He hadn't been lying, apparently, when he had told Draco the party would be terrible. He had hoped for whimsy, excitement, and good food.

Well, the food was good. That at least held up. Quite unfortunately, however, it wasn't so much whimsical as it was…stuffy. The decorations reminded him of Nana Nott's house. He loved his grandmother, but he always felt like he was in a museum there. It was exciting, for the first hour or so, before he realized how utterly lonely this party was. At least to him.

All the students apart from the three Slytherins gave him a wide berth. Marcus acted like he had much better things to be doing whenever he graced Theo with his presence. The Carrow sisters tried, but they had dates and he felt bad commandeering their time. The rest of the students were looking at him as though they had no idea why he was invited.

Frankly, neither did he.

It would be one thing if the rest of the party guests were welcoming. Theo always talked with adults. He was used to it, growing up in a household where his father was significantly older. Most adults loved him. They found him mature and thoughtful. He resigned himself to making the best of this party.

However, the guests didn't seem interested in talking to him either. It wasn't that he was a Slytherin. There were plenty of Slytherins here. And Flora Carrow was basically tied up the entire night regaling guests. They just loved her!

No, it was that they began off friendly enough, but as soon as he introduced himself with his full name, their eyes widened and they made excuses not to talk to him. By the fourth guest, Theo had wised up to not use his last name, but it was no use. They already knew who he was the son of. Though Voldemort seemed like a popular choice to back in the circles he'd grown up in, this party alone was showing him there were far more people that were wary to even associate with him by proxy.

He wished he could scream and say he didn't like Voldemort either, but he was a kid. How could he have any real change in the situation? It wouldn't have mattered. Once witches and wizards made up their minds about something, particularly the sorts that Slughorn invited, there was no changing it.

Theo was a pariah and was seriously regretting coming to the party. He'd made a few half-decent connections, but he envied the people who were likely making plans for internships or jobs after Hogwarts as he stood for long periods eating the finger food Slughorn had brought up. His natural disposition made him want to strive to get the best out of everything, and he could see what he wanted, but nothing he could say could grant him access to the party of 'good guys' that were acting like he was a rotting corpse as soon as he approached them.

Worse than all this?

Hermione Granger.

The first clue he might actually, seriously, be in trouble with the possibility of holding a candle for her was when she arrived on the arm of Cormac. She was wearing red; usually a color he despised. Not just because of its Gryffindor associations, but because he didn't find it a pleasant color, to begin with. She was all decked out in red and she was…beautiful.

The words crossed his mind before he could stop them. It was the truth. She was gorgeous and put-together and it wasn't just that she was wearing something more than the usual Hogwarts robes, it was that she was smiling and her hair was up and she looked so excited.

He had one small, measly conversation with her. He'd psyched himself up all night to approach her, but even with his skulking about near her, when he ended up next to her next to the punch bowl, he was woefully underprepared to talk. Hermione glanced up at him and gave him a half-absent smile, as though she wasn't really noticing who was standing next to her.

"Punch is good, yeah?" He said and bit his lip to keep from wincing outwardly. The punch was good?

Yeah, he was a bloody wordsmith around Granger, alright.

She shrugged,

"I suppose it's alright." She was pouring two cups a bit awkwardly, trying to balance them both in her hands while pouring with the other.

"Let me." Theo offered, grabbing one of the cups. Hermione gave a sigh of thanks, but once again, didn't look at him. If anything, she seemed to be watching everywhere else...focusing on anything except for him. Perhaps for the better. Theo was sure she'd cuss him out if she really noticed who was offering his assistance.

"The food is better," She said after a moment. The fact she spoke back to him almost caused him to drop the punch cup.

"Err, some of it, sure," Theo said.

Hermione put the ladle down. Just as Theo was thinking of something far wittier to say, she took the cup from his hand and offered a kind smile, "Thanks."

She left Theo standing there, watching her leave, heart thumping fast and the whiff of her perfume still lingering in his presence.

He was on the precipice of admitting it when, later on, after he saw her kiss Cormac, he felt like he wanted to break his punch glass in his bare hands.

It was nearly midnight, though, and almost time to let Draco in. He could deal with life-changing realizations after Draco was by his side, where he could play devil's advocate for him. Plus, a party this boring deserved a little chaos, he'd decided. He no longer felt guilty about letting Draco in.

Theo slipped out, into the landing hallway that would lead down to the main halls. He'd let Draco in around here and pulled out his wand to check the time. Just as he was doing so, a figure moved in the shadows.

"So sorry to intrude."

Theo blinked at the figure, frowning as he took in the gaunt and pale figure that stood before him. The man was wearing a striped suit and his hair was slicked back. His fingers seemed abnormally long and spindly and there was a certain attraction, not a sexual one, but a pull to him that had Theo almost bamboozled. Then, he recognized him.

"Oh! You're the vampire, aren't you?" Theo asked. He hadn't had a chance to talk with Sanguini yet. A vampire was a rare occurrence in the Wizarding World. They preferred to stay to themselves or with other similar types of beings, so rarely made appearances. The only other vampire that Theo could think of was Lorcan D'Earth, but he was a half-vampire…whatever that meant. He'd heard that it was all just publicity, and he honestly believed it.

Because of that, Sanguini had been bombarded by students and guests alike the entire night. Theo had thought about trying to approach him but doubted he'd get farther than he had with anyone else.

"Yes," Sanguini replied.

"Sorry, is that offensive to ask?" Theo groaned. Sanguini just blinked at him.

