A/N: "With a bit of a mind flip… You're into a time slip…"

OoOoO

She hungered. She hungered. Grinding her teeth, Valeriana cursed herself for a fool. How old was she, to have forgotten the hunger of several months' fasting? She hadn't even truly noticed until that scent had caught her notice, her body moving before the smell had even fully registered.

A growl tore itself free from her throat, left behind on the displaced air in her wake. The scent was so close now, so close, so-

"Sirius," she heard a voice whisper, the sound so loud to her ears, and Valeriana was in the alley with the boy pressed to the wall before she knew it herself; wide green eyes met hers and she froze, fangs already out and aching for his blood.

"Wizard," she breathed – was she truly going to end this way, the victim of accidental magic after all the violence she had survived? – and the boy blinked, emotions flicking through his eyes more quickly than she could decipher in her bloodlust. Then he tilted his head.

"Go ahead. Just don't take too much, please."

Valeriana felt shock flood her before she whimpered and sank her fangs into his neck, surrendering to her need for this strange boy's blood, and nearly whimpered again at the shock of his taste on her tongue. It had been so long, too long since she had last had a meal, but she had never before had the blood of such a powerful wizard. Her whole body tingled. It was unthinkable, that one with such strong blood would allow a stranger access with such apparent ease, seeming truly relaxed in her grasp, and Valeriana drank as only a starving vampire could.

Then he nudged her weakly, his drowsy voice saying in her ear, "More and I'll faint", and Valeriana tensed only for a moment before releasing him. Green eyes, clouded from the feeding, blinked before focusing on her, and Valeriana realized with a sinking feeling that if she stayed in the vicinity of this young human, it was inevitable that she would fall in love with him. "Koi no yakan," she remembered hearing once in Japan, and back then she had looked down on it as ridiculous romanticism of the Japanese type, but now she felt it deep in her bones.

She met green eyes again and felt the premonition of love thrum through her, and when he made her a deal she didn't even consider turning it down.

OoOoO

She studied the human closely in the subsequent months, noting with interest his lack of fear, not only of her but of his appalling guardians, and wondering at his unhesitating courtesy in allowing her the bed without once giving her the impression that he minded in the slightest. That he turned down her offer to share the bed, not just the first night but even some weeks later when she reiterated her offer, was... unusual.

"Unusual" rather summed up this human, she found.

He showed the greatest kindness and tenderness to an owl, yet nothing in his demeanor suggested a lack of human friends. He interacted easily even with a predator such as she, and strangely his pet followed suit, accepting a treat directly from her palm when Harry talked her into the attempt. Valeriana couldn't remember feeding an animal since the days of her slavery, long since; animals rarely felt at ease around her kind, and feeding the snowy owl brought back sharp memories of times she had yearned for the simple comfort of soft fur under her fingers, skirted around by dogs and hissed at by cats when she made the attempt.

She had forgotten those days. They had hurt too much.

Now, however, she had at her fingertips a human and an owl both entirely untypical of their kind, subjecting themselves willingly to her touch and her needs. She found herself reaching out to stroke the owl's feathers each night when she returned from her hunt, the human asleep in his makeshift bed as the nighttime creatures shared the dark, white feathers smooth under undead fingers. Two beings who survived on food still warm with life, who hunted alone in the night.

Her eyes fell to the tousled-haired boy on the floor, looking even younger in sleep than out of it. He had a fire within him, a burning need for something she had yet to discover, and yet there was a calmness about him that soothed and settled. A jaded air she thought untypical of someone so young. A bitterness at life that even she hadn't had at his age. A look in his eyes that spoke of painful knowledge, and a quality to his attention that felt acquired by necessity and not natural interest. He felt like a boy forced to be a man, who had been given little support yet many expectations, but Valeriana couldn't see who might have thus burdened a child whose family appeared to despise him. A teacher?

Hedwig hooted, and Valeriana looked to the animal. Large eyes glinted up at her; then the owl tossed her head in a clear demand, and Valeriana felt a smile tug at her lips as she complied with the unspoken command to resume her petting.

Unusual indeed.

OoOoO

It was strangely difficult, to spend so much time with someone she found attractive yet couldn't reach out to aside from their nightly feedings. She knew it was perhaps courting harm, for her to drink from him each night, yet she found she was unwilling to deny herself the pleasure of such intimacy with a young man utterly unwilling to presume in any way.

It was, actually, rather frustrating. She had never known a male to show great restraint when it came to his lust, and yet this human hid his reactions to her well enough that she supposed another human would be unable to recognize them.

