AN:
English is not my native language, that's why some Beta readers are helping me: Twilight684, Sapphire Leo, Drawing on Converse
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I woke Hermione like I had every day since I started sleeping in her bedroom. Together we enjoyed a wonderful shower and went downstairs to meet with her friends, though since it was Sunday there were many who were still sleeping-Potter and Weasley for example.
She wasn't surprised at Ginerva's absence and she greeted Isabel with a flaming smile, thanking her for not leaving her alone the night before. The lethal assassin glared at me as soon as she saw me. She was angry because of Lucian's attitude... and with me because I didn't do anything to stop him-as if I had some control over him. She knew the exact whereabouts of my sire; he was beside the redhead in my old room.
When we got to the Great Hall, Isa hugged Hermione and said that she was going to have breakfast with me because she wanted to comment on a few things. Hermione rolled her eyes when Isa told her that she would still watch her so that nobody could harm her. Hermione sighed because only Longbottom and Lavender were eating breakfast at Gryffindor table, along with some early risers. She shrugged and gracefully walked away from us, smiling with resignation.
"Blaise is eating breakfast early this morning..." I said, surprised. "Are you already changing his habits, Isa?"
"Shut up, English," she told me with a smirk. "He is only entertainment. At least I have that fact clearer than others." She hit me in the ribs. "You have to do something with Luc."
"Me?" I sighed "He is a big boy and you know that I'm not the best person to reproach his habits."
"I don't think that what he is doing is recommended for your facade... At least I haven't said anything to Bonbon," she protested in a tone that didn't match with the charming smile she gave Blaise as we approached Slytherin table. "You'd think that after all these years he would know how to be discreet..."
"I remind you that you are talking about Luc."
"Okay... I know, he is the only one who can annoy anyone, even Saulot..." she said, referring to the first and only pacifist vampire in history.
"Surely Lucian would annoy him just to know if he is as pacifist as everyone says," I laughed while politely offering her to sit. "Good morning, Blaise."
"Good morning, Isabel... Draco."
Obviously he only paid attention to her, but I don't blame him. She is beautiful, she has a perfect body and her smile is so enigmatic. The only downside is that she is as deadly as she is beautiful, as lethal as she is nice, and I'm not crazy enough to stay in a vulnerable position beside her.
"Soon there will be a party, would you come as my guest?"
"A party? I will be happy to accompany you, Blaise," she told him politely, in a tone that made him believe that she really desired to accompany him.
"I'm sure you'll love seeing the castle filled with Halloween decorations. This year we have the novelty of being able to disguise ourselves!"
I had completely forgotten that detail.
"I think there will be a dance and...you know how to dance, right?
"Blaise..." she took his hand carefully, "of course I know how to dance. The doubt offends me," she said with an adorable pout.
God, I can't believe how well she is faking it.
"Draco, are you and Hermione going to dress up for the party?" she asked me, trying to introduce me into the conversation.
"I have no idea... Have you thought about something, Blaise?" I asked with genuine curiosity.
My friend began listing the hundreds of costumes that he had thought of. All of them were to go as a couple, from Romeo and Juliet, to Mark Antony and Cleopatra... The poor boy must have checked all Shakespeare's works in which a couple appeared.
The thoughts about the costumes ceased completely in my mind when I saw Ginerva appear in the dining room, her smile more than radiant... Of course I didn't expect less from Luc. I sighed and that caught Isabel's attention. I slightly turned my head towards the redhead and she looked at her. For someone normal, Ginerva was just happier than usual, her eyes sparkled and her cheeks had more color...but we were able to see the almost invisible marks of fangs in her neck, we could hear the fast pace of her heart and we could appreciate some other physical aspects that she tried to disguise.
She realized that we were looking at her and she winked at us while she sat next to Hermione.
"Good morning, Herms!" she hummed. "What do you recommend for breakfast?" Hermione looked at her blankly. "I think I'll eat some... porridge," she said, pouring herself a generous portion on her plate.
"Are you alright, Ginny? You never get up so early on a Sunday," she looked at her with curiosity.
"Well, the truth is that I haven't slept at all last night..." she said, giggling before leaning to whisper to Hermione. "I've been up all night with Lucian."
"What?" Hermione looked horrified. "What about Harry?!" She looked at me for help.
"He is sleeping like a baby in his bed," Ginerva answered calmly. "Actually, now I understand why Draco always worries so much about your diet." She sighed while she ate. "One question... Are you always so hungry after being with him? Because I assure you that I could eat an ox right now... Can you bring the coffee and those bananas closer, please?"
Hermione brought them closer, staring at her in surprise.
"I just think I need to regain my energy," the redhead said, laughing nervously.
"Seriously, Ginny, what will you tell Harry?" Hermione asked worriedly.
