Bloodsucker

"Did you hear?"

It had only been an hour. The entire Great Hall was buzzing with whispers. Draco had made it back into the dorms right as the rest of the boys woke up. Blaise and Theo had got on him about going out late again. He'd only shook his head and got ready for the day.

He hadn't spoken a word that entire morning. His eyes stayed glued to the Gryffindor table, earning him a few nasty looks from the students sitting there.

She hadn't come in yet. He didn't know if she would.

The rest of the group was looking at him sideways and they made no effort to hide it. Pansy was still staring at him, waiting for him to answer her question. He blinks slowly and shakes his head.

"Apparently someone's gone off the rails. They killed Lavender Brown."

Draco slightly flinches at her name. The sound of a fork dropping onto a plate comes from beside him.

"Mate. You better be fucking joking."

Draco turns his head. Blaise is staring at him, eyes wide. Draco only raises an eyebrow and Blaise shakes his head. He quickly grabs his wand and places a silencing charm over their group of four. The rowdy hall goes silent around them as the charm takes its cover. He slams his wand back down and sighs. Draco watches as Blaise runs a hand over his face and clears his throat.

"Draco. Be honest. Did you do it?"

Draco's mouth drops alittle his brows fur in anger.

"Wha- no Blaise I didn't fucking kill Lavender Brown!"

"You went out this morning! They said that they found her in the Astronomy tower, the same place that you go."

Draco lets out a huff of anger, a scoff escaping his lips immediately after.

He understands why Blaise believed it was him. He would've thought the same thing. But the truth was much scarier than he could admit.

"If it wasn't you then who was it?"

Theos eyes thinned in suspicion as he speaks.

Draco considers it. These were his people. The people he'd grown up with. He could tell them what he'd seen.

"I...."

The words die in his throat. He couldn't. Something in him was telling him not to. Not yet. He had to figure out Granger was first. Maybe then he'd be able to tell his friends.

"I dunno."

Pansy scoffs and Theo rolls his eyes. Wow, what great friends he has.

"If you're gonna kill somebody, atleast be honest about it. You know we'd help you."

Blaise whispers across the table to him as if the silencing charm isn't enough.

Draco just clenches his jaw and stands from the front table. The silencing charm breaks and the sound of the Great Hall comes back to him, two times in its force. He abandons his breakfast and makes a bee-line for the door. His eyes glance over to Gryffindor table once again. The mop of light brown hair doesn't appear anywhere.

He does happen to see Potter and Weasel sitting in their usual spot, low and hurried whispers exchanged. He must've been looking for too long because he eventually realizes that he's stopped in his tracks to stare at the pair. They stare back at him confusion and anger on both of their faces. He shakes his head, snapping himself out of it as he hurries out of the Great Hall.

The sound of the Hall quiets more and more as he continues walking down the empty hallways. Classes didn't start for another hour, which gave Draco some time to scout out the first two floors at the very least. She was somewhere in the castle. She had to be.

He didn't know how long he'd been walking around. He'd made his way through majority of the first floor and found a staircase up to the second. Most of the rooms were either empty or locked to students. He'd always see some kids lingering in the hallways. Most of them had took one look at him and shyed away or hurried past.

He'd gotten used to people being scared of him. It was what he'd worked for. It was an image he maintained. But that didn't erase the wave of shame overtook him whenever they avoided him.

He squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head. He needed to focus on the task at hand. He continues down the halls, looking in every class and bathroom he passes. More and more students begin to fill the halls and he reckons that he's gonna be late today.

He makes it all the way to the end of the last hall before the third floor. Classes have most definitely begun now but he can't find it in himself to care. Something in him is telling him he needs to find her. He boils it down to half curiosity and half blackmail. He always liked alittle leverage. Especially if it's from Potters Golden Girl.

"But why?!"

Her voice meets his ears like an answer to a prayer he didn't remember anymore. Draco turns his head and realizes her voice is coming from the second floor girls bathroom. Of course Granger had to run off to the haunted bathroom.

He rolls his eyes and walks towards the door. He slowly pulls the handle and door creaks slightly. He can now clearly hear the previously muffled sobs coming from inside the bathroom.

