WHAT LAST FOREVER

-CHAPTER TWENTYSEVEN-

BETA: Green eyes

INFO: www. livejournal. com /users/ draycious

NOTE: I need Betas, if you're interested -email me.

Harry looked away from Trent and tried to come up with some sort of excuse, or at least say something in his defense.. He had to deny the fact, he couldn't very well tell Trent about his vampire traits. Yet he knew somehow that Trent wouldn't let this go easily.

"I don't know what you think you have discovered about me Mr. Malfoy, but I can assure you you're incorrect in your assumption." he finally said and looked Trent straight in the eyes. He made sure to occlude his mind in case Trent tried to read his mind. It wouldn't do to have a Malfoy inside his head, Voldemort was more than enough already.

"Bullshit," Trent said immediately and met his eyes defiantly. Jamez got the feeling Trent wouldn't back down. He decided to change tactics.

"What makes you say I'm a vampire? As far as I know I haven't tried to drink your blood," he said and sunk down in a chair nearby. His eyes scanned the room and made sure no other inmates was near enough to overhear their conversation. They weren't so he decided to stay seated. He tried to act indifferent to the accusations, if you could call it that. A simple statement would probably be more accurate, but Jamez didn't care about petty words.

"You have all the traits, all the signs are there. I can sense those sort of things. You're not the only one that's magical, you would do well to remember that Jamez." Trent said in a low voice. Jamez couldn't decide if Trent was someone he needed to look out for, or accept as an ally. Trent seemed to have many different personalities and none very easy to discover. The man had just as many masks as Snape. Those were not easily penetrated, and he wasn't sure if he actually wanted to get to know Trent. Then again the man could prove to be important to him in the future. He needed to get out of this jail as soon as possible. He understood by now that something very fishy was going on, and this jail wasn't a normal one. Someone was out to get him, and apparently, the Malfoy's as well. For all he knew this could be some sick experiment, to see how he would cope being locked up with criminals. Maybe all this was nothing more than a test, to see if he was strong enough to be the savior of the wizarding world. Maybe there were hidden cameras all around this place, and perhaps people, his friends even, were watching his progress in here. What was that room he had been taken to earlier? What did those pictures symbolize, what did it all mean? He had so many questions, and so few answers. Maybe, just maybe, Trent was one step of the way to discover and reveal all those answers. Trent seemed like a smart person. From what Marcus had told him, Trent could be slightly orthodox in his way of dealing with things, yet that might be exactly what he needed.

"I know I'm not the only one," he said and occupied himself with trying to detach a piece of his hair which was stuck to his necklace. "The question still remains Trent, why do you say I'm a vampire? You have no proof what so ever."

Trent laughed and shook his head. "I never said I had any proof, I am not out to get you if that's what you think. I am merely informing you that I know." Trent paused and he too looked around the room over his shoulder. The inmates closest to them were playing cards, and by appearance they did not pay attention to them. Yet that didn't matter since they were out of hearing range anyway. It was easy to be paranoid in jail. You never knew who might be watching or listening in on you. There was little space in jail, and it was almost impossible to not being close to somebody else at all times. Even when you were asleep, you were near the other inmate sharing your pod. "Does Marcus know?" he asked. Jamez shook his head.

"He doesn't know anything, since there is nothing worth knowing." he said stubbornly and Trent sighed. He was getting fed up with the bullshitting.

"Look Jamez, I have told you already," he said forcefully and leaned forward so it was impossible for him to avoid Trent's eyes. "I am not out to get you. I do not have anything against you, and I hope you have nothing against me. Now when the air is cleaned, I would like to know when you last fed, you don't look too good in my eyes. I can recognize the signs. Your hands are shaking, your skin is pale and you look nauseous." Trent said and Jamez quickly hid his hands in his sleeves self-consciously even if the motion itself was unconscious. Trent raised his eyebrows. Jamez decided to give up. If the guards really were muggles then what did he have to loose?

