AN: My brother and I are doing Pucker Potion Shots! It's Davinci syrups with sour salt. Burns Soooooo Bad! (^_^) Totally worth it! I'm sorry for how long it took to get this next chapter up, I've been on vacation this last week and also been preparing to start college in the fall, so… Yeah. I'll try to get the next chapter up faster. (^_^) Cheers, mate!

It had been a week since that night. I had started noticing a growing thirst for blood, nothing else stayed down long enough to digest before I hurled it back up again. Thankfully, I discovered that my own blood would suffice, at least for now. Seven weeks, with such little food had drained me of all my energy. I could barely get up each day.

I yawned deeply; stretching my arms above my head, my nightshirt riding up lazily. A cool draft wisped through the room. Glaring, I looked over at the window of the girl's seventh year dorms to find it had been left open.

Probably Willow again. Damn bitch, doesn't understand the word winter. I seethed to myself as I jammed it shut again. The sound made Willow stir. I froze, silently willing her back to sleep; crossing my fingers as tight as I could.

She merely turned over and went back to sleep. I sighed in relief. Last night I had snuck into a small time hospital in Hogsmeade and raided their blood transfusion supply. It had been offered willingly, so who am I to reject their generosity?

I had stashed it in a hidden jewelry box in the bathroom. I enchanted it to mimic a cooler, to keep the blood cold. Turning on the shower and locking the door, I pulled the box down and gingerly lifted the lid. Several bottles of blood lay on the soft, hot pink, velvet interior; intricate black lace curled around the edges of the box. I hesitated, my hand hovering over one of the bottles.

This is life...

This is liquid life…

Someone else's...

I whipped my hand back and slammed the lid shut.

'I can't. I can't do this. This was meant for someone else. This was in someone's body, flowing through their veins. They took it out. They gave it up for someone.' My mind reeled. Flashes of children and grandparents raced through my mind. 'What if someone needed this right now? What if I've just ruined their last chance at life? '

'I'm dying. I need it.' A voice screamed in my head. 'This is MINE! Forget them! I've felt death. They don't understand. They need to learn. I don't need that again. I'm a freakin' vampire, for heaven's sake! I can't die again. So, if I don't eat, I'll just shrivel up. Starve. Waste away. Forever.'

I didn't want to die. But I did. They shouldn't have to. THEY need this!

YOU need this!

The voice echoed into nothingness. I do need this. It's better than killing someone in person. At least I won't have to see them when they go.

Can you handle that guilt?

Yes.

I can.

I opened the box again, quickly lifting a bottle and popping the cap off. The salty, metallic scent wafted over me. It was intoxicating. Like I was waking up from a bad dream. Like I was unlocking a secret. A forbidden treat. For no one else.

I subconsciously ran my tongue over my lips, letting my eyelids fall shut as I brought the vial to my mouth. The cold, coppery liquid ran down my throat. The taste spread through me deliciously.

Knock! Knock!

I jerked, spilling the contents of the vial down my chin.

"I-I'm busy! Don't come in!" I shouted at the door, begging my voice not to waver. I scrambled to shove the bottle into the box and hide it back up on the shelf.

"Come on, Ebby! It's just me." Willow's playful voice called through the door. The doorknob jangled threateningly as she tried to come in.

Ripping off my clothes, I jumped into the shower.

"I'm in the shower! Don't come in!" I yelled at her as I pulled the curtains shut.

"Oh, puh-lease." I could almost hear her roll her eyes. "We're all girls here. Alohamora! "

The door sprang open with a loud creak. I quickly scrubbed the blood off my body, just in case.

Willow began rattling off everything about her day, the "freaky weird" dream she had last night, and a bunch of other random facts. I went back to actually showering, purposefully using her hair products in a childish act of revenge. She chatted animatedly for nearly ten minutes non-stop as she did her makeup. I waited patiently, biding my time so she would leave.

If I come out now, she'll see that I don't have a reflection. Why can't she hurry up?!

Suddenly she fell quiet. Raising my eyebrows, I waited for the inevitable. Much to my confusion she stayed quiet.

