If you read the last chapter within an hour of it being posted, there have been some minor changes to it. Basically, in the old version, Malfoy knew Vlad was staying with Snape and now he doesn't.

ooo

For the past week that Vlad had been living with Professor Snape the thing that surprised him most was how many visitors the man received. When he'd told Vlad the rule about staying in his room if anyone came around, he'd assumed it was a 'just in case' sort of rule. He was once again reminded that he really ought to stop assuming things, at this rate it would soon prove fatal!

For the most part Severus' visitors were limited to Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall, though never at the same time. Or sometimes other members of the group he stayed with momentarily at Grimmauld Place last year. However, on the odd occasion, Vlad was ushered from the lounge just before he could see who stepped out of the fireplace. He was almost certain that these visits were the same person, though he couldn't be certain. From his room all he could hear were muffled voiced.

The strangest visit came during his second week at Spinners End. Severus was upstairs in his study when Vlad heard a knock at the door. No one ever came to the door. He waited for a moment, expecting to hear the Professor's movement to answer the door. Upon hearing nothing, Vlad went to open the door himself.

He opened the door to two confused looking ladies, one with wild black hair and the other with neat blonde hair. Both barely visible underneath their hooded coats shielding them from the bucketing rain.

"Can I help you?" Vlad asked. The blonde woman spoke first.

"This is the residence of Professor Severus Snape, is it not?" She asked in return with a frown.

"It is."

The other woman spoke up then, "I wasn't aware Severus had a son!" She laughed wickedly, as if the very idea was just too absurd.

Vlad straightened up at her statement. That's why they were confused? Because they thought he was Severus' kid? He supposed he had the hair colour and complexion. But as far as Vlad could tell, that's where the similarities ended.

Forgetting to correct the woman's mistake, he suddenly remembered he was making them stand in the rain far longer than necessary and invited them in. "Please, come in. I'll fetch the Professor for you Ms…"

He opened the door further and gestured for them to come in.

"Narcissa Malfoy." The blonde woman replied, "And this is my sister, Bellatrix Lestrange."

As Vlad lead them to the lounge, quickly tidying up with study material Severus had allowed him to go out and buy for next year, he looked back at the women. "Are you Draco's mother?"

There was an almost smile on her face at the mention of her son, but it was overtaken by a look of sadness in her eyes. "Yes, I am."

Vlad didn't like that, but kept a straight face. "I'll go get the Professor."

As Vlad left, he heard the women exchange hushed words. "Do you really think he's Severus' son, Bella? What kind of Father would make their child call them Professor! Don't you think we would have met him before now, Severus is a friend of the family."

Clearly the Lestrange woman disagreed with her sister. "Cissy, come on! All you have to do is look at the boy. He looks just like Severus at his age, minus the hideous nose. He even holds himself with the same unfounded superiority Snape always seemed to possess!"

Ignoring their comments Vlad climbed the stairs, and knocked on Severus' study door. Without a reply the door opened. Professor Snape sitting behind the desk, placing his wand back down.

"What is so important, Vladimir, that you had to interrupt me in my study?" The man's black eyes starring Vlad down.

"Visitor's came to the door, Severus. When it was clear you hadn't heard, I thought it rude to make them wait… Did I do something wrong?" Vlad asked with wide eyes. He really didn't want the Professor to kick him out! Where would he go?

With a sigh Severus shook his head. A visitor at the door couldn't have been too important. "No Vladimir, you're fine. Who was it?"

Vlad looked down at his feet. "A Mrs Malfoy, and a Mrs Lestrange. They're in the lounge waiting for you."

Standing up quickly, Severus walked toward the door trying to hide his panic. They knew Vladimir was staying with him. Before now the only people who knew were the few order members who bothered to meet with him.

"Vladimir, go to your room and do not come out, under any circumstances, until I tell you. Okay?"

The look on his face told Vlad that man was deadly serious. He nodded in reply. Forgetting entirely about telling the Professor about the women's assumptions.

ooo

Descending the stairs, Severus kept an eye on Vlad, making sure he actually went to his room. Once he heard the satisfactory click of the door locking back into place, he continued to the lounge. He addressed both women as he swept through the door.

"Narcissa, Bellatrix." He bowed his head just enough to be polite, but not too much that it seemed like an actual bow. "How may I help you?"

Stumbling ever so slightly at her words Narcissa replied, "Severus, I-I know I'm not to be here… The Dark Lord himself forbade me to speak of it…"

"If the Dark Lord has forbidden it, you're not to speak." The Professor turned his gaze to Bellatrix as she poked around the things on his shelf. His glare was enough for the woman to sulkily place the item she'd picked up back where she found it.

