Snape wandered, curious. The forest was peaceful, but seemed to have no end. There were green hills covered in the moving shadows of quickly fleeing clouds to his left, but he could not reach them no matter how far he went. He looked to the stream at his right that always seemed to be there. It was thinner, lower. The drumbeat faltered and slowed. Snape frowned, it was no longer a soothing sound. It felt hard and stressed instead of curious. The bees seemed agitated. He no longer wanted to be here. But, where was here, and why was this place familiar? Why did it remind him of…
Hagrid. Snape snapped his attention to the stream again, it was thin. This was bad. He did not want to kill the man. However his eyes were open, he could not exactly open them further to wake up. Snape froze.
This. This might be how vampires dreamed. And it could only ever last as long as the meal did. Sleep, real sleep, wasn't truly necessary anymore after all. This however…maybe it wasn't necessary but…
No. He had to 'wake up'. The half giant might not be his favorite person in the world but he didn't want him dead. He could admit to a grudging appreciation of the man. Snape looked at the trees, wind whipped through them a bit more roughly than before. He looked at his hands, they resembled his true hands. They were thin and long, the nails slightly blackened and wickedly sharp. He glanced behind him. His untested wings were present. Perhaps if he tried to use them here he would wake up. He had no knowledge of flight this way, how it felt or worked. Perhaps attempting it would jolt him awake because his mind would be unable to support the dream. It was a reasonable enough theory.
Snape crouched, wings spread, then leapt to the air. The leathery appendages swung downward once, pushing the air below him. He rose. He tried again and rose further, the air slightly cool against the thin membrane. He was only 3 meters off the ground but still, it was a flight unassisted by magic. He went to move his wings again, but a strong wind buffeted him from behind, throwing him into the ground in an explosion of soft pine needles. He skidded across the forest floor like a flat stone on water coming to a stop only a few feet from a tree trunk.
He scowled. The entirety of his body was covered in needles and sap when he collected himself and sat upright. So that would be how this worked. Snape sighed.
The wind and bees had grown more agitated. They both whipped about him angrily, the buzzing sound mixing with the rustle of needles. He stiffened as he heard the drumbeat slow even further, and looked to the rivulet, for that's what it now was. He stood and with a wave of his wand cleaned himself off. He looked down at his arm and pinched it with his nails. He felt nothing. That was odd. He could feel the sap, the pine needles, the wind.
The heartbeat faltered once more, and then held steady. As the wind and bees both suddenly calmed Snape's stomach sunk.
That was what made vampire saliva a class B tradeable substance. It was highly regulated and sought after for medicine and very dangerous in high doses. It could sustain life for a very long time but if used improperly the person would wake up with memories or mental faculties missing. In worse cases they would wake with no minds to remember with, if they woke up at all. What vampire saliva did was ensure preys' brief longevity. What it was doing now was making sure Hagrid didn't die before Snape could finish his meal. To the last drop.
Or it was shock. Neither was particularly good.
Snape looked around frantically. Only the environment around him could help now. So… Snape reached out like lightning and grabbed a bee that was lazily passing by and squeezed.
And was stung.
His eyes snapped open. He was back in the round stone room, warmth pouring into his mouth alongside the slow beat of a heart. He quickly let go, extricating his teeth from the man's arm and letting it fall to the ground. How long had it been? Snape looked at Hagrid. He was slightly pale. Snape listened for the drum that usually beat louder than any other in the room. It was there, but not nearly as loud, and slow. The half giant's eyes were closed and his breathing was shallow.
Snape cursed loudly. He took his wand and threw a stasis spell at the man. The spell wasn't really for living things, it wasn't powerful enough. It was still worth a shot. The spell didn't stick. It didn't stick after five more tries. Snape scowled in displeasure.
An hour reversal charm might work but it was highly complicated magic… what time turners were based on… And he might lose his meal. Severus really couldn't see any other possibility unless the charm made blood appear from nowhere. While that was a tantalizing thought in and of itself, any mistakes in casting that spell would be catastrophic. More so than the death of the half giant. Being displaced in time was, from what reports he had heard, extremely unpleasant. If you landed in another era, the advice was to find the ministry and stand in the 'displaced persons area'. He could not go to the ministry, not without his medallions. And that was of course if you landed in a time, as opposed to outside the timestream, which just caused immediate irreversible insanity. There would be questions, if he reappeared, as to why he hadn't aged, how long he was gone, what he did, why he cast the spell. No, this was not an option.
