Hello again my darlings! Here we are with chapter four. For those of you that like the Avengers universe too, might I steer you in the direction of my first attempt at one. However, if you plan to see Civil War and don't want it ruined, please don't. There are heavy spoilers in there.
Now, as always, all Harry Potter related persons, places and things belong to JK Rowling and I have no claim over them. No copyright infringement is intended and no money is being made from this story.
Sumus Noctis
Chapter Four
Harry's dreams were wrought with onyx eyes that judged him, sneering lips that found what he was disgusting, in whole, a man who feared and reviled him. He woke sometime in the middle of the night soaked in a cold sweat, his fear permeating the air. The very fact that he cared what the man thought of him, even in his dreams, told a lot of his supposed attempt to forget about his former professor.
Seeing his ex-potions professor last night had affected him more than he'd thought. He knew that living in the magical world meant it was only a matter of time before he would have eventually bumped into him. He just hadn't expected to see him like that, having finished feeding and leaving the unconscious woman slumped over. He doubted that Snape didn't know what he was, but an unconscious woman behind him hadn't really left much to the imagination as to what he had been doing.
Especially since the Daily Prophet still ran the occasional, speculative piece on him being a Vampire. But he wasn't sure if Snape ever believed anything in there, or if he knew anyone in the Ministry that might have told him, especially with the very recent trial in relation to Ron's death.
He wondered if Snape still knew that he resided at Grimmauld Place and if he would send the Aurors after him. The Ministry had an agreement with the Vampires- they were aware that only human blood could sustain them for long periods of time, resulting in a Vampire only needing to feed once a week, sometimes less.
So it was agreed that so long as they didn't kill a human, they were given safe passage to feed from them- be it Muggle or magical person they fed from. But it was a tenuous agreement, and a lot of people hated that Vampires had the right to feed from them. This was why a lot of Vampires chose Muggles, that way they wouldn't become the target of a gang of pitchfork wielding nutters.
Harry felt the misery wash over him once again. He had become accustomed to the life he had been forced into, and didn't begrudge it as much as he used to, but that didn't mean that he liked it. He hated what he was, having to take from others without their consent. There were places that they could go, where witches and wizards were willing to let them feed from them. Some people did not detest them, and understood that there were Vampires, like Harry, who had that life forced on them.
It was different for a Childe- they could be sustained by the blood of their Sire, and only needed to feed from a human once a month. Once released, they had to move to once a week, as the Bond with their Sire no longer existed. It was not as difficult for them, at least, not as much as it was for the Sire.
Harry had harboured feelings for the snarky professor for some time- since his seventh year. He knew that they would never be returned, that Snape had only ever loved one person- Lily Evans. Harry was bound to live a life of solitude, with only Hermione for his companion, no matter how platonic their relationship was.
And truthfully, most days he was happy with that. He and Hermione had a close friendship, a bond that traversed Sire and Childe or even siblings. It had been that way long before their blood blond and nothing could change it.
Deciding to get up, he went downstairs and prepared some coffee. He settled on the couch he had lain Hermione to sleep on last night and read a book. Even though Hermione was the bookworm of the two, Harry did enjoy reading, despite every professor saying that he probably didn't know how to open a book, let alone read one.
Harry was halfway through the book when Hermione appeared, her bushy hair wild from sleep. He gestured for to take a seat next to him and poured her a cup of coffee, which she gratefully took from him. It was a popular misconception that Vampires required only blood, but in fact, they needed regular food to survive as well. They ate and drank like any normal person. It was a case of if they had to go a few days without it, then they wouldn't starve to death.
"You're up early, Harry." Hermione mumbled, her face scrunched up in distaste.
"Speak for yourself," Harry chuckled.
Hermione laughed with him, drinking her coffee in silence and allowing Harry to return to his book. Her unspoken questions drifting around Harry like smoke, so he closed his book and turned to her with a sigh.
"I can practically feel the burning need to question me, Hermione. Out with them."
"Sorry, Harry, I just wasn't expecting you to come home so frazzled last night. Then when you said that you had seen Professor Snape and you looked so crestfallen when you said you thought he'd realised that you'd been feeding. How long have you had feelings for him, Harry?"
"Since seventh year," he admitted through gritted teeth, disliking having to reveal things about himself, even though it was Hermione he was telling them to.
"When in seventh year? You were adamant that he had killed Dumbledore in cold blood. I know you never cared for the old buzzard, but you are as averse to unnecessary killing as I am."
"When I went back to him in the Shrieking Shack…" Harry began to explain.
