AN: I'm back. I hope you're ready for another chapter full of surprises! No promises (or revealing) on who, but new character appearances! And for the concerned, no, this fanfic is not Harry/Cho based. If you don't mind, please go back and read the summary and you'll notice all the initials of the main pairs. I'm sorry if this discourages you, but hey, you should've paid more attention to the summary and what you were getting yourself into. grins wickedly

Blood Fest

By Duchess of Darkness - Kaz

Chapter Four

Pale blonde hair drooped and stuck to the wet skin under it. Several droplets of water fell from the outer strands, hitting the black and white tiles beneath bare feet. With a simple jerk of his head, the water that clung to his hair flew in a single general direction, wetting the painted wall behind him. Slender fingers slid amongst the wet strands, pulling them away from his face. As grey eyes trailed up from the sink to the running faucet and on to the mirror, they caught site of alabaster skin. They could see from just below the hips, and worked their way slowly up over the honed body of a man in his later teen years (though his mental age was quite the opposite) until they reached the young man's youthful face. [1]

Grey eyes blinked and a hand came up to brush a fallen strand of hair out of their line of vision. With a small sigh, the faucet was turned off and a white robe with a silver monogram on the left breast was wrapped around the young man's body before his feet took him outside into the hall. A maid passed him silently after initiating a low curtsy that he waved at dismissively. When the maid left him, he walked along the long hall decorated with a gothic theme. It wasn't the kind of "gothic" theme that spoke of mainly black shades; rather, the style was based off pieces like the Notre Dame in Rheims, France, relating to western Europe between the twelfth and fifteenth century. Some of the work displayed to compliment the architectural style was grotesque to look at, but after so many years of living here and wandering its halls, he had come to ignore most of it. It was still a wonder, though, if some of the things he passed by as he walked were too alarming and well crafted for human eyes. Not that it mattered. No sane or unbound human ever set foot inside; especially this deep into private territory.

His feet automatically led him to his quarters. Though his steps were light, they still could be heard yards ahead of him since he walked on the tile that stretched all along the hall and down others. If he made the effort, he could make his footsteps so light it would be as if he wasn't even walking, but that took concentration that he wasn't willing to give. Instead, he kept to his normal walk, lighter than a normal human's tiptoe, but not by far off.

As he reached a set of doors guarded by two men armed with daggers, he nodded to the closest to him and walked inside as the man opened the door for him in response. Inside those walls, he opened the closet and absently pulled out a set of clothes. Dropping his robe, he managed to slip on a pair of silk black boxers and a pair of loose dark blue jeans before a knock was heard at his doors. He admitted the visitor in as he pulled on an undershirt and a thin, light off-white sweater, meeting them halfway across the room. He recognized the visitor to be his friend, Blaise. [2] And unfortunately, behind him was another person, one he'd rather do without in a visit.

"Blaise. Granger," he said, nodding to each of them.

Granger flipped a strand of brown hair over her shoulder as she smiled back. "Such attire, Draconius."

Draco snorted at the girl's mocking manner in stressing his name as he did hers. "Have I not told you to call me by my other name? I would not care if you so much as used my last name, but please refrain from my birth name. It sounds terribly ill on your tongue." [3]

The young female only smiled back and obligated herself to sit on the queen-sized bed in the middle of the room. [4] Her first two fingers pressed together and drew a line in the air across her closed, smiling lips. "Of course not, Malfoy. I wouldn't dare spill your blood-soaked name."

Casting the young woman a black look, Draco turned to his friend and addressed him. "What did you need of me, Blaise?"

Blaise threw the blonde a grim look. "I have only one word. Pansy. She was caught out after hours doing you-know-what. And thing is, a witness saw her feed and escaped alive. Your dad wants you to 'talk to her'. More like beat some sense in her. I don't know what she was doing, but I think she was showing off to the commoners again."

Draco didn't even curse or slam his fist against anything at this news. Frankly, he didn't want to waste his energy showing how disappointed and peeved he was at the girl's actions. He simply shook his head in disgust and waved his hand in dismissal.

Blaise didn't move from his spot, however. "Also, Draco..." When the blonde turned his attention back to him, he continued. "Um, the... He... Sir Rid-... Uh..."

The blonde raised a hand to stop the other's stumbling. He knew whom Blaise was trying to speak of, and understood the other young man's hesitation and fear of merely speaking the name. Draco never liked speaking of or to the man either, but it couldn't be avoided when he summoned him constantly. With a small sigh, Draco patted the other man's shoulder as he passed him to his nightstand and retrieved a comb from the top drawer.

