Dark Angelus

Draco found himself leaning back as he chatted lightly with Professor Shacklebolt, the man was quite tolerable outside of class. It must be stage fright because he actually seemed intelligent and even amiable. They sipped tea while going over what little literature the library had in the way of Vampires, even the wizarding world was rather dumb when it came to the true subject of these fanged humanoids. Shacklebolt professed that he was also disappointed by the missing knowledge. It was mostly because mortal humans only came across the vampires and lived to tell the tale which Draco wanted to correct. Vampyrs rarely drained their mortal food and mostly used a memory erasing charm. Vampyrs actually could cast spells as quickly and powerfully as a wizard could unlike most magical creatures who were more in tuned with the chaotic elemental magic. It was the difference and also why they were called ‘magical’ creatures. But Draco didn’t know this professor well enough to correct. There is one thing that isn’t discussed in regular conversation unless you were looking for a fight and that was religion and politics. In the wizarding world it was the same. Magical creatures dropped neatly into both highly controversial categories depending on how you looked at them.

“So Draco, how is your father doing?” He asked delicately, he shrugged in return.

“I haven’t heard from him, he seemed to me quite insane last time I saw him,” Draco answered, Shacklebolt nodded thoughtfully into his tea cup.

“He was a very influential man in his time,” Shacklebolt commented.

“Yeah, I suppose,” Draco shrugged.

“I used to work at the Ministry for a while, Secrets Dept and all that but he was a man of power,” Shacklebolt shook his head then glanced at the window.

“It must be getting late and I don’t want you to neglect your duties,” Shacklebolt straightened up.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I’ll see you in class then sire?” Draco got up, gathering his things.

“Yes of course, have a good evening, Draco,” he said as he headed to the door, he waved in return and disappeared out into the hall. He walked up to his common room but stopped, he sensed that there was someone near by, someone that was waiting. He snuck up and realized that it was Harry.

“Who’re you waiting for Potter?” Draco said, the golden boy jumped, startled as he spun around, his eyes wide as he took in Draco standing before him, a stuttering reply ensued.

“Calm down, barely understood you at all,” Draco growled out, Harry jumped again, his hands twisting in anxiety before him.

“I’m sorry, it’s just I…well…I need to talk to you,” he finally forced out of his mouth, Draco frowned darkly.

“You were waiting for me,” Draco stated, Harry nodded like a dashboard bobble head.

“Well, get on with it,” Draco gestured, Harry looked around the corridor.

“Here? I was hoping we could talk in private for a moment,” Harry almost squeaked out. Draco raised an eyebrow at that, this was becoming a very interesting night. He finally gestured for Harry to move down the corridor, they made it to the Head’s common room. Harry was still fidgety, he sighed and moved to his room where Harry finally settled down enough as he looked around the dark mahogany four poster bed to the expensive ancient looking writing desk to the silver accented wardrobe.

“Well?” Draco finally ground out after a few tense moments of silence.

“Sorry, I wanted to know what was wrong, really,” Harry finally answered.

“You Gryffindolts must all be addled in the brain or something. Why the sudden change of heart? I’m your school rival, you hate me, I hate you…all that shite,” Draco reminded him.

“Right, well, you didn’t kill Dumbledore and you’re pretty much orphaned like I am…you’ve also been pretty descent to us this year, even to ‘Mione. Just don’t like seeing anyone suffer needlessly,” Harry trailed off.

“And I being the irresistible sex god of Slytherin has nothing to do with it?” Draco watched in horror as a bright blush blossomed on Harry’s cheeks.

“Look, I’ve must have been stark raving mad to think I could ever really have a civil conversation with you so I’m going to go now, okay?” Harry got to his feet and started for the door, Draco stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

“Alright, I’m…I didn’t mean to upset you. We’re almost adults here, I think we can handle a civil conversation as you say,” Draco offered, Harry finally nodded and walked back to his seat on a pretty Victorian straight backed chair.

“Potter, I just don’t understand how you can be forgiving, I was a pretty big brat growing up,” Draco paced back and forth.

“Sure but that’s the past, I’m fighting an underground war against a man who won’t get out of my head. Who’s so engrained into everything that I do, that I’m almost afraid that when he dies, I won’t have a reason to live on past him. I don’t have a desire for fame or glory or money. I just want to live a normal life for once and why am I telling you all of this?” Harry asked himself, Draco shrugged.

“Because I’m not interrupting,” Draco offered.

“But you are you and I have two best friends who I can’t even get a word in edge wise because they’re always screaming at me about either their problems or about how I should handle mine. Like I’m just their fag opinion column,” Harry took a deep cleansing breathe.

“You need an objective ear and I’m the closest thing you have to it,” Draco answered, Harry nodded thoughtfully.

“So why have you been acting weird or I should say more weird than usual?” Harry turned his attention on Draco who shrugged.

“I didn’t think anybody really noticed. I’ve been dealing with a lot of things lately a-“ Draco started.

“Oh so have I, there’s this big gathering about to happen soon, we think it’s my chance of getting Voldemort but…” Harry rambled on about this for quite some time and Draco let him, he didn’t feel like divulging all of his secrets to the Boy Who Lived a Not so Interesting but Still Dangerous Life or so Draco tried to rationalize. Harry was just another teenager when it really came down to the essentials. He was forced into saving the wizarding world against a madman all the time who plagued his every thought, literally and his own growing up wasn’t too easy for him either. Draco was forced to admit that Harry had some valid points but he had all the support of the wizarding world and he had real friends who cared about him, even if they were a bit selfish and unrelenting. Draco had himself, he had always had only himself but that was something he was just now getting comfortable with now that his father wasn’t lording over him. Sorry, Draco was kind of zoning out during Harry’s long ramble about Deatheaters and Voldemort…let’s go back, shall we?

“…And so I don’t know why I should even worry, I’ve defeated him multiple times before so why shouldn’t I be able to do it one more time?” Harry took a deep breathe and let it out.

“Because the last time is always the hardest, it’s a true, all ending defeat but once done, you won’t have to worry about him anymore,” Draco answered, Harry nodded, a feeling of relief washing over him.

“I’m sorry for going on, what were you saying?” Harry asked, looking up at Draco.

“No, don’t worry about it, maybe some other time but I think it’s getting late and we both have school tomorrow,” Draco saw Harry to the door and walked back to his own room. He leaned back against his closed door and took a deep breathe. He needed to have a clear head now, he needed to stop ranting about how the golden boy gets everything, how he’s always in the spotlight and always the one with all the support. He’ll be able to get out of this upcoming war alive while Draco felt like his life was more and more dead. He was slowly forgetting all the reasons why he loved his father, why he cared about his life, about any of it. He just wanted to forget and move on. He didn’t want to go hunting vamps, he didn’t want to drive everything he believed in, into the dirt before he ever discovered the true meaning of it. He felt hopeless and that was something he could almost live with, deep down inside he just wanted to run away.

Notes: Yes, I’ve read all the books *sigh* do you know how long it’s been since I’ve had time to devote in going over the books again? But thank you anyway for pointing that out. As you can see, I do prefer the fanfic version of Blaise…I picture him as a cross between Irish and Italian, two of my favorite types by the way. Anyways, yes, to explain the pronunciation, vampyr: vam-pier (like the ship docking to) vampire: vam-pyre (funerary stack of wooden stuff) (Just kind of the way I thought it up of course. Vampyr just sounds more sophisticated than the usual pronunciation of the word.) Sorry, not very good at explaining phonics…but I hope I got the pt across.