He could use the alarm charm. But if he did he would have to move the half giant into the open. If he did that there would be a distinct risk of him being stumbled upon by someone else. He would have to stay to make sure that didn't happen. If he did that it meant he would be close by when his colleagues arrived. That would not do either. He was sure he could fight them or escape, but there was always the chance of failure which he did not care to risk right now.
Snape paced. The man needed blood; he needed a blood replenishing potion…or to be turned. The second was decidedly not an option. No, Snape was very sure the man did not share his willpower, what with his inability to stop befriending things that wanted to eat him. Blood replenishing potion it was. Snape took a breath and concentrated, his predatory features vanishing. He retrieved his robes and footwear, looked at the half giant one more time and left. He locked the door to the room behind him again and headed straight to the scared looking clerk who was holding a pile of books.
"No one goes into that room. Guard it with your life or I will take yours." The shaking clerk nodded as Snape went for the exit. Before he left he looked up and silently cursed once more.
The clock above read 4:47. He did not have much time, but any earlier and this wouldn't work as easily anyway. Breaking and entering into a magical shop was highly ill advised. The door creaked as he stepped outside.
Apparating around Diagon Alley was frowned upon. Apparating to Diagon Alley was simple, there were areas for it and bumping someone as you apparated there was not considered rude. Apparating to a specific location meant you might push someone off a doorstep, or worse, in rare cases, splinch into them. While splinching wouldn't bother him, exploding another person would most likely cause an investigation, where they would most likely discover his condition and he would most likely not be allowed to teach again. Ever. That brought numerous problems with it. And of course, the whole exploding someone else was also undesirable.
So no apparating.
A disillusionment charm as he left the building so he could run however would work wonders. Stones flew beneath his feet in a blur once again. He pushed himself, and they blended together. In the school he could have hit a curious student. That was not a concern now this early in the morning. A bleary eyed wizard stepped onto the pavement to let a cat out, and was startled as a near invisible force ran by. He smiled slightly as there was a crash and a screech from the annoyed feline.
No, Snape didn't have to worry about students here, and fully trained wizards and witches could dodge or heal themselves easily enough. Also, in an open environment things would not be as easily pinned to him.
He whisked through the streets for minutes before finally stopping in front of the large apothecary. It was five AM and the store was open. As he entered he dropped the disillusionment charm and the man at the counter turned around.
"Ah Professor Snape! You're here early! Need to replenish the school stores, or perhaps you're setting up something particularly nasty for your NEWT level classes?"
Snape shook his head.
"This is a personal matter. I need the following ingredients with haste. Sage, beetle eyes, unicorn hair, bicorn horn, bat wings, -" He rattled off ingredient after ingredient and the old man nodded.
"Very good. I hope you're not attempting a blood replenishing potion Professor. They take far too long to make if you need it now."
Snape frowned. Of course the man would recognize the ingredients even amongst the other items.
"I did not ask for an opinion, I asked for ingredients. And when you're done with that I also need something from the back. Thyme and diamond bits."
"Of course. As a potions master you of course know those are inert in most potions, so may I ask why you…unless you're…." The old man turned from scooping beetle eyes to look at the Potions Master. "You're not going to attempt tempus fugit?!"
Snape just sneered and set down 140 quickly summoned galleons. The clerk opened his mouth to comment but Snape just raised a brow.
"I believe I said 'with haste'?"
The man swallowed and nodded before scooping more beetle eyes into a bottle.
Three minutes later Snape picked up the bag and looked back at the man. He couldn't Obliviate him. The man would know something was amiss when he checked his earnings and inventory, and was liable to report it. Snape summoned three more galleons and set them down on the counter looking the man directly in his eyes.
"For your discretion." He said, putting a little power behind the words. It wouldn't hold as well as blooded commands, but the galleons would surely help. He turned briskly as the clerk nodded in a daze of agreement. Snape apparated as soon as he set foot outside. The sun was rising and he did not want to be there to watch it.
He appeared in the stone room again and set the ingredients down on a quickly transfigured table. He looked over at the half giant. The skin he saw was slightly paler. Any change at all was a grievous warning. Snape listened for the drum. It was still there. Still there but fading. He was worse than Snape had thought. He had half an hour, unless… Snape looked at the wounds on the man, angry red dots leaking life ever so slightly. No. There had to be another way, there was another way. If the man survived it was another question.
