Disclaimer: HP- JKR, Erasmus- me.

A/N: It took me a bit to get this chapter out, but I'm finally happy with it. Enjoy! R & R!

Hermione looked into the eyes of the master vampire, hoping that he was truly joking. What she found mirrored in his eyes was not what she expected, but something that disturbed her nonetheless. She took a moment and cleared her throat.

"Surely you jest, sir?" She asked hopefully.

Erasmus smiled in a maniacal manner, as if amused, and yet a bit crazed. "Miss Granger, surely you are not imbecilic enough that you think me tame?" He asked in a voice that was practically dripping with glee.

Hermione had had enough. She was getting tired of being played with. She was beginning to anger. "Do you always play with your food?" She asked with a sharp tongue.

Erasmus looked at her, and looked at the anger he had aroused within her, and could not help himself. His body erupted in a mass of giggles. "Young lady! If you continue to have this much wit and determination, I may have to make you part of my line so that you could amuse me for eternity."

Hermione stood and placed her hands on her hips, she was really angry now. "Har, har. You find this so funny don't you? The puny mortal amuses you? What gives you the right to change anyone's life as you see fit? What if I didn't want to be a vampire?"

"But my dear, that is usually the way it goes. Do you really think that most would choose to become one of us? The ones that wish for it tend to have desires that are not fit for immortality. Your Voldemort for instance. If he became immortal, surely you can see the mess of things that would create."

"Of course I can, but that still doesn't give you the right, older than the hills or not. Just because you enjoy being a vampire does not mean that everyone else will!"

Erasmus laughed again. "But my dear, what you don't realize is that sometimes, to get what you truly want out of life, you have to accept the side effects. Do you really think that Severus wanted to become a vampire?"

Hermione sat down in a huff. "I suppose I never thought about it."

"While he tries to fight it, deep inside the reason that he can deal with the little side effect of vampirism is that he gets something much more rewarding because of what he is. He would never have had a family to count on if he had never been crossed. Now I admit that I am an old fool who should probably stick to my own business, but those of my line are how you say, my children of sorts. Think of me as an overgrown Jewish mother who just happens to have a penchant for blood pudding!"

"Sir, I truly think that you are insane." Hermione said as she slumped back into the back of the sofa.

Erasmus smiled, liking the fact that she finally understood him after all. "But it is that part of it all that I happen to enjoy, Miss Granger."

Hermione stared at him for a moment. Suddenly realizing that Erasmus wasn't insane after all, but dread filled her as her mind began to grasp what was really going on. "But sir, people who are truly insane are not aware that they are insane."

Erasmus smiled. "Exactly."

Hermione jerked to a stiff sitting position on the sofa. "Then why do you want people to believe you are insane?"

"Because, my dear girl, it simply makes things so much easier. You would be surprised at the things that people will do for you simply with the threat of an implied fear. It is my best talent, I'm afraid…But that leaves me with quite a problem, dearie. Although you fear me, it does not keep you from acting on your own convictions. It has been a long time since I have met up with one such as you. You would make a fine vampire hunter, Miss Granger."

Hermione looked at the old vampire in shock. What motive did he have? He was truly the oddest creature she had ever come across. "Sir, why are you giving me advice towards a profession that hunts your own kind?"

Erasmus smiled a knowing smile. "Isn't the nature of war truly knowing one's enemies? I did not say that you were going to become a vampire hunter, simply that you have the fortitude for the job, as well as the strength and fortitude for numerous professions. If I didn't know better, I would say that because of your ability to keep a cool head, you would make a fine assassin."

"Sir, I honestly have no idea where this conversation is going, but I know one thing, you have very conveniently avoided the subject that I truly came to talk to you about."

Erasmus smiled. "You know, in the courts of the old country, they called me 'the great manipulator'."

"Sir, that I believe with every fiber of my being. Now, back to the original subject. Why was Harry 'sick'?"

Erasmus rubbed his hands together. "I will only tell you if you perform a blood oath with me. I cannot give you this much information without a bit of security. Once you have been bound by this oath, if you go against it, I will know, and your blood will begin to boil. Only you can make the choice to go against the oath. It is the way this type of magic operates. Potions and other devices will not work against it."

Hermione thought for a moment. Did she trust the vampire enough to shed blood in front of him? And did it really matter so much what happened to Harry except that he was now okay?

"What if I say no?" She asked tentatively.

"Nothing, except that you will not receive the information you seek, and we sit here and eat chocolate bonbons."

Hermione had to laugh. "I believe I will try to get the information out of Harry first. Somehow, having a blood oath with you is very unnerving."

Erasmus was greatly amused. "You cannot blame me for trying; at least now I know how far you are willing to go."

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing." Erasmus smiled internally that he now knew Hermione Granger better than she probably knew herself.

"Draco?" Severus asked from the doorway to his son's room.

Draco looked up from the clothing he was carefully folding. "Yes, father."

"Are you sure that you are alright with returning to Hogwarts this soon?"

Draco smiled at his father. He knew now that it didn't matter where they were, really. His father had proven to him that he was ready to make a go of things, and Draco knew that eventually his father had to go back to take care of Potter anyways, having been Potter's sire. "Yes, father. I think it will be alright."

"If at any time you feel that you need some time alone with me, please ask. I am sure that we can arrange something. Finish that, and we will apparate to Hogwarts. I would prefer to keep Erasmus from teaching as many classes as humanly possible. I fear to think what has become of my classroom."

Draco shook his head. His father truly would never change.

After Hermione left Snape's quarters, she really felt better. Erasmus wasn't evil, at least as far as she could tell. Mostly, he was just odd. Maybe he could be the one that would help Harry win the war. Something told her that it wasn't just the threat of Voldemort that made this war so crucial. A vampire like Erasmus could dispatch Voldemort in the blink of an eye. No, something else was going on that was much more dangerous. And apparently, so dangerous that it effected the vampires as well as the wizarding community. Somehow, Voldemort was connected, but he was not the power that Erasmus worried about.

Otherwise, why would Erasmus pick now to come and help Snape, and do all the things that he had been doing. Nothing else made sense.

She would talk to Harry tomorrow. Her meeting with Erasmus had left her drained, almost as if he had fed on her, but she knew that he had never taken a drop of blood. But maybe, for a vampire of his age, he didn't always have to feed on blood. If she didn't know better, she would have to say that Erasmus had the innate ability to feed off her life force without even touching her.

It wasn't so much that the idea of such a thing scared her, but it would have been nice if he would have asked first. She might has actually said yes.