Roses Black

Harry wandered about the corridors of Hogwarts, dressed all in black, keeping to the shadows so that no one could spot him. He blended in, his dark hair and clothing making his pale skin glow slightly, he seemed to be in a dark mood. Yet he was most of the time, unless it suited him otherwise. He allowed himself a ghost of a grin before vanishing completely. How could this be? Harry Potter does not simply vanish; no human can simply vanish. Ah…but there he is, walking past a window, that ghostly grin still engraved onto his pale face.

He was reflecting upon the previous night, the way the song had swam around him, like a snitch, taunting, poking, flying, and laughing at him. He sighed slightly and raked a hand through his wild locks. It was shorter in the front, to his earlobes, but went down to the nape of his neck in the back in a shaggy wild mess of ebony coloured silk. His eyes glinted with a secret that was yet to be revealed, what it was, only he knew.

The darkness of the preceding night had encompassed him totally and fully, he grinned in remembrance of the way the night had smelled and tasted as it wrapped around him like a cloak of the most expensive fabric. He had laughed himself silly at Malfoy's uncharacteristic outburst, there would be no more of those, Harry could tell. Also, he was determined to figure out why the pale boy and his little friend were there. So, he was headed off to Dumbledore's office and would try to chide it out of the old man.

Harry sat down on a windowsill, pondering his life as it were. It was confusing, he could say that much. He'd gone through major personality and physical changes, but he didn't really know why. He didn't think that it was the tournament of the previous year, it just couldn't be. He had been fine at the commencement of the summer, something had happened though, and he was going to find out what it was. He had, inexplicably, secured a job, working for some Muggle defence teacher, it paid well, and Harry had bought new clothing which was a rather logical change. But he had sprouted up seven inches, and though his voice could sometimes be…squeaky…was it normal to grow as much as he did? Then he had started to look at things differently, critically, as if they all had things to hide. He supposed that he was just wary. Wouldn't you be?

Gazing out into the vast blueness of the sky, he smiled and stood up, the pale blue colour made him slightly uneasy, (most things did) but it was a beautiful day. He kept the smile on his face as he said the password (blood lollipops) and sauntered up the staircase. He wanted those answers, and he was going to get them.

***

He grinned at his reflection in the shimmering silver mirror. "Hello, handsome!" it declared. Draco Malfoy laughed and ran a hand through his pale blonde hair. His stormy eyes were alight by the sun that shone through his window, and he was dressed in a grey that matched his eyes perfectly. He looked like a storm cloud, dark and foreboding.

His smile faded as he turned away from the mirror and flopped down on his soft bed. With his hair splayed out around his head like a halo of frail silk, he looked like a fallen angel.

Damn that Potter, he thought with a vengeance, why does he have to be so irritating? He growled as he thought about the previous night, how could that boy win a battle of words with him, Draco Malfoy, the best vocal slanderer Hogwarts had ever seen?! The pale boy was quite upset with the whole thing, he had insulted Harry, though his words were better characterised with Ronald Weasley, and the boy had flung it right back in his face. Normally he would have said something spiteful or mean, but he just couldn't find the words.

His face was slightly flushed and he took a calming breath, then Luscinia had slapped him, hard, he still had a slight red mark on his cheek. He had forgotten about her wild temper, and it was wild. The last time that she was mad at him he was stiff for days from a broken leg. She always had a bit of a sadistic mind set, of course, she wasn't perfect, her foibles were many and sadism just happened to be a major player.

He sat up and looked around the room, though nobody inhabited the beds, all the curtains were drawn and the singular dungeon window let a beam of light shine onto Draco's bed, illuminating the silver eyes that he hid behind a curtain of pale silk. He sighed and strode to the door, keeping to the shadows, much like Harry had done. Though Draco didn't know it, yet, Harry was kindred.

He opened the door and walked down the dark stairwell, his face looked similar to Harry's, a ghost of a grin hidden by the shadows that fell across his face. Though, Draco didn't know how akin he was to the black haired boy.