But she was no human, and to a vampire his attraction to her was obvious. And yet he gave no sign of it; indeed, she felt that even if she kissed him he would turn her down as respectfully as possible, if in a considerably flustered state.

The mental image was surprisingly appealing.

She was not yet in love with him; was, in fact, exceedingly reluctant to allow herself such depth of emotion again despite the equally fervent wish for true companionship; but it was difficult to deny her attraction to the attentive youth. The way he leaned slightly into her when her lips were on his neck, his shiver when she licked over fresh puncture marks, and the musky scent of his arousal when she drew her fingertips across his skin were tantalizing and heady, beckoning for intimacy she hadn't experienced in far too long, but though she felt she could seduce the young man if she made the attempt, she felt too strong a respect for him to do so. It was unthinkable that he could come to feel more than lust for her, despite his odd ease in her company, and she would not endanger their tentative friendship; not when she was so parched for it that the thought of leaving was nearly a physical ache.

OoOoO

She allowed herself only an embrace when they parted company, careful to reign in her emotions to avoid harming him with the unthinking strength of a vampire, and even managed a small smile before she left, Harry's gasp at her speed left far behind as she raced away. A detached part of her noted that the sunlight barely even prickled, that she had been able to easily mask herself from human notice, that she was likely a high-level vampire now – but the rest of her didn't care. She would return in an instant to being low-level and feeling the slow burn of the sun if it meant another few months in Harry's company.

It was then that she knew she would head straight for Hogwarts, put herself at the mercy of a powerful Light wizard despite her Dark status on the off chance, the remotest possibility, that she might be able to remain in Harry's vicinity. No reasonable man would hire a Dark creature, least of all a kind with a reputation for being cold and remorseless... but Harry's grasp on history was clearly abysmal, and who better to teach History than a being centuries old?

She couldn't imagine it working, but the shred of hope was more than she had felt of that emotion since the death of her husband.

OoOoO

Some days later found her staring at the mirror in her hand, vacillating between telling Harry of her new employment and making it a surprise, unsure whether he would welcome the news or not, unsure how it had even happened.

Dumbledore had invited her to his office with apparent unconcern and an unexpected show of grandfatherly behavior (which still struck Valeriana as something that would amuse Harry, as she was several times Dumbledore's age), and it had taken her very little effort to procure the position of History professor at Britain's premier school of magic.

It was rather alarming, when you considered it. What kind of man was truly unworried to employ a blood-sucking creature as a teacher?

Regardless, she was now officially Valeriana Natassa, Hogwarts History Professor. Which brought her to the mirror, wondering whether to tell Harry.

She gave it another blank look, and was about to put aside both the mirror and the decision when the surface abruptly changed and a message from Harry appeared in untidy handwriting. A lightness came over her – for it was the first message she had received since their parting – then her mind caught up with the message and she gaped at the foolishness of sending magical blood by owl post to someone even such a special owl could not find.

"That fool!" burst out of her before she sprang up, already dashing back to Little Whinging as she cursed under her breath. And yet she couldn't deny the warm feeling spreading through her that he would have provided for her in such a way, that he would consider her needs even when she was far away from him. It occurred to her to wonder whether he would have attempted to find a way to provide for her even when he was off at school with no guarantee of seeing her again, but as it was he would see her again sooner than he expected.

With this, however, she was convinced that to keep her new post a secret was the wiser choice.

OoOoO

Reading up on wizarding history – both before and after her interview at Hogwarts – was an interesting pastime. Valeriana had been unaware of wizard influence during World War II, though it was unsurprising, and she had certainly heard nothing of the Dark Lord Voldemort until Harry had mentioned vampires possibly allying themselves with him. It was intriguing that the man had somehow been bested by a child, and Valeriana wondered whether Harry knew the other boy who shared his name; it was a common name, but they both appeared to attend the same school. Perhaps Harry Potter and Harry Dursley were friends, and Harry had made that deal with her in order to gain information for the Boy-Who-Lived?

Dismissing it as unimportant, Valeriana found it far more alarming that Voldemort had clearly dabbled in soul magic, and without thinking about her reasons overly much began seeking out the wizard's soul containers. Had she needed to explain her actions to anyone else she might have said that soul magic was an abomination, that an immortal terrorist was something she, as a true immortal, couldn't abide, or that she wasn't about to allow a threat to Harry to remain if she could prevent it; but no one asked and no one knew of her little quest.

Gathering the soul containers was laughably easy when you knew that goblins had an affinity for soul magic. You simply gave the goblins a shred of a wizard's magic – she found a wealth of ritual magic in the graveyard Voldemort had supposedly been resurrected in, and bottled some – and the goblins could tell you (for a very high price) how many soul shards that wizard had created, and where they were located. When they realized one was in their own bank Valeriana could see the prospect of blackmailing Voldemort flickering through their minds, and she offered them a truly preposterous sum of money to use that soul vessel to summon the others and hand them over to her.

