Day Walker
Disclaimer: JK Rowling still own all of them. Except Damien. He's mine. My own. My precious...
Summary: Damien reveals his deepest, darkest secret to Harry and Hermione.
~Chapter 5~
~ Confessions~
Over the next couple of weeks Harry and Draco met by the lake almost every day. They had both started to think of the other as 'my boyfriend' and grown quite close. But Harry was getting a little depressed by not being able to show his affection for Draco in public, and when they met one autumn night he told him how he felt about the secrecy.
"I don't want to continue like this. I want to be able to give you a good morning kiss when I see you at breakfast. I want to sit with you in Potions and hold your hand on the way there. I want to go with you to the Halloween Ball." The two boys were sitting by 'their' tree facing each other.
"Why can't we go to the Halloween Ball together then?"
"Huh?" The look on Harry's face could only be described by a questionmark with specs on it. That was not the reaction he had expected.
"Harry... Would you go to the Halloween Ball with me?" Draco's grey eyes were filled with warmth when he looked at Harry and waited for his answer.
"Oh D... Of course I will! I really feel that it's time to make it official. That we're gay and together and all."
"I couldn't agree more. This sneaking and hiding gives it a certain thrill, but as you said; I want to give you a 'hello-luv-I've-missed-you-kiss when I see you again. In public! Most of my so-called friends in Slytherin already know that I'm gay, by the way. I told the lovely ms. Parkinson just to get her off my back!" He let out a tiny giggle at the thought. "But it's not world wide, or should I say school wide, yet, but I'm ready to let them know. You'll have to prepare yourself for insults, Harry. A lot of insults."
"I sorta figured that out my self, and, if I'm not totally wrong here, so should you. I know they're not going to be nice. Neither of them." Draco knew at once that Harry was talking about the people in their houses. "But we can handle it. We'll just have to remember that we're better than them. Braver than them. I'll bet there's a whole lot of them that wish they had the guts to come out."
"Yes," said Draco, "I know at least two."
"Who?" Harry got curious.
"Crabbe and Goyle."
"What?! I thought you said that one of them punched you because you're gay?"
"I never said that. Yes, I said that one of them punched me, but I didn't give you a reason. They hit me, not because I'm gay, but because I kissed you, when I've been rejecting them for ages."
"Oh... I see..."
"But it's final then?" Draco changed the subject. "We are going on our first official date on Halloween?"
"Yes, it's final." Harry smiled. 'A date,' he thought, 'with Draco.' He suddenly felt warm all over in spite of the cool air. Harry didn't chance to think much more because Draco kissed him, and that was all that mattered.
~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~
The following night the two boys couldn't meet because Draco had an appointment with Professor Sprout regarding his marks, so Harry decided to spend the night in the Gryffindor common room with Damien and Hermione.
"I'm sorry, guys," Harry said to them, "I've been neglecting you lately. But..."
"No need to appologise, Harry," Damien interrupted, "'Mione and I talked about that after dinner yesterday and we both know what it's like to be in a new relationship and you want to be with your chosen one all day, every day. And you can only see him in the evenings so..."
"Just be with him. You deserve it." Hermione finished the sentence.
"Thanks guys. But it won't be like that for much longer."
"What...? Are you two breaking up?" Hermione were surprised.
"No! I wouldn't do that. We're going to the Halloween Ball... Together..." Harry's face turned a light shade of pink.
"How cute! I'm so happy for you, Harry." Hermione gave him a hug. "Now we want to know the details. Right Damien?"
"Yup! Come on! Spill it! Who asked who?" Damien looked at Harry with a look on his face that mostly resembled a curious kitten.
"He asked me actually. I brought it up, but he asked. And I really wanted to so... Damien, I'm coming out!"
"As I said earlier: You're brave!" Damien smiled and again Harry saw what to him appeared to be fangs, and he just had to ask.
"Can I ask you a strange question?"
"Sure."
"Ehh... Du you have... Ehh.. Do you have fangs?" Harry was afraid of how Damien would react.
He stayed calm and answered. "Yes, I do. As a matter of fact I was planning on telling you about that tonight. Before I start I just want you to know that I don't tell everyone this. I've really come to like and trust you guys and know that you are not prejudiced, so I'll just take the the chance and hope that you'll still like and trust me afterwards."
"I'm sure we will. Believe me, we've been in a lot of odd sitiuations, so don't worry about that." Harry sent Damien a reassuring smile. So did Hermione.
