Vampire in Gryffindor Clothing

“Thank God,” a worried female voice said, though it sounded very far away. “She’s waking up.”
Akasha groaned in pain, the gray fog of unconsciousness threatening to pull her back under.
“That’s it; fight it. Come on...” Another female voice encouraged.
Akasha groaned again but fought to open her heavy eyelids. Finally she managed, everything around her a blurry haze. Madame Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall leaned over her, looking anxious.
“What happened? Where am I?” Was that her voice? That small, weak croak?
It was Madame Pomfrey that answered. “You’re in the hospital wing, dear. Do you remember anything that happened?”
“Mmm...?” Images flashed through her mind- a small, black box... and a voice... her father’s voice... and then... “Yes...” She closed her eyes and swallowed, grimacing at the memories. “Oh, God.”
McGonagall and Madame Pomfrey exchanged dark glances.
“I need to get Albus.”
“No need, Minerva,” Dumbledore said gravely, looking tired and worried and older than ever. “Poppy, will she be alright?” He sat down in a chair beside Akasha’s bed.
“Yes, yes, of course,” Pomfrey answered reassuringly. “I removed the stake, but she had lost a substantial amount of blood. I had to give her a Blood-Replenishing Potion, of course. The wound itself though... There’s nothing I can give her to speed up the healing process. It will have to heal on its own, which shouldn’t take so long with her natural regenerative powers. But it was so close to piercing her heart. If it had gotten any closer- I fear to think what might have happened- and at least the bleeding has stopped. If young Sirius Black hadn’t gotten to her in time, she might have...”
“I need a few words with Miss Valerois,” Dumbledore said after a moment of awkward silence.
Professor McGonagall gave a sharp nod and left.
“You call if you need anything,” Madame Pomfrey said kindly to Akasha and then she followed McGonagall.
Finally, Dumbledore looked at Akasha, lying on the bed, pale and fragile-looking. “What happened?”
Akasha looked up at the ceiling, not really seeing it. “Aubrey decided to send me a little... birthday present.” She took a deep breath and went on. “I was going to bed when I found it on my pillow. It opened by itself and his voice filled the room...”
“What did he say?” Dumbledore pried.
She told him.
“Pale Death.”
Akasha nodded. “Our Goddess. Aubrey has a sick sense of humor.”
“Unfortunately... What happened next?”
She explained the rest. “It was pain beyond pain, Albus,” she finished. “The coward,” she spat abruptly. “He couldn’t even kill his own daughter himself. He had to send a flying twig to do his dirty work.”
Dumbledore placed a restraining hand on her shoulder. “This is not the time or place to get yourself worked up. You need your rest.”
Akasha scowled but lay back down.
“Sleep, Akasha. We will speak more on this in days to come.”


~

Akasha woke abruptly, sensing another presence by her bed. She looked around but saw no one. But someone was there. She caught scent of... someone, her nostrils flaring as she inhaled the familiar scent, but she was too tired and in too much pain to place it.
“Who’s there?” she demanded, her fingers groping for a quill on the bedside table.
“It’s just me,” a male voice said from beside the bed.
Akasha’s head whipped toward the voice and still she saw no one, but then Sirius appeared, seemingly out of thin air. He sat down on the bed, the mattress sinking beneath his encroaching weight, and flung the Invisibility Cloak onto a chair.
“Sirius,” she said sleepily, “what are you doing here?”
He leaned forward and gently stroked her cheek with his thumb. “I was worried. How are you?”
“Well, I’m not dead,” she said dryly, trying to sit up.
“I don’t think you should be doing that,” whispered Sirius, carefully pushing her back down into the mattress.
She scowled, but it softened slightly when he ran his fingers absently through her hair.
“I heard you were the one that... saved me,” she murmured. “Thank you.”
He looked at her, surprised by her admission.
“Let me sit up,” she commanded.
“Why? I already told you-”
Because I want to kiss you,” she said simply.
“Oh.” Caught off guard, he sat there silently for a minute. At last he said, “You’re still not getting up.”
She opened her mouth to protest, but he placed a quieting finger over her lips. He laid down beside. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close, so that her body pressed flush against his. She fought not to wince at the sharp pain in her back but instead smiled wickedly at him.
“I see your thinking,” she chuckled.
“Now, what was this about wanting to kiss me?” he asked mischievously.
Akasha leaned forward, cupped his face in her hands and firmly planted her lips on his. He let out a soft groan as her tongue flicked teasingly against his lowers lip, urging him to open his mouth to her.
Sirius obeyed enthusiastically, sliding his hand down to cup her lush, round bottom and pull her more securely to his hips. Her own hands slid up under his T-shirt to press against the hard contours of his back, his body heat searing her fingertips.
Slowly, his fingertips slid up her inner thigh and into her panties. She moaned as he slid them deep inside of her, pleasure coiling within her at his intrusion. His lips moved to her neck to suck and nibble hungrily at it. His hips pushed against her legs, and she could feel his erection straining against the thin cotton of his pajama bottoms.
She placed a restraining hand over his as he tried to strip off her slip. “Thank you for rescuing me, Sirius,” she said huskily, but firmly. “But I really do need my rest now.”
Sirius was astonished. “But... but... Oh, HELL... You’re kidding, right?” he said hopefully, but she had already turned around and fallen asleep.
“Grr... argh...” he growled frustratedly. He climbed off the bed and grabbed James’ cloak. “One of these days...”