The mere thought of that sum being theirs had them scrambling for a higher price, and Valeriana left the bank with three items and the knowledge of two further horcruxes the goblins had been unable to summon due to those soul shards being inside living beings.

The knowledge that Harry Potter was a horcrux was disturbing, particularly since Valeriana was aware that humans had always destroyed soul shards by destroying their vessels. She made a mental note to rid Potter of the horcrux before any human decided to end him in a misguided attempt to kill Voldemort.

With three days left to the start of the school year, Valeriana knew that the issue of Potter's horcrux would soon be dealt with, but that she didn't have the time or skills needed to hunt down Voldemort's pet snake. It was however a simple matter to contact a vampire who owed her a debt, and altogether too pleasing to find out that he had gone on to specialize in tracking down rare magical animals after their last interaction several centuries ago, and Valeriana gladly left the task to the man who had once hired her to murder a small coven after they had tortured and killed the vampire's remaining human family. Revenge had always paid well, and as this vampire had then not had the means to pay her, she had accepted a debt in return. And now, it paid off more handsomely than any monetary sum.

Satisfied that she had done all she could prior to her entry to wizarding society, Valeriana reluctantly went out to deck herself in robes. Baggy sweaters, no matter how comfortable they were, would not be suitable attire for an instructor, and her clunky boots would raise the eyebrows of her fellow teachers in a most irritating way. Better to purchase several sets of comfortably tailored robes and have done with it.

Even so, her reception from the Hogwarts staff upon their first meeting was more familiar to her than Dumbledore's odd welcome: wariness, apprehension, suspicion and fear were predominant in all her new colleagues. She met them with neutral courtesy, stated that she had provided for her dietary needs, implied that she was uninterested in the immature blood of children, and proceeded to present them with the physical distance they required to feel marginally safer in her presence. The distrust emanating from their group had her hoping the students would come closer to Harry's unconcern than the adults' palpable unease, but she knew such hope was fruitless.

Watching from the head table as the students poured into the Great Hall was an experience unlike any other: A wave of sound, smells, sensory noise that hit her like a physical attack though she endeavored to keep it from showing on her face. She knew herself to be tense as a tightly strung bow, briefly grateful that she was at the very end of the table next to the surly Potions professor who was sitting nearly just as tensely, and felt a brief kinship with the man who'd clearly known what to expect.

Then her gaze flicked across a redhead's obvious amazement to meet sparkling green eyes, and her Harry gave her a delighted grin that brought a smile to her face despite her discomfort, the sight of his joy enough to make it all worth it.

His companions drew his attention away, and Valeriana was unsurprised to see the unusual wizard greet only the half-giant on staff with a grin; a flick of her eyes to the side showed the Care of Magical Creatures professor waving enthusiastically.

Then she focused back on Harry, shutting out as much of the surrounding noise as she could, trying to center herself on the familiar sight of tousled black hair, pale skin, and the obvious joy he felt at being back at this school. In that moment she didn't care that anyone could notice her intent gaze and whom it was focused on, because if she didn't enter some sort of meditative state she would pass out and she would rather not shut her eyes in a room full of potential threats when she already felt on edge from all the eyes on her. She had never been one for the spotlight, and had never subjected herself to so many potentially hostile gazes at any one time, and certainly had avoided this much noise whenever possible.

I should have worn earplugs, she realized wryly. Too late. Though...

Concentrating for a moment, Valeriana gathered magic around her ears, accessing her expanded store to muffle the sounds around her, and nearly sighed in relief when the noise level abruptly became far more bearable. Her nostrils received the same treatment, and once Valeriana was able to cast her attention across the hall once more she realized the entire meal had passed without her notice, everyone finishing their desserts while she had been insensate. The professor at her side still hummed with tension, now likely because she had been as still as a statue for over half an hour, and she was briefly tempted to explain before she realized there was no point, not when she wouldn't be partaking in future meals either. Why bother explaining the difference between being overwhelmed and simply not needing to eat? She had about the same range of motion in both cases.

Then Dumbledore rose from his seat, and blissful quiet fell over the hall.

"The very best of evenings to you!" he boomed, and Valeriana winced. Her ears were carefully padded further for the rest of the headmaster's speech, noting with interest Harry's reactions to Professor Slughorn's appointment as Potions master and Professor Snape's position as Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. The youth's exclamation of horror at Snape's new post would need some investigating, but Valeriana mentally urged him to say no more in such a public venue – and strangely, he didn't, settling sullenly into his bench.

