Hikarikurai24587- this chapter is dedicated to you, as promised. : )

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A quick thank you to Tomithy, my beta. He must get so bored checking all this for me because it's not exactly his thing lol. Thankies My fellow dwarf! Luvs ya!! Xxx

Chapter 7- Sudden Realisation

Hurried footsteps echoed around the corridors. Instinct told him that Draco was outside, but it wouldn't hurt to check inside would it? Besides, it was cold outside. He galloped down the marble stairs to the entrance hall. Multi coloured jewels glittered in their hourglasses. He noticed that the number of Ravenclaw's sapphires was smaller than the day before. Some students must have been sneaking around in the night. Harry smiled. Just like him, only now he had experience and equipment to not get caught.

His robes wrapped themselves around him as he turned to the huge oak doors leading to the great hall, which was empty except for a few house elves tottering about with huge piles of the golden plates and giant baskets of goblets. Sighing, he took a left and trudged down the path to the dungeons. The well-worn green carpet muffled his footsteps but his heavy breathing rebounded off the slightly slimy stone walls. The chill danced a path up his spine as he walked deeper under the school. He thought that he'd check by the common room. It was a good idea, but no one was around. Harry pouted. Looks like he'd have to go outside after all. He decided to look around for a bit; he didn't normally venture into this part of the castle (and it really was very cold.) The ceiling had arches in the shape of two entwined serpents. A shield with the Slytherin coat of arms adorned the wall and shone with a dull shine through the oppressing darkness. Harry chuckled, if anyone spent their time looking around the castle, it really was easy to see where the common rooms were.

Deciding that he really should leave before the Slytherins emerged he ran up the corridor again and emerged in the entrance hall. This time he walked between the emeralds and sapphires through the heavy dark wood doors. The security mechanisms on the door really were astounding and Harry silently prayed that they would never need to be used as he pounded the memorised path to the courtyard. Another frustrated pout adorned his full lips as he realised his quarry wasn't there. Where the hell is he? He whirled around but doubled back when he heard his name. A lone ash tree whispered in the wind at the far corner of the yard. Wearily (and thankful that no one was around to see this) he approached it. He was sure he was going nuts until he heard his name again. It was a croaky, almost non-existent voice that got carried away on the wind. Licking his lips in nervousness Harry answered.

"Yes?" The tree then stopped its dance with the breeze and creakily the branches pointed towards the stone wall, but Harry knew where it was pointing. It was pointing at the lake behind the wall.

"Thanks," he whispered and turned and raced through the archway. 'That was weird'. However he did stop his rush to turn around and look at the tree. It had continued its eternal waltz with the wind.


The lake swirled lazily and occasionally a few bubbles burst on the surface signalling the presence of the giant squid. Willows swayed in the icy breeze as Harry pulled his cloak up around his nose. He wished he'd thought to pick up his scarf, or possibly one of his Weasley jumpers. None of the trees spoke to him this time. They didn't need to; Harry could see a distant figure curled up under one of them. A flash of platinum confirmed the figures identity. Silently and lightning fast he glided towards him. His movements made no noise on the crisp grass, shrouded with frost. He stopped about three metres away, startling him was not the best way to start a conversation.

"Um… Hi." Harry's voice came out in a horse whisper. He wasn't sure whether that was to do with the cold entwining itself around him or the nervousness that gripped his insides. Draco jumped a little at the intrusion of his thoughts and instinctively went to a pocket underneath his expensive robes. Harry knew that that was where he kept his wand. The silver haired boy then relaxed when he registered whom it was and withdrew his empty hand. Harry noticed this and smiled. That meant Draco felt no threat from Harry, which marked the change in relationship between the two boys.

"Hello Harry." Silence echoed in a way only silence can across the lake. The water's ripples caught the early morning sunlight making them glitter. It's surface swirled as various insects skated across the surface. The silver frost was turned to gold in the light as a few birds took flight from the distant forest. Harry had never really noticed the true beauty of the grounds before. Maybe being a vampire allowed you to see true beauty. Speaking of true beauty…

"You wanted to say something?" Draco looked up at Harry from his position against a tree. Silvery eyes looked out through their thick dusty blonde frame. Porcelain skin was like the frost in the way it turned to gold at the touch of the sun. Golden hair twitched slightly in the breeze. White fangs nibbled a little nervously on heart-shaped rosy lips. A pointed chin was resting on a tightly black clad knee. A black polo neck hid his long neck from the biting wind. Draco really was beautiful. Harry swallowed down his emotions to give way to the forming words.

