'Face the facts of being what you are, for that is what changes what you are.'
~Soren Kierkegaard

The shadows caressed him as he walked gently down the corridor. The night was still and to anyone else it would have been eerie the way the moon filtered through the cracks in the walls. Harry never knew where he was going, all he knew was that he had to get away. Tom's visit had sustained him for a short time, however now he felt the bloodlust rise in him, consume his being as its snaky tendrils wrapped round him even tighter. Picking up the pace he veered off to the right and cloaked the darkness around him, it hovered over his skin, ensconcing him and making him feel safe. Tom had taught him it in their second training session together to help him manoeuvre through the castle undetected. It was useful, but he knew Ron and Hermione were getting suspicious over his disappearances. He had told them that Dumbledore had advised that he practice to bring Voldemort down, but in order to do so he had to meditate and truly learn about his magic in order to control it. His friends knew he had trouble with his control and so this had been a logical reason, also it meant he had to be on his own so he would have an excuse to be gone for hours without them.

The grass rippled slightly as he glided over it, the only indication that anyone was even out on the grounds. The moon was unencumbered by the little puffs of darkened cloud, shining brightly and illuminating the night. He felt like he had crossed some sort of threshold, like this was some magical realm in which he had unwittingly stumbled into. The smells of the dying blooms permeated his nostrils, giving him one last snatch of summer before Autumn destroyed it, leaving nothing in Her path of decay.

A small rabbit foraged in the undergrowth, its little paws grating against the twigs as it scampered through the vegetation. Its blood smelled weak, the scent, although attractive not enough to sate his appetite. Stalking further, he lifted branches out of his path silently, long vines draped over his head, dangling down from the trees and other plants in this forest. They tickled the back of his neck but there was little he could do about that.

Then he smelt it.

The odour was pungent but not in a bad way. It called out to his senses like a Siren, ensnaring his mind and beckoning him closer. Lifting a branch he saw it was a deer. She was nibbling at a bush, her chews incredibly loud to his sensitive ears. Lunging, she never had a chance as he wrapped his arms around her, holding tightly to the now bucking animal. Sinking his teeth into its neck he lapped at the rich blood oozing out of the two holes, the flavour not as strong as Tom's but bringing immense pleasure nonetheless. Moaning, he heard the animal's heartbeat slow down, getting more and more sluggish with every sip. Throwing away the carcass, he muttered a small apology to the deer before phasing back to the grounds, just inside the tree line. His eyes zeroed in on a figure descending from the castle and he stayed still, wrapping the darkness tighter around him. When the person got closer he realised it was Malfoy.

"Potter, I know you're here, don't worry I know," whispered the Malfoy heir, his voice carrying over to Harry. Unsure what to do, he looked at the young man's features. He certainly looked like he was telling the truth, his eyes were shining under the glare of the moon and his face had an open look that he had never seen there before. Before consciously deciding upon it, he relaxed his grip on the darkness, allowing himself to become visible. Malfoy saw and strode over to him as Harry edged deeper into the forest.

"What do you want Malfoy?" asked Harry, sitting down on a rotting tree stump.

"To talk," replied the heir simply, sitting down next to him.

"You said you know. Know what exactly?"

"Oh I know you're a vampyre, Blaise told me on the train," said Draco calmly. That explained why he wasn't so adverse to hanging around them now, Harry had been starting to suspect Blaise had imperiused him, but if he knew they were on the same side then there was no need for animosity.

"What else?" pressed Harry.

"I know everything Harry," said Malfoy gently, for once the sneer was absent from his voice.

"Wow, I never thought I'd here you call me by my first name!" said Harry in mock amazement.

"We're on the same side, I see no reason to antagonise you anymore," said Draco, Harry could tell he meant every word he said.

"How do you know I am on your side?"

"I know that you will be present at the next Death Eater meeting," replied Draco, unbuttoning his left cuff and rolling his sleeve up. Harry could see the inky black tattoo that was the Dark Mark, however now he never felt any revulsion to it. It was beautiful in some sense, the snake scales glimmering in the half light making it seem like a precious jewel. Unconsciously, Harry extended a hand and traced the pattern, feeling like he was somehow closer to Tom by doing so.

Draco watched this, fascination swirling in his silver eyes. So it really was true, he never would have thought that Harry was capable of loving the Dark Lord. He had heard he was handsome but the adoration glinting in the turbulent emerald eyes went well beyond that. Harry loved him, he may not know it yet but he did. Draco couldn't really see how someone could love a man so cold but in a twisted way it made sense. The two people most wronged by Dumbledore were the two to find happiness in each other.

