YokaiAngel - aren't they sweet? I could write nothing but Harry/Vlad fluff all day every day
You - Draco would have found out by the summer anyway, but I think Harry was happy not to be hiding it from his pseudo-brother. Dark themes, yeah, I mean the story is heading to some darker times. It's gonna be fun.
-YDHP-
"Come on, you can do this."
"Easy for you to say. You turn sixteen and your transformation powers just happen."
Vlad chuckled, irritating Harry and Hermione as they tried to focus. He had a book open on his lap, studying for the Third Task. They had discovered what it was... sort of. Hard to miss with twenty foot tall hedges grown across the grounds of Hogwarts. All the champions knew was that they had to get through it, the first to the middle where the Triwizard cup the winner. Their points only translated to a head start in the maze now, and they knew there would be obstacles.
What the obstacles were remained a mystery, hence Vlad's broad study material - next to him were books on magical creatures, trick-spells and, after the egg, riddles and logic.
"Relax. Just let the form take over, it's just another part of you."
Easier said than done for Harry, when more than one thing was a part of him. How did Vlad describe it when he was talking about bats and smoke again? Granted, he got it from Ingrid and Bertrand.
"Bats are for flight, so we think flying. Smoke is for stealth, and we let our body detach like dust in the wind."
Think flight. Think escape.
His whole body felt a little strange. Then everything was bigger and in shades of grey and when Harry tried to ask if he had done it, all that came out was a cawing sound. He was about to do a little avian victory flap when he realised there was a very very big panther next to him. Immediate panic response set in and Harry flew up, hiding himself safely on Vlad's shoulder and turning his head to keep an eye on the panther currently inspecting her paws with amazement.
"I wasn't expecting you to both nail it simultaneously. Hermione, no thoughts about eating Harry please."
One cool vampire hand came up to Harry's feathered head, fingers running gently over him and exploring the contours of his bird body. It felt soothing and soft, and Vlad laughed gently when the bird nuzzled up to his hand.
"I'm just gonna check on Hermione. I promise you're safe."
Vlad kept his voice low, knowing Harry's smaller body wouldn't enjoy if he was loud when his mouth was so close. The panther snorted when Vlad stepped closer, but when he reached out a hand she sniffed it before licking his palm.
"Ok, that's gross. Glad to see you kept your mind. Now can either of you turn back? I have the spell if necessary, but if you master changing back alone then it's a big step to total Animagus control."
Harry cawed, not wanting to get down and try while there was a huge predator prowling the ground. Vlad shook his head fondly, sitting back down and shifting Harry to perch on his arm while Hermione paced around the floor, flicking her tail and flexing her paws. Eventually she sat down, feline eyes scrunching up in a very human concentration face.
"Ahh!"
Hermione managed to change back... and both Harry and Vlad covered their eyes. Harry didn't come out from under his wing until Vlad told him Hermione was dressed again.
"Let's never discuss this again."
"It's normal to forget your clothes sometimes. Just means your focus wasn't a hundred percent. So long as you brought back all your human body parts, that's a brilliant run. Now Harry's turn."
Harry really hoped he got his clothes back with the transformation. He wasn't about to have the first time Vlad saw him totally naked be in front of Hermione. That was just embarrassing. Taking a chance, he swooped off his boyfriends arm and landed in an empty cubicle of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Trying to remember what his human(ish) body felt like, Harry tried to imagine having proper arms and legs again.
"That's just showing off."
Hermione sulked as Harry stepped out from the cubicle, all parts back and accounted for as he patted down his hair - apparently ruffling his feathers translated back to his hair which was sticking up even more than usual.
"Ok... now what?"
"Now you eat this chocolate" Vlad tossed them each a bar of Honeydukes "and take a breather, then you try again. We'll call it a day if you haven't managed in an hour."
Only a Dracula could recline and look elegant on conjured seating in an abandoned toilet. His internal voice that said that sounded very similar to Ingrid, Harry noticed. Did everyone have an internal Slytherin vampire voice? Shrugging to himself, he got stuck in to the chocolate. Vlad had gotten him the one with fudge pieces and crunchy bits in... his boyfriend was too good to him.
Harry sat back down in his spot, eyeing Hermione as she patted herself down to check for stray cat hairs or maybe a tail. He wasn't sure. Closing his eyes, Harry focused on the feeling of flight and small again, already dreaming of taking flight outside again sometime.
"Stupid show off wizard."
