all day; all night

She moved down the street, hands in her pockets and head tilted up towards the sky. She didn't need to look where she was going, she'd discovered. With her acute senses of smell and hearing, she knew exactly where everyone around her was.

And even if she didn't she had her speed. She could move faster then anyone here.

A little grin flitted across her face at the thought. Though being a vampire wasn't all fun and games (She'd never get used to drinking blood. Sure, it was the only thing that'd keep her alive, but she didn't have to enjoy it.), it was how she lived now.

A hand brushing her throat at the thought of blood, she frowned, gaze suddenly flickering around at the people around her, her green eyes unable to look away from their throats.

Her hands shaking, she managed to tear her gaze away towards her handbag. Rifling through it, she pulled out a water bottle filled with cow blood. Uncapping the lid and offering a little toast to herself, she lifted the bottle to her lips and drank.

Alice walked around the street in random directions, trying to get a good angle. Everywhere she stopped, someone would just be in her way. How did they expect her to take good pictures with a Muggle camera if all she could catch were blurry faces?

Grinning, she spotted a bench and quickly made her way there, before anyone else could take it. She stood up and sighed, pleased with her view. It was interesting how being a little bit higher could make such a difference.

After half an hour, she smiled, satisfied with the results. A mother picking up her little boy, a group of friends laughing, a dog licking his owner and a couple kissing passionately were just a few of the moments she'd managed to capture.

Doing this was actually really interesting.

She focused the camera lenses once again and closed one eye to take a picture of a girl drinking something. After few seconds, however, she realized she knew that face. "Hey, stranger!" she called out, "Smile!"

She didn't even like blood. Sure, it was the only thing that'd sustain her, and sure, she liked the taste and texture when she was drinking it, but when she wasn't, the woman found it disgusting.

But she wanted to live. And so, naturally, she'd gravitate to the one thing that would keep her living.

She supposed living off of animal blood was better than human. She felt better knowing that she wasn't putting a human being in danger. And besides, people ate meat, not other humans.

It made her feel more human.

Glancing over at the blonde at the sound of her voice, she pulled the now half-empty bottle from her lips, a little grin flitting across her face, her eyes sparkling in recognition. "Anything for you."

Alice laughed at the older girl and pressed her finger down to take a picture. Clicking on the round button, with a sideways triangle next to it, to see the photo, she jumped off the bench and moved towards the brunette.

"I must say, I'm a pretty good photographer," she noted, showing her the camera screen, "That is what I call a flawless photo. Of course, the model may have helped a bit."

She recalled their previous meeting, many months before. Not a lot had changed, at least, not for her. "So, how've you been?" she asked, putting her camera away. She needed a break, anyway.

Staying still for the photo - an easy feat for the undead woman - Juliette grinned at her friend's enthusiasm. Capping her water bottle, she stashed it back into her purse hastily. She didn't want to face awkward questions, though she supposed she trusted the women enough to give her an honest answer.

"I think I helped more than just a little bit," Juliette teased, flipping her dark hair. "After all, I'm rather stunning, if I do say so myself." Grinning, she let out a little laugh. "But yes, you are a rather good photographer."

She hummed softly. It would be easy enough to say the one major thing that had changed, but just blurting it out might not end so well. Jerking her head in the direction of the bench, she said, "You might want to sit down for this."

"Eh, I guess. . . you're not too bad on the eyes," Alice joked, pretending to analyze her, "I'd give you an eight point five, maybe even a nine. Surely the men around here will agree." She took a bow, "Why, thank you."

And it was a fun job, too. Working at this full-time, it wouldn't be bad.

The girl frowned, the mood of the conversation being changed drastically and suddenly. Alice wasn't one to worry too much, but at that time she just couldn't help it. She tried to think positive, though she did as Juliette had told her and took a seat on the bench.

"Are you like, pregnant or something?" she guessed, trying to keep an optimistic view. There just didn't seem anything wrong with her, at least not that she'd noticed physically.

But she knew well scars weren't always on the surface.

"Ah, the blessed eight point five." Juliette grinned, shaking her head amusedly. "I like to think of myself as off the charts, but I'll take what I get." She got the pretty compliment enough by now to truly believe it. The one thing she simply couldn't stand was when people thought that was all there was to her.

She hadn't been top of her class for nothing.

Applauding Alice, she grinned. "And you are very welcome."

Sitting down beside the blonde, she swung her feet off the bench, tilting her head sideways at her. Letting out a little snort at the question, Juliette shook her head. "God, no. I like kids and all, but I don't think I could raise one." She was silent for a moment afterwards, twisting a strand of hair around her index finger.

"It's actually - it's a good thing, just didn't want you to pass out on me." She managed a small grin. "I had a near-death experience - well, no. That's a lie, I really did die." She paused, allowing herself a deep but wholly unecessary breath. "But I got turned into a vampire, so I kind of am sort of alive."