"I know. When does he want me?" he asked as he ran the comb though his damp hair.

Blaise held in a wince at the blonde's acceptance. "Well, either before or after you deal with Pansy. And... he didn't mind you multitasking either. Like he's mentioned before, he loves seeing you work."

Draco had long ago abandoned the feeling to shudder at those words. With a nod, he turned to the brunette watching him from the corner of his bed. "What about you? Why are you here?"

Hermoine Granger threw him her small, mischievous-yet-innocent smile again. "Oh, I'm simply here to act like a toaster and warm your bed while you're away."

The blonde glared before responding. "Go warm someone else's bed, why don't you? I don't want your filth on my bed." He paused to dramatically pose in a thinking position, brows creased on his forehead. "Oh, wait! You can't find a mate, can you? But I wouldn't blame any man out there. They wouldn't want any impure blood you hold." [5]

Hermione suppressed a deep growl and looked away, hiding her expression of anger and hurt. Very few ever got away with poking fun at her bloodline, and Draco, unfortunately, was one of those few because of his power over her. She shot Blaise a warning glance as she caught him looking at her in some half-brained expression humans called sympathy. No way in hell did the man truly care about her. They never did. She inhaled sharply and composed herself before glaring back at the blonde who smirked at he looked down at her while he combed his goddamned perfect hair. Sometimes she really wanted to hate him to the extent of killing him. But no, she would keep her cool and the act of a proper young woman.

A knock interrupted them as one of the double doors opened before Draco could even open his mouth to let the person in. There was only one person who barged in on him without thinking of the resident's privacy. Draco turned on his heel to meet his father, bowing slightly.

"Father."

Lucius Malfoy stepped into the room, a black and silver cane tapping against the tiles on the floor, echoing sharply with each tap. He stopped just a few feet away from his son before addressing him, not bothering to even glance at his company.

"Draconius. I see you're still dawdling here with your... friends. I hope you received your orders?"

Draco nodded. "Yes, Father. And excuse me if I say so, but what brings you here to my room?" He didn't bother to verbally note on his father's stress on the word 'friends'. He knew that his father didn't fully agree with his mingling with the lesser of their kind, but never said this aloud, especially not to his face. Draco had demonstrated his power to his father once before when they argued, and though the elder Malfoy had more power, he didn't want to risk any rebellion from his son and whomever he might persuade to back him up. It was a complicated relationship, between the two of them.

Lucius finally glanced past his son to look at his guests. "Not much, really. Simply that I wish you make a thorough interrogation with that girl and distribute the appropriate punishment — not like last time. It may bring you some shock, but to warn you ahead of time — don't get used to it — her witness is a familiar of yours. I think you'll remember who it is once you pry the words out of that guttersnipe's mouth."

The thought of someone he knew catching Pansy in the act sparked Draco's curiosity as well as alarm. With a nod to his father, he sorted his thoughts while the elder Malfoy left the room, snapping shut the door behind him. Turning to Blaise, he lifted a brow in a curious manner, obviously asking for some sort of answers.

Blaise shrugged and shook his head. "It would be best if you asked her yourself, Draco."

With a nod and strained smile, he turned to leave the room, stopping by the door to turn back to the other two. "Oh, Blaise, if you would, fetch me a whip and something to hit. I have a feeling I'll be angry by the time I get back here. And Granger, get off my bed, you sod." [6]

Hermione slipped off the large bed with a sniff. Resisting the urge to do something childish like stick her tongue out after his retreating form. She sighed and shook her head as the door snapped shut after him, and turned to Blaise who only gave her a blank look. She wrinkled her nose before leaving the room as well, her walk expressing her repressed emotions.

A double knock on the door signaled his arrival. Looking up, Pansy watched the blonde with enter the room, eyes immediately on her as he reached the center. He took in her form, sitting on a long bench on the far side of the room, no restraints on her despite what she had done. Her dark hair stuck to the back of her neck and her face, sometimes getting in her eyes. The blonde shook his head and stepped forward a bit, placing a hand on his hip.

"Tell me, Pansy, what ate its way into your brain and killed that thing called common sense? What is one of our top rules here?"

Pansy lowered her head. "I'm sorry, Draco."

Footsteps told her that he moved closer to her, perhaps even stood not but a few feet away from her, but she didn't dare look up at him. Draco could be stern when he needed to be, and ever since met him, she practically worshiped him. She always wanted to make him happy and prove herself to him, but most of the time she would mess up and then be looked down upon. Draco knew what she was trying to do for him, but even so, that didn't mean he would go easy on her just because he knew she loved him. There was barely anything that he would let her pass on, but when if was something like this... getting caught... She only feared what would be done with her, not to mention the deeper humiliation and pain she would receive just by talking to Draco right here and now.