"Whoa, wait, what?... Oh! It was you that saved Professor Snape!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Yeah. I remembered what Professor Snape said in first year, that a bezoar will save you from most poisons, and it made me think. Snake venom is often used in poisons, so even though it was only venom in his system when Nagini attacked him, it might still work. After he gave me his memories, I went back armed with the stone and an array of potions, in case he was still alive. I doubted it since we'd left him for so long, but he was clinging on. I knew when I saw the memories that he was a good man- he was just a wayward teenager and regretted joining Voldemort almost instantly."
"Oh, Harry. I'm so sorry. I had no idea."
"How could you have, Hermione? My feelings for Snape weren't something I shouted from the rooftops," Harry said wryly.
Hermione nodded and gave Harry a quick squeeze around his shoulders. It had been all over the Prophet that the professor had somehow survived the night of the battle. She had never known how, never once thinking that someone had gone back for him, let alone that it had been Harry.
"Hermione, I know you probably don't want to talk about it, but your flat, something needs to be done."
Hermione's eyes widened. "I thought I could stay here as long as I wanted? I can't go back, Harry, I just can't!"
"No, silly! I would never send you back there, not now that I know. I had always assumed it happened at Ron's place. Why don't you give me a list of the things you want to keep and I'll bring them back here, and sort out a sale for the place?" He soothed, one hand covering hers.
"That'd be great, Harry, thank you. I don't think I could go back in there, even if it was to get some things," she mumbled.
He passed her a piece of parchment and a quill. She wrote out a few things. Peering over her shoulder, he saw that she wanted to keep a photo album, the rest of her clothes, her books, potions kit, some pieces of jewellery and that was it. She was silent as she passed the list to him.
"There is only one photo album I want- the cover is red and black, made from velvet. Any others you can leave."
"Okay, I'll go now and I'll be back as quick as possible. Do we have any crates left?"
"Yep, there's one in my room, just use that one, it's empty."
Harry gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, retrieved the crate and shouted he would be back soon. He Apparated from her room straight into her flat and packed her clothes first. Her living room had three walls lined with bookcases and was bowing under the weight of all the books crammed into them.
Staring around the bedroom, his throat closed and he fought back the burning rage that threatened to tear apart the entire place until there was nothing but rubble left. The bed was still the same mess it had been in when Hermione had fled, her blood staining the sheets.
He could smell the blood, the fluids, even fear still filled the place. Six months hadn't been nearly long enough for the horrors that happened there to fade. It was too much and he grabbed the rest of her things before going back to the living room, collecting everything else she had requested to keep.
He shrunk the majority of things in one go and sent them into the crate. He sought the album she mentioned, glanced through the others and saw they were filled with photos of her parents. He didn't know she had kept them- after the war she had found her parents, but hadn't been able to undo the Obliviate she had used, so she'd left them in Australia to live their lives. He could see why she no longer wanted them- they would only cause her unnecessary pain.
After he had packed everything she had listed, he banished everything else, leaving the place bare. Arriving back at Grimmauld Place, he sent the crate up to Hermione's room. He'd let her unpack in her own time. Returning to the living room, he found her curled up asleep. She sure does like sleeping on that couch, he chuckled to himself. Might be worth just putting the damn thing in her room. Girl sleeps more on that than she does her own bed.
He left her to sleep and booted up the laptop in the dining room, searching for some estate agents. Once it hit nine o'clock, he rang round them all. Choosing the one with the highest estimate, he told them to run with it. If they needed to alter their amount after they had seen the flat, they need only call him. He refused to show them around- being in there once had been too much for Harry, knowing how much pain Hermione had suffered while there.
The estate agents were all staffed by magical people, so he said that he would owl over a set of keys later that morning. With that finished, he opened Google and ran a search for Severus Snape. Nothing came back. Of course it won't- he's a wizard, he's not about to appear as a Potions Master where a Muggle could come across the information! Harry scolded himself.
"Kreacher!" Harry called out.
The old house elf appeared with a crack. "Yes, Master Harry?"
"Would you get some breakfast going please, the works?"
"Yes, Master Harry," Kreacher replied.
He watched for a moment as the house elf which he had inherited along with Grimmauld Place, set about getting breakfast together. It had been a tumultuous start in the beginning, Kreacher had deliberately only partly obeyed Harry's orders and would do anything to make his life a living hell.
But after coming back changed, literally, Kreacher had become more behaved. It eventually came to light that Regulus, his former master, had been attacked by a vampire not long before his death. And Kreacher had witnessed first-hand the devastation of being labelled.
He was starving and suspected Hermione would be as well. He went through to the living room and found her whimpering in her sleep, rushing over he shook her awake.
"Hermione! Wake up!"
Jolting awake with a cry, she jumped into Harry's arms, sobbing into his neck. "I'm sorry, Harry!"
"Why on earth are you apologising?" Harry asked bewildered.
