Of Magic and Men
Hosted by [Alexi Ice]

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When they reached Hagrid's cabin, Hermione began pounding on the door until he opened it. All of them were out of breath from running, and mostly hiding from any of the teachers. "Hagrid... There's... We...." She began, but couldn't find the words.

"Vampire's." Luna said, regaining her breath. "In the castle."

"Blimey" Hagrid said, ushering the students into his small, warm cabin. Fluffy, his large dog lazed about on the over-sized chair. As usual, an array of curious objects were spread out on the wooden table. "What's this talk about Vampires?" He asked, as everyone filed in and closed the door.

Harry flopped down on the floor, feeling tired both from running and lightheaded from having a Vampire inside his head. She had been looking for something, information he possessed maybe. "Malfoy was attacked by Vampires in the castle. I ran into him in the corridor. They were...everywhere" He spoke from his position on the floor.

Ginny looked at Ron, who seemed a bit dazed. Perhaps he was in shock?

"By everywhere, Harry means they were the shadows. They created them, it looked like. I read somewhere that they could do that, although I always believed I would never run into a vampire." She sighed and flopped down on the couch, catching her breath.

"Malfoy's entire throat had been pulled out, Hagrid." Luna said, sitting next to the fire place. "We went to Dumbledore and he wouldn't do anything."

"He bloody smiled." Neville added. "Smiled."

"She said 'It's only a matter of time, Harry Potter'" Harry spoke up from his position on the floor. "Dumbledore...I'm with Luna, he wasn't right. He wasn't...him? I don't know it's hard to explain. I wonder if this is some plot of Voldemorts. Would Vampires bother working with him? Don't they have something better to do?" He mused, more to himself than anything. Come to me The voice whispered, right behind his eyes.

"Malfoy...is he alright?" Hagrid asked. He wasn't sure if confirming Hermione's fears about what Vampires could/couldn't do was the best idea at the moment.

Ginny took a seat in the floor beside the chair Fang occupied and wrapped her arms around her knees. She could still see red eyes blinking in the distance. And Neville...she shook her head.

Hermione watched Harry with a motherly air, despite how worried she was. "Are you alright, Harry? I'm sorry I didn't ask you sooner. Do you need anything?" She began rambling, carrying on about what he might need and what she should do.

Luna watched Hermione's sudden ramble and brought her knees to her chest. At least everyone was here, and safe. She pulled her hair out of her pony tail, allowing it to cover her shoulders and fill her nose with the scent of chamomile. It calmed her some, and she twisted the curls around her fingers.

Neville looked at Ginny. He heaved a great sigh. I'm sorry for earlier. He mouthed.

"I'm alright" Harry said, closing his dark eyes. It must be tonight The voice whispered. His body felt warm all over suddenly, as if he were enveloped in some invisible blanket. Hurry She cooed.

Ron took a seat beside Hermione and held her hand tightly as Hagrid shooed Fang off the chair so he could take a seat. "Vampires in the castle..." He repeated, unsure if he could believe it. "You lot should stay here tonight." He nodded his massive head. "Vampries are dangerous creatures, not to be taken lightly. What do you know about them, Hermione?"

Ginny shook her head, as if to say 'don't let it bother you.' She felt weird amongst the group suddenly, edgy and jumpy, as if she didn't need to be there. Where had Lilly gone? Would she be alright by herself? She fretted.

Hermione twisted her lips. "I... well... not a lot." She blushed, furious with herself for not reading more about them. "Mostly the sunlight, mirror, garlic and cross things. I'll have to get some books and read about them more. What do you know, Hagrid?"

Rhi had tossed in her sleep enough, she finally had it. She pulled her blankets off of her and walked down to the common room, searching through the mini-fridge for a drink.

"Sorry to say, not much" Hagrid admitted. "I never thought ta' learn about the beasts. They like ta' keep to themselves mostly, clannish creatures. Yer' ex-professor Gilderoy Lockheart probably knows more than me. Not many books about em', either. The people who got close enough to research them ended up gettin' 'lost'."

Harry kept quiet, listening. Why did she sound so urgent? What did she need...want from him? He wasn't sure, wasn't even sure he wanted to know. Hurry She begged.

Hermione shivered. "Lockheart." She bit at her lips, looking at Ron. "I don't want to seem suspicious toward them. I need to find a way to research them without being known."

"Don't we need to warn people?" Ginny asked, suddenly. "Those creatures are wondering around the castle! People could be injured, or worse...We should talk to a professor. Mcgonagal, maybe?" She suggested. She'd had enough of sitting quietly in the shadows. "Also, don't we need to check on Malfoy. Those Vampires will be drawn to his blood again. By staying here...we are leaving people unprotected. We need to go back" She said, thinking of DEan and Shamus and all the others tucked unsuspectedly in their beds.

Neville nodded. "Alright then, let's go."

Luna looked at them with her misted grey eyes. "It will cause a riot."

"Let's split up" Ginny said. "A few of us need to go guard the nurses tower, a few need to go talk to the professor. Hermione, you and Ron should go to the library and see what you can find. Let's not wake people up and scare them." Ginny decided that if no one would take charge of this situation, it would be her job. "Pairs, then, yeah?" She suggested, looking at Hagrid. He nodded. "I think we should be alright..." She looked at Harry, irritated. "What do you think?" She asked the group. 

