boundless & free

                    “Locked away in a room full of garlic,                               I am always alone!”

Her father just wanted to protect her. It was never about hurting her the way he did; with people disappearing every year at around the same time, manipulated by a vampire, the COUNT who lived nearby, her father just wanted to keep her safe. And Alfred, who loved her so desperately? He, as well, only wanted her to be safe.

But Sarah was too stubborn, and when Count von Krolock finally, finally invited her to his annual midnight ball, all she could do was follow his lead and run away, for the very simple reason that

                              forever would finally start that night.

“Is it easy for you to t-travel away?” He had heard that vampires had transformative abilities, but he didn’t see how one could master something like that without an understanding of magic. Perhaps such powers were not even available to muggles with this affliction. Quirinus certainly hadn’t tried to explore such abilities for himself, yet, so he didn’t even know if they existed at all.

“Why are you here if you don’t like it? ‘Vampires are, for the most part, s-solitary creatures.’ I’ve read that. Surely, you could go anywhere you’d like without obligation?”

“I’m p-planning to go back home once I see the castle and… get myself sorted… b-but I think they know about vampires in Scotland, too. Isn’t there any way of living among n-normal people without them realizing?” He didn’t know what he’d do if he was forced to leave Hogwarts. It was his whole life, really; he was still so young, and he didn’t have any experience outside of teaching there. As much as he enjoyed traveling– or had enjoyed it, before all of this– Hogwarts was his home. He had never intended to leave it for good.

Quirinus wouldn’t let his unexpected turning rob him of his civility or alter all the plans he had set out for himself. It wouldn’t be fair.

He smiled back at her uncertainly and wondered what she had been like before her untimely death. Had she always been this confident, this kind? Or had her century of experience allowed her to mature despite her perpetual youth?

“…I understand. I was t-terribly excited to get a year off just for travel. I’m so sorry your explorations ended this way. …I suppose you’ve had p-plenty of time to get used to it, though. It’s– it’s something of an adventure, too, if you can look at it that way.” Quirinus had trouble viewing it as anything other than a curse, but perhaps it would be easier for him to accept his new reality sooner rather than later.

He was asking so many questions all at once that Sarah had a hard time following. But considering that it would take a while until he would finally get used to his new condition, it didn’t quite matter—they’d have a lot of time to talk about everything that he wanted to know.

“It’s actually really easy to live among humans,” she replied cheerfully as she started guiding him away from the path leading through the forest. The sun would be rising soon, and Sarah knew the forest well enough by now to find a faster than the one most people would have used. “As long as you don’t start killing them, you should be fine. And, to be quite honest, you don’t seem like someone who’d want to kill humans.”

In her experience, it really was quite easy to blend in with the crowd if you only tried. Even those people who believed in vampires were usually unable to identify one. And with how fast the world was changing, it seemed even less likely that anyone would pay enough attention in order to notice anything odd about their new neighbour. If one was only careful enough, it was actually rather easy to pretend to be normal.

“…I suppose so,” he said after a long, hesitant silence. “I’ve never understood how you could be dead and still require food, or– or rather sustenance. I’ve heard about zombies, but this seems different. You’re– we’re– ourselves. I’m still myself. We’re not just animated corpses.”

And yet no matter how “himself” he felt, the idea that he was no longer living was one that sickened and scared him. It was terribly difficult to accept, but she was right.

She was right, and he knew it.

“Sorry,” Quirinus said with a ghost of a smile. “I should have been more subtle …but– Merlin! That long? …you must have seen so much…”

He had better things to worry about right now than the past, but he couldn’t help it; he had come here to do research, and he was currently being led by the waist by a girl who could not only tell him more about vampires, but also about the muggle history of this area.

He was still wary, yes, but how could he not get excited at the same time?

“What’s the b-biggest cultural difference you’ve noticed between now and 1880? Has it been difficult adapting to a modern way of living, or do you continue on w-with the tr-traditions of your own time?”

She almost wanted to laugh when he mentioned zombies and explain that, unlike vampires, zombies were not real at all. In fact, they were simply a funny little creation by humans who had come to the conclusion that the stories about vampires weren’t enough anymore. But she didn’t need to shatter all of his hopes and imaginations in one day, and so she brushed it aside. She could still tell him at another time, if it ever turned out to be relevant.

