"Why is he always with girls?" she muttered, sitting on the lid of her coffin. She played at the frayed hem of her sleeve.
"You're jealous," Snape said, not looking up from his book.
"No I'm not," she responded, looking at him. "I just don't think he should be with them."
"You are jealous," Snape told her.
"Dammit, I am not jealous," Winter said. "I bet you were jealous as hell when James and Lily got together."
"That does not concern you," Snape muttered.
"Aw, come on, Sev!" she said. "Please tell me. What was Lily like? Since I wasn't here when you were in Hogwarts, since I wasn't even near the country, can you tell me all about her? And James, and Sirius, and Remus and that Wormtail guy? Please, Sev? And tell me about the Malfoy family, too. Tell me about everything I missed since I left all those years ago. After Dad-"
"Don't talk about him," Snape hissed. He shut his book with a snap and slapped it on his desk. "I hate going into the past, Winter. You should know this."
"But I don't!" Winter said, standing up. "I don't understand anything after you told me to run after I-"
"Shut up!" Snape shouted, also jumping to his feet. "Just shut up! I don't hear about it!"
"Listen to me, for once! You used to when we were kids! What happened to my brother? When did you become like this?" Winter screamed.
"Get - Out." Snape said through gritted teeth. "Now."
"And I won't come back," she snarled, grabbing her school bag and walking out his office, slamming the door behind herself.
"Wait! Winter!" Snape shouted, realizing she probably meant it. He ran out of his office, but it was too late. Winter had disappeared.
Winter was sitting in a tree in the forest.
"I only wanted to talk about Dad," she muttered. "Sev shouldn't keep everything to himself."
She looked back at the castle, at the lights in the windows. It was evening, just in time for dinner. Winter pulled out the blood potion and took a long drink. When she was done, she looked up at the sky. The colors were so bright, so pretty, not like the world Winter had been used to. She sighed, stopping herself from continuing along that thought line.
"I wish he'd actually talk about our childhood," she sighed.
"You and Snape had a childhood together?" a voice called up to her. Winter started and looked down. Draco Malfoy was standing under the tree she was in.
"What are you talking about?" Winter called back. She jumped down and landed a few feet from him. She was so happy that she had just dranken most of the potion. For once, his blood din't bother her, but she stopped breathing, just in case.
"You were saying something about wanting him to talk about your childhood," Draco said.
"Pfft," Winter responded, leaning against the tree. "You're hearing things, Draco."
"Then what did you say?" he asked.
"Nothing of the sort," she said. Winter turned her back on Draco and started to walk farther into the forest.
"You also said you wanted to talk about your father," Draco said quietly.
Winter paused, and wouldn't allow herself to turn to look at Draco.
"Am I right?" he asked.
"No," Winter answered, cursing herself for not noticing him.
"And what's he keeping to himself?" Draco wondered aloud, walking up behind her. He was so close, she could feel his breath against her neck.
"I'm not the only one keeping secrets," she said with a sly grin. She turned around and smirked. "You've got a number of girlfriends, don't you? Where do you run off to everyday? Do you enjoy it? Breaking one girl's heart after another?"
"You've seen me?" he asked.
"I see a lot of things," she said, turning to walk back into the woods. "As an insomniac, I'm up a lot. And I've ntoiced you are, too."
Winter started walking again, but Draco trotted after her.
"But how come I've never seen you?" he asked, falling into step next to her.
"You're not of the observant variety," Winter answered, glancing at him.
Draco looked hurt, but he recovered quickly.
"Well, where are you going?" Draco asked. "We're not exactly allowed in here."
"I'm out for a walk," she answered. "And I felt like coming in here. So I did. I can ask the same of you, you know."
Draco blushed sightly and looked away.
"Well?" Winter asked again.
"I followed you," he murmered very quietly.
Winter laughed out right.
"I'm not the best person to follow, Draco," she answered. "You need to be careful around me."
"Isn't this when you tell me to run from you?" Draco asked.
"No, I'm better at controling myself," Winter answered without thinking.
"Controlling yourself? WHAT?" Draco asked.
"Er...Nothing," Winter muttered, walking quicker.
"No, answer me," Draco said, grabbing onto her arm.
"Draco, I have my own secrets, Snape has his, and you have yours," Winter answered. "Let's leave it at that."
Winter broke free and ran ahead, quickly becoming lost in the trees. Draco followed after her at a distance, hoping he wouldn't be noticed.
Winter hummed quietly to herself as she walked. She wasn't sure if she'd be going back to Hogwarts, but she was fine with walking around, doing nothing in particular. She heard a twig snap, and turned around, shaking her head with a small smile on her lips.
"Draco, I know you're there," she said. "Come on out."
But Draco didn't come out. Winter shrugged, figuring it was something that lived in the forest and turned around. Standing in front of her was Sanguini. Sanguini was a pale man, a vampire like Winter.