"Agreed. However, I think we should all come back to Hagrid's for sleep. We seem to be the main targets." Hermione added, standing and grabbing Ron's hand. "Let's go."

Luna stood, not asking Harry to pair with Harry as he had been so solemn to her recently. She didn't ask the other two, as she assumed they would pair together since Ginny wasn't going to go with Harry anyway. She left the hut with a "I will find McGonnigal," and shut the door behind her.

Neville moved toward the door. "I suppose that leaves us to guard the tower. Let's go." He looked at Ginny, figuring she would come with him, and began the walk toward the tower.

"Neville, wait!" Ginny said, catching up to his longer strides. "Maybe you should go with Harry? Or Luna? I don't want anyone to be alone, it makes them more of a target and it seems.." She glanced to where Luna was walking out of sight. "They won't stay together. I'll catch up with Luna." She stood on her tip-toes and landed a soft kiss on his cheek. "Be careful" She added before dashing off after Luna "Luna! Wait, please!" She dashed across the lawn.

"You alright?" Ron asked Hermione, keeping a tight hold on her hand in attempts to comfort you. "I won't let those bloodsuckers get to you, I promise." He gave her hand a squeeze to show he meant what he said. Glancing back at the hut one last time, he wondered if they would all be alright.

Harry stood for a moment, a bit confused. What happened to pairs? "I've got something I need to take care of" He mumbled, more to himself and Hagrid than anyone. Hagrid gave him a disapproving look, told him to be on his guard, and watched him head off towards the forest. Harry took the familiar, brush covered path towards the dark forest where he knew she would be waiting. With a flick of his wand, he immobilized the Wamping Willow and ducked into the dark path.

Neville touched the place Ginny had kissed. With a hint of suspicion, Neville followed Harry after having cast a spell that would enable him to walk without being heard or seen. He followed Harry into the Wamping Willow and silently followed him.

Luna turned when Ginny called her name. "Oh, Ginny. How nice of you to come with me. I thought you would have gone with Neville." She continued walking, looking down at her pigeon toed feet.

"I know you wont." Hermione said, with a slight smile. "I am just worried is all. Our group of friends is rocky as it is and now we're dealing with vampires..." She lead the way to the library and began to look through the books to find one with information.

 "I didn't want you to be alone." Ginny said, offering Luna a smile. "Neville will be alright, he's very strong. Of course, you are as well. That spell to keep the Vampires away was brilliant" She hoped to raise Luna's spirits a bit, since she seemed a bit down. After a breif pause, she asked "Are you alright? Did the Vampires scare you? I'm scared too...but I would never admit that" She smiled.

"Books, I hate books" Ron complained, leafing through pages. "Things are looking bleak, but we always come out of trouble better than we were, right? I'm sure it will work out" 'I hope' he added, though only in his mind.

Luna shrugged, wondering how to explain it. "Everyone's been so strange. We aren't the group we used to be. I know you'll hate me for it, but I was trying to cheer Harry up and he won't even talk to me. Sure, Ron and Hermione found each other... But what about the rest of us?" She looked up at the stars, realizing for the first time that she was more lonely than anything.

Hermione laughed. "We're two halves of a whole." She grabbed a few books and checked them out, pulling Ron through the school to a secluded place behind the school in the trees where they could read by a lamp. "Here, sit close to me..."

Ginny chuckled "I won't hate you for something as silly as that. Harry and I settled things between us, I hope. The both of us will move on. It might be my fault he's upset, I'm really sorry about that. I hurt him a lot this summer. He might just need a bit of time. Or a good kick in the shins, whichever comes first." Ginny continued to chuckle. It was nice to think of normal things, like relationships, admist her worries about Vampires.

Ron got as close to Hermione as he could manage, reading over her shoulder. The warmth of her skin felt like pin pricks. "How do you think the others are doing?" He asked her, sounding almost unsure.

Harry froze in his seat in response to the question. "I don't think that's the best idea. You already said you knew what was inside my mind. Why would you need my blood?" He attempted to be calm, to not give way to the fact that he had goose bumps and was utterly horrified of this women. He also attempted not to enjoy the look of jealousy and anger on Malfoy's face, if only for a moment.

Luna almost glowered at the other woman. "I didn't mean it like that. I meant I was trying to cheer him up." She sighed, finally seeing the castle. She continued up the ledge without pause, wanting to focus her mind on something but her loneliness. Never in her life had she felt so lonely.

Hermione's skin warmed where his breath touched, warm and comforting. She closed her eyes and relaxed into the way his breath felt pushing against her skin in heat waves, sending her hair sprawling around her neck, shoulders and chest. "Hopefully alright." She whispered, her finger placed where she had stopped reading.

Neville froze, watching with wide eyes. Was Harry going to let this Vampire suck the blood from him? He turned and silently moved from the willow and toward the castle.

"Rune." Seera said, pointing off in the distance from where they had been sitting. "I wonder what that boy is doing coming out of the willow there." She pushed a bit more food into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully.

Ginny blinked "I didn't mean to upset you" She said, following behind Luna. Fleetingly, she wondered about the others and how they were doing. Would everyone be alright?

"Find anything good?" Ron asked, trying to focus on anything but how much he wanted to kiss her. "Any thing that will help, I mean" He amended.

