I blinked my eyes open, staring at the ceiling. Don't tell me I was in the infirmary again. Glancing slowly to the side, I found with relief that I was back in the Moon Dorm, in my room. Little rays of moonlight snuck through the gaps in the curtain, telling me that it was still night-time. How did I get there?

Frowning, I tried to recall what happened last night. I got the dress from Seira, then, then - what happened after? It was like there was a giant blank in the middle of after walking out of the agency and now.

Clenching my teeth, I gave myself a small knock on my head as I sat up. Was I losing my memory now or something? It wasn't like me to forget about something so easily. I admit, my memory wasn't the greatest, but I could usually remember what happened in the previous 24 hours.

I was still sitting there frowning at the wall when the door opened and Maria stepped in.

"Saki!" She greeted me when she saw me. "You're awake, I was so worried when you came to the Moon Dorm."

"What happened?" I asked her. "I can't remember anything. I couldn't even remember coming to the Moon Dorm." Maria nodded, as though she knew why.

"Of course you wouldn't remember," she replied. "You were asleep, and Kaname was carrying you when he came back. We were in the classroom, and we saw Kaname walk towards the Moon Dorm, carrying you. Ruka looked so upset, everyone could tell."

I didn't know what to say. What had happened? Why did Kaname carry me to my room? Don't tell me I fell over and hit my head or something. But then, Kaname wouldn't have picked me up anyway. Somehow, I just couldn't see that happening.

"You look confused, Saki," Maria piped. "Is something wrong?" I shook my head, reaching up to scratch my head.

"It's nothing, Maria," I replied. "Shouldn't you be in class?" Maria giggled.

"I was, but then I excused myself to go to the bathroom. I wanted to ask you what happened, but you don't seem to know anything." She seemed awfully interested in what happened.

"Are you and Kaname lovers?" Maria asked eagerly. I wanted to smack her over the head with something. Maybe that heavy textbook I can see on my desk over there.

"Absolutely not," I replied with utmost certainty. "I hate him, he hates me, and that's final."

"That's cute," Maria giggled. "It's nice to see that the Kuran prince has finally taken a liking for a vampire, not a human girl." I frowned slightly. The way Maria talked about Kaname was almost like she was an equal to him, without the feverent respect an aristocrat would normally treat him with.

As though she was another pureblood.

"Who are you?" I asked suddenly. "You're not Maria are you?" Maria smiled, a smile betraying no fear nor anger.

"It depends," she smiled, before skipping out of the room. "I'll see you later."

That was even scarier, and for the first time, I wondered if the danger Kaname was talking about had something to do with Maria.

"Ichiru!" I heard Maria squeal outside in delight. Another, familiar and quieter voice responded. I could hear the two of them have a quiet conversation a little way down the corridor, but I couldn't hear any of their conversation.

Minutes later, the door opened again and Ichiru stepped in.

"Saki," he looked at me squarely in the eye. "Please don't get involved with anything." I frowned at him.

"What? I didn't do anything." Ichiru sighed, before coming to sit down on my bed next to me.

"Just promise me you won't hurt Maria or anyone else. Okay?" I wasn't going to promise something so easily.

"What is it? Can't you tell me? You can trust me." Ichiru just grabbed one of my hands tightly, squeezing it so hard, I figured my hand would snap.

"You'll hate me if I tell you," he said. "Just promise me you won't hurt them, or get involved in any other way." He sounded so desperate, and I felt worried about him. So I gave in.

"Ok," I replied reluctantly. "I promise." Ichiru held me under the chin, lifting my face and looked intensely into my eyes. I could feel heat rising into my face at the closeness of us, and the touch of his hand under my chin. My face was completely red, I was sure.

"I trust you," Ichiru replied finally, removing his hand, while I slumped against the bed head in shock. "The end-of-term ball is coming tomorrow night." He sounded so casual, as though we had just been having an ordinary conversation, rather than him making me promise not to hurt anyone.

"Yes," I replied slowly. "Are you going with Maria?" It seemed logical, that he would go with Maria, seeing as he came with her and Maria adores him pretty much. Still...

"No," Ichiru replied, to my great surprise and relief. "That's why I asked you not to get involved. Something is going to happen. Please, just don't be involved. You'll get hurt."

I don't know why, but it really infuriated me. Why didn't he trust me? I thought he understood me, cared about me. Turns out he's like all the others, thinking I can't do anything. Even Kaname was better than that, believing that I could do something, even if he controlled me for the sake of it.

"Why won't you trust me?" I burst out, jumping out from under the bedsheets. "I thought I understood you, but I guess I was wrong. You don't trust me because I'm a vampire right? A vampire that used to be a Hunter." I let out a short sarcastic laugh.

"Guess you aren't so different to everyone else after all." Ichiru looked ready to respond, but I didn't want to hear it. Running from the room, I did my best to block the tears spilling from my eyes. I was pathetic.

Outside the Moon Dorm, it was still dark, almost midnight, but that was fine with me. I just wanted somewhere to hide away. The ground was cold under my bare feet, but at least I was still wearing the clothes I had worn to the agency.

Trees were something which I really appreciated. You could climb them, hide behind them, and if you could get high enough, you could see the stars through the foliage at the top. Which was what I wanted to do right now.

Leaping up onto one of the lower branches, I hoisted myself up further, clambering up the thick bough and branches hastily. I don't think Ichiru came after me. I had already promised hadn't I? There was nothing else for him to do. He didn't feel the same way, didn't care about me - I was such a fool. A stupid, vampire fool.

At the highest point of the tree I could get to without branches snapping under me, I leaned against a branch and let the tears fall. They shone slightly in my peripheral vision as I stared up at the moon, wishing, just for once, that I didn't exist, that I never existed.