Chapter 3: Resonance
Draco felt much better that evening and decided to join his class mates for dinner in the Great Hall. He showered again and went to his closet to change into a uniform.
He closed it before screaming—which he stifled quite well. Octavia, strangely, was sleeping in his closet. He opened it again and sure enough, a sleeping vampire was resting in his closet. Draco grabbed his clothes and laid them on the bed before examining the vampire.
Octavia's hair was ebony black and her skin unhealthily pale. Her lips were blood red and fangs protruded over her lower lip. There was not a blemish on her white face. Draco closed the door and changed into his clothes.
"Seriously," he muttered at the crack in closet, "what if someone finds you there?"
"Thou seems well now," Octavia snapped. "If thou hast the voice to rebuke, then use it to regain thy energy. Leave me in peace."
Draco frowned and left the room. "Fine," he shouted at the closet, "be that way."
He shut the door and headed upstairs to the Great Hall. He stopped for a moment due to a fainting spell and supported himself against the wall.
The hall, as usual, was lit by candlelight. However, no one around him was in the required school uniform. A man with red hair and deep blue eyes approached him. Draco was reminded of Weasley, watching him.
"Octavia, child, come and join thy father for the evening meal this night," he said.
"If thou wish it, Father, thou and I shall dine," Octavia answered from Draco's mouth. The man offered his arm to Draco and he took it. Passing by a window, Draco looked at his reflection. It was Octavia.
She had a healthy glow about her: rosy cheeks, a light pale skin tone, deep hazel brown eyes and her hair looked slightly lighter than it did when he looked at it before. Her lips were not blood red, but rosy pink.
He averted his gaze away from the reflection in the window and entered the Great Hall. The students stood and bowed to him and Godric Gryffendor.
Draco opened his eyes. Lucius Malfoy stood before him.
"Draco," his father said, giving him a slightly worried glance. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Father," he said.
"You almost collapsed," Lucius said. "If something is wrong, Draco, tell me now. The others are waiting for me to bring you in for interrogation."
"They want to know why I missed school," he stated.
Lucius nodded. "They think you stupidly ditched after having detention with Professor Binns. Speaking of which, why did you get detention in his class?"
Draco laughed nervously. "It was nothing, Father; I was tired always having to hear him drone on about the goblin wars. But it wasn't much of a detention. I only had to take notes on a legend he told me and give him the meaning behind it."
"And the meaning?"
"Beware of strangers."
Lucius chuckled. "Come on, boy," he said, clapping Draco on the shoulder, "we best join the others for dinner."
"Right," Draco said. Lucius was assigned to a school position as the new Transfiguration teacher. It bothered Draco once in a while, but otherwise, he kept silent on the matter.
It must have been harder for Octavia, he thought, her Dad's a school founder and was one of the first headmasters after all. My Dad's just a lowly teacher now.
Draco looked at his reflection in the window. He saw what he ought to see—himself: flaxen blonde hair, grey blue eyes, a thin face, and a pointed nose. He averted his gaze and entered the hall. Lucius let him go to the Slytherin table.
Sitting between to Blaise and a sixth year student, across from Vincent and Gregory, Draco began to eat.
The chicken tasted strange. It was too thick and chewy. He took a drink of pumpkin juice. It was too sweet. He vanished the food from his plate and dished the potatoes and other vegetables instead and refilled his goblet with water. The water was too bland.
"Draco, are you alright?" Vincent asked.
Draco shook his head, glaring at him. "Do I look alright to you?"
Vincent shrugged. "I was wondering because you usually like chicken and roast. And you always down your goblet pretty fast."
"Everything tastes…artificial."
"What?"
"Fake."
"Oh."
"What's wrong with Draco?" Gregory asked.
"Something's wrong with his mouth."
"I NEVER SAID THAT!" Draco bellowed, jumping out of his seat. "Fine, you know what, forget this shit, Vin," he said tapping the goblet. The water turned into red wine. Draco took a sip. That tasted better than the water and the juice.
"Since when do you drink wine?" Blaise asked, tapping his knife on the plate.
"Since now," Draco snarled, taking a seat again. He caught the prying eyes of the Death Eaters posing as teachers and hid his face from view. A note materialized onto the table.
Don't loose your calm, boy.
No need to ask who sent that. He glanced up at his Aunt Bellatrix—now teaching Astronomy—and smirked at her. Aunt Bellatrix raised a penciled eyebrow in warning. Draco sighed and returned to his food.
Sorry it took so long to update! I've been trying to finish the story for you guys. It's not done yet, but it's got an actual ending now, so I hope you enjoy what I can dish out for you guys for now. Reviews and flames both appreciated.
