Deligo Sanguis

Chapter Twelve

A New Life

ONE

Arêthüsa moved quickly through London, trying to find a place where she could Disapparate without being seen. She’d sensed Severus calling for her, needing her at his side at once. She drew her hood tighter around her face to protect her from the bright sunlight. She hated Saturdays. The Muggles always clogged up the streets on Saturdays, even when it was cold and crisp as this day was. She found an abandoned alley near Charring Cross, which irritated her. For that, she could have just gone straight to the Leaky Cauldron. With one last look around to make sure she was alone, she Apparated to Hogwarts.

Severus’ need for her felt even stronger as she passed through the wards and headed toward the castle at a brisk walk. She didn’t want to risk running for fear that her cloak would come open. She threw the doors open, finding students milling about in the Entrance Hall, all of them whispering about something.

“He just collapsed…”

“Did you hear him screaming?”

“What do you suppose happened?”

“… seeking attention.”

She began walking faster, heading straight toward Severus’ chambers, hoping, praying that this urgency she was feeling was just paranoia. She squeezed passed Severus’ wards and into the office, where a wave of grief and pain washed over her. She gasped with the weight of it, heading straight to Severus’ sitting room. Severus wasn’t there, but his bedroom door was open and she could hear voices drifting out of it.

“I don’t know, Severus!” a woman was shouting. It sounded like Poppy Pomfrey. “I’ve never seen anything like this before!”

“Enough, both of you,” a man’s voice said. That one sounded like Dumbledore. Airy frowned, moving into the room. Severus was kneeling next to his bed, upon which was a very burned looking boy. Poppy was standing next to him, apparently taking a pulse. Dumbledore stood behind her, frowning at Arêthüsa.

“What’s happening?” Airy asked ignoring the glare Dumbledore was giving her.

Severus jumped up and ran to her, throwing his arms around her neck. “I didn’t know what to do!” he cried in distress. Airy pulled him close. “He just started screaming, and the sun was burning him!”

Airy’s eyes went to the boy on the bed. “Is that Harry?” she asked, her eyes wide.

Severus nodded against her neck. “Help him, please,” he begged quietly.

“I’ll try,” she agreed, moving out of his arms and toward the bed. Poppy was now standing back, tears running down her cheeks.

“There’s no pulse,” she said.

Airy waved her off, moving closer to Harry’s side. His entire face was burned, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling above him. Airy didn’t think he was dead, though; the magic was practically pouring off of him. Airy touched his face lightly and his eyes shifted onto her. She knew then what had happened, but she couldn’t think of how it was possible.

“When did this happen?” she asked, petting Harry’s hair away from his face.

“This morning at breakfast,” Dumbledore replied, surprising her.

“What kind of potion can burn someone from the inside out?” Poppy asked.

“The potion didn’t burn him,” Airy said quietly, not taking her eyes off of Harry, who was still staring at her. “The sun did.”

“What do you mean, Airy?” Severus asked, wringing his hands. Airy had a suspicion that he already knew what she was going to say.

“He’s like me now, Severus,” she said. “That’s what the potion did. He’s a vampire.”

Severus’ eyes drifted close, confirming that that was indeed what he had suspected. “He’s so young,” he whispered.

“That he is,” Airy agreed. “He needs blood or the burns won’t heal properly.”

“But… but, there’s no pulse,” Poppy stuttered behind her.

Airy turned and regarded the woman with sympathetic eyes. She’d never seen her so unglued. “He’s the undead, Poppy,” she said. “His heart will start beating again once he gets some blood.” She reached into her boot, pulled out an ornate silver dagger, cut her wrist and let the blood drip onto Harry’s lips.

Harry didn’t respond at first, but as more of her blood dripped onto his mouth, he began licking at it until his arms came up and pulled her wrist flush to his mouth. He continued to stare at her as he drank greedily.

Airy petted him gently with her free hand, feeling herself going cold as her blood was drained from her. “That’s right, Harry,” she cooed.

Before her eyes, his skin began to heal over slowly as he drank, his eyes gaining some of that preternatural intensity that would stay with him for the rest of time. It happened slowly, but soon all of his skin was as pink and healthy as it had ever been. Behind her, Poppy gasped sharply.