As he reached the bottom he jumped back in surprise as he saw a boy about his age with black hair and red eyes.

"Good," he paused, "day, I'm looking for a certain Luscinia Blackwing, might you know where she is?" The boy's voice was polite, but the expression on his face was sinister. The air around him was sheltered from the sunlight, like a fingerprint of darkness. His looks told you that he held secrets, your secrets, and that he could fulfill the deepest, darkest desires of your heart. He stood proudly, looking down his nose at Draco, his skin as pale as death. This boy was dark, evil, and sinister, so why should Draco let him near Luscinia? Although, he had to admit, he had seen that face before during school.

"Who wants to know?" he asked lazily, eye's narrowed.

"No matter, I'll find her myself." The black haired boy spoke softly, ignoring Draco as he swaggered from the room, his midnight cloak trailing out behind him.

Draco glowered, but wasn't about to follow the red eyed boy. Besides, he thought as he touched his hand to his cheek, Luscinia could handle herself.

***

Luscinia was sitting in a large comfortable chair in her little room beside the south tower. Her blonde hair fell past her shoulders in a waterfall of silver and the lids of her eyes were half closed like that of a sleeping cat. The air around her crackled with static electricity, she was cloaked in its charged aura. It hung around her like a dense cloud. She glared at the vase in front of her and it broke, shattering into millions of irreplaceable pieces. She grinned; half-vampirism had its good side.

"Well done my kindred," an amused voice behind her said. She turned to face a Vampire with the red eyes, he was smiling, fangs visible. "I was thinking that you’d lost the your touch, hanging around with all of these humans."

Luscinia smirked at the teenaged vampire she knew quite well. "Hello, Zabini, is there anything that I might be able to do for you? Or did the elders just send you to check up on me?" Her voice was sarcastic as she flopped back into the black chair. The majority of the room was coloured in blacks and greys. It suited her, and she stood out starkly against her dark backdrop.

Blaise Zabini, one of the newest Vampires, grinned a fanged grin. "Both," he stated, as if it explained everything, the fact was, it did. That was the thing about Blaise, he only told you what he wanted you to know. He was only made during the last year, and naturally would not receive his vampiric name until he changed someone. Luscinia already had hers, Luscinia wasn't her real name, it meant nightingale in Latin. Although she hadn't changed anyone, she couldn't to be honest; the elders had given her one for a reason she did not know. She shared a companionable relationship with him; he was just about the only vampire that didn't look down on her for being a 'semi-lamiae.'

She only looked at him quizzically, ignoring the feeling of dread she felt rising in her gut. She knew it might come to this but, so soon? She had only been changed into a half-vampire three years ago. (Vampire's age until they are 20 or so.) She kept her calm exterior and waited for her visitor to drop his dark façade.

He looked at her; she could feel him sizing her up, trying to see if she could take the news. All too suddenly, he was sitting to the left of her on another chair, his eyes were black and he didn't look as sinister. His pale face was tilted to one side, regarding her, his dark hair was swept across his forehead and across his eyes. He looked innocent, like the shadows that fall on the ground during the day. The illusion was shocking.

He smiled at her ever so slightly, his fangs hidden and his expression slightly rueful. "You know what I mean," he volunteered, prodding her subconscious with his, "I know you do." She looked him in the eye; the fathomless depths of black on black made her almost lose her train of thought. She had forgotten that she could only look some of the lamia in the eye. The feeling in the pit of her stomach was rising to the surface, utter and total dread. She couldn't be…it was impossible…she needed to ask Dumbledore…her head was swimming, she fainted.

***

He looked down at her prone form, Figures, he thought, that she just had to go all lady like now! He could just do what he had been sent to do now, but that would be betraying the girl's trust. He liked her too much to do that. Blaise lifted her from the floor without effort and placed her on her bed. His eyes had faded to their normal human colour, black, and he didn't look so evil. That was the problem about being a teenage vampire, no one would come near you for fear of being bitten, and teenagers need companionship. That was why he liked Luscinia, she didn't shy away from him when he was around her.

