Into The Long Dark

DISCLAIMER: Not mine, never will be. All HP characters belong to JK and Warner Brothers, etc, etc, etc. Rael belongs to me.

SPOILER WARNING: The events in this fic take place immediately after Book 6.

Thanks to Evil Auntie Snape for being my Beta!


Sunday, 10 August 1997


~~~~~~TEN ~~~~~~~~\"SHADOWS ON SHADOW\"~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


It was raining heavily in the alleyway behind Grimmauld Place when Harry and Rael Apparated there. They were still in the depths of their consuming embrace when they first appeared, but the shock of the transport broke them apart an instant later.

Harry felt euphoric. He wasn\'t sure if anyone had ever Apparated while snogging before, but he would certainly recommend it. It was almost as if they had momentarily merged into one during the split-second eternity of the Apparition. Harry felt so close to orgasm, he immediately moved in to hug Rael again, who was looking a bit dazed. He was now used to the strange, disjointed operation of his fuzzy mind. As long as he was close to Rael, everything was fine.

Harry tried to conceal his smile at Rael\'s discomfort, but all that did was cause him to start giggling as he buried his head into Rael\'s soaking wet chest. He moved his hips lazily, grinding his erectness into Rael\'s. He was swaying just the slightest bit, and after a few deep breaths, Rael chuckled nervously.

\"You know, you ought to give a fellow a bit of a warning before doing something like that.\"

Harry looked up, and giggled again at Rael\'s not entirely successful attempt to look composed. Harry recalled how he had felt those first times he had apparated. Smiling broadly, he hugged the vampire tighter, attempting to will Rael\'s queasiness away. The rain had slowed down a bit, and now Harry was starting to feel the slightest bit chilly. With a shiver, he planted a quick kiss on Rael\'s mouth, and released his embrace.

\"Well, I don\'t think it would make much difference in how you feel. It takes some time before a person gets used to Apparating. I know how groggy you must feel. How about we get out of this rain?\"

Rael smiled, and nodded. Harry noticed that he shivered slightly, too. Damn, can this vampire be any cuter or what?

Harry took a few steps towards the protection field, while Rael watched him intently. Harry dropped the wards, and as always, Number 12 squeezed its way back into existence. He turned to see Rael standing there, wide-eyed.

\"C\'mon, we have to hurry before the sentry wards go back up.\"

Harry moved over to the garden gate, pushing it open. Rael paused for a few moments, and then followed Harry through. Once inside, Harry watched as Rael surveyed the empty garden area, the shed, and the rear of the house. Suddenly, Rael narrowed his eyes, and almost bowled Harry over as he pushed past the wizard, rushing over to the darkened area beside the rear steps.

\"Harry! Who\'s this?\"

Rael was kneeling down looking at what appeared nothing more than an oddly shaped lump, more dark on darkness. As Harry moved closer, he made out that the lump was actually a person. Quickly drawing his knife, he flipped out the blade.

\"Lumos!\"

It took only a second for that head of matted, purple hair to register with Harry.

\"Tonks!\"

He hunched down, and ran his hands gently over her still form, sensing her injuries. He immediately cast a handful of Healing Charms, and looked up at Rael.

\"Let\'s get her inside. Can you carry her? I want to get a better look at her in the house before I try to revive her,\" Harry blurted, his tone urgent.

Rael paused strangely, almost as if he hadn\'t understood a single word Harry had just said. Nodding, he gently picked Tonks up, and followed Harry up the back steps. Harry dropped the wards, and unlocked the door.

Rushing inside, and striding down the hall, Harry lit all the lights there as well as the ones in the parlor. When he had reached the entrance to the parlor, Harry turned to see Rael standing outside on the tiny back stoop, holding Tonks in his arms. He made no motion to come inside.

\"What are you waiting for, bring her in! Rael, don\'t just stand there!\" Harry was quickly losing his patience. His stomach was starting to lurch about, tying itself into knots.

\"I can\'t just walk in. You have to invite me inside.\" Rael\'s voice was emotionless.

Harry just gaped at Rael, his silhouette framed by the back doorway at the other end of the hall. His mind was racing, spinning in circles, and Harry felt the knots in his gut starting to rise up and out.

