In the Dark

Last Night

Harry went back, night after night to the alley where he had been taken by the vampire. He would stand on the spot where he remembered the body, desperate to follow any memories or clues it could provide. Each night there was nothing new, but he couldn't stop going back to the only location he knew that the vampire had been before. The moon and stars gave shape to the buildings around him. He stared ahead at the dark outlines as he tried to think of what to do next. He didn't know where else to look. He had almost given up when he felt something stir in the air, sending a shiver down his spine. "Looking for me?" the air around him asked.

"Yes," Harry gasped.

"You are Enthralled," the vampire said, still using whatever trick he did that kept Harry from knowing just where the voice was coming from.

Harry frowned. "I don't believe you. Doesn't that mean you can make me do whatever you want? I didn't think you wanted me to find you."

"The books say it is a vampire's eyes that Enthrall, but I never let you see mine," the vampire said. "I suppose they could be wrong; but then they seem to be wrong about a lot of things."

Harry wondered what books the vampire was talking about and if they were the same ones Hermione read. Searching the empty space in front of him, he asked, "What makes you think I'm Enthralled?"

"I can see you haven't slept, probably haven't been eating well either," the voice answered. "You are looking for me but you haven't brought backup with you. And ... and I can feel it."

"I wanted to find you, not kill you. Bringing backup would only defeat that purpose." Harry stepped forward.

"Yes, it would. The Ministry has an Order of Execution out for the vampire who attacked the famous Harry Potter."

"What if it is something besides me being Enthralled?" Harry insisted. Then he heard that familiar huff, the one that had him convinced the vampire must be Draco.

"And why else would you come looking for me otherwise?"

Harry shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I want to stay with you. I want to protect you, and make sure they don't kill you."

"You don't even know me. You are just addicted to the bite," the vampire sneered, voice almost bitter enough to taste.

"You're wrong. I do know you, but I don't want to lose you again. I knew while I was at the hospital, but I didn't tell them. Didn't give them any hint I might know your name," Harry said as his fingers ran through his hair, betraying his anxiety. "I can't sleep because I've been thinking of you, and seeing your face, your smirk."

The vampire was silent so long that Harry began to fear he'd left. "My face? You haven't seen my face," he claimed. "And those are symptoms of being Enthralled. I should know."

"How did I get Enthralled then?" Harry asked wondering if there was a way it could have been avoided. "Is there a way for me to see your face and not be Enthralled?"

"I don't know how it happened," the vampire admitted. "Did they tell you that once Enthralled, you will wither away, that you will die unless it is cured?"

"No. They didn't tell me anything, really." Harry sighed, knowing that he probably wasn't listening to anything they did try to tell him at the time. "Would they have known that?"

"It's in the books. Don't they know you are Enthralled?"

"I convinced them that I wasn't. I made them believe I was getting better while I was at the hospital." Harry bit his lip wondering what the cure was. He tried to remember some of his training on vampires, and could think of some vague reference to dying from lack of sleep and food. He swallowed hard knowing he hadn't been doing much of either lately. There was a long silence. Harry might have thought the vampire was gone then, but somehow he thought he could "feel" him.

"I always knew one of us would kill the other. I guess it was inevitable."

"No. It isn't," Harry insisted. "Why would you think that?"

"Because the traditional cure for Enthrallment is staking the vampire that did it." The wind blew a gust that ruffled Harry's hair.

"I won't do that. I don't want to do that." Harry retorted as he tilted his head. "Isn't there some other way?"

"I want you to do it," the voice said quietly.

"No," Harry growled, before looking around. "But can we talk about this somewhere else? Somewhere that isn't outside and public?"

"I don't intend to come near you," the vampire said then.

"I'm just asking to talk to you somewhere else," Harry argued. "I know we didn't talk that much before, and we probably should have instead of fighting at school. But it doesn't mean we can't talk now!" There was absolute stillness then, even the wind was quiet and Harry realised he had probably shocked the other man. He hoped Draco was still there. "Why won't you come near me?"

"I nearly killed you, nearly drained you last time!" the vampire growled.

"But you didn't. You left me at St Mungo’s instead." Harry frowned as he thought about that last night together. "What would you have done if you hadn't drank that much? Would I still be in the room with you?"