“That’s enough now, Harry,” Airy said gently, prying her wrist from Harry’s grasp. It healed over in a moment. Harry’s eyes were now fixed hungrily on Poppy, who backed up a step fearfully.

Airy removed the flask from her hip and held it up to Harry’s mouth. “Drink some of this now, love,” she encouraged.

Harry’s eyes returned to her, but he still didn’t seem to recognize her. She knew that the Blood Lust was upon him now, so he wouldn’t recognize anyone until he’d drank some fresh human blood. She pressed the flask to his mouth, and he began to drink deeply, a healthy glow beginning to permeate his skin with each swallow.

Airy silently thanked Scott for his genius. The bottomless flask had been his idea. If he could just find a way to make a flask vampires could carry, that would never run out of blood then vampires would no longer need to kill to fulfill their thirst.

Once Harry had had his fill, he immediately went into the vampiric sleep, the pull of the sun affecting his consciousness.

Airy sighed and drank deeply from her flask before returning it to her hip. “I have to see some people,” she said, feeling the pull of the sun herself, but ignoring it. “I’ll be back before sunset. I don’t want anyone to come into this room, understand?”

“You mean I can’t stay with him?” Severus asked.

Airy turned to him as she stood up. “Yeh can’t, Severus,” she replied. “He’d kill yeh without thinking if yeh got too close. It’s a defense mechanism while we sleep. If a mortal gets too close, that’s it. He wouldn’t even realize what he’d done until sunset.”

Severus sighed, but nodded glumly. Airy ushered the three mortals from the room, closing the door gently behind her.

“He cannot stay here if he’s been turned,” Dumbledore said once they were all in the sitting room. “He’s a danger to his peers.”

Airy sneered maliciously at him. “He won’t be no danger once I come back,” she growled. “I just have to get some supplies fer him. I haven’t killed a mortal in nearly twelve years.”

Dumbledore seemed rather surprised.

“Just because a vampire killed yer family, tha’ doesn’t mean we’re all mindless killers,” Airy snapped. “I hate killin’. I’ve never liked it, and I never will. You throw him out of school, you can just bet he’ll come back to kill you.”

“Enough, Airy,” Severus said tiredly. “We both know that’s not true.”

Airy made a noncommittal noise in her throat. “I’m off ter see Scott. I’ll be back before sunset.” She swept out of the room with one last angry glare at the headmaster.

TWO

“What are we going to do, Albus?” Severus asked, ignoring the painful stabbing in his heart.

Albus sat down heavily in the chair next to Severus. “This was an obvious attempt on Harry’s life,” he said, sounding very tired indeed. “If we send him back to classes after he’s learned to deal with this, someone will merely try again.”

Severus nodded. “What do you suggest?” he asked.

“I think we should announce his death, remove the glamour and send him back to school as your son,” Albus replied “It would be the best way to keep him safe.”

Severus nodded again, too drained to answer. He’d known the moment that Harry’s skin started smoking that he’d been turned. He didn’t want to believe it, but he couldn’t deny it any longer after Airy had confirmed it for him. He hadn’t even known there was a potion in existence that could turn someone into a vampire. “I’d like to be alone now, if you don’t mind,” he muttered.

“Of course, my boy,” Albus said, standing up, patting Severus on the shoulder and leaving the room quietly.

Almost as soon as he was alone, Severus burst into anguished tears. He knew that Harry wouldn’t take this news lightly. It would be hard for him to learn to stay awake during the day and sleep at night. He’d have to take a potion every day to protect him from the sun. The worst blow, however, was that he’d have to give up Draco or risk turning him as well. As much as his son cared for Draco, Severus knew that Harry wouldn’t want to turn him into a vampire. He cried for everything Harry had lost and everything he would never know. He cried for the eternity of lost daylight he knew Harry would miss. He cried for the children Harry would never have. Mostly he cried for the loneliness and exile Harry was going to experience due to this. The only time in his life that he’d cried like this was when he’d discovered that Lily had been murdered.

THREE

As much as Airy hated clinics in general, she hated them even more during the day when they were full of people. Sick people smelled repulsive and most of the time, they were most obnoxious. She therefore entered Scott’s clinic ready for confrontation. She didn’t have time to wait for him. She walked purposefully to the reception desk, ignoring the full lobby completely.