"Now now Hermione, Harry managed his first change before you. That's technically a head start. Harry, can you change back?"
A minutes intense concentration later, and Harry had opposable thumbs and a glaring female friend. Plus all his clothes intact.
"Ok, no more today. My wings hurt, and I don't even have them right now."
"It should get easier, it's like... swimming. Your body will learn. I think. Hermione, you're up."
Harry dropped down next to the space Vlad made for him, leaning over to peer at the book he was reading in preparation for the third task while Hermione attempted to repeat her transformation.
"That's a freaky looking thing."
"Chimera. I've gone straight through from actual studying to reading for fun now. As much as I enjoy watching your cute little concentration face."
"Get a room!"
"Alright, we'll just leave you here to possibly get stuck in a half Animagus transformation with no help... just so Vlad can call me cute."
"Alright, alright. I'm sorry."
They continued talking over the magical creature book, Vlad's hand sliding through his to link their fingers together while Hermione sat in stony silence focusing on turning back into a giant cat. At least she hadn't turned half way... Harry tried not to laugh at the image he had of Hermione with a tail and a cats face. Maybe even coughing up hairballs...
"Nice work! Hold still, I want to measure and draw you for comparison to a real panther."
Vlad got up, sadly releasing Harry's hand as he knelt next to Hermione, running his hand from snout to tail tip with a Measuring Charm. Then he sat back down, sketching Hermione's facial shape, paws and tail with the most detail. Harry took a closer look at her body, finding the midnight black fur was actually speckled with light chestnut hints the exact colour of her human hair.
"Alright, change back when you want. We won't look this time, just in case."
He won a snarl from the panther, but then he turned to the pile of books and found one on.. big cats. Apparently he had come prepared for this occurrence.
"Don't you have one on birds to check me out?"
"No need. Vampires... we grew up surrounded by birds of death. Aside from the green eyes and messy feathers on your head, you pass as a perfectly ordinary black bird. And let's be honest, nobody else is looking that close to know the difference."
By the time Hermione turned back a few minutes later, Vlad had ascertained that she too passed for an ordinary adolescent female panther. She oooh-ed at Vlad's drawing, stole the book and cats and left the bathroom to presumably go and brag to her boyfriend she had successfully transformed.
"Werewolf and big cat. Should be an interesting mix."
"Says the vampire dating a part Basilisk."
"True."
Vlad barely managed to lock the door from where Harry pressed him down along the conjured sofa, not even noticing the books toppling to the floor as Harry kissed him. They were regretfully disturbed by Moaning Myrtle, who burst out of a toilet with an upsurge of water, successfully killing the mood as Vlad scrambled to collect the books before they became water damaged and the librarian skinned him alive.
"I didn't know you could draw."
"I've never really indulged it as a hobby. Dad used to set fire to my drawings and then give me books on coffin maintenance or fang hygiene."
Harry scowled, more and more disliking the sound of Vlad's father. Vlad caught his annoyance, whether by bond or by facial expression he didn't know and touched his arm, getting his attention.
"Look, I know he sounds terrible. He kind of is... but my dad loves me. And Ingrid. He just has an abysmal way of showing it. He's basically raised us alone since mum left when I was barely out of nappies, and in our world child rearing is all a woman's work. So that's a big deal."
"I don't have to like that he gave you alcohol or that he wouldn't let you draw."
"No, you're quite right. But I don't want you worrying my dad doesn't care about me, you just gotta remember he is Count Dracula."
Vlad kissed his forehead where Harry had his eyes downcast to glare sulkily at his lap, prompting the wizard to look up at him.
"Honestly, I'm good. If you want more proof, I'm here. Dad wanted me to go to vampire boarding school, but when he realised not training my magic could kill me he let me go even though it means he has actually hardly seen me since I turned eleven and I'm fifteen in less than two months."
Harry wasn't used to caring this deeply for someone, and Vlad came from such a different world that it compounded their differences, made Harry worry for things that didn't phase Vlad in the slightest. Still, Vlad pulled him close and ran soft fingers across his scalp, slowly but surely becoming comfortable initiating physical touches.
Vlad's tutoring and training got more intense as the task grew nearer, meaning Harry saw less and less of his boyfriend outside of classes, having to wait until sometimes nearly midnight for Vlad to carefully make his way through the dorm and into bed. Harry took to just foregoing the pretence and waiting on Vlad's bed for him to find, knowing the vampires routine was always take nightclothes to the bathroom, wash up and brush his teeth, change and then make his way to bed.