What in fucking hell is he talking about? I have to invite him in? What nonsense is this? Suddenly, a little voice deep inside his mind piped up, and reminded Harry of a bit of information that he had studied in the DADA class on vampires. Oh, for Merlin\'s sake, of course! You had to invite a vampire into your house or else he couldn\'t enter. Right?

Bollocks!

\"Yes, yes, Rael, please come in! You\'re invited, already!\" Harry all but shouted the invitation, his voice tinged with a note of desperation.

Rael immediately moved over the threshold, and the next instant was bustling into the parlor. Harry followed him in, igniting a fire in the hearth. He directed Rael to place Tonks on the old Mohair sofa in front of the fireplace. Just as he laid her down, a doxie darted out from under the sofa and scuttled across the room, taking refuge in the heavy curtains covering the front windows. Rael jumped a foot in the air.

\"What in blazes was that thing?\" his eyes were busily scanning the room.

This broke Harry\'s anxiety wide open. The sight of the vampire frightened by a single doxie instantly pushed his nervousness and impatience out of the way, replacing it with amusement.

\"Nothing to worry about, just a doxie. They infest old houses. Nothing to worry about. I\'ll protect you.\" Harry smiled, and Rael attempted to reciprocate, but all that came across was a very badly executed grin.

Harry then knelt down and examined Tonks again. She had bruises and scrapes on her right arm and shoulder, as well as a rather nasty cut on her right temple. That side of her face was also bruising up rather quickly. He ran his hands over the rest of her body, returning to her head.

\"No broken bones, or serious internal injuries that I can sense. She just looks pretty banged up.\" Harry cast some more healing charms, and the scratches and cuts vanished completely. He cast a few more, and the bruises faded significantly, and the swelling on the side of her face receded. Another pass of his hands over Tonks body, and he nodded to himself, standing up.

\"She\'ll be fine. Might have a bit of a headache, that\'s all.\" Harry looked over at Rael, who was staring at him, astonished.

\"Harry, you\'re a healer! I\'ve heard about wizards like you, but I\'ve never seen it. That was amazing.\" He looked down at Tonks, and then back at Harry again.

\"No, I\'m not a healer, not at all. I\'ve just spent so much time in the Infirmary, that I picked up on all those general healing charms. That\'s all. No big deal.\" Harry looked down at the carpet.

Rael moved in and lifted Harry\'s chin up, his grey eyes locking onto the intense emerald ones. \"Whatever you say, Harry. But that was still incredible. You\'re incredible.\" He leaned in and brushed his lips against the wizard\'s. He was just moving in closer when a squeaky voice interrupted them.

\"Does Master require Kreacher\'s help, sir?\" The wrinkled old house elf was standing in the doorway to the parlor, his filthy loin cloth barely clinging to his bony hips. His huge yellow eyes stared at the vampire, and remained locked on him.

Harry turned around, and he felt Rael step up right behind him, swinging a protective arm across Harry\'s chest. The vampire pressed closer to him, and it was almost as if Rael were using Harry as a shield.

\"Everything is fine now, Kreacher, \" Harry answered calmly. Rael was hugging him rather tightly now. \"Tonks had a bit of a fall in the garden. She\'s resting now. Would you please bring us two butterbeers and a glass of water? Thank you.\"

Kreacher didn\'t move. He was staring intently at Rael. He gave no sign that he even heard Harry speak. Those old eyes narrowed the slightest bit. The elf took a step further into the parlor.

Harry felt the knot drop back into his gut. He repeated his request. \"Kreacher, fetch the drinks, now, please. Did you hear me? Kreacher?\"

The elf\'s eyes glared over Harry\'s head at Rael. Kreacher advanced on them once more.

Sensing that something was definitely amiss, Harry assumed a more commanding tone.

\"Kreacher, you will do as I have ordered! Now!\" And still Kreacher stood there, silent. Then the elf took another step closer to them.

Harry\'s hand went for his knife in his pocket. He drew it out, and the blade flipped open with a loud snap. Rael tighten his grip on Harry further, and it was becoming hard for the wizard to breathe. Harry pointed his transfigured wand at Kreacher, who had taken another step closer, the elf\'s mouth beginning to twist into a snarl.

\"Not allowed in house, no, his kind not allowed, ever in house!\" Kreacher stepped closer.