Damien took a deep breath ad began to speak. "I'll just start at the beginning. Here I go then... My dad's a wizard, but my mum's a vampire. So that makes me what is called a day walker. I was raised by my dad as a wizard, not a vampire. I'm not dangerous. Remember that. I don't have the bloodthirst that fullblood vampires have. I haven't had any contact with my mum since I was a baby. She left dad and me to join a vampire cult or something. The only connection I've got to her now are these," he tapped his fangs, "and my last name. I write 'D.Ness', but it's really 'Darkness' I wanted to keep it because, in spite of what she is and that she left me, she's still my mother. You know?"
"Yeah... Sort of, at least." Harry thought about his own mother for a moment. "Go on."
"Actually there's not much more to tell. I just have to point out again that I am not dangerous."
"We know that, Damien. Is this why you had to change schools?" Hermione moved over from her armchair to the sofa that Damien was in.
"Yes. I was able to hide it for most my years there, but someone found out last semester. The headmaster heard the news and so did the parents of the other students and they decided that they didn't want their children to be in school with me." Damien's eyes filled with tears. "I've never hurt anyone! I'm not like that! They called me a monster. My DADA teacher even asked me if he could use me as an example in his classes." The tears found their way down his face like tiny, sad rivers. Harry also moved into the sofa. It was just enough room for three people in it. He put his arm gently around Damien's shoulders. Damien wiped his tears away and continued to talk.
"I refused," he caught the unspoken question of what he did then. "I didn't want to be put on display like that." He took a deep breath. "So he expelled me from his class. I didn't miss much though, because a friend of mine, one of the few who didn't turn on me, told me which chapters they had read and what they got for homework, so that I could keep up. But I didn't pass the subject of course, and I couldn't stay there. So me and my dad decided that I should apply here since it was so far away."
"Does Dumbledore know about this?" Harry wondered.
"Yes. I wrote it in my application. He said that it wasn't a problem. He'd been around halfbloods like me before and he said that he knew that I, and others of my kind, are not any more evil than your average human being."
"And so do we." Hermione had stayed quiet throughout Damien's speach. "We have one friend who's a half-giant, and another who's a werewolf, and we haven't turned away from them after we found out. We won't do that to you either."
"Thank you... For understanding me." He hugged Hermione and turned around and hugged Harry as well.
~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~
Author's note: To all of you who reviewed my fic: Thanks for lots of constructive critism and encouraging. I'm gratefull!
Disclaimer: JK Rowling still own all of them. Except Damien. He's mine. My own. My precious...
Summary: Damien reveals his deepest, darkest secret to Harry and Hermione.
~Chapter 5~
~ Confessions~
Over the next couple of weeks Harry and Draco met by the lake almost every day. They had both started to think of the other as 'my boyfriend' and grown quite close. But Harry was getting a little depressed by not being able to show his affection for Draco in public, and when they met one autumn night he told him how he felt about the secrecy.
"I don't want to continue like this. I want to be able to give you a good morning kiss when I see you at breakfast. I want to sit with you in Potions and hold your hand on the way there. I want to go with you to the Halloween Ball." The two boys were sitting by 'their' tree facing each other.
"Why can't we go to the Halloween Ball together then?"
"Huh?" The look on Harry's face could only be described by a questionmark with specs on it. That was not the reaction he had expected.
"Harry... Would you go to the Halloween Ball with me?" Draco's grey eyes were filled with warmth when he looked at Harry and waited for his answer.
"Oh D... Of course I will! I really feel that it's time to make it official. That we're gay and together and all."
"I couldn't agree more. This sneaking and hiding gives it a certain thrill, but as you said; I want to give you a 'hello-luv-I've-missed-you-kiss when I see you again. In public! Most of my so-called friends in Slytherin already know that I'm gay, by the way. I told the lovely ms. Parkinson just to get her off my back!" He let out a tiny giggle at the thought. "But it's not world wide, or should I say school wide, yet, but I'm ready to let them know. You'll have to prepare yourself for insults, Harry. A lot of insults."
"I sorta figured that out my self, and, if I'm not totally wrong here, so should you. I know they're not going to be nice. Neither of them." Draco knew at once that Harry was talking about the people in their houses. "But we can handle it. We'll just have to remember that we're better than them. Braver than them. I'll bet there's a whole lot of them that wish they had the guts to come out."
"Yes," said Draco, "I know at least two."
"Who?" Harry got curious.
"Crabbe and Goyle."
"What?! I thought you said that one of them punched you because you're gay?"
"I never said that. Yes, I said that one of them punched me, but I didn't give you a reason. They hit me, not because I'm gay, but because I kissed you, when I've been rejecting them for ages."
"Oh... I see..."
