A vampire at Hogwarts

First day of classes

(A.N: This is what Ashley Church looks like at age 11)

(Rachel's POV)

I was awaken from a dead sleep by the sounds of shuffling. My dorm mates move about the room, some in a zombie-like state and others fully awake.
My eyes immediately find Pansy Parkinson as she's making the most noise, fussing with the buttons on her dress shirt.

She spares a glance in my direction, noticing that I'm now awake. Sneering she huffs, "Nice hair, weirdo."
I roll my eyes, telling myself to ignore her rude comment, but I still find myself absentmindedly running my hands through my unkempt morning hair.

Sliding out of my sheets, my bare feet are greeted by the cold-hard stone that makes up the floor of the surrounding dungeon. A normal person might shiver or react to the sudden temperature change, but it hardly fazed me. My body didn't react to temperature fluctuations anymore—a curse or a blessing? I'm not sure.

After dressing in my robes and brushing my teeth and hair, I fix a thin green headband into my wavy dark hair, effectively keeping the strays out of my face.
Besides, it matched my house colours, so why not accessorize? I've got to stand out on my first day somehow.

Looking at my reflection in the mirror one last time, I lightly adjust my green and silver tie. I take in a slow, deep breath, trying to clear my head of the thoughts of the last time I did this. Put on a new school uniform, I mean.

It was in Japan when I was forced to attend night school with the Sakamaki's. Even something as straightforward as going to school was made painstaking by the bloodsuckers. Even there I was tormented, so to say I was excited to start classes here without them was an understatement.
Going to this school was the only thing keeping me out of Reiji's sadistic clutches.

I was so excited that I had spent the previous day in the library with Hermione preparing for our first classes, learning who our teachers were, where the classes were held, and what the fastest way to get there was.
Hermione even helped me draw a detailed map of the castle. From every floor, to every classroom, to every secret passageway, and as you can imagine, it took a while but I managed it, and it has been quite useful so far.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I quickly step away from one of the mirrors as Daphne Greengrass approaches to use it. Deciding it was best to head to breakfast, I gather my school supplies from my trunk and exit the girls dormitories, saying a quick goodbye to Castiel on the way out.

Taking my time entering the common room, I admire the green tinge that illuminates everything in the spacious room. Dull light filters in from the large stain glass windows, even at this early hour.

Glancing at the large enchanted clock hanging from wall, I realized that it's already 7 O'Clock and Draco must be waiting for me. I promised to eat breakfast with him, after all.
I hurriedly make the rest of the journey into the common room.
As anticipated, Draco was waiting. Alongside him stood his friends Blaise, Gregory, and Vincent, casually leaning against some bookshelves by the staircase.

"Finally, can we leave now?" Vincent whines, his shoulders slumping against the wall where'd he'd been leaning. I raise an amused eyebrow at his eagerness.
I remembered  a time when I used to enjoy eating—when I was excited to try new food and eat delicious sweets. Now—everything tasted dull.
The only thing that tasted like heaven on earth was blood.
The warm thickness. The sweet aftertaste on your tongue.

The thought of its rich taste makes a twitch wrack through my body. Thankfully no one notices. Digging my fingernails into the palms of my hands, I try not to think about it as the group of us continue our trek to the Great Hall.
My mouth feels dry all off a sudden and I find myself parched. I keep trying to swallow as if that'll quench the thirst, but it doesn't.