Title: Human

Author: Metis' mischief

Summary: Harry Potter's life changed drastically, turning around 160 degrees completely. In an accident, he turned into a creature of the dark, feared by all. When the temptation for the call of the blood and flesh becomes too much for Harry. He becomes desperate and seeks help but many of his friends and colleagues turned away from terror and disgust. True bonds are revealed. Friendships are tested. Draco Malfoy, an old enemy, unexpectedly, becomes the light of Harry's dark world.

Disclaimer: This scripture was based from the characters and scenes from the astonishing novels: Harry Potter series by J.K Rowling, and as an aspiring writer, I have no rights and claims to these fantastic novels but I dare say, what I only own are the ideas in this tale: HUMAN

Author's notes: This tale focus on the darker aspect of life, such as blood, flesh, temptation, betrayal, hatred, and revenge along with it is hope and love. You have been warned!

Message: I am so sorry to everyone. It's been a while. I have been having issues with my laptop and I still don't have the money to buy a new or even fix this old laptop mine, so please bear with me. Thank you for understanding!

From the previous chapter:

"Your intention is good but the result will be devastating." He said seriously. "Your goal will cause death for the house-elves. Their extinction."

Shaking, I inhaled deeply and realize that my every encounter of the house-elves that I tried to save clearly fear it and I am angry with my ignorance and arrogance. Now, I know what was Malfoy was talking about. I was only seeing the light side, My own point of view.

"Thank you, Malfoy for enlightening me," I uttered after inhaling and exhaling as I come in terms of my arrogance and lack of knowledge.

"Always happy to correct you, Granger." He said finally, with a hint of teasing in his voice.

I raised an eyebrow at him. As his playful manner, erase the awkwardness and tension in the air.

"Hermoine," I said.

"What?" He blinked at me with genuine surprise.

"Call me Hermoine."

Grumbling for a bit before he replied. "Then, you may call me Draco, Hermoine."

"Yes. Thank you, Draco." I repeated as I smile at him.

"Your welcome, Hermoine." He spoke in an uncertain voice.

'Never judge a by appearance, what house they belong to or their manner of speaking. I guess a Gryffindor can also become friends with a Slytherin.' I thought as I stared at Draco's face.

End of the previous chapter.

Chapter 17: Warm Hope

I sat there, listening absent-mindedly to Hermoine as she retells how she and Malfoy had spent the time together researching and finally coming to understand each other while I was in a deep sleep for the past 3 days. The conversation soon started to go in a more serious topic and my mind went in an alert mode. Apparently, Malfoy let Hermoine took the initiative in slowly revealing the cruel truth of the possibility of me becoming a dark creature, specifically, a strigoi. He left the room, giving the privacy we need.

According to Hermione and based on the books that they have researched on, along with Malfoy's apparent testimony with the pureblood's heritage, a Strigoi is a creature that has risen from the dark side, akin to the ancient vampires and werewolves as they have bottomless lust for blood and flesh of any being and losing their sanity for the unbearable hunger that curses them.

I become dizzy and almost fainted on the spot if not for Hermoine gently breaking down the facts and details, when she got to part that I might transform my features into what was describe as a monstrous being - a mixture of a wolf, bat, lizard or even a scorpion - that Hermoine has to stop as I almost fell out from my sit.

"Maybe. I should really stop, Harry. You don't look so good." She mumbled as she looks at me in concern.

I shook my head, not wanting to look so weak. "Please continue, Moine."

Reluctantly, Hermoine continued in a more determined tone as the topic shifted to the possible solutions that they have theorized.

"Draco and I had an idea that might help you in reducing your craving if we feed you magical creature's flesh and scheduled you to have a bit of human blood from us." She spoke slowly. " For the cure, well...we still don't anything as for now but we eventually finds it!

I swallow with great difficulty as I shudder at the idea of eating any part of my best friend. I 'm suddenly felt disgusted with myself and felt bottomless despair as there seem to no cure to this curse.

After finishing her speech, a deafening silence reign over us throughout Malfoy's kitchen, as I began to contempt the idea of becoming not a Human.

Suddenly, warm hands embraced my clenched fist, I look up. Hermoine was staring at me - on to my eyes. "I know this might be difficult for you and I don't know to what extent, Harry but..." She inhaled and exhaled slowly and deeply. "If it helps, I'm still here for you, Harry. I'm your best friend."

Sighing, I smiled at her. "It helps, Hermoine." Relief flash within my chest which was full of anxiety, pain, and tiredness. "You do help a lot, Hermoine. Thank you."

"Your welcome, Harry." She said after a while.

I returned to the room, that I previously slept on, after the talk with Hermoine was done. I felt tired as I laid on the soft mattress. An emotion engraves within me, starting to leak then erupt out from my chest - it was hot, painful and it is making me unable to breathe. Then I realize that I was angry.

No.

Not angry but it was more like hatred. I was full of hate within me!

I hated my life for what Fate took from me. First, my parents, who I never met and only knew through the stories of others then my childhood, which I spend with unloving relatives that prefer to make me feel unworthy of anything and now, my life that I just earn recently by turning me into this monster that craves to eat even my best friends and my adopted family.

