One of the benefits of being a vampire was definitely the seeming overabundance of spare time. He didn't have to sleep the full 8 hours he needed before being turned so 3 was plenty for him.
In the time he didn't sleep he used that time to still relax in his bed and decided to read. Hermione would be more than ecstatic but then he wasn't sure how much she'd approve. It wasn't a textbook. The collection of Edgar Allan Poe had been simple and if he took the time to think he enjoyed their meaning.
He read the short stories that Sol's friends had mentioned like the Beating Heart, Annabel-Lee, and the Raven. He swallowed up the short stories the man wrote. They were all arresting in how much anticipation was built up. He had to admit that A Cask of Amontillado was his favorite.
A week before Christmas though, it wasn't stories keeping him up. He'd drifted to sleep with the book clutched in his hands.
His dreams began in a darkened maze of shrubs, he was running but something was different.
He didn't recognize the hand that held his wand in front of him, it wasn't his wand either. The hand was pale and smaller than his own spindly fingers. With a startled he realized he wasn't him, he was Harry.
Harry was trembling and panting with adrenaline, he could feel it himself like ice in his already cold veins. Harry ran, turning, being cut off and then moving weigh around. The maze had traps and then he met a boy, a 6th or 7th year by his look.
Their words were garbled, he couldn't hear and then he focused on something. A cup, a shining goblet that Harry and the boy grasped together and then twisted away.
Ron bolted upright, his chest tight and he huffed in a way he hadn't since he'd turned. He was freezing, shivers wracking him. He had no idea what that dream was but he didn't like it.
He shook it off, slumping off the bed but bringing the comforter with him to drape over his t-shirt clad shoulders. He sat near the fireplace which was kept warm like all the other rooms in the castle. He steadied his breathing and decided he needed a good distraction from that awful dream.
He looked up and down the hall, suddenly blanking on where the library was.
Ron found a mural to his right, a girl in a beautiful red gown with gloves. Her eyes a flickering yellow that labeled her a vampire "hello" he greeted her and she curtsied. "Oh" he bowed back feeling a little ridiculous "I'm not sure the library is, can you take me?" he asked.
She nodded then started walking to the left and he followed her, at the one point she even switched walls. He guessed it wasn't that weird, Hogwarts paintings could switch from painting to painting if they wanted. She showed him the doors of the library. "Thanks," he said and she smiled.
He opened the door, it lit up as he entered and he placed his other book down. He looked at the collection of books and chose 'Dracula' because Sol told him it was the basis most people had in the muggle world for vampires. The book took him about three hours to read all the way.
He jumped when he heard the door creak open "did I scare you? Sorry" a young man said.
"No, it's fine," Ron said, the man stepped into the light, he looked about Charlie's age. His hair was dark brown and he had blue eyes, "are you human?" he asked.
His brow rose "um yes, but I'm off-limits. Only for my wife" he said.
It took Ron a moment to piece together what he meant but when he got it, he flushed. "Oh! No, I wasn't asking because. No," he said.
"Sorry, had to clarify. You're the new Prince, aren't you?" the man said taking a seat at another armchair.
"Oh, yes I am," Ron said, he still hadn't gotten used to it "I'm Ron Weasley, I mean Ron Weasley-Grey? Ronald Grey? Sorry, I'm not used to all this title stuff" he said.
"I can't imagine it's easy, I'm Ben" he offered a hand, Ron shook it with relief at such a normal social procedure without the bowing. "Dracula, huh?" he asked looking at Ron's book.
Ron shrugged "I'm a wizard so I've never read muggle literature. Is this really how vampires are seen?" he asked.
"Well, nothing about this world exists for most of us. Dracula is a pretty big basis though for other books and stuff about vampires. The most common touchpoint is they suck blood and can't be in sunlight which is correct" Ben replied.
"So you're muggle too?" Ron asked.
"Yup and my wife is the vampire so I live here with her."
"So you let her take your blood?" Ron asked.
Ben nodded "if we're in the mood, yeah. Not every day but once every two weeks. See fresh blood leaves satiated longer than bottled blood" he said.
Don hadn't told him that but maybe Don was trying to ease him into this. "Really?" he asked, "doesn't hurt?"
Don blushed "not really after a second, that vampire numbing stuff is really strong. It feels good after the first time and then it just gets better."
Ron didn't ask any more questions but now he was curious, Don had told him this but he'd never thought that someone would actually want that. And to hear that he could be full for a whole two weeks after having fresh blood sounded incredible.
Ron jerked himself out of it, his teeth had startled to elongate and he swallowed. He was salivating at the thought of warm blood on his tongue. "So I take you haven't bitten anyone?" Ben asked.
Ron shuddered trying to take his mind off thinking about blood like it was mum's pot roast with potatoes and chocolate cake for dessert. He felt disgusted in himself "no, I can't."
"Can't or won't?" Ben asked, his expression turning a little more serious.
Ron shrugged looking away "since I was bitten, I'm already a pariah. Everyone's either scared and interested. I drink my blood from a bottle and I feel no different. I'm a wizard, my magic never went away even if I'm suddenly belonging to a culture I don't know enough about" he said, feeling long-winded. "Sorry, I didn't mean complain at you."
Ben shook his head, sitting back "no I don't mind, your not the first person who's talked to me about problems. I'm a psychiatrist" he said.
"Um, is that a muggle thing?" Ron asked tilting his head.
"Oh um, it's like a mind healer, I think that's what you call them in your world" Ben explained.
"Oh," Ron said considering "so you help people who are off the deep end, then?"
"Sometimes but I also help people who need their thoughts organized by someone unrelated to him. If I can say something, I think you are having trouble acknowledging your duality" Ben said.
"Duality?" Ron asked.
"You are a wizard which has so many expectations from the government and from your family. Then you also have expectations from the Vampire Monarchy and from your mentor. You're having trouble balancing, it sounds like" Ben explained, sitting forward with his hands clasped.
Ron considered this for a moment. Maybe that was it, he wasn't sure how to be both a vampire and a wizard. "Even if you're right, what am I supposed to do?" he said.
"Maybe you should learn yourself more," Ben said.
"Learn myself?"
"Be more introspective, like why can't you drink blood from a person?" Ben asked. Ron shrugged "whatever you say I can promise I won't repeat."
Ron looked to Ben, who was about his eldest brother's age. He was serious "because I'm worried I'll enjoy it" he said, flushing. His stomach fluttering with discomfort "I can't talk about this anymore, thanks for listening Ben, bye" he said, getting up swiftly and heading back to his room.
He shut his door realizing the churning in his stomach wasn't from nervousness but hunger. He was hungry even though he'd had some earlier that day for lunch. What was worse was what he had a craving for.
The angst is on.
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