Each and every time, he smiled like Christmas had come early when he found Harry already there, embracing him happily. Near six months going strong, Harry was still waiting for this easy, exhilarating feeling to wear off, wondering if their relationship would ever dull. Maybe not for Vlad, his bond to Harry constantly keeping him in a state of joy and attraction toward the wizard. Harry only had his own feelings to go on, no magical indicator.
"I'm feeling spoilt by always finding you here when I get back late. I'll be surprised when you aren't there in my tower back in Stokely over summer."
"Well you'll have to settle for Malfoy Manor. Everyone there knows now Draco's in the loop."
"Mhmm. Wouldn't be surprised if the twins suspect something after finding me in your bed over Easter. Even though they didn't say a word after a Dracula scolding before."
Harry shrugged, squirming as Vlad nuzzled into the crook of his neck the way he often did when exhausted and just happy to see him. The hungover Weasley twins finding Harry practically in Vlad's lap with their half seated sleeping positions that morning had been awkward, but they seemed to remember what Vlad had said about his nightmares and not said a thing. Harry still felt uncomfortable... he wanted people to find out on his terms, not by accident.
Vlad had to go for the champions briefing where they got their outfits measured up and preparations a few days before the task, and it was looking like a nice afternoon out so Harry went out walking, intending to drop in on Hagrid for some tea and hearty conversation. Hagrid wasn't home, so Harry took a detour behind the animal coops with a notion of going to see the Thestrals.
A flurry of squawking and ruffled feathers suddenly sounded, the chickens violent reaction to Harry's proximity giving him a sudden and painful headache, the onset fast enough that it left Harry shaky. Stumbling sideways, Harry tried to escape the sounds without falling over and injuring himself on some toxic plant in the Forest.
The noise eventually died away, leaving him feeling a little weak and shivery as hr leant up against a tree, basking in cool shade. Samael had mentioned in passing that Harry and chickens wouldn't get along, but he hadn't expected the change to be quite so sudden. They knew Harry wasn't right somehow, even when he was all human(ish) outside. Not good.
"Hope Vlad isn't freaking out" he mused to himself, wondering if that sudden but short-lived set of symptoms had counted as something Vlad could sense. Harry had been scared for a second... Vlad could probably sense that. Wiping a hand over his sweaty face, Harry knew he couldn't go back out the exact way he came without passing the coop again. He may as well head to the Thestral clearing, then leave from there.
Something shifted nearby, despite him knowing the Forest was full of all manner of creatures Harry felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Slipping his wand out of the inside pocket of his jacket, Harry knew it was illogical and dangerous but he went toward the sound anyway. His usually slow, steady heartbeat began to pick up, that part of him that secretly thrilled in a little danger perking up as Harry followed some distinctly not-animal footsteps through thick brush that tore at his jeans.
The steps stopped abruptly, either knowing Harry was following them or just having reached their destination. Harry didn't know if this stranger knew how close they were to crossing into Acromantula territory - he could feel it, spiders fleeing all around him as they sensed the beast within.
Taking a few clumsy steps over some thick tree roots, Harry stumbled into a clearing and very nearly tripped over something large and solid. Looking down, Harry felt his stomach drop as he discovered a body. Casting a glance around, Harry knelt down and felt for a pulse on the man he recognised as Bartemius Crouch Snr.
There wasn't one.
He couldn't even tell if it was cold, his unnaturally cool skin not giving him a cue. He tripped forward again when something struck him, but either Harry's hardened skin and body or dumb luck held out as he stayed upright and conscious, whipping around to search for his attacker. The vision he found surprised him.
"Weasley?"
"What are you doing here Potter? Other than searching for a way to die that is."
"I'm not the one hiding out in the Forest with a dead body, practically begging the Acromantula to find him."
It was satisfying to watch the colour drain out of his face as Weasleys eyes skittered around, widening in horror when he spotted some sticky webs on a tree several feet away. Harry didn't mention he was probably the most effective repellent on the planet.
"I-I'm not scared."
"Want to try that again?"
The redhead was all bravado and entitlement, zero courage or nerves to actually back it up. And Harry doubted he had been the one to kill Crouch, instead being made the lackey cleaning up the mess.
"You think you're so slick, but when I'm watching you beg for your pathetic life you won't be so-"
Whatever Weasley had to say didn't make it out of his mouth as he clutched at his throat, gasping for air and dropping to his knees. Relief filled Harry as he saw Vlad, arm outstretched and fist clenched.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Not sure about Crouch."
