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Chapter 10

Asta bit her lip as the car pulled through the gates to her house. Loki had agreed to come with her, though was puzzled as to who she wanted him to meet. "It'll be far easier to show you when we get there," she answered.

Jeremy had picked them up Saturday morning and they would spend two days in the mansion. She saw Loki raise an eyebrow as he looked out the window at the large house. "The Potter family were rather well off," she said.

"Which is why the Weasleys and Dumbledore were so eager to get a hold of you," he said.

"Unfortunately," Asta sighed. As the car stopped, they got out and Asta thanked Jeremy for coming to pick them up. She led the way inside and then upstairs to the study where her parents resided. "Hi, I'm home," she said as she walked through the door. James and Lily Potter were beaming as they entered the study.

"Oh honey, it's so good to see you!" Lily said happily. "We've been so worried! The others have been passing on your messages but it's not the same as seeing you!"

"It's good to have you back home kiddo," James said. "So, is this him?" He was watching Loki carefully.

Asta took hold of Loki's hand. "Mum, dad, this is Loki, my soulmate. Loki, these are my human parents, James and Lily Potter."

"An honour to meet you both," Loki said, nodding. Sympathy welled within him as he realised that this was the closest she would ever get to interacting with the couple who would have raised her and loved her as parents had they not been murdered when she was so young. It must hurt her far more than she let on that she only had a portrait to interact with.

"You hurt her, I swear I will come back from the grave and drag you into it!" James said. "OW!"

Lily was glaring at her husband who she had just knocked upside the head. "James Charlus Potter! That man is our daughter's soul mate, not some random boy she brought home, having only met him the day before!" Lily then turned and smiled at them both, focusing on Loki. "It's wonderful to meet you. We've heard of everything you have done for Asta and can't thank you enough."

"There is no need for thanks. Asta is my soulmate. I would protect her from anything."

"Good or you're a dead man walking," James muttered.

Lily's eyes narrowed," Asta, honey, why don't you take Loki on a tour of the house. I need to have a few words with your father."

"Right, yeah," Asta nodded, before leading the way back out of the room. "Sorry about him, I think he's trying to make up for lost time in some strange way," she said once the door had shut behind them.

"It is alright, Asta. I have been threatened far worse in the past. It was actually rather novel for the threat to come from a painting."

"Yes, I am still getting used to that. The muggle world does not have talkative paintings."

"Oh I am sure that I know someone who could invent them. Best not give him any ideas though."

"Is this the infamous Tony Stark that I have heard of?"

"Aye."

"Then if what half I have heard of him is true, then I completely agree with you. That man has enough ideas of his own."

It was an hour later, when they were sat down waiting for dinner to be cooked that Loki brought up what she thought no one had noticed.

"You have been craving," he said suddenly, looking at her closely.

"What?" Asta asked, shocked.

"Since that mortal was executed. You have been craving blood."

"How did you know?"

"I noticed first on the night. I thought you had simply begun developing the heightened sense of smell your people share. But then you started watching others a bit too closely if they cut themselves as time went on. I believe only Hermione and Thor have noticed, and I believe she was exhibiting similar signs. It is getting worse for you, yes?"

She sighed and nodded. "If I am in close contact with someone I can hear their pulse and my throat feels as if it's dry and it's scratching all the time, but I haven't even completed my first year of The Change. I should not even be able to smell blood like this!"

He reached out and, when she nodded slightly, stroked her cheek. "I have read many of your history books and texts on your people's physiology. Such early development is not entirely unheard of, and has always been a good sign. You do not need to deny yourself what you need."

"When we get back, I'll speak with Morgana. She should be able to arrange something."

Loki shook his head. "There is no need for that. You can drink from me. You need not starve while I am here," he said, rolling up his left sleeve, revealing his wrist.

Asta looked at him, eyes wide. "Are you sure?"

"I am positive. We are soulmates, I see nothing wrong with it. Besides, I have read about blood drinking and that it can be pleasurable. I do not want some human getting the wrong impression if all you needed from them was some blood and they thought there would be the chance of something more."

She smiled and then nodded. "Thank you for this."

He smiled back at her and held out his wrist. "Do you need a knife?"

Asta shook her head. "No, my nails have developed to meet the blood lust." She cut along his wrist and his blood welled. Suddenly all she could hear was his pulse and all she could smell was him, intensified as if to fill the room. Grabbing his wrist she brought her lips to it and locked around the wound, feeling the blood fill her mouth.

Loki inhaled sharply as pleasure washed through him, before he pushed it down. At the moment, all she needed from him was blood, nothing more. But this did not need to be clinical. He wrapped his free arm around her and pulled her into him and began running his hand through her hair. "Whatever you need, darling, just come to me and you shall have it."

Asta let out a little moan, only able to think about how wonderful his blood tasted. Was this just because she was a vampire, or was it because he was more than human?

Several hours later, Asta lay in bed. The sun was now up and she still could not sleep. Sighing, she got up and decided she was going to head downstairs and get something to drink. A cup of tea was sounding wonderful. She did not want to disturb Loki, he was probably asleep at the moment. She threw on her dressing gown and opened the door, just as the one across the hall from hers opened. Loki stepped out and they both stopped, obviously surprised.

"Could you not sleep either, Asta?" He asked.

"No. I've been trying to, but no luck. I was going to get a cup of tea. You?"

"Very much the same. Shall we?" he held out his arm.

Asta accepted it and they headed downstairs to the kitchen and with a wave of his hand, the kettle started to boil and the tea began to prepare itself. Sitting down at the kitchen counter, she rested her head on his shoulder. In the past week she had started to find it far easier to relax around him, and even Thor. She was trusting them, and knew it was the same for Hermione. Since Dumbledore and the Weasleys turned up, everything was getting easier between them. She knew she would not be hurt by him. She was trusting her instincts far more. "Loki?"

"Hmm?"

"Will you stay with me today?" she repeated her request from when she was injured.

"Anytime you wish me to, Asta."

She moved closer to him and sipped at her tea.

Molly was glaring at the newspaper, in which her son's death was consigned to a small obituary. "What are we going to do, Arthur? Those monsters have murdered our son and they are getting away with it!"

"We are going to do nothing, Molly. If Ron had heeded the warning you were given, if you and Dumbledore had not encouraged that ridiculous belief of his, Ron would be alive! As it is, we have lost another son because you and he got greedy! After everything you have already done you could not leave the poor girl alone? And when you found her to cause her more grief, you found she was better protected than you could have thought and still you pushed! And now we have lost another son! No Molly, this is not the Vampyre's fault. The blame lies with Ron, Albus bloody Dumbledore and you. If you even think of causing any more trouble you will find yourself cast out of this family, so behave!" With that, Arthur stormed out of the house. He had to get to work.

Hermione woke up feeling more rested than she had in a while, and it was then that she began to realise she had not had a nightmare last night. Inhaling a familiar warm scent, she opened her eyes and looked at her soulmate. He was still fast asleep and snoring deeply. Hermione had always thought that snoring would cause her trouble sleeping, not help it, but she guessed his meant that, subconsciously she knew he was there with her, and that she was safe. She was sure Asta would not quite believe this when she got back to the House of Night.

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