"Nothing." The redhead looked at her blankly. "Herms, if he doesn't know anything I don't get reproached."
Even while we were paying attention to what Blaise thought about the costume ideas, Isa and I hadn't lost a single word of their conversation. For a moment I looked at her discreetly and she understood what I wanted.
"Blaise, I think I'll go and greet Ginerva," she said with a smile. "I think it will help me decide on my costume."
"Yes, of course...but then you'll come back, right?" he asked, almost pleading with his eyes and releasing her hand reluctantly.
"Of course," she said, smiling at him and kissing his lips softly.
"Draco... I can't believe you two to be just friends... You didn't have sex with her during the summer?" he asked.
"She's my friend and nothing else..." I said, not paying much attention; I was worried about Ginerva. "Besides, I'm not her type," I said.
"Really?" he asked me, surprised. "When did something like that ever stop you?"
"Well, this summer I changed a lot... I learned a few new things, one of them being to respect the wishes of a lady when she clearly says that she is not interested in me."
"Is that why you're with the bookworm? Because Isabel told you no?"
I gave him a warning look.
"Sorry, but I just... I still don't understand why you are with her."
"Hermione is amazing..." And now she is concerned about the possible consequences of what happened between Ginerva and Lucian, not only for what might happen to her friend but also by the effect it may have on my human facade.
"I guess the old man taught you a good part of his repertoire last night..." Isabel told Ginerva, wrinkling her nose as she sat beside her, her voice tone was acid and recriminatory. "Do you know what you're getting into, redhead?"
"More or less..." Ginerva shrugged. "For now I'm just focused on eating. I guess I'll think about it later." A smile lit her face. "The only thing I can think of right now is in how much fun I had last night..." She leaned towards Hermione to whisper in her ear, "…so many centimeters... I really envy you for having that every night... You are a lucky girl." She licked her lips while she peeled a banana and then she ate it in one bite...
Too many images flooded my mind.
"The amazing thing is..." she addressed Isabel, "the variety of his repertoire." She shuddered. "Have you also had sex with him?" she asked Isabel.
"No." The look Isabel gave her could freeze a desert. "He wouldn't dare to bother me." She's right, Lucian is not crazy enough.
"Come on, he's not so bad!" Ginerva elbowed her.
"I don't need a lusty vampire to teach me anything, Ginerva," Isabel growled.
"Are they all like him?" the redhead asked.
"No. I must admit that there is nobody like him... The majority don't care about that aspect because it's so...human."
"Well..." Ginerva winked and elbowed Hermione, "I think Draco thinks that it's important, right?"
"Yes, the poor boy can't help it-he is still young," Isabel said, laughing when she heard me snorting across the room. "And his master is Lucian, so it is normal that he has inherited some of his vices."
I cleared my throat so that she would stop speaking about me, knowing that it would be entirely useless.
"Anyway, we'd better get down to business... You should not socialize with Lucian more than necessary."
"Not that I'm in love with him," Ginerva replied, looking at Hermione askance. "We've only had a good time and nothing else."
"Anyway, I recommend you not to repeat it," Isabel continued.
"Why not? Do you want him for yourself?"
Ginerva doesn't give up.
"I thought you said he wouldn't dare with you... Have you changed your mind, or don't you have enough with Zabini?"
"Take it as a simple warning for your own sake."
At least she wasn't telling her the whole truth... We are highly addictive, something that Hermione was beginning to suffer because of me. However, they are also addictive for us... Wizard's blood is very powerful and it makes us stronger.
"Well, I don't know if I will repeat it..." Ginerva said thoughtfully.
"You're forgetting about Harry-your boyfriend!" Hermione scolded her. She didn't like the topic of the conversation and she had tried not to say anything.
"I haven't forgotten about him, Herms," the redhead said. "I just don't include him in the conversation, because he doesn't have to be included at all."
"Ginny, he is your boyfriend and my best friend! What do you expect me to do if he asks me about your attitude? I'll have to lie and I don't like it!"
"That's no big deal, Herms. Surely if he had the opportunity, he would do the same."
"No, Ginny. Harry isn't that kind of person and I can't believe what you did! I thought you would give more importance to his feelings than...whatever you've done with Lucian! I can't stand hearing how you make fun of my best friend!" She got up and left the table almost running, Isabel and I immediately following after her.
Hermione left the castle and headed towards the gardens. The day was sunny and I groaned to myself when I saw that she would force me to leave the safety of the castle when all I wanted was to refuge myself in the darkness of my chamber. I cursed my Sire, I cursed Ginerva and I cursed every person that lived in the damn castle.
