Being a vampire
The next day Harry sat at his desk in Severus' study and worked on his homework. He was trying to keep up with his classes so he wouldn't get left behind by his friends. He had been given a pile of notes from the classes he had missed, but Harry did not know who they were from. They were definitely neither Ron's nor Hermione's notes, as he would recognise the handwriting. Harry assumed that they come from a Slytherin student, or maybe from a Ravenclaw, probably from one of the young vampires he had met at the Black Moon Hunters club. The notes are very detailed, giving Harry enough information to complete his homework without any confusion.
In the afternoon, Severus sat with Harry in the living room over a cup of tea and told the boy everything about the different kinds of bonds between vampires. The Prince book lay still unopened on Harry's desk. Severus decided to tell Harry everything he needed to know, as the boy seemed to be refusing to read the information himself. The boy listened very closely, but every time when the word 'blood' was involved, Harry grimaced.
"Don't make a face. There is nothing wrong with blood. You are addicted to it now, but it is completely natural. Blood is the juice of life. Every living being depends on it. Blood is not bad," Severus rebuked the boy softly.
Harry hung his head at his Professors rebuttal. "I know," he whispered. "It's just… hard to imagine drinking the stuff."
"Don't call it stuff, Harry. It's blood. Come on, say blood."
With a pained expression, Harry looked up again. "B… bl… blood," he stuttered.
"Well done, now say it again."
Severus had Harry repeat the word at least three times, before Severus changed the topic. Next, he explained in more detail how and why some vampires got excluded from their family and the brutal methods of the ministry.
Severus noticed that Harry's concentration was fading fast. The boy looked pale and tired, it was clear that soon they will have to face the next problem.
Oxoxo
"Morning," Harry mumbled as he entered the kitchen the next morning, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He felt still very tired even though he had slept well. This feeling unsettled Harry a lot, because it was the same feeling he had when he stayed at the Leaky Cauldron. Harry didn't understand the feeling and it made him uneasy. He had already drunk the night before so he shouldn't feel so tired and powerless.
"Good morning, sleepy head!" greeted a far too happy voice for the time of morning. His head snapped up as he realised the voice did not belong to Severus.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Harry asked while he glared at the owner of the voice, who sat at the kitchen table like it was normal to him to do so.
"Ouch. No, 'good morning, Draco', or a simple 'hello' I see," Draco answered.
Harry frowned. He still didn't understand why Draco was suddenly so friendly and casual towards him.
"You look awful," Draco remarked.
"So what? That's none of your business," Harry growled.
"Wow. Aren't we in a good mood," said the Slytherin boy sarcastically.
"Piss off," Harry yelled.
"No foul language in my rooms!" Severus warned while he entered the kitchen and scowled at the boys.
Still angry, Harry ignored the rebuke. Instead he pointed at Draco and asked in a reproachful tone, "What is he doing here?"
"He has the same right to be here as you have, Harry. Beside he is my godson and we often eat breakfast with each other in the morning," Severus explained.
"Hurray," Harry mumbled to himself as he sat down. He was too tired to argue any longer. Crossing his arms over the table he lowered his head onto them and closed his eyes.
"I thought he drank from you?" Draco asked Severus, watching Harry with a concerned look. He knew exactly what was bothering the small Gryffindor.
"He did, but it wasn't enough. Madame Pomfrey told me that he probably would need more before the next new moon. The last days weren't easy for him either and that could also cause his exhaustion," Severus explained.
"I'm still here," Harry protested weakly, without looking up.
Severus crouched down next to the boy, and commanded softly "look at me."
Frowning, Harry sat up again and locked eyes with the potion master, who studied him for a while until he said, "Draco, would you please bring me a pepper-up potion."
"No. No potion," Harry protested, weakly.
Severus placed a hand on Harry's forehead and the other at the back of Harry's neck. The boy was warm, but not too hot. "We still have a lot of work to do, you need your full power," he explained.
Harry closed his eyes and leaned into the touch, but as Draco came back, he snapped his eyes open again and jerked back. The smell of the potion was unmistakable. "Not that potion!"
"Why? What other potion is there?" Draco stopped,confused.
"It's okay, Draco. Just put it on the table," Severus said, standing up again and started to make a cup of coffee.
The blond vampire did, as he was told and watched Harry making a face. "You can bite me instead if you wish. That is, if Severus agrees."
