malfoy

AN: Don't kill me! I know three people ready to attack because it's taken me so long to get this chapter out! it's pathetic... it took me so long to write this but it's short! I really don't like the way this chapter came out. Expect the next chapter out soon; the whole story IS almost over!!

Draco Malfoy
And the Bloodstone
_ _ _ _ _By Ti'ana

Chapter Thirteen

Minutes, hours, days passed; Draco wasn't sure of the time that had passed since his last conscious thought. He awoke in the darkened room he immediately recognized as part of the hospital wing. Outside his draped bed, he heard voices arguing in barely a whisper, but to one who had not heard a sound in such a long time (however long that may be), it was as if they were speaking in normal tones.

"Something just doesn't make sense! Think about it, Albus. When was the last time one of those... those monsters appeared anywhere remotely near Hogwarts? And since then, we have taken every possible precaution to avoid that mistake again. We've failed!"

"It's a terrible thing, Severus, I agree. It is very unlikely that she could even..."

Professor Snape's voice rose a bit. "I'm not saying she did! In fact, the possibility that she would do something like that is absurd! She'd understand the consequences, and know that whatever she did would backfire on her."

Draco assumed the "her" they were speaking about to be Lisha, considering the circumstances. What they were saying, though, was beyond him. He strained his ears to listen more clearly.

"Then who is it?" This was another voice, grainy and monotonous: Professor Blodsucan.

Snape's voice was harsh as he answered, "If we knew that, Flavius, we would not be discussing the matter, now, would we?" An awkward silence followed.

Finally, Professor Blodsucan spoke, bringing up another topic. "I should go send word to the parents about the children."

Snape's voice responded quickly in his usual raucous mood. "Perhaps I should-"

"If you'll excuse me, Professors," Madam Pomfrey interrupted, exasperated, "but I am in the midst of treating two very injured young students, and you are disrupting my work. So please, leave the hospital wing and find some place more appropriate for these matters."

"Of course, Poppy. Yes, let's head to my office. Severus, Flavius. I'll try to persuade Minerva to help solve this mystery as well." Dumbledore's voice was more cheery. "Let's go."

Draco kept his eyes shut until he was sure Madam Pomfrey as well had left. Cautiously, he sat up and moved towards the end of the bed. Every muscle in his body ached as he shifted. Most likely from the fall, as it hadn't hurt much at the time, like a person who feels the aftereffects of running three miles the next morning, with no desiring to leave bed. But Draco knew he must.

Draco's main priority was to see how Lisha was fairing. She had, after all, taken the worst of the situation; that is, if what Draco had imagined happened after he blacked out did indeed occur. Madam Pomfrey had said there were two students she was taking care of, so at least he knew she was still alive... or barely.

What about his parents? Surely, they will receive news of this by tomorrow. Special service owls were sent out for such important events like this one. Narcissa and Lucius would most likely attempt persuade Draco to leave school for the rest of the year, but he would wind up staying nonetheless.

Quietly, Draco edged off the bed and sucked in his breath as he put his hands on the curtain. He peeked out, making sure Madam Pomfrey was no where to be seen, and stepped from behind the curtain. The bright light that hit his eyes hurt for a brief moment. The bed across from him was thickly curtained as well. Draco bit his lip, stepped toward it, and cautiously opened it.

There was no change in expression when Draco saw the girl laying on the bed in front of him. For moment, he thought he had stumbled on some other injured student, but he realized that was stupid. Two horrible accidents like the one that had occurred to Draco and Lisha could happen simultaneously. No, this horribly bruised, broken body before him was indeed Lisha Luralby. Besides her unusually pale skin (which was a slightly green color), the veins that stuck out from the thin epidermal layerwere an odd and purplish.She didn't even look human, but she was undoubtedly Lisha. It was difficult to process, that the girl he cared for so looked like an cadaverous monster.

Fighting back a stream of tears and swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat, Draco moved closer to Lisha and placed his hand on hers. Unsurprisingly, her hand was like ice.

A soft voice rasped behind him. "What are you doing?"

Draco turned his head quickly. "I'm sorry, Madam Pomfrey. I was just— I mean, I was worried and I—"

Madam Pomfrey shook her head sadly. "I understand. You two went through a lot together earlier."