"I honestly don't know. I have no idea what I'm doing… um…" Again there was silence, and again it was Draco that broke it.

"I'm guessing you want to know what's happening to you."

"Uh, yeah that would be good." Harry smiled to himself; his interrogation skills really did suck. He closed the space between them and sat next to Draco. He felt warmed by the action, whether that was because of the body heat or the ethereal light emanating from the blonde. Draco turned to face Harry, a light blush gracing his high cheekbones. Harry's heart skipped at the sight, though he quickly extinguished the thought. He was finally getting answers.

"OK, so how much do you actually know?"

"I know I was bitten by a vampire a few nights ago and have become one as a result, though not fully. I can do things that normal vampires can't. But that's all I know" Draco sighed and smiled (again Harry's heart jumped)

"That makes it easier. At least I don't have to give you that shock." Harry tilted his head to one side. He did NOT like the way Draco had said "that".

"Well," Draco took a deep breath, steadying himself, "I'm the one that bit you..." The words hit him like a punch to the stomach, yet somehow he knew this wasn't the last of the shocks.

"… and I had the intention of killing you." The human side of him told him to run and to do it very quickly. He was sat next to a guy who tried to kill him! But something kept him there. Possibly his thirst for answers, possibly something else. He was also angry, mainly with himself. Of course, Malfoy came from a Death Eater family, so naturally he would have been trying to do Voldimort's bidding.

"I thought that Voldimort wanted to kill me himself." The Slytherin flinched at the name, which was unconsciously picked up on by the Gryffindor. It was the own calm in his voice as he said that unnerved him.

"Believe me Harry, this is not something he-who-must-be-named wants." The blonds stunning face was set in anger but Harry didn't notice this. 'He-who-must-not-be-named? Isn't that what people against him call him? Isn't it the Dark Lord to his followers?' Draco's silky voice cut through Harry's musings.

"I didn't try to kill you for He-who-must-not-be-named. I was trying to sa-," he sighed and changed the conversation. "Because I'm the one that bit you, you have inherited the same traits as me. That is the traits related to being a vampire, not personality." Harry was taken aback by the change of conversation. He was also convinced that he was telling the truth, though he couldn't tell why. And he wanted answers, so he initiated the continuation of the conversation by asking what he meant.

"Well, I'm not a pure blood vampire (Harry inwardly smiled at this), so I don't have all the qualities. Like… umm… I can go out in sunlight and can survive without coffins while full vampires can't. I can live without blood because I live through my human needs, like water and food. However, I get a migraine if I don't drink blood every 2 days. Because I created you, you're like me."

"So the migraines are our vampire side throwing a hissy-fit for attention?" Draco laughed at this. It was a music that sounded like an aristocrat tossing aside the pretence and it was a magic all of its own.

"Yes, I suppose you could put it like that." Once again there was silence. Harry was watching his companion, who was sat smiling, head once again on his knee. He was silently smiling and staring out into the lake. The smile had lasted too long to just be about the last comment and there was a deeper meaning to it. Harry had the impression that he was waiting for Harry to think and to ask questions. He obliged.

"Can it only be human blood? Or could it be the blood of animals?"

"Unfortunately only human, but as we don't have a full vampire body to support, we only need a small amount. Only enough to quell the hissy-fit." A smile once again graced his lips. It was enchanting, if Harry had been looking. He was staring at the frozen mud of the floor.

"So, where do you get your blood from? If none of you're friends know, then how?" The smile slipped from Draco's face like stink sap.

"Those prats in Slytherin are not 'Friends'. Besides, do you really think, with father being a death eater that I wouldn't have a consistent supply of human blood?" Harry's mouth shaped into an 'Oh' but one never escaped.

"In fact," started Draco, "there was too much blood for both of us. And she's pure." He wasn't looking at Harry but watching the Squid's bubbles rise to the surface. Harry fidgeted, partially because he was uncomfortable about the heaviness Draco's words had brought, and partially because the hard frozen ground was making his bottom numb.

"Draco…?" He jumped and stared at Harry at the sound of his name. He was unsure of how to progress next, and Draco's expectant stare was not helping much. "How- How come you're part vampire?" He instantly regretted asking the question as Draco visibly shrunk.

"Do-don't worry if you don't want to answer, it's ok!"