"What?"
"Well, you bit him first, so he must agree," Draco explained.
Harry starred at the blond boy "Why would you let me bite you?"
Shrugging his shoulder Draco answered "Why not?"
Harry shook his head. This was absurd. Draco hated him.
"Harry. Do you like to drink milk?" Draco asked out of the blue.
"Erm… yes?"
"So you have no problem drinking milk, but you have a problem drinking blood?"
"How can you compare this?"
"You see, I would give you my blood completely freely, but the cow is not being asked before. You never know if the cow was okay with the milk taken from her."
Harry frowned while he thought about Draco's words.
"This potion is also brewed with completely freely given blood. There is nothing wrong in drinking it. It is brewed for exactly this situation you are in now," Draco continued, while he pointed to the pepper-up potion on the table.
Harry looked at the potion and then drew the goblet nearer. Looking into the red liquid he asked, "Whose blood is it?"
"From all members of the club, we are brewing the potion during the blood feast. Because of the mix you don't get bonded to someone. The potion is really good. Of course, I have no idea how it taste compared to Severus' blood. You are the first one who got to know the promise of the Prince blood. Between you and me… I envy you for it."
At this Harry looked at Draco in surprise. The blond boy winked at him and then turned his head to look longingly towards the potion master.
"Don't look at me like that. It's not my fault you refuse to bond with someone else of the club. And Harry didn't know what he was doing," Severus said.
"Oh? So all I have to do is not taking the potion and waiting until I'm in a blood rush and then I can bite you?"
"You do that, and you won't sit comfortable for a week!" Severus threatened.
Draco grimaced. "That's so unfair! Well, keep your blood. It's good for nothing anyway."
Severus gave a short laugh. He knew Draco usually insulted people whenever he felt hard done-by.
Harry was just half listening to them. He rotated the goblet in his hands and watched the red potion with a mix of fascination and disgust. The smell of the potion was unbelievingly alluring. Carefully he tipped the goblet and then brought it towards his mouth.
Before he could change his mind, his instincts took over and he gulped the potion down, feeling more and more alive with every sip. While drinking all doubts were washed away, all Harry could feel was lust for life, like he felt as he drank from Severus, but it was not exact the same. Drinking from Severus had felt even better.
Soon the goblet was empty and two long fangs pressed against Harry's chin. Before Harry knew what was happening he was pulled out of his seat and dragged toward the big mirror in the living room.
"Here look. Aren't they cool?" Draco asked as he watched Harry's fangs through the mirror.
Harry looked at his teeth closer, but then he stepped back and looked at his mirror self. He was thin and a bit taller than he remembered him being. His hair was long and silky and his skin a bit pale. All in all he looked like… well… a vampire. And if he was fair to himself he was good looking. After a few minutes of drinking the potion his fangs shrunk back to his usual teeth. Draco stood next to Harry and grinned widely and it was at this moment Harry realised that Draco no longer hated him.
Draco wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders and stated, "Being a vampire is cool. Don't you agree?"
Harry didn't answer, but with the arm around his shoulder, he felt a strange new feeling towards Draco. He looked at the two boys in the mirror thinking they could be brothers.
-xox-
"Concentrate, Harry!" Severus reprimanded the boy once again. He sat in the living room and was working on the rules of conduct and on the consequences of breaking them. Harry found the topic kind of embarrassing and Draco's presence didn't help the matter. Every now and then he glanced at the blond boy, who was reading, or pretending to do so, on the sofa next to them.
"Sorry," Harry mumbled, fixing his gaze back at Professor Snape.
Severus sighed. He knew it was awkward to talk about all the rules, but for vampires it was very important to stick close to them. The risk of being revealed was to great.
"If Draco is distracting you, then say so."
Harry gulped and looked back at the blond, who looked up from his book with a questioning look.
"Well, it's not Draco… it's just… It's embarrassing, when you ask me about what to do in which situation, and when the answer is wrong you tell me how I will get punished, if I would do this or that."
"I can assure you, Harry. Draco knows exactly what punishments I will give out when he misbehave." Severus smirked at Draco as the boy turned a good shade of red in the face. "It's probably also embarrassing for him, as it may trigger some unpleasant memories."
"Thank you very much", Draco growled.
"You are welcome."
"How did you become a vampire?" Harry finally asked Draco. Who closed the book and turned his attention towards Harry.
