Guest - Yeah, after Vlad spent so long wanting, it was always going to be Harry who had to make the first move!

BlueAutumn12 - I WILL WRITE MORE AND YOU'LL GET IT WHEN I POST IT! Haha

Second guest - yes! finally!

YokaiAngel - why would you get weird looks? 'Finally!' is the main component of reviews on last chapter overall. Even from me and my personal review of myself!

Fangirl-friend2 - thank you for the thumbs up!

-YDHP-

If he hadn't been so utterly distraught at the fact he had just kissed Vlad, Harry would have taken the time to appreciate that he had just achieved his animagus transformation. Flying was... there was no better word than natural, like he had been born to be in the air.

Kissing Vlad had felt natural too, like he should have been doing it all along. Except he shouldn't, couldn't. Vlad was taken, and looked so utterly stunned by the forward action of Harry that it was clear he had never expected such a thing.

Merlin he was so screwed. That was undoubtedly the best way to completely alienate ones best friend.

Trying desperately to distract himself, Harry took stock of his new form. It had wings instead of arms and hands, which was surreal. The parameters of his vision had changed, every colour slightly different and the white of the snow was near-painfully bright. Some deep-rooted protective instinct knew there were vampires around somewhere, like age-old evolution was warning him to be wary of predators.

He couldn't walk on his perch, hopping along like an awkward kangaroo before accepting flying was the more logical transport. Cawing in frustration - it would have been more like a grunt in human form - Harry spread his wings and took flight.

Now if only he could remember how to change back. Hermione had said that mandrake potion was purely for curing a partial change, and unless he was much mistaken Harry had successfully perfected the change to his form. Working out how to become human again seemed much more complicated than panicking and wishing he could get away from awkward kiss situation.

It wasn't something he could avoid indefinitely though. Vlad was his best friend, Harry couldn't just bail out of his life. Even if that seemed like a very attractive idea. Firstly though, he needed opposable thumbs again. It was hard to focus on anything, he realised, because he was freezing. His animagus form had none of the cold resistance his human one did, and Harry was sure any normal human would be shivering violently in this heavy snowfall.

Turning his head to awkwardly aim his eyes down, he detected movement. It made his feathers ruffle, but as soon as he recognised Vlad in the snow clearly looking up to search for Harry, some part of him relaxed.

"Ok. I'm going to go down there, and get taken somewhere warm. Awkwardness will not be my death sentence."

His personal pep talk did nothing for the nerves, but Vlad's expression of relief and outstretched arm did soothe him a little. At least Vlad didn't hate him.

"Let me guess. You can't change back? One for yes, two for no."

"Caw."

"I'm going to put you under my jacket a little to keep you warm, just be quiet until I let you out."

"Caw."

It was frustrating that Harry couldn't form any other sound, but when he was safely bundled into Vlad's jacket he was too warm to care. The grip never faltered as Vlad got them inside, securely holding the adolescent bird until Harry recognised the Gryffindor common room as Vlad opened his little hidey-hole.

"I'm going to go get the animagus books, there will be some kind of answer. You stay there, get warm."

Hopping about awkwardly, Harry got as close to the fires glowing embers as possible without becoming a tiny cooked snack while Vlad slipped carefully into their dormitory. Only Draco was in there, but still. The vampire returned with an armful of books, placing the stack on his chosen chairs armrest and looking nothing like Harry had violated their friendship by kissing him as he scanned the reading material.

"Hmm. There's a couple of spells and potions that reverse partial transformations depending what they are... but you've clearly gone all the way there so..."

Vlad trailed off, discarding one book for the next and staring intently at the pages. He made a happy sound a moment later, doublechecking before looking up.

"Got it. You may want to sit on the chair properly, or you'll change back and fall off."

Glaring as best he could while being a very un-intimidating bird, Harry hopped down into the seat of the armchair. An uncomfortable moment later, Harry had all his limbs back in place. Touching his face to check his mouth and nose were all fine, Harry touched tongue to teeth and found his 'fangs' in place still.

"Thanks. Now can we never mention this again? Good."

Vlad blinked rapidly, obviously surprised by Harry's quick change of topic but now he was mostly-mammalian again Harry really didn't want to have the conversation about kissing Vlad. Now or ever.

"Harry, wait..."

"No, really. I don't want to talk about it. It was an accident, a mistake. Call it what you will."

The vampires face fell, watching Harry babble and back away and Harry felt even guiltier for putting that expression on his face.

"So... you aren't interested in me. That's what you're saying?"

Harry didn't want to lie, but he didn't have much alternative.

"Yes. I don't know what came over me but its gone and if we can't just put it aside... can we just call it a mistake and resume friendship as normal?"

Vlad bit his lip, unwittingly making Harry's stomach do somersaults as he remembered that brief moment they had been touching his own.

"Alright then. You should get to bed, make sure you aren't sick from the cold."