The actual realisation was beginning to set in that a man was dead, and Weasley was beginning to turn purple where Vlad teetered on the edge of crushing his airway judging by the weak noises he made.
"Don't kill him. You'll get in trouble."
Vlad scowled, releasing the choke hold and Weasley fainted on the spot. Unsurprising given his oxygen deprivation. Harry wondered if the only reason the boy was alive was because he asked Vlad to stop - Merlin knows Vlad wanted Weasley dead, and they were quite alone out there. Nobody would have known if Vlad avenged his sister.
"We're probably about to have company by the way. I tore out of that bloody meeting when I felt you hurting, I wouldn't be shocked if an entourage shows up. I'm guessing you found him like this?"
"You mean dead?"
"Yeah, he reeks of death. Definitely been offed at least... six hours ago. Explains his absence from that meeting I was in, because he was meant to be there."
Sure enough, Vlad turned to the sound of several adults stomping through the Forest undergrowth, finding quite a scene with a dead body, unconscious little rat and two teenagers.
"Would someone like to explain?"
"I found Crouch like this. Weasley tried to knock me out, Vlad incapacitated him. You turned up."
"Potter, you look white as a sheet! What were you doing in the Forbidden Forest?"
McGonogall came over to him, Vlad's eyes flicking between them and where Karkaroff stood perilously close to his back.
"I was going to visit Hagrid but he wasn't home... and I heard a noise. Couldn't resist... I know it was reckless, I apologise."
"Yes. Well... I think you may have paid enough of a price for your curiosity... Mr du Fortunesa, would you escort these boys to Professor Dumbledore's office? I feel the Ministry will wish to speak with them."
"Of course Professor."
Harry and Vlad followed Bertrand out of the Forest, thankfully coming out at a different point to where he went in and as such, not being tormented by chickens. He quietly explained the sudden problem to Vlad - that had been what drew Vlad to him in time to possibly save him from attack. Weasley couldn't kill him, pretty much nobody could they knew now.
"Huh. Well, now we know... Draco doesn't have chickens in the Manor so I think you're probably safe. We ought to test if you're going to get sick eating it, though not right now."
They fell silent on the trip up the Grand Staircase, Dumbledore's office allowing them entry once Bertrand gave the password through gritted teeth.
"Garlic gumballs. The headmaster has a strange sense of humour."
"Only if he expects you to visit alot."
He and Vlad chuckled lightly at the tutors face on the way up, the darkness of the situation leeching away for a moment in the company of his boyfriend. They walked into the empty office, with it's assortment of silver trinkets that would make Draco break out in a cold sweat at the door and the phoenix sat on his perch. Vlad snapped his fingers, conjuring up seating for the three of them as they settled in to wait.
"Why kill Crouch off?"
"He was a loose end. His purpose has been served, the final task is days away and I'm about to finish whatever stupid trial of fire this is for me. Crouch had served his purpose, and either they risked discovery by leaving the curse on, or took it off and had someone with a lot of questions. Nah, easier to just get rid of him."
Vlad twitched anxiously, and Harry didn't need a bond to know the vampire was blaming himself for Crouch's death. Squeezing his hand gently while they were relatively alone, Vlad smiled stiffly. Fawkes trilled, opening gorgeous plumes of feathers to swoop over and land on Vlad's shoulder. The vampire looked up with a fond smile Harry was somewhat surprised by - he didn't think they were that close.
"Hey Fawkes. You got any inside info?"
The phoenix tipped his head to one side, giving Vlad a look that absolutely said "what on earth are you talking about?" before ruffling his feathers happily when Vlad reached up and stroked a finger over his crimson gold stomach.
"When did you two get so friendly?"
"I don't know. He's just... always happy to see me even though Phantom doesn't like him."
Something about the way Vlad didn't quite meet his eyes made Harry wonder if the vampire was being completely honest, but Vlad had said he couldn't lie to his face. Did it count if he wasn't looking at his face at the time?
Either way, they had company.
"Why is it always these two? Honestly, we should never have accepted magical vampires to Hogwarts! Should have told the VHC to stick a stake-"
Vlad winked at Harry, then stood up and faced Cornelius Fudge as though he wasn't supposed to be the most powerful man in Great Britain.
"Why not say it now Minister? Bertrand is technically from the VHC, as is any tutor who oversees magical vampire students."
As they expected, Fudge began to bluster and fiddle with his bowler hat between his hands, looking very uncomfortable when faced with Vlad and Bertrand.