Seemingly oblivious to the students' reactions to the news – for not only Harry had reacted negatively, and Valeriana wondered what that said about the dark-haired man by her side – Dumbledore went on to introduce her as History of Magic professor, blithely saying that she was a vampire and several centuries older than he himself.

Keeping her face carefully blank, she rose and nodded to the perturbed students.

"I assure you that none of you are in danger," she assured them; "I have with me a sufficient amount of nourishment to last me the year," she couldn't prevent a flicked glance at Harry and saw him stifle a laugh, "and I am sure that Professor Snape will be happy to educate you on my kind in your next Defense class. I look forward to seeing you all in my class."

She retook her seat, spreading her robes around her with the ease of someone who had spent centuries in kimonos, and watched passively as Dumbledore finished his speech and released them all into the halls of Hogwarts.

OoOoO

She had a day of respite, showing up with carefully padded senses to lunch and dinner despite the headmaster's assurance that she wasn't required to attend any meals but the feasts. Valeriana didn't doubt that everyone would be much relieved to see her ensconced in her quarters – indeed, it was tempting – but she was unwilling to forego the pleasure of seeing Harry. Perhaps it was pathetic, but she had long since given up on caring about other opinions and she saw no reason not to allow herself glimpses of the only person here who didn't eye her with mistrust, fear or lust.

"Good morning," she greeted her first class, all Hogwarts students assembled in the Great Hall for the same lesson. "My name is Valeriana Natassa, and rather than a regular class this subject will be conducted as a lecture." Outlining what she expected of her students, she issued a warning not to skip her class though she knew how most would twist it into a threat, and launched straight into her first lesson on recent history.

She could reluctantly admire Voldemort for achieving such fear of an assumed name, knowing her own reputation as Chimamire no Sakura, but she was better pleased when the students stopped gasping at every mention of the wizard. Spinning a tale she had only recently learned about – she'd had no reason to learn about recent British magical history before deciding to interact with wizards, after all – she was unsurprised to find the children hanging on her every word. Clearly no one had ever bothered to tell them of the Dark Lord's origins.

"I have often wondered how many of his Death Eaters would continue to follow him if they knew he was the very type of wizard they abhor, as well as most likely being insane. There are side-effects to splitting one's soul, after all, and being without a body for so many years cannot have left the man's mind very stable."

Interestingly, Harry cast a smug look across the hall, and Valeriana followed his gaze to see a Slytherin student clutching his left forearm with a horrified expression. Ah, yes; the Dark Mark.

"The man was, however, both extremely powerful and intelligent before he began splitting his soul; the Dark Mark, for example, was almost entirely a creation of his own. Cast while speaking Parseltongue, it appears that there is no means of removing it, though as it faded after his first downfall it is likely that it will fade entirely after his death." Frankly, she didn't care either way; the important thing was, "And die he will, for I have here several items..."

She turned and took a large cloth bag from the staff table. "Does anyone care to guess what I have in here?"

There was silence, then a familiar voice.

"His soul," Harry said, green eyes meeting blue.

She nodded. "Your name?" Strangely, it was only in that moment that she realized his family might have been related to him on his mother's side, that he might not be Harry Dursley at all, and that she had never seen a photo of the Boy-Who-Lived.

Then he answered, "Harry Potter," and her heart stopped.

Horror crawling through her, she forcefully blanked her expression and turned away, pulling items from the bag with numb hands. Of course, of course, of course the one wizard who'd shown a vampire open acceptance, who'd struck a deal with one because he'd needed to know more about Voldemort's potential allies, was the Boy-Who-Lived, an untouchable to most wizards and the one figure she would be killed for influencing in any way if they found out about the summer she had spent alone with him, locked in by abusive relatives with no apparent guards around the house because how could they have let him become prey to a vampire otherwise, and-

"These are Hufflepuff's Cup, Slytherin's locket, and Ravenclaw's diadem," she interrupted her own thoughts forcefully, dropping the bag and reaching into her robes. Focus. "Each of these priceless, historic artifacts has a piece of Tom Riddle's soul in them. There are only few ways to destroy a soul. Does anyone know them?"

A pointless question; she knew who would answer, for they had discussed the topic over the summer and no one else dared speak up.

"Harry Potter again, ma'am," the young man said – and it was so clear, now, what had brought about that strange mix of bitterness, responsibility and desperate need for knowledge. Through her numbness she heard him rattle off the things she had told him personally over the summer, adding cheekily that he supposed vampire blood made the list since she had a vial of it in her hand.