Harry could feel Rael\'s entire body tensing. He couldn\'t look up, but he could hear Rael hissing slightly. Harry was sure his fangs were out.

The elf was nearly upon them, and brought one of his hands up, apparently intending to throw a hex at Rael. Kreacher hesitated, obviously not happy that most of his target was concealed behind his Master. The elf began to growl threateningly. Harry had never heard a house elf make a sound like that. Ever.

\"Kreacher! You will listen to me! I am your Master! Kreacher!\" Harry roared his commands.

The elf turned his gaze to Harry. He was snarling and growling continuously.

\"Kreacher, I am your Master, this is my house, and you are bound to serve me and follow my every command. This man is a guest in my house, and you will immediately cease this aggressive behavior. He is your Master\'s guest!\" Harry was panting by the time he finished, beads of sweat popping out on his forehead.

Kreacher stared at his Master, and then looked back at Rael and then to Harry again. His hand dropped back to his side, and the elf took a step back towards the hall.

\"Yes, sir, Kreacher will allow this guest to stay as Master wishes.\" The elf nearly spat the word \'guest\'. He continued to back out of the parlor, never taking his eyes off of Rael. Once in the hall, Kreacher whirled around and stomped out of sight.

Rael was still nearly crushing Harry\'s chest. The wizard reached up and stroked Rael\'s arm. The vampire released his death grip, and Harry turned around to face him.

\"Welcome to Number 12, Grimmauld Place. We\'re well known for our hospitality here, as you have seen.\" He attempted a smile. Rael took a breath, and walked over to the hearth.

\"I\'m sorry, Harry, I should have known this would happen. I\'ve heard that my kind aren\'t exactly welcome in wizarding homes. Especially ones like this. Now I see why. I should go.\"

Rael made to move towards the hall, but Harry stepped into his path, gently placing his hand on the vampire\'s chest.

\"Hey, you heard what I told Kreacher. You\'re a guest in my house. You\'re welcome here. Now, I can\'t stop you if you want to leave, but I\'d like it very much if you would stay, at least a bit longer. Hang on a minute.\" With a wave of his hand, he charmed their wet clothes dry. Harry gently caressed Rael\'s cheek. The vampire took Harry\'s hand, and kissed the palm of it.

\"As you wish, Harry. I do have to leave soon, though. I have business to attend to before sunrise.\" Rael\'s expression was unreadable.

Harry felt his stomach drop out through his feet. He wanted Rael to stay. Needed Rael to stay. Rael couldn\'t leave. Before he could speak, Kreacher clomped into the parlor, carrying a battered tray with the butterbeers and the glass of water.

The elf glared up a them, setting the tray down on the sidetable with a clatter, sloshing most of the water out of the glass. He shot Rael one final sneer before trudging out of the parlor and vanishing into the hallway again.

\"I think you might want to consider finding a house elf that isn\'t quite so angry.\" Rael finally smiled, and Harry returned it with one of his own.

\"Yeah, I\'ll check in with House-Elves-R-Us first thing in the morning.\"

Harry looped his arms around the vampire\'s waist, and leaned up to plant a deep kiss on Rael\'s supple lips. Rael embraced the wizard eagerly, ghosting his hands slowly over Harry\'s lower back in small circles. Harry allowed himself to drown in the vampire\'s embrace. He would make Rael stay. He needed Rael to stay.

\"Wotcher, Harry. Who\'s your friend?\"

Harry and Rael abruptly terminated their snog, both of them staring down at the sofa. Tonks had awakened, with a wry smile spreading across her face. She was struggling to prop herself up against the arm of the couch. Reaching over to the tray, she grabbed one of the butterbeers and took a long draw from it. With a loud smacking of her lips, she sighed, and took another drink.

\"Right, you got anything to eat around here? I\'m starving!\"


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


McGonagall had charmed her robes dry, and was now sitting rather stiffly on the sofa, watching the fire. Snape had just reseated himself in his chair, after getting them both a glass of brandy.

The Headmistress had taken a tiny sip from her drink, and was gingerly holding the glass by its stem, as if it were extremely fragile. Snape simply leaned back, crossed his legs, and leaned the side of his face onto his closed hand. He remained silent. The only sounds were of the fire and the dripping of the water droplets off of the eaves.

McGonagall took another miniscule sip of brandy, glanced about the shabby study, and set her glass down on the rickety endtable.