"Getting into trouble?" Rune guessed, then smiled broadly "Trouble sounds like fun, don't you think?" He asked her.

"S'alright." Luna said, oddly quiet. "Just feeling a little down is all. Guess I was wishing someone would try to cheer me up." She then said something under her breath that sounded something like "I'm just Loony Luna, though," not something she wanted Ginny to hear.

Hermione licked her lips. "I..." She paused, realizing she hadn't. "I'm having a hard time concentrating." She wiggled some, telling herself she was just trying to get into a more comfortable position, but realized she was just pressing herself closer to his chest. "Sorry..."

Seera nodded, her blue hair rustling in the wind that caught around them. "Suppose we go down there and see what he was snooping around in, eh?" She winked at him and stood on her highly heeled goth boots. "Sounds like some trouble, yes?"

"Well, I'm here if you need me" Ginny reminded her, smiling. She couldn't remember Luna being vulnerable before. They headed up to where the professors dorms were, hoping they could catch Mcgonagall without getting into trouble. If Dumbledore was being transfixed or worse, she was the woman they needed to talk to the most.

Ron stared at her "Yeah, your making me have a hard time concentrating, too" He was tempted to fling the book across the lawn. Vampires seemed too far away a thing for him to properly focus on with her so close. How long had he thought of this moment? Too long, he was sure.

"Indeed. At the very least we can probably scare the begezzus out of him and get a good laugh, right?" He stretched his arms above his head and followed behind Seera with an easy gate, excited at the prospect of an adventure. "Which one should we follow? The one in the tree, or the one who just left the tree?" He asked, glancing at her with a mischievous grin.

Luna nodded and followed Ginny through the professor dorms, finally finding the one they were looking for. She knocked politely and folded her arms at her waist, waiting.

Hermione laughed very lightly, marking the book and setting it aside. "I just can't read. I've never had this problem..." She trailed off, turning to face him. "What do you suppose it is?"

Seera laughed lightly and pointed to the boy leaving the tree. "Him. I'm not too sure how to get into the willow anyway."

Mcgonagal poked her head out in a nightgown and matching cap. She blinked in confusion at the two girls before her. "What are you doing out of bed at this time?" She yelped, though it was muted so she wouldn't wake the other teachers. "You two better have a good explanation, or you will both be in loads of trouble" She hadn't gotten too mad at the pair, mostly because she was still tired.

"Emotion" Ron joked "Something your 'logical' brain isn't used too" He teased her, pushing the book off in the grass in an overdramatic fashion. "Everythings been very sudden. It would be nice if we could just slow down don't you think? I think the others will be alright without us for a bit" He waited for her to make the first move.

"Alright, game plan?" Rune asked, as they trailed Neville. "Shall I curse him? Or should we go with the classic jumping out from behind the trees?"

Luna eyed Ginny, waiting for her to speak, and when she didn't, Luna took charge. "Excuse me, Professor, for intruding but I think that what we need to talk about may be a bit more appropriate in a private setting?"

Hermione watched the book slide down the hill away from them and she looked back at him, her heart beat becoming faster and harder at the same time. She studied the way the moon accented his best features. Smiling, she softy spoke. "How do you suppose we slow things down?"

Seera cackled. "Classic sounds alright. C'mon." She grabbed his arm and brought him around the edge of a tree that Neville was sure to walk by. "Should we say something like 'ooga booga!' or something?" She whispered.

Mcgonagal still looked confused, but ushered them through her room and into the adjoining Transfiguration classroom. "Well then?" She asked, crossing her arms impatiently. Ginny stayed quiet. She hadn't much information about what had happened with Neville anyway.

"I have no idea" Ron said, leaning closer to her. Close enough that he could smell her essence. "But I imagine we could find out" He pushed his lips against hers once more, feeling prickling fireworks light his veins. "What do you suppose?" He asked, once he broke the kiss.

"You do that, and I'll be too busy laughing to scare him anyway" Rune said, already holding his sides.

Luna sighed. "The vampires." She widened her eyes at McGonagal, trying to put pressure on the words. "They've targeted us." Luna wished Ginny would chime in. Who would believe Loony Luna?

Hermione licked her lips as Ron moved away, a smile much more prominate on her face. "I suppose we could try some more of that..." She ran her fingertips around his neck and pulled him by the back of his head closer to her again, kissing his lips.

Seera put her hands on her hips. "Am I just a joke to you?" She giggled and hushed Rune. "Here he comes...." She crouched down like a cat, snaking her tail back and forth as she waited. When he crossed her path, she jumped out of the bushes with a somewhat loud "Ooooooooga booga!"

Neville was in no mood to be messed with, however. While he was extremely surprised at the sudden outburst, his body was on protection mode and he instantly shoved his fist out, catching the attacker square in the jaw.

Seera doubled over, holding onto her jaw. "MOTHER FUCKER." She winced, her elbows on her knees as she tried to steady herself. "Damn you have a wicked hook shot."

"Vampires?" Mcgonagal hissed. "The new students, you mean? Has something happened?" She suddenly looked worries, as if she knew it was only a matter of time before an incident occurred. "Are you alright?" She inspected the girls with her catlike eyes.

Ron mumbled his agreement in between her kisses. He pulled her closer and laced his finger around her waist. "Yes" He managed to say, his breath becoming ragged with need. He vowed to kill anyone who interrupted them.

