(A/N: This chapter is especially dedicated to those reviewers who have
waited so long for it - I'm sorry it's taken so long!!! My life has been
insane lately - people won't leave me aloooone, so I can wriiite!
::whines:: Also - it's getting a bit - ahem - 'adult' I'll say, for lack of
a better word. Nothing heavy but I'd probably up the rating on this chapter
to 'R' at least - you've been warned!!! ^-^ Anyway, hope you like! Thanks!
Lee)
~***~
4. A Grim Discovery
~***~
"Who's there?" Ginny paused as she walked into the library later that evening.
The place had seemed to be deserted - even the torches and lamps had been either extinguished, or turned down - a shuffling noise behind the stacks had startled her, and drawn her attention.
"Just me, Ginny.who did you think it was?" As she watched, Harry stepped out from behind one of the bookcases, his black robes discarded, his sleeves pushed back. He moved toward her, his eyes steady on her, his hands shoved into his trouser pockets.
"Noone, really." she frowned, and narrowed her brown eyes - something wasn't right. Harry looked worried.
"You really have no idea what's going on, do you?" Harry shook his head, his green eyes concerned.
"W - what are you talking about? What is it?" Ginny brought a hand up to her throat without even realizing it.
"Ron, Hermione."
Ginny turned slightly as her brother and Hermione appeared beside her, both wearing looks of worry and concern identical to Harry's.
"What's going on?"
Ron stepped forward, and took her gently by the arms.
"Those bites, Gin - the ones on your neck.you've had Defense Against the Dark Arts - you know what made them - "
"Are you mad?" Ginny tried to twist of her brother's grasp, her heart thudding wildly. It had been such a good day - why was it suddenly turning into such a nightmare?
"It's a vampire, Gin - here in Hogwarts.don't you see?" Ron's blue eyes were hard, searching hers as he gave her a little shake. "You've been bitten!"
Her throat closed up, and her eyes darted to those of a slightly frightened Hermione, whose own pleaded with her.
"Oh, God."Ginny slid down to sit on the floor, panic and realization making her knees weak. It was true then, the suspicion that had been there at the back of her mind -
"This is what you wanted to talk to me about," she said slowly, staring at the parquetry of the wooden floor.
Harry kneeled beside her, his expression tense. "Yes - we didn't want to scare you, earlier.we weren't quite sure what to do, then, either.but we know now - and we aren't going to let him touch you again, Ginny."
Hot tears spilled down her cheeks, and she looked up at his intense eyes, feeling scared and tired.
"You promise, Harry?"
"I promise," he whispered solemnly, his voice not quite steady.
She threw her arms around his neck, and finally released the sobs she'd been holding back. "I - I was scared - I thought I was g - going mad! I don't remember it - hardly any of it! I just keep getting these feelings, seeing these flashes, these glowing eyes in my memory.oh, God.it was real, all of it!"
Harry's arms closed around her hesitantly, as she cried into his shirtfront.
"It's going to be all right, Ginny," Ron said from behind her, his voice quiet.
"We'll take care of you," added Hermione, her voice determined.
Ginny didn't say anything more - she was frozen nearly numb with fear.
Something had been drinking her blood.
~***~
"Yes, the midnight lamp has burned 'till the glorious sun has reached the horizon, and brings back the day, and yet have I been found beside my books." - V.V. 1847
Draco cursed in frustration, sweeping a hand along the desk in the deserted potions classroom, and knocking everything on it to the floor with a loud crash.
He ignored the waning moonlight streaming into the room through the windows behind him, and dug his nails into his palms, clenching his teeth against the lengthening of his fangs.
He'd been a bloody fool, feeding from the girl the night before - there was something about her that made him want to take more and more each time he drank from her.if he couldn't do something soon, he'd end up sucking her dry.
Draco covered his eyes with a shaky hand, resting the other on the desk to steady himself. Since when did he care about the fate of a worthless Weasley brat? He'd be doing her family a favor, removing the need to feed yet another mouth.
