well, I will hypnotise her and the male. You shouldn't have allowed yourself to get so close," the frown etched across his face and Vlad felt a poke of guilt, knowing that he had put them both in a very tenuous position.

"Thanks, Bertrand!" Vlad said, he felt his limbs itch to hug the older vampire, but he shoved that instinct out of his mind, "One second, sol clypeus," the young vampire whispered, waving his hand across his tutor's body. A wave of shadow sped from his hand and settled over the older vampire like a cloth made of night. Bertrand inclined his head in thanks, the spell itself left a shimmering residue over the older vampire's skin, like semi-translucent volcanic sand that was barely visible to the human eye.

"Don't thank me before we know what happens Vlad. This could all go to blood and garlic in a second," the older vampire intoned, "Let's get this over with, before she tells the whole school," gesturing for the boy to follow him as he left the room.

The secret hallways of the castle seemed to crowd the two as they walked through the darkness, Bertrand had a near preternatural sense of direction within the shadows, his nose held aloft as he breathed deeply. Vlad was content to follow, knowing that his tutor would find Hermione anywhere in the castle.

"Know where she is?" Vlad asked, his voice trembled slightly but he was proud of the control he was showing.

"She's not in the common room like you thought, she's…she's actually just outside it, I think," Bertrand said, swinging them to the left around a sharp corner.

His breath was coming in sharp little intakes, as he thought of ways to prove his apparent goodness to his friend, "B-Bertrand," Vlad whispered, feeling more like a child than he had since arriving at Hogwarts, "What should I say to her?"

He heard the older vampire sigh, "For all my wisdom Vladimir I am maybe not the one to ask about breather/vampire relations. This would be more your area I suppose," Vlad noticed the way Bertrand's shoulders drooped with his words, "I guess you're just going to have to be honest, which is, unfortunately, one of the things you do best," his small chuckled bounced off the stonework, coaxing a smile onto Vlad's lips.

"That sounds like something my father would say," Vlad snickered, his worries melting away for a moment at the sight of his laughing tutor.

"Well yes, be glad that it is not your father having this conversation or I'm sure this whole situation would be going in a completely different direction," Bertrand said, the solemnity seeping back into his voice and the two vampires fell into silence.

A few moments passed, the sound of their footfalls the only company in the darkness as they meandered further upwards towards the Gryffindor tower. Vlad's heart was hammering against his chest and bats tumbled in his stomach as the two approached the back of the gargoyle that led into the Gryffindor corridor.

He could hear the sounds of students now, the laughter seeping through the stones as the school came to life around them as got closer. It was strange to be so close to them but feel the distance of the darkness between them, as if the school existed across the void.

Bertrand turned to him, his face cast in the shadows that wavered around him, "I'll wait here for you. I don't want to come out unless I am needed in case I…scare the girl," he frowned at that, his hands clasped in front of him, "Yell if you need me."

"I will," Vlad said shaking his hands with anxiety, his heart felt like it was trying to claw its way out of his throat, "I-I don't want to leave this place," he whispered.

Bertrand clasped him by the shoulder, peering down at him with a small smile, his voice was fierce in his conviction, "Then do not. Despite your father and despite my teachings you are not evil Vlad. I don't know if that's a good thing or not, but your friends should be able to see past the fangs if they truly care about you and if not, we will fix this. We will not be driven out of here because of some sniveling professor. I will talk to Dumbledore after this okay—just go and convince her. Thistlebrush," Bertrand turned him around as he spoke the password, the gargoyle groaning in protest as stone ground against stone to reveal the corridor, lit by flaming sconces. Bertrand held him by both shoulders giving them a little squeeze before he pushed him out into the corridor.

His tutor's words filled him as he took his first shaking steps into the corridor, a small flickering flame of hope lit in his chest for the first time since the class. Hermione had been his first friend at Hogwarts, they had known each other for two and a half years, maybe she wouldn't reject him entirely.

She was there, he could almost sense her on his peripheries, her scent hung in the air around him, the smell of parchment and peppermint that lingered like mist.

"Vlad?" her voice whispered from an alcove on his left, he turned gradually his hands aloft in a placating gesture at the wobble in her voice.

The sight he was met with was one that he had hoped he would never see, sending ice shooting through his veins.

Hermione stood huddled up against the stonework, her hair was a wild cloud around her as tears trickled down her face. Her breath came in panicked gasps as she clutched a gleaming wooden stake in her hands that was pointed straight at him.

"W-What have you got there Herm?" Vlad asked trying to keep the fear out of his voice as he took a step back, eyeing the pointed end. He wasn't sure what would happen if she staked him, would his body turn to ash, or would he bleed out as his heart stuttered to a stop?

"I think you know for well what it is Vladimir," Hermione hissed, "Now tell me it isn't true."

Vlad sighed, hanging his head. He couldn't lie to her anymore, the pressure on his chest with every untruth that left his lips was too much and so he just looked at her with a shrug, "I don't want to lie to you, Hermione."

"Y-you're a vampire!" she nearly screeched, her voice muffled by her own hand that shot out to cover her mouth.