“I need to see Dr. Kotzin,” she said without preamble. She didn’t even bother charming the young man with her significant cleavage.

“We’re all booked up for the day,” the young man said politely. “I can fit you in on Monday.”

“I need to see him right now,” Airy said in a threatening voice. “Not in an hour, not in five hours, not tomorrow, now.”

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” the receptionist said, starting to sound irritated. “He’s booked up for the day. You’ll have to wait.”

Airy leaned over the desk menacingly. “I don’t care if he’s in bloody surgery right now,” she growled. “I’m going to see him. Now, you can either go and get him, or I can go back there and find him meself. Pick.”

“Look here,” the receptionist began, but he didn’t get to finish his thought because Airy had gone around his desk and into the back of the clinic. He followed her. “You can’t just come back here!” he was yelling. “He’s with patients!”

Airy spun around and caressed his cheek gently. “You don’t want to throw me out, do you?” she said softly.

The young man’s eyes became glassy. “No,” he murmured.

“Of course not,” Airy said. “Why don’t you go back to yer desk and forget I’m here?”

“Okay,” he said, and he turned around and walked slowly to the door. He disappeared behind it without looking back.

Airy continued down the corridor, opening doors and startling unsuspecting Muggles in her search for Scott. She found him near the back. He looked at her with surprise when she opened the door.

“I need to talk to yeh,” she said.

“Arêthüsa,” Scott said. “I’m a bit busy right now.”

“This canna wait,” she replied.

Scott nodded, a look of concern coming over his face. “Excuse me,” he said to his patient before following Airy out of the room and leading her to his plush office. She cast heavy silencing spells on the room before speaking.

“Harry’s been turned,” she said without preamble.

“What?” Scott gasped. “How did that happen?”

Airy waved her arms impatiently. “Some kind of potion. I need a bank and a flask immediately before he kills someone.”

Scott nodded and flew into action. He went to his desk, picked up the phone and dialed a number on his speed dial. “Jon?” he asked. “Yes. No, I have an emergency. Can you have a bank and a flask ready in about an hour? What? No, no, Airy’s coming to get it. Yes. No, it’s not for her. No, I need it before sundown. Yes. That’s right. Okay, she’ll be there shortly. Thanks.”

“All set?” Airy asked.

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry fer burstin’ in here like this,” Airy thought to say.

Scott waved her off. “Is he all right?” he asked.

“He’s fine fer now, but he won’ be if he wakes up before I get back. I’d better go get that bank. Thanks a million, Scott. I owe yeh big.” She embraced him warmly.

“Don’t think on it, Arêthüsa,” he replied. “Go take care of Harry.”

“Thank yeh, Scott,” Airy said again before leaving the clinic. Many of the patrons glared at her as she left, but she barely noticed. Her mind was lost in reflection.

She’d met Scott thirteen years before, intent on making him her next meal. She’d followed him for months, admiring the care he took with his patients. It was rare to find a doctor anymore who actually cared for his patients, but Scott was one of those few. He’d known as soon as he’d seen her that she wasn’t human, but he hadn’t seemed frightened. She’d gotten rather attached to him and so didn’t kill him after all. She’d broken every law for secrecy by telling him all about wizards and vampires and even the whole morbid tale of Severus and Harry and her deception of them both. He’d kept a sympathetic ear and given her good advice.

Without her knowledge, he’d met up with some Healers from Mungo’s who had been trying to find a cure for vampirism, but were failing miserably. Together with them, he’d set up a blood bank, devoted to collecting and distributing blood for vampires. He’d come up with the idea for the Blood Bank, a small safe-like device that acted as a porthole to the actual blood bank, providing a vampire with a ready supply of blood. He’d given Airy the prototype. After that came the bottomless flask, which worked well, but couldn’t keep the blood as fresh as the Blood Bank could. Airy hadn’t killed anyone since he’d given her the Blood Bank and she was eternally grateful to him for it. She wasn’t sure how he’d met the Healers, but it didn’t really matter to her. He was the single most open-minded Muggle she’d ever met. If he wanted to make a vampire’s life easier, who was she to question him?

