The Vampire Malfoy

Chapter Nine

Revelation

Yes it's true that I believe

I'm weaker than I used to be

I wear my heart out on my sleeve

And I forget the rest of me

Yes there's times I've been afraid

And there's no harm in that I pray

'Cuz I'm more frightened everyday

Someone will take the hope I have away. -Stop, Matchbox Twenty

Hermione blinked, frozen to the spot. With the strange, detached clarity of shock she noted everything in horrific detail, the images imprinting themselves on her eyelids.

Harry was lying on the floor in front of her, clutching his arm which was dripping blood slowly on to the scrubbed stone floor. Draco Malfoy was lying on a bed, ashen faced, but smiling with satisfaction, Harry's blood still trickling lightly from the corners of his mouth. She let the Marauders map fall from her hand.

She watched as it fluttered, slowly, to the floor, like her last grasp on reality. It landed, and she closed her eyes.

Suddenly her legs gave way beneath her, and she sat down hard onto the cold stone. It was strangely reassuring, the icy smoothness of the floor. She rested her cheek against it, willing herself to wake up from the nightmare.

She felt strong arms around her, lifting her up, and placing her in a chair. She looked up at Harry, as he knelt down at her feet, holding her hand in his own.

"It's okay Hermione, it's okay," he murmured soothingly.

She looked into his eyes, into that deep green abyss and she began to cry.

***

Hermione awoke a few hours later. Her head was cushioned on Harry's thigh and he was gazing down at her, idly playing with her hair. She gazed up at him.

"He-he..." she stammered.

"Shh," Harry said soothingly. "You've just had a bit of a shock. I have too. But it'll all be alright."

She sat up, clutching at his arm and causing him to wince.

"Malfoy," she whispered. "He-he drank your blood."

"I know," Harry replied, calmly. "I told him to."

Hermione's eyes grew round.

"You did? Why?"

Harry glanced up at Draco, who was sitting on a nearby chair, his health regained.

Draco nodded. "You can tell her. It's either that or put a memory charm on her, which would be a lot less trouble..." he trailed off, as Harry glared at him.

Harry turned back to Hermione.

"It's a rather long story," he said. "This is how it all began..."

***

"And that's when you walked in here," Harry said, finished at last. It had been a difficult tale to tell. He couldn't admit in front of Draco that he considered him a friend. But he had the feeling that Hermione had somehow understood without words.

Hermione nodded, turning to Draco in excitement. "So you're really a Vampire! It's remarkable. You really can't tell at all. I've never met a Vampire before. In fact, not many people have and lived to tell the tale. It's just fascinating." She turned to Harry, eyes alight with enthusiasm. "Doesn't it just make you want to lock him up, and do experiments on him?" Harry raised an eyebrow at her, and she smiled apologetically.

"Just me then," she muttered.

***

Life returned to normal. Draco returned to classes, back to his old self and none the worse for his near brush with death. Harry continued to disappear each night, but Hermione now watched him leave with a smile. Occasionally she would accompany him, but generally left them alone. During Harry's Quidditch matches, she would record the game on her omnioculars for Draco to watch. She would laugh as he pointed out all of Harry's mistakes, and generally insulted every player on either team.

Ron was amazed by her sudden change of heart, and both Hermione and Harry often felt a twinge of guilt for keeping the secret from him. But Draco had made them swear not to tell a single soul.

Several months passed rather uneventfully. Draco and Harry spent almost every night playing Quidditch, unless the weather prevented it. On these occasions they would sit in Draco's dorm room, or in an empty classroom in the dungeons, talking and bickering. Harry spent hours laughing, as Draco adjusted to his new found strength and speed, leaving a trail of broken furniture and glassware in his wake. Harry felt they had cemented their friendship in almost every way. But they never called each other by their first names.

And they never called each other 'friend'.

***

"Yes!!" Harry crowed, holding up the golden Snitch in triumph.

"In your face, Malfoy!"

Draco scowled at Harry, who released the Snitch.

It flittered for a moment in front of Draco's nose, then zipped away into the night.

Draco smirked at Harry, and hurtled after it.

He snatched it up, and turned around, a victory yell on the tip of his tongue.

His gleeful shout died in his throat, as Harry grabbed his head and pitched forwards off his broom.

Draco flew faster than he'd ever flown in his life. He caught Harry a few feet from the ground. When they landed Harry, curled into a ball, clutching his forehead and whimpering.

Draco froze, unsure of what to do.

Then a strange feeling wound its way through his veins. He shuddered, and there was a painful tug at his heart.

A voice inside his head began to whisper, "Come to me."

There was an excruciating moment of pain, as if someone had reached into his chest and squeezed his heart.

Then it released and he fell to the ground clutching his chest.

Eyes wide, he mouthed the word that Harry suddenly screamed.

"Voldemort."