"Fine. Yes I am part vampire. Is that what you wanted to hear?" he snarled. He was in a crappy mood, and his hunger didn't help matters. Trent simply nodded in acceptance. He didn't look smug over the answer like Jamez had expected. Every Malfoy looked smug whenever they got something out of him, even Marcus. Figures this Malfoy is different from all the others, he thought sourly.

"I can be your donator if you want. I can imagine it being hard to find someone else in here," Trent said in a plain voice, his facial features giving nothing away of what he was thinking. "Unless I am wrong you're not the type which kills his victims, and even if you were that would be inconvenient in here. I can only imagine what would happen to all of us if bodies suddenly began to litter around the place with two puncture holes in their necks."

Was there a trace of humor in Trent's voice? Jamez wasn't sure, but he liked to think there was. Humor was important in a person. It separated the psychopaths from the healthy ones. He also needed to think about if he should accept Trent as his donor. He knew what his body needed, it needed blood quickly. He could also see the sense in what Trent had said. He couldn't kill anyone nor could he find a donor among the other inmates. He was close to no one other than Marcus, and he wasn't sure if he should tell Marcus about his little… problem. Marcus would use it against him in some way or another, even if he was an ally in here. Marcus wasn't out to hurt him, he knew that, but Marcus could be very persistent and persuasive if he wanted something, and he could use this information in advantage if he ever needed to blackmail him. Jamez could clearly see Marcus threatening to reveal his secret to the guards if he did not sleep with him. He'd rather not go through with that scenario. At the moment Trent's offer seemed rather appealing, yet he wasn't sure about it, something seemed off. It was too easy. Or maybe he was simply reading into things. He decided to find out.

"What is in it for you, what do you gain?" he asked slowly and Trent nodded appreciatively.

"You ask the right questions, I like that," he said approvingly. "What's in it for me…?" Trent repeated and contemplated to himself. It seemed to Jamez like Trent was going to say several things, but then thought the better off it, so he waited. "The more I think about it, I can't see what's in it for me other than the fact that I'll gain your trust. That's all I want for the moment." He finally said and Jamez could see that was the truth and the whole reason behind it.

"Why would you like to have my trust?" he asked curiously. Trent smiled at that question.

"For the same reasons you want mine," he said and surprised Jamez. He had not known Trent knew he would like to be his ally. "I want out of here, and so do you. It would be easier for us to accomplish that if we worked together, hence, we need to trust each other, correct?" Trent asked and Jamez nodded.

"Yes, and I can see how my feeding sessions would help us on the way. It is an intimate act, and it does require a lot of trust out of both partners. You need to trust me too stop drinking when it's time, and I need to trust you to keep my secret."

"Indeed. It goes two ways;" Trent agreed. He suddenly narrowed his eyes when he looked directly at him. "Do we have a deal?" he asked sharply and Jamez was surprised. Trent really was a man with many sides, and with mood changes like few others he had met. He could see where Marcus got it from, even if he was more extreme. Perhaps it would dim with age. He mentally shook himself and concentrated on the question. He quickly reviewed what he had thought and heard so far, and decided that it would benefit his cause if he accepted the offer.

"Alright. We have a deal." he said. He didn't reach out his hand, because he kept the 'no physical contact with Trent unless he offers first' motto to heart. Trent seemed to think otherwise and offered his hand. It took him a moment to comprehend the action, but he quickly grabbed Trent's hand and shook it once he was able to move. Trent's handshake was firm and his hand wasn't big yet not small.. The hand was warm, but not noticeably so, and his fingers were long, sensual and quite slim, almost bony, but not in a bad way. He didn't know why he noticed, but he did.

"I don't think we should tell my son about this just yet." Trent warned him and alarms went off in Jamez head.

"Why not?" he said immediately and went through the different possibilities why Trent would like to keep this arrangement secret. If it was important to Trent to keep it secret, it must mean there was something else going on which he himself didn't see nor understand just yet. Trent rolled his eyes at him as if he knew what his paranoid mind was thinking.