"Correct, Mr. Potter," she said, using the name to distance herself mentally from the matter and banish her convoluted thoughts. Her mind calmed, and she added, "Five points to Gyffindor," seeing surprise on more than his face.

"Now then. Using most of the options listed by Mr. Potter would lead to the complete destruction of the object holding the soul shard, but using vampire blood will not. Observe." She demonstrated first on the chalice, then proceeded swiftly to the other two items and called Harry up to join her. She couldn't return his crooked smile when he reached her.

"I apologize for this, Mr. Potter," she said quietly, wishing she could tell him this in private, could break the news gently, but... "The day that is now known as the Fall of Lord Voldemort, nobody knows precisely what happened, but one thing I am afraid all vampires are sure of-" a complete falsehood, but it served her well in this case- "An additional soul shard was created that night."

A frown stole across the young face, but Valeriana saw the moment Harry realized what she meant.

"My scar," he whispered. His face was pale. "His snake is one, too, isn't she. Nagini."

Valeriana nodded – of course he would make that connection. "You need not worry about her," she tried to reassure him. "A fellow vampire owed me a favor, and as of this morning the snake no longer exists."

Harry frowned again, and Valeriana was surprised when he said with utter certainty that he would have felt Voldemort's anger at her death. In that moment she realized that the nightmares he'd had over the summer might have been more than he had let on, and that the connection was far deeper than she could have ever dreamed.

Then Harry took a deep breath, and she could see his unwilling resolve. "I have to die, then?"

"No!" Valeriana exclaimed before she could stop herself, shock/horror/pain hitting her like a brick. "No," she repeated more calmly, tamping her emotions till she was only left with a deep concern that he was so willing to sacrifice himself to take down this wizard. "Of course not." She held up the vial, the last bit of blood catching the light, "You only have to drink this."

Harry's eyes widened, he alone knowing the effects of drinking vampire blood, and she saw the relief steal through him. "Well, thank goodness for that!"

"Quite." She managed a tiny, relieved smile, and handed him the vial. "Here; drink up. It may hurt somewhat, and you may lose consciousness after the shard has been destroyed, but I do not believe it will harm you." God, she prayed she was right about this. There were instances of vampire blood having rid humans of spirits possessing them, destroying the foreign soul latching on to theirs, but she had never heard of a human hosting a soul shard, particularly over so many years. Trying to hide her fears, she offered, "Should you die, you are welcome to haunt me."

Harry laughed at that, and she saw the tension leave him. "Will do, Professor," he grinned, and swallowed her blood without further ado. Lowering the vial, he gave her a surprised look. "That tasted surprisingly alright," he said – then Valeriana caught him as he collapsed, convulsing in her arms. His agonized noises were the only sounds as he thrashed in her hold, limbs twitching and face contorted in anguish; then his eyes bulged, his mouth open in a silent scream as black smoke billowed from the scar on his forehead, his body curving into a strained arch despite Valeriana's tight hold as an unearthly scream rent the air.

And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, all the tension left his body and Harry collapsed limply in her arms.

A breath; then Valeriana closed her eyes in relief as she felt Harry's heart beating on while chaos broke out around them.

OoOoO

The young wizard recovered swiftly, to her considerable relief, and though he struggled with his improved hearing for some days the faster movement didn't seem to bring him the same troubles. And to run with him...

Valeriana bit her bottom lip hard when the bedroom door shut behind her after their run, immediately setting about relieving herself of the frustration borne of his refusal, moaning into the silence of her room as she remembered him warm under her, his erection against her leg, his skin under her lips, the burning need to have him then and there, to claim and possess and hear him cry out for her, for HER, "Harry," she whimpered, and shuddered into her climax with a silent cry, wishing for someone she couldn't have.

"Harry..."

OoOoO

She didn't approach him, after that. His friends were already too suspicious of her, and he seemed to be doing well, so Valeriana took a step back and schooled herself into a neutral demeanor whenever she caught sight of him. She had gotten caught up in the moment, and while she wouldn't have regretted a thing she supposed it was good that Harry had stopped her. Now really wasn't the time, not when there was already too much on his plate, and he didn't need her complicating things with lust, of all things, when he had a homicidal maniac to apparently deal with on his own.

Or not so much on his own, she realized when he came to her for help.

After that events unrolled rapidly, classes and martial lessons and late-night meetings culminating in the death of Lord Voldemort by Harry Potter's hand, Valeriana both surprised and pleased to see Harry hesitate not at all before parting Voldemort's head from his neck, his stroke sure and steady and his triumph at the easy kill nearly palpable. Despite knowing his past and his troubles with this wizard, she had doubted him, fearing that he lacked the necessary ruthlessness to end a life, but he didn't seem to feel even a shred of remorse in the aftermath.