Isabel wasn't stopped by the sun and after checking that no one could see her she quickly ran to stand next to Hermione. I could hear Hermione's sobs, I could see her shoulders shaking, and when Isa approached her my girlfriend pushed her away. Ok, to be more precise, Isabel moved away so that Hermione wouldn't get hurt, however she can't push me away so easily and the damn sun isn't going to stop me from being with her.
I want to find out what the hell is wrong with her because I don't understand why she has left the castle running in that way... And I also want to know what has altered so much that she is crying. I guess she appreciates Potter and that she doesn't want him to be a cuckold, but I don't think that's enough to start crying...
I quickly left the castle, just as Isabel had done seconds before. Everyone was sleeping or eating so no one was in the vicinity. Isabel didn't approach Hermione again and she just kept a safe distance between them in order to be able to react in case of danger.
"Are you okay, Hermione?" I asked softly, without getting too close to her.
"No..." she whispered, hugging herself.
"What's wrong? Why have you left running?" I kept asking as I got closer to her.
"I don't understand what's happening... What's happening to Ginny...to Zabini..." She turned around and looked at me. "Is all of this happening only because you are vampires or because the world is slowly falling apart?"
"I'm afraid it is me who doesn't understand now, honey..." I said, now standing almost beside her.
"Since I'm with you everything around me is changing too fast." Tears slipped down her cheeks. "Before, I knew nothing about vampires, only what appeared in some textbooks, and now I know more than I ever would have wanted to know..." She swallowed hard and faced me. "Why did Luc have to do that to Ginny? She was happy with Harry!"
"No," I replied sharply. "I'm afraid you've only seen what you wanted to see, what you all want to see." I put my hands in my pockets and looked straight into her eyes. "If you're like me, a vampire, you can perceive details that even the most observant person can't see. You couldn't see what we saw; Ginerva isn't at all in love with Harry... The true Ginerva is the one you have seen in the Great Hall-carefree, happy, free, unconcerned, open-minded... Lucian can be anything you want, but he has always accepted a no for an answer, he has never forced a woman to spend a single second with him..."
"Don't defend him! I'm sick of the way you speak about him as if he is a god!"
"Sorry, Hermione, but...he has taught me everything I know. He's the reason why I'm not buried and being eaten by worms. I have lived with him for twenty years, so sorry if that affects my judgment about him. Sorry if I'm grateful for what he did to me and, besides, I know him enough to know that Ginerva could have stopped him before doing anything too intimate. Also I'm sorry for knowing your friends better than what you know them... Potter is no more than an average magician. Now that everything related to Voldemort is over he just wants a quiet life, and Ginerva is a fiery girl who wants to have a life full of adventures and emotions. She isn't at all attracted by her boyfriend's quiet attitude. She loves him, of course, but in the same way she loves her brother-there is no trace of passion. When she is with Harry, she doesn't feel what you feel every time you are with me..."
"Now you also think you know every one of my feelings? Am I fiery enough for you, Mr. Malfoy? Do I love the Lord enough or do I have to try something else?" Anger showed in each of her words.
"I'm not saying that, Hermione... But any of your housemates can see the same thing I see. Ginerva is becoming more and more distant towards Potter, and on the other hand every morning you show up in the common room with a dazzling smile..."
"I'm a bit fed up of these constant allusions to our sex life, you know?" She crossed her arms, visibly upset.
"Sorry, but that's not my fault..." I told her. "It's yours. Even the First years know exactly what happens every night in your bedroom, Hermione...and I'll not tell you what they would think if one of these nights I forget to put the soundproof spell on your bedroom..." I smiled wickedly.
She slapped me and I didn't dare to move away because that would have only annoyed her even more... I just turned my face so that her hand didn't suffer any damage. She mumbled something about how I would never change, even if I died a hundred times and then she stormed back towards the castle.
"Your method is very interesting," Isabel said smiling "Exactly what did you want to achieve with that?"
"I wanted her to think about something else."
"By getting her mad at you?" She raised an eyebrow. She was having a great time with my misfortunes.
"At least she isn't thinking about Potter and Ginerva anymore." I shrugged, "She will forgive me after a while, when she calms down."
"Are you sure?" she asked, still amused.
"Of course," I said smiling. "I think I'm going hunting. Do you want to join me?"
"What if we train a bit?" she suggested. "You'll end up rusting if the only "exercise" you do is the one you do in her bedroom."
"Not now..." I protested as I approached the forest. "Let's drink something, then we can train."
"You are so lazy," she protested but started following me, "and boring."
She didn't follow me into the forest, she had hunted the previous night and she didn't need more blood at the moment, but I went into the woods and drank from two deer. When I finished and I felt satisfied and I walked peacefully towards where Isabel was.
