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MD: So I added more to the end of this chapter, and I have revised it to the best of my ability, so enjoy.

Disclaimer: Only thing I own is my Laptop which is broken. This is my dads computer.

Darkest Before The Dawn

Chapter 4

Unexpected Arrival

The morning after their escape, found Snape and Harry in a rather awkward situation, not that either of them knew it, being still asleep. Sometime during the night Severus rolled over to spoon up behind Harry, holding him loosely with one arm.

As the day progressed from early to mid-morning Severus woke as the wards alerted him to someone forcing their way through. Sitting up suddenly he brought his charge into wakefulness as well. "Sir?" The boy whispered, and Severus pressed his finger to Harry's lips handing the boy his wand.

Noting the tenseness in the mans shoulders Harry followed his professor as he made his way towards the door outside. As they neared that side of the room, it swung open. Snape pushed Harry behind him roughly upon seeing who it was. "What you want!" He hissed at the auburn haired man as the door shut behind the intruder and he pulled off his cloak.

"Ah! Severus I thought I sensed you here.?" The Auburn haired man, who was obviously a Vampire said flashing Snape a smile.

"Don't give me that Adrian. What do you want." Snape snarled.

Adrian gave Snape a sly smirk. "What any Vampire wants after being out in the sun for Four hours. . ." His gaze settled hungrily on Harry, and he found himself moving closer to Snape, fighting the urge to hide within the professors robes. ". . . a warm meal."

Adrian's blue eyes flashed silver and Severus felt Potter shiver, pressing against his side. Reaching back he took Harry's hand, glaring at the other Vampire, he bared his fangs and his eyes flashed angrily. "Stop!" Severus snapped, but Adrian's grin only grew. "He isn't a Snack!"

"Figures you would try to keep your unmarked pet to yourself. It seems that you have been away from the court too long and have forgotten our rules." Harry felt Snape tense even if the action wasn't visible.

"I haven't been gone as long as you seem to believe. I have fed from the child, but he has not been with me long enough for me to explain marking and claiming to him yet. As I remember it he would have to consent for such a bond to be performed and hold power under Vampiric Law." Snape cited.

"Then he hasn't been with you long enough for you to have any prior relationship or claim on him." Adrian reached for Harry.

"I hold the same claim as I had on his mother." Snape replied, stopping Adrian short. "I'm sure you remember Lily."

"The only human stupid enough to trust you with not only her life but that of the child she was carrying." Adrian spat. "Your mother was so proud that her half-blood son had her compassion for humans." The disgust evident on Adrian's face made Snape sneer. "Claimed by you or not I still need to feed."

Harry caught up in conversation about his mother, started when Adrian grabbed his arm. Panic swelled in his mind, before he felt the almost familiar numbing sensation of the vampire's mind tricks. He tried to fight but then everything went black.

Adrian snarled when the boy went limp as he tried to drag him away from his lovers son. "Now why did you do that, I wouldn't have killed him!"

"The child has little enough trust in me as it is, I will not have you jeopardize my progress so you can have a snack!" Snape growled and his first father figure, not a good one mind you, but his first.

"So you'll have me wait until the blood lust consumes me and I kill you both?" Adrian taunted sourly, watching as his "step son" lay the boy on the bed before transfiguring it back into a couch.

"Do you really think me that stupid, Adrian?" Severus questioned, resignation pulling at his frozen heart when he caught the triumphant look flashing through the older vampires eyes. This was what Adrian had been hoping for. "You are extremely lucky that my mother loves you, you sadistic..." His words died on his lips as Adrian slammed him against a wall, tearing the collar off his robes, and shirt sending the buttons flying. Long fingers grabbed his hair using it to pull his head to the side.

Adrian was by no means the gentlest of Vampires. Snape had been fed from by his relatives often as a child, Adrian was by far the roughest of them. As the sharp fangs pieced his throat he focused on keeping Potter asleep, he did not want the boy to see this. If Potter thought that he was bad, he would be further terrified watching a full vampire feed.

Adrian drank from him deeply and Severus found himself feeling weak despite being able to function under conditions that would have killed most humans and comatose any vampire. He could feel the hunger niggling at him in the back of his mind, he would have to be careful not to hurt Potter and stay as far away from him as possible. "You've fed now leave!" He snarled pushing the Auburn haired Vampire away.

"The sun is still up Severus to go out now would be suicide." Adrian smiled to himself mentally. Severus was quite drained, and while he may still be able to function under the normal conditions of clan life, with the boy present as a fresh source of blood . . .well Severus had always gone out of his way to stay away from these situations. Even as a child the boy would isolate himself until he could feed without the risk of harming an innocent. With him there Severus would not risk leaving the boy alone. 'Oh how the strong will fall.' He thought with glee, shattering the young vampires carefully kept virtue had been his goal for sometime and now it seemed in reach, because of one boy and fragile trust.

"Go in the other room then!" Severus snapped. "Stay away from the boy." He warned, sitting in his mothers chair. Watching Adrian smile as he went, Severus cast several strong blocking wards over the opening to the corridor leading to the kitchen, before releasing Harry's mind and leaning back tiredly in the rocking chair.

"I really wish you would stop doing that!" Harry exclaimed as he came to.

"Trust me its better that I did." Snape replied, the tiredness of his voice bringing Harry's full attention upon him.