He looked at the ingredients in the bag. He always bought more than he needed. It was a rule he implemented when he first started experimenting and still stuck to. He rarely needed it anymore, but tonight it might save a half giant's life. Snape exhaled and pointed his wand at his mouth.
"Sapidus." With seemingly no effect Snape went about turning the empty room into a place fit to brew potions. The crates and the contents became scales, knives, stirring implements and fuel. The barrel was quickly turned into a large cauldron. The scraps of rotten books and shattered crates were used to feed a fire beneath. When he finished he removed a vial from his robes and tapped it. As it filled with clear liquid Snape moved his mouth around and swallowed. He cancelled the spell and took a breath before regarding the vial filled with his saliva. This needed to work.
He quickly filled the cauldron with water and brought it to a boil with a thought. He added the saliva and followed it with half a bicorn horn which he had crushed into fragments instead of a powder. He stirred for a good five minutes, looking up at the half giant every once in a while. After that he added aconite and in three minutes removed the pieces of bicorn horn and vanished them. A single unicorn hair was woven around the spoon before he proceeded to stir for the next six minutes, the potion boiling off until only about three cups remained of a clear but iridescent liquid. A quick scourgify to the dirty vial and with a wave it and three others were filled with the shimmering potion.
Snape held one in his hand, twisting it in the light. It was perfect, and it would keep a man alive as long as there was a single mouthful of blood in his veins. However, alive and alive and well were very different things. Too little blood meant too little oxygen to the mind. If that lasted too long it wouldn't matter if Hagrid's heart beat. He had neither the ingredients nor time to make something to help with that problem. This was still his best chance.
Snape took the vial over to the half giant and stood over him. He was asleep, or passed out. Waking him up now would be pointless. Snape just magicked the potion into the half giant's stomach. He waited, and the heartbeat stabilized. He let out a silent breath. It had worked.
With a whipping of his robes he headed back to the cauldron. He still had to act quickly. An aguamenti filled the cauldron with water once more and then set about preparing ingredients. Most could be prepared beforehand, but others would have to be prepared in the moment, too much contact with air would alter their properties. He diced, crushed, pulverized, and sliced everything he could and organized the items in the order in which they would have to be added. Then, he took a breath and grabbed the thyme and the diamond.
He slowly wove the stems together into small crowns around the diamonds. Each leaf was then painstakingly crushed while still attached to the stem. Not a single leaf could fall off. After thirty minutes he had four thyme encircled diamond bits. This would hopefully save seventeen hours, if it didn't blow up the entire building. He set them down and brought the water to a light simmer and started the blood replenishing potion. After completing only the first step he grabbed the diamonds and thyme. He transfigured a ladle from a stone on the ground and slowly lowered them one by one into the slightly bubbling liquid so they sat at the bottom in a circle with one in the center.
As soon as the ladle was removed the final time the liquid in the cauldron began to simmer faster. It wasn't a boil, it was just… faster. Snape moved quickly. He added the boomslang skin over one minute instead of five, making sure to stir it the required 15 times in between each scrap of skin. He brought the water to a boil near instantly with a spell instead of slowly over 10 minutes and went for the next ingredient. He spent the next two hours in a state of constant motion, adding ingredients, preparing others, stirring in incomprehensible patterns.
Time for the potion was sped up, which meant anyone adding ingredients would have to move quickly. It's why the method was rarely used except for the slowest potions. It was expensive, and if one mistake was made, the usual problems that would occur from the mistake would happen impossibly fast. With his speed, as long as he was careful that should not pose a problem.
At the two hour mark however, Hagrid stirred. And he had broken out of the petrification spell when he woke. He blinked blearily looking about. Snape ignored Hagrid when he made querying grunts through the cloth stuffed in his mouth, and then removed it. He ignored him when he yelled except to cast muffliato on the room. He ignored him as he pulled at the chains except to cast an immovable charm on them. He ignored Hagrid for half an hour while he brewed and concentrated and focused, until he finally stepped away from the potion.
"We have some time while the potion matures for seventy f…fifteen minutes. You require more medicine. I expect you to cooperate and have a bit of common sense. Loud noises will not be tolerated." Said the vampire as he walked over with another vial of clear liquid. Hagrid nodded slowly.
"Wh-what are yeh givin me?"
"Draught of the Last Drop."
Hagrid's eyes widened. "How, how much have I had?"
"One dose. Which means two normal doses due to your size. You'll be fine. The blood replenishing potion shall be done soon. There are only four more steps." Snape held up the vial, preparing to levitate it over, but was assaulted with more questions.