She came to a small building, nestled in the outskirts of London, and pushed open the door. The inside was much larger and cleaner than the outside would have suggested, but Airy had been to this particular establishment before and so wasn’t surprised.

“Airy,” the man behind the counter said, coming around to embrace her. He was quite short for a man, only five foot five, with wavy black hair, gray eyes and golden skin. “What’s happened? Who’s the bank for?”

“I canna tell yeh that, Jon,” Airy replied. “Just know that you have my eternal gratitude fer this.”

Jon nodded his understanding, not questioning her secrecy. “I have it here,” he said, gesturing behind the desk. Airy walked around it with him and sat on his stool while he lifted the Blood Bank onto the countertop.

“This is the new prototype,” he explained. “Once you get to where you’re going, you’ll have to key it to whomever the victim is. Just place his hand on it and say ‘Intexere’. Just make sure you’re not touching it as well, or it will key to both of you. Once he’s keyed in, he’ll be the only one who can open it. If he claims a mate, then he can key his mate to the bank as well. Each one has a different incantation so another vampire can’t key themselves to someone else’s bank. It’s a safety feature so the banks won’t be stolen.”

Airy nodded her understanding.

“The flask is the same as yours. To activate it, tap it with your wand and say ‘Complere’. It’ll work from then on.”

“What do I owe you fer this?” Airy asked, taking the flask he was holding out and putting it in her pocket.

“No charge, Airy,” he said with a smile, shrinking the bank to the size of a ring box. Airy put it in her pocket with the flask.

She sighed heavily. “I think me heart might break at any time,” she muttered, closing her eyes and lowering her head.

“Why?” Jon asked. “What’s happened, Airy? You seem so… sad.”

“I am sad, Jon,” Airy replied, looking up at him. “Very sad. My vampiric senses have chosen a mate I canna have, a boy I love like a son has been turned, and I still can’t find work. Sad doesn’t even begin to describe how hurt I feel.”

“I’m so sorry,” Jon said, rubbing her shoulder gently. “How old is the boy?”

“Sixteen.”

Jon closed his eyes, looking as though his own son had been turned. “So young,” he muttered.

“Yeah,” Airy agreed. “Very young.”

“I take it you’re going to be his mentor?”

Airy nodded. “Yes. I’m the only vampire he knows. There’s no one else.”

“You’ll make a good teacher, Airy,” Jon assured her. “He couldn’t be in better hands.”

“Thanks, Jon,” Airy muttered. She stood up, feeling old and unhappy, to make her way back to Hogwarts.

FOUR

Harry’s eyes popped open as though he’d been startled, but in truth, the room was completely silent. He stared at the ceiling, marveling at how clear it looked, the way every small inconsistency in its texture seemed to leap out at him. He was hungry, very, very hungry.

“Early riser, I see,” Airy’s voice said from somewhere to his left.

Harry sat up and looked at the woman, staring at how bright her hair seemed. Her skin seemed to glitter in the dim candlelight, looking opalescent and clean. Her eyes were bright, watching him closely with what seemed to be inhuman intensity.

“What time is it?” Harry asked.

Airy waved vaguely, though there weren’t any windows to speak of. “Sunset,” she replied.

“I’ve slept all day?” Harry asked. “Everyone must be worried about me. I’d better go and tell them I’m all right.”

“Yer not goin’ anywhere until we talk,” Airy said, but her voice was gentle. “What do you remember about this mornin’?”

Harry thought about it. “Well, Ron woke me up for breakfast because we were supposed to go to Hogsmeade today. Professor Fitzpatrick fell on me at breakfast. Ron and I were talking about Quidditch and then there was pain. It hurt a lot. I don’t really remember anything after that.”

Airy nodded as though she had been expecting this. It struck Harry how clearly he could see her, despite the dim lighting. The room seemed brighter than it should have with only one candle burning. “I have some things to tell yeh, Harry,” Airy said gently. “None of this is goin’ ter be easy, but yeh have to listen to me, all righ’?”

“Where’s Father?” Harry asked, suddenly wanting his father by his side.

“He’s out there,” Airy replied, waving toward the door.

“I want to see him.”

“Yeh can see him after we’ve talked. This is important, Harry.”