"Earlier? You mean it's hardly been a day since the attack?"

"Less than three hours, in fact. I put a deep sleep charm on you so you'd rest undisturbed. Poor Miss Luralby was too weak to cast one on. Had I done that, she most likely would not have woken up for several months. Considering her condition, I'm surprised she survived at all."

Draco began to arch a brow, but cringed as a searing pain shot through his forehead. "Condition?"

Almost immediately, the nurse realized she had made a mistake saying anything, and exited quickly. When she reached the door, she paused and turned back to Draco. "If you are feeling up to it, you may go back to your dormitory. You have no need to stay here."

Confused by Madam Pomfrey's actions, as she was usually so careful to keep students under her care as long as necessary (or before Professor McGonagall told her keeping a student with a scrape on his arm for a week was impractical), Draco did as he was told, giving one last glance to Lisha, and headed out of the hospital wing.

Draco was greeted by a sharp cheer by those present in the Slytherin common room. Crabbe, overcome by some obscure emotion, got Draco in a bear hug, nearly crushing his ribcage. Pansy Parkinson sobbed and jumped into Draco's arms. Rather, she thrust her massive arms under Draco's and buried her bulldog face in his shoulder. Disgusted, he pried himself loose from her vice-grip and bolted through the corridor leading to the boy's dormitories.

Once Draco reached his room, he threw himself on his bed and hugged his pillow tightly. Then he did something he hadn't had done in a long time: he wept uncontrollably until he fell asleep hours after Crabbe and Goyle had retired for the night.

***

Draco awoke the next morning without remembering he had fallen asleep. In fact, he didn't realize he had until he recognized another presence in the room. Sitting at the end of his bed was the narrow, dark figure of Professor Blodsucan.

"P-Professor?" Draco pulled himself together at the head of his bed and sat up as straight as he could. Brushing the blonde strands that struck to his sweaty forehead, he asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to commend on your actions last night," Professor Blodsucan began. "Do you have any idea what you were attacked by?"

"Lisha told me it was a demon of some sort. She didn't tell me why it was there, though, only that it wasn't after me."

"Well, of course it wasn't after you, Draco. What you met last night in the woods was a bit more complicated than your basic demon. Grindylows are classified as demons as well, but demons have their own classes, you know. That demonic creature in the woods last night was your basic vampiric class of demon. They usually go after their own kind, you know." He raised his eyebrows.

"Really? I didn't know," Draco mumbled, trying to make sense of the professor's words.

Disappointed by Draco's humdrum answer, Professor Blodsucan pressed on. "Not many wizards and witches have ever survived an attack by a vampiric demon, much less another vampire."

Draco hesitated before answering. "Well, both of us survived, that's for sure. Madam Pomfrey says that Lisha's doing pretty bad, though. We don't know how she's going to turn out, if at all."

Professor Blodsucan sighed. "Perhaps you should see Severus. He knows more about these odd health matters than I ever will. I only protect people from attacks, I cannot heal them. Good day, Mister Malfoy."

Once the teacher had gone, Draco figured it may be a good idea to speak to Professor Snape. He was, after all, rather close to Lisha. When he was sure Blodsucan had disappeared, Draco stood and exited the boy's section of the Slytherin House. He stepped through the stone entrance, and walked down the hall to Professor Snape's bedroom.

He hesitated before knocking, breathed in deeply, then rapped sharply three times. There was no response.

"Professor Snape?" Draco called. "It's Malfoy, I need to speak with you."

Still, no reply.

Draco knocked once more. "Professor? It's urgent. I... Oh no!"

It was Thursday. Draco had forgotten that there was class today. He started running back to the Slytherin House, but stopped short as he reached the end of the hallway. I have Defense Against the Dark Arts first on Thursdays, Draco thought. He looked at his watch. Classes started a half hour ago. Shouldn't Professor Blodsucan be teaching right now?

Ignoring that thought, he began jogging towards the House and ran smack into a tall, thin, dark figure.

"Mister Malfoy, what are you doing out of the hospital wing?" asked Professor Snape, looking rather unsettled and more lurid than usual.

"Class," Draco panted. "I have to go to class."

