Chapter Two

Confusion

OOC-ish-ness… haha. I have just decided to write this story like I want. Trying to write true to the characters exact nature is just NOT possible. Thank you for all of the reviews I really love you guys. The support and help and praises are so wonderful to hear.

Ok, one of you asked me this so let me address it now… Harry will not be a submissive, but neither will Draco. I love both, but I have decided to make them both equal. In reality a Carpathian is always dominate to their mate, but you will just have to wait and see… don't want to give anything away winks. There will be sub Harry scenes… have to make my readers happy cheeky grin.

As Harry entered the Great Hall with his two best friends he was wondering what his food would look like. Surly Dumbledore wouldn't just set a cup of blood on the table in front of him?

Harry was so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't realized he had sat down. He looked at his friends plates, which filled with food when they sat down.

Harry looked down at his own plate and saw a bowl of what looked like tomato soup. He stared at it for so long that Hermione must have noticed, "Harry, you have to eat it. It is your nature now, it won't taste bad."

Harry looked at her reproachfully. He then picked up his spoon, dipped it in the blood and took a sip. It was really good. The liquid was warm and it slid down his throat to form a warm pool in his belly. It didn't taste like blood, but like a tangy, appetizing sauce. He started to spoon it into his mouth more naturally, not as if it would burn his tongue and throat on contact.

Ron and Hermione watched him for a bit and then went back to eating their food. The Trio was almost done when a student entered the Hall. Harry looked up from his meal to see Draco Malfoy staring at him. Harry felt the hair rise up on the back of his neck and then he felt like a surge of electricity was exiting his body.

"Hello, Malfoy, care to sit with us?" Hermione patted the seat beside her.

"Like I would even consider it." Malfoy drawled with an air of annoyance that went down Harry's spine.

The Malfoy heir sat at the other end of the large table, the only table in the Great Hall for the summer, and proceeded to eat lunch in silence.

"Monie, why are you trying to get him to sit with us? I will admit that I feel sorry for him, but we don't owe him anything." Ron looked at Hermione with a pleading look.

"Ron, you should be ashamed. He is going through a lot. He may have called me some pretty foul things but the anger, the tearing down, it is a mask and what that boy needs is friends." Hermione huffed.

"You are the one who bloody punched him in the face in third year! I can't help I don't like him, he is a bloody git." Ron stole a glance at Malfoy and then went back to his food.

"Hermione, what is going on?" Harry was confused; the feeling seemed to be happening a lot. His body was also trying to adjust to the wave of current it had experienced not two minutes ago.

"Malfoy is staying at Hogwarts this summer with us. We are the only students; us, Malfoy, and Zabini. I have tried to get them to sit with us for the past few meals. We have only been here for a day. The first time I asked they almost died of shock."

"I'll say." Ron had his mouth full of pie, "I almost died of shock!"

Harry finished his blood and, with a little more clarity of mind because of the food, asked, "That still doesn't explain why you would want them to sit with us in the first place."

"I'll explain it to you when we get to the common room." Hermione took on last sip of her drink and then looked at Ron to make sure he was finished.

Ron stood up with a look from Hermione and the trio walked towards the door. As they were walking out, Zabini walked in and Harry swore he saw him nod slightly in greeting. Hermione smiled and kept walking and Ron put his head down. Harry thought that nodding back was appropriate enough and then they had passed each other.

Harry was just so confused. It was like his sense was running circles around his intelligence and both were too occupied to operate.

Harry was brought out of his thoughts when he ran straight into Hermione, who had stopped to say the pass word, "blood love".

Harry thought about the pass word and chuckled. Then he started thinking about the whole mate situation. Then he started to get nauseated so he stopped.

"It is weird having the whole tower to ourselves." Ron walked over to the couch and collapsed upon it. Hermione took the love seat to the right of the couch and Harry took the recliner to the left. They ended up in a circle because of the way the furniture was arranged.

"Ok, guys, what is going on?" Harry looked at Hermione when he said it because he knew she would be the one to tell him.