"I've been out that long?"
Snape sighed at the interruption.
"No. I'm attempting to speed up the process. Now, drink."
Hagrid's eyes glazed over briefly, unfocused, but with a shake of his head he seemed to come back into his own. Apparently even vampiric mesmerization had difficulty taking hold of his half giant blood.
"Yer… Speedin it up?"
"Tempus fugit. I'm spending quite a lot of money to save your life. Now, drink the potion before I lose my patience and just magic it into your stomach again. I'm starting to regret taking this courtesy!"
Hagrid blanched a bit but nodded. The vial was levitated over and Hagrid grabbed it, still floating horizontally he tipped it up slowly and soon its contents were gone. Snape levitated back the vial and cleaned it before putting it into his robes, ready to return to the potion.
"What happened? Why are you doin this?"
Snape turned back around at the question, trying to decide if he wanted to answer, to admit his failings.
"Professor?"
The Potion's Master pinched the bridge of his nose. Even after all this the man still called him by his title. Most would curse him, rave and demand retribution, but this man, of course he didn't. He believed that to judge someone based on something they couldn't change was wrong. He was of course correct, but… He was at least owed an answer in his half awake state.
"Because I was…I did something I should not have."
"Fed on me? Yeh probably shouldn' have taken that much, but y'know I'd offer-"
"Really? From the vein? While half the faculty hunted for me?" Snape spat out and Hagrid fell silent. "Besides, while I may agree with your statement that I should not have had as big a meal as I did, that is not what I'm speaking of. No, I did something far worse. I relaxed…And you nearly died as a result."
"But… how could you relaxin kill me?"
Snape was quiet, he turned away and walked back to the table and began preparing the next ingredients.
"Professor?"
Snape took a breath. "I do not feel the need to go into details. Just be assured that I will take precautions so that it shall not happen again."
"You relaxin?"
"No, me nearly killing you." Snape said scathingly. Silence was the result, except for the bubbling of the potion and sound of the knife crushing pods. It stretched thin, and if one could see sound they would see tension winding through the waves and pulling them taut. Finally the threads snapped.
"Do…do you regret it? I mean… are yeh sorry?"
Snape paused for half a second before shaking his head at Hagrid's question.
"No. I am in fact very glad this happened with you. If it had happened with anyone else, they would be dead." Snape could hear the half giant swallow heavily in response.
"Oh. I.. I mean are you sorry that you did this to me at all?"
Snape was silent.
"Professor?"
Snape ignored the question, mainly because he didn't have an answer.
"The fifteen minutes are nearly up. I need silence so I can concentrate." The potion began to boil and Snape once again became a blur of movement for the next hour.
Hagrid stayed silent.
Finally Snape bottled the red potion he had been after and held it up to the light, turning and twisting the bottle to check its opacity and consistency. Deigning it to be correct he walked over to the half giant.
"The blood replenisher is finished. Would you prefer that I magick it into your stomach so that there is no possibility for accidents?"
Hagrid shook his head.
"I'd like ter take it myself if I'm perfectly honest."
"Very well." With a wave the chains around the man's legs tightened, just in case, and he was then lowered onto the ground; the charm keeping him afloat dropped. The red potion was levitated over as he slowly sat up.
"I didn't realize how…tired I am." said Hagrid as he reached up slowly for the potion.
"Considering you have about ⅓ the normal amount of blood you should, I cannot say I'm surprised. Drink."
Hagrid pondered the statement as he grabbed the potion. "One…isn't that enough ter feed yeh twice over? I feel like one a me is at least two other people. I know yeh weren't hungry so… why?"
Snape just stood out of reach and waited for the man to drink the potion. Realizing he most likely wouldn't receive an answer until he drank, Hagrid sighed and complied, and Snape answered while Hagrid's mouth was too busy to ask questions.
"I was hungry. I don't get to be 'not hungry'. That is all I shall say on the matter." Snape refilled the potion as soon as it was empty, a double dose required for a man of his size. He watched as Hagrid downed the contents a second time, contemplating something truly cruel. He had more potion after all.
Something small must have shown on his face, or perhaps he regarded the man before him too intensely, because when the potion was set down Hagrid looked at him and frowned.
"Yeh want ter do it again, don't yeh?"
Snape just blinked and with a wave the potion bottle filled up again.
Hagrid swallowed. "I'm pretty sure I don't need no more."
"It's good that that is not a potion then. Drink."