"Gezzus!" Rune said, jumping out from behind the trees and grabbing Seera's shoulders "Holy shit, are you alright?" He asked, attempting to inspect her while making sure Neville wouldn't sneak attack them.

Harry was running when he approached them. He wasn't sure he recognized either of the Slytherines. "What's going on?" He asked, looking at them with slight panic in his eyes. 

Luna nodded quickly. "They tore Malfoy's throat out. We, being the lot of us, carried him to the hospital. They... They tongued Harry, Professor." Luna felt awkward under the Professors glances. "We attempted to talk to Dumbledore but he excused it like it was nothing."

Hermione put her arms completely around his neck, allowing him to pull her onto his lap. She tangled her fingers in his hair as she kissed him, enjoying the heat of the moment for the first time. She had imagined this before, but she would never tell Ron that. "Mmm..." Was her response, although words were lost.

"This fucker hit me right in the jaw. We were just having a bit of fun." Seera said with clenched teeth, leaning against Rune although somewhat lightly. She finally righted herself on her heels and rubbed at her jaw. "He has quite a bit of power behind those arms."

Neville touched the scars around his arms and watched the girl. "I am very sorry. You took me off guard is all." He attempted to look sheepish, but was too pissed off and feeling awkward around Harry to do so.

Ginny glanced at Luna, though she knew now wasn't the time to laugh at her terminology. "Mr. Malfoy, is he alright?" She asked, glancing around in a slightly paranoid fashion. If Dumbledore cared about anything, he cared about the safety of his students. "This isn't good" She mumbled, concerned.

Ron couldn't bring himself to remember how they had gotten outside, or what they had been looking for, as he got lost in the depth of Hermione's eyes. He had been aching for this moment for what seemed like too long now. He kept his fingers laced around her back to pull her body as close to his as possibly, until the pair were practically molded into one, and snaked his tongue into her mouth curiously.

"Kids these days, can't take a good joke" Rune muttered, still trying to see the damage done to Seera's face. "What are you blokes doing out here anyway? Ya' can't wander about and not expect someone to find you. What if she had been a teacher? You clock Snape like that and he's likely to kill ya'." Rune growled, suddenly irritated. "You alright?" He added, looking at Seera.

Harry shook his head "I don't really have time for this. I have to find the others, we need to meet in the room of requirement after breakfast. It's crucially important. I'm going to go find Ginny" He said, absently. He hadn't even been thinking of her, yet her name was the first to pop into his head.

"No, it isn't." Luna agreed. "What can we do, Professor?"

Hermione played simply with his tongue with her own. She broke the kiss to move her kisses along his jawline and to his ears, where she explored the front, sides and backs of, and then trailed down his neck. She didn't recall it being so hot outside. Had it been that hot? She took her cloak off of her back and laid it to the side, enjoying the breeze as well as the shivers.

Seera nodded to Rune, turning her head to allow him a glance. "It's going to bruise, that's for sure." She shifted uneasily. "He's right. What are you doing outside so late?" She was cut short by Neville's sudden outburst.

"You keep her name out of your mouth, Potter!" Neville turned, forgetting the demon and the guy with her. He didn't even apologize to the girl before he stomped right close to Harry, glaring at him. "Haven't you hurt her enough?"

"I suppose we should wake the teachers. This is very troublesome indeed. At least Snape" She said, Snape was currently potions master and Defense against the dark arts teacher. "Follow me" She said, sweeping out of the room. She awoke Snape while the girls stood in the hall way. She explained the situation to him.

"We need to get back to the nurses tower" Ginny mumbled when Mcgonagall had gone.

Ron tried his best to shift to a more comfortable position as Hermione explored him. There wasn't much room on the ledge they had settled upon, but he was willing to forsake comfort at that particular moment. He pulled off her tie and began unfastning the buttons of her shirt, straining to kiss the length of her collarbone while still allowing her free range. His whole body lit like fire at her simplest touch.

"We may have found something interesting, after all" Rune said, watching the pair of them. He kept shoulder to shoulder with Seera, observing.

Harry fixed Neville with an irritated look. "She isn't your business, Neville" He spat, angry. He hadn't the time for this but he couldn't help being enraged. He pushed Neville back a bit, out of his space.


Luna shook her head. "It was my job to alert the Professors. The others were going to check the nurses, right?" With her misty eyes, she watched Ginny. "You can go. I will meet up with you."


Hermione watched as Ron pulled her tie away from her neck and out of her shirt, disposing it elsewhere. Part of her couldn't believe they were going in this direction on school grounds but the other part of her was alight with the fire of it. She followed his lead, pulling his tie loose, but used it to bring him closer to her as she nibbled the side of his neck lightly.

Seera nodded, reaching one hand up to her jaw. "I suppose we did. Where's the popcorn?"

"She became my business when we kissed." Neville said, pushing Harry back with a whip of his hand. The rage boiled in him as he thought of what ever it was Harry must have done to the poor girl. "She isn't your concern anymore. Back off before I make you." The look on Neville's face wasn't so much rage but it was calm cool adulthood. "Go about your business with the Vampires. We, meaning all of our friends, won't be joining you. I won't hand them over to have their throats ripped out like you think you have." He eyed Harry with his deep eyes. "We aren't your toys to be sold."