"Something wrong?" I questioned hesitantly.

She let out a long, dramatic sigh and then giggled lightly. "So… I saw you talking to Draco yesterday…"

My face went red. Yesterday I had run into Draco in the hallway and we had quite the row. No one was there, so he looked a bit more confident than normal.

"Not so brave without the professors around, are you?" He laughed cruelly.

I rolled my eyes, glancing over his scrawny form. "I'm not afraid of some spoiled rich punk! Go pick on the first years, you might have better luck scaring little kids."

His eyes narrowed, a red shine flickered through them.

"You talk big now, but you wouldn't be so cocky if you knew what this spoiled rich punk could do to you."

Realization suddenly washed over me.

"Oh? What are you gonna do? Bite me?"

He went rigid.

"What did you say?" He whispered.

The eyes made sense now. His scrawny appearance as well. I donned a smug expression.

"You heard me. You gonna (bite) me?"

He relaxed slightly, his stiff expression morphing into something almost amused.

"Takes one to know one." Draco shot back smoothly. "I saw you sneaking out towards Hogsmeade last night. Having a little snack, are we?"

"I haven't stooped that low yet. Can you say the same?"

He shrugged regally.

"I'll admit to nothing," Striding slowly toward me, he backed me into the wall. He put his hand beside my head and quietly growled, "but I've found certain Slytherins to be quite (delicious)."

His breath ghosted over my ear and sent a sharp shiver raking through my body.

"P-Probably that bitch Pansy." I stammered.

He hummed softly. "A few times. But Willow wasn't bad either."

"Willow?! What did you do to her, you prick?!" I snapped at him, pushing him off me.

"Relax." He threw his hands up casually. "She was more than willing."

My jaw fell open. "Why the hell would she be willing?"

"Perhaps because she got a little treat in return..." He smirked widely.

I cocked an eyebrow and crossed my arms. He shook his head and chuckled mockingly.

"Oh, please. Don't tell me you haven't noticed?" He turned slowly and began to saunter off down to hall. "I thought the whole point of friends was to trust them with your secrets? Pity. She must not trust you…" His voice trailed off as he turned the corner.

A loud growl of complaint from my stomach brought me back to reality.

"Yeah, so?" I said in reply, my face still hot and cherry red.

She waited a moment longer, then continued whatever she had been talking about earlier.

I quickly finished up with my shower and got out as soon as she left the bathroom. Throwing my clothes on, I tried to do my makeup. Rather difficult without a mirror…

When I left the bathroom, I headed over to Willow. "How does my makeup look today?" I asked as casually as I could. She frowned in concentration and dabbed a bit at my eyelid. After a few seconds she stepped back to admire her handiwork and her face split into a beaming smile.

"Perfect! How 'bout mine?"

I glanced her over momentarily, one eyelid had more liner than the other so I balanced them out.

" 'Kay, all good."

As we walked out the Slytherin common room, Willow shoot a mischievous smirk at me.

"Do you like Draco Malfoy?" She blurted out in a single breath.

Whatever I had been about to say lodged itself in my throat. She seemed to notice that I'd been caught off guard because she giggled in glee.

"No, I so fucking don't!" I snapped at her.

"Yeah, right." She rolled her eyes dramatically.

"Hey there, little mosquito." A voice sneered behind me. I turned to see Draco smiling smugly down at me.

His sudden presence shocked my and I shivered in reflex (and not at all because of his close proximity).

"Hello, Malfoy." I replied in as cold a voice as I could muster up, refusing to meet his eyes.

One of his eyebrows twitched in irritation.

"After all we've been through?" He frowned in mock hurt and clutched a hand to his chest. Then his expression melted back into that conceited smirk of his. "Guess what?"

"What?" I humored him as I turned to walk to the Great Hall.

"One of your muggle bands, Good Charlotte or something, is performing near Hogsmeade tonight."

"Really?" My eager voice slipped out before I could remind it that we hated Malfoy.

"Well?" He asked impatiently. "Are you coming with me?"

Unable to resist, I dramatically gasped at him.