"I have no idea, but I am!" She wailed.
Sitting down with her in his lap, he cradled her to his chest and waited for her finish crying before he asked what she had been dreaming about.
"The night Ron attacked me. Viewing the memory with Mr. Weasley must have brought it all back full force," she whimpered miserably.
Holding her tight, Harry stroked her back and soothed her with soft words. Once she relaxed, he told her that breakfast was under way. She'd been about to say she wasn't hungry when her stomach gave an almighty growl. They both burst out laughing, the sombre mood broken.
"I've put the crate of your things in your room, and I have an estate agent dealing with the sale of your flat. Once I have a sale, I'll put the money into your vault." Harry brought Hermione up to speed on what he had been doing as they sat down to breakfast.
"Thanks, Harry. I know it wouldn't have been easy to go there, and I'm sorry I made you go instead, but I just can't do it."
Harry waved her words away- he would do anything for his Childe, even things he didn't want to do.
Neither of them needed to be at the club until later on. They didn't open up until eight o'clock, but they often went in for around five, so they could take their time in setting up. Which left them with the majority of the day to themselves.
"What are you going to do with your morning, Hermione?" Harry asked.
"Erm… I don't know to be honest, I might go to Diagon Alley and pick up the latest potions journal- there are a couple of new ones I want to try out."
"I'm surprised Snape didn't scare you away from potions for life," Harry laughed.
"Come on, Harry, he wasn't that bad. I know he was often mean to you because you weren't paying attention, but I know why. Dumbledore had you run ragged with his stupid little missions and tests."
Harry's still heart gave a small jolt at Hermione's words. He knew that Snape hadn't meant to be deliberately cruel, that Dumbledore had twisted the Unbreakable Vow he'd forced Snape to make with him when he'd begged the old man to protect Lily. Because of that vow, anything Dumbledore ordered to be done by it, Snape couldn't refuse or he would die. Snape had only been released from it when Dumbledore had ordered Snape to kill him, the act happening at the end of Harry's sixth year.
"What about you, what are you doing with your morning?" Hermione asked.
"I need to go to the wholesalers, there's a few spirits that we're running low on, so I'm going to stock the place up."
"While you're there, why don't you pick up some wine? We're closed tomorrow so I thought we could do a movie and wine night?"
Harry smiled. "Sounds good to me."
Hermione returned Harry's smile and left to get dressed. Harry tried to wash up but when Kreacher came in mumbling how he was there to serve, he relented and allowed Kreacher to clean up after them. He hated having the house elf do everything, but he was happiest when he was doing something that meant serving them.
Hermione scanned the items that Harry had placed into the crate. Waving her wand sent her clothes drifting off to the wardrobe, and a muttered Engorgio on the bookcases, once she had them placed somewhere she was happy with, set them to rights. The jewellery was put away and lastly she came to the photo album she had asked him to get.
She sat on the bed and opened the book. The first photo was of her and Harry at the end of their first year. She didn't remember where Ron had been, but she and Harry had looked so carefree and happy. Even though Harry had just thwarted Voldemort's return to power and she had watched him walk through the flames where Snape's riddle had been with the potions, they were untouched by the evil of it all.
She flipped through the pages, her eyes avoiding any that held Ron. She would remove them later and throw them in the fire. Most of them were during their school years, the later ones showing her and Harry standing proudly outside the club they had just purchased together, she having recently been changed by Harry. Her skin had taken on a porcelain quality, her lips a bright red against the paleness of her face. The most startling feature was her hair- it was no longer the bushy mane it had always been, but was curly and sleek- only bushy when she first woke up.
She heaved a sigh before choosing her clothes; a black top with navy jeans and her boots. She Apparated directly from her room to Diagon Alley- it was around ten, so it wasn't busy yet. Her first port of call was the Magical Menagerie since she wanted a new familiar after Crookshanks. A bell tinkled overhead when she pushed the door open, and someone called out they would be with her in a moment, letting her take the time to browse the many animals they had.
"Hermione?"
She swung round to find a wide-eyed Luna staring at her. They both squealed in delight and ran to one another, Hermione stopping just short of Luna unsure of what to do. Not many people hugged her anymore, complaining she was cold. Luna however barrelled into her, squeezing her tightly.
"It's so good to see you, Luna."
"I've not seen you in forever! How are you?" Luna asked in her dreamy quality, blue eyes staring at some point behind Hermione's head.
"I'm fine thank you. I'm actually here to get a new pet. Crookshanks died a couple of years ago and I miss having a familiar."
"So the crazy hairball has passed, huh?" Luna chuckled.
Hermione nodded, a wide smile on her lips. "Yep."
"Well, have a look around and give me a shout when you find something you like."