He looked down at her with a light in his eyes, she was dressed in a midnight blue colour, her hair was splayed about the pillow wildly and she looked to be at peace. Although the reference was already used, she looked like she had fallen from the peeks of the mountains of heaven. Blaise appreciated this aspect of her. After watching her for a few more minutes, he sauntered back to the chair and sat down. Luscinia was the greatest puzzle that he had ever known. And he wanted to get through the confusion and the awful temper. He wanted someone to talk to, to hug, and to solve.

He sighed and went over his 'orders' (ones which he had no wish or plan to carry out) in his head, the elders used to be such old ninnies, though they once were the most powerful vampires in the entire world, they never had any concept of the teenage mind. What he was going to do was not his mission, though the elder did send him to come to Hogwarts, he had decided to take upon himself the…problem with Luscinia.

~

"You are to go to Hogwarts and be my ears and eyes…an operative. You go to the school anyway, it should be no problem." Her snub nose twitched ever so slightly as she said this. She wanted him to spy most likely on some new recruit at his school, but then, a thought flew across his mind. Maybe Nox was working for someone, a certain someone with red eyes and pale skin. A certain someone named Voldemort.

He ran a hand over his face and sighed deeply, it was too much work for him to have to spy on his classmates. Namely a boy with black hair, green eyes and a scar. Dear god, he thought ironically, if they had told me that I was to be a Vampire when I came to Hogwarts I would have laughed at them and walked right past, but here I am, preparing to do the hardest thing that I have ever done. He had lied to Luscinia about the 'elders' saying she would be, well he had lied in any event. Mostly, he had decided that this was what she needed to get a certain someone out of her head for good. He had already talked to Dumbledore about his staying at the castle. The old man understood perfectly well what had happened, it almost seemed like the bearded wizard had known that the vampiric order had been thrown off. Luscinia was starting to wake up, what if she got mad at him and did something…painful? Now that was a scary thought.

***

Harry sat down in the chair and looked into Dumbledore's eyes evenly. "Professor, I would like some answers."

***

His voice was even and held no sign of nervousness. Normally Harry would not speak out to his teachers (Snape excluded) but he felt that his curiosity could not be…'snuffed out' as it were. Hermione could do research for him if it was during the school year, but the likely prefect was hundreds of miles away on holiday in Bulgaria. Besides, Harry didn't think she would be able to find out the reason why Malfoy and his little friend were here in Hogwarts: A History. This just seemed like the best solution. The bespectacled young man looked up at his headmaster, the old man seemed to be glowing, but then, things are not always what they seem.

"Answers I have, it depends on the question," Dumbledore said, smiling in a cryptic way. Harry fidgeted under his twinkling blue gaze.

"Well…you see- that is to say…argh…I'd like to know why Draco Malfoy and Luscinia are here, I'm curious," he blurted out with a stutter reminiscent of Professor Quirrell.Well, Harry thought sarcastically, that was eloquent.

Dumbledore looked slightly surprised, Harry had never seen Albus Dumbledore look surprised, ever. Angry, yes, jovial, indeed, wise, always, but never ever surprised.

The old wizard sighed and looked at Harry with sadness far beyond anything that the fifteen-year-old had ever seen in those blue eyes. Though it had been so twice before.

"Some things, Harry, you will know when you are ready, now is not the time." The Headmaster looked deflated and kept a steady gaze with Harry.

The black haired teenager nodded instead of arguing and left the office silently, keeping to the shadows once more. He felt deflated for not standing his ground. A mask of dispassion was once again upon his fair face. What ever had made Draco Malfoy end up at Hogwarts was traumatising and should never be relived. Harry could guess that much. But before he could elaborate on his thought process he ran into the last person that he wanted to see.

***

Nox looked around the empty elder room and waved her hand ever so slightly. An image appeared in front of her, flickering slightly. It was a boy who was laughing with two other boys. "Your time will come," she whispered to no one, "your time will come."