"Sir?" Harry questioned upon seeing the state that the man was in. Crimson was staining the mans tattered white undershirt, as blood traced its way down the mans pale skin from the bite mark on his neck. "You...He..."

"Eloquent as always, Potter." Snape intoned, in an almost teasing way, and Harry flushed.

"He didn't close the wounds!" The boy exclaimed after a moment jumping to his feet, moving towards Snape.

"Don't!" Snape warned, as the scent of the boy's blood wafted over him temptingly.

"He didn't close..."

"Doesn't matter, it will heal." Snape said, shaking his head tiredly.

"But you said..."

"I'm not exactly human now am I Potter?" Snape asked shooting him a glare, Harry sat down watching the man carefully.

"I suppose not, but according to him your not exactly a vampire either." Harry returned, remembering that the vampire had called Snape a half-blood.

"What brought you to that stunning conclusion?"Snape sneered with all of his natural venom.

"He called you a half-blood."

"Figures that now you would have the common sense to pay attention, when you have failed to do so any other time it would have been beneficial."Snape sneered, clearly not wanting to venture into this conversation.

"Forget I said anything if your going to be like that and just tell me how to help you." Harry said his own voice hard knowing that Snape would not accept his help if he didn't force him.

"Unless you plan on giving me a pint of your blood Potter there isn't anything you can do except stay as far away from me as you can while staying in this room." Severus smirked mentally as realization flashed briefly over the boys face, and Harry brought his legs up infront of him, green eyes watching him from over his knees. "I thought as much." Snape nodded and let his head rest against the back of the chair. "As for your inquiry, I am in fact not a full Vampire." Snape breathed. "My mother fell in love with a human a little over three and half decades ago and I am the result. Naturally most of the vampiric community was none too thrilled, and Adrian is one of those who for a lack of better wording 'have it in for me'."

"You mentioned my mother before..." Harry asked timidly, and was surprised when Snape smirked.

"She was my best and only true friend..." The dark haired man replied looking at him with Sliver sheaned eyes. "and because of that she was in danger from the vampire community. There is a ritual that a vampire can perform to protect their non-immortal loved ones...yes Potter I loved your mother, despite the fact that she fell for your father. The ritual has to be performed once a year before the vampiric council to hold power under our laws. Your father was furious when he found out about the bonds of protection between your mother and I." Snape chuckled slightly serving to further unnerve Harry. "The last ritual was performed when she was still pregnant with you. I hadn't expected her to show up that night she was due any day.. .but I went to the clearing anyway and she was standing there waiting."

Harry listened avidly, he didn't know if it was the blood loss or just Snape trying to distract himself but he had never heard the man talk so openly about any thing. "She knew that performing the ritual while pregnant gave me rights to her child and she still came...she trusted me enough to entrust your life to me..." Snape was looking directly at him now hurt and love reflected in those black pools and Harry shivered.

"When she died all claims and protection I had on her where passed to you, but since the ritual hasn't been performed since its only in name." Snape watched as fear stemmed from his words, the boy was afraid he was going to call upon those claims now. He could have, but he realized now that as long as Adrian knew that this boy was Lily's the child would be in danger from his Vampiric relatives.. He would have to approach the council, and some how gain Harry's trust. Starting by not feeding on him now.

Harry sat thinking, he remembered reading about Vampires when Moony had taught in third year. It was a good thing that Hermione had found that book on Vampiric rituals, not that he had imagined at the time they where actual rituals, as vampires were extremely secretive creatures. "You put the book in the library didn't you, sir?"

"Hm? Oh, yes. Lily begged me to. Not many people read it though I've been keeping an eye on it. " Snape had resumed his posture of sitting with his head against the back of the chair and his eyes closed. "I'm surprised that you found it."

"Hermione gave it to me after she read it." Harry whispered and Snape made a noise of acknowledgment. "It's a good thing she did really, I do at least have some inclination what your talking about."

"Yes that would explain the fear that came with my mention of claims." Snape agreed, he felt slightly drunk having warm blood so close, but fought not to let the need over come him, and cursed himself for not stocking the cottage for such a situation. "How did the Dark Lord manage to get you out of your Aunts house?" Snape asked changing the subject.

"Same way he called Dumbledore's bluff at the department of mysteries." Harry replied evenly, he knew the questions would come eventually he just hadn't expected them to come from Snape. "But you must of figured that out already, sir."

Snape nodded, talking was helping. . .he never thought he'd be able to say that about Potter. "After last night I figured. We should probably continue your Occumency lessons, with out proper training the block we put up last night will not hold." Severus didn't miss the surprise that flashed across the boy's face. "No I am not forgiving the incident last year." He drawled, watching the boy's face flush as he looked away. "Not yet any way..." He finished under his breath, because he had the feeling that eventually Lily's son would gain his forgiveness, for no other reason but his caring heart. The same heart that Lily had used to force him to see the honesty in her friendship.

Harry felt inclined to apologize for his actions in June, but he had the distinct feeling that this wasn't the time. "I don't deserve your forgiveness." Harry whispered back, unaware that Snape could hear every word even though he had barely voiced the words.

MD: I know its been awhile but I've been busy with school and work...this has kind of been edited so don't kill me for spelling errors just yet. I'll repost it once its been revised. Tootles