Hermione drifted off, perusing the many animals and strange creatures the menagerie housed. She didn't want another cat, feeling like she would be replacing Crookshanks. An owl was out of the question. Harry hadn't wanted another after he'd lost Hedwig. A toad was a no-go, she hated them, and snakes were a no way too. A dog would remind Harry of Sirius. She really was stumped for ideas when she heard a soft squawk far off in the corner. Going in search of the noise, she was greeted with a beautiful raven. Its plumage was stunning- black in one light and a sort of deep green and blue in another.
"Hello. Who might you be?" Hermione asked the bird, standing by its cage.
The raven gave another squawk before tottering to the edge of its cage and poking its beak through. She reached over and ran a finger over the beak, feeling a warmth radiate through her. This was what she wanted, the raven whose beak she was running a finger back and forth over.
"Luna? Who's this?" Hermione called out.
Luna appeared a moment later eyeing the bird with a secretive smile on her face. "This is Graysen, he was dumped outside the menagerie door a few weeks ago and not let anyone near him since. I have to let him out to feed him, then wait for him to fly back inside his cage," Luna sighed.
"Sounds like we've both been put through the ringer, doesn't it," Hermione cooed at the bird.
Graysen gave a gentle nip of her, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to let her know that he heard. Hermione knew there and then she was taking Graysen home.
"I'll take him Luna. Can you give him a note so that Harry can let him in?"
Luna picked the cage and took him to the counter, passing Hermione some parchment to write her note on.
Harry, this is Graysen. Will you let him into my room and leave him with some food, please? Be careful, he was abandoned outside the menagerie and can be temperamental, so if he nips, don't be mad with him. Hermione.
She fixed the note to Graysen's leg and gave him the address of Grimmauld Place. She watched as he flew out the open and door and sailed off. Hermione shrunk the cage and placed it in her pocket- she could set it up once she made it back home.
"Keep in touch, Hermione. I worry about you and so does Neville," Luna sighed.
"You and Neville huh?" She said, catching the loved up look in Luna's eyes.
Luna gave a breathy giggle and hugged Hermione bye. She walked over to Flourish & Blotts to get the potions journal she wanted. Locating it near the front, she paid the teller and went to the apothecary. She knew the ingredients she needed to try the new potions- she'd buy double in case any of them went wrong, so she would have enough to try again. She stopped off at Gringott's to get some more money- potions ingredients could be very expensive, especially if they were hard to acquire.
"Morning, I'd let to get into my vault, please." Hermione spoke to the goblin at the main desk.
The goblin rose and peered over the counter at her. "Miss Granger, a pleasant surprise. This way please."
The goblins cared not for what creature she was since the Ministry were even harsher to them than they were to Vampires and Werewolves. She followed the goblin to the carts that reminded Hermione of the roller coasters she used to ride at the fairground as a child. They thundered down the track before stopping at her vault, where she waited for him to open the door and stepped inside after the locks had opened.
She grabbed a handful of galleons along with a few sickles and knuts. She jiggled her purse and felt the weight, deciding she would have enough for her ingredients. If she didn't, she could always use her key to pay for the items.
Hermione left Gringott's and resumed her journey to the apothecary. It hadn't been there for long. The old apothecary had been destroyed when Voldemort had returned to power. The new one had only been there for a few months, but she'd read in the Prophet that business there had been booming.
The apothecary had no windows. Some ingredients reacted to sunlight, so only fluorescent lights could be used. Pushing open the door, she saw it was gloomy- one strip light ran the length of the ceiling, casting enough light to see where you were going and that was it.
Hermione paid no mind to the man at the counter, seeing that everything was alphabetised. Excellent, this will make it much easier to find what I need. She climbed ladders, hopped on and off stools and finally found everything she needed.
She approached the counter, her arms filled with ingredients. Placing everything on the counter, she dug around in her beaded bag and found her change purse.
"Trying out the potions in the new journal, Miss Granger?" A velvety voice rumbled from the man behind the counter.
If Hermione's heart had been beating, she was certain it would have stopped. She slowly raised her head until her eyes found shoulder length black hair, pale, almost sallow skin, until finally they met the obsidian ones of her ex-professor.
"Professor Snape," she breathed.
Well there you have it my darlings, chapter four. Now, I would just like to give a little shout out to the uncouth little shit that sent me a rather interesting review. Something about how I write like a thirteen year old girl, and made Harry into every other gothy vampire ever written. Well, clearly you haven't been reading the rest of the story properly, but I really don't care. People like you try and drag authors down with petty little remarks. Well I am here to tell you that personally, your opinion is your own and you are more than entitled to it. But ever come back and send me more abuse, do not think I won't hesitate to call you out on your bullshit sweetie.