His next question, however, made her a little uncomfortable—mainly because she felt stupid for being quite unable to answer. Sarah had never cared much about these things, and she realised only now that maybe, she should. There were few things which she had taken an interest in when they’d happened, but even those she had only followed from far, far away.

“Oh. Well. At lot has changed, I guess. But I think the really big changes are already known.”

She’d seen a lot of books in the past few years, all thanks to Alfred and, fine, maybe von Krolock as well, who had appeared to have taken a certain interest in the world beyond Romania by now. Still, it was nothing that one couldn’t read up; nothing she needed to answer.

“If you mean Romania specifically—I really don’t know. I’m barely ever here, I don’t like it all that much. And when I’m here, I don’t exactly go and meet humans. The people around here actually believe in vampires and I have no desire to get killed properly.”

Sarah looked up at him and smiled almost sweetly. It was strange, that he cared so much about these things when he’d only been turned a few days ago, but then again, Alfred hadn’t been all that different. Maybe this man here was some kind of scientist as well? She’d have to find out later.

the dark ⋆ fire ⋆ open water ⋆ deep water ⋆ being alone ⋆ crowded spaces ⋆ confined spaces ⋆ open spaces ⋆ change ⋆ failure ⋆ war ⋆ loss of control ⋆ powerlessness ⋆ prison ⋆ blood ⋆ drowning ⋆ suffocation ⋆ public speaking ⋆ natural animals ⋆ the supernatural ⋆ heights ⋆ death ⋆ dying ⋆ intimacy ⋆ rejection ⋆ abandonment ⋆ loss ⋆ the unknown ⋆ the future ⋆ not being good enough ⋆ scary stories ⋆ speaking to new people ⋆ poverty ⋆ loud noises ⋆ lack of noise ⋆ being touched ⋆ forgetting ⋆ insects ⋆ disease ⋆ falling

Tagged by: @quiirinus

“I am,” he sniffed, pouting. “And thirsty. And my teeth still hurt.”

He flinched hard at the sudden contact, but after the initial mild terror, he realized that it wasn’t so bad, being tugged along like this. She still hadn’t hurt him, and–

“That’s the p-place I was looking for! The castle.” He had planned to sneak in and see just how rational vampires could be; all the accounts he had read seemed to have conflicting views on whether or not these creatures were closer to humans or beasts. Once he had gotten his information, he was going to kill them. …well, kill one. That’s all he would have needed to return home a hero– and with all the practical experience anyone could ever want, thank you very much.

Now, however…

“…you’re r-really very nice, Sarah,” he said quietly, looking down at her arm around him. “You’re almost like a real p-person. How long have you been like this?”

She kept walking beside him, completely ignoring his initial discomfort. With how new this situation was for him, it only made sense, but she also wanted to make sure that he knew she wouldn’t hurt him.

The thirst that he mentioned was something she’d have to take care of. The last thing they needed was for Quirinus to run off when it got too bad, possibly killing a human in the nearby village in the process. While the villagers knew about the castle, there was also an arrangement—not that the villagers had ever agreed to it, of course.

“I am a real person, I’m just not exactly alive. And neither are you, sweetie.”

It was better to shatter his illusions right now instead of letting him get used to the thought that he might be somehow better or different than all the other vampires around. If there was one thing that Sarah had learned, then it was that in the end, they were all the same.

“New,” he said quickly, a little offended that she would imply he could be bad at existing. “I– I think it’s only b-been a few days. I’m not sure, though, it was all sort of… overwhelming.”

He didn’t smile back. His expression was pinched, as though he were trying not to be sick.

This was a muggle vampire; how could his luck possibly get any worse?

“Yes, er– something like that.” Hastily rucking his wand away, he took a moment to look her over properly. For a vampire, she didn’t seem particularly intimidating. Perhaps it was the fact that she had backed away, or the playful expression, but… she almost seemed friendly. He knew she wouldn’t have acted this way had he still been living.

“I’m sorry about the way I reacted; you scared– you– you startled me.”

“I’m Quirinus. Do you live around here? I’ve been looking for someplace in p-particular, but I’m all turned around…”

Sarah watched him closely, a little surprised that he was keeping this stick instead of simply throwing it away. There seemed to be something odd or unusual about it, and she was determined to find out sooner or later. For now, however, she’d simply be a supportive friend or something along the lines of that.