"And besides" Harry stood to join in "we didn't do anything. I found the body, Vlad stopped Weasley trying to kill me for discovering him. If Vlad hadn't been at Hogwarts, then he would have been sent to Durmstrang with Weasley. Which means he would probably be even more trouble."
Vlad rolled his eyes, but they sat down again leaving Ministry officials to bustle around as a still-unconscious Ron Weasley was pulled in by one henchman, glowing spell ropes around his wrists and ankles. Dumbledore swept in, sitting down at his desk and looking to all the world like everyone had just stopped by for a cup of tea.
"Wands. Both of you."
One of the thicker-set aurors held out his hand to them, and Harry suspected he was not used to people saying no or flat out ignoring him.
"Now now Cornelius, you can't really expect that these boys actually committed the murder."
"You know who he is Albus, you know I have to ask the difficult questions."
Vlad huffed, always irritated by people talking about him like he wasn't there and Harry didn't tell him he found the disgruntled sound rather cute.
"I am sitting right here you know. I can hear you. And I'm not handing over my wand because I don't trust your staff after the death eater incident. If Professor McGonogall wants to Priori Incantatum my wand I have no objections. And if it's me you don't trust then you have no need to touch Harry's wand. Unless you want to call the boy-who-lived a murderer?"
The Aurors looked rather uncomfortable, gesturing at McGonogall to step forward and Vlad handed his wand over with a polite smile. Of course, the professor knew Vlad barely even needed a wand. It was basically a massively rare, powerful and one of a kind decorative lump of wood to the vampire.
"Last spell was... conjuring a wine fountain. Vladimir?"
"That was Ollivander testing my wand earlier, for the Third Task."
"I thought you said he incapacitated the Weasley boy?"
Harry nodded, but said nothing more - Vlad was better equipped to lie about his magic.
"Hello, I am right here again. I didn't incapacitate him with my wand. But unless you think I killed Crouch, skipped off to the champion meeting and left my best friend wandering the Forest to find the body while that pathetic scum just happened to cross his path, then let Ollivander test my wand just to cover it up... you have nothing to question me on. Harry told you what happened, you can interrogate Weasley with his headmaster present or something. Can we go now?"
Sometimes, just sometimes, Harry suspected Vlad got too much of a kick out of arguing with authority figures. Ingrid would be proud. The grown ups all shared serious looks while Vlad pulled a couple of chocolate frogs from his pocket, offering one to Harry and looking utterly bored.
"Very well. Say nothing of these events. Dismissed."
Harry left sharpish with Vlad in tow, biting the head off his frog to prevent any escape artistry as they passed a room of angry Aurors and made it to the stairs. Vlad pressed a finger to his mouth when they reached the bottom, flicking his eyes left and right before pointing the direction they should go, slipping into a secret passage that would take them to the fifth floor.
"There was an auror under an invisibility cloak in the hallway. Standard procedure. Let's not do that again... and hope Weasley at least gets removed from the school. I don't think he killed him, I think Karkaroff did and used Weasley to dispose of it for kicks. Or cover. Probably both."
As promised - sort of - they didn't say a word about what happened. That didn't stop it being splashed across the Daily Prophet the next morning.
BARTY CROUCH FOUND DEAD AT HOGWARTS
Barty Crouch senior, Head of the Department of International Cooperation, was found dead within the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Several students from both Hogwarts and Durmstrang were questioned, but at the time of going to print nobody had been named a suspect.
"I want to find that reporter and feed her to my dad."
Harry spied the name 'Rita Skeeter' across the paper that morning before Vlad shoved it back at Draco. He knew Vlad wanted to set it on fire, but it wasn't his paper to burn. He turned and headed outside, Harry following with his 'Harry special' breakfast sandwich a minute later.
"What's wrong Vlad?"
"That psychotic witch put my name in an article she should not have been able to write. Ever since I got put in this stupid tournament" Vlad gestured angrily at the maze taking over much of the grounds "that stupid reporter hasn't left me alone. Despite being banned from Hogwarts!"
Swallowing a mouthful of bacon and mushroom, Harry reached his non-sandwich hand out to comfort Vlad.
"This time next week the Tournament is over. You can go back to being an invisible bookworm dork."
Vlad stuck his tongue out, then turned back and looked up at the hedges building up the maze he would compete in soon.
"I have to survive that long first."
-YDHP-
Yes, next is the Third Task! I am excited for it. Are you guys?