Chapter sixteen

(This is just a chappie to tie up the end of this plot strand and start the next plot… Sorry it took me sooo incredibly long but I kept feeling guilty every time I sat down at the comp and that nagging voice said 'You should be doing your art coursework! You'll regret it later!' Plus I had to re-write it several times because I continually changed the plot and tried to put humour in… I failed! Lol, enjoy it anyway, next chappie hopefully won't take so long!)

 

Draco began to feel like he had grown an extra head or something for the last few weeks of the year.  Everywhere he went, people either stared, whispered behind hands or jumped quickly out of his way.  He was getting so annoyed about this that he tended to snap at anyone who dared to comment, sometimes even at those who just wanted to know how he was feeling… this just made them more scared of him.

The Slytherins made it no better for him.  They tended to shoot him death stares (which there was really no need for seeing as he was technically dead!) and make threats like, "My father is a Death Eater you know Malfoy, he'll tell You-Know-Who all about you and that plan" or "Watch your back Malfoy, you won't be safe here for long." Draco always rolled his eyes at these threats and usually gave them a full-teethed grin that made them flinch while he said, "Well, if anything like that happens, then I know who to come looking for in the night then don't I? Thanks for informing me."  He didn't care if the Slytherins were scared of him, in any case it was probably a good thing!

These comments would sometimes get to him although he would never show it.  What if they did tell, he knew that they would and he would be in big trouble if they did.  As well as that, there was a reason far closer to home, his own father.  Did his father know he was a vampire? Of course he would know, he was close to Voldemort.  Would his father wonder where he was over summer and send another vampire out looking? Probably.  Would he be worried? Not likely.

For a while, he felt changes inside him and he could feel the vampire inside him aching to get out.  Every time he saw blood from a wounded student after a fight, he'd get an over powering urge to walk over and suck up the blood… every last drop.  It was a hunger he could never satisfy no matter how much he drank from animals in the forest or the glasses he received from the kitchens.  Human blood was different, he knew it even though he had never tasted it.  He fought it every time and after a while, it became easier, even when a girl flicked her hair, exposing her neck and the pulsing veins, he merely flinched and bit his lip; his lips were near shreds with his sharp teeth and he usually struck what little blood he had up through the cuts.     

His depression and loneliness continued, he would always feel like an outcast, something he was not used to.  He was so deep in shock and depression that for days he didn't change his tattered, worn and dirty black clothes that he had been wearing since the night he was bitten.  Only when Hermione cared to make a 'subtle' comment did he change into his emerald green shirt and black trousers.

He was annoyed yet happy that he remembered nothing about what he had done when he was possessed but sometimes he would wake up in the early afternoon, sweating blood and screaming while thrashing furiously at the right hand side of his neck.  Either that or he would have sudden flashbacks of himself walking through the Hogwarts corridors or a dark house and a snake or even other people he doesn't remember ever meeting telling him about plots and schemes.  He would not remember what he saw but he would always wake up terrified and shaking.  He was scared to go to sleep, knowing that the visions would come and haunt him… for the rest of his unnatural life.  He told Lupin about this and Snape agreed to make a sleeping draft for him.  Draco followed Snape around for ages thanking him and going on about the dreams… until Snape told him to bugger off at least.

There was something else bothering him, something deep inside him.  He told no one because he thought of it as nothing, but it hurt.  It felt like there was something missing and he would sometimes feel sad and hurt at it but he could never explain it.  If only he had told someone, then everything that happens next might never have happened.  Maybe the confusion and blood shed could've been avoided…

*~*~*~*

The final night arrived.  The last time he would be around other people for two weeks, the last time he would see or speak to his friends.  Not for the first time, he realised how lonely he would be here, but it was better than going back home… anything was. 

He didn't want to get up out of his bed, although when he got into it each day, he always felt strangely exposed and vulnerable but he wouldn't be caught dead in a coffin.  This thought made him smile to himself, as small as it was, it was his first joke in over a week.  He was slowly coming out of his stage four… depression.  Next stage laid acceptance.  Draco crawled under the purple duvet and curled up in the heat of it.

At ten at night, he eventually decided it was best to get up and say goodbye to everyone, he couldn't see them tomorrow morning before they left after all.

*~*~*~*

"ARGH!" a chorus of screaming girls jumped as far across the sofa as they could.

"We wish you wouldn't do that!" One yelled as her heart stopped racing and she sat back down again.