She was seated beside Ginerva under the shadow of a tree. I smiled at the sight. The redhead, that day, was really very beautiful and her vitality contrasted with Isabel's immobility; she was like a statue beside her. There were also some other contrasts, such as Ginerva's pale skin against Isabel's tanned skin, Ginevra's dark-red hair against Isabel's raven hair...
"Anyway, I'm going to break up with Harry," Ginerva said with a charming pout on her face. "I don't think it is fair for him if I have fun with other men while he stays in his bed."
"Does that mean that from now on you have planned to be a promiscuous girl?" Isabel asked with a mischievous smile, "because I'm sure that's going to cause a few significant reactions among your friends."
"Well, I'm not planning on sleeping with all the boys of the castle if that's what you're asking, but I think that I at least owe Harry the truth." She shrugged, "When he went after Voldemort he stopped dating me because he thought it was unfair to ask me to wait for him... Maybe I got too used to being free."
"Thanks, Ginerva. I'm delighted to know that my sire isn't the only reason for your change of attitude," I told her while leaning back against the trunk of the tree. "Now you just have to tell Hermione what you have just said so that I don't have to sleep on my own tonight."
"But you don't sleep!" she scolded me amusedly, slapping me on the shoulder.
"No, but she would leave me without my dose of her blood for a while..." I sighed teasingly.
"Well, if you need it urgently... I don't mind donating a few drops," she said with mock seriousness.
"Really?" I stuck my eyes on hers and she immediately stopped smiling. "You're seriously offering me your blood?" I leaned close until my face was almost over hers.
"No..." she gasped. "You are my friend's boyfriend-nothing will change that." She coughed and swallowed hard. "I may let you drink a few drops only if she really doesn't let you drink her blood in a month, at least..."
I leaned against the tree once again, laughing loudly.
"Isa, are all vampires are as idiotic as him?"
"Especially those of his clan..." the aforementioned replied, also smiling. "Although you have to admit that you have dug your own grave... It's not a good idea to offer your blood so lightly to a vampire..."
"Well, I've been with his sire, so he should respect me a little bit, right?" She hit me with her clenched fists "Ow!"
I immediately stopped laughing and took her hands to examine them.
"You are very hard!"
"There is no damage; she will only have a little pain," Isabel said to reassure me, holding Ginerva's hands. "Come here, my hands are cooler than his and they will calm down the pain faster."
"Isabel, can I ask you an indiscreet question?" Ginerva said, relaxing again.
"Tell me, redhead," Isabel encouraged her seductively.
"Have you bitten Zabini?" she asked directly.
"No. I've restrained myself. I don't want him to follow me everywhere..."
"He already worships the ground you walk on," I buffet.
"Our bites are addictive," Isabel said looking at her. "Lucian shouldn't have bitten you, and Draco is already paying the consequences with Hermione."
"You guys are addictive?" Ginerva asked. "I recognize that last night I had a great time with Luc, but...well, it can't be so bad...right?"
"Is that an invitation?" Isabel said kissing her hand. "Because I would be delighted to drink your delicious blood-it's so full of magic..."
"I think I'm going elsewhere," I said because I didn't want to know what would happen if Ginerva accepted Isabel's offer.
I left them there with their conversation and I returned to the castle. In the lobby I ran into Longbottom and Lovegood, who were holding hands; love and hormones were floating in the air, and I wished my girlfriend could forgive me soon.
Hi everyone!
I'm sorry for the delay, but I had some problems with internet... I know this chapter is not as long as usual, but it's better than nothing XD and I wanted to celebrate my good grades of this first term! Did you guys already decide what do you want for Christmas? I have, but my mum said that I can't ask so many things (I'm going to cry...).
Wow... I just read the new chapter of the spanish version... it was amazing! Madelinegiovani is such a good writer... I love how she is developing the story XD
Soon it will be Christmas, so as my present to all of you, I'm gonna translate the next chapter by saturday, so my Betas can edit it and I can publish it the last day of the year! Do you like my present?
Anyway, what do you think about this chapter? Please, write a review and let me know.
Remember, REVIEW = PREVIEW!
This are the review of the Betas that Edited this chapter:
Drawing on Converse: It was really good! The drama with Ginerva and Lucian was well-handled, and I have to admit it's funny that Draco refers to her as Ginerva. xxDoC
Sapphire Leo: I'm really used to calling her Ginny, I guess Ginerva just seems really formal since no one else calls her. I like the tension and the idea that their bites can be addictive.
Twilight684: Ok… I liked the chapter, but Hermione just seriously pissed me off in this one… She's starting to get on my nerves with getting all pissy with Draco for the stupidest things. It makes me want to just reach out, grab her, and slap the hell out of her and tell her to quit being so damn stupid! . *sigh* oh well… Can't wait for the next part of the chapter either way :3