He was kidding himself.
Ginny Weasley had the sweetest, hottest blood he'd ever tasted - and he wanted more.
Actually, he was surprised to acknowledge, he wanted all of her - everything she had to give. Wanted it so badly he suddenly doubted his ability to control himself at all.
Her red hair was beautiful, and her skin was pale and white and had tasted as sweet as spun sugar beneath his tongue.
Hunger gnawed his insides, and he closed his eyes, swallowing as he remembered how she had tasted, how willing and responsive she'd become in his arms -
The potion, you fool, concentrate on the potion.
Draco furrowed his brow, trying to concentrate as he retrieved his book, and pawed through his meticulously written notes.
After a long while, he became very still, lowering himself to his seat, and allowing his head to bow momentarily.
He suddenly felt incredibly tired, and weary. He was so sick of fighting.he'd hit a brick wall in his research, nothing was revealing itself, nothing that would help him any further, anyway.
Draco smiled darkly, and rose, absently running a tongue across his aching fangs.
Perhaps it was time to let someone in on his secret - someone who had a great and vast knowledge of potions.
~***~
"You incredibly stupid, silly boy - why haven't you come to me before this? I knew you were always on about something, but this - you've managed to hide it well,"
Draco stood silent before the fireplace in Professor Snape's chambers, watching the flames with a kind of dark fascination, seeing Ginny's red locks.
His teacher moved around the room behind him, gathering books, and materials, making clattering noises and cursing below his breath.
"These notes of yours - let's see them," the dark haired man snapped, and Draco smirked mirthlessly, digging the worn book from his robes.
"They're worthless," he pointed out carelessly, watching Snape flip through the worn pages. "I can't go any further - the blackouts are getting worse, becoming more frequent.and I can't increase the potency - I'll only end up poisoning myself, you see."
Snape was looking at the scrawled writing, looking grudgingly impressed. He finally closed the book, and handed it back to Draco with a muscle twitching in his jaw.
"You're right."
Draco arched a brow, one corner of his lips rising slightly. He looked down at the leather bound book in his hands and tossed it unceremoniously into the fire.
"That's it, then."
The cold, dark room was silent for a long moment. The fire snapped, and Draco again turned to stare at the glowing embers.
"You give up too easily, boy," Snape commented sneeringly from behind him. "I merely agreed that you could go no further with the formula you concocted. I said nothing about not being able to help you."
Draco's head snapped up, and he turned on the man, eyes flashing red over silver. "Give up? Give up?" He snarled, slowly advancing on the man. "I've been fighting this - this curse, for over six years! Speak to me again about 'giving up', and teacher or no, I'll rip your bloody throat out!"
"You should have come to me with this in the very beginning," said Snape harshly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Why didn't you?"
Draco prowled before the fire, rubbing the back of his neck. "Right, professor - I'd have been sent off, killed - no one would have believed that I was trying to fight it. It'd have been a nightmare. My family would have disowned me, my life would have been over - and Potter and his brood would have been ecstatic! No, I wasn't going to let any of that happen."
"Well.it's fairly obvious you haven't killed."
"Yet," added Draco forebodingly.
"How have you been feeding, then?"
Again, he smirked, meeting the professor's dark eyes steadily.
"Nipping a bit here and there - not so much that anyone will miss it.did I add I've become quite proficient in the use of memory charms? Not to mention the fact that most people find my looks and eyes positively hypnotizing."
Snape shook his head at the arrogance in the boy's voice.
"It's a dangerous game you've been playing at, boy. Do you have any inkling of how close you've come to killing, I wonder? The power in your little finger at this very moment could snap someone's neck."
"And yet you continue to question me," murmured Draco in a deceptively soft tone.
"Is that a threat, boy? You may be powerful, but you forget, I'm a fully trained wizard - it wouldn't take much to incinerate your heart where it lays in your chest," snarled Snape.
Draco laughed shortly, revealing the sharp tips of his fangs.