"No, I kept you too long as it was. I ...." the voice trailed off.

Harry wanted to pull Draco close to him at the sound of that voice. "Do you think you can't touch me without biting me again?"

"I ... I've never had very good control around you," the other man admitted. He sounded bitter, in pain.

Harry wanted to take that pain away. "Draco," he whispered. "I want ...."

"What did you just say?" the vampire hissed.

"I said your name," Harry said calmly.

"Say it again."

"Draco." Harry's voice came out even softer this time.

The vampire stepped out of the shadows, the hood of his black cloak sliding back revealing his white blond hair. "How?"

Harry grinned slightly as he looked over at Draco. "Does it matter? I came looking for you, knowing it was you. You seem to think that the only reason I came here was because I'm Enthralled, but I wanted to see you, Draco."

Draco looked gaunt and even paler than Harry remembered. He also looked like he didn't believe him. "That just proves you are Enthralled. You hated me."

Harry winced. "I didn't hate you. You just always seemed to push my buttons, and I regret how I reacted during sixth year. I should have never used that spell. I tried to figure out what you were up to that year, but I found out too late."

Draco's hand came up to his chest, almost reflexively touching where Harry knew the scar was. "Is that how you figured it out? The scar?"

"It wasn't the only thing," Harry answered. "I remember you expressing a wish that we had been friends."

"I said too much," the blond admitted, shaking his head.

Harry stepped forward. "I wish you had said more."

"Stop," Draco barked, taking a step back and holding a hand up in warning.

Harry stayed still, desperate to keep Draco from running off into the black night. "Have you fed since I saw you last?"

Draco looked away. "No."

Harry frowned. "Did you do that on purpose?"

Draco shook his head. His hair was longer now than Harry remembered, and it fell across his face, half obscuring it when he did.

"Then why haven't you?"

Draco huffed, folding his arms across his chest. "Apparently, I can't," he admitted.

Harry wondered if Draco was just as addicted as he was. "I think you should bite me. I want you to and I know that you want to. I think you can stop yourself from drinking too much."

Draco looked up again and Harry could see fear in his eyes. "I can't. Don't you understand? I will tear your throat out if I bite you now."

"I want to touch you again." Harry whispered watching Draco's face.

There was no darkness now to hide the look of want in Draco's face then. His body seemed to shake. "Too dangerous," he whispered, and the sound blew around the alley creating its own gust of wind.

"What if you couldn't bite me?" Harry suggested, nervously pushing his glasses up.

"Would I still want to touch you, you mean?" Draco asked, and Harry could hear the longing in his voice.

"Yes," Harry answered licking his lips. "Do you?"

Those silvery eyes met his then and Harry could see it, feel it. It made him suck in a breath and shiver. "More than I want the blood," Draco admitted.

"What if you were tied down to my bed?"

Draco's eyes widened and Harry actually saw a hint of a smile curl the edges of his lips. "Like you were the first night?"

"Yes." Harry's reply nearly came out in a moan as he remembered how Draco's hands had felt.

"I'm pretty strong, you will have to use magical bindings to hold me down," Draco warned and Harry could see that the idea excited him.

"I can do that," Harry said trying to hide a grin as he pictured Draco bound beneath him.

"My house is at number twelve, Grimmauld Place." Harry felt a little nervous and excited about inviting Draco to his home. He wondered if anyone was still watching his house to see if a vampire would show up or not, but Draco was very good at hiding. He sighed not knowing where else he could take the blond, and at his house he still had his potions. He eyed Draco carefully as he saw a shadow pass over the man's face. "Will you Apparate there?"

"I ... I have conditions," Draco managed, and Harry could see he was working to control himself. "We both need free of this. So when you are ... done touching me, after you come, you need to end it, to stake me."

Harry didn't like the conditions, but he nodded. His first thought was simply getting Draco to his house; thoughts about what he would do once they got there hovered at the back of his mind.

"Say it," Draco insisted and Harry could see how hard he was struggling to hold on.

"I agree with the conditions," Harry stated as he fought the urge to move closer to Draco.

Draco nodded and stepped back into the dark, looking like he melted into the shadows of the alley. "I will meet you there," the wind whispered.