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I apologize a head of time, I don't know when the next time I will post a new chapter will be. I have finals coming up and graduation in a month but I promise I'll post as soon as I again.

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I don't own anything in the Harry Potter world. Its all J.K. Rowlings.

Chapter 3: Fake It

Hermione sat at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. She was completely lost in a daze, thinking about the night before. Why the hell had Draco kissed me? Also why had he run off so suddenly like it burned him to do so? I know that I'm not really that disgusting. Or was I just another notch on his Slytherin Sex God belt? She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realize that Ginny had been talking to her.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying Ginny?" Hermione said, coming back to the present.

"I was saying we should throw a party for Luna for her birthday." Ginny responded while giving Hermione a concerned looked.

"Ginny, Luna has said many times that she doesn't want to celebrate. I think we should listen to her wishes." Hermione replied, grateful to have a distraction from her thoughts.

"I know but still, I think it's exactly what we need. We have been serious for way to long. We are teenagers and we should act like it at least once before we face the doom that looms ahead of us. Come on Hermione, we should have one night where we are not thinking about war. I think we should have it after the next DA meeting. What do you think?"

"What does Hermione think about what?" Harry said coming next to Ginny and snaking his arm around her. His smile was warm and did not show that he was at all worried about what might happen shortly. He looked between the two girls, very curious as to what they were discussing.

"I'm trying to convince her that we should throw a party for Luna's birthday after our next D.A meeting." Ginny replied beaming up at him.

Hermione looked at the two with slight envy. Sure she had boyfriends in the past but they never looked at her the way Harry looked at Ginny. She wanted to feel loved and wanted. She knew Ron wanted her, but really she knew he only wanted her out of convenience. Merlin knew she didn't want him. He repulsed her and his eating habits were just the tip of that iceberg. She never really considered him a friend really. He was Harry's friend and just hung around them because of that. For her, she just felt like Ron only cared to have her around if she did his homework. She wanted someone who would love her for who she was and not just see her as someone who could just help him get good grades. Why Ron was really interested in her, she had no idea; only assumptions. There was no way he could truly know her like Ginny or Harry did.

"Like, Mione would agree to a party unless it was a study party." Ron said chuckling as he sat next to her. She couldn't help but roll her eyes; that just proved her point. He really didn't know anything about her. She loved a good party as much as the next party. People here just didn't really see her in that mode.

"My only objection, Ronald, is that Luna has said multiple times that she doesn't want a party. I think it would be wrong to go against her wishes." She replied slightly irritated.

Just in that moment, she looked up to see Draco enter the Great Hall. She didn't hear him return to the dormitory last night, so she figured it must have been pretty late when he returned. How he managed to stay out so late passed curfew without getting caught was a mystery to her. She had to admit she was curious about him. As her mind slipped back to the mysterious blond, her friends continued to discuss the possible party.

…

Draco walked towards the Slytherin table to pretend to eat what they were serving. In reality it was the most disgusting thing around him. When he got to his seat however, a note appeared on his plate. He looked around to see if he could figure out who left it for him. Seeing no one, he looked down to read it.

Dear Master Malfoy,

Since I figured what we have been serving you has not been adequate for you, I have informed a house-elf of your special situation and we will be able to serve you properly. Just stick to your goblet for now to fulfill your special needs. We will think of other arrangements so you do not need to sneak out of the castle any more at night. We will keep you posted on our findings.

Sincerely,

Professor Dumbledore

P.S. Professor Snape would like to see you to discuss possible solutions after your last class.

Draco couldn't help but smile. He was grateful that they were trying to accommodate him and his "special needs" as the note had said. He no longer needed to figure out how to sneak out of the castle to quench his bloodlust. He felt truly excited for the first time in years.

"What's with the goofy smile, mate?"

Draco looked up to see Theo Nott sit across from him. He was one of the few in Slytherin that Draco really felt like he could relate to the guy. If the guy was around a few hundred years ago, Draco could totally see Theo with himself and Damian. Unfortunately life wasn't like that. Shaking himself from his thoughts, he gave Nott a simple answer. He looked over the Gryffindor table to see Hermione deep in discussion with the female Weasley.

He felt bad for just running out on her, he really did have feelings for the girl. He hadn't felt this way for a long time. Not since Virginia. But it would never work, he couldn't risk her safety. Not to mention, she would grow old while he stayed eighteen forever. He couldn't handle that. He couldn't handle watching her grow old while he couldn't join her.

He looked down again, trying to distract himself from his feelings. He finished the concoction in his goblet and got up to head to class. It was going to be a long day if he had any classes with her.

"I'll see you later, mate." Draco said as Theo stuffed his face with eggs and beacon, forcing Draco to look away before he got to disgusted.

…..

When the end of classes came around, Draco walked into Professor Snape's office. He couldn't help but to be excited. He didn't like sneaking around in order to get food from the Forbidden Forrest.

Snape was sitting at his desk with a wooden box in front of him. He was clearly anticipating Draco's arrival. Draco could see that the other man was weary about being a lone with a vampire but was doing his best to try and hide it. Draco couldn't blame him; vampires didn't really have a great reputation. He supposed some of that had to do with the fact that most vampires avoided the wizarding world and the majority of information came from muggle myths. Draco could also tell that the man across from him was curious and was possibly hosting inquiries for him.