Vlad's stomach rolled, "Yes…but I won't hurt you Hermione you heard Snape I don't—I don't even have my fangs or anything."

"Fangs!" she yelped, tucker herself further into the alcove, Vlad took another step back kicking himself for even mentioning them. He took in the look on her face, fear bleeding out every one of her pores.

"Look Hermio—"

"I didn't want it to be true," she interrupted, "But I think I knew that it was...deep down. That's why you're always skulking about the castle isn't it? I wanted to give you a chance you know to explain, I didn't even tell Harry, but I think he suspects you know. I knew you would find me eventually, come looking for me. But why didn't you tell me? Why did you lie?" tears were now falling in earnest, dripping onto her robes leaving dark, splashed stains.

"You don't understand, trusting you with this wasn't just trusting you with a secret, it was trusting you with my life!" Vlad said desperately, "Look just—just put the stake down and I'll explain!"

She didn't let go of the wooden weapon, her hands tightening around it with white knuckles, "Life! Vlad you're dead! You're destined to suck the life out of people!" her voice cracked as she spoke, her chin wobbling as she scrabbled back against the stone.

"Not entirely," Vlad felt despondent as he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper, "Not at all. I still breathe and my heart beats!"

"It's all a show though isn't it? It's not real! You're just waiting to kill me, but I won't let you," her voice trembled but she stood her ground, the stake shook slightly between them in her quaking hands.

A surge of indignation shot through him, they had been through so much together, he had risked his unlife for her multiple times for her and this was her response. He stepped towards her, as she shied away with a yelp, turning her head from him and into the stone of the wall. He stood before her, the point of the stake digging into his chest over his heart, there was no turning back now, "Do you really think that Hermione?" he hissed, letting the hurt trickle into his voice, "You think I'm a monster? Then you may as well kill me, prove it to yourself."

He felt a flutter of wind at his back, the dark waves of concern washing over him as Hermione gasped at Bertrand's sudden arrival, "Vlad what are you doing?" the older vampire said desperately, grabbing his arm.

Vlad wrenching himself from the man's grasp with a growl, the dark shadows in his belly howled at the hurt that had been done to him. Hermione was trembling now, and he felt the stake rip at his clothes, the wicked point etching into the skin of his chest. The cool trickle of his blood slid down his chest as the point nicked him.

"V-Vlad who is that?" Hermione asked, her voice quaking as her eyes jumped between him and the older vampire.

Vlad ignored her question, "Good Garlic, do you remember the boggart Hermione?" Vlad asked his voice low.

"I-I—" she stuttered.

"My greatest fear, the thing that scares me the most is hurting you. Of hurting anyone," Vlad felt tears gather in his eyes, traitorously slipping down his cheeks as he spoke, "Snape was wrong—we're not all like that. He did it to spite me and cast me from the castle for what I am! So, stake me! Prove me wrong!" Hermione was crying in earnest now, great gasps breaking from her throat as Bertrand tried to pull him away again, his hands coming around his arms like vices, but Vlad wouldn't move as he hissed, "Maybe bre—humans and vampires can't live together!"

The stake clattered to the ground between them echoing through the corridor as the three froze in shock. Vlad felt his muscles immediately relax without the weapon pointed at his chest and he let out a weighty sigh. Bertrand flitted forward in a blink, mumbling about idiotic young fangs as Hermione gulped at the sudden show of speed. The older vampire reached down for the stake. The two vampires started, seeing that it was no longer a deadly weapon but a common hairbrush that laid on the stones unassuming.

Hermione stared at Vlad intently, "Do you mean it?"

Vlad sighed, exhaustion weighing upon him, "Mean what? The fear part or the coexistence part?" he asked, his sardonic tone caused her to wince.

"Y-you don't want to hurt us?" she asked, her eyes trained over his shoulder and Vlad felt Bertrand slip away back into the shadows. The young vampire was thankful for the lack of audience as he wiped away the tears that hung coldly on his cheeks.

"Of course, I don't Herm. I would rather you staked me than hurt you or anyone else," Vlad begged, looking into her eyes, "I really care about you Hermione. I never wanted you to find out this way."

Hermione let out a steadying breath, her face flushed pink as she looked at him from under her lashes, "I'm sorry Vlad…I—you know you're going to have to tell Harry right. He should know before he figures it out on his own."

"Look Herm—wait what?" Vlad said, eyes wide, "Sorry? What for?" confusion muddled its way up into his chest, leaving him breathless as he stared at his friend.

Hermione surged forward in a rush of frizzy hair and fresh tears that cascaded down her face like summer rain, "For not trusting you, you goose!"

Vlad felt the warmth of her radiating from her skin as he held her and couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face, pulling at his cheeks, "You don't have to be sorry Hermione I understand. Vampires—we're," he sighed, resting his chin on the top of her head as he spoke, a tightness forming in his chest, "We're not people. We're mons—"

"You're not a monster Vlad!" Hermione admonished hugging him tighter, her hair catching in his mouth as she wriggled against him, the scent of parchment and peppermint that was so uniquely Hermione enveloped him in a warming embrace.