Unusual, but again... that word summarized Harry in her mind.

The revelation of the dead basilisk was the final piece convincing her of Dumbledore's ill intentions towards Harry, and it resulted in the young wizard's decision to leave Hogwarts as soon as he could. Far more surprising, to her, was a whispered revelation that she had only ever dreamed of him saying in her wilder dreams.

"I think I might be falling in love with you."

Valeriana stilled at the confession. Had she been a typical human her heart might have stopped, she supposed. As a vampire it never beat regardless.

"I think I might be as well," she replied quietly, knowing she was already lost but unwilling to pressure Harry into anything by stating so.

"You think you might be falling in love with me?" the clueless wizard asked, looking bewildered. "Why?" And there was such incomprehension in his voice that she had to reach out, cup the nape of his neck and tell this human, so ignorant of his own worth, just what she found attractive about him.

Could he truly not see his good qualities? How wonderful he was, and how accepted he made her feel in a world that shunned her kind? How human he made her feel, when she had long ago accepted that she was a monster...

Lost in her own thoughts, she was brought back to the present when Harry relaxed under her hand.

"That's great," he said, and truly seemed to mean it. Any possible issues he dismissed for the moment, apparently – incredibly – feeling no qualms at loving an undead creature. And looking into his sparkling eyes, Valeriana briefly felt the phantom sensation of her heart stuttering.

OoOoO

Harry's last few days at Hogwarts flew by, and before she knew it he was fighting his way out of Hogwarts and portkeying away to Potter Manor, leaving her to the tender mercies of his fellow students. A somewhat unjust assessment, she conceded as soon as she caught Hermione's smile and Ronald's nod, and it wasn't as though she would be spending much time at Hogwarts. She would appear for lunch and dinner – it would be far too obvious for her to abruptly start missing them now – but Potter Manor was only two hours' run from Hogwarts, so to go after dinner and return in time for lunch was perfectly reasonable.

And indeed, it worked out without anyone seeming to realize that she spent only the afternoon hours in the castle. She and Harry returned to a nightly feeding schedule, falling asleep in each other's arms afterwards, and it was wonderful to wake and hold her sleeping human for however long it took him to wake, simply enjoying his proximity and the privilege of having these lazy mornings together.

Well, lazy for her, at least. Harry was determined to achieve his NEWTs in one year instead of two, and had set himself a schedule he was intent on sticking to, so as soon as his timer woke him he rose to make himself breakfast, teaching Valeriana how to replicate his efforts despite her inability to judge the taste of the food. It was a novel experience, to have a human teach her something so basic, and she loved his reaction when she once cooked him breakfast so much that she began to do so every morning. Giving up the extra half hour in bed with him was no hardship when she was awake hours earlier anyway, and waking him up with a kiss and the smell of breakfast was enjoyable for both of them.

Harry once expressed his feeling of giving little and receiving much, and Valeriana was only able to stare at him blankly for a long moment.

"I apologize," she said finally, "I don't believe I quite understood. Could you repeat that?"

Harry shifted uncomfortably, but did repeat, "I feel like you're always having to accommodate me, and that I'm not giving anything back. You keep helping me with everything: studying, leaving Hogwarts, dealing with Voldemort – and I can't help you with anything." He gnawed at his lip. "It's just- is there anything I can do?" Entreating eyes met her bewildered gaze. "I feel like I'm not doing anything for you."

Valeriana stared. "You... believe you're not doing anything for me?"

"Well, yeah."

Another bewildered pause.

"Harry," Valeriana tried, unsure what to say to that. "I have barely done anything for you. No; hear me out. I fed off you for an entire summer, giving only some conversation in exchange. I dealt with the horcruxes, yes, but that is something you could have done just as easily, for goblins only listen to money and you have enough to have dealt with them. I acquired the portkey to Voldemort's hideout, but considering all it took was a letter and Malfoy as a go-between, you and your friends could have done as much with a good glamour charm and some intimidation. I cut off the wizard's arms, but he was so slow that your blade to the neck would have been sufficient, and my presence was not required to send his underlings scattering; I do not doubt that you could have managed as much on your own. You could have dealt with your relatives much the same way – a glamour would have sufficed in that case as well – and you certainly did not need me in order to acquire this manor."