"I sense you have questions for me, professor. Please ask them. I really have nothing to hide from you."

Severus looked at him cautiously. Draco could tell he was trying to decide what to ask.

"How did you convince Narcissa to allow you into their home? What did you do to her to make her lower her defenses?"

Draco was a bit shocked by the question since that wasn't what he was expecting to be asked but didn't show his shock. Instead he answered the man by telling him of meeting Narcissa while she was at Hogwarts and how he saved her life from another vampire but unfortunately could not save the baby she was carrying. He continued on by telling Snape about how they managed to make him their son. He explained that there was no trick or form of mind control on either Narcissa or Lucius.

Satisfied with this answer, although maybe still suspicious, Snape nodded.

"Do we have to worry about the safety of Miss Granger sharing the Heads' living quarters with you?" Snape asked. This was a question Draco expected to hear. Despite how the professor acted, Draco knew that Snape cared for the young Gryffindor.

Draco sighed. He had hoped that after almost 7 years that he had proven himself to be safe around.

"I would not hurt her or anyone else in this castle. In fact she is probably safest with me. I have heightened senses that I can use to protect. But as far as your question goes, you do not have to worry about the two of us being in the same quarters."

"You have feelings for her, don't you?" Snape answered.

The two men sat in relative silence, assessing the question that now hung in the air. For Snape, it was like a light bulb going off. He saw it in the vampire's eyes. He could see the caring feelings that Draco had for the girl. Draco sat there trying to figure out how to answer. He wasn't sure how far he could or should go with the answer. He looked at Snape, assessing how much he could trust the man.

"She reminds of someone that I once knew when I was alive."

It was a simple answer but for Snape it spoke volumes. He could feel every emotion that Draco felt. It was the same way that he felt about Lily Potter. The only thing that was different in the two situations was that it was Draco who was dead. Severus didn't want to think about the pain that the other man had to have gone through. To be dead but still living and not being able to see the woman you loved must be a living hell.

"Well, this box contains a bunch of vials of a potion that will supplement as human blood. I found the recipe in one of the advanced potions book. I brewed this batch up last night. A small batch like this takes six hours to brew but it only makes a few dosages. We can tweak it as the year goes on. I have already seen a few modifications that I can make. I'll let you taste them and let me know if there is a way to make the taste more satisfying. You will help me brew the potion. If anyone asks, we are working you dissertation to become an apprentice in potions. Does this seem doable to you?"

"Thank you Professor Snape. Should we discuss a schedule?"

"I figured that you would come down here after your last class of the day on Mondays and Wednesdays. That is before detentions usually start so we won't have pesky brats sticking their noses in this."

"Okay, that sounds good."

"This batch should last you through tomorrow so we can meet on Wednesday to make the next batch. Once we get the right combination then we can make bigger batches that will last longer."

"Sounds great, sir"

"See you tomorrow during class, Mr. Malfoy."

…..

Hermione had given into Ginny's pleas to throw a party for Luna's birthday. She managed to convince Ginny to shrink the party list to just a few people. But now she was stuck planning the party. She wasn't particularly happy about it but at least this was her chance to prove to Ron that there was more to her than her brain. When Ginny asked her to plan it (or actually to help but she knew that meant she was planning it), Ron laughed at the idea saying the party would only consist of books and homework.

Sighing, she pushed the papers that consisted of the party plans. So far all she had was that they would have the party in the Room of Requirement but she couldn't decide what all to serve at the party. She knew Butterbeer was a given but she also thought perhaps wine would be a nice treat. But she was a bit frustrated with trying to figure it out. She looked at her watched and noticed it was half past four in the afternoon. She needed to do something to relax so she grabbed her satchel and dug out her iPod. She had magically tampered with it so she could bring it to the school. She flipped through the songs before she found one that would relax her.

She leaned back on the couch and closed her eyes. She let the music take her into a world where there was no homework, no classes, no party to plan, and certainly no Ronald. She imagined herself on the dance floor, allowing her feet to carry her away. In her mind it was nothing but her, the floor and the music. She was so wrapped up in her imaginary world; she didn't notice Draco enter the common room.

Draco stopped upon seeing her in such a relaxed state. Her face was so angelic when she wasn't worrying about anything. He looked at her up and down, studying her. He couldn't get over how beautiful she was. While looking at her, he noticed a pile of papers on the little coffee table in front of her. Bending over, he saw that they were party plans. He never thought of her as a party girl but he guessed a side of her was (or at least trying to anyways). He saw that she didn't really have much written down except where to have the party at. He definitely had to keep an eye on this planning.

She shifted on the couch, startling Draco out of his thoughts. Quickly, he moved towards the staircase that led up to their rooms. He took one more glance over at her, thinking of how much he wanted to protect her and confess his feelings for her. He turned back around and headed up the stairs. He was not going to admit his feelings and he would continue to pretend to be human. That was key if he wanted to successfully protect her. Yes, he had to fake it. Fake everything.

Thank you for reading! Please review and I'll try to post a new chapter again as soon as I can.