Book 1:
The Tale of Two Rings
Chapter 19:
What have I done?

It must be daylight here for when I stepped foot through the porthole I could feel my reserves drain from me. It felt like someone punched me and it left me weak and stunned. I was fighting to stay upright as I moved over to my desk, set down my wand, and then fell into the chair. I could hear my uncle coming followed by my "master."

'How long have I been gone?' I knew that it was days, or at least for me it was, but to be honest I did not know how much time passed here. Days, weeks, or months could have flown by before I even had time to turn in Hell.

My uncle was the first into the room as the door flew open and slammed into the wall. He quickly came over to me and wrapped his arms around me. I did not have the strength to fight him off and a little part of me, very little, wanted the affection. The whole time my master still stood at the door making a clicking sound with his tongue and shaking his head.

'I think I am in trouble now' was the last thought in my head before I passed out into the sweet darkness.

******

"Harry!" I walked farther into the house that I shared with my lover and the only person who defines my life. "I am home!"

"I am in here Draco!" his sweet song like voce coming from the kitchen.

'How sweet he is fixing me, us, something to eat after a long days work.' I walked into the kitchen to see a nude Harry Potter cooking one of my favorite meals.

******

I woke in my room at Sabastion tower. I noticed instantly that the gem that holds Harry's soul was missing. I quickly pulled myself out of bed and stretched my area out in search of it. My powers had returned as I slept. I felt as if I could summon the gem to me, not just locate it. However, I was not about to attempt wandless magic-it would leave me drained for the rest of the day. There was something wrong! Even though I had located the gem, it was hollow, empty. Harry had vacated.

Quickly not missing a beat, I started searching for his soul leaving the gem where it rested. My mind came to rest on a boy in a bed. It was Harry, his heart beating and his lungs working. I quickly moved for that part of the tower, ignoring walls and doors and floors, floating though them in my new ghost-like form as if they where not even there. I don't know where Faron or my "master" were but they were not in the room with Harry and not within range of my hearing.

I stopped just inside of the room forgetting to breathe, as if not breathing does a Vampire any harm. I could not take my eyes off the bed where I could see the sheets where Harry's chest rose and fell in an even steady rhythm. I could hear no better then hear. I could taste his heartbeat, even calm. I skirted around the room staying close to the wall. Time seemed to slow. My eyes never left the rise and fall of the sheet as I absentmindedly licked my upper lip.

I could not keep from thinking that this was wrong that I should not be here. Harry will never want me, now, not after what I have done, become. I could taste it in my mouth as it went dry I could feel it in the tightening of my chest but you could not see it. Vampires don't cry! Vampires CAN'T cry for we can't make tears, but my mouth was dry and my chest hurt and my legs were still weak.

'Vampires can't cry-my ass! Just because you can't see it happening does not mean it does not happen!' The thought came to me as I fell into the corner furthest from the bed. 'Oh my God what have I done? I have lost you forever now.' I drew myself as far into the corner as I could possibly go. 'I am not sorry for what I have done Harry. I would do it again if I needed to. All I ask is that some day you will forgive me for what I did.'

I looked away from the bed. I could not bear it any longer. I wanted him so bad but I could never have him Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy would have been a hard sell, but Harry Potter the champion of light and Draco Malfoy child of darkness? Ha! Impossible!

"Forgive me for becoming this monster, love," I whispered into the night.

******

I spent the rest of that night in my room working on a new Idiom for I knew I had to go back to Hogwarts and that meant classes that are normally in the day. I had to find a way to be able to walk in daylight without turning into an unsightly pile of ash. I had yet to see Faron or my master but I assumed that they were sleeping while it was night, like normal. I did however see the boy they named to be my slave, though I refuse to call him Tom Riddle. Even more so, I refuse to acknowledge even his existence. He is nothing more then an annoyance. 'That at the moment is a convenient source of blood.' An evil grin comes to my face. At that thought, the boy shivers in fear. 'Good! Now he knows how it feels!'

The Idiom I am making I shall call tear. It is a ring to fit on my pointer finger on my right hand. It is made of a black metal that I had left over in my "kit" with which I use to make things. I have spent the last 4 hours putting all the small details of the blood rune onto the underside of the ring so no one could see it. That should keep my thirst at bay. The rune will feed off my energy turning it in turn into blood and putting the blood into my system. A never-ending river of blood as long as I keep my reserves up. The next set of details I worked on was not for a rune but a ward. The ward of cloaking will put a sheath around me to keep the sun out. I then placed a change rune on the ward to make the normally solid black sheath transparent. The ring would be done then, but I still had the problem of the day stealing my energy. To be honest, I did not have a clue how to go about fixing that. Unless I were able to meld with a human and when the day breaks, to use that person's reserves to function off instead of mine, but whom?

I must have been so wrapped up in my work I did not see nor hear the door open nor did I notice that my thoughts where being read. I did not hear the footsteps approach. As a result, I nearly jumped out of my skin when he whispered into my ear just loud enough to be heard, "Me! Silly!"

"Harry! What are you doing up in the middle of the night!" I whispered rather loudly back. Still a little jumpy from him getting the drop on me so to speak I placed the ring on the intended finger after a few shaky attempts.

"It is not the middle of the night as a matter of fact it is almost dawn!" he whispered and looked over to my window.

I followed his gaze to the window to find that dawn was truly on its way. If I wanted to wake up in a good mood I had best move to the bed so I did just that.

"Will you be awake when night comes?"

"I was thinking of waiting up for you, yes, we have a lot to talk about," Harry smiled at me as I closed my eyes as I felt my energy leave me.

******

I knew he was gone to the day when his breathing not only slowed but also stopped all together. I don't know why he did it. Yet I knew that I would have probably done the same thing if I knew it could be done, that is.

I started undressing Draco getting him ready for bed even if he doesn't really sleep that is no reason for him to lay in bed fully dressed! The whole time I was undressing him I could not help but think how lucky I was to have someone willing to give up his life for me. I didn't know what it must be like for him now, but I knew I could never leave him not after what he has done for me.

"I forgive you, love." I kissed him on his forehead as I covered him. "Together we will beat this and either you will be human again or at least live like one." With that, I left him to go in search for breakfast.

Most of the day was uneventful that is until noon when the old man Talon, who from Draco's mind is his master, found me in Draco's room looking though his spell book. Draco left it on the desk and I figured it was fair game and I was sick of him having the upper hand all the time!

"You know it is considered bad form and very rude to read a mage's spell book without his permission or at least his knowing about it." He walked over to me, took the book out of my hands and set it back down on the desk. "Besides it is written in a code only the owner of the book can read, it's magic so not even I, his master, can read it."

'Ah that explains it!' For the last few hours I was trying to read what I thought was a very bad version of Latin but with no success.

"Are you feeling okay?" Talon asked. As he waved his left hand over my eyes, I could feel a controlled amount of power.

"I am feeling fine considering I was dead," I smiled up at him.

"You should be resting!"

After he said that, I eyed Draco's bed. "I told him I would stay up and talk with him."

"Fine, fine, sleep NOW and stay awake all night but you WILL sleep! Now go to your room get ready for bed I will be there shortly to make sure that you did as I told you!" He was stern as he spun on his heels and left.

I did not intend to sleep in any other than room this one. I got undressed and got into the bed with Draco, my body heat quickly warming him up. With Draco close to me, I fell into a restful dreamless sleep.

******