Hagrid looked at the bottle and gave it a sniff.
"It's your blood."
"Brilliant deduction. Drink."
"Professor Snape, yeh know I-"
"Unless you want me to force it down your throat, drink it."
"Professor, I really don't think yeh need ter do this."
Snape walked over to the wall just out of reach of the giant and slowly pushed his fist into it, sinking his knuckles an inch deep into the stone.
"I…insist. I find myself distrusting Obliviate to hold when it concerns you. I don't want anyone learning of this."
Hagrid fiddled with his thumbs in front of the bottle for a moment before looking back at the Professor.
"Well I ain't gonna tell and Legilimancy don't work too well on me."
Snape sighed and withdrew his hand. It looked like another tactic would be necessary with the half giant. Honesty.
"It…would make me feel better."
At the show of vulnerability Hagrid's eyes widened ever so slightly, but he nodded. He looked at the bottle and then to Snape, and then back to the bottle. With a great sigh he set the bottle down.
"I'm sorry Professor Snape, but I'm just not comfortable with that. If Dumbledore told yeh no, I don't wanna just go an' do it."
Snape seethed silently, he should not have mentioned the old man. Of course Hagrid would follow his wishes first, of course he would remember that. Still, Snape nodded and the bottle vanished. There wasn't much he could do unless he wanted to force the man, and without being absolutely sure that he could even enthrall him it was too big a risk.
"Then I will instead request quiet. I need to make another potion."
"Yer, jes gonna…expect me ter sit here?" Asked the half giant.
Snape levitated one of the numerous damaged books over to the half giant who looked at it confused.
"Half o' this is missing…"
"Use your imagination." Said Snape venomously, while he bottled the rest of the blood replenisher. Hagrid grumbled but Snape had already begun his next project.
Four more broken books and three hours passed in near silence. Hagrid attempted only once to remove the chains around his lower body. He found that they wouldn't budge. Since then he had just regarded the books with mild interest. Snape gave Hagrid some water and a definitive refusal to let him go. Muffliato was cast around the room again just in case. Eventually all the ingredients had been crushed, cut, ground and mixed into a thick white lotion that smelled slightly of old shoes.
Snape transfigured a crate into a large privacy wall and placed it between himself and his prisoner. He spent fifteen minutes applying the lotion to every part of his body. He was meticulous and methodical; missing a single spot would mean immense pain or possibly death. Most definitely it would be noticed if he, or parts of him, burst into flame.
Finally Snape donned his clothes and returned the privacy screen to its previous shape. He regarded the half giant who was squinting at the book.
"That one doesn't have pictures either I believe."
"Oh it does. They're a tad smudged and gruesome though. I think this one shows an impaling. Either that or how ter cook lizards, it's hard ter tell." Hagrid put the book down and looked at the Professor. "When can I leave? How long are yeh planning on keeping me here? I'm right bored."
"Until I leave for good myself. Now, I am going to test this. I will return."
When Snape unlocked the door and exited into the main shop he was greeted not by the shopkeeper, but a man in a black suit and cloak who was reading a book and leaning on the register. He looked older, and his features were rather strong. His eyes were a deep brown, almost black like his hair and his nose was very pointed and thin. There was one heartbeat in the room, but it was faint.
"Who are you, and where is the shopkeep? The store is closed." Snape said, gripping his wand. The man looked up from the book and snapped it close at Snape's inquiries.
"Ah, you have finished your task. The man is taking a well deserved nap. I have taken over for him. Allow me to introduce myself, you may call me Mr. Lee."
Snape froze. He looked at the floor and just peeking out behind the counter was a hand. He looked back at the man. That name… No, it couldn't be. He held his surprise in check and cleared his throat.
"You are Dumbledore's acquaintance I presume?"
Mr. Lee bowed at the question. "My reputation precedes me. I had a feeling that with Dumbledore's question there would be trouble. As such I arrived last evening to help. I searched and now that I have found you have come to return you to the castle."
Snape bristled at the claim that was said so offhandedly. He would not go so easily.
"I am apparently only a century younger than you. I believe you will have some difficulty."
The vampire smiled and set down the book on the counter. "Just because one has the ability to Do something doesn't mean they can. You have ability but no experience. As such I can easily return you to my friend."
"You will do no such thing. Not while I am a danger to him."
At the quip the monster in front of him practically exuded a dark glee. "Ah, the fool gave you his blood? How much?"