Ginny was worried, suddenly. "Alright" She said, turning and dashing away from Luna. She turned the coridor corner and ran smack into Lilly. Gasping, Ginny stumbled backwards. "Lilly!" She said, surprised. "Where did you go?"

"To make sure Shamus got back to the dorms alright" Lilly said "But we have bigger problems." She said "Harry seems to be...um...fighting with your friend, the tall one, in the forest. I noticed some Slytherins on the grounds out the window and they ran into the pair of them. Looks like it will get dangerous."

Ginny wasn't sure how to process this "Alright, listen, go guard the Nurses tower, alright? It's important that the Vampires don't hurt anyone else" Lilly nodded, told Ginny good luck, and dashed off in the opposite direction.

"This is dangerous" ron mumbled, sounding almost mature through his now aggressive kisses. He niblled on her bottom lip and toyed with her sandy hair. He wasn't sure what was more dangerous, them being targets of Vampires, or them giving into their desires.

Rune used his wand to produce popcorn. "Five galleons on the tubby one" He said, motioning to Neville, who wasn't tubby at all but was bigger than Harry who had always been a bit scrawny.

"You have no idea WHAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT" Harry shouted. Kissed? Ginny and Neville had...kissed. No, not possible. He was lying. "And unless you listen to me, you will get ALL of our friends killed. Including Ginny. Now move." He attempted to shove past Neville "I've got things to do"

Luna idly stood by while the professors spoke to each other. She twisted her fingers and watched out the windows, wishing she didn't have to deal with such madness.

"Aren't our lives always dangerous?" Hermione whispered against his ear, unbuttoning his shirt and sliding her hands down the front, feeling his soft warm skin. She kissed him back just as aggressively, giving into her emotions for once. "I always knew..." She paused to kiss him, sucking on his bottom lip before finishing, "this would be with you." She had a sudden idea. "The prefect dorms. We all get our own rooms...." She looked him in the eye, hoping he understood what she meant.

"You are such a doll." Seera took the popcorn from him and sat in the nearby grass, watching as the boys played tug-o-war with each others emotions. "Do all boys act like this or just the Gryffindor ones?"

Neville boomed a laugh at Harry. "No. You don't know what you're talking about." He shoved his hand out again, holding the smaller boy away from him. "You can be in denial all you want, Harry, but there is nothing you can do to change the past. You fucked up and lost the girl. Deal with it." He laughed still, crossing his arms over his chest. "You going to huff and puff at me? Go ahead and do something! Show me what you're made of! Show me what Mr. Wonderful Savior is made of!" Neville had completely ignored Harry's pleas. He had nearly heard the boy give himself to a vampire.

"Luna" Professor Mcgonagal said "You should go back to be where you will be safe. We will take care of this mess." She looked at Luna with a concerned, almost motherly expression which was odd for the Professor.

Ron stared at her. He was almost too high-strung to move. Instead, he nodded mutely and grabbed her hand. The pair of them ran down the hallways towards the prefect dorms, forgetting the book and their cloaks. They were tangled in each other by the time they reached the dorms and went crashing into the bedroom that would eventually be Hermione's, Ron's hands traced her curves eagerly as he caught her in quick, needy kisses.

"No idea" Rune shrugged "I grew up around women my whole life" He explained "I'm not sure, but they look like they might kill one another! I can't wait for the blood shed" He exclaimed excitedly.

"Have you lost your mind?" Harry asked, suddenly. Neville had never been the aggressive one. Where was all of this coming from all of the sudden. "Would you get a grip?" He asked, trying to find a way around Neville. He wasn't sure that NEville wouldn't chase him down. Now wasn't the time for a school yard scuffle. Trouble always seems to find you, doesn't it? The voice whispered, sounding uninterested.

Luna nodded and shuffled away from the Professors. With Ginny at the nurses wing, and everyone else doing whatever it was they were supposed to be doing, she decided to go to her dorms and sit in the dark corner of the room by her bed. She grabbed a hold of another necklace around her neck. It was her fathers.

Seera agreed, although barely. She didn't know much of anyone at all. She thought of Krum idly, but the fact that she had killed him came slowly creeping in, and she shut the gate down on her mind quickly. "Oh look, the tiny one is trying to be an adult."

Neville shook his head, looking nearly sad for Harry. "You are the one that has lost your grip, my friend. You have your mind so wrapped around being the boy that lived that you honestly think you're better than the rest of us." He looked Harry in the eyes with sincerety. "You think you know what you're doing but the fact is you are entangling all of us in the creatures that want to kill us. Now try to tell me again that I'm the one loosing my mind."

"It'll be hard to be an adult when I set them on fire in a minute, this is getting boring" Rune said, with a large yawn. "I think they need a bit more...spark" He winked at her, laughing. The end of his wand flashed lightning for a moment before dying back down.

Harry bellowed "Would both of you just SHUT UP for a moment?" He shouted at the sky. "Neville, really, I need you to LISTEN to me. Yeah, I don't know what I'm doing, but I have a feeling that I am supposed to be doing it. And those feelings have never failed me before. This isn't about GINNY." He said, though he shouldn't have, since her name brought a flash of pain. The pain was intensified when Ginny, herself, crashed into his side, knocking him to the ground. She stumbled backwards, hitting the dirt.

"Crap" She mumbled, rubbing her forehead "Sorry, lost my balance" Her breath hitched as she sat in the cold dirt, momentarily confused of her initial purpose. Her bright eyes took in both boys, Harry now sprawled on the ground for the second time that night and Neville looking upset.