Why me?! A question that I continue to ask to no one, over and over again.

Why don't just kill me and be done with it?

I screamed in my head as hot tears fell from my eyes as hatred, anger, and remorse flooded and almost sweep me away. This is not fair, my life and everything!

'Of course, Harry dear. Didn't they tell you? Life is not fair.' A familiar feminine voice spoke, suddenly.

I sat up immediately as soon as I heard her voice. I knew who was it - My demon. "Shut up!" I yelled openly and unrestrained. I had enough! "Leave me alone!"

'Oh, feisty.' She giggled in my ears. 'But I can't leave you alone, Harry because I love to stay and mess you up.'

I screamed in anger and frustration as I run up to the full-length mirror across my room, beside the drawer. The reflection showed a pale and beautiful monster with red eyes as she laughs at my misfortune. I strike without care at that laughing face as I screamed at her to shut up. I curse at her and punched without stopping until my knuckles turn red and marred by the glass that tears my flesh until blood drip onto the floor. I continued until her image disappear from my sight. The mirror was busted and broken as the fragments scattered unto the floor with my blood painted all over them.

I panted heavily as I ungracefully flop my ass on the floor while pain aches as I stared at my butchered hand. I slowly straighten my back as I winced as my blood dribble more.

"Are you done?" A voice came from behind me. I turned immediately and saw Draco Malfoy from the door.

"Malfoy, What are doing here?" I grumbled as I hid my injured hand and peeked at the broken mirror to see if she was still there. Luckily, she was gone.

"As the owner of this house, I have to see to myself if somebody is trying to wretch my things, even if it's only a mirror." He uttered as he raised one of his eyebrows at me.

I blushed in embarrassment as I remember how I took out my anger on his mirror.

"And might I ask, if why does my mirror deserve such treatment?" He asked casually.

I couldn't tell him the reason because only a lunatic can see another person in the mirror and even hear voices in one's head.

"I'm sorry." I can only offer an apology. I heard a sigh from across the room, I fidget as blood drips from my hand.

"Potter, you're really a piece of work, aren't you?" He grumbled as he walks towards me, kneeling in front of me and took my injured hand as he examined it. He took out his wand as he uttered a spell to remove the debris of glass shards, cleanse it and lastly, healed it with a potion from his pocket as he added a few drops on my hand. Hissing as the potion took effect, the flesh mended together then he finally let go of my hand.

"Thanks," I whispered. After a while, he waves his wand again as he fixes the broken mirror - restoring it to its original form.

As if inspecting me, he took his time searching through every feature of mine then he grabs my arm and pulled me towards the bed.

"Hey," I uttered.

"Stop being stubborn, Potter." He said as he pushed me to sit on my bed. "Here, drink this." He snaps his middle finger and thumb then out from thin air - a teacup with the warm concoction appeared on his hand.

"What's this?" I asked as I smelled the fragrance, it was surprisingly mouthwatering and had a calming effect on me.

"Hibiscus tea with a hint of my blood." He spoke indifferently.

I paled as I heard the mixture and pushed the teacup away.

"I don't need it." I pressed my lips hard as it forms a line.

"Why?" He asked. "Don't tell me that you are disgusted with my blood then I guess I'll ask Hermoine."

"No. That's not it." I said, aggravated as to why he can't understand my stand.

"Hmmm..."

I can feel his eyes on me with such intensity as if he was trying to find all the secrets hidden within me. After a while, he sighed then gracefully sat beside me.

"So, I guess it's not about the blood." He contemplates then continue after a minute. "but it's the act of taking from us - is what you are disturbed about, right?" He asked with a calm and understanding tone that it surprise me so much as I could not help but to openly gawk at him with an unabashed expression on my face.

"How-" I began to utter but caught myself from asking. I blushed as I realize I was about to open up, of all people, is with Malfoy.

"I could tell by how you reacted and based on who you are, Potter." he smiled at me, in a lazy and kind of affectionate way, that it made me squirm uncomfortably as I realized that it felt strange within the pit of my stomach, not horrible but more of a pleasant feeling. "I could easily guess how your brain works weirdly." He smirked in teasing way.

'Whoa!' I blinked in dazed then shake my head to snap out of it as I began to sink in adoration and admiration for Malfoy 'This can't be happening.'

"Are you alright?" He asked as he saw me acting strangely.

I feel hot as I stutter: "Yes, just tired."

"Okay, then sleep after drinking this." He offered the teacup again.

I stared at the cup as I debated if I should take it or decline the offer more gently.

"Potter, it's given willingly and not taken forcefully." He said as he took my hand and placed the warm tea. "Just think of it as blood donation or to humor yourself think of it as how a donor mother gives her breastmilk to another child." Then he took off as I laughed at his sarcastic comparison of my situation to a mundane matter.

"Thanks, Draco," I whispered as I stared warmly at the teacup at my hand.

Author's message: It would be a great pleasure and help if you would give a bit of advice or comment about this Chapter 17: Warm Hope as a way of giving me support and a form of a guide in the improvement of this story. Stay tuned for the next update. That's all.

For now, adios