Drained

The Three Broomsticks was one of the busiest places in Hogsmeade. It was usually packed to the rim with people and conversation. Tonight on this rainy night, it was quite subdued, but still very crowded, but the focus was at one table sitting by the fire.

One table that sat three men.

One of the men was slender, tall with greying brown hair and angular features. He had an intelligence to his brown eyes and a kind wit. Sitting beside him was someone who fit the tall, dark, and handsome category perfectly. His long, raven hair was caught back in a ponytail and his dark, fathomless eyes scanned the room every so often in an almost ingrained sense of paranoia. Finally, the last man was dressed all in black with his lanky, black hair falling about in his pale features and hooked nose. Darkness seemed to cling to him like a second skin or a cloak.

Still, it wasn't the attractiveness or the intriguingness of the three men that brought everyone's attention to them. It was who they where and the fact that they were actually getting along for the most part. Every wizard and witch's eyes were focused on them on hopes of hearing about Voldemort's plans.

Sirius Black sighed as he looked around. He looked down at his tankard of mead and said, "I wish everyone wouldn't watch us like this."

Remus Lupin nodded in agreement and shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Severus Snape glared at them with his flashing black eyes and sneered, "If you want to say something, ladies and gentlemen, please do. If not, we have more important things to work on than your silly squabbles."

Sirius chuckled and took another sip of his mead. He said, "Same old Snape."

"Humph, well, at least I never chased up the skirts of every pretty girl that I saw," Snape retorted dryly as he took another sip of his ale.

Remus chuckled as Sirius replied, "At least the girls gave me a second notice."

"I'm sorry if I had more important things in life to notice about than a girl," Snape answered bitterly. The sentence hung in the air thickly. Sirius sighed and took another drink.

He sighed, "Severus, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to . . ."

"Enough, Black, I know you didn't mean to. Just as Harry Potter doesn't know what I go through just to look at him," Snape retorted, waving his hand in dismissal.

Remus asked, "Anything about Voldemort?" Good old Remus, always the peace maker, Sirius thought fondly at his old friend, the only reminder of his old life, a time that was much simpler for all of them except Snape.

It had shocked him to hear Snape's confession that he had been in love with Lily Evans. Severus "Potions Are Better Than People" Snape, a Slytherin, was in love with the Gryffindor Head Girl, James Potter's sweetheart, Lily Evans. A love that no one had even known anything about, a love that Snape had kept hidden from everyone for years until it all exploded in a sad confession a month ago when Sirius casually asked why Snape disliked Harry so.

Snape asked, "What time is it?"

Remus was about to answer when Snape cursed, "Damn, I'll be late." He slid into his ebony cloak. He placed some Sickles down on the table and hastily explained, "I have an appointment to keep, I'm sorry." With that, he swept out of the tavern, gaining gasps behind him.

Remus asked, "What do you think that was about?"

Sirius grinned, a bit of the Old Sirius Black, Padfoot, coming out. He slid his cloak over his broad shoulders and answered, "I don't know, Moony, but I'll go find out."

"Should I go with you?" Remus asked, reaching to get his own cloak.

Sirius shook his head and answered, "No, go back to Hogwarts and tell Harry that I'll see him tomorrow with his Potions Master hopefully in tact."

He threw a Galleon on the bar and walked out. He ran his fingers lovingly over his Harley Davidson Motorcycle, the replacement for the bike that Hagrid had lost. He didn't mind; the American bike was faster than his old. With the help of some deviously placed charms that had shocked Author Weasley, he could fly faster than Harry on his Firebolt.

He straddled the bike and turned on the engine. It roared to life and that made him smile. He revved up the engine and sped into the air after Snape.

* * * * *

She was beautiful.

That was the first thing that Sirius thought when he saw whom Snape was meeting. She was tall, slender, with almost knee-length dark red hair. She smiled at Snape as he approached her and even in the darkness, Sirius saw that her eyes were a brilliant, startling green. She looked about ten years older than Snape, probably in her twenties. She was dressed in Muggle clothing, jeans, knee high boots, a thick black sweater and long duster to protect herself from the elements.

