A Bloody Dance

Disclaimer: I want them! I want them so badly! But too bad… they're not mine. Roman Polanski's.

A/N: Writing this in exchange for a drawing, but also because I want to finish this story. Trying to sneak a peek every once in a while. Yes, I took the Oberhausen coat… it fits him better.

The ballroom was bathed in candlelight, but that still didn't quit chase the dark shadows away. It made the castle look even more sinister and scary but Alfred couldn't find himself to care. He was here to save Sarah, and if that meant overcoming his fears, then that was exactly what he would do. Together with the Professor he had obtained a disguise by knocking out two vampires. His mentor was wearing an armour while he himself was dressed in a long pink coat with more lace as he had ever thought possible.

His dark blonde locks were covered with a white wig that made him think of pictures he had seen of Amadeus Mozart, the famous composer. A fan completed the picture and all in all the young assistant thought he was unrecognisable, which was a good thing in a ballroom filled with vampires who lusted for your blood.

He let his eyes roam over the crowd of monsters; they were dressed in attires that seemed to come from every possible time period he had studied in school, and more. From the moment the Count came down from a spiralling staircase all the attention was drawn to him.

When his Excellency announced that there were two new victims for the vampires it wasn't hard to guess whom he meant. For a moment Alfred wanted to flee, run until his legs couldn't carry him anymore and get as far away from the Transylvanian castle as was humanly possible. But the thought of Sarah kept him there, and the Professor of course, who was roughly pulling him back by his arm.

Sarah. At the moment he thought her name she entered the room, looking even more stunning as she normally did. Her dress was the colour of blood, just like her lips, and she looked like a princess from a fairy tale. She came closer and closer and the student wanted to grab her hand and pull her away, but the Count was faster. He offered her his hand and without hesitation she took it, seemingly lost in his eyes.

Time seemed to stop and every sound seemed to die away as the vampire brought his teeth closer to her rosy neck.

The moment seemed to be caught in eternity, but then the Count attacked. He buried his sharp fangs in her skin and blood welled up from the gaping wound. Alfred's knees weakened at the sight of it and all too soon his legs couldn't keep him up anymore and he fell.

Strangely enough he didn't hit the stone tiles under him. A pair of arms held him up and he was thankful that the Professor had been close enough to catch him.

"Good evening mon chérie," a soft voice, accompanied by a soft hand stroking his cheek, reached his senses. Wait a minute, that wasn't the Professor. Almost afraid to look, Alfred opened his eyes. The person holding him up had long blonde hair and dark eyes that seemed to look into his very soul.

"H- Herbert." The Count's son was smirking down at him and again the student felt a sense of unease. He didn't know exactly what the vampire wanted of him but he was sure that he wasn't going to like it.

"Did you think I wouldn't recognise you?"

Alfred almost wanted to reply that he had, indeed, thought that, but swallowed his words again, not knowing how the vampire would take such a statement. "Well… I… I…"

"But how could I not?! Your face is forever imprinted in my mind, and not even a fan like that can hide your beautiful eyes."

The student wasn't sure if he should take that as a compliment, or a sign to run away as fast as he could. Before he could do any of those two Herbert had begun speaking again.

"But pink is really not your colour," pale hands motioned to the stolen coat, "Next time you should come to me, I will give you something better." Fingers ran over the fabric of his attire and he shivered involuntarily. "You should try blue, it will compliment your eyes." Another smile, and a cold hand reaching out to grab his. "Dance with me?"

"Wh… what?"

"Will you dance with me Alfred?" Herbert repeated patiently, pulling the student closer to him.

It wasn't as if he could actually refuse, and resigned he let himself be pulled onto the dance floor. The realisation that this could be one of his last moments as a human slowly dawned on him. Surely the Count's son was going to bite him.

But to his surprise that didn't immediately happen. Two strong arms were now around his waist and his feet seemed to automatically follow Herbert's steps. The vampires around them didn't notice the new dancing couple and Alfred felt a bit safer. Not that the blonde vampire was making him feel good, but at least now there was only one monster paying attention to him. And if it had to be, well, it could better be one that didn't look as if he had come straight from a horror story. Herbert looked surprisingly human, though a bit pale.

The music seemed to fill the whole hall around them with a soft, slow tune. He twirled in the vampires arms and for a moment he forgot about all the trouble that had been thrown upon him, completely against his will.

Only they counted now, lightly dancing and losing themselves in the music that seemed almost alien to the student's ears, as if it was made by a heavenly orchestra. Never had Alfred imagined that he would enjoy dancing with a vampire, but now he did.

Herbert's light steps made it seem as if they were floating, and he didn't feel like an assistant who, on multiple occasions, had managed to trip over his own feet.

All too soon the dance was over and they stood still in the middle of the ballroom. Herbert looked into his eyes, again the student noticed how uncomfortable he felt under the other man's attention.

"Will you allow me to bite you?" The question came like from thin air and Alfred stepped back in shock.

"You know that I love you. I wouldn't hurt you. The others would. Please." The student took another step back, afraid of what the other could do to him but almost… touched that he would care to ask.

"Alfred? I know you're scared. And I understand that you don't want to become one of us. But it's choosing between two evils my love. It's me or someone else, someone who won't care about hurting you. There is no escape." They both moved, Alfred back, and Herbert forwards, his hand outstretched to the young man. The student collided with another body and spun around, eyes wide.

He let out a relieved sigh. He had bumped into Sarah. His Sarah.

"If you will excuse us Herbert," the girl, almost a young woman, said, while taking Alfred's hand. "I think it's my turn to dance with him."

Again he was pulled along but this time a smile played around his lips. He didn't even notice the sad look on the Count's son's face as they slowly disappeared from his view.

"Oh Sarah. I'm so glad you came! He had almost…" he shivered at the thought of what the vampire had implied, no, explicitly said, "If it weren't for you I would be dead by now."

A new song started and he placed a hand on her waist, feeling her hand on his shoulder. The waltz played as they danced in tune, a perfect dance. Alfred got lost in her eyes, the eyes of his first love, his only love. "We will be free soon." He softly whispered, being close enough to her so that she could hear his every word. "Together we'll escape this horrible place and we can be free forever. I'll take you to Venice, I've read about it and it's the most beautiful city in the world. Gondolas, palaces, the sea!"

Her face lit up at those words. "Free…" she softly repeated after him.

"Yes. Forever, just you and me. The Professor will give you a blood transfusion and with a few days of rest you'll be yourself again." He didn't notice how her image had long since faded from the mirrors.

"Oh Alfred." Sarah rested her head against his chest and the student sighed in contentment. Yes, this was how it was supposed to be. But it were her next words that took his breath away and made his heart stop for just a moment. "I love you."

She loved him. The most beautiful, kind girl in the world loved him. Not the Count. Him, Alfred the assistant of a, he had to admit, confused Professor.

"I lo…" but he could never finish his sentence. A pair of teeth sank into his neck, her teeth. The pain was excruciating and he screamed, trying to escape from the arms of the girl whom he had longed for, for what seemed like an eternity. Everything was gone now, how could she have said that she loved him when all she wanted was to bite him.

He could feel his heart pumping harder to make up for the loss of blood, but it only ended up streaming out of the wound and into Sarah's mouth. Around him he could hear the vampires hissing and calling, cursing the girl for stealing their diner away.

He felt weaker with every moment until everything went black and he collapsed in the middle of the ballroom.