The Muggleborn Vampire: A Dramione Story

Chapter 13: Progress

Severus strode in the staff meeting room at precisely 9pm. He had just finished the two hour detention with Draco and Potter and had an hour to drink dinner with Hermione before the staff meeting.

He hadn't told her per se, but he was very proud of Hermione today. Seeing that she was fairly engrossed in her arthromancy homework in the living room, Severus sneaked into the kitchen, grabbed a squirrel, and released it quietly unto the living room. He then crossed over to his desk nonchelantly and watched out of the corner of his eye for any reactions from the girl on the couch.

Sure enough, not even a minute later, Hermione's head popped up and she sniffed the air with a look of mild confusion on her face. The smell of a live blood source wasn't an odor one would expect to detect in the quarters of two vampires outside of feeding time.

Both vampires could tell the squirrel was lingering in front of the bathroom door; the scent of its liquid life source painted an invisible arrow in the air only to be detected by those who had the power to drain it and it's heartbeat sent off alarms in the hunter's mind, a sound that would grow louder as one moved towards it, like a metal detector to a coin.

Severus was able to easily ignore the sounds and smells of prey until it suited him, but the younger wouldn't have it as easy. Her mind was still on 'hunter' mode instead of 'survivor' mode like his was. The survivor is able to control it's urges in order to survive in a world that would want to destroy it out of fear. The hunter is a slave to its needs; the needs learned over thousands of years out of fear that if this one source of life wasn't used to further yours, you may not live to pass another one up. Every vampire born or made is thrusted into the 'hunter' phase, but only the smart, disciplined few are able to graduate to the 'survivor' phase that the modern world now called for. The modern vampire must learn when it is appropriate to hunt and when it's best to wait it out. For it is those who do not possess self control that are the first to be discovered and destroyed.

Severus had no doubt that Hermione had enough discipline within herself to learn how to control her baser instincts, it was just how long it would take her that was the question. Being in the midst of war was not the time to be without self control, especially when one is best friends with the deliverer of the light. And if his distraction in class today was anything to go by, the world's deliverer was in desperate need for support. One of those supports was currently sitting on her father's couch deciding if she should attack a squirrel, while the other was...well, Weasley.

A lot rode on the fate of this squirrel.

"S-Severus?" Hermione's voice croaked, her hands were gripping the textbook in a white-knuckle grasp and her eyes fell shut. "I think an animal escaped your kitchen wards."

"It appears so."

"Will you put it away, please?" She swallowed and released a deep breath before clamping her mouth shut, though Severus was happy to see that her fangs wearnt elongated yet.

"Certainly." He answered in a nonchalant voice as he made his way lazily towards the bathroom, scooping up the squirrel in his hands. As he walked over towards the kitchen, he 'accidently' bumped into the side of the couch, causing the tail of the creature to brush against his daughter's shoulder. "Oops, pardon me. So sorry."

"Mhmm." Hermione hummed, her hands having dropped the book into her lap and was now kneeding her knees like bread. Though what surprised Snape was that her eyes and mouth remained closed and she remained seated on the couch.

After returning the squirrel to its cage in the kitchen, Severus returned to the couch and sat beside Hermione, who was now looking at him with a knowing look. Her posture was relaxed again and her eyes and teeth were still human. "That was a test." She noted.