"Don't say you're sorry, Pansy. If you were sorry, you would've stopped this game a long time ago."

"Game?" she repeated, looking up with wide eyes. She lowered her head when she saw the serious and his unsympathetic look. "Right... Game."

A small sigh caught her attention again and she dared to look up to see the blonde sit beside her. "Pansy," he started. "What the hell did you do the other night? I heard from Blaise and my father that you were seen by a human."

Pansy exhaled sharply. "Well, I wanted to teach your two goons and two other lowlifes how to properly hunt and feed, so I tested them. I had them go and capture some stupid human."

"And in your 'teaching', why didn't you let them feed instead of helping yourself to the woman?"

Pansy managed to smile sheepishly. "I was hungry. And since they caught someone, I figured that I would help myself to a meal and give a bit of a demonstration. You know, show off."

"Well, in showing off you forgot about the first few rules about hunting. You neglected to shut your victim up, not to mention make sure no one was around. By gods, behind a human store? The least you could do was stage this an abandoned house or something." He had recently got this tidbit of information about what happened during Pansy's nighttime lesson on his way over here. "You couldn't have gotten yourself into more trouble than you already are with your current record, girl."

Pansy winced at the word 'girl'. Draco didn't say it with a teasing or light tone in his voice, and that fact made her feel even more stupid than before. She was hurt and angry. She wasn't angry with Draco. No, she was angry with herself. In a shot, she was on her feet, screaming. "It's all Crabbe and Goyle's fault! They didn't shut her up in the first place! If anything the blame should be on them. Everything was fine until that wretched boy came. His damn black hair and green eyes! Curse him! I'll kill him!"

Draco was on his feet as well. "Pansy!"

"What!"

With narrowed eyes, Draco said, "Describe him again. Tell me who this boy was."

Pansy was too angry to note the blonde's sudden change in behavior. "I don't know his name... Maybe Crabbe or— Wait. Yes, I heard that dumb-looking redhead say it. He was saying goodnight to him and said his name. I think... Yes! His name was Harry." By now Pansy was fuming. "Horrid Harry with his inky hair and green eyes that shone like a cat's at night. I hate him for doing this to me." Of course, Harry hadn't Pansy at all. But the overall effect of him witnessing her feed was humiliating and horrible as is. "I'll kill him," she repeated.

Draco's eyes narrowed until they were nearly slits. "No."

Pansy stopped and blinked at the blonde. "What? How can you not want that boy's death! I want to kill him!"

Draco, whose eyes were focus on something unseen, focused again on the dark-haired girl. "No. I'll take care of him. You are not to be seen with the humans again."

Pansy dropped back onto the bench, eyes wide. "What?" Her voice was small confused.

The blonde followed her with his eyes. "You heard me. You didn't forget your punishment, didn't you? I'm sorry Pansy, but you are forbidden to go out. I'll notify all the guards that you are not to leave this property, let alone this house. You will not be given permission by anyone other than myself to leave. Understood?"

Pansy sank into the bench. "Yes," she replied softly, defeated. She wouldn't defy Draco, especially when he carried that controlled angry look. She sighed and went back to staring at the floor as she heard the blonde leave the room, slamming the door behind him. She didn't know Draco would be so harsh on her this time. Usually she would still be able to go out; it was just that she had to have guard at her heels at all times. Rarely was she restricted to go out. In fact, it only happened twice. The first time when she was just barely learning about her life, and then when she nearly got killed and was held in for her own sake as well as others who had to go out and deal with the mess she made.

With another sigh, she drew her knees up to her chest and rested her chin, humming to herself to pass the time.

Draco threw his fist at the wall, the sound of skin smacking with a solid object echoing in the closed space. A light voice was heard from behind him.

"What's the matter, my dear boy?"

Draco rounded on the speaker and threw him a black look. "May I be excused?" he asked instead. "I do not see fit to accompany you today."

"Nonsense," came the voice again. "It should actually do you some good."

With a sharp sigh, Draco turned his back on the speaker again and stared at the wall. There was a small dent where his fist had been, and he knew he would have to get someone to fix it. He pressed his hand over the dent as if he could make it go away and shook his head mentally. There were too many things going on his head, and Pansy just had to add to it. That boy Harry... There wasn't a doubt that the one Pansy had described was the same boy he had met at his club not but long ago. Draco would admit (even if only to himself) that he had taken an interest in the boy, but... since he saw Pansy, would he have to kill him? Harry was such a beautiful human... To kill such a wonderful creature...