Snape didn't feel inclined to answer, but somehow felt that doing so might give him some information he lacked. At the very least it might allow him to get closer and attempt some type of attack. He started walking forward.
"A…tablespoon, mixed with bloo-"
"It does not matter what it was mixed with." The man interrupted. "You cannot dilute blood with blood. You can empower it, but not dilute it. Ah, if we had such a school for young fledglings as he has for wizards. But it would not last. No. We would not have enough students. And we cannot write our secrets down lest they be uncovered by eyes we do not wish." The vampire broke out of his daydream to look at Snape with focus once more. "You need a cure for your accidental appreciation of his blood? I can offer one, but it comes with a steep price."
Snape's eyes narrowed. Anything that had a steep price was usually not worth it. However the man had been up front about it, if he would be clear about the price remained to be seen.
"What is the price? I'm assuming it's not money."
"You assume correctly. No. The price is twofold. One, you will give me a vial of your blood. And two, for as long as you live you will be beholden to me."
Snape's reply was an immediate and definitive "No."
Before he had a chance to elaborate, or rather question if the man thought he was daft, the vampire had questions of his own.
"Really? So quick to dismiss when you don't even know what the cure is? Or how long it lasts, or if it is palliative or preventative? I had heard more of your acumen and curiosity my friend."
"I am not your friend."
"We shall see."
Snape sighed. "So what is the cure?"
"Blood of course. Mine. That is the second price in a way. You cannot have the cure without it. I am older, and my blood will engulf yours in the battle of wills… At least most likely."
"Then my answer is 'twofold'. No, and no. I have no interest in being beholden to you."
"Yes, you serve many masters. I understand your reticence to serve another, especially one you have most likely been warned of. Well, it seems we are at an impasse. If you have not found a solution by this evening I shall return with you and your half giant leftovers to the castle."
Snape ignored the jab at Hagrid and looked at the vampire and then at the windows with sun glowing through the dusty panes.
"How did you get here through the sun? To my knowledge you cannot apparate."
"Besides the fact that I have been here since before the sun kissed the sky, daylight may be my enemy but it merely decreases my potency as it does yours slightly when you wear your lotions. It does not seek my death. Did Dumbledore not tell you of our meeting in full? I am mildly hurt."
He had, but Snape had wanted to hear it from the man himself.
"It sounds as if someone could easily kill you right now." Snape commented lazily as he gripped his wand, ready to act depending on the answer.
"For a time perhaps."
Snape paused in his slow approach toward the gentleman. That was one answer he did not expect.
"A time? Explain."
The slight smile on Mr. Lee's face could be that of a snake oil salesman. "Ah, for that secret I would ask payment. For surely you would reveal it to your master. Even if you did not, it is quite a feat and secret that I would reveal to you."
Snape scowled. If what the vampire implied was true, it could be invaluable. If it was lies...
"Would it work for me?"
The man didn't even attempt to hide his smile. It was the smile of a fishing salesman who knew he had a nibble.
"Considering it comes down to preparation, knowledge, and willpower? From what I know of you, most probably."
"Then what is your price?"
"A vial of your blood. Same as before."
Snape cursed mentally. Of course he would ask that.
"There isn't anything else?" The man shook his head and Snape scowled. "Why do you even want my blood?"
"When you drink you no doubt taste things that do not have a taste. Memories, ideals, aspects. You will eventually learn to know nearly everything about a person from their blood, from their veins or not. I would know you, and from what I have learned of you through conversation I doubt you are willing to give much up."
Snape scowled. He did not want to be known, not by this false man. However, if what this monster implied was true it would be invaluable. Snape bit the inside of his lip lightly in thought for a half second before waving his wand and summoning the bottle of blood from earlier.
"If I find the information to be unworthy of my time, you will sorely regret it."
The man took the proffered bottle and nodded as he opened it.
"I doubt it, but that shall not come to pass." He stuck his finger in the bottle and swirled it around before drawing it out. Covered in red he brought it to his mouth and tasted it. He pondered a moment before withdrawing the finger and looking around. His eyes landed on a rather old gold goblet covered in dust with a strange coat of arms featuring a moon and a star on one side and stripes on the other.
Snape spoke out in warning as he reached for it.
"That is cursed."
"I am aware, my father asked for it to be." The man said as he picked it up. He turned it in the light noting its thick covering of dust with distaste. He held it out to the wizard. "Would you mind doing me the favor of cleaning it?"
Snape frowned. "Yes I would. Drink from the bottle."
"It is not polite."