"You really want to die, don't you,' he observed with cold humor.
Snape cursed and turned away to retrieve his books. "The least you can do is come and help me search."
Draco shook his head, eyes glowing with a strange light. "Later, Professor - I have to go feed. Don't bother offering your wrist - I doubt even a dragon could bite through that tough hide of yours.besides, I have a much more tasty bit in mind." He walked to the door, waiting for the older man to try and stop him.
All he heard was, "Do try not to kill anyone, Malfoy - I don't relish the idea of having to tell your father I had to slay you."
Draco said nothing, and silently disappeared out the door.
~***~
Ginny woke from her troubled sleep with a gasp.
'It' was near - she could feel it.
In the dark dormitory, she could feel coldness seeping towards her, and her body froze beneath her blankets.
No, please, no.
She tried to open her mouth to scream, to move, and wake up Hermione who slept soundly beside her, or Harry and Ron who lay in wait outside the door - but she couldn't move, she was frozen with fear.
A tall, dark form took shape in the black shadows near her bed - familiar silvery eyes with a terrifying, incandescent red sheen appeared, looking down at her calmly.
Finally, Ginny found her voice - but by then it was too late, and the vampire was on her - and Hermione slept on, blissfully oblivious to the scene taking place on the floor next to the bed.
Ginny found herself on her back on the cold stone floor, looking up as the dark creature pinned her down. All she could see were those red eyes, watching her from the pitch - blackness.
Cool, smooth lips touched hers, and her eyes closed suddenly at the fire racing through her veins.
What was this? What was happening to her?
Ginny moaned slightly in her throat, and Hermione moved in the bed above her, in her sleep.
Chilled fingertips danced across her throat, and inside her nightgown, to trail over her collar bone, and trace the rounded of top of one warm, delicate breast.
Goosebumps sprang up all over Ginny's skin, and it had nothing to do with fear, or the cold.
She went limp against him, and he released her hands, which he'd pinned above her head, to lower his other hand to run along her slim ribcage, protected by nothing more than the thin cloth of her gown.
His mouth left hers, and trailed along her jaw line, to her ear, as he ran a thumb across her nipple.
She moved against him restlessly, sighing.
"Ginny."
She melted in his arms, letting her head fall to the side, so that her slim white throat was exposed.
The soft lips left her ear, feeling warmer now, and skimmed across her skin, below her ear.
They opened against her, and she gasped, stiffening, her eyes flying wide as she felt two sharp points against her tender skin.
The creature laughed silently, and raised its head to look at her, the red eyes seeming to strip her bare.
She looked up at them helplessly, both wanting something she couldn't describe, and to cry out in terror.
A palm on her jaw turned her head to the side again, and she let it, closing her eyes against the guilt she felt.
His lips were on her throat again in an instant, and she arched, and bit her cheek as she felt the burning sting of the needle like fangs sinking in deeply.
She felt weightless as she brought her hands to the back of his head, sifting sleek, silky soft hair through her fingers as his teeth and tongue worked hungrily at her neck.
Ginny shivered, and he pulled her against him fiercely, possessively.
She lost the strength in her arms, and her hands slid from his hair, to his shoulders, and then to the cold, hard floor beside her.
She drifted to sleep, still feeling the velvety softness of his lips against her, his name a sigh on her lips as she finally realized who he was.
"Draco."
~***~
Draco pulled away from her with an immense effort as she sighed his name - it was then that all hell broke loose.
"Ron! Harry!"
He got to his feet, sneering down on Hermione, who had woken and shrieked upon seeing his shadow and red eyes in the rapidly lightening darkness.
Girl's in the other beds all around him started to scream - and the door flew open with enough force to tear it from it's hinges as Ron Weasley and Harry Potter stormed in, armed with their wands.
Draco snarled and backed away to the window he'd entered through, disappearing, just as the dawn broke pink and orange on the horizon.