Snape smiled as well, lighting up his whole face, even reaching his brooding eyes. Sirius shifted in his perch, watching curiously. He grinned as he thought, My my, looks like Severus is mending his broken heart after all.

Still, there was something bothering him in the back of his mind. She looked a lot like Lily, with the red hair and green eyes. Her face was sharper, more Aristocratic than Lily's soft, rounded features, and she was taller and much more graceful than James' late wife. And she was very pale.

White, like marble or milk.

Snape said to the young woman, "Hello, Nora." Sirius had to admit that the Potions Master was practically glowing.

Nora smiled shyly and held out her hand to him. Snape took it with a bemused smile on his face. Nora replied in a soft, lilting voice, "Hello, Severus. I'm glad that you came."

Snape linked his arm with hers and replied, "I wouldn't miss this for the world, Nora."

She leaned into him and he wrapped his arm around her. Sirius looked down, not wanting to bare witness to Snape's newfound happiness. There was something bothering him though, something in the back of his head that was making him clutch his wand even as Snape rocked the lovely Nora in his arms.

Nora said, "Oh, dearest, we risk much meeting like this."

"I'd walk to Hell and bring you Lucifer's halo for you. Voldemort does not frighten me, at least not now," Snape proclaimed proudly.

Sirius had the urge to giggle. It would be something that James would have said to Lily when they were in school. The memory of James and Lily's whirlwind courtship came to his mind. Stubborn Lily while James tried to woo her with everything in his power. While Sirius and Peter laughed at their friend while Remus chided them and told him that James really loved her and that Lily was playing hard to get.

Some of the clouds that had been brewing passed over the moon, enveloping the lovers in darkness. Sirius shook off the feeling of foreboding, chocking it to Dementor inspired paranoia, and started to climb down his tree. He was getting his footing as he heard Nora chuckle.

He froze. He had heard chuckles like that before as an Auror. It was an evil chuckle.

He turned around to see Nora smile at Snape. She said, "You say the most amazing things, Severus."

"You're the amazing one, Nora," he replied.

She leaned up into Snape and they kissed. It was a long and passionate kiss, but still, Sirius watched. Maybe he was just being paranoid again.

Then Nora pulled back and her emerald green eyes faded to a glowing crimson. She laughed, baring long, pointed fangs in her beautiful mouth. She cackled, "Still, Lord Voldemort sends his blessing, traitor!"

"No! Get away from him you bitch!" Sirius bellowed into the growing storm as he scrambled down the tree as fast as he could. He didn't watch where he was climbing. Instead, he was using the part of his brain that told him where to run when he was afraid while being chased by something in the dark.

He did see Snape try to run and draw his wand. Nora laughed as she jerked his wrist above his head and held him as easily as a rag doll. She crushed her fist across his wrist and Sirius heard the bones snap under her grip. Snape gave a sharp cry of pain as Nora hissed, showing her fangs.

She snarled, "Enjoy your time in Hell, Severus! For the Dark Lord!"

Her fangs descended into Snape's throat.

"No!" Sirius yelled, crashing to the ground. He was up in an instant, drawing his new wand. He shouted, "Stupify!"

The vampire reared back, blood dribbling down her pearly skin in crimson rivulets. Snape was limp in her arms, his eyes rolling in the back of his head. Sirius shouted again, "Stupefy!"

She fell back. Snape crumpled to the ground like a broken toy. Sirius charged and pointed his wand at the vampire. Lightning crashed behind him, illuminating the vampire and his fallen friend.

She stood up and hissed at him. Sirius hated facing vampires. Vampires couldn't be killed by magic unless you set one on fire with a spell. The Patronus frightened one but didn't hurt it like a Dementor. All of the vampire hunters he had encountered were masters in hand to hand combat and carried many weapons.

All he had was his wand and his growing fury.

"Back away from him," Sirius snarled, circling the vampire as she began to circle him.

Nora laughed, "Or what, you'll curse me? Foolish boy, I'm a vampire. Even Voldemort fears me!"

"He doesn't fear you. The only people he fears are asleep in Hogwarts Castle. I'm sorry to disappoint you, bitch," Sirius snapped, lifting his wand again.

Nora chuckled, "Anyway, you're too late to save your friend anyway." With that, she was gone in a swirl of black mist.