She frowned at him. "You are undermining your own accomplishments and worth if you truly believe I did everything. I merely supported you where I could." Twitching her head, she added, "Indeed, you are giving me far more than you seem to realize – not only your blood and magic, which you place far too little value on – but your time, your acceptance, and your affection. Your trust. Harry, I would give far more than just some support for such a gift. You give me far more than I return; I realize that I am not particularly... expressive," her head twitched, "and that I am hardly a desirable partner for one so young and vibrant as you. If you are happy with what I have been able to provide thus far, I am content, but I cannot help but feel that someday you will realize that I am leeching the life from you and find a more suitable partner."

Now Harry was the one gaping at her. "Not desirable?" He burst into incredulous laughter. "Valeriana, half the guys I know would kill to have a chance with an immortal, gorgeous woman! Okay, if they weren't so afraid of seeming inexperienced," he shrugged with a grin. "And the rest is just rot. Frankly, considering you feeding off me seems to strengthen my core, I'm gaining from that as well, and there's no way I could have managed the rest without you." He snorted. "How would I have even gotten the idea to ask the goblins? And how would a regular human bottle a magical signature for them, anyway? I'm pretty sure that isn't something I could find instructions for in a book." He frowned up at her, "There's no way I would have thought to masquerade as a vampire leader to get at Voldemort, either, and whom would I have learned swordsmanship from? Speaking of which, actually, I'd love to keep learning if you don't mind..?"

Valeriana blinked, and cut her losses. "Certainly. I will bring the swords when I return."

"Perfect," Harry beamed at her, then sobered again. "Really, you've done tons for me, and I don't want you to feel like I'm a burden. Just... let me know if there's anything I can do for you, okay? Or if you feel shortchanged?"

"Very well," Valeriana conceded, still feeling that he gave far more than she could ever return. He seemed satisfied with that, however, and Valeriana left in a pensive mood.

It was incredible to her, that such a wizard should be unable to see his own worth. He had defeated Voldemort HOW many times before meeting her, yet felt like without her he would have stood no chance? She wondered rather darkly who had given him that impression. It was good to know that he valued her assistance, indeed seemed deeply grateful for her support, but disquieting that he felt himself incapable of dealing with things on his own. Perhaps his independent studies and a high score on his NEWTs would help; Valeriana didn't doubt that he would score well on his tests, and perhaps that would boost his sense of self-worth. For the rest, traveling should help; getting out of the bubble that was the British magical community and into the broader world, where he could experience other cultures and mindsets.

With this, however, she felt it would be wisest for them to travel first to a place where she was unfamiliar with the customs and language, for then Harry would be unable to rely on her for guidance. There was nothing quite like being at sea for discovering one's abilities.

Shaking her head, Valeriana picked up her pace; at this rate she would be late to lunch, and appearances had to be maintained. She wondered if Harry felt guilty also for her daily run, and resolved to bring up the topic again that night. She actually rather liked the exercise; it burnt off the extra energy from her feeding, since she didn't need to run before eating with Harry providing the meal. Though running together would be a thought... after all, physical exercise was important, even if wizards put no value on it. Valeriana snorted. Fools.

OoOoO

As the year passed they grew steadily more attuned to each other, Valeriana learning that while she needed emotional support, Harry deeply valued her helping him better himself, whether with knowledge, magic or physical skills, and found it hard to grasp that simply thanking her with a beaming smile could be more than enough reward for her even if she didn't find the pursuits themselves rewarding.

She did, however, find his studies quite enjoyable, and learned nearly as much as he did. After the Christmas holidays she began to return to Hogwarts only for her lectures; Dumbledore tried to corner her into an explanation, but she blandly remarked that staff weren't required to live in the castle and that she had found another residence she preferred. His veiled question about her no longer joining them for meals she shrugged off with an answer that insinuated that the magical sky of the Great Hall had let in enough sunlight to irritate her, and then swept off with a blandly polite farewell.

Harry was both amused and angered by her recounting of that conversation.

The end result, at any rate, was that they spent nearly all of every day together, though Valeriana was careful to give him some time to himself; they had yet to have their first fight, and though it was inevitable that they would argue Valeriana hoped to avoid it as long as possible.

The time he used to practice his spellwork was time she spent working on her own magic, which continued to grow stronger with each feeding. It was an entirely new aspect she was unused to, and she learned nearly as much from his books as he did, simply applying the lessons in different ways. He would likely always be superior to her in magical terms – which she was pleased to make clear to him in their sparring sessions – and applied himself diligently to his other subjects, seeming increasingly confident in his own abilities. The original plan had been to hire private tutors, but it only took two weeks of persistent applications for Harry to block owl mail and resolve to learn everything on his own, and so far it appeared to be working out well.

