Chapter 24

Spike had held them back so they were late on purpose, Ginny fumed as they walked through the now empty halls. Professor Dumbledore would be annoyed. And she could barely walk in these leather pants. Master sodding vampire picking his pets clothes…she would say something about it next time. Draco looked just as uncomfortable as her, but at least he had that long black duster like Spike’s. Why didn’t she get a duster? But he did look particularly nice tonight, she had to say. She ran an approving eye over Draco on his black flowing dress pants, black long sleeved silk top and low-necked sapphire blue shirt of this material that poured over your fingers like water. She was wearing this black leather hipsters that looked like they’d been spraypainted on, with her boots of which Spike had approved of wholeheartedly, and a long crimson Indian style top that went all the way down to the curve of her butt, gathered in tightly at the waist and around the chest area, with that low, low neckline that he seemed to adore. Showing off the bitemarks and collar that proclaimed them as his? Maybe.

“You realise we’re supposed to wear school uniform to dinner?” Draco’s voice cut into her thoughts.

“Hmm, there’s a thought. Yeah, I know. Spoke to Dumbledore, didn’t I? School uniform during the day but the nights are mine. And I like my pets to look good, and you two look good enough to eat.” Spike grinned, and then they were at the doors. “Grand fucking entrance time.” He opened the doors and they stalked in, two white headed males cloaked in black escorting a red haired sylph in black leather and red lace to the front tables. Azrael padded along at their heels, tail upraised and looking for all the world like a shadow cut from the night. Ginny stepped forward and bowed her head slightly.

“William the Bloody, Master vampire of the Clan of the Order of Aurelius, also known as Spike, the Childe of Angelus, the demon with the face of an angel, the Childe of Darla, Childe of the Master, greets the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.”

“I, Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts extend my greetings to the Master vampire.”

“My Master vows on his line not to feed from the unwilling or to kill without cause while under your roof.”

“I, as Headmaster, extend my protection to the Master and his Claimed, and accept his vow.”

“My Master would also like you to know that he is here for a higher purpose. Namely, to hunt the Dark Lord known as Lord Voldemort and bring him to an end. There has been trespass against my Master and his Claimed, and as such he claims blood vengeance. He extends his protection as a Master Vampire to the school and its environs.” Ginny bowed her head, then brought it back up. Spike had been looking on with boredom, eyes half lidded and exuding silent menace. The school had been shocked into silence and Ginny saw Snape’s fingers tighten about the stem of his goblet. Draco stood on Ginny’s other side, very carefully not looking at his House Master as he surveyed the room, look of disdain firmly etched on his face.

“We accept your offer of protection. Master William, would you like to sit at the high table and tell us about yourself?” Dumbledore asked Spike. The vampire scratched the side of his neck, thinking, then made up his mind.

“Sit with your Houses while I get this sorted out. Don’t leave until I do.” He tugged Ginny’s head up for a kiss and went to sit at the teachers’s table, fingertips grazing the back of Draco’s hand lightly. He sat down in an empty chair and watched his two charges split up and move to their house tables, blue eyes shuttered as he folded his arms and crossed his legs, resisting the urge to put his black scuffed Docs on the table. “Right. So, do you wanna know why I Claimed them, besides the fact that I happened to like the look of them?”

“That would be nice,” Snape said. Spike grinned and slipped a cigarette out of the battered paper container in his pocket. Cupping his hands around his face as he lit it, he debated about how much to tell them. Spike drew back on his cigarette and looked at Snape thoughtfully. This one had touched the darkness in himself. As a demon, it wasn’t hard to recognise the signs.

“Right then…” Spike drawled and then started in on an edited series of events, liberally sprinkled with descriptive imagery and occasional flickers of game face as he told them about Ginny’s possessions, and other things Spike felt they should know. “So. And there you have it. Prophecies are a bitch.”

“Why are you helping?” Snape asked bluntly.

“Because I like this universe. I happen to like existing. Says something about your sodding dimension that you bred a bad guy stupid and crazy enough who wants to end it *all*.” Spike’s eyes drifted over to Ginny, and he got up abruptly, stepping down onto the ground in a swirl of black leather. “Shove over, luv,” he drawled as he sat down at the Gryffindor table. Ginny turned relieved eyes on him and scooted over. Harry and Ron glared at him from across the table. “You know, I could always kill them for you, pet…”

“Nah.”

“S’any blood round here, pet? Sides the lot in the bodies around me.”

“Ask your cup.”

“You’ve got to be bloody kidding me.”

“Nup. Smart house elves, but don’t get Hermoine started on them.” Ginny snickered, her spirits already rising. “Don’t exactly know if they actually have blood on tap.” Spike chuckled, and she rolled her eyes. “Don’t start.”

“Didn’t say a word, pet.”

“No, Spike. I’m not going to get involved in this.”

“What, pet? Get involved in what?” Spike’s grin grew wider.

“Spike…”

“Ginny…”’

“You are so irritating!”

“Pet, I have had over a hundred years to get it down pat. I could get Angelus to go from bored to pissed off yet amused in five words.” Spike quirked an eyebrow as the people near them sucked in a breath. “Different dimensions, gits. In mine, Angelus got a soul about eighty years back and now goes by the poofy name of Angel, saving Happy Meals like yourselves from the forces of darkness, like me.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re the Big Bad.”

“Bloody well not forget it either.” Spike crossed his arms and glared at the two males across the table, allowing a flicker of yellow to enter his eyes. “Look, would you just stop it already? She’s mine, I’m not giving her back. Sit and spin.” Spike flipped the bird at them. Harry made to get up, and Spike grinned. “Oh, do let him get up. I wonder how long it would take me to wipe the floor with his skinny do gooder arse?” Ron yanked Harry back down into his seat. “Pity that. I could kill you and make it look like an accident.” Spike leaned back on the bench and got a cigarette out.

“You couldn’t,” Harry said slowly. Spike flashed him a nasty grin, lit cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth.

“Try me.”

“Spike…”

“Pet…”

“Grrrr…”

“One of these days you may actually manage to scare me with your little kitten growl.” Ginny glared balefully at the vampire, who just grinned back. “You’re scary, pet.”

“I am gonna kick your arse.”

“Sure, pet. That’s another thing actually. You’re pretty good at the mojo business but I should teach you a few tricks. Dragon looks like he already knows a few things about gouging the other fellow’s eyes out. Actually, Dru would always do that, and then eat them while the whoever or whatever screamed.” Ginny continued eating while those around her looked a little sick. Spike’s grin got wider. “Never my thing really. Blood’s really all I want from you lot. And the occasional scream.” He dragged back on his cigarette.

“Don’t damage their psyches too much, Spike. They’re only white knights, after all.”

”So what does that make us? We are saving the sodding world after all.”

“Grey ones?” Ginny cocked her head to the side and looked at him curiously. Spike laughed.

“Damn, you’re cute.”

“Gee thanks, Spike,” she said dryly and turned back to her dinner.

“Anytime, pet, anytime.”

“Saving the world?” Hermoine said slowly.

“Yep. You’ve all been surpassed, replaced. Our turn now. We got a prophecy and everything.” Spike grinned happily. Bloody hell, but this was fun. “We’re gonna kick us some Dark Lord arse. It’s gonna be fucking fun. Touch my property, would he? Not bloody likely! One thing to glad about is that the Claim has stopped him from making a reappearance. So far.” Ginny shivered and Spike ran a comforting hand through her hair. “Shh, luv. We’ll kill him. Nice and slow. Make it something to remember.” They both got vicious grins on their faces.

“Promise?”

“Anything for you, luv,” Spike said, nuzzling into her neck. “I protect what’s mine.”

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