He pauses. He allows himself to listen to her sadness. His skin itches and his throat aches. He's suddenly reminded of the past summer and how he'd ended up in a predicament similar to hers. Though he hadn't killed anybody. Not yet atleast.

He runs a hand through his hair, slightly pulling on the blonde locks to ground himself. He couldn't think about it. Not now.

With another deep breath, Draco draws his wand from his pocket and throws the door open. He watches as she jumps up from her position on the floor. He points his wand at her and takes slow steps into the bathroom.

"Don't. Move."

She obeys. He inches closer and she follows him with her eyes.

"Heard you crying in here. Careful, don't want your precious little Gryffindor friends finding out why you're crying in the first place."

He spits his words like venom but for some reason, he finds himself not meaning any of it. His legs shake slightly and his grip on his wand falters alittle. He almost smacks himself in the face for his visible fear. He couldn't be scared. He wouldn't be.

"Just leave me alone."

She sniffles alittle and her voice comes out sad and pathetic. It prompts him to laugh.

"Leave you alone? You tried to kill me, and you want me to leave you alone?"

She flinches alittle and Draco smiles.

"I....I didn't mean to. I wasn't trying to hurt you."

"My head is still pretty sore but I guess I got the longer end of the stick eh? Lavender? Not so much."

Her eyes finally meet his. He can see the pain transforming itself into anger. Now this was a toy he could play with.

"What even are you?"

He practically snarls at her. He continues his hesitant steps, wand raised still. She stays silent, her arms crossed over her chest.

“Why are you here? What’d you want from me?”

Draco swallows and thinks about it. He’d needed her. Some part of him needed her and he didn’t know why or for what. He shrugs and grips his wand tighter.

“I’m here to bargain. If you’re up to it.”

Draco scans her body from her feet back to her eyes. The smirk stays on his face and he cocks his head slightly.

“Although, I don’t think you have much of a choice Granger.”

She doesn’t respond. Instead she walks closer to him. He finds himself taking a step back for every step she takes forward. Her anger turns into amusement. Draco’s eyes widen slightly as she backs him into a wall, wand still pointed at her chest.

She raises a single brow back at him and blinks slowly, practically fluttering her eye lashes.

“Why bargain? Why not just kill me or expose me?”

Draco takes a deep breath and attempts to cover his regrowing fear.

“Killing you would be a waste and if I exposed you, I wouldn’t be able to help you and vice versa.”

Her smugness turns into confusion.

“You want to help me?”

Draco was surprised at himself. Why would he help her? The Mudblood didn’t deserve it! But it’s as if he’s on autopilot, the words he says just coming out before he couldn’t even think about it.

“Yes. Though I could just try and blackmail you with no remorse, I’m feeling rather kind today.”

Granger scoffs in disagreement. Draco’s face grows hard and he presses the wand deeper into her chest.

“Don’t mistake my faux kindness as some sort of weak point. I help you and you help me.

He presses his wand even deeper into her chest, making her wince in pain.

“Or else I won’t hesitate to drag you to Dumbledores office myself.”

She looks down at his wand and then back up at him. Her eyes are thin and her mouth is bordering a frown.

“If I do this….will you leave my friends alone?”

The silence is thick. Draco still didn’t understand why he needed her help. But something in his ached at the thought of not having her. And her help.

He settles for a nod.

“Fine. I’ll play your game.”

She backs away from him but Draco keep his wand pointed at her. He moves from off the wall, regaining his balance. She rolls her eyes at him.

“Put the damn wand down. I’m not gonna hurt you.”

Draco eyes her before slowly putting his wand back into his robes. She hums in delight. He watches as she leans up against a sink beside her, a pensive look on her face. They stand in silence once again before she speaks again.

“Apparently I’m a vampire.”

Draco can feel himself choke on air. The urge to pull his wand back out comes as strong as ever. But he resists. He’d shared rooms with people even more evil and powerful then a single measly vampire. He clears his throat, crossing his hands behind himself.

“I thought you were Muggleborn.”

“I am.”

They’re a good distance away from each other but he can still hear her faint sob.