“Just a few days and all alone?” she asked, her eyes widening, partially out of disbelief—and partially for the dramatics. “You poor boy must be frightened! But it’s your lucky day, you’re coming with me. I hope you don’t mind scary vampire castles?”

Without waiting for his reply, she wrapped an arm around his waist ( damn her height! or, to be more accurate, the lack thereof ) and started pulling him with her.

He screamed, brandishing his wand and his fangs as he whipped around to face his attacker.

“D-D-Don’t come any c-closer!” Eyes wide and frightened, Quirrell looked as though he half-expected her to come lunging at him the moment their gazes met. Her hands were behind her, though, instead of reaching out to grab him, and it was finally sinking in that she had only said hello instead of something along the lines of “prepare to die, Quirinus!”

“…hello,” he said uncertainly, lowering his wand. His shoulders slumped, too– it looked like all of his screaming had taken quite a lot of energy out of him.

She was a vampire. He could tell, although he wasn’t sure how.

“D-Don’t hurt me; I’m like you.”

She blinked a few times in confusion, though she wasn’t able to tell whether she was confused because of this stick that he was almost shoving in her face or the fact that he seemed to be scared of her. Sarah could recall only one scared vampire, and Alfred just really didn’t count. Besides, it had been a over a century ago.

“I know. Except you’re either new to this or just really bad at this vampire thing.”

She was smiling, though, and even had the decency to take a step backwards. While there really wasn’t a reason for him to be afraid of her or think she might hurt him, she still didn’t want to make him uncomfortable. Her gaze wandered over him and, biting her lower lip, Sarah pointed at the wooden item he was holding.

If Alfred was here with her, he would have certainly told her that this was a bad idea. Approaching a stranger who appeared slightly lost and highly uncomfortable from behind without making any noises at all wasn’t exactly polite. In fact, it was rather childish. But Sarah was still eighteen years old, at least somewhat, and the lack of an actual childhood was, in her opinion, a quite good excuse for childish behaviour. And so she shrugged, ignoring this little voice inside her head that sounded a lot like Alfred, and stepped closer, until she as right behind the young man.

“No luxury trips to Hogsmeade?” he waggled his brows, knowing that there wasn’t much in Hogsmeade to pique his interest but perhaps others found it more enjoyable…

“Don’t say things like that where others can hear you!” he hissed quickly, offering a cautious look about the room and patting his hands into the air, “Are you trying to ruin me? Goodness, all my years of hard-worked reputation, dashed in an instant.” Whether he was exaggerating or not he did not say—he only tossed his head back and touched his fingertips to his chest; “I’d rather the money.”

“Of course you’d take the money. You’re an idiot, after all.” She was joking, of course, and Sarah was certain that Regulus knew. And if he didn’t—well, then that was his problem to deal with, wasn’t it? They’d been friends for long enough by now.

“I don’t see what I got to lose!” Lorey exaggeratedly flaps his arms out. He didn’t understand why vampires hid or pretended they were anything but. No one would dare try to hurt them and even if they did they couldn’t possibly do anything of great consequence.

Still, Lorey didn’t quite know that she was referring to him being a bloodsucker and not just an obnoxious punk. He had a feeling, but he pushed it down to the best of his best ability. “What are ya goin’ on about anyhow? Why’re ya followin’  me?”

“Curiosity.” The answer came over her lips immediately, and Sarah tilted her head slightly. There was something about him that made her want to know why he was being so open with his—condition.

“A crucifix. Really?” She raised her eyebrows, tempted to cross her arms in front of her chest just to show how confident she was in her ability to fight against a simple human being—except that she was aware of the danger. Yet, Sarah tilted her head, an amused smirk playing around the corners of her lips.

@schrankcnlos doesn’t have money…

“Won’t let you have money? Goodness, how do you survive?” a tease and an honest question, one in the same. Regulus supposed he could live without money as long as he was still given the things that money provided, but some people weren’t fortunate enough to have either thing.

“And what is it that you can pay me with?”

“I’m at school, it’s not like there is anything I’d need to pay for.” She almost wanted to laugh at the mental image of asking her parents for more money than what she got for buying her books and robes; it certainly wouldn’t go well.

A random ask appeared! | @proditeur​

“I know.” A bright smile appeared on her lips as she looked up at him, her chin up high and her hands folded behind her back. She took a step closer to him, until there were only a few inches between them.