\"You know, Severus, it would be much more practical, not to mention convenient, if one could simply Apparate here instead of actually having to walk through the back door.\"

Snape considered her for a moment before answering. \"I am satisfied with the sentry wards as they are, Minerva. Considering how much we have laboured recently, I am rather surprised you would complain about such a simple thing as opening a door. You will recall that I did accede to your wishes, and I have altered the wards to allow you to Disapparate from inside the house. Now, why don\'t you tell me what is troubling you?\"

His tone was patronizing, and it had the desired effect.

\"I am most definitely not troubled, Severus.\" The Headmistresses tone was icy. \"I was merely interested in the recent developments with Draco Malfoy. I trust that you have retrieved him from Grimmauld Place?\"

\"Yes, he is asleep in the next room. He has been, how shall we say it, rather shabbily treated? None of your precious Gryffindors would ever torture anyone, nor would they throw an Unforgivable Curse. I am at a loss to explain how Draco could have been injured so. Any ideas on this, Minerva?\"

McGonagall\'s frown could have withered an oak tree.

\"Spare me your barbs, Severus. We both know that Potter is not the typical Gryffindor. I have never believed that he was placed in the proper house to begin with. As time goes on, I am more convinced that he should have been a Slytherin. Now, back to Malfoy. I trust he wasn\'t badly injured?\"

\"No, not seriously. I healed his wounds sufficiently. I also divined that Potter used Legilimency on Draco, although it was a sloppy job.\"

McGonagall\'s eyebrows shot up at this. \"Did Potter acquire any information?\"

\"Only what we wished him to learn. Nothing more. You will recall that we have teased Draco with just enough information to satisfy his arrogant ego into believing that he is an integral part of the Dark Lord\'s plan, when in fact he is nothing more than another minute fragment of the plan that will bring about Riddle\'s demise. Young Malfoy is under the impression that he is attending secret planning sessions with the Death Eaters at The Dragon\'s Lair. In actuality, the real meetings with Carrows, Yaxley, and the others take place prior to Malfoy\'s arrival. What Draco witnesses, then, are merely fabrications designed to feed disinformation to him, as well as placate his meddling mother. That is why Draco\'s abduction was not in and of itself ultimately disturbing.\"

\"And how did that happen? How was he captured?\" McGonagall leaned forward.

Snape shifted in his chair and took a sip of brandy.

\"It seems Potter stumbled upon Draco in the alleyway leading to The Dragon\'s Lair. Potter stunned him, and Apparated them both to the Black house. It would appear that our dear Mr. Potter was on his way to patronize the Muggle portion of that establishment.\"

She snorted. \"Not surprising in the least.\" A look of concern shot across her face. \"You are certain it was the muggle club and not the wizarding club? If he ever saw you or Yaxley or Carrows there, he would feel compelled to act, and if The Order were drawn into this....\"

Snape cut her off with a wave of his hand.

\"No, Minerva, Potter is completely unaware of the Wizarding club downstairs. He was too interested in satisfying his crude desires with anything that crossed his path. Quite indiscriminate, if I may say so. Very much the embarrassment. I believe he is becoming quite unstable. The loss of his precious Dumbledore coupled with Potter\'s raging hormones has created a situation that has worked to our advantage. I don\'t believe Potter had any intention of informing The Order about Draco\'s capture and interrogation. His arrogance will, I believe, only hasten his downfall. We must double our efforts to draw our plan to its completion as soon as possible.\"


McGonagall leaned back once more, nodding. \"Yes, Severus, we agree on that point. Finally, about Draco. Did he see who his captors were? Who it was that, ah, caused him discomfort?\"

Snape chuckled. \"Yes, Draco did see Potter cursing him. The Cruciatus, at least twice. Enough to land our dear Harry in Azkaban for life. But we can\'t have that happen. Not yet, at any rate.\"

\"You modified Draco\'s memory?\" McGonagall reached for her glass and settled back into the old sofa.

\"Yes, modified. He will have no memory of what happened at Grimmauld Place. It will appear that Draco simply became inebriated, and fell into the hands of some surly types, and I found him. I have already planted this story with Wormtail, and he is no doubt relaying it to Narcissa. I feel certain that this little adventure will be kept quiet, as neither Draco nor his mother would want Riddle to learn of it.\" Snape paused a moment.