"Classes have been canceled today. What are you up to?" Professor Snape gave Draco one he had so often directed towards Harry Potter and his Gryffindor familiars, and crossed his arms across his chest, narrowing his black eyes.

Mustering up whatever courage hadn't been sucked from him last night, Draco said, "There's something wrong with Lisha, Professor Snape."

The Potions teacher's arms dropped to his side. For a moment, Snape looked like a troubled adolescent who, under the circumstances, appeared years older than he should. There was a lost expression on his face, even as he answered, "I know. I know better than you, better than Madam Pomfrey, and better than Albus Dumbledore."

"Tell me," Draco pleaded. His pale blue eyes filled with tears. "I have to help her. Please tell me what I can do. I'll do anything!" He paused. "I know what's been going on between you and Lisha," he added when he saw no change in the professor's cold stare.

Snape's eyes darted left and right, then he grabbed Draco's robe sleeve and dragged him down the hall towards his office. Roughly, he threw the bewildered boy into the room and slammed the door shut.

"Sit," he ordered. Draco, in confusion, scrambled to a chair and sat on the edge. The chair tipped over, but Draco quickly stood up and sat down correctly, adjusting his robes and then clutching his knees.

"So," Professor Snape said calmly, turning towards the wall nearest him, peering into a nearby curio cabinet full of different colored vials. "You figured out what was going on between Miss Luralby and myself?" Draco nodded. Snape opened the cabinet door and pulled out one of the vials. "I see. So you know about our relationship?" Again, Draco nodded.

Snape slammed the cabinet door closed and flew over to Draco. He shoved the crystal bottle in his hand under Draco's nose. "Do you know what this is?"

Shocked by Snape's sudden movements, Draco sat still for a while without even breathing. Finally, he willed himself to shake his head and move his face away.

"The things in this bottle are all magical substances. They are only used with certain individuals, most of which were originally witches and wizards." Snape swirled the solution around in the vial. The large pieces of precipitate collected in the middle and settled, taking up half the space in the bottle.

Draco shook his head, and swallowed the lump of fear that had formed in his throat. "I don't understand what you mean. Originally witches and wizards?"

"Well," Snape said, through a malicious grin. "Well. Vampires usually target those who have power. The bodies of us wizards contain magic down to the tiniest cell. The blood accommodates the major source of power. While regular, once-human vampires attack simply for the blood, vampires that were once wizards don't attack for the blood, they attack for the power. It isn't a very well-known fact that vampires are the only beings who can absorb the power of a wizard in this manner, or else everyone could suck us dry of magic." Draco's blank stare told Snape he wasn't fully understanding that which he was saying.

He continued to clarify. "The teal potion you see in here is a synthetic blood. It contains the power of wizards who have been stripped of their magical abilities. Most of what is in here is from prisoners in Azkaban after they go completely off their rocker, as you may say, or just before the Dementors deliver their 'kiss of death.' This potion is very rare and difficult for just anyone to obtain.

"The myth about vampires only being allowed after dark comes from this." Snape lifted the vial. "Centuries ago, the solution was easily decomposed, and could only be taken in the morning when it was obtained, or as soon as it was made which was difficult to do. Besides being easily decayed, it was very weak, and lasted only about twelve hours. By the time night came, the wizard vampires hungered for blood, and attacked several normal humans to obtain whatever power was in their blood (as some regular people have very small traces of magic in their body). For those wizard and witch vampires that prefer to be more less feral, this solution is provided to them for no cost."

Despite the whirling in his head that was being filled with all this clashing information, Draco was beginning to understand. "Are you saying that there is a vampire in this school, and you've been helping them?"

Snape's black eyes darkened over. "Nothing that is said in this room leaves this room. I'm giving you the information, and you will use it as you see fit."

"What does any of this have to do with Lisha?"

"Figure it out for yourself, Malfoy." Snape folded his hands and sat at his chair behind his desk, staring at Draco and waiting for his response.

Slowly, quietly, carefully, Draco answered. "Lisha Luralby is a vampire."

I guess you could have figured this out by now. T_T Draco's just a bit slower than you! Sorry, but there are even more surprises in the next chapter! MUHAHA!!