Vlad's breath caught in his throat at her admission, no one had ever said that to him before, "I—I'll tell Harry tonight if you think it's for the best but Herm…you can't tell anyone okay," he whispered, pulling her away to look into her eyes.

"Okay," she breathed, "As long as you tell Harry. He's probably going barmy right now after you ran out of the class as soon as Snape dismissed us. Very subtle," she smiled, mischief dancing on the edges of her lips before her eyes lit up as if she had been struck by an idea, "Oh! Wait…do you know Count Dracula? Is he real or did Stoker just make him up?!"

A surprised bark of laughter burst from Vlad at the question, "Just because I'm a vampire doesn't mean I know every vampire in the world Hermione," he said, watching as the blush spread across her cheeks like wildfire, "but…he is mostly definitely real, sold the story to the Stoker man and funnily enough I do know him quite well actually," a smirk of his own bloomed across his face at Hermione's shocked expression, "I guess I would considering he is my dad."

"You're joking!" she gasped her eyes blown wide.

Vlad shook his head, feeling lighter than he had in years, "I'm really not. Dracula would have been a bit conspicuous," he said with a smile as Hermione pulled away from him a little.

"So, Count Dracula the most famously evil vampire in the whole world has a nice son?" she asked, elbowing him in the ribs with a raised eyebrow.

Vlad rolled his eyes, "Much to his horror yes he does. That's why he got Bertrand to be my tutor!"

"Bertrand?" Hermione asked with a cock of her head, her eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"Oh right!" Vlad started, realising he hadn't told her his name, "Bertrand!" Vlad hissed into the shadow barely finishing his tutor's name before the curly haired man appeared.

"Vlad," the vampire said, turning to the young girl slowly, "You must be Hermione, I am Bertrand du Fortunesa, Vlad's tutor," the man said with a curt nod.

"Is that what you do on Friday night?" she asked, looking the vampire up and down, caution shining her eyes.

"Mostly yeah," Vlad nodded looking between his tutor and his best friend, "Bertrand teaches me ancient vampire lore and—"

"Wait!" Hermione interrupted, "Ancient vampire lore!" Bertrand smiled a little at her enthusiasm, the girl was nearly bouncing on the spot at the thought, "You've been learning all this extra stuff and you didn't even tell me?!" she asked, clutching her chest with fake hurt.

"Err yeah," Vlad said with a snort, "Don't worry it's not nearly as fun as it sounds," talking over Bertrand's protests and he was met with Hermione's laughter.

"Vlad doesn't appreciate the fine detail of vampire lore, but he speaks often of you and how much you would enjoy it. You may be human, but I can always respect a fellow historian," Bertrand murmured with a smile, "Maybe you could join us one eve if Vlad doesn't get too distracted by your presence."

"Bertrand!" Vlad hissed his voice raising a few octaves, shooting an annoyed look at the vampire who only smirked in response to his student's embarrassment.

"Well I best be off and let you two talk. I have a headmaster and a soon-to-be-fired potions master to deal with," Bertrand nodded stiffly to the two, sending Vlad a knowing smirk before he flittered away into one of the castle's many secret passages.

"He's a bit weird," Hermione said looking at the space where Bertrand had once been.

Vlad chuckled, tucking his hands into his pockets, "For a four hundred-year-old bloodthirsty vampire he's not even a bit weird."

Hermione chocked for a second, "Wait he's four hundred?"

"Oh…yeah I mean—sorry I forgot you only just," Vlad stuttered feeling entirely too awkward for this conversation, "I mean…my dad's like six hun—actually, never mind," he trailed off, scanning Hermione's shocked face.

"I mean I kind of forgot that vampires were immortal…does that mean?" she asked, eyes blown wide.

The reeling in Vlad's stomach didn't let up as he spoke, "Yeah, the old march of time doesn't really affect me so much. As dad says 'people, friends, armies and empires fall but we are forever as we watch the world burn'…lucky me," he twirled his hand in the air limply.

Hermione frowned, "Oh Vlad…I'm so sorry! That's—I didn't even think about it like that."

Eyes burning Vlad sniffed, looking away from her towards the Gryffindor entrance, "It's why I'm looking for a cure…I-I don't want this, I didn't ask to be like this," looking down at his pale hands as if he could tear himself from his body.

"We'll find one together if that's what you want Vlad," Hermione said, grasping his hand, "Besides with the brightest witch of the age on your side there's no way we won't find a cure," the smile that lit up her face was small, like a little beacon that called out to Vlad. Contentment pawed at his chest at the sight, his fear abating and sinking into the darker pits below.

To his shock he felt warm lips press against his cheek, nearly burning the skin there with their soft heat. Hermione pulled away and blushed prettily as she averted her gaze and Vlad found his shoes suddenly incredibly interesting. His heart was pumping, and his blood circulating and sweat gathered. Everything in his body sung, living and breathing and wondering and hoping all swirling together.

He knew that he would find a cure with her on his side.

AN: I COULD NOT ALLOW A SAD ENDING. Every fiber of my being calls for a sad ending to every story but I literally could not do it to these two. They're both 13 and young and innocent and I couldn't okay! I'll go and be angsty in my other stories but not here!