Alice nodded, agreeing with her completely. As much as she loved kids, she just could not picture herself as a mother. Not now, not ever. Well, at least not until she grew up and stopped acting like one. "I know what you mean. It's a shame though," she told her with a small pout, "I'd love to see a little Julie."

"Oh," she said after being told it was a good thing. But why would she pass out because of that? Somehow, she had a little feeling that it was not all that great.

Her eyes widened and the ex-Hufflepuff started asking her if she was alright, what had happened, when the second sentence came. She had really died. A frown crept on her face, if she had died. . . how was she here, in front of her? Alice had had enough experiences with Hogwarts' ghosts to know that Juliette was not one of them. "They managed to revive you?" she guessed, not knowing for certain if wizards used this technique. She'd heard of some cases, in muggle movies, when the character died for one or two minutes, most times of a heart attack, but they managed to make their heart beat again.

What else could it be? That had to be the explanation.

Or not.

"I - you - um..." She was speechless. Really, how did one react to that sort of thing. "That's- you're a vampire," she whispered, not wanting anyone to overhear their conversation.

"A little Julie?" she echoed, tilting her head in thought. Though being undead certainly put a dent in that, for a moment she allowed herself to think about the idea. A tiny smile growing across her face as she imagined a tiny little dark-haired child pattering about, she had to shake her head to clear it of that thought. "Well, you're going to have ask my sister for that."

She tensed, her expression almost fearful. This never got easier, no matter how many people she told. Listening to their hearts pound and the silence stretch out was never enjoyable.

Clasping her hands together, she frowned at the ring adorning her finger. Twisting it around and around, she simply sat and waited.

What else could she do?

"In a way," she murmured. Hadn't that technically been what had happened? She'd died and woken up a new being, a new creature. She nodded jerkily at Alice's words, the ones that branded her as what she was. It was relieving, really, to know that she hadn't automatically ran away.

"Yep," she whispered. "Vampiress Juliette Josse. Impressive, isn't it?" Despite everything, she managed to grin.

Alice sat quiet for a while, unsure of what to say. It wasn't like she was scared of Juliette - but she was now a vampire. It wasn't the sort of thing you could just ignore. "I don't - was there no other way?" she asked quietly. She wanted her friend to still be human, but she'd rather have her alive.

Or sort of alive.

"How do you feel?" she frowned, worried for her well-being, and put a hand on her arm, "Are you alright? I mean, you look fine, but mentally? Do you like it? Is it enough for you? Or do you wish it hadn't happened? Wait, how did it happen? Who did this to you?" She stopped herself and shook her head, a sheepish smile creeping, "Sorry. I tend to ramble when I'm somewhat nervous."

The ex-Hufflepuff bit her lower lip, thinking about the situation. She'd only just found out Juliette was a vampire. That didn't make her any less Juliette than she'd been a couple of minutes before. It changed almost nothing, except for the fact that she drank blood and was, technically, dead.

"I'm not going to run away, if that's what you're wondering," she said after a few minutes. She hated prejudiced people, she wasn't about to become one now. "All that matters is that you're okay now."

She chewed on her bottom lip, concentrating on the sound of Alice's heartbeat. It meant she was here, right beside her and not going anywhere. It meant she was alive - truly alive. And it meant that she hadn't fainted from shock.

"No." Juliette shook her head. "I was dying, losing blood too fast for even the best Healer on earth to help me. I was dying. And I did. I - I died once. But I don't want to go through it again. I die again, and it's over. Really, truly over."

She tilted her head slightly at the question, glancing down at the hand on her arm. Slowly, she took Alice's hand, squeezing it softly. "I'm fine." She let out a small laugh. "Really. I'm happy. I'm sort of alive, and it's what I wanted. I'm scared of dying, Alice. I really am. And this - this letting me live."

Juliette smiled softly at her friend, bumping her shoulder against her. "It's fine. I can't blame you for having questions. I'd have a million if it was the other way around." But her being nervous brought back a flurry of worries. Nervous enough to run?

She sobered up, thinking back to that night. "I got into a bar fight. Stupid, I know, but well, she started it." A little glimmer of amusement shone in her voice before she shook her head and continued her story. "She stabbed me. Muggle nightclub, so I had to hobble my way to an alley. And then I apparated. I was going to go to St. Mungos, but I splinched and ended up in a forest. I almost bled out to death." She took a deep breath to calm herself down.

If her heart still worked, she expected it to be beating quickly. "And he - Ethon - found me. Saved my life." Grinning, she fingered the necklace around her neck, holding out the small blue stone towards the blonde. "Let's me walk around in the sunlight," she explained.

"Good." She let out a sigh of relief, squeezing her hand again. "I can't stand the idea of losing friends over this." She'd already lost Billy, she didn't need more. "I'm better than okay," she sniffed, her eyes sparkling. "I've never been anything less than extraordinary."