Sirius automatically knelt to the ground and looked at Snape. Snape's neck was a bloody ruin where she had bit him. Sirius peered down and gently lifted Snape's head up. He whispered, "Hold on, friend, I'll get you back to the castle double quick."

He started to tear his robes to make a bandage when Snape's hand grabbed his wrist. Snape looked at him with those intense, dark eyes except there was an infinite sadness to them too. Snape snorted, "I'd never think that one of the infamous Marauders would ever call me a friend."

"Severus, shut the hell up. You're not going to die and I'm going to get you back to the castle as soon as I can," Sirius replied as he tied the makeshift bandage around Snape's bleeding throat, "And you are my friend. And I don't leave my friends behind. I've already lost one best friend. I'm not losing another."

He began to pick Snape's slender body up, trying not to jar the bite any more than he had to. Snape chuckled, "Tell Potter that I'm sorry."

"You can tell Harry yourself," Sirius snapped as he began to run to his bike. Rain began to pour down on the both of them, but Sirius was oblivious to it. It didn't matter. Saving Snape mattered.

He had lost James and almost Remus, he'd be damned if he'd lose Severus.

Snape grabbed his arm and Sirius looked down at him as he tried to run. "You stubborn bastard, but then again, you were always stubborn. I'm sorry that I wasn't much of a friend. Funny, isn't it?" Snape asked, his dark eyes wavering.

Sirius shook him and growled, "Don't you dare give up on me, damn it."

"I'm tired," Snape confessed, his eyes clouding.

Sirius cried out, "Stay with me, please!"

"Be sure to tell Potter that I was sorry, for everything. And tell Dumbledore that I'll always respect him," Snape requested, his eyes pleading.

Sirius knelt to the ground, knowing. It was too late. He couldn't save him. He would lose another friend, this time drained by a vampire.

He took Snape's cooling hand. Alarmed at it's chill.

Snape went on, "I made a lot of mistakes, Black, and it's about time that I pay for them."

Sirius squeezed Snape's hand and whispered, "I'm sorry about the werewolf prank. I'm sorry about Lily. Just don't go, Severus. Harry needs you. I need you."

Snape grinned his devious, mean grin one last time. He snorted, "Never thought that the great Sirius Black would ever need me. Interesting . . ."

His eyes closed and he went limp.

Sirius cradled his fallen friend's cooling body in his arms. His anguished scream raged into the night. Still, no tears fell from his eyes. Not yet.

"Oh, god, Sirius!" Remus shouted, his wand illuminated his weary face.

Sirius was quiet. He was quiet for a long time.

Snape was drained of life and he felt drained as well.

* * * * *

"Sirius?" Harry's voice inquired.

Sirius looked over. He was sitting in the Gryffindor common room's window and looking out into the setting sun. Harry was standing there, looking very worried with his bright green eyes and tousled hair.

Sirius reached out and affectionately ruffled Harry's hair, reminded fully of James in the young boy. Harry moved closer and gave him a brief hug. Sirius looked out the window into the orange sky. He felt safe here, his old stomping grounds with someone who could be the double of his dead best friend.

"Sirius?" Harry asked again, his eyes wide with worry, so much like his mother's.

God, poor Snape. Poor, pitiful Snape.

Sirius absently said, "Snape's dead Harry."

Harry nodded sadly and replied, "I know. Malfoy's practically gloating about it."

Sirius didn't say anything. He kept seeing the vampire's blood stained mouth. Harry went on, "Ron punched him and I cursed him, but . . ."

Sirius stood up. He looked down at his wand. Then back at the sky.

And he fled to the dungeons.

* * * * *

The chains in Sirius' hands were fine German silver and very heavy. He looked down at the glistening length of chain as he strode out porously to his bike. Flitwick was protesting, "Sirius, you can't go out there! She'll kill you too!"

He spun around, his bag bumping against his hip. Flitwick was there as was McGonagall, Remus, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, a lovely witch whose name escaped him, and Dumbledore. Hagrid wasn't there, but how could Hagrid be there. Hagrid was dead too.

All because of Voldemort.

He couldn't face Voldemort, but he was going to send one of his followers into Hell.

Sirius snarled, "Try and stop me, Professor."