"But it's final then?" Draco changed the subject. "We are going on our first official date on Halloween?"
"Yes, it's final." Harry smiled. 'A date,' he thought, 'with Draco.' He suddenly felt warm all over in spite of the cool air. Harry didn't chance to think much more because Draco kissed him, and that was all that mattered.
~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~
The following night the two boys couldn't meet because Draco had an appointment with Professor Sprout regarding his marks, so Harry decided to spend the night in the Gryffindor common room with Damien and Hermione.
"I'm sorry, guys," Harry said to them, "I've been neglecting you lately. But..."
"No need to appologise, Harry," Damien interrupted, "'Mione and I talked about that after dinner yesterday and we both know what it's like to be in a new relationship and you want to be with your chosen one all day, every day. And you can only see him in the evenings so..."
"Just be with him. You deserve it." Hermione finished the sentence.
"Thanks guys. But it won't be like that for much longer."
"What...? Are you two breaking up?" Hermione were surprised.
"No! I wouldn't do that. We're going to the Halloween Ball... Together..." Harry's face turned a light shade of pink.
"How cute! I'm so happy for you, Harry." Hermione gave him a hug. "Now we want to know the details. Right Damien?"
"Yup! Come on! Spill it! Who asked who?" Damien looked at Harry with a look on his face that mostly resembled a curious kitten.
"He asked me actually. I brought it up, but he asked. And I really wanted to so... Damien, I'm coming out!"
"As I said earlier: You're brave!" Damien smiled and again Harry saw what to him appeared to be fangs, and he just had to ask.
"Can I ask you a strange question?"
"Sure."
"Ehh... Du you have... Ehh.. Do you have fangs?" Harry was afraid of how Damien would react.
He stayed calm and answered. "Yes, I do. As a matter of fact I was planning on telling you about that tonight. Before I start I just want you to know that I don't tell everyone this. I've really come to like and trust you guys and know that you are not prejudiced, so I'll just take the the chance and hope that you'll still like and trust me afterwards."
"I'm sure we will. Believe me, we've been in a lot of odd sitiuations, so don't worry about that." Harry sent Damien a reassuring smile. So did Hermione.
Damien took a deep breath ad began to speak. "I'll just start at the beginning. Here I go then... My dad's a wizard, but my mum's a vampire. So that makes me what is called a day walker. I was raised by my dad as a wizard, not a vampire. I'm not dangerous. Remember that. I don't have the bloodthirst that fullblood vampires have. I haven't had any contact with my mum since I was a baby. She left dad and me to join a vampire cult or something. The only connection I've got to her now are these," he tapped his fangs, "and my last name. I write 'D.Ness', but it's really 'Darkness' I wanted to keep it because, in spite of what she is and that she left me, she's still my mother. You know?"
"Yeah... Sort of, at least." Harry thought about his own mother for a moment. "Go on."
"Actually there's not much more to tell. I just have to point out again that I am not dangerous."
"We know that, Damien. Is this why you had to change schools?" Hermione moved over from her armchair to the sofa that Damien was in.
"Yes. I was able to hide it for most my years there, but someone found out last semester. The headmaster heard the news and so did the parents of the other students and they decided that they didn't want their children to be in school with me." Damien's eyes filled with tears. "I've never hurt anyone! I'm not like that! They called me a monster. My DADA teacher even asked me if he could use me as an example in his classes." The tears found their way down his face like tiny, sad rivers. Harry also moved into the sofa. It was just enough room for three people in it. He put his arm gently around Damien's shoulders. Damien wiped his tears away and continued to talk.
"I refused," he caught the unspoken question of what he did then. "I didn't want to be put on display like that." He took a deep breath. "So he expelled me from his class. I didn't miss much though, because a friend of mine, one of the few who didn't turn on me, told me which chapters they had read and what they got for homework, so that I could keep up. But I didn't pass the subject of course, and I couldn't stay there. So me and my dad decided that I should apply here since it was so far away."
"Does Dumbledore know about this?" Harry wondered.
"Yes. I wrote it in my application. He said that it wasn't a problem. He'd been around halfbloods like me before and he said that he knew that I, and others of my kind, are not any more evil than your average human being."
"And so do we." Hermione had stayed quiet throughout Damien's speach. "We have one friend who's a half-giant, and another who's a werewolf, and we haven't turned away from them after we found out. We won't do that to you either."
"Thank you... For understanding me." He hugged Hermione and turned around and hugged Harry as well.
~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~
Author's note: To all of you who reviewed my fic: Thanks for lots of constructive critism and encouraging. I'm gratefull!