If this is late, I apologise. I should never have started a new story when I'm still trying to finish others, but I needed my OTP.

-YD-

It took longer than Vlad expected for Ingrid to succumb to the need to know. He found the process confusing and disconcerting at times, and that was with the innate understanding he was going to turn into a vampire. That stage of uncertainty Ingrid was in must have been much worse.

She turned up rather out of the blue, accosting Vlad while he was studying quietly in the library for a Maths test that his father had, naturally, dismissed as completely irrelevant and kept setting fire to Vlad's textbooks at home. So the library was his only real spot to swot up, since studying at Robin's house was out - the other boy was more interested in bat documentaries or video games.

"What's happening to me?"

Vlad looked up, saw she was wearing sunglasses. Inside. It wasn't particularly bright outside, unless you were a transformed vampire. Which Ingrid was not. Not yet, anyway. He raised an eyebrow, and she lowered the shades to display her eyes were flickering red, pupils blown.

"I can't explain it here. I have books at home that I can get for you?"

Ingrid looked scared. It was well hidden, but it was definitely there. Vlad wasn't cruel enough to taunt her when she clearly needed help. She nodded, pushing her sunglasses up and managing an impressive appearance of casual impatience as she crossed her arms, waiting for Vlad to put his books away. The librarian watched them leave in surprise - Vlad wasn't surprised at her surprise. Ingrid didn't tend to let anyone walk alongside her. Most people were honoured just to be allowed to walk behind her.

"I'm sixteen in two months. What... what did you mean?"

Vlad rubbed at his temple, wondering how he was supposed to explain this to someone who was scared, confused and until very recently, certain of herself being one hundred percent human.

"I'll explain later."

The walk to the castle was harder and heavier than it usually seemed; Vlad was about to turn this teenage girls life on its head, and she'd never be the same again. She seemed to know it too, reluctance evident in her posture as they climbed the hill. Vlad bade her to wait a second, peering around the first rooms of the castle to check that his father hadn't suddenly become a day bird. The main rooms were empty, and Renfield could be heard clanging around in the alchemy lab downstairs. Vlad put a chair in front of that door, then went and beckoned Ingrid inside.

"Be quiet, my dad is asleep."

"At four thirty in the... oh."

Ingrid was definitely working it out. Vlad led her to the book corner, hands roaming the shelves to search for books on transformation. Even as he did so, Vlad was still plagued with uncertainty.

"You need to find out about whichever parent isn't your biological one."

Without her family's Blood Mirror, Ingrid surely couldn't transform. Not fully, anyway.

"Why?"

"You just do. Here. These three have stuff you should know. I wouldn't let anyone find those. Not if you like life outside of an insane asylum."

"Don't be so dramatic."

Ingrid put the books in her bag, glancing around the castle with a hint of disdain on her face. Yeah, the whole place could do with a good dusting and airing out. A sweep and tidy up wouldn't go amiss either, but Vlad didn't spend much time in the living room, Renfield added dirt and dust and his dad wouldn't clean if his unlife depended on it.

"You better go. If you need to talk, you know where to find me."

It was so strange; this girl hadn't acknowledged his existence before the incident with her mirror, but now here he was extending almost-friendship to her. Not that he expected Ingrid to take it. She was only begrudgingly accepting his help now because she had no other choice if she wanted to know what it was that was changing her. Ingrid left, taking off with a clear purpose to get the heck away from Vlad and the castle. Probably mostly Vlad though. Just in case anyone saw them together and rumours ran rife...

Oh, Vlad wouldn't mind if those sorts of rumours were true, naturally, but halfling or not, Ingrid would always be out of his league. Still, he was hardly going to refuse to help her because Ingrid wouldn't normally give him the time of day... appealing as the idea was to the petty vampire voice in his mind. Shushing it, Vlad headed up to his room, changing out of his uniform to study for his Blood Tests. He still had over a year to go before the Mirror would beckon him, but he did get the odd pain in his teeth, and he'd always been able to smell blood, hear heartbeats, sense fear.

Ingrid stayed away for several days, but the sunglasses became part of her ensemble. If they weren't on her face, they were hung from the dress she wore under the actual uniform shirt. She seemed to know when her eyes might flicker, and eventually she sought Vlad again.

"How long does this go on for?"

"It depends. It's usually linked to emotions, so if you're angry or upset it's more likely to happen, but this close to your birthday things will come and go."

It was very odd, talking to her in the playground at lunch while Robin was chasing his brothers, who had stolen his lunchbox. She looked around, as though daring anyone to be listening in, then looked back to Vlad.

"It was my father. Mum doesn't know much. Alcohol and a music festival when she was eighteen."

"My mum ran off with a werewolf, I'm not judging anyone."

He reassured her, though he really doubted Ingrid would care if he did judge her. It was like having a conversation with a sentient marble sculpture, so cold and hard she was as a person. Still, her strange smell and attractive features and the sheer impossibility of her was enough to have Vlad interested no matter how futile a crush it was.

"A werewolf? Right. Naturally. Who else knows about you?"

"Robin. I could have turned into a unicorn and he'd still assume I was a biter."

"Branagh? Really?"

Vlad nodded.

"The day we moved here, Robin used a rope and grappling hook to climb the tower and literally fell into my life."

Ingrid actually laughed. Granted, it was no busting belly laugh, but it was a smile, a sound, a genuine emotion on her face. Vlad wished he could ignore the way his gut tightened with attraction for it.

"Ingrid! What're you doing talking to the freak?"

"I talk to you don't I?"

The twins blinked, looked at each other before shrugging. Robin slunk back with his lunch in hand, surprisingly upbeat since all the twins had taken were his carrot sticks, which Robin hated anyway but his mother insisted on. They generally ended up in the bin.

Ingrid left with her lackeys in tow, and Robin looked at Vlad in confusion.

"What were you talking to Ingrid about?"

"Her little brother. Wanted to know if the rugby team would be willing to take him next year. I'm the only boy in school who can hold a conversation with her without leering apparently."

The rapid lie fell from his lips, but Robin was never going to talk to young George. Nor would Ingrid confirm or deny anything. So his little white lie should be fine.

"Oh. Right then. So what are we doing later?"

As Vlad contemplated the half-vampiress from afar, Robin chattered on and Vlad caught sight of one particular student who was paying Ingrid close attention, as he often did with very little subtlety.

How would Jonno, the son of Van Helsing, vampire slayer, take to finding out the object of his affections was the creature he denied the very existence of?

-YD-

Must resist urge to just jump right to the sexing. It's very difficult.