Living with Harry also was rewarding in that he was still a young person keen on trying out new things; such as celebrating Christmas together, a festivity she had never experienced as the British celebrated it. She was happy to indulge him, aiding him in stringing conjured garlands over the banisters, cutting and carrying a pine tree, decorating it with a variety of baubles and candles charmed to never go out or burn anything but the wick, cooking Christmas dinner (for which they stringently followed the instructions in the cookbook and, according to Harry, did quite well), and exchanging gifts. Valeriana was surprised and touched to find that his friends had thought to get her something – she had sent Hermione several books and Ronald a wooden practice sword and dummy (both shrunk by Harry), but hadn't expected the students to give her something as well. The set of stamps with ink that would change color depending on the grade awarded was as amusing as it was useful, and the book "Hogwarts: A History" was one Valeriana had been meaning to read but hadn't gotten around to yet, so she was pleased to send back sincere notes of gratitude to the givers.

The question of what to get Harry had cost her a bit more thought than the presents for his friends, but it hadn't taken her long to decide on a backpack charmed for traveling. She herself had the pockets of her sweaters charmed to hold everything she wanted them to, up to and including her set of swords, but thought Harry might like the Muggle practicality of a backpack with enough pockets to hold everything that might catch his eye.

The pockets were also good for including smaller presents within the big one, of course, and Harry seemed rather pleased with the compass, water bottle and gift card for a piercing parlor, insisting on going to get their ears pierced as soon as the parlor opened again. (She rather liked how he looked with the communication earring glinting in his ear, and he seemed to return the sentiment in equal measure.)

He, in turn, gave her a very high-quality selection of chocolates, a necklace to match their earrings, and a sweater so huge and fuzzy that Valeriana just wanted to burrow into it and never reappear. Harry seemed to find it very amusing that she would like baggy and soft clothing so much, but while she liked silky and fine fabrics as much as the next lady, there was something so comforting about soft fabric against your skin.

Besides, it had the added benefit that Harry enjoyed it nearly as much as she did.

Other festivities passed in much the same way, the days coming and going, and before they knew it Harry was taking his examinations, a full year ahead of his former classmates and nervous but confident. The results came in a timely manner, Harry exultant over his Outstanding in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Charms, and pleased with his other grades.

And with that, there was nothing to keep them in Britain.

"Where shall we go?" Harry beamed at her, NEWT scores still in hand, and she felt a proud smile creep onto her face.

"Wherever we want, my light. Where would you like to go?"

"Japan," Harry answered promptly, still beaming. "Can we?"

"Certainly." She reached out a hand to cup his cheek, Harry leaning into the touch, and briefly considered her decision from some months before to first go somewhere he would not be able to depend on her. "Let us go via China; I would enjoy entering Japan by boat, as I did so many years ago, if you do not mind the detour." She didn't know more than a few words of Chinese, and her pronunciation had always been rather poor, so that seemed a sensible place to start. Besides, it would be nice to return to Japan the same way she had first seen it.

"Sounds good," Harry grinned, slipping closer to catch her lips in a kiss. "Let's visit Ron and Hermione," he murmured against her lips, "then catch the first plane to China. Or portkey?"

Valeriana paused. "Do you even have a passport, little one?"

Harry merely blinked at her.

"I will assume that is a no," she said drily. "That would be an important first step, then. You will not get particularly far without one, unless you are content to confund people on your travels and risk breaking the Statute of Secrecy, which would perhaps be unwise."

Harry laughed. "Okay, we'll do that first, then. Do you have one?"

"I have several. All false, of course; it is simply not natural for a human to have my date of birth in their passport."

Harry laughed again at that, and leaned back in.

OoOoO

Another month later, Harry hefted his rucksack more securely onto his shoulder and grinned up at her.

"Ready?"

"Ready," she concurred, and they stepped out of the house together, off to the first country on their itinerary. Valeriana wondered what might await them there.

OoOoO

A/N: Surprise update! Some time ago I wrote the very beginning of this based on the quote below, and ended up continuing until I had written up their entire first year together from Valeriana's point of view. I trimmed it a lot (I strongly dislike fics that simply rehash information and action that the readers have already been given before), and really enjoyed laying out for you some of the hidden aspects of Valeriana's character, the struggles hidden behind that cool mask, and some revelations previously unexplained. Such as how she got her hands on those horcruxes! And her reaction to their heart-pounding first run together. *Bites lip with a grin*

I am working on future installments, so… look forward to more! Here the quote that inspired this brief chapter:

"There's a Japanese phrase that I like: 'koi no yokan'.
It doesn't mean love at first sight. It's closer to love at second sight. It's the feeling when you meet someone that you're going to fall in love with them. Maybe you don't love them right away, but it's inevitable that you will."
— Nicola Yoon, The Sun is Also a Star