"I was ten when father agreed to do the initiation ritual."
"You mean he bit you?" Harry asked with big eyes.
"Yes, of course. He waited far too long, if you ask me, but finally I could persuade him."
Harry starred at Draco unbelievingly. "You wanted it?"
"Yes. Every Malfoy was a vampire. Besides, it really cool being a vampire."
"Cool? What exactly is cool about being a vampire?" Harry asked puzzled.
Draco frowned. Didn't the boy know anything? With a reproachful tone he turned towards Severus and asked, "You haven't told him about his new powers?"
"Powers? What powers?" Harry asked bewildered.
"I can't remember asking for your advice," Severus said, crossing his arms in a defensive manner.
"Don't you think Harry would understand the importance of the rules better, when he knows what he is now capable of?" Draco went on, ignoring Harry's questions.
"As if you want to talk about the importance of rules. You can't stay out of trouble longer than a week and you know exactly what you are risking. The knowledge of your powers does nothing to make you take the rules more seriously." Severus scolded.
"This is not about me. It's about Harry. If you just talk about rules, he has no reason to follow them. He needs to enjoy being a vampire," Draco defended himself.
"So, Professor Malfoy, maybe I should let you take over Harry's lessons. I wonder who will land themselves over me knee first." Severus mused.
"Ha. Ha." Draco grumbled then took Harry by the shoulder and guided him towards Harry's room. Still not understanding what is going on, Harry cast a questioning look over his shoulder at the disgruntled professor.
"No stunts!" Severus said and let the boys go. It was good for Harry that he finally found a friend in Draco. If Draco could convince Harry that being a vampire is not all about blood sucking and sticking to rules it may help Harry to accept his fate.
-o-
"What powers?" Harry asked, as soon as the door to his room closed behind Draco.
Draco grinned whimsically. "I take it, you already noticed you heightened senses?" he asked, while sitting down on Harry's bed and looking around the room. It wasn't the first time he was in this room. He sometimes helped Severus with new vampires. With Harry though, it was different. He was more interested in Harry's wellbeing than he was with the others. It was his personal mission to teach Harry the cool side of a vampire.
Harry nodded, sitting himself next to Draco and crossing his legs. "What else?"
"Then we are stronger than a normal human being and have a faster capacity for reaction. Our magical potential is bigger too. That's one of the reasons Severus doesn't like us getting involved in any fights. A normal wizard won't stand a chance against us, magically or physically. Besides the slight chance that we may lose ourselves in the heat of the moment and bite an innocent, but with our monthly blood party, this chance is nearly none existent."
Harry gulped finally understanding, why Professor Snape would spank him if he would start a fight with anybody. Harry realized Snape would do anything to keep his charges safe and hidden in the mass.
"What about Voldemort?" Harry wondered. "Why was he so powerful?"
"Don't say his name!" Draco hissed. "He was a brutal monster. He managed to steal vampire powers, without turning into a vampire. He was ruthless and had no respect of any living being. He promised us freedom but he just shortchanged us. He instigated vampires to fight against each other to break the strong bonds between them.
"He also gave the ministry advice how to successfully fight against vampire families. He was only interested in the wild vampires. He got Severus' whole family killed, to get him as a servant for his side, then forced him to fight against the ministry. Severus wasn't the only one. He used everybody for his own gain. Everybody who dared to fight him, lost their life; just like your parents. Merlin alone knows why you are still alive."
Harry hugged himself, feeling very uncomfortable. He had known some parts of this story but he was finally getting the bigger picture. He felt proud of his parents but also very alone. Most of his life, he had wished that he would have died together with his parents, but now he realized the importance of his survival. He stopped Voldemort.
"Do you think he will manage to get his body back?" Harry asked, with a trembling voice. It was clear that if Voldemort came back, Harry would be forced to face him.
"I fear he will. He is very talented in earning powers that aren't his. It's just a question of time. Luckily, it isn't that easy. For twelve years nothing has been heard or seen of him."
"Well, I saw him. In our first year, he was poking out of the back of Quirrell's head."
"Hey!" Draco placed a hand on Harry's knee. "This time we are stronger. He will have to face the black moon hunters, too."
Harry looked at Draco doubtfully. "What can a hand full of teenagers do?"
"Do you really believe the club exists just inside of Hogwarts?" Draco's smiled at Harry's confused look.