"Oh, sorry, I'll knock on thin air next time shall I?" Draco snapped irritably.  He had only just apparated into the Gryffindor common room and he was being yelled at.

He looked round the room, not even listening to their reply.  He sighed when he didn't see any of his friends.  He decided to run up and check the boy's dormitory for signs of Harry and Ron.  Not that Ron could ever be called a 'friend' to Draco… 'Forced ally' was more the term.

He ran up to find all the boys packing their suitcases for the next morning… it looked like some of them had exploded.  Uniforms were thrown everywhere along with certain items that Draco tried to avoid touching at any cost.

"Hey there you toothy git how are ya?" Ron said when he looked up and noticed Draco dancing around items on the floor to get over to them.

"…er… did someone cast an exploding spell in here? I didn't hear anything going off…" Draco jumped the last pair of boxer shorts to stand in front of Harry, who was sitting on his suitcase while trying to close it.

"It was worse a few minutes ago," Harry nodded with a strained smile.

"Neville put a pack of exploding snap cards at the bottom of his thinking it would be safe… as you can see it was a rather disastrous idea," Seamus had come round to talking to Draco, although it still had a trace of bitterness and fear.

Draco laughed as Neville went a deep shade of red and picked up his tie off the torch holder on the wall.

Draco looked up, "Do I want to know what that is stuck to the ceiling?" he asked as he saw some black/blue slime-like stuff splatted over the ceiling.  As he asked, a drop fell onto his black boot.  Draco wrinkled up his nose and flicked his foot to shake it off.

"No… you really don't!" Dean looked up with a grin.  Draco was surprised that everyone was on good terms with him; then again, he was a very powerful creature and people tended to not want to get on the wrong side of them.

An awkward silence then followed.  Draco knew that it was because of him, he had tormented all these boys over the past six years and they obviously had not forgotten that… he didn't expect them to be friendly towards him entirely.  They may have seemed friendly enough to him but Draco had sensed unease and hate in the air coming from everyone except Harry, even then their was a slight air of unease coming form him… as if he didn't trust him.  Draco felt so out of place… where did he belong?

With us… one of us Malfoy

Draco gasped and blinked out of his own thoughts as an alien voice filled his head.  He began shaking his head and hoping it was just his imagination.

"Oi Malfoy, you taking a fit or something?" Ron looked at Draco as if he was totally insane.

"I heard a voice…" Draco replied before he even thought about it, he winced when he realised what he had said.

"O-K he's officially insane! Wonder if they have a section in St. Mungo's for mental vampires?"

They all began laughing and talking about him but Draco wasn't listening, he was too distracted by the flashbacks in his head and finally the voices faded away and were replaced by a strange ringing sound. He could see the forest, himself biting someone on the hand, an old run-down house, he was kissing a black haired girl, being threatened by an older boy, he could see a sea of blood that eventually turned into two shocking red eyes that seemed to burn through Draco like the sun along with drowned out laughter and then a loud booming voice could be heard over the increasing volume of the ringing that yelled (or shrieked) "TRAITOR!" as the eyes flew closer to him until they blinded him… then it all went black.

"I think he's lost it."

"What happened?"

"He just went insane and started screaming."

"Draco? Can you hear me?"

So many distant voices drowned beneath a low ringing sound that remained in his ears.  He opened his eyes wide at once and saw that he was lying on the ground in the dormitory, all the boys, Hermione and Ginny kneeling over him with looks of fear or concern.  He didn't remember falling, or why, all he remembered was a pair of burning eyes and a feeling of utter fear.

"I always knew there was something not right with your head Malfoy but-"

"Shut up Weasley!" Draco snapped as he sat bolt upright, almost hitting Ginny in the face.

"What happened?" Ginny asked as she edged away, in case he rounded on her even for such a simple question, he seemed on the edge.

The answer wasn't so simple, how could he explain it without worrying them or scaring them… or them thinking he was pathetic and a coward? "I felt weak… that's all… I think I need to go and get something to eat…"

He jumped up and ran out, everyone staring after him.  He ran the whole way back to his chamber and collapsed on his bed.  Why was he getting all these visions and then only remembering parts of it… as if his own mind was mentally torturing him, trying to drive him mad.  He would put an end to it… he would find a way.

*~*~*~*

"BYE! We promise we'll write to you!"

"Same here! Have a great summer guys!"

"Right back at you Dracula!"

"Don't go insane on us!"

Draco smiled from under the heavy, black cloak shielding him from the sunlight as he stood on the platform, saying goodbye to his friends.  "I'll try…" he said solemnly.