~***~
Ginny slept through it all - Harry and Ron, and Hermione discovering her cold and pallid, her neck red and bruised, the delicate skin cruelly broken, as she lay on the floor, the cry that went up from the other girls, and a sleepy, obviously un - happy McGonagall sweeping in moments later, and looking at her, horrified.
~***~
TBC
~***~
4. A Grim Discovery
~***~
"Who's there?" Ginny paused as she walked into the library later that evening.
The place had seemed to be deserted - even the torches and lamps had been either extinguished, or turned down - a shuffling noise behind the stacks had startled her, and drawn her attention.
"Just me, Ginny.who did you think it was?" As she watched, Harry stepped out from behind one of the bookcases, his black robes discarded, his sleeves pushed back. He moved toward her, his eyes steady on her, his hands shoved into his trouser pockets.
"Noone, really." she frowned, and narrowed her brown eyes - something wasn't right. Harry looked worried.
"You really have no idea what's going on, do you?" Harry shook his head, his green eyes concerned.
"W - what are you talking about? What is it?" Ginny brought a hand up to her throat without even realizing it.
"Ron, Hermione."
Ginny turned slightly as her brother and Hermione appeared beside her, both wearing looks of worry and concern identical to Harry's.
"What's going on?"
Ron stepped forward, and took her gently by the arms.
"Those bites, Gin - the ones on your neck.you've had Defense Against the Dark Arts - you know what made them - "
"Are you mad?" Ginny tried to twist of her brother's grasp, her heart thudding wildly. It had been such a good day - why was it suddenly turning into such a nightmare?
"It's a vampire, Gin - here in Hogwarts.don't you see?" Ron's blue eyes were hard, searching hers as he gave her a little shake. "You've been bitten!"
Her throat closed up, and her eyes darted to those of a slightly frightened Hermione, whose own pleaded with her.
"Oh, God."Ginny slid down to sit on the floor, panic and realization making her knees weak. It was true then, the suspicion that had been there at the back of her mind -
"This is what you wanted to talk to me about," she said slowly, staring at the parquetry of the wooden floor.
Harry kneeled beside her, his expression tense. "Yes - we didn't want to scare you, earlier.we weren't quite sure what to do, then, either.but we know now - and we aren't going to let him touch you again, Ginny."
Hot tears spilled down her cheeks, and she looked up at his intense eyes, feeling scared and tired.
"You promise, Harry?"
"I promise," he whispered solemnly, his voice not quite steady.
She threw her arms around his neck, and finally released the sobs she'd been holding back. "I - I was scared - I thought I was g - going mad! I don't remember it - hardly any of it! I just keep getting these feelings, seeing these flashes, these glowing eyes in my memory.oh, God.it was real, all of it!"
Harry's arms closed around her hesitantly, as she cried into his shirtfront.
"It's going to be all right, Ginny," Ron said from behind her, his voice quiet.
"We'll take care of you," added Hermione, her voice determined.
Ginny didn't say anything more - she was frozen nearly numb with fear.
Something had been drinking her blood.
~***~
"Yes, the midnight lamp has burned 'till the glorious sun has reached the horizon, and brings back the day, and yet have I been found beside my books." - V.V. 1847
Draco cursed in frustration, sweeping a hand along the desk in the deserted potions classroom, and knocking everything on it to the floor with a loud crash.
He ignored the waning moonlight streaming into the room through the windows behind him, and dug his nails into his palms, clenching his teeth against the lengthening of his fangs.
He'd been a bloody fool, feeding from the girl the night before - there was something about her that made him want to take more and more each time he drank from her.if he couldn't do something soon, he'd end up sucking her dry.
Draco covered his eyes with a shaky hand, resting the other on the desk to steady himself. Since when did he care about the fate of a worthless Weasley brat? He'd be doing her family a favor, removing the need to feed yet another mouth.
He was kidding himself.
Ginny Weasley had the sweetest, hottest blood he'd ever tasted - and he wanted more.
Actually, he was surprised to acknowledge, he wanted all of her - everything she had to give. Wanted it so badly he suddenly doubted his ability to control himself at all.