\"By the way, Minerva, why was I not notified of the change in the sentry wards that now guard the Black house?\"

McGonagall shifted in her seat. \"My apologies, Severus, but I only learned of the changes the other day. I have no control over how The Ministry operates in these matters. Of course I intended to inform you. The proper circumstances failed to present themselves for me to contact you. Did you have any difficulty gaining entry?\"

Snape shrugged. \"None at all. I managed to drop the new wards, after a fashion. Kreacher was most instrumental in assisting to free Draco once I was inside. Thank you for making sure his stay at Hogwarts was a short one. The disgusting brute is far more valuable to us where he is.\"

The Headmistress sipped her brandy. \"Another brilliant idea, Severus. I will endeavor to obtain more information about the new sentry wards. I know that these new wards are far more sensitive than the old ones. Fortunately, we have our Occlusion Amulets to hide our activities.\"

Snape fingered the Ankh that hung around his neck. Acquiring them from The Ministry had been a rather tricky business.

\"My only other pressing concerns at the moment are Pettigrew and Narcissa. He is constantly skulking about eavesdropping on my every conversation. She is becoming more unpredictable by the day. I believe they must be dealt with soon.\"

The Headmistress nodded. \"I will leave that for you to handle in your usual, discreet manner, Severus.\"

\"I am continuously impressed with the confidence you show in me, Minerva,\" Snape drawled. \"And I am still astonished that you had been concealing these reservations of yours for so long. Who knew?\"

McGonagall\'s face was impassive. \"Yes, well, I have been rather distraught over the general disruption and uncertainty that has hung over Hogwarts since Potter\'s arrival there six years ago. He has been a constant distraction, and in my opinion, this has resulted in a most regrettable reduction in the effectiveness of our entire curriculum. It is entirely unfair that one student has been singled out for such specialized treatment, at the expense of all the others. I feel the reputation of Hogwarts has been unnecessarily sullied throughout all this. Now that Albus is gone, I see an opportunity to restore balance. I have devoted my life to Hogwarts, and I am dedicated to ensuring that it is once again the foremost Wizarding school in the world. Mr. Potter is no more important than any other student.\"

Snape shifted in his armchair.

\"As I have said, Minerva, I sit here in amazement. I am pleased that you made contact with me after Dumbledore\'s funeral. I am still at a loss to explain how you located me.\"

It was McGonagall\'s turn to smile.

\"Shall we just say that there are certain privileges that come with the position of Headmistress. I also became privy to a great deal of information that Albus had shared with no one, including yourself. That is also how I was certain that I could confide in you, Severus. And, as you may have noticed, I have been able to strengthen and enhance my magical abilities. With power comes responsibility, Severus. I shall not shirk that responsibility.\"

\"Indeed. Have you made progress in securing the final piece of our plan?\" Snape watched her intently.

\"Not as yet. I had hoped to complete my negotiations by the next meeting of The Order, on Tuesday, but she is proving to be more difficult to persuade than I had anticipated. I am relatively certain that I will convince her in time for the meeting next week. I trust that you are prepared to proceed at that time?\"

Snape finished his drink, and set his glass down on the sidetable.

\"Yes, Headmistress, I am more than ready. I have waited many long years to be out from under the thumb of Riddle, and then that of your predecessor. Make no mistake, I am ready. I would suggest that you keep Potter under close watch. We cannot have him thwarting our plans, not now.\"

McGonagall stood up and smoothed the front of her robes. \"I will deal with Potter as best I can, Severus. Fortunately, I am not burdened with the emotional attachments that Albus was shackled with. Potter is merely an instrument, a means to an end. Once that usefulness is ended, I am confident that we will be able to ensure that Potter will become a permanent resident of Azkaban. Perhaps we can arrange for him to have the same cell that Black occupied?\"

Snape stood as well, smiling. \"Indeed. Good evening, or should I say, good morning, Minerva.\"

She nodded. \"Severus.\" McGonagall turned.

\"Oh, Headmistress? One more thing.\"

She turned back to look at him, impatient to leave. \"Yes?\"

\"Please note the new hairstyle? Also, I don\'t believe you were tall enough.\" Snape smiled evilly.

McGonagall made a grudging nod, and stepped to the open area of the study. She then Disapparated, leaving a louder than normal CRACK behind.

