My Immortal: ReVamped

Chapter 3

I took off my robes and dressed in civvies.

While trips to Hogsmeade typically weren't allowed during the evening, we were given special clearance tonight, provided we had signed permission slips. Despite my lack of parents, slipping in and out of the school wasn't particularly a problem for me. And as long as I didn't draw too much attention to myself or cause any trouble, there wasn't anyone who much cared about my comings and goings.

Here's the rub; while I talked a big game around Malfoy, truth was... Muggle-borns hated me. And perhaps rightfully so, since if wizards were easy prey for a vampire with magical abilities, killing muggles was a little like shooting fish in a barrel. They didn't see Ebony Ravenway, they saw a thing with fangs that could hurt their muggle mothers and, well, that made me persona non grata.

So Draco was in my head. I hated that, and I hated him, and I needed to take my mind off it.

Waiting for Willow to get ready, I perused the collection of books around me. There I found my favourite.

H.P. Lovecraft's The Shadow Over Innsmouth.

While dead racists would usually depress me for reasons other than their terrible prose, there was something comforting I found about Lovecraft's writing. Made me feel somewhat normal thinking about monsters out there more terrifying and more unknowable than I could ever be.

Willow eventually finished and was dolled up and ready to go, so we said our goodbyes and agreed to meet each other there. She went out, permission slip at the ready, and I stayed back some, thinking about how I'd escape again tonight.

I'd followed the Weasley twins the one year and found their little secret passage, but the issue was mostly that I didn't have the patience to memorize the patrol patterns of teachers and I definitely didn't have the patience to deal with Peeves.

However, from the tower, it was pretty easy for me to just... Slip out amongst the owls.

While it's not the flashiest vampire power, transforming yourself into a flock of bats and materializing was certainly one of the most useful. For one, unlike apparating, it wasn't something Hogwarts was built to detect.

I made my way up and transformed, my body scattered into pieces in the night. If you were particularly keen of eye, you'd notice one bat was somewhat larger and hard bright red eyes, and that bat led the flock. This was the true version of myself, hidden in the flock, the leader that guided the rest.

I found a dark spot and turned back into myself, before I walked out into the bright light of the town. The other students gathered around, getting the little X's marked on their hand to show they weren't yet of age. I smiled, amused at what I'd gotten away with, but then I felt a chill run down my spine and it was if I knew, I just knew he was there, standing behind me, wearing that smug little grin.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were stalking me, Malfoy." I sighed.

"Hello there, mudblood sucker." he said back. Draco was, unusually, alone tonight. No Crabbe or Goyle, just the little blond gremlin, hands in his pockets, without a care in the world.

"Don't call me that." I said, and regretted showing how much it irked me.

"Oh, don't get your knickers in a twist. Thought you were a tough monster stalking us in the night, or something. Maybe you're not that scary after all."

"If you want to find out just how scary I can be, you'll keep it up. I have a name, Malfoy."

"Oh, really? I hadn't noticed."

"Gods below grant me the strength to keep me from strangling you."

"Oh, terrifying. You're a right laugh, you know that? Don't trip over yourself trying to impress the mudbloods. I'm going to join my friends... You do have those, right?"

No one appreciates my restraint.

After Malfoy left I walked around some, trying to find Willow. I looked for her flat auburn hair in the crow and eventually I spotted her;

But she'd found a boy to flirt with.

Letting out a little sigh, I decided to leave her to it, my night thoroughly ruined. At least she was having some fun. I suddenly wasn't in the mood for people or the loud concert venue.

I walked aimlessly for some. Through Hogsmeade, back to the Castle. I wandered the grounds and found myself near Hagrid's cabin.

And there they were.

Harry, Ron and Hermione.

The three of them walked out, laughing, smiling. Every year I'd hear about their adventures, see them go around, having a good time, being... Well, the best of friends.

And I had to admit, I was so freaking jealous.

Willow and I were close but we weren't... We weren't that. Always looked from the outside staring in that Harry, Ron and Hermione were inseparable, that they would stick to each other through thick and thin that... That if one of them was different, different the way I was different, it wouldn't change a thing.

I kept walking, away from them, away from the school just... I kept walking.

When I finally looked up, I figured out where I was.

I was in the forbidden forest.

Oops.