Her red hair was beautiful, and her skin was pale and white and had tasted as sweet as spun sugar beneath his tongue.
Hunger gnawed his insides, and he closed his eyes, swallowing as he remembered how she had tasted, how willing and responsive she'd become in his arms -
The potion, you fool, concentrate on the potion.
Draco furrowed his brow, trying to concentrate as he retrieved his book, and pawed through his meticulously written notes.
After a long while, he became very still, lowering himself to his seat, and allowing his head to bow momentarily.
He suddenly felt incredibly tired, and weary. He was so sick of fighting.he'd hit a brick wall in his research, nothing was revealing itself, nothing that would help him any further, anyway.
Draco smiled darkly, and rose, absently running a tongue across his aching fangs.
Perhaps it was time to let someone in on his secret - someone who had a great and vast knowledge of potions.
~***~
"You incredibly stupid, silly boy - why haven't you come to me before this? I knew you were always on about something, but this - you've managed to hide it well,"
Draco stood silent before the fireplace in Professor Snape's chambers, watching the flames with a kind of dark fascination, seeing Ginny's red locks.
His teacher moved around the room behind him, gathering books, and materials, making clattering noises and cursing below his breath.
"These notes of yours - let's see them," the dark haired man snapped, and Draco smirked mirthlessly, digging the worn book from his robes.
"They're worthless," he pointed out carelessly, watching Snape flip through the worn pages. "I can't go any further - the blackouts are getting worse, becoming more frequent.and I can't increase the potency - I'll only end up poisoning myself, you see."
Snape was looking at the scrawled writing, looking grudgingly impressed. He finally closed the book, and handed it back to Draco with a muscle twitching in his jaw.
"You're right."
Draco arched a brow, one corner of his lips rising slightly. He looked down at the leather bound book in his hands and tossed it unceremoniously into the fire.
"That's it, then."
The cold, dark room was silent for a long moment. The fire snapped, and Draco again turned to stare at the glowing embers.
"You give up too easily, boy," Snape commented sneeringly from behind him. "I merely agreed that you could go no further with the formula you concocted. I said nothing about not being able to help you."
Draco's head snapped up, and he turned on the man, eyes flashing red over silver. "Give up? Give up?" He snarled, slowly advancing on the man. "I've been fighting this - this curse, for over six years! Speak to me again about 'giving up', and teacher or no, I'll rip your bloody throat out!"
"You should have come to me with this in the very beginning," said Snape harshly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Why didn't you?"
Draco prowled before the fire, rubbing the back of his neck. "Right, professor - I'd have been sent off, killed - no one would have believed that I was trying to fight it. It'd have been a nightmare. My family would have disowned me, my life would have been over - and Potter and his brood would have been ecstatic! No, I wasn't going to let any of that happen."
"Well.it's fairly obvious you haven't killed."
"Yet," added Draco forebodingly.
"How have you been feeding, then?"
Again, he smirked, meeting the professor's dark eyes steadily.
"Nipping a bit here and there - not so much that anyone will miss it.did I add I've become quite proficient in the use of memory charms? Not to mention the fact that most people find my looks and eyes positively hypnotizing."
Snape shook his head at the arrogance in the boy's voice.
"It's a dangerous game you've been playing at, boy. Do you have any inkling of how close you've come to killing, I wonder? The power in your little finger at this very moment could snap someone's neck."
"And yet you continue to question me," murmured Draco in a deceptively soft tone.
"Is that a threat, boy? You may be powerful, but you forget, I'm a fully trained wizard - it wouldn't take much to incinerate your heart where it lays in your chest," snarled Snape.
Draco laughed shortly, revealing the sharp tips of his fangs.
"You really want to die, don't you,' he observed with cold humor.
Snape cursed and turned away to retrieve his books. "The least you can do is come and help me search."
