The Muggleborn Vampire: A Dramione Story

Chapter 9: A Heart to Heart

With a deep breath, Severus Snape knocked Hermione's bedroom door. He had debated for a moment whether or not to bring her another glass of blood to sooth her, but giving her another remind her of her undead status didn't seem like the best plan.

When a broken beckoning call answered him, he opened the door and quietly slid inside. Hermione Granger was laying on her stomach with her legs pulled up underneath her and her brown curls spilling across her pillow. Her face was hidden from his view, but he could hear her sobbing.

Swallowing his nerves, He slowly walked up to her bed, studying the broken form upon it. He hated to admit it, but she did share some physical resemblance with her mother. The soft hair, the small frame; there was no doubt that 'Bethany' was her mother. He squinted, trying to place any traits she may had inherited from him. They definitely had a lot of similar tastes in hobbies, especially reading and academia. He could recall some instances where her frustration and lack of patience with her two dunderheads seemed to resemble some of his interactions with others. And there's the vampirism, of course.

So she got her physicality from her mother, but her mannerisms from her father. Poor thing.

He paused when he reached the foot of her bed. "May I sit?"

"Mhmm..." She scooted closer to the headboard to make room for him to sit beside her. She still hadn't looked up from her pillow.

He sat down tentitively and began raking his hands on his knees. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so unsure of himself. He was usually so talented at hiding his feelings behind a mask of indifference as a way to guard himself. As in case of his interactions with the Dark Lord and his minions, hiding his thoughts and intentions was a way to save his life and those if the people he swore to protect. And in the case of interacting with the public, he could save himself from unwanted drama and reasons to offer others sympathy.

But at this moment, as he sat beside his heartbroken teenage daughter, he really didn't know how much emotions to share. He didn't want to come off as too cold or too overbearing. He absolutely empathised with the girl. He had some of the same feelings as she did during his teenage years and young vampirehood. But how was he supposed to share this with her.

He cleared his throat and hovered his hand over her for a moment before he dug up the courage to lay it on her side. "Are...are you ok Miss Granger?"

A sob was his answer "I'm ok."

An uncomfortable silence settled in the room before he tried again. "I'm sorry that you feel so isolated. I wished there was a way for you to join your friends in class."

A dry laugh broke from the direction of the pillow. "Yeah, except I would be compelled to drain them all for their blood."

Severus sighed; this was not the way he wanted this conversation to go. "But it won't always be that way. I can teach you to control those urges. You are a very competent student, I have no doubt that you will excel in such studies."

He felt the form beside him freeze and then he watched in relief as she slowly sat up and came to a rest sitting beside him with her feet on the floor and her blanket wrapped around her. She peered over at him, most of her face hidden behind a sheet of brown curls. "Did you just complement me?"

Severus huffed and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his hand. "Don't get used to it, I have a reputation to uphold."

A small smile crossed his lips when the girl giggled.

"I know from experience that your sense of self has been shaken. But deep down, you're still you." Snape continued. "But you also have this creature inside of you now that you need to learn to control. Think of it as a disease or a condition. Your entirety isn't different, you just have to make some changes to suit your new lifestyle."

Hermione was silent for a moment and Severus could almost see the wheels turning in her brain. "So, you mean that I'm not the monster, but I have a monster inside of me that I have to learn to control?"

Severus smiled "Exactly. You're not a vampire, you just have vampirism."

She chuckled. "So Professor Lupin isn't a werewolf, he just has lycanthopy?"

"Well, you could say that. But he still acts like a mutt."

"And I'm sure some people think that you suck the fun out of things."

He sent her a playful scowl "I am not a fun sucker."

"Mhmm sure." Hermione smiled and wiped her tears away with the heels of her hands. "Can we start the training soon? I just don't think I'll feel like my real self again until I can attend my classes normally and be around my friends."

"Of course. We can start today, then after dinner every weekday if you like."

"I really appreciate that, Professor."

He leaned forward to see around her wall of hair. "You can call me Severus, if you like. It's a bit odd for you to call me 'Professor' in our current situation."

She giggled again as she tucked her hair behind her ear. "Sounds good. I wasn't sure if you wanted me to call you Dad or Father or something."

Severus scoffed. "That is not necessary."

Another giggle. "Ok."

Severus stood up and casted a quick tempus. "I must leave to prepare for my classes. Will you be ok until lunch?"

"Yes, I'll be fine. Thanks for everything, Severus."

"You're welcome." He opened her bedroom door, but paused before leaving. "Please don't fret about Bethany and my relationship. Even though I don't agree with her judgements, I do think it was best for you in the end. You were able to grow up in a stable two parent household instead of in the middle of a nasty custody battle or being raised by a prostitute or a vampire. And I would like to meet your Muggle family someday to thank them for raising such a caring and brilliant child."

Severus closed the door before he could see the tears running down Hermione's face. But they were tears of happiness this time. Things were looking up, and Hermione, for the first time since her birthday, felt like she could finally cope with her new life as the newborn vampire Hermione Granger-Snape.