Harry sighed and nodded. “What’s happened to me now?” he asked in a resigned sort of voice.

“When yeh got to breakfast this mornin’, was yer food already waitin’ fer yeh, or did yeh have to take it from plates?”

Harry stared at her, wondering why she was asking that. “It was already served,” he said. “I just assumed that Ron or Hermione had set it out for me to save time.”

“Severus has been runnin’ tests on yer food to find out a few things. It appears that it had large amounts of an unknown potion in it.”

“Crap, I ate most of it before the pain started.”

“Yeah, we noticed that.”

“So what did this potion do to me?”

Airy sighed heavily, rubbing her eyes. “It turned yeh into a vampire,” she said softly.

Harry stared at her, almost becoming distracted by the way the light played off of her hair. “Vampire?” he repeated blankly, his mind unable to process what she was saying to him.

She nodded.

“I didn’t know there was a potion that could do that.”

“Neither did we.”

“So what now?” Harry felt totally numb, and he was afraid of what would happen when everything finally sunk in.

“First off, yeh need to feed. I’m sure you’re hungry.”

Harry nodded.

Airy moved to his side of the bed. She took his hand and placed it on a metal safe on the night table. The safe glowed green for a moment before popping open. Inside were two large pouches filled with what looked like blood.

“Is that blood?” Harry asked, taking one of the pouches out of the safe.

“Aye,” Airy replied.

Harry swallowed. “You want me to drink this?”

“Aye.”

“Can’t I just eat something?”

“Yeh canna eat food anymore, Harry. Yer body canna process it. This is yer food now. If yeh don’t drink it, yer likely to kill the first mortal yeh come across, which would most likely be yer father.”

Harry nodded. “Okay then. How do I drink this?”

“Yeh see the tube there?”

Harry nodded again.

“It’s just like a straw.” She reached across and pulled out a stopper from the tube. “Just drink it like a fizzy drink.”

Harry bent hesitantly and took an experimental drink from the pouch. As soon as the blood touched his tongue, his body cried out for it. He felt that he’d never tasted anything so good and so drank all of it down greedily. Once the bag was empty, he lowered it staring at it longingly. “I want some more,” he said, completely forgetting about the second bag in the safe.

Airy took the empty bag from his hands, returning it to the safe and handing him the second one.

Harry popped the stopper and drank the second just as quickly, feeling the blood pumping through his veins, his cold skin warming up even as he drank. Once the second bag was empty, Harry felt much better.

“Each bag holds one quart of blood,” Airy said, watching him place the empty bag into the safe. “The box is called a Blood Bank. Only you can open it, so yeh needn’t worry about that. Once yeh’ve fed, just put the empties back into the bank and they’ll be whisked back to the source.”

“What’s the source?”

“A friend of mine runs a blood bank that caters to vampires. I believe 30% of all the blood that comes in is given to hospitals, to keep the Muggle authorities happy. The rest is given to us.”

Us. That word seemed to make something click in Harry’s mind. He didn’t know why he hadn’t seen it before. “How long have you been a vampire?” he asked.

Airy smiled sadly. “About fourteen years,” she said. “I was turned just after you were given to yer aunt fer safe keeping. Severus and Remus never thought twice about being me friends. They’re the only ones though.”

“Is that why Dumbledore doesn’t like you?”

Airy’s expression darkened. “Aye,” she replied. “Dumbledore’s family was killed by a vampire in the throws of Blood Lust. Once yeh allow yerself to get into that state, yer barely aware of what’s happenin’, just that yeh need to feed. He hasn’t trusted any of us since, regardless of how long it’s been since we’ve killed.”

“So am I being expelled then?”

“No, we’ve talked the old man out of that. It’s goin’ to take a while fer yeh to get used to everything, so it might be a few weeks before yeh go back to school.”

“Oh. What about this whole ‘attack’ thing? Won’t they try again?”

“About that… you’ll be goin’ back as Octavian, not Harry Potter.”

Harry nodded. “So I’ll be sorted again?”

Airy nodded.

“Can we save the rest of this for later? I’d really like to see Father and Draco.”

Airy shifted uncomfortably. “Yeh can’t see Draco anymore,” she said.

Harry sat up straighter. “I thought you were on my side about Draco!” he exclaimed angrily.