"Because," he said with heavy pronouncement. "If we were to tell my son it would be spread out like a wild fire within the hour. Don't get me wrong, I love my son and I trust him but when it comes to you his judgment is slightly clouded. I can see how he would think this feeding would be something of a sexual nature, which it is not." Trent said and Jamez silently agreed. "I could sense straight away that my son is fascinated by your persona. He will not give up on you just yet you know," Trent said with a slight smile. There was defiantly humor in his voice this time around and Jamez found himself smiling too. This Malfoy didn't seem half bad to him. Then it hit him.

"You've danced around my question Trent, how did you know I was a vampire?" Trent sighed heavily and gave him a half hearted glare before he sunk down deep into the chair he sat in and said a bit reluctantly: "If you must know I was once together with a half vampire, so I am familiar with the traits they, you, carry even if they may be almost nonexistent for others. I am also familiar with the procedure of feeding." Jamez was once again surprised, but he knew Trent wasn't lying. He didn't know how he exactly he knew, it was just a feeling he had. His instincts had never had him fooled before, so he decided to trust them and let the issue go. They spent the rest of their time alone in a comfortable silence. It was broken once Marcus arrived, but Jamez didn't feel disturbed by that. They decided to play cards, and as it turned out he was a given loser each time, that or the Malfoy's cheated. He didn't know which one, but he wouldn't put it past them.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

A few hours later they walked to the dinner hall together. They found themselves a table after picking up their share of food. The prison food wasn't the greatest, but at least it was food. Jamez wasn't feeling hungry for human food, but his bloodlust increased by tenfold. He saw Trent sneaking glanced over at him every now and then, but Marcus was too occupied talking to notice his fathers' silent interaction with him.

"I can't believe they think we'll actually eat this!" Marcus exclaimed in an outraged voice and toyed around with some mashed potatoes on his plate. He glared at it but ate it anyway. He didn't have much of a choice if he didn't want to walk around hungry. Trent didn't look to enthusiastic about the aspect of eating the food either, but he didn't utter one word about it. He left that up to Marcus and he did a remarkable job at it too. He even gave Jamez a headache. Jamez didn't eat the food; he just stared at it sullenly and wished he was somewhere else in the world. When Marcus finally noticed that he spoke.

"Hey Jade, are you going to eat that?" He asked. When Jamez shook his head Marcus shrugged and reached out over the table and grabbed his plate. With a happy squeal he began to eat Jamez 's portion.

"I thought you said you didn't like it," Trent said to his son and gave him a disapproving look when Marcus spoke with food in his mouth.

"I don't," he said with matter of fact. "But I am hungry," he added and Trent snorted.

"No shit," Trent murmured and took a sip of his milk. He looked pained to do so and Jamez could imagine Trent was the type who usually drank beer. Jamez finally had enough of the smell of food, and stood up from the table. Marcus looked at him with a question in his eyes.

"I am not hungry, I will go take a shower, and I do not want company;" he said sharply when Marcus made a motion to get up as well. Marcus looked disappointed but nodded when his father made a not so discrete attempt to take Marcus's plate of food away. Marcus quickly snatched it back and cradled it protectively in his arms.

"Loser," Trent said and stood up as well. "I'm done eating. I take it you'll stay?" he asked Marcus who nodded.

"Yeah, I'll join you guys later. There is something I need to do anyway," he said and looked over at another inmate. Whatever business they had together, Jamez would stay out off. Together Trent and him went to their domain inside the prison. X899.

-----------------------------------------

Jamez hadn't lied when he said he was going to take a shower. Therefore he gathered his clothes and towel and went to the shower rooms. Trent remained behind in his own pod; Jamez could see him through the glass as he walked down to the ground floor. He smiled a little when he remembered all the tales and myths surrounding the prison showers. Never drop the soap indeed, he thought humorously as he stood underneath the hot water.. He knew, of course that a lot of the inmates were taken in the behind in the showers, whether it was willingly or not, but he was confident it wouldn't happen to him. He was alone in the showers now, most of the inmates were still in the dining hall, and those who weren't were either in their pods or the common room. Therefore he took a long leisure shower. Once he was finished he turned the water off and quickly put a towel around himself. He began to dry his hair with another one and when he was satisfied with the result he straightened up. He let a yell escape his lips when he came face to face with a man.