An arm snaked around his waist, cutting off his thoughts. Draco pushed away from the wall and turned to the one who violated his personal space. "What do you want?" he half growled.

Deep red eyes met his grey irises. A dark smirk appeared on his lips. "Nothing, dear Draconius. But you look troubled. Why? Is it because of the girl and her stupidity? I don't see why you spare her. If anything, I say save your neck and kill her before she does something even more stupid. ...If that's even possible," he added with a laugh.

Draco pushed away from the other man and skirted him. "Pansy's had her mistakes. She'll learn eventually."

"Will that be before or after she's risked your life and all the others?" came the terse reply.

Draco didn't answer. He stared ahead and didn't bother to push away when his waist was encircled again, a chin resting on his shoulder. He turned his head to the opposite side, closing his eyes. With a deep sigh, one of the few signs of his exhaustion, he rode it out, letting the hands on his waist work, complying to their demands and going with the rhythm. He didn't care at the moment. Though it was sickening, he needed to be distracted. So, when lips descended upon his, he responded, no matter how much his body screamed in defiance. His mind need the release, even if only his body would respond.

AN: Aaand... that's it. Well, for the chapter anyway. I finally took the time to go and write this... It took a few looking-backs, but I guess you can say I like how it turned out overall. It's a little look into Draco's life, and I hope you liked it. Yes, it was Pansy who killed that poor woman. Pansy's a little off, but she's got the basis of a worshiping-Iloveyou-haughty kind of character.

[1] The vampire legend stereotypically states that these creatures of the night cannot see their reflection. Since this story does not follow the normal and straight line, I have my vampyres able to see their reflection in a mirror. However, they cannot be photographed nor taped. There's something about their atoms that don't mix well with modern technology... (And if you didn't figure it out by now — shame on you! — of course we're talking about Draco here.)

[2] Just a short question— what's Blaise's last name? I knew it at one point, but forgot and don't know how to spell it. Ah, and not to mention I don't know what he looks like. Is he black-haired? Ulgh, I don't know anything. I don't even remember how to spell Pansy's last name! Ulgh, I have such bad memory. Help, please?

[3] If that made no sense, since I have no experience with olden ways of courteous speech — aka: I don't know how people talked in the early nineteenth century and late eighteenth — I tried and made up a way of saying that Draco would prefer if Hermione not use his birth name, Draconius when she could very well use his other names for to him is sounds awful and dreadful. Get it? I just thought that maybe a little explaining might help those who don't know or are somewhat confused with my pseudo speech. (Just for kicks, and mind you, I'm a bad English speaker and have a mouth like a toilet to boot.)

[4] If it was never mentioned, I'd like to take note right now that Hermione in this story will be quite the opposite of her normal character except for her perceptiveness and brainpower. Mainly, her personality is most fitting to that of a smart, haughty and nearly prissy (though not too much so) young woman. If you can't imagine that, imagine a rich, spoiled brat, only smart and not entirely so. I will say that in this story, so far, Hermione will be very bold around Draco and co. and blunt whenever speaking her mind. Call her a dragon, if you will. I have no earthly clue how to express how she is except she could be called a nicer, female version of Draco... WAY nicer, and less prissy. Hermione's physical traits generally remain the same, though her thick hair is a little more trimmed and better kept.

[5] True to Hermione's impure blood in the book, here her vampyre blood is 50-50. Her mother was human and her father was a vampy. In legends, vampires past her blood onto someone else through feeding and the exchanging of blood. Though this may be true here as well, I've given the female vampyres an opportunity to have offspring. It doesn't happen often, female vampires, but when it happens, and they wish to breed, they can. It's even more rare for a two species to breed. Humans normally detest vamps, while in return they see humans as cattle — food. However, it can happen, and thus this is how Hermione came to be. Half-breeds are normally looked down upon, but there are several with exception either because of their looks or the power their possess and their potential. (In the near future I'll explain the vampiric world to your readers.)

[6] There are two definitions for the word sod. One: grass, land, turf, etc. Two: a person regarded as obnoxious or contemptible. I really would've liked it if Hermione was called a piece of land because that would've just been downright funny, especially since Draco's using it as an insult. But because it's normally seen as an insult in the British language, you can see it as such. Well, however you see him using it is up to you. But I think you have an idea of what I'd like it to be or see it as. (Heh.)

Updated: 7/24/04

PS: I really hate 's new updating system.... Just so you know.....