“I was, Harry!” Airy returned, holding up a hand to forestall Harry’s complaints. “This is more complicated than which family yer from or what side of the war you back.”

“What then?” Harry snapped, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Vampires en’t like mortals. Once we choose a mate, it’s forever. You’re already very close to Draco. Yer vampiric instincts will have already tagged him as yer chosen mate. If you get intimate with him, he’ll be turned. There’s no getting around it.”

Harry felt his blood run cold. “You mean I have to stop seeing him?”

Airy looked like she knew just what he was feeling. “I’m sorry, Harry, but that’s the truth of it.”

“What if I could just, you know, hold him or something? We don’t have to do anything more. I could explain it to him.”

“It doesn’t work that way. Once you’ve recognized yer Chosen, yer mind isn’t going to give you a chance to hold back. You’ll be taken into what’s called the Mating Lust. It’s just like the Blood Lust except that it won’t go away until yer Chosen is gone, or has been turned. Yeh canna control it, yeh canna get around it. You touch Draco in any way that’s more intimate than a handshake and you’ll find yerself with a changeling lover.”

Harry felt like weeping, but he kept his expression blank. “Can I at least say goodbye to him? I owe him that much.”

Airy shifted again, making Harry narrow his eyes at her. “What?”

“Well, Dumbledore’s announced to the school that you were killed.”

Harry’s eyes became wide. “Draco thinks I’m dead?” he asked incredulously. “How could you do that to him? Couldn’t you tell him the truth?”

“Harry, if Draco knew that you were still alive, he’d come looking fer you. He wouldn’t care about the risks or the dangers. He’d very well put himself in danger because he wouldn’t understand the mechanics of a vampire’s instincts. He was told that yer dead to keep him safe, from himself if need be.”

Harry didn’t like this at all. “So I’m just supposed to pretend that I don’t know him, is that it?”

“Aye,” Airy agreed. “I know it’s hard, Harry, but do you really want to risk turning him? Do you want to condemn him the way we have been condemned?”

Put that way, Harry understood perfectly what Airy was saying. “Do you have a Chosen?”

“Aye.”

“Have you turned him?”

“No. He doesn’t even know I’m interested. I do everything I can to make sure we’re not alone for long periods of time because I don’t want to turn him.”

Harry nodded, understanding that she knew just what he felt about losing Draco now after they’d come so far.

“If whoever it was wanted to kill me, why turn me into a vampire?” he asked then, trying to take his mind off of losing Draco.

“The Gryffindor table is bathed in sunlight in the mornings,” Airy replied. “I’m pretty sure they were counting on no one knowing what they were seeing. Severus was there when I was turned, so he was. He knew what it looked like, so he knew what was happening to you, even if he went into denial about it later.”

“Is he… he doesn’t… he’s not,” Harry stuttered, unable to say what he was thinking. He once again felt his world crumbling.

“He still loves yeh, Harry. He’s hurting for yeh. He knows what yer gonna lose because of this.”

Harry nodded feeling slightly relieved. Just as he was preparing to ask another question, he heard shouting in the other room. He and Airy both turned to the door. “What’s that?” he asked.

Airy went to the door and opened it just enough to look out. “Draco,” she said. Her face seemed to scrunch up with concentration and the yelling suddenly stopped. She sighed heavily, closing the door gently and returning to the bed.

“What did you do?” Harry asked.

“Vampires have certain inherent abilities. One is mild mind control, not unlike the Imperious Curse. I don’t use it often, but sometimes it comes in handy.”

“What did you make him do?”

“I just calmed him down. He wanted to see you. I imagine he wanted to prove to himself that yeh were gone.”

Harry nodded, not even bothering to argue about why he felt it was so very wrong to hurt Draco this way. He felt a very strong need to be with the blonde, to calm him, to reassure him.

“Yeh want to be with him now because he’s yer Chosen,” Airy said. “It’s natural for you to want to protect him.”

Harry stared at her. “How did you know?”

She smiled. “Another gift. I have a lot to teach yeh before yeh go back to school. We should start tonight, but first, I think yeh should see yer da.”

Harry got out of bed and went into the sitting room, feeling that he was leaving himself behind to become someone else. He was not looking forward to his future.