Cranky old bitch, he thought, as he charmed out the lights and fire. Walking through the door into the small bedroom, he closed, locked and warded it. Slowly unbuttoning his shirt, Snape watched Draco sleeping peacefully.

I hope you\'re rested, my boy. I have a little bit of excess energy to work out.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Tonks had just finished the leftover sandwich, and was making a sizable dent in the bowl of crisps that Kreacher had dropped on the table. Taking her first sip of the second butterbeer, she glanced up at Harry and the stranger, who stood on opposite ends of the hearth, silently watching her. Harry kept shifting his gaze from his friend to Tonks and back again. The red-haired stranger held his eyes on her, unwavering.

Her head ached, and her shoulder was sore, but other than that, she felt pretty good. Taking another long draw from her bottle, she leaned back into the sofa and crossed her legs. Harry was again gazing at the stranger, taking him in from head to toe, hungrily. Harry looked alert, but his eyes were somehow misted, occluded. They both had the look of someone who had just been thoroughly kissed. And then some.

\"Oy, Harry, mind your manners. Introduce me to you friend, yeah?\"

There was a few seconds lag as Harry tore his gaze away from the red-head. He shifted nervously to his other foot, and his hands fumbled with each other.

\"Er, sorry Tonks, ah, this is Rael. Rael, Tonks.\"

He only made a nano-seconds\' eye contact with Tonks. As he finished, Harry stared at the carpet.

\"Wotcher, Rael. Pleased to meet ya.\" Tonks noted that Rael continued to keep his strange, grey eyes locked on her. He merely nodded. So far, Tonks hadn\'t heard him speak.

The Auror reached for the bowl of crisps, and sat back into the couch, relaxing as she drained the second butterbeer. Tonks just watched both men stand there, silent. Harry nervous, Rael inscrutable.

Kreacher stomped into the parlor again, with four more butterbeers, grumbling the whole while. Tonks noted that the elf kept his eyes on Rael, even after slamming the bottles on the table and tromping back into the hallway. She took another draw on her butterbeer.

\"Loosen up, Rael. No worries around me. I know about Harry. It\'s cool. I\'m OK with gays, yeah?\" She made a quick snick sound with her mouth, winking at Rael at the same time.

Harry\'s eyes looked to jump out of their sockets. Rael\'s expression softened somewhat as he removed his gaze from Tonks and looked over at Harry, smiling.

Harry began to splutter. \"Tonks, come on, now, uh, it\'s not like that, erm...\"

Tonks waved her hand at him, cutting him off.

\"Harry, don\'t try to bullshit a bullshitter! Really, it\'s not a problem! I think it\'s great that you\'ve finally come out. And, Harry, I wasn\'t born yesterday. You\'d have to be blind not to see that you\'ve both been snogged to within an inch of your lives.\"

She gulped down more of her butterbeer, and watched as all the color drained from Harry\'s face. Rael, on the other hand, had flushed, and he was grinning knowingly at the distressed wizard. He then moved towards Harry, who started slightly when Rael draped an arm around him, pulling him close.

Tonks nodded vigorously, gesturing at them with her bottle.

\"Now, that\'s the spirit, Rael! Bravo! Don\'t mind me, just carry on with whatever you were doing.\" She winked again, sending a shudder through Harry.

Rael leaned over and gave Harry a peck on his forehead. Then he smiled back at Tonks.

\"A pleasure to meet you. Please forgive me, Tonks, but it has been a long night, and we are both tired. I\'m pleased to see that you are feeling better.\" He bowed his head slightly in her direction.

Tonks raised her eyebrows into her purple hair. \"And a gentleman, too. Harry, this one\'s a keeper! And Rael, the pleasure was all mine. Cheers!\" She raised her bottle, and saluted the couple.

\"Thanks, Tonks. Now, if you will excuse me, it\'s late, and I should go.\" Rael fixed those grey eyes on her. She shivered.

\"Aww, well, yeah, me too.\" She put her bottle down, and made to stand. She swayed a bit, and sat down heavily. Tonks retrieved her bottle and took a swig. \"Maybe I\'ll just wait a bit longer.\"

\"What exactly happened, Tonks?\" Harry asked, not looking at her.