Vlad picked up his books, cast one last unreadable look at Harry and headed up to the dormitory. Unsure whether he had hurt his friends feelings somehow, Harry gave him a few minutes to change and get back into bed, all the better to avoid those intense blue eyes watching him as Vlad often did. Harry didn't really sleep that night.

The following morning, Harry found himself with a half-awake werewolf sniffing at him.

"Uh, Draco?"

"You smell different."

Eyes slightly tinted with amber, Draco continued trying to determine the change to Harry's scent. Feeling slightly awkward, Harry heard before he saw Lily slither along to try and ward Draco off a little.

"It's ok Lily, he's not hurting me."

"Just making sure wizard."

The hissing serpent still wound around Harry's arm, keeping a beady eye or two on Draco until he backed away.

"You smell like birds. What were you doing last night?"

Harry was saved having to answer at that moment by the Weasley twins barreling into the dormitory, as they often did during the holidays.

"Are you guys still sleeping?"

"Don'tcha know it's time to get up?"

"Honestly Fred, these kids eh?"

"I concur George. Come on!"

They left again, and Harry managed to avoid Draco further by vanishing into the bathroom to wash and dress. Hermione was down in the common room too, looking up to the swarm of boys descending the stairs. Harry knew the second she laid eyes on Draco properly, that gentle smile crossing her face as he reached her and took her hand. Harry had to stop himself from looking at Vlad and doing the same.

Merlin, breakfast. He was going to have to see Viktor Krum. Vlad's boyfriend. Who probably wouldn't appreciate Harry kissing said boyfriend. If it weren't for his crazy metabolism, Harry suspected he may have opted to skive off breakfast and hide but his empty stomach was clamouring for it's usual ritual sacrifices of meat and sugar to quiet the hunger beast.

Vlad, to his credit, gave no indications of any awkwardness at all as he ate breakfast, conversed with other students before leaving to spend the morning with the Bulgarian. Harry, spying Draco wanting to quiz him again, made an effort to acquire a lone Hermione.

"Relax Draco, Harry sometimes needs a woman's opinion and you don't qualify."

Leaving the werewolf sulking until Ingrid and the Weasley twins distracted him, Harry managed to get away with Hermione safely. She let him basically drag her around until they found an empty spot, and a mildly paranoid Harry put a silencing charm up anyway.

"Vlad or animagus? Those are all I can think of that we need to discuss alone."

"Uh. Both. Sort of. I transformed last night... Vlad had to change me back though."

"That's amazing! Isn't it?"

Harry looked at his hands in his lap, wondering how inappropriate it would be to say yes, kissing Vlad was amazing and deciding against it almost immediately.

"Kind of. I did it when I was panicking and it turns out my cold resistance doesn't help my animagus form at all."

"Cold? Why were you outside? What were you panicking about?"

Harry looked around again, just to be sure even with the silencing charm up.

"I kissed Vlad" Hermione's eyes widened comically fast "and then freaked out and next thing I knew, I had wings."

"You kissed him? Is this... I don't understand."

"Neither do I. I... I told him it was a mistake and to forget about it."

"And is that what you actually want him to do?"

Hermione spoke softly, but that didn't lessen the severity of the question itself.

"No. But he took it pretty well. And you know, Krum isn't out hunting for my blood, so I guess it doesn't really matter."

"Harry, you are the most completely, utterly wonderful wizard I have ever had the pleasure to befriend and don't ever tell Draco I said that. But... you can be so thick. Vlad is so bloody crazy for you it's a wonder you haven't noticed."

Shaking his head - there was no way - Harry looked over at her.

"Don't be ridiculous."

"That boy jumped in front of dementors for you when you weren't even talking to him. He's followed you into just about every mad idea and dangerous adventure possible - yes, so have I but someone has to keep you two alive - and even took a fatal curse to protect you."

They were best friends. That's what friends did.

"Your facts have one fatal flaw in them. He's dating someone else."

All but reaching over to shake some sense into him, Hermione fixed him with a penetrating stare.

"What did you think, he was going to spend forever - literally in his case - just pining after you? Vlad wouldn't dare risk your friendship, but trust me when I say if you went and opened up to him it would be mutual."

Satisfied Harry was thoroughly confused, Hermione gave him a hug and left him wrestling with his thoughts. Vlad didn't seem like the type to date someone while wanting with someone else... but then five minutes ago Harry had been totally certain Vlad was harbouring zero romantic feelings toward him. Clearly he was clueless. Vlad was always chasing after him.

Now the question was... did he risk going after Vlad?

-YDHP-

Yes, this chapter is super short but that is for good reason... I want to torture you all with that big question mark at the end. Please feel free to tell me how you want it to go... I doubt you'll change my plan but I'm always curious! And love reviews... there I said it. REVIEW PLEASE IT IS FOOD FOR AUTHORS!

See you next week! (when chapter length shall return to usual 3-4k+ )