"No, you should know. You have a right to know, right?" He smiled but there were no wrinkles under the eyes. Harry had the impression that his heritage and family was a painful subject. It was in the moment he realised that he and Draco were inescapably bonded together, they knew exactly what the other felt like, but he had no idea. Harry had absolutely no idea who Draco Malfoy was. What he liked and hated, his personality, his past, what caused him pain. He made a mental note to find out. Guess he already knew one part.

"My- my mother is a vampire. Pure blood. Father isn't. He's pure blood wizard." He took in a deep breath. It was like the words had never before escaped his lips and had gone stale in their wait. "He- he was attracted to the… 'darkness' he thought came with being a vampire. Little did he know that there was no darkness there, yet he's still blind to that. Fool. He was also attracted to her because she was a pure blood. It doesn't matter to him what species of human you are, so long as your origin is pure. He truly is a fool. All this… obsession over pure blood, its crap. He's the only Malfoy left that's obsessed with it, which hopefully means he'll be the last."

"But…" Harry was completely confused, "Doesn't that make you half blood? How come you're father excepts you?"

"He's never excepted me. I was a mistake... in his eyes anyway. Mother went against his wishes and I was born as a result. As you can imagine, father punished her for it. She's blind in her left eye as a result. He's been punishing me since then too. Mother made herself ill with guilt. She felt it was her fault. It's not though, just my prat of a father. The reason he's kept me so close is he's scared that people will find out I'm half blood. You see, he's told know one about my mother, and until now neither have I."

"So, why are you telling me now? Out of all people, why tell me?"

"Because I believe you have a right to know. Besides, the bond we have from this, it's the deepest one I've had, besides my mother. And what's the point of telling her? She already knows." Once again Draco smiled disarmingly at Harry. He could get used to that smile VERY quickly.

"I think we should go up to the castle, breakfast should be being served around now. Don't want your friends to worry."

"Yeah, your right." Harry started to unfold himself from the floor, albeit rather stiffly. Suddenly Draco grabbed his hand. The shock that shot up his arm made him loose his balance and he came crashing down beside the Slytherin.

"Look, we're both the same, and as far as I know we're unique. I've researched, but nothing like this has ever been documented. We have to stick together, no matter what's happened in the past." The look in the stormy eyes said it all really. He was terrified. Of what Harry didn't know, but it was still unacceptable.

"I know." He smiled, got up and held out a hand for Draco. He looked at it and Harry knew exactly what he was thinking. He was thinking of that time where Draco offered his hand of friendship to Harry on their first day. Harry now realised how cruel he had been.

"Think of it as making up for the past," he said and moved his hand in front of the blonde's face, who stared at in awe. After a couple of seconds he smiled the biggest smile yet and accepted it. Harry couldn't help notice how it fitted perfectly. Draco stood up and the two boys slowly walked up to the castle, both wanting to make this journey last as long as possible.


When they eventually got up to the castle they were to late for breakfast, though neither minded and they made their way to potions, separating only to go to their usual desks. This did not go unnoticed and a burst of whispers erupted across the classroom, mostly from the green side. Snape also noticed but decided to keep quiet. Harry thanked whatever deity was up there that he was with Draco, or Snape would have had a go at them for being late. He sat down and instantly regretted his choice. On the left was Hermione giving him death stares and on the right was Ron poking him with every "I was right wasn't I? I was right!", and there was a lot of them. Harry looked up desperately at Draco, who burst into a fit of silent laughter. Pansy noticed this, which incited a death stare from her too. Thank God looks couldn't actually kill. Well, unless you happen to have a basilisk in your back pocket (A/N well, if you just ask Hagrid nicely…)

Transfiguration went in much the same way until break, where he had no choice but to tell them what was happening. He told them Draco was the source ("I KNEW IT!"- Ron), and that the reason he could live pretty much normally was because he's half blood and he has to have human blood every two days to keep the vampire at bay. He left out the part about Draco's family, the offer of friendship, and his view on "he-who-must-not-be-named" and pure blood. Well, if Harry had told them the last two things it would have shattered Draco's image.

Harry finished to a gleeful Ron and a worried Hermione. He rubbed his head; a dull ache had developed which would surely lead to a migraine.

"It's hurting again isn't it?" Hermione asked. She bit her lip and conjured a small vial. She then put a deep cut in her finger and filled it with liquified rubies. When it was full, she handed it to Harry, who took it with shaking hands. A memory surfaced, '...special arrangements... a friend's help...' so that's what Dumbledore meant. Feeling slightly sick he raised the vial to his lips and drank. As the blood slithered over his tongue the headache disappeared, but the sick feeling didn't.

"This is going to take some getting used to isn't it?"