"You know that after 5th year Lucius Malfoy was in Azkaban for a while but then he got out with his connections. Well, everyone also knows that after the death of Voldemort he went back." She looked from Ron to Harry and Harry nodded his head at her to go ahead.

"Well, at the beginning of the summer, only a couple of weeks after he entered… he died. Just willed himself to die, I guess, nothing wrong with him physically. Dumbledore told us all this last night when we saw Malfoy at dinner." Hermione took a deep breath.

"Not to long after his father's death, Malfoy's mother killed herself by taking potions. She left a note telling Draco that everything was his and to make the Malfoy name something his father never had. She told him not to be like his father. Draco has everything at his fingertips; he is seventeen so the entire Malfoy fortune is at his command." She looked kind of bothered for a second but then she looked confused as she continued. "He asked Dumbledore if he could stay here for the summer. He said the manor was too big and that everything reminded him of his parents. Blasie came with him because he was also left without parents when the war ended. They both stayed neutral during the war despite their families' involvement. Neither has the mark."

Harry tried to take in what Hermione was saying. So, Malfoy wasn't such a bad guy. Malfoy wasn't such a bad guy? Harry figured his attitude was what his upbringing had taught him… couldn't hold it against him. Right?

"I think Hermione's idea is a good one. We are civil to them, no fighting. Let's see where this goes." Hermione smiled and Ron groaned.

"Ron, you are going to have to accept it. On the outside Malfoy and Zabini look like pricks, snobs, but on the inside, deep down, they are still two little boys with the world in the palm of their hand and no one to guide them."

How lonely it must be, thought Harry. He excused himself and went upstairs to unpack and rest. His body was still not in tip-top condition. Maybe a fly around the castle on his broom tomorrow would lighten his spirits. Help get things into prospective.

Harry didn't feel different really. All this was, was a meal plan alteration. Being Carpathian was not that hard, just an increase in power and he got to spend the last weeks of summer with his two best friends at Hogwarts. That was all it was… he hoped.

Later that night, Harry was tossing and turning in his bed. He couldn't sleep. Maybe the Carpathian side of him was nocturnally set? Harry threw the covers off and walked to the window where he sat on the ledge.

He looked out at the moonlit grounds and over the waters of the lake. The night was beautiful; he had always liked the night. The breeze was blowing the tops of the trees so Harry opened the window to feel it on his skin.

Ever since Harry had defeated Voldemort he had been trying to take in the little things, like the breeze on his skin or the way the moon reflected of the waters of the lake. Harry could see everything in the dark he realized… night vision. Not only did he have better vision he had enhanced vision!

Harry scanned the shore of the lake, tracing its edges when he saw a figure. The shape of a person was outlined against the inky water of the lake. Harry realized that Draco Malfoy was sitting by the lake, his blond hair stirred by the breeze.

Harry studied him for a few moments before he realized that Malfoys' shoulders were shaking. He was crying! Harry just stared at the boy crying by the lake for so long. How many times had he wished Malfoy would cry? How many times had he prayed that Malfoy would "get what was coming to him"? Now, all Harry could feel was sorrow.

Harry thought about what Hermione had told him. Had Malfoy found his mom after she had killed herself? What was it like knowing that you were stronger than your parents; that you stood up for yourself and refused to follow? Was Malfoy angry at himself? Sad? Guilty? Depressed?

I wish I knew what was on your mind. If I could just get over who you are I could help you become the person I know you really are. Harry said this in his mind. He wished he could really say it to Malfoy. Harry was such a damn sucker for tears.

All of a sudden Malfoy jerked his head up and looked around. He looked like he had heard something. Had he heard Harry? Had Harry done accidental magic and sent Malfoy his thoughts? Was that possible? Harry didn't think it was likely.

Malfoy stood up, brushed himself off, and walked up to the castle. Harry sighed and walked back to bed.

Still, sleep eluded him for awhile and his dreams were full of soft blond hair and piercing gray eyes.

Is it working for you? Let me know…

Thank you for reading…

Oh, and I own nothing…must I put that every time?

Ash