(A/N): Hey Guys! Crap, I did it again! I caught this one a bit quicker though!

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Leo

The more I drank, the faster my wounds healed.

I still tried not to actually kill the deer, and sometimes rabbits, that I ate - well, drank - knowing it would remain a permanent stain on my soul if I did.

In Sensory Alert, as I was finishing off a deer, my hearing honed, I hears a conversation conducted high in the castle.

"But Leonides-" The voice, McGonagall's, was cut off.

"The boy is fine Minerva. He just needs time to... adjust." Dumbledore's raspy, respect-inducing voice said, and I frowned.

"He's tearing himself apart Albus, he needs some help." I wiped my mouth on my sleeve, before casting a quick cleaning charm on my bloody clothes, and glaring at the ground.

"I can hear you." I muttered bitterly, observing the group of people, teachers, high above me.

"Why not give him his own say in the matter?" Dumbledore asked, and I raised an eyebrow.

"Albus, are you joking?! He's just a boy, he-" I jumped into action, and cut Minnie off.

"I may be a kid Minnie, but I am also a vampire." I told her quietly, my tone perfectly serious as she spun to face me where I perched in the window, almost tripping on her robes, and even Dumbledore seemed surprised.

"That you are..." I hadn't paid much attention to Slughorn before now, but he was gaping at me now, more in awe than in shock like the other professor's.

"Leonides, you-" I cut Minnie off again, this time moving to the thick rafters above her head.

"I what?" Everyone's head snapped up.

"This isn't the time for game's, Mr Joannis." Professor Sprout told me frostily, and I stared at her.

"Then stop pretending I'm a toy." I advised them, giving them a tight smile before moving to one of the spare wooden chairs.

"We are not-" I cut Slughorn off this time.

"You are. You're acting like I'm your own little toy, harmless, like I can't make my own choices, like I can't hear you, but I can." I flicked my gaze to each one one of them, making sure that they understood.

"Now, what's this about me needing help?" The teachers glanced to each other.

"Well, Leonides-" I flinched.

"Don't call me that." They paused for a second, staring, before smartly averting their gazes.

"Well, Leo, we know- now- that a vampire, being in a cramped space with humans as many as those here at Hogwarts, can suffer some... complications when it comes to keeping in control of their urges to feed." Dread filled my stomach. Was this about Brooke?

"We thought you might like some help with that." Minnie informed me, sending Dumbledore a sharp glare the whole time.

"That-" I paused, composing myself at they watched me, waiting for my reply. "That would be nice." I lowered my gaze to the ground. "Thank you." With that, I disappeared, leaping out of the window to securely latch onto the castle wall across from it before quickly descending to the ground, and returning to the forest, leaving my stunned professor's behind me.

(A/N): So, what did you think?

This chapter has had minor edits made to it on 30/12/22 - I had Leo clean the blood off his clothes before he goes up to see the Professors, so he doesn't alarm them. His clothes are still probably ripped though, so feel free to imagine how confused they are by that.