Seera agreed, but was surprised at the sudden impact from a girl. She elbowed Rune in the side. "I wonder if this is the girl they've been fighting over?"

Neville drew in a deep breath, watching as Ginny knocked herself into Harry. Attempting to keep control of himself, he turned and moved away from the two of them, his cloak billowing in the wind as he moved into the castle.

"Probably" Rune said, eying Ginny "She's related to those troublemakers who tried to sell us the exploding sweets earlier, isn't she? I kind of want to make friends with them, they seemed like fun" Then louder, he added; "You alright, there, lass?" 

Lilly sat in front of the nurses wing on the cold floor. She wasn't a hundred percent sure what she was supposed to be doing, but figured it was important. She hoped Ginny had been able to persuade the boys not to fight. The last thing they needed was more blood shed with all the Vampires wandering about. She could hear the nurses clanging about inside.

"This really isn't my night" Harry muttered, rubbing his head where it had impacted a tree when he fell. He looked at Ginny for a long moment. "You kissed Neville?" He couldn't help but ask. Her face turned scarlet, which was all the answer he needed. "Alright then" Harry said, standing up and brushing himself off. "I'll kill him" He growled, turning in the direction NEville had headed, trying to catch up.

"Harry, wait!" Ginny yelled, but when she attempted to get up, her ankle sent a piercing pain through her leg, knocking her back to the ground. "Crap!" She exclaimed once more.

"Things just got a bit more interesting" Rune said, as he pulled Ginny to her feet. "What's say we aid this young woman in rectifying the issues between her boyfriends?" He smirked "Or, at the very least, follow the bloodshed" He wrapped Ginny's arm around his shoulder "I still want to light fire to the small ones cloak, so I can get the five galleons when the big one knocks him senseless" Laughing, he led the girls towards the castle.

Draco Malfoy caught Harry just as he rounded the corner towards the nurses wing where he thought Neville might have been heading. "Silence, Potter" He sneered, a hand around Harry's mouth. "You and I need to have a little chat" He said, dragging Harry away from Ginny and Neville.

"Damnit, Malfoy, can't this wait?" Harry hissed, irritated.

"Oh yes, the ginger boys. What were their names again?" Seera wondered at Rune as she helped him pull the younger girl to her feet. "If you recall, Rune, I didn't take you up on that bet. However, it would be quite fun to see." Beginning to walk in step with Rune, she followed after the two boys.

Luna left her dorms to find Rhi, who was sitting on the couches. "Oh, Rhi... What are you doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep. I came to sit down here because it was more quiet than the girls snoring upstairs... what are you doing?" Rhi replied, looking over the shorter girl.

Luna heaved a sigh. "Come with me." Together, they left the common room and moved into the hallways leading down to the hospital wing. Luna sat next to Lilly and pulled her knees to her chest. "Uh, hey."

Neville took into the tower, finding his way easily to the hospital wing. He found the three girls sitting in a line and he sat next to Rhi. "So, what is happening in there? Anything interesting?"

"I don't recall" Rune mused. Once they entered the castle he noticed Harry being dragged down the nearest corridor. "Lookie what we have here" Rune noted, interested. "Alright, quick, choose. You want to go with the boy or the girl?" He said, nodding at Ginny who was looking at the pair of them slightly confused.

"My ass is asleep, if you find that interesting" Lilly complained, dropping her head to rest it on Luna's shoulder, eyes half closed. "Other than that, no" She shook her head slightly. "I can't hear much in there anymore. There was a bunch of shuffling and such a moment ago. Now...nothing."

Seera showed all of her teeth in a grin, although she wasn't sure if she was trying to be intimidating or not. "We don't have all day. There's mischief to be had."

Neville grimaced. "Not particularly. However, I have some information that might be interesting to all of you." He watched the doors for a few minutes. "That's not really Malfoy in there."

Luna was off in a day dream of sleep when she heard Neville speak. At first, her mind didn't process it, but then suddenly she sat straight up. "What!?"

"I'm alright" Ginny said, hobbling away from Seera and Rune "Thank you for your help" She added, knowing they (whoever they were) would go after Harry and hopefully keep him safe. "Watch out for Snape, he likes to prowl this time of night" She began up the stairs, ignoring the pain in her leg. It wasn't until she was halfway up the stairs that she saw the shadows move, forming themselves next to her. "Oh, great" She mumbled, as a Vampire stepped forward. 

"Where shall we find fun, now?" Rune asked, as he watched the red-head girl. He contemplated for a moment. "Hey, let's go find professor Snape. He'll probably be fun to bother at this late hour, yeah? What's he going to do? Remove our house points? He'll only be doing the other houses a favor" He laughed.

"Heyyy" Lilly moaned as Luna moved, causing Lilly's head to slip off her shoulder. "Wha' do you mean he isn't real?" She asked, more than half-asleep. Her American accent caused her words to be more slurred than usual.

Seera twisted her lips. "I'm worried about that girl. We better go with her. Or, at least one of us should." She cocked her hips, causing her cloak to swish behind her. She turned on her heels and looked at him. "Roshambo?"

Neville looked at the sleeping american girl. "He was under a poly juice potion. Why, I am not sure. But he was."

