Shake it, Bake it, Brew it

The Light's Backstabbing

Maybe he shivered or something to show his distress because he was pulled into the vampire's arms ...

"They are fools ... did no one help you at your school?" Trocar growled, his fangs came out in his anger.

"No ... it was weird, but the majority of people never noticed how malnourished I looked. No one cared except for one person who always tried to offer me snacks. I'm sure he knew something was wrong because he continued to do so even after getting detention for bringing food into the potions classroom." Harry smiled as he thought of Neville, "but even that didn't help much. With everything going on at school and what not I just couldn't make myself start eating full meals. I never ate enough. Sometimes I even skipped meals. Not that anyone noticed since the guy next to me picked off my plate." He wondered if Ron was just a pig or was also watching how much he eats. He guessed pig. Plus, his height restorer just made things worse ...

Trocar frowned, "How did you get all the way here?"

Cache leaned back against the chest of the dark creature, "I tried to tell my headmaster about my ... home life, but he shot me down and said I had to return, that my aunt provided blood protection." Harry felt the vampire stiffen do to the bitterness in his voice. "But I knew if I just returned after learning some magic I would be killed so I went to the only other professor I trusted, my potions professor, who hated me for some reason related to my father, but he did save me so I hoped he'd listen."

"What happened?" Trocar asked gently urging the boy to talk. So many schools and headmasters to consider. Discovering anything about Cache will be hard.

"He snarled and didn't even listen. Apparently, he thinks I'm a rich and spoiled brat ... I snapped ... his potions supplies closet was right there and I ... stole several things ... including the books on the table." The young wizard said.

The vampire chuckled startling the boy, "You do what you have to in order to survive. Your relatives don't sound like the pleasant sort." He said, he was considering draining both the professor and these relatives.

Harry smiled sadly, "No ... no they aren't." He rolled up his left sleeve and barely flinched at the growl coming from the vampire when the scars were revealed. "When I returned for the summer they separated me from my wand, had me cook dinner and then locked me away in a cell." Cache swallowed as a knot in his throat started to develop. Trocar gently rubbed circles in the boy's back to sooth him. "The next day during my chores I found out that they planned to take their squib friend and leave on a three week cruise."

"THREE WEEKS!" Trocar looked horrified.

"Yeah ... I should be locked in that cell now and would be if I didn't find a knack for wandless magic ... it's been over a week I think I'd be pretty weak, but that isn't the worst ... no, not by a long shot ... the ministry never came to investigate so I couldn't go there for help. The squib I mentioned was talking about reporting to a wizard and keeping tabs on me as well as abusing two kneazles." Trocar glanced at the two kneazles sliding across the floor on their dog beds. "Once they left I escaped. I desperately devoured book after book to learn everything I could to find a way to escape and take care of myself. I found a way around the many problems ... those four vials on the table, the gold, blue, red and white are what made it possible for me to leave without being recognized"

Trocar gulped and held the boy close. As a vampire he knew what it was like to be hunted and despite the fact the boy explained his story in a way that would make identifying him difficult he knew the boy was suffering. However, Trocar won't investigate those potions. He knew that would destroy what trust there is between them so he just held the boy for a while ...

"You'll be safe here." Trocar said soothingly.

"I think that's very true ... that old goat was wrong." Cache muttered as he slowly pulled away from the vampire to start dinner.