"As it so happens, I am aware of your… situation, Narcissa." He spoke to the woman softly, there was almost a hint of empathy. Almost.

"You? The Dark Lord told you?" Bellatrix asked with an incredulous scoff.

Severus smirked slightly at this, "You doubt me Bellatrix. Understandably so, over the years I have played my part well. So well, I managed to deceive one of the greatest Wizards of all time."

Bellatrix rolled her eyes and scoffed again, Snape only stared at her. "Scoff all you like, Dumbledore is a great Wizard. Only a fool would question it."

Fed up with the conversation, Bellatrix tried to take it into her own hands. "You should be honoured, Cissy! As should Draco."

Narcissa looked to her hands at her sister's comment, "Please Severus, he's just a boy."

"As it stands Narcissa, I cannot change the Dark Lord's mind. However, it may be possible for me to help Draco. If the circumstances are right."

"Oh Severus—!" She was abruptly cut off by her sister.

"Swear to it." There was a long pause. "Make the Unbreakable Vow."

Egging him on, Bellatrix taunted him. Calling him a coward and a snake, however not in the way admired by fellow Slytherins.

With a sneer he gave in, "Take out your wand."

ooo

For the life of him Vlad wished he knew what was going on down stairs. The flash of panic in the Professor's eyes when he named the women at the door only lasted a millisecond, but it told him something bad was happening.

Even if he tried to eavesdrop with his Vampiric hearing he knew he wouldn't hear anything. It hadn't taken Vlad long to work out that Severus was using some spell to keep him from listening in. He understood why, but it didn't stop him from being frustrated by it.

Trying not to get too annoyed, Vlad distracted himself with his self-prescribed homework.

ooo

After the vow had been made, Severus stood and moved away from Narcissa. Groaning internally. He knew he had been easily goaded into it, and that in itself was infuriating. But he also worried that if he hadn't done it, his Lord would somehow find out and be… Less than pleased that he was unwilling to follow through if the boy proved incapable.

Severus summoned a pot of steaming tea and some cups for them all. Unbreakable Vow's were draining on one's magical core

Bellatrix grinned at him. That was never a good sign. "If you have something to say, Bellatrix, spit it out."

The woman laughed at his annoyance with her. "I was just curious, Severus. Since when did you have a son?"

It was then that the Professor was thankful he hadn't taken a sip of his tea yet. If he had, he would have incidentally sprayed it all over the women in front of him. Instead, the man just paused momentarily. "Excuse me?"

"The boy who opened the door? He's clearly yours, don't even try to deny it! Does the Dark Lord know about him?" She left no room for argument. However, the last thing Severus wanted was the Dark Lord inadvertently finding out he had a 'son' that he'd kept secret from his Lord. That would mean bad news for him and the boy.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, Bellatrix. But the boy isn't mine." He stated calmly.

She only grew frustrated, "Then how do explain him being in your house! And the fact that he looks like you from school, with a smaller nose!"

Disliking the fact that he would have to disclose Vladimir's identity to the women, and that they would no doubt tell anyone who would listen. Well, Bellatrix would anyway. "He is merely a student, Bellatrix. The Headmaster deemed his home life too unstable and abusive for him to go back, as the boy's Head of House, it was decided he would stay with me for the duration of the summer. As for his appearance. Yes, from what I can tell he gets that from his Father, but I am not he. His Father is a wealthy and influential man who goes only by the title… Count Dracula."

Narcissa gasped, though her sister looked confused at her reaction. "You mean that's the boy who Draco told me about? The Vampire?"

"Indeed it is."

ooo

For every day Vlad stayed with Professor Snape dinner had been served at the same time.

8:35

On the dot.

Vlad wasn't entirely sure why the Professor insisted he eat Breather food with him, but he liked the normality so he didn't complain. Honestly, he preferred to drink his soy blood in private, that way he didn't have to endure the judgement in peoples eyes. Here and at Hogwarts.

The odd thing was, he never saw the man go into the kitchen for anything other than tea. He had to be using a spell of some kind, because no matter what had happened during the day, at 8:35 every evening Severus was sitting at the dining table with two plates full of food. The man wouldn't wait for you either. If you missed dinner time and your food went cold that was your own garlic damned problem.

To say that Vlad was surprised when he entered the dinning room and there was no Severus and no dinner, would have been a gross understatement.

Naturally, Vlad looked through the rest of the house. He searched thoroughly through the ground level, and by the time he reached the first floor he was frantic. Had something happened? He even knocked on the door of the study and the master bedroom, to no avail. Where was he? Why hadn't he told Vlad he was leaving? When would he be back?

Calming himself down, Vlad went back to his bedroom to drink some soy blood. Telling himself that the Professor would be back soon. He had to be.