"Severus and his club was just the start. In the last ten years, the club has grown in numbers, even outside of the school. Alumni and other vampires without families have gotten together again. Vampires have a strong sense of family. Even wild vampires got tired of fighting and have bowed to a new blood bond. They all are ready to stick together and fight if the monster rises again. And…" Draco stopped mid-sentence.
"And what?"
"Well," Draco looked at Harry with an apologetic look, "I think, with you as one of us, they will have the right motivation to fight."
Harry hugged himself more tightly. "I hate this," he whispered.
"What do you mean?" Draco asked puzzled.
"I hate being the center of attention. I definitely don't like being a symbol or a motive force," Harry explained.
"I know, but don't worry. You have the biggest family in the whole world at your side. More importantly, you have Severus and me. We will watch over you."
Harry smiled faintly at these words, then silence stretched through the room. After a while Harry wondered, "Why don't you hate me anymore?"
"I never hated you," Draco defended himself. "I was just teasing you. I wanted to be your friend but you never gave me a chance."
At that Harry frowned.
"Have you forgotten already? It was you who denied my hand of friendship," Draco reminded.
"You insulted my friends. That's not the way to get on my good side."
"I realized that, too," Draco said and grinned. "But I don't have to like your friends to be friends with you. Besides all Weasleys smell awful. It's beyond me why they have so many children if they can't provide them with proper clothes. How can you stand that smell?"
Harry opened his mouth to argue, but he had to agree that Ron really smelled strange sometimes. With time Harry got used to it, but he wondered if he would stand that smell now being a vampire.
"That's still no reason to insult them. They are all really nice people and Ron was my very first friend," Harry finally said.
"I could have been your first friend, too."
"Aww… are you jealous?"
"No. Of course not. I was just wondering how it would have been with you as friend," Draco said.
"If you had been my first friend, I would have landed in Slytherin, I guess," Harry said and grinned at Draco's frown.
"Why do you say that?" Draco asked, eager to know what Harry was talking about.
"Because the old hat considered putting me into Slytherin. I talked him out of it." Harry explained.
"Why?" Draco asked perplex.
"Because you sounded like a brat when you talked about Slytherin. Plus, Ron told me that most of the dark wizards came from Slytherin."
"What rubbish! Gryffindor is no better. Black for example was a Gryffindor, and he betrayed your parents to You-know-who"
"Black betrayed my parents?" Harry asked with big eyes. He had read about Sirius Black when he had stayed at the Leaky Cauldron, but he never realized that Black would have any connection to him.
"You didn't know? As you vanished for a week, some believed you went after him for revenge."
Harry got very silent. Black betrayed his parents? He could see the angry face of the escapee very clearly in his mind. His face was everywhere in Diagon Ally.
"I think a change in subject is in order," Draco concluded from the deafening silence that rang through the room.
"He was even in the muggle paper. They said he had killed twelve people." Harry said, his mind still filled with Black's face.
"Yes, he killed muggles, well and one wizard. That's why he is even known to the muggle world aswell. But really, we should change the subject. I was about to tell you-"
A knock on Harry's door interrupted the boys.
"Yes?" Draco answered before Harry could, who still looked troubled about the news of Sirius Black.
Severus entered and inquired to the two teenagers, "Does Harry know how to walk up the walls yet?"
"Erm…" Draco looked at Harry, "Well, no. We got sidetracked."
"Sidetracked? What did the two of you talk about instead?" Severus wondered as he looked closer at Harry who had wrapped his hands around his torso and appeared troubled. Harry tried to smile, but it didn't really work.
"About You-know-who and then… erm… "
Severus fixed Draco with a stern glare.
"Well, I told him about Black. He didn't know that it was him, who betrayed his parents."
"I thought you wanted to give Harry reasons to like being a vampire, not to make him upset by telling him that his own godfather probably wants him dead."
"Godfather?" Harry asked shocked. "He… he is my godfather?"
Obviously, Draco hadnt't told Harry everything. "Yes. He was a very good friend of your father when they were in school. I still don't understand what happened, or why he betrayed your parents. Don't worry, Harry, no matter if he is after you or not, he will not get to you. You are well protected now."
"Yes, these stupid Dementors smell even worse than the Thestrals," Draco grumbled.
"What are Thestrals?" Harry wondered feeling stupid not knowing anything.