"Holy - ! Don't sneak up on me!" she said. "If my heart still beat, I'd have had a heart attack. Then you would have killed me twice!"
Sanguini also bit Winter.
"You're not eating like you used to," Sanguini said, taking her hand.
"Yeah, I'm at Hogwarts, now," Winter replied. "I can't go around biting the students, now can I? Besides, Severus found a way to make a blood potion for me. You should learn to make it."
"You should know I'm not the best as making potions," Sanguini replied.
"Okay, fine, let's go back to Snape, and he can make some for you," Winter said, trying to pull her hand away.
Sanguini locked his other arm around Winter's waist.
"Oi!" came another voice. "Let her go!"
"What's the puny human gonna do about it?" Sanguini said, looking over Winter's shoulder.
"Sanguini, let me go RIGHT NOW," Winter said.
"Winter, are you okay?" Draco called.
"Oh, fine," Winter said sarcastically. "I ask to be held against my will by vampires everyday. It's typical."
"Ha," Sanguini said. "But you're just like me Winter."
"You're a vampire?" Draco asked quietly.
Sanguini released Winter, and she spun around in time to see Draco running.
"Run after him Winter," Sanguini whispered into her ear. "Run after the little human boy."
And Winter did. She ran like a vampire and soon passed him accedently. She slowed to a halt in front of him. Draco came to an abrubt stop, and stumbled slightly. He looked scared, no longer ceeping his cool oposition.
"Stay away from me!" he shouted, backing up. Sanguini appeared behind him, and Draco backed into him.
"Sanguini, STOP," Winter said, pulling Draco away from the hungry vampire. "Leave him alone."
"You want him, too," Sanguini said, looking down at Draco's neck. Both vampires could hear his heart pounding.
"Sanguini, I'm warning you," Winter threatened. "If you make one wrong move - if you HURT Draco - you're going to be in so much trouble. You will die. I will find a way to kill you."
"You wouldn't hurt your creator would you?" Sanguini asked, running a hand over Winter's jaw.
Winter punched him in the nose while hewas distracted, and threw Draco onto her back, breaking into a sprint. She flew up to the castle and up to Snape's office. She got inside and saw Snape sitting at his desk, looking surprised.
"You even have a coffin!" Draco shouted. "Let me out! Let me go!"
Winter held tightly to Draco's arm as he tried to run. She sighed and dragged him further in, shoving him into a chair.
"Ah, so you've learned Witnter's secret?" Snape asked, taking a sip of his tea.
"Don't hurt me," Draco muttered as Winter opened her mouth to use her fangs to scratch her thumb.
"So, Winter is a vampire," Snape said. "Winter, feel free to tell him the story."
"Can't you tell him?" Winter asked, sitting on her coffin.
"It's your life," Snape said.
Winter sighed and looked up at Draco. He was watching her with fear-filled eyes.
"Okay, I left home when Severus and I were eleven. I made a mistake I can never correct," Winter began.
"What was it?" Draco asked.
"I-"
"Don't say it," Snape warned. "Do not bring that up."
"Fine," Winter said. "But, I left. I ran. I kept running until I was fourteen. I didn't get the chance to see Mum, Snape, Dad, anyone. But then I ran into Sanguini. I found him drinking the blood of another girl my age. I was so scared that I ran, not giving him a chance to explain. But then he caught up with me and stopped me. He creeped me out. And you saw the way he held me. He backed me up against a wall, kissed he and then down to my neck where he bit into my flesh. He covered my mouth as I screamed. He wasn't able to finish drinking my blood because Severus showed up.
"From there, he took me back to his house. Took care of me when I need to bite someone. When I needed blood. But after I was strong again, I left. I didn't want to accidently hurt him. Like I did when-"
"Winter," Snape warned again.
"Sorry," she said. "Anyway, I appeared at Hogwarts again when I couldn't stand being alone anymore. Snape got old in that time, while I still looked fourteen. I learned he was teaching Potions. And he brought me, saying I needed to be taught too. Dumbledore - What?"
Draco's face had mirrored contempt and anger and fear.
"Nothing," he said, shaking his head. "Go on."
"Well, Dumbledore allowed me to start taking night classes so I could be a full trained witch. I lived in the forest until last summer. I had showed up at Snape's house, and he let me in again. He made me a blood potion made with only a little bit of real blood. The only downside is that Snape has to cut his palm or something so that the blood gets in. But it works. So know you know everything."
"No I don't," Draco said. "I don't know what your mistake is. I don't know what Professor Snape doesn't want you to say. I don't know why it's just me you want."
Winter sighed. She opened her mouth, but Snape cut in.
"You will never tell him about our childhood," Snape snarled.
"You're siblings, right?" Draco asked.
"Exactly," Winter replied. "Come on, Draco. Let's go for a walk."