~

“Miss Valerois, I must insist upon another day of bed rest. In the hospital wing.”
“I’m fine, Madame Pomfrey,” Akasha insisted, shrugging off the pushy nurse. “Fit as a fiddle.” She planted a cheesy smile on her face and ignored the throbbing pain in her back and the waves of nausea it brought. “Besides, you can’t keep me here against my will,” she added more firmly, backing into the hallway.
Hands on hips, lips pursed, eyes narrowed, Madame Pomfrey added her last piece, “Suit yourself. But if you get worse, or faint, or... Well, don’t come running to me. I’d told you so.”
Akasha rolled her eyes and turned her back to the hospital. She didn’t know why she was being so stubborn. She should just relax. But she needed something to keep her mind off Aubrey, keep her from falling into the dark pit of her fears, and right now, all she had was class.

~

Akasha arrived late to Potions, and as she entered, silence descended upon the classroom. After a moment, Sirius shoved pudgy little Peter Pettigrew out of his chair and grinned at Akasha- an obvious invitation for her to sit with him.
That was another thing she didn’t want to think about: what she’d done- and would have done- with him that first night in the hospital. She averted her gaze and moved to the table where Snape sat alone.
He seemed paler than usual. “Are you alright?” he whispered worriedly. “I heard about what happened.”
But did he know why? Akasha gave him a brave smile. “Never better,” she said dryly.
“Thank the Gods,” Snape sighed out, relaxing slightly. “A stake in the chest. Why would anyone send a birthday present live that?”
So he didn’t know her dirty, little secret. Inwardly Akasha smiled. If you knew what I was, boy, she told him silently, knowing he couldn’t hear her; you wouldn’t want me like you do.
Akasha smiled again, though this time it was more of a grimace, a savage baring of teeth. “Probably thought it was funny,” she said, knowing it was partly true. At Snape’s shocked look, she draped an arm around his neck. “I’m kidding. No need to look so appalled.” He hesitated for a moment, but then she added, “I’m fine,” and he calmed down.
She patted him on the shoulder and went back to her work. Once, pausing in her frantic writing, she saw Sirius glaring at her out of the corner of her eye. He seemed to be trying to bore holes through her. She tried to ignore him, but she could feel his eyes raking down her body and then up again, his gaze going from hot to cold to hot again in a moment’s notice, his confusion blatant and his desire undeniable.
God, how she wanted him.


~

“We need to talk, Akasha,” Sirius said lowly when he caught up with her in the hall.
“Sorry, can’t. I have a previous engagement,” she said calmly, dismissing him.
Roughly, he grabbed her arm. “It can wait.” His voice was hard and desperate all at the same time.
Akasha turned and faced him straight on, arms crossed in impatience. “Well?”
“What are you doing, Akasha?” he questioned, his gaze searching. “Was it something I did?”
“Pardon?” she said innocently, perfectly shaped eyebrow arching in mock-confusion. “What could you have done? You have quite the ego, Sirius. So big, mole ruit sua, it collapses from its own bigness.”
“I do not have a big ego!” he growled defensively. “I’m talking about us! What’s happening between us?”
“Us? What us? There has never been an us, Sirius.”
“But... Halloween... we... and you... we almost...”
“We almost what, Sirius?” Akasha challenged. She moved in close to him, so that her clothes brushed against his, and saw his eyes darken with lust. “Had sex? Or do you prefer making love? Sugar, it’s a little thing called making out. It doesn’t mean all that much.”
Sirius flinched and looked away. “And you let me... touch you. Why?” he ground out through clenched teeth.
“C’est la vie. That’s life.” Akasha shrugged. “What did you expect?”
“Not this,” he murmured.
“Well, if that’s all... I have to meet Severus outside.”
He looked angry now. “Snape,” he growled. “Right, just run off to Snivellus like always. I could show him a thing or two.”
“You do and I’ll kick your ass,” she warned, and then whipped around and stalked off.
Sirius, red with fury, raised his fist and hit the trophy case beside him. Akasha looked back at the sound of glass shattering.
She caught the scent of his blood and before she knew it, she was kneeling at his side.
“Sirius,” she gasped, staring fixedly at his bloodied hand.
Her heart beat rapidly in her chest. Her limbs felt uncoordinated. The elongated fangs in her mouth felt heavy, insisting she move closer and take his hand in hers.
She obeyed, helpless.
“I’m fine,” he insisted, but she could see the pain in his eyes.
She pressed her lips to his knuckle and flicked her tongue against a streak of blood. Sirius shivered and leaned forward. He was undoubtedly feeling the hypnotic pull of a starving vampire, demanding and promising and full of sensuous secrets.
She licked at his hand once more and then with great effort stood. “You should have Madame Pomfrey take a look at that,” she said hoarsely, the taste of his blood still on her lips.
“Akasha” he said dazedly, “please, stay...”
But she couldn’t. She already done enough damage as it was. She turned and walked away without another word, fighting to look back all the time.

~

“Sirius?” James said as he came up behind the kneeling boy. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Sirius ground out, standing at last.
James looked from the shattered trophy case to Sirius’ bleeding hand to Akasha’s receding form.
“Fighting again?” he said, slightly amused.
“Obviously,” Sirius said moodily.
“And just what are you going to do about it?”
“Nothing. If she’s gonna be a pain in the ass, then she’s not worth it.”
“You sure ‘bout that?”
Sirius hesitated, and than grimaced. “God damnit, of course I’m not.”
“On the Phase 1, then?”
“What’s Phase 1?”
James grinned evilly. “Operation ‘Stalker Much?’”