"What you're drinking is not polite. We are not polite."
"Which is all the more reason to pretend to be so! To make others comfortable around us is a necessity for our survival. Now, if you would?" said Mr. Lee as he held out the goblet. Snape sighed and with a wave the goblet was clean. The man quickly filled it to the brim, emptying the bottle into it and began to sip.
Snape shifted his weight, a bit uncomfortable at the scene. He had mostly accepted his condition long ago, even enjoyed it on occasion; however he rarely so openly reveled in it. Or was open about it in general. Soon the goblet was set back on the shelf with a clink and the man nodded at Snape.
"Very well. You seek answers to my lack of fear. A bit of my blood secreted away. When a vampire dies they could eventually burst forth anew from that bit of themselves if their body is destroyed. Mortal… muggles I think you call them, usually are foolish enough to leave a corpse. Wizards are usually a bit more thorough and cleanse us with fire. However in either case all it takes is one drop of life upon ours. So if you or I wished to return quickly, we must either find an ally or make sure our vitae sits where blood will flow… or you must have willpower so great it surpasses even mine, for I still require the life of another to return."
Snape looked incredulously at the man, his eyes showing burgeoning disbelief with each word. What Mr. Lee was saying was not possible. There would surely be vampires bursting out of stored vials of vampire blood that were used in potions, or kept by the ministry for tracking purposes. But if this were true it would be invaluable for him as a spy. He could die and come back and hide in the shadows. …it also meant he might survive any upcoming war… He was not sure he liked that thought.
But he would need to see that he had been successful, then he could destroy the other vials and let himself pass, or walk into the sun. If this was even true, he had his doubts, there were definitely holes. And of course the man could be lying, but if he wasn't…
"Why do other vampires not return then? There are vials of vampire blood in at least a few apothecaries. And most likely the ministry."
"Few know of this ability, and fewer still have the willpower to see it through. To return is a monumental task, and to wait for possible decades for that return? You must have the will not to fade to wherever it is that our lot fades to." The man walked over to the front door and opened it, gesturing outside and suggesting a walk.
Snape scowled, but he was sure that all the teachers had vacated the area. Hagrid's locator coin and alarm charm were not active to tell them he was here, and classes would have started. He wanted to test the lotion anyway. Snape took a breath and stepped outside.
The sun made his skin itch, but nothing else. The lotion was a success as usual. He turned back and looked at the clerk and with a wave of his hand scooted him behind the counter. He then locked the door and proceeded to walk alongside the other vampire. After a moment he cast yet another muffliato and continued to discuss the impossibility presented to him.
"How is that possible? To revive in such a way? Willpower or not, it does not seem feasible that I should… find myself in my blood. And would one not return in the state they were when that blood was taken?"
"A vampire is the blood in their veins. It is why when our veins are empty we hunger so greatly, and why when they are full we wish still to engorge them with oceans. What creature does not wish to grow after all? None. What that growth is: size, power, experience, knowledge…that is the only difference between all things."
Snape nodded at that. There was no denying that truth, all things wished for 'growth.' Snape looked at the man walking beside him. He was wise, charming, and spoke with precision. The similarities to…. Certain people was disconcerting to say the least. The man finished his explanation with one last thought, turning to Snape as he did.
"As for returning as you were when you died, blood calls to blood. Your old blood will know how you have changed. It is connected after all by you. However, no matter how you bring about your return, when you rise you will not wish it to be among friends. Their bodies would surely make for sad decorations should you lose yourself to hunger."
Snape shook his head slightly, that small movement showing his determination to follow through with his words.
"I have lost myself to hunger recently, I shall not do so again."
Now the vampire shook his head, that damned slight smile on his lips complimenting a dark glint in his eyes.
"You have not lost yourself through your own failings since you were first turned. Not to hunger. No, your weakness lies where it always has, the want to know and control the inner workings of the darkest magics. To impress others with your skill and understanding, to gain respect…or fear. The call to plot and inch toward control and power only grew stronger upon your death, and stronger still as you aged suddenly. That want is what you continuously fall prey to Severus Snape. You must choose: resist and walk instead towards another desire that you have achieved without your noticing, or continue down the path that you have longed for since youth. You may seem complex to others, but I have tasted your blood, and know you for the man you are."
With each sentence Snape had to restrain himself from throttling the vampire. It would not do to fight him here, bring attention to himself. It was most likely the reason they were walking in broad daylight amongst shoppers. So Snape decided to fight on the verbal battlefield and pry information from the man who claimed to know him better than he knew himself.