Draco shook his head, eyes glowing with a strange light. "Later, Professor - I have to go feed. Don't bother offering your wrist - I doubt even a dragon could bite through that tough hide of yours.besides, I have a much more tasty bit in mind." He walked to the door, waiting for the older man to try and stop him.
All he heard was, "Do try not to kill anyone, Malfoy - I don't relish the idea of having to tell your father I had to slay you."
Draco said nothing, and silently disappeared out the door.
~***~
Ginny woke from her troubled sleep with a gasp.
'It' was near - she could feel it.
In the dark dormitory, she could feel coldness seeping towards her, and her body froze beneath her blankets.
No, please, no.
She tried to open her mouth to scream, to move, and wake up Hermione who slept soundly beside her, or Harry and Ron who lay in wait outside the door - but she couldn't move, she was frozen with fear.
A tall, dark form took shape in the black shadows near her bed - familiar silvery eyes with a terrifying, incandescent red sheen appeared, looking down at her calmly.
Finally, Ginny found her voice - but by then it was too late, and the vampire was on her - and Hermione slept on, blissfully oblivious to the scene taking place on the floor next to the bed.
Ginny found herself on her back on the cold stone floor, looking up as the dark creature pinned her down. All she could see were those red eyes, watching her from the pitch - blackness.
Cool, smooth lips touched hers, and her eyes closed suddenly at the fire racing through her veins.
What was this? What was happening to her?
Ginny moaned slightly in her throat, and Hermione moved in the bed above her, in her sleep.
Chilled fingertips danced across her throat, and inside her nightgown, to trail over her collar bone, and trace the rounded of top of one warm, delicate breast.
Goosebumps sprang up all over Ginny's skin, and it had nothing to do with fear, or the cold.
She went limp against him, and he released her hands, which he'd pinned above her head, to lower his other hand to run along her slim ribcage, protected by nothing more than the thin cloth of her gown.
His mouth left hers, and trailed along her jaw line, to her ear, as he ran a thumb across her nipple.
She moved against him restlessly, sighing.
"Ginny."
She melted in his arms, letting her head fall to the side, so that her slim white throat was exposed.
The soft lips left her ear, feeling warmer now, and skimmed across her skin, below her ear.
They opened against her, and she gasped, stiffening, her eyes flying wide as she felt two sharp points against her tender skin.
The creature laughed silently, and raised its head to look at her, the red eyes seeming to strip her bare.
She looked up at them helplessly, both wanting something she couldn't describe, and to cry out in terror.
A palm on her jaw turned her head to the side again, and she let it, closing her eyes against the guilt she felt.
His lips were on her throat again in an instant, and she arched, and bit her cheek as she felt the burning sting of the needle like fangs sinking in deeply.
She felt weightless as she brought her hands to the back of his head, sifting sleek, silky soft hair through her fingers as his teeth and tongue worked hungrily at her neck.
Ginny shivered, and he pulled her against him fiercely, possessively.
She lost the strength in her arms, and her hands slid from his hair, to his shoulders, and then to the cold, hard floor beside her.
She drifted to sleep, still feeling the velvety softness of his lips against her, his name a sigh on her lips as she finally realized who he was.
"Draco."
~***~
Draco pulled away from her with an immense effort as she sighed his name - it was then that all hell broke loose.
"Ron! Harry!"
He got to his feet, sneering down on Hermione, who had woken and shrieked upon seeing his shadow and red eyes in the rapidly lightening darkness.
Girl's in the other beds all around him started to scream - and the door flew open with enough force to tear it from it's hinges as Ron Weasley and Harry Potter stormed in, armed with their wands.
Draco snarled and backed away to the window he'd entered through, disappearing, just as the dawn broke pink and orange on the horizon.
~***~
Ginny slept through it all - Harry and Ron, and Hermione discovering her cold and pallid, her neck red and bruised, the delicate skin cruelly broken, as she lay on the floor, the cry that went up from the other girls, and a sleepy, obviously un - happy McGonagall sweeping in moments later, and looking at her, horrified.
~***~
TBC