"It is what I am, Mr. Nott."

Theo was taken aback, "You know my name. Is it…vampire magic? Mind-reading?" He asked, eager, though also a bit worried.

Sanguini gave a quiet chuckle, "Just as my reputation proceeds me, yours proceeds you," He replied, "I cannot read minds."

"Oh. Right," Theo leaned against the stone, "Out here to take a break? It seems…crowded in there." He had a few minutes before Draco was to arrive. Besides, when else would he ever get to talk to a vampire?

"I am actually taking my leave," Sanguini said.

"Huh. You'd think that midnight was just about when you're normally up and about." Theo said, surprised, "But maybe that's it. Do you have another place to go? A…vampire job or something?" He asked. He usually was a bit more tactful, but couldn't help it.

"Something like that. No, I came for a purpose to this party and I had thought I was going to leave without fulfilling it." Sanguini said, "But it seems perhaps not." His gaze landed on Theo and Theo was filled, all at once, with a sense of dread and foreboding. Every bone in his body was telling him to go back into the party, where at least there were witnesses and safety in number, but Theo pushed it down.

He was prejudiced. Just because a vampire looked at you didn't mean you were in danger. If he was Draco's biggest champion that werewolves were no more liable to hurt you day to day than any other wizard, he couldn't very well let his own foolish stereotypes about vampires ring true, could he?

"Oh, what's your purpose here?" Theo asked conversationally. He wondered if it was spreading vampire truths or convincing Slughorn of something. The best thing about being 'farmed' by Slughorn into this club was that while Slughorn hoped one day you'd do great things for him, he could also do things for you. He was a man of many connections and abilities, even Theo had to admit.

Sanguini frowned, "You are not who I assumed you'd be." He said, and Theo didn't think that was answering his question.

"A Nott, you mean?" Theo guessed, "I take more after my mother," He said curtly.

"Then, it fills me with regret. However, I made a promise, and I do not break my promises," Sanguini said. Theo took a step back, frowning. The twitch of his movements had the vampire turn his expression on him and he realized that although Sanguini was spindly in nature, he still towered over Theo and had quite an intimidating presence, something he'd been masking during the party.

"I think I should get back…" Theo started to say in a creaking, broken voice, hating how his tone betrayed his fear. Before he could though, Sanguini grasped his arm.

"Do know, Theodore, that I am truly sorry."

Before Theo could figure out the riddle of these half-completed phrases and thoughts that Sanguini was expressing, Theo was yanked into a side office, one that hadn't been touched in years, probably.

Panic now flooded Theo like a waterfall overtaking a dam. It choked out everything except terror. He felt like a child, his throat closing with tears and his whole body shaking as he tried to wrench his grip away, to no avail.

The last thing Theo remembered was a sharp, stinging pinch and a garbled scream cut off by strong hands, and then hands grasping his neck and turning. The world went black.

XXX

Fire. It was everywhere. It was in his veins and part of him wanted to claw his arms open, let the lava breathe and settle. Fingers grasping at his flesh. Hands pulling him away.

Screaming, still, screaming.

His head was filled with boiling water. It felt like someone was taking a sword through it and digging it in, before pulling out and doing it again, and again, and again, and then filling it with the lake of Satan's depths.

Agony. Burning. Time stretching into foreverness, without stop, too slowly. Or too fast. It was just all there, moments held taut and unending, and Theo on some level was there for every unholy second of it.

XXX

"-How could you let him in! A student is dead, and all you're worried about is your blasted, bloody party!"

"Half-dead-,"

"I had no idea, I swear it, Minerva. He has never expressed any intention to sire before, how was I to know?"

"Do we think this is a targeted attack?"

"It's hard to say, Severus. He wandered away, outside. It could have been a moment of opportunity. I suppose we don't know…"

"When he wakes up, we'll know more, right?"

"If, Mr. Malfoy. If he wakes up. We must prepare ourselves for a quite unsavory outcome, I fear."

"I-,"

"Of course, he'll wake, Albus. Draco, you need to get to class. Go, now. We'll alert you if there are any changes."

XXX

"Really, mate, you gotta wake up. Everything's gone to shit, and I don't know where it all went wrong. I waited for you, but you never showed up to let me in, so I…I got caught. By Filtch, can you believe it? I was trying to figure out what kept you…Foolish, I was sure you were mooning over…well, you know who I thought it was. But you weren't there, and I panicked. And Snape talked my ear off. He offered to help with our task, but I don't think he was serious. I think he wants to see us fail, you know? But it doesn't matter. I almost left. I almost went back. But I told myself that no, you'd never leave me. You wouldn't choose a bird over me, you know? So I started asking around. And people said you left out the left door and that's the last they saw of you. So I just started looking everywhere and there you were…on the floor, convulsing. But you seemed dead. There's no heartbeat, no blood flow, nothing. I thought it was a spell's remnants until you started screaming. It was terrifying, Theo. You started trying to tear your own skin off and I yelled and we shut down the whole party. Hell. Everyone's talking about it. No one has any idea what happened, not even really Dumbledore or Slughorn or Snape. Everyone's in a tizzy…They say you were bit by a vampire. And he snapped your neck. That's how it happens, apparently. A bite and then the kiss of death. Both. Biting you won't do anything if there's no death involved. So are you dead? Fuck, mate I hope you aren't. We go home for the holidays tomorrow. Theo, please, you gotta wake up. Please…please…please…wake up."