"And what is this other thing that I want and apparently don't know I have?" He said with as much disinterest and as little venom as he could muster.
"Why, a group to belong to, one that actually cares for your well-being. I find it odd for a stealthy turncoat such as yourself to be so completely unaware of the people around him."
Snape sneered, trying to ignore the fact that this man knew he had been a Death Eater. Dumbledore gave away too much during his chess matches. He pressed on with other concerns. "I belong to no such group."
"Truly? You think so? You are blind Severus Snape. Why do you think these colleagues of yours were out here? Most of them are unaware of your role as a spy, they only know of your 'affliction'. Still, despite the knowledge that you are supposedly not yourself at the moment and that you might very well end their lives, they came out here to save you. And do not speak lies to me that they did this because the old wizard told them to."
Snape scowled at the comment. He had indeed been about to say as such.
The vampire continued. "He would never do such a thing, we both know that he would have asked for volunteers, and volunteer they did. Whether or not they like you is immaterial. You are part of a group Severus Snape, you are a teacher of Hogwarts, and if you have not heard, Hogwarts protects her own. "
Snape somehow managed to pale even further. He had known he was part of that 'group' for a while, in the sense that he fit the requirements to be in it. A group of colleagues. He had never truly felt part of it though, he could not participate in festivities or activities or even conversations often. Getting close to people was a risk for both parties involved. As such he had never truly tried to be part of the group, content instead to grump and grouse about the repeated invitations.
Yet it seemed that the rest still considered him part of this group nonetheless, despite their acceptance, initially at least, being only due to Dumbledore's trust in him. Snape coughed and walked faster, discontent to dwell on this epiphany further.
"That's all well and good, but now that I have attacked them, I don't believe they shall be inclined to welcome me back. I doubt I am still part of that particular group."
"Perhaps, perhaps not. Now, as I said before, you have until the sun sets to find a solution. If not, I shall bring you to the castle."
"You'd really risk discovery by fighting me here?"
"You risk defeat by assuming it would require a fight to make you accompany me. Now, I shall acquire food for the man you left in chains. I have heard this restaurant boasts lovely stew. I shall keep him company while you search for a miracle." Mr. Lee turned to enter a pub but paused. "Ah, I do not possess, what do you call your money? Galleons? Yes, I have none of those. Will regular gold do?"
Snape blinked. This was absurd. This entire situation was absurd. He sighed.
"No. You will have to exchange it."
"Ah, I suppose I shall have to go to Gringotts then."
"They will kick you out. They don't-"
"I have good relations with them, they shall make an exception I am sure."
"You…have good relations with Gringotts? Nobody has good relations with Gringotts." Snape said, curiosity just breaking through his disbelief.
"Considering I entered this world two years after it was founded, they know me. Gringott looked very good in his brown suit back then, his statue does not do him justice. But you are correct, I do not have good relations with Gringotts, I have good relations with one clan of goblins that work in it, it may be the founding one, but that means little after all this time. What means a great deal more is that, I am one of the few who has never passed on something they made for one person, to another. It has remained in my possession for 300 years, and should I die, I have express wishes for it to be returned to them."
Snape sneered. "This item has your blood in it, I presume." He said as he processed the information he was just given. He had a strange feeling there was some important information in there, that Mr. Lee was slowly leading him toward his identity with hints dropped seemingly randomly.
Mr. Lee just smiled. "Now you begin to think as I do. But no, I shall not tell you the truth of it. Besides, you are wasting time. Go, look for miracles."
Snape frowned and walked briskly away. The evil man was right. He had only until sunset. He had research to do. He cancelled the muffliato and headed for the book store.
(I'm nervous about this chapter. My first big OC character is here, he's an old one of mine and a symbol. He is the ultimate expression of a type of evil that is rarely shown any more. The evil that knows it is evil, and is quite content with that. He has no grandiose idea that he will save the world, that he is righteous, that he is good. He has a reason for his evil, but I will not share it here.
But don't worry, he is not the main focus of this story. He is here to provide an example for what Snape could become, what any one could become over eons.
Also, points to anyone who can figure out who he is, what his real name is. There are clues, and there will be more!
Finally, I know the blood revivification is a powerful tool. Metaphors are powerful tools, just as blood is. It will not be abused, after all, how can Snape trust it? And if he does, does he trust his own willpower enough, his own want to live enough?
Reviews as always are welcome.)