"She's a girl, what if she has to go to the bathroom or something?" Rune complained loudly, acting as if it were his baby sibling he was being forced to watch while his parents were out. "You go. I'll...find something more entertaining than girls and there...troubles" He eyed the hall Harry had just dissapered down, eagerly.

"Oh, well that's nice" Lilly said, slumping down on the floor beside Luna, fast asleep.

Seera giggled to herself, "I doubt she has to go to the bathroom, Rune." She said, smiling at him. "Meet up with me here in a couple of hours, okay?" She saluted him with two fingers to her head and moved off through the hall with a sway of her hips and the sound of her heel clicks echoing off the walls.

Neville frowned at the girl sleeping on the floor. "Rhiannon? Will you do me a favor and take her up to the dorms please? I don't want her to be passed out here on the floor."

Rhi nodded and stood, shaking the girl awake and explaining to her that she'd take her back to the dorms.

Rune turned and headed down the dark hallway. After about twelve paces to the left, he forgot what he was doing and ran smack into Filtch who reamed him for ten minutes about wandering about the castle during the night. "I swear I was doing something IMPORTANT!" He whined, as Filtch dragged him by the ear to Snape's office.

"Ok, mum'" Lilly mumbled, being dragged along by Rhi.

Seera followed up the staircase till she found Ginny, who was quite obviously being stalked. "Alright by yourself, are you?" She said, with a hint of sarcasm. She brought in a deep breath. "So, should I save you or should I watch you save us...?" She asked, watching the shadows pulsate.

Rhi drug Lilly to the Gryffindor dorm rooms. "Sorry about getting lost a few times. I still don't really know my way around."

Ginny wasn't sure how to respond to that. "It's dangerous" She whispered, watching the Vampire materialize before them. "Ah, about time" She muttered, fixing the Vampire with an irritated look that seemed to make her flaming hair look like it was, indeed, on fire.

Harry and Draco had reached the room of requirement. "Our guests should be here soon" Malfoy said, a dark look under his platinum hair. He gave Harry a long, odd look. As if he were trying to speak without speaking. "Take a seat" He growled, pushing Harry into the room. There were three wooden brown chairs sitting in the middle of the odd looking posh and velvet room. A bed, with stains like rust, had been pushed into the corner, the curtians closed around it. A large, obnoxious golden chair sat in front of the small wooden ones. Harry sighed, and settled down. He didn't like this.

Lilly moved along groggily, until, suddenly, she grabbed Rhi and shoved her against the wall, covering Rhi's mouth with her pale hand. 'Shhhh' She hissed, listening intently. Her eyes were wide awake. "Blood" She mumbled "It's coming closer, quick" She pulled open the portrait and helped Rhi inside. "Stay quiet" She whispered.

"What're you too doing?" A voice said, making Lilly jump nearly out of her skin. "I've been sick for nearly an hour now. Is everything alright?" Shamus asked, eyeing both girls. His eyes strayed to Rhi's tie, noting that she was a Ravenclaw liked Luna.


Seera drew in a deep breath and attempted to materialize fire in her hand. It didn't work. It was as if a block was placed between her and the power... A great pane of glass shielding her from touching the magnificent power that would flood into her system. She growled to herself, hating the fact that her power was never at will but whenever the damn power felt like it.

Rhi mumbled behind Lilly's hand, which would have been a "What?!" but the sound was muffled. Her eyes strained to see what was going on and who was approaching them.

"Can I help you?" Ginny asked, irritated. The vein in her leg was pulsing and it was beginning to irritate her. She glared at the Vampire hotly. The Vampire just chuckled lightly.

"I'm not your enemy" The vampire clicked her teeth in a low, high frequency sound. She was sending a message to something, focused intently. Suddenly, the sound stopped.

"Er. Hey, I'm Shamus" Shamus said, offering a hand to Rhi. Lilly released her, still tense.

Seera wasn't quite paying attention. She was too focused on trying to shatter the wall between her and the fire. The fire could kill Krum but it couldn't kill the Vampires ready to kill her.

Rhi sucked in a deep breath and sunk down against the wall. She took Shamus's hand. "I know. You were the one by Luna all night, right?"

Ginny stiffened. If she could just get passed the Vampire and make a run for it. "Somehow I doubt that" She snapped, trying not to show how scared she felt. "Please go away. I have things to do" She tried to push past the Vampire, but the Vampire didn't try and stop her.

"I know where Harry Potter is" She said "He's about to fall into a very grave trap. The same trap some of your other friends will fall for. One by one he will pick you off. Whether you trust me or not"

"Yeah...I'm not good with blood is all" Shamus blushed crimson. "So I had to go lie down...for a while...Wait, why do you two look like you were just attacked?"

Something in Seera's mind finally struck the wall, cracking it to tiny pieces. For now, at least. She balled her fist and released her fingers, a ball of fire floating above her hand. "The books say your kind is not keen on fire." She threw the ball down and with her mind commanded the fire to trail around the vampires, giving herself and the red-headed girl an escape. She grabbed the girl by the arm and began running in the direction they came. "Well, fuck." She mentioned.


Rhiannon nodded. "I'm not really either." She looked at Lilly. "Well, we weren't really attacked but she said she saw Vampires."

"Smelt them" Lilly mumbled, nervously. "something happening. They are all moving quickly. What d' you think they are going to do? Kill someone, I imagine" She mumbled, trailing off as she focused.