"What you're doing is foolish. You're not a child any more Sirius. You can't do this," McGonagall warned, shaking her head.

Sirius looked at Dumbledore. As a boy, he had looked up to the older wizard, thinking him the best man in the world. He looked into Dumbledore's blue eyes and noticed that the wizard truly did look old and exhausted. Drained.

Sirius snarled and settled onto his bike. He revved up the engine and retorted, "The same invitation applies to you too, Minerva."

"Wait, Sirius," the DADA teacher cried out.

He turned and faced her, the woman's name escaping from him at the moment. She was a pretty little blond thing with big greyish green eyes. She handed him a cross.

"Holy objects, a wooden stake through the heart, beheading, sunlight, and burning are how you get the job done," she explained with a grim determination.

Sirius nodded, noting that her accent was American. He took the cross that she gave him and placed it around his neck. He asked, "Auror?"

"Former vampire hunter," she answered with a grim smile.

Sirius turned back on his bike and sped out into the night.

* * * * *

The vampire and loyal servant to Lord Voldemort known as Nora didn't notice the huge, black dog that had been following her for most of the night. She didn't believe in such foolish things such as omens or the Grim, but the two Death Eaters she was with pointed it out. So, to humor them, she turned to look.

In deed, there was a huge, black dog staring at her. She tilted her head and studied him. The dog looked back at her with angry, intelligent eyes. Almost vengeful if she didn't know any better.

She turned back to one of the Death Eaters, who was nursing a bite on his wrist. She flicked her wrist and said, "It's just someone's dog that got lost. Don't be so paranoid."

"Still, didn't Wormtail say that Sirius Black could turn into a dog?" another Death Eater asked.

The one with the bite replied, "No, it's the Grim."

She laughed and suggested, "Why don't you two crawl back to Voldemort while I go hunt."

They shrugged as they took off on their broomsticks. Nora chuckled as she whisked her duster around herself. She started to walk on the moors, hoping to find some poor sap.

Her thoughts wandered to last night with Snape. Voldemort knew of Snape's fondness for a Lily Evans-Potter and chose her for this particular mission because of their resemblance. Then, using vampiric mind powers without Snape even noticing it, she had tweaked his brain to make him fall in love with her and trust her.

It had been hilarious how he acted toward her, shy and nervous. She had done the same act while some part of her head was laughing at the idiot. She had seduced him and he would go to Hell and back just to make her happy.

To make the game even better, she allowed the Potions Master a few fevered couplings to make the blow even harder. She even told the poor bastard that she loved him with a sappy look on her face. And the idiot never noticed how her flesh was cold as he poured his hot seed into her.

Her laughter rang out into the night as she reflected on last night's kill. It would have been perfect if that wizard hadn't interrupted her. The fool.

She heard something behind her. She turned around just to be blinded by bright, halogen light by the headlight of a Harley. The motorcycle roared to life as it sped toward her.

She hissed and took to the air.

* * * * *

Sirius' smile was humorless as was his laughter. There was a bit of an insane edge to it, just like when Wormtail escaped him around sixteen years ago. The motorcycle took to the air after the flying vampire as Sirius gave chase.

It was fortunate that the vampire had chosen this area to prowl. A few miles away, there was an abandoned church. An abandon church that he was planning to use.

Nora flew quickly but Sirius's bike was quicker. He took out his enchanted silver chain and swung it. "You'll pay for this, you bitch," he swore quietly as he let it go.

The vampire cried out as it wrapped around her arms, pinning them useless to her sides. He sped toward the ground, dragging her behind him as he rode to the church. "You fucking idiot, let me go!" she hissed, her crimson eyes glowing in her face.

Sirius ignored her as he reached the church. He looked at the sky. Sunrise was just in a few hours. His humorless smile widened as he gestured at the chains with his wand.

Nora screamed as she was jerked to the air and the chain wrapped around her wrists and successfully pinned her arms above her head. Sirius calmly, almost with a sense of detachment, walked into the church with the vampire hovering behind him.

Nora asked, "What the hell do you want?"

"My best friend alive with his wife, bringing up their wonderful son. A Potions Master sneering insults at me while we're looking for information on Voldemort," Sirius answered passionately as he looked the vampire in the eyes.