"The horse like creatures, which pull the carriages from Hogsmead to Hogwarts." At Harry's frown, Draco continued, "I'm sure you smelled them, didn't you?"
As Harry thought back to his arrival he remembered the horrid smell from the carriages. "Yes, I smell something. It was horrible, like death and decay with a bit of horse manure mixed in," Harry stated making a face to show his disgust for the smell.
"Yes, but it was still nothing when you compare it to a Dementor. Luckily, they are not allowed to come near to the castle."
"Okay, boys. What about lunch?" Severus asked finally.
Harry and Draco agreed immediately.
-oxoxo-
"Climbing up the wall? I thought you were joking," Harry said with big eyes.
"No, I wasn't. It's one of the bat abilities that works even in human form," Severus explained.
"Human form?" Harry asked bewildered.
At this Severus cast a glance at Draco, "As it seems you two got sidetracked very fast. I thought you would show him your bat form first."
Draco smiled, apologetically.
"Bat form? You can transform into a bat?" Harry asked Draco.
"Well, you could too. Like an animagus, a vampire can change his form. While an animagus needs to learn his transformation for several months though, a vampire can transform on instinct," Draco explained.
"You mean if I jump out of the window, I will transform into a bat automatically?" Harry asked.
"Yes, though I wouldn't do that at the first try. Being a bat is kind of strange at first."
"Oh… okay."
"It would also earn you a spanking for risking exposure," Severus added sternly. "Jumping out of the window in human form is not my understanding of keeping your head down."
"Yes, yes. No need to get all authoritative again," Draco said cheekily.
"Cheeky brat, mind your tone," Severus scold the blond, giving him a playful clip round the ear.
"Ouch," Draco said but grinned.
Harry watched the exchange between the two with a strange feeling inside. They act like a family, he thought to himself. He had never imaged Professor Snape as a family type.
"Can I try out this bat transformation?" Harry asked eagerly.
"No. Not until you know the rules, even when you are asleep," Severus said strictly.
"Aw. You spoilsport," Draco protested, instead of Harry.
"Spoilsport? I'm responsible for you. We cannot just fly around in bright daylight, you know that. Besides, I hope I don't have to remind you, that you are still banned from flying."
Draco hung his head. "No, but it is unfair. I just wanted to know what was happening to Harry."
At the mention of his name, Harry got curious. Draco did something that got him banned from flying?
"You should learn to respect the privacy of others and think before you act. Your friend got very worried when he couldn't find you," Severus scolded.
Draco huffed and grew silent.
"What did you do?" Harry finally asked.
With a faint smile Draco looked at Harry and answered, "Well, I went to see you."
"When?"
"Right after Severus dragged you away on our first day of school. I didn't return to my dormitory as I was told to. I changed into a bat and flew towards Severus office from the outside. I was too late though, because as I reached the window you had fainted and Severus was about to carry you into his private chambers," Draco explained. "So I flew to the window of the room you are sleeping now, Severus caught me on the windowsill..."
"So you knew already that I was a vampire when you provoked me in the halls?" Harry asked with a frown.
"Well, yes. I mean, not for sure, but I thought you would be one."
"Hadn't you been worried I may bite you? In front of Ron and Hermione no less?"
At this Draco paled. If he was truthful, he didn't really thought about that. "Erm, well. Guess it wasn't one of my best ideas."
Worried, he cast a glance at Severus who looked livid. "I'm sorry, Severus. It was really stupid."
"Stupid? Are you aware, that you risked exposing Harry?" Severus asked.
"I am now... I'm sorry, really," Draco said taking a step backwards and unconsciously covering his bottom.
Harry's eyes widen at this. So, even Draco got spanked, when he misbehaved. "No harm done," he said trying to protect Draco, but Severus ignored him.
"It was just luck. Harry's reluctance to accept what he was, was the only thing that saved you and him, Draco. I wasn't aware what a foolish thing you did. You will sit with Harry during his lessons about rules and behavior this afternoon. Perhaps it will finally sink in to your brain how important it is to remain undiscovered."
"Yes, Sir." Draco said, hanging his head in what appeared to be shame until Severus noticed him winking at the dark haired teen.
Harry smiled back at the blond tentatively.
"You two will be the death of me," Severus said shaking his head, but the corners of his mouth turned upwards slightly.