“There was a man last night. He appeared on the Astronomy Tower and started asking me questions. Then he told me that he’d planned to kill me. But instead he decided to “gift me a new life.” Then I woke up in the Tower feeling ravenous.”

She tucks her hair behind her ear and sighs.

“Then Lavender came along and tried to help me. But all I could hear was her heart beating. All I could think about was how hungry I was. And then I….”

Grangers nose scrunches up as she speaks. A nearly futile attempt to stop herself from crying again. It makes Draco almost feel sympathy for her. But it was a nonsensical idea. He hated her and she hated him. No pity needed to be exchanged.

He continues watching her as she wipes at her cheeks. Draco takes a step forward. Curiosity was getting the best of him.

“Are you still feeling ravenous?”

Granger pauses. She meets his stare with visible confusion.

“Not necessarily. I mostly just wanna cry. And do research. Mainly research.”

A giggle escapes Draco’s throat. Now it’s his turn to pause.

Horror overtakes him. Why in Merlin’s name was he giggling? At Hermione Granger of all people?! He clears his throat and the nonchalant demeanor comes back.

“Of course only you, Hermione Jean Granger, would become a vampire and want to do research about it.”

She gasps. Draco thinks over what he’d just said. Had he offended her? Probably not. She took her love for education very seriously and he-

“You know my middle name?”

His words finally register. He’d remembered her middle name? He thinks about it.

He recalls a faint memory from first year of Ron mocking her. Weasley and Potter had been passing the Slytherins with their own group of rowdy Gryffindors. Draco had laughed at the imitation himself but felt a sting of embarrassment when he watched Granger run past the boys after hearing their joke.

He pulls himself out of the memory to find her still staring at him. He nods plainly. He considers explaining the memory to her but doesn’t. She didn’t need to think he’d actually take the time to remember things about her.

“Looks like we’re both learning things about each other Granger.”

She barely smiles at him but the sentiment is there. Draco continues to stand where he is, his hands locked behind his back. He continues to watch her as she watches him.

It was as if they were waiting. For someone to do something. For someone to make a move. For something to just fucking happen.

The distant sound of the hallways filling comes through the slightly opened bathroom door. Neither of them move. But Draco clears his throat once again.

“I would ask if you’re going to class but I doubt you wanna walk the halls.”

She nods and hangs her head.

“I couldn’t even go if I wanted to. The sun burns my skin.”

Granger moves from her spot against the sink and walks over the a ray of sunlight coming from the windows high above them. Draco steps closer and watches as she brings her hand closer to the light.

She hesitates before sticking her hand out. Her skin quickly turns red and blotchy with smoke emitting from her pores. She moans in pain before pulling her hand away and tucking it underneath her chin.

Draco walks towards her, making bigger strides than he usually would. He stops when he’s directly in-front of her, a little less than an arms length away. She tenses as he reaches out for her burned hand. Her eyes switch between his face and her hand but Draco only focuses of her hand.

The sight marvels him. Moments ago she’d had third degree burns but now her skin was as clear and soft as ever. He’d never heard of vampires being able to heal immediately like she had.

He continues to hold her hand as he inspects her skin. His fingers trace the spots where blisters and boils had begun to grow on her skin. He feels her jump at his touch and immediately realizes how odd they must look right now.

He drops her hand, taking a step back.

“That’s…insane. I’ve never seen anything like that.”

Grangers fingers flex before she tucks them into a a loose fist that sits underneath her other hand that lays on-top. She nods in agreement.

“That’s why I wanna go to the library and do research. If I really am I vampire, I wanna know everything there is to know about it. Being informed makes things less scary, y’know?”

Draco finds himself nodding back at her.

The hallways are more quiet now and Draco reckons he can miss another class. He needed her. But he couldn’t use her help if she was bound the the dark and dingy bathroom. He straightens out his robes before making his way to the bathroom door.

“Where are you going?”

Granger voice hits his ears again. He stops in his tracks and rests his hand on the handle.

“To the library. You’re not the only one who needs to do research.”

She stays silent behind him.

“I’ll be back.”

He opens the door and slips out, disappearing into the corridor.