The train began to move and gain speed, Draco turned and waved quickly before the sun burnt his hand, his smile fading the further the train moved away before it turned the corner and was out of sight.

Draco kicked a near-by stone onto the track and heaved another breathless sigh, which still freaked him out a lot.  Two months of loneliness and torment from Peeves, who would look forward to it?

He felt a heavy hand touch his shoulder, there was no need to look round, he knew who it was; the only other person to stay at Hogwarts over summer.  "'bout time yeh went inside Draco, don' want yeh cookin' now do we?"

"I'm coming," Draco said rather reluctantly as Hagrid steered him away from the direction of the train.

"It won' be so bad.  You migh' enjoy it even."

"We'll see."

Hermione watched out the window at the black figure getting smaller and smaller.  She sat back down when she could no longer see him and got out the gift he had made her when Harry, Ron and Neville got into a quidditch conversation.

Ginny looked over, "Awe, that's so pretty! No prizes if I guess who gave it to you right? It's a very 'Draco' thing isn't it?"

Hermione laughed, "Yes, it is really isn't it?" she spun the black rose round in her fingers slowly.  "it's a magic one too.  If I put it in this," she showed Ginny a phial of thick, dark red liquid, "then it can tell me how he is feeling."

"How?" Ginny poked the phial, it was slightly warm.

"Because in this phial is some blood from him and it has a connection to him magically."

Ginny slowly took her finger away from the phial, "Ew…" she breathed.

Hermione laughed at her again, "I know but… at least I'll know if he's dead or in mortal danger!"

"Why couldn't he just give you one of those clocks… only pocket sized?"

"Black roses are nicer."

"How can you tell by looking at the rose anyway? Does it talk?"

"Unfortunately no… if it's dead it means Draco's dead… if it's all ridged and dangerous looking, it means he's in danger but if it's all pretty and nice, it means he's fine."

"Let's just hope it doesn't die then, you wouldn't stop worrying until you got back to Hogwarts!"

*~*~*~*

"He has done it again! I don't understand how but he has and I will not stand for it!" Voldemort roared as he thumped the table.  "I will not be lenient with him now."

Dario was passing by the room and the door was lying slightly open, he couldn't help but stop to listen to this conversation.  Voldemort was the only one talking, if there was anyone else there, they were staying very silent.  He even didn't flinch when the odd Dementor passed, although they did ignore vampires, they still scared him.

"What went wrong… you had him the way we wanted and then… and then he helped Potter! WHY?"

A shaking voice replied, "I-I don't know… he j-just… changed… Nothing I could do would stop him."

"Well, it doesn't matter, I will not waste my time on him anymore.  I'll get someone to kill him… don't look at me like that Malfoy, he will die for this!"

Dario listened to the silence that followed and he could feel Lucius' thoughts.  Deep down inside there was a spot that did have fatherly love for his son, he had been disturbed at the thought of Draco being a vampire but he dared not to say anything to his master… it was a battle of the morals inside his head and it made Dario feel sorry for him.  Do I sign my own son's death warrant just to please the master, or do I stand up for him and risk both our lives?

"He is already dead, you will lose nothing!" Voldemort seemed to know what his Death Eater was thinking.

After more silence, "Of course master…"

Dario jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. 

"What are you doing?" Donato hissed.

"They're going to kill Draco…"

"Really?" Donato now seemed interested, "Well that's no fun!"

"What?"

"I mean, I was hoping to have some fun with him first… toy with his mind.  I know what he's up to, I can read his mind like a book!"

"And what would that be Mr. DeCourté?" the cold voice of Voldemort made both boys yell and jump away from the door, staring with wide eyes.  "Well?"

"I-I was just s-saying that Malfoy's u-up top something… w-we could play on it…"

"What is he up to?" Voldemort was loosing patience very easily.

"He thinks we don't know about him not being on our side anymore so they are sending him out to spy on us and give them information… I was thinking maybe we should let him think we don't know and give him false information-"

"- and then they'll blame him when they find out…" Voldemort finished with a grin.  "It'll be easier to… yes… perfect."

As Voldemort discussed his plan, the looks on the vampires' faces brightened into an excited sort of malice.  And if Hermione had not have been asleep, she would've seen the rose sit upright, ridged and its thorns open out dangerously.

(Thanx for being so patient! And special thanx to those who reviewed chappie 15 so well! Love ya all! BYES!)