Nora's eyes widened with realization. She gasped, "You're Sirius Black!"

"Bloody quick on the up take, aren't you, bitch?" Sirius sneered as he flicked his wrist. The chains, therefore the vampire, went flying across the room. There was a left over basin with stagnate Holy Water at the pulpit. She crashed into it, the water burning her as her flesh sizzled and smoke rose from her slender body.

He let the vampire stand up. Her eyes were glowing crimson, her fangs bared as she snarled, "Fuck you!" She charged at him, her fingers curling into claws.

Sirius calmly flicked his wand again. She screamed as she flew into the air only to be smashed down into the ground. Sirius drew her over and said, "Since I can't have that, I want you dead."

"Then fucking stake me and get it the hell over with," she raged, her lips covered with pinkish spittle as her eyes glowed like twin fires from Hell.

Sirius met her gaze and smiled. It was an empty smile, drained of compassion and even humor. There wasn't any satisfaction that he was claiming a small vengeance. He replied, "No. You're not getting out that easily."

He pointed to the cross behind the pulpit and the vampire's eyes widened as the chains started to fly over to the cross. She dug her heels into the ground and tried to fight. Sirius flicked his wand at her ankles, causing her to fall. He dragged her body through the holy water once again.

When Nora reached the cross, growling, hissing, snarling, and screaming, he gestured up with his wand. "No! You're insane!" she shouted as the chains tightened around the cross, binding her to it. She cried at the touch of it as her skin started to smoke and blister.

The room smelled rather like a demented barbecue, Sirius realized as he strode over to the cross, tightening the chains around the vampire. Her cries became high and piteous. She begged, "Please, don't do this!"

"I didn't beg for mercy when they took me to Azkaban. I didn't beg to the Dementors as they tried to suck away my humanity. I didn't beg for Snape to let me go," Sirius sneered coldly, pacing in front of the vampire.

Nora pleaded, "I'm sorry! I can tell you anything you need to know about Voldemort!"

"I don't care about that right now, you stupid prat," Sirius sneered, "All I care about is avenging a good man's death."

Nora gave a mad laugh, "Did you know that I controlled his mind, made him think that he loved me?"

Sirius pointed his wand and chanted, "Bisect!"

She cried out as a massive cut formed itself along her pale cheek. Blood dripped down the wound in crimson rivulets. The wound healed within moments as her body still continued to sizzle. He knew that this contact wouldn't kill her, but make her wish she was dead.

She glared down at him and went on, "And then I fucked the poor bastard over and over! Made him think that I actually cared for him and his stupid romantic notions! You know what!"

Sirius looked up at her, silent as a stone.

She shouted, "And the idiot didn't even notice that my skin was cold! Can you imagine that?"

Sirius raised his wand and did something he swore he would never do.

"Crucio."

The vampire writhed in pain as the curse hit her and the cross continued to burn her. She then started screaming and Sirius waved his wand again. He whispered, "Silencia." Her cries became soundless, but her body was still straining as she screamed.

Sirius watched the sky. Daybreak was fast approaching. He lifted his wand and then blew a hole in the roof that would let the daylight shine in on the vampire.

Then he waited.

* * * * *

Sirius was growing weary of watching the vampire scream in silence. He reversed the charm and Nora started wailing again, promising vengeance, begging for mercy and calling out for help. Sirius looked at the brightening sky and the pink hue chasing away the black velvet darkness.

He quietly pointed to the hole. Nora froze as she turned her burning head toward it. The sun was fast approaching.

Sirius whispered, "Time over. Good bye, vampire. May you find your place in Hell."

Sunlight flooded the church in a golden wave.

Sirius watched as Nora screamed and caught on fire. She writhed around for a few moments before ashes trickled through the silver chains. There was a black scorch mark in the shape of a person on the cross.

Sirius sank down to one of the pews. He ran his fingers through his loose hair and sighed. He felt so tired, so weary.

So very drained.

The End!

The companion piece to Snapped. I thought that Snapped would be the end to the Dark Harry Potter, but then again, Sirius and Snape were begging to have their horrors told. I feel pretty drained myself.

And I killed Snape . . .

I can't believe I did that.

Geeze.