\"I was just checking about the house, and I guess I lost my step and toppled over the back stoop. Certified klutz, ya know.\" She put on her best fake smile. Tonks shot a glance to Harry, whose expression spoke vloumes. The young wizard turned his head, and Tonks got a better view of the mark on his neck.

Rael nodded slightly. \"Yeah, I can relate to that. I\'m one myself.\"

Rael turned and embraced Harry, and gave the wizard a wet, sloppy kiss. He also did a little grind with his hips, and ran his hands down over Harry\'s backside, giving it the slightest little squeeze. Harry jerked himself out of the kiss, and made a gesture to smooth out the front of his shirt and jeans.

\"Well, I guess I\'ll show you out, Rael? Uh, OK?\" Harry grabbed at one of Rael\'s arms, and began dragging the larger man out of the parlor.

\"Sure, Harry. Goodnight, Tonks.\" Rael smiled a very toothy smile, and waved with his free hand as he was pulled through the doorway into the hall.

Tonks\' smile evaporated the instant the vampire disappeared into the hall. She drained her butterbeer in one draw, and set the empty bottle down with a bang. Leaning forward on the sofa, she rested her elbows on her knees and clasped her hands together, her face grim. In a moment, she heard heavy, booted footsteps approaching down the hall.

A second later Harry appeared in the doorway, his hand rubbing the back of his neck, coming to rest on the bite marks. He quickly glanced up at her, and then the wizard stared downward, studying the threadbare carpet. He walked over to the hearth, avoiding her eyes.

\"What the FUCK are you up to Harry? Have you gone mad? Fooling around with a vampire? And bringing that creature here? Are you daft?!\" Tonks\' voice quavered with anger.

Harry remained silent. He didn\'t look up, but just picked at the peeling paint on the mantelpiece. Tonks drew a deep breath, and continued.

\"For Merlin\'s Sake, Harry, I cut you a little slack, because I feel sorry for you, because I\'m a stupid, idiotic git, and you go off the deep end, snogging a bloody dark creature! Fuck, Harry, why not just flush everyone\'s hard work right down the loo?\" She paused a moment. When he didn\'t respond immediately, she stood up and walked towards the hearth.

\"Oy, Potter! The least you could do is answer! Didn\'t you learn anything at Hogwarts? Didn\'t you? You could have been killed! Harry, answer me!\" She reached out and gave Harry\'s shoulder a firm shove. When his head swivelled up to meet her gaze, his eyes blazed, and his face was reddening quickly. She could see tears starting to roll down his cheeks.

\"Bollocks, Tonks! I don\'t want your pity! And you\'re one to talk! If I recall, you were the one pining away for a snog and a fuck with a dark creature, yeah? I\'m surprised that you had forgotten how dangerous werewolves are! And yeah, I could have been killed. I could have been killed walking out the front door! I could have been killed stepping out of the tub! Fuck, Tonks, I very nearly have been killed on a regular basis ever since I can remember! So, if its my bloody time to go, then so be it! I\'m not going to wait around, and hide behind everybody\'s robes, waiting for Riddle to politely knock on the back door! I\'m bloody well gonna grab whatever pleasures I can, while I can, cause Merlin knows, I\'ll buy it sooner or later, probably sooner. So if I bloody well want to snog a vampire, or even shag one, it\'s none of your fucking business!\"

Harry was trembling visibly, and had advanced on Tonks while he spoke, his voice slowly growing louder. The Auror took a step backward.

\"It is my business, Harry, because it happens to be my job to protect you. And not only that, I don\'t want anything to happen to you, because, well, I care about your sorry little arse! Yeah, OK, I know you deserve a bit of fun, but damn, Harry, a vampire? I thought we taught you better than that.\"

She felt her anger evaporate rapidly. Once she had let it out, she realized that further discussion was pointless. Harry was certainly enthralled, and no amount of logic or reason was going change that fact. All she had done was to agitate him, and now she had to suffer the onslaught. At least the vampire had left of his own volition.

Harry was now shaking with fury, his cheeks wet with tears. The young wizard took a few steps closer, now only inches away from Tonks\' face. She braced for the impact.