Rolling his sleeve back up he looked at Harry. He was different. His eyes were slightly brighter, burning with an intensity that the young Malfoy had never seen before. He was also incredibly pale with a flush gathered around his cheeks. His external appearance wasn't the only change. This Harry was far more refined than the old one. He was able to control his temper more, as proven when Draco had pushed him too far, eliciting a stern word from the raven haired man instead of a hex as it would have in bygone years. He looked older, the new clothes giving him an almost aristocratic air like a boy born into one of the wizarding world's most powerful families should have had from birth. The most obvious change was his vast improvement with magic. His skill with a wand now outmatched some of the teachers and he kept getting better as the term progressed. Draco had a feeling that he was holding back, slowly increasing his progress not to arouse suspicion. It was sensible but it also made Draco curious as to how much more he could do.

"What are you looking at?" asked Harry, Draco saw him scanning his features, trying to draw the truth out of them. Draco decided to oblige.

"You seem like another person than the one I used to know."

"A lot has happened to me since then," replied Harry, his eyes adopting a distance look. His expression never hinted at sadness however so Draco assumed that they were good memories he was reliving.

"What was it like training with the Dark Lord? Personally I would be terrified," asked Draco, seeing Harry shake his head, dislodging the cobwebs of memory from the green orbs.

"It was really good actually. He's a great teacher. I guess he is different around you guys huh?"

"You could say that, he doesn't torture us as much anymore though. I should probably thank you for that," said Draco, smiling weakly.

"He's tough but he's fair. The amount of times I had to get bones repaired..." Harry trailed off, a grin playing about his lips. Draco saw nothing particularly funny about this but he did admit Harry had a point. The Dark Lord only tortured them when he was angry and it was normally them that had made him angry. A breeze swept over them, bringing the chill of the night in its full force. Shivering, Draco wrapped his cloak around him tighter. Harry noticed this however, a concerned look entering his eyes.

"Let's head back up, its almost one in the morning," said Harry, checking his watch. The only time he could feed without arousing suspicion was at night. It was lucky he had never needed much sleep as between that and the training not to mention homework he barely got any.

Harry had noticed a change in the young Malfoy too. No longer did the heir walk as if he were better than all in the vicinity. It appeared that they had both gotten a glimpse at each other tonight, seen the true face behind the mask they wore each day. It was almost a relief to have someone other than those he met in the realm to confide in. The breeze had picked up, whipping around them as they made their way back up to the castle. Wrapping the darkness around them both they moved undetected through the castle walls, only meeting the Grey Lady as she swept through a portrait of the Delindus the Deranged. At the Great Staircase Harry and Draco silently went their separate ways, Harry ascending the stairs whilst Draco went down to the dungeons.

"Beezlebub," said Harry, ignoring The Fat Lady scolding him for being out so late.

The common room was deserted and he made his way up the stairs, the aged wood creaking ever so slightly under his weight. Treading quietly he entered his dormitory, changing quickly into his pyjamas and clambering into bed. A voice sounded through the darkness momentarily freezing his blood.

"N. Nooo not the spiders..." mumbled Ron, groaning in his sleep as he rolled over onto his side.

"Its okay Ron, there are no spiders, go back to sleep," said Harry gently, trying to calm the scared red head.

"Mmm thanks Har..." said Ron sleepily, a snore resounding throughout the room moments later.

Laying back in his bed, Harry sighed as his body moulded to the bed. His shoulders relaxed, the stress leaving him for a few precious hours. No matter how easy he made it look, acting like his old self was draining. Draco had helped him realise that he had indeed changed a lot. He felt older, like he had outgrown them, it was only in his times with Tom that he felt evenly matched. He knew without a doubt that he was more than a match for almost anybody at the school and Tom's lessons were helping him excel in his class work to the point that he was learning nothing from his Professors. The only reason he was staying at school was for his mission, he loved his friends he truly did but the barrier between them was hard to ignore. He hoped that he would be able to bring them around but he would have to do it slowly, they already knew something was going on, and it was insulting to their intelligence to assume that they wouldn't figure it out sooner or later. Tomorrow was the weekend, perhaps he could discuss it with them then. He knew Ron would never side with him but Hermione might, her campaign against house-elf enslavement showed him that she was willing to go against authority if it meant greater representation of the neglected classes. Yawning, he looked at the clock seeing it was just after two. He had five hours until he had to get up for breakfast. Stretching, he snuggled into the now warm covers, enjoying for what could be the last time the security that was having his friends around him.

A/N: Thank you for the feedback! I confess I was seriously deliberating on abandoning this story, for the last few chapters I've felt my writing has been awful and I was sick of doubting myself. That said talking with Elfinmyth and LaTiL has made me want to write more, rekindling my enthusiasm. This chapter was initially going to be a Death Eater meeting but I felt Draco's almost friendly behaviour towards Harry should be explained and is the reason it is so short - plus I love writing him! I think this chapter is better than my previous ones but I'll leave you to make up your own mind about it :)

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter.

I apologise for any spelling and/or grammar mistakes contained within this chapter.

Please Review!