"Do I even want to know what's going on? And what happened to Malfoy? Is he dead?" Shamus asked.


Ginny turned to Seera, her eyes wide "Do you think she's messing with us? She didn't seem as dangerous as the others." She shook her head clear. "We need to get to the hospital wing with the others. Let's take a different route."

"You can... smell vampires?" Rhiannon asked, glancing at Lilly with a worried look. "I hope they're not killing anyone we know..." Rhi looked at Shamus and shrugged. "I'm really not sure what's going on."

"Right." Seera began running with the girl, following her to the hospital wing. She wasn't sure why she followed her, wasn't sure why she cared and she sure as hell wasn't sure why she was putting her life in danger for some ginger. "Gah, Rune will get on me for this."

"Er" Lilly chuckled "I can smell blood. I've been around death my whole life" A saddened look crossed her face and then was gone in the same instant "I've gotten used to the way it smells." She paused, sighed, then responded "I'm not either, to be honest. But Vampires are dangerous and I'm scared for our friends"

"Guys!" Ginny said, sliding around the corner on her hurt ankle "I just ran into one of the Vampires...she seemed to think...seemed to think that" She whispered "Voldemort might be in the castle." She panted, tired from running "I know the Vampires are scary but if Voldemorts loose we should at least...check it out, right?" She said, eyeing Luna and Neville. She had started talking before checking who she was talking to.

"I suppose we should." Neville said, standing. Luna stood with him and walked closer to Ginny and... who? "Well, hello." Luna said to the grey skinned demon. "Who are you?"

"I'm Seera. I kinda just saved this girls ass." Seera said, laughing lightly to show that she was joking.

Rhi reached out to touch Lilly's arm, a small smile spreading across her face. "We all see death at some point, Lilly." She said.

Ginny got a grave look on her face. "We were approached by a Vampire on the stairway. She was the one talking about Voldemort. Seera and her friend also helped me into the castle when I hurt my ankle" She hoped that would help them trust her.

"OF course!" Lilly said, jumping up. "No time for sleeping. Shamus, Rhi, we are going on an adventure!" She pushed open the passage way and climbed out. "Let's go figure out what's going on! I feel weird just lazing about..." She blushed lightly, since she had been sleeping not long before she had felt the Vampires.

Seera gave a small wave as Neville nodded. He understood. Anyone who wasn't trying to kill them currently was a friend, at least for now. "Alright, well, lead the way." He was sure not to touch Ginny or even glance at her more than when she was talking to him. He didn't want to upset her more. He traced the scars around his arms idly, wondering what was going on.

Rhi was surprised by Lilly's sudden outburst. "Oh! O-okay!" She followed the girl and looked back at Shamus, shrugging.

"Er, well, we met the Vampire on the stairs. She didn't give me much information. We could try finding her again unless somone has the marauders map handy?" She asked. If only they knew where Ron and Hermione had gotten off to.

"Let's follow the blood them!" Lilly shouted excitedly. She led them in no particular direction, further and further into the castle.

Neville shook his head. "No, I don't have the map handy." He looked at Luna with a look of question and frowned as she shook her head no as well. "We'll just have to find them then."

Luna watched the group, eyeing the demon girl that was now in their presence. She smiled. Something about the demon girl made her feel a bit more at ease. "Suppose we should begin looking for now. If they were on the staircase, then they might still be around there. They could be looking for you, Ginny, o'course."

Rhiannon was beginning to tire of the twists and turns Lilly was making. "Are you sure we're going in the right direction?" She asked. Again, she looked at Shamus with a look of question. Did he know what was going on?

"I would hope not" Ginny said, thinking of Vampires stalking her through the castle. "Should we split up?" She asked. Though that hadn't worked too well last time. "Actually...we might should stick together..."

Shamus just shrugged, looking a bit sleepy. He only followed because he didn't want the two girls wandering the castle alone at night. "Of course I do!" Lilly said, looking only half-sure "I'm following the blood..." She looked at both of them. They looked tired "You can go to bed, if you want" She added, smiling broadly.

"What's going on" Harry asked, irritated. Him and Draco had been sitting in the room of requirement for a while now. Nothing interesting seemed to be happening. Draco, who always seemed on the verge of saying something just before deciding not to, didn't bother answering.

"That's probably the best idea." Neville said, turning to follow Ginny down the stairs. "How did you get the vampires away, Seera?"

Seera shrugged and with a wide, tooth-full grin, she said "Magic."

Rhiannon shook her head. She wasn't going to let Lilly go through the hallways alone, especially with the vampires out. She followed her faithfully, taking every twist and turn and stopping only when the other girl did.

Lilly came to a hault in front of the room of requirement. The door formed before her, a great iron work. "Seems like we are here" She mumbled. Shamus gave Rhiannon a look that said he wasn't sure what was about to happen to the lot of them. He pulled his wand out and set a look upon his face of pure determination. "Ready?" Lilly asked them.

"What kind of demon are you?" ginny asked, curiously.

Rune had finally managed to escape from Filtch's grasp and was dashing around corners looking for Seera. He wasn't exactly sure what he had been doing, but figured she would know. He turned a corner and nearly flattened Ginny who was still limping slightly "Ah!" He exclaimed, then with a goofy smile said "What's up?" to Seera.





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