\"I\'ve spent hours every day studying musty old books in the library upstairs, practicing spells and hexes and blocks with Neville and Remus and whomever I can drag into it. And yeah, I\'ve learned a lot, Tonks. But I\'ve also learned a great deal that isn\'t in any book or lesson. One of those things is not to judge people. I\'ve learned that just because someone has purple hair and behaves like a stoned slag, she can still be the best damned Auror I\'ve ever seen. I\'ve learned that just because someone was bitten by a werewolf doesn\'t mean that they can\'t be one of the most intelligent, caring, and wonderful men I\'ve ever known. And, just because someone is a vampire, doesn\'t mean that I should automatically drive a stake through their heart. That\'s what I\'ve learned, Tonks. I wouldn\'t want it any other way!\"

She watched as Harry took his glasses off, and wiped an arm savagely across his puffy red eyes. His chest began to hitch up and down, and he looked away from her for a moment, before moving towards her and throwing his arms around her. Tonks held him tightly as the tears shook out of him in jerks. She moved her hands in tiny circles on his back, shushing him gently.

Tonks stood there, hugging Harry, for some very long minutes, until his body was no longer wracked with sobs. She lifted his head off of her shoulder, and swept the hair out of his eyes. Releasing him, she conjured a handkerchief, handing it to Harry. He wiped his eyes, and blew his nose. Replacing his glasses, he tossed the hanky in the fire.

\"Sorry, Tonks. I\'ll be more careful, next time.\" He looked at her, his green eyes slicing right through her heart. \"And you need to be as well, apparently. Fell off the stoop? Even you\'re not that clumsy. I don\'t think that Rael bought that line of rubbish, either.\"

\"I know, Harry. I didn\'t want to get into details with Rael here. Sorry I lost my temper. And thanks for fixing me up. I appreciate it.\"

Tonks frowned for a second, and ran her hand through her now straightened hair. She patted down her jeans, front and back, and then mouthed the word shit.

\"And as for what happened, someone hexed me from behind just after I had dropped the wards. My wand\'s probably still lying outside somewhere.\" She shrugged, and then reached over and lightly touched the ragged holes on Harry\'s neck. He winced slightly, and gave her a sheepish little shrug.

\"Well, at least put a bandage on that bite. I\'ll be a few days before it fades, ya know.\"

Harry\'s eyes widened slightly, and he nodded. \"Yeah, I know. Rael told me that, and he said he was sorry he did it. He could have drained me or turned me, you know, but he didn\'t. He had every chance to do it, but he didn\'t. I know you\'ll say it\'s because I\'m under his thrall, Tonks, but I do trust him. I know he won\'t hurt me.\"

He paused a moment, shifting nervously. \"You didn\'t see who hit you, then?\"

Tonks shook her head.

\"Naw, but whomever it was, they must have been waiting for someone to come along, most likely you. Good thing you were otherwise occupied. I doubt that they actually got inside, though. That little dragon of a house elf would have hexed any intruder to a pile of ash. Just another example of how we all have to exercise Constant Vigilance!\"

She had hoped to illicit a smile with Moody\'s tag line, and her ploy worked perfectly.

\"Alright, Harry, how about we chat tomorrow? I think you\'ll feel differently come this time tomorrow.\" He looked at her blankly, and she continued. \"We\'re both knackered, and I\'ve got to get back out and make one last patrol before I\'m off duty.\"

Harry nodded, and led Tonks out of the parlor. As they passed the basement door, she noticed that Harry stared at it for a few seconds before continuing down the hallway. He turned his head, and shot her a nervous smile. They reached the back door, and Harry dropped the wards and locks. Tonks stepped past him and made it halfway down the steps. She turned to look back up at him.

\"I think you\'d better tell Remus about this when he gets back. I wouldn\'t be surprised if he didn\'t sense it on his own. We\'ll keep tonight\'s little circus under out hats for now, yeah?\"

She winked at the younger wizard, and he nodded vigorously.

\"Yeah, sure. Cheers, Tonks.\"

\"Get some rest, Harry.\"

Tonks walked stiffly out into the garden. After a moment, she retrieved her wand, and stuck it in her hair. As she opened the rear gate, she glanced back at the small figure in the doorway. She gave a little wave, and the figure in the doorway returned it.

Closing the gate, Tonks watched as Number 12 was squeezed out of sight. She quickly cast a few sensory charms, but detected nothing. Pacing impatienlty in the immediate area of the alley for a few minutes, Tonks cursed quietly and walked back to her van, conjuring another handkerchief for herself.