Dracula's blood ((Malcolm))

[kris]

It was raining. Or rather that was an understatement. It was pouring and Kris didn’t think there was much missing from sharp knives and babies raining down from the sky. This most certainly wasn’t the romantic shower that could be compared to angels crying in heaven. No, this was almost a storm with hard gusts of wind slashing at Kris’s face like a whip. His head bent a little bit Kris breathed deeply as he ran on the rather dirty track. He had needed some activity to relax and running had sounded appealing today. Even if running was bad for one’s knees. Kris felt a slight squeeze and a pull on his right hand and he obediently turned a little following Dana’s wordless directions. He could hardly be expected to go running on his own now, could he? Morrigan wouldn’t be able to give him much directions outside the castle if Kris wasn’t moving around the Hogwarts lake. And as Cleo had been studying and only growled at him when Kris went to her, Kris had next gone to the other person who he wouldn’t mind helping him by directing the way. Dana had even been shockingly easy to persuade to come along for the run even though she hadn’t obviously considered the option that it might start raining.

“Stairs,” came the sharp warning and Kris raised his legs higher as they sprinted down the stairs before slowing down after reaching the protective roof over the Hogwarts doors. Kris felt Dana’s fingers slip from his grasp as they both just stood there panting for a few moments. Even though they were both in great shape running for a little bit over than an hour at a quick pace could tire out most everyone who wasn’t a marathon runner. “I wore white pants you know. Guess how much of the original colour still remains after that mud-track you dragged me through?” Dana finally asked breaking the silence while Kris gave a small quirk of his lip-corners. The closest he came to a smile. Pulling open the heavy castle doors Kris let Dana slip into the castle first. “You guys look… wet,” was the first voice that greeted them and Kris smirked while Dana growled in annoyance. “Oh really? I didn’t have any idea,” Dana snapped back in answer even if she did let out a chuckle along with the words, “I’m going to go and curl up under some warm blanket in the common room and relax.”
“I actually wanted your help with Charms. Essay not practical so I’m coming with you,” Cleo commented stepping closer and giving Kris a quick kiss while being carefully not to touch them, “It would do you good to change into something less… house-elf uniform look-a-likes too.” “Sure, Cleopatra, love you too,” Kris commented rather sarcastically while letting Morrigan climb out from where she had nestled against his bare chest when the rain started. Accepting the walking-cane Cleo handed him Kris turned and sauntered off towards his own common room as well to change into something dry. Even if it felt almost as if even his bones were soaking wet.

The common room was surprisingly full today. Then again it wasn’t too surprising either as most no one wanted to be outside during a weather like this. Kris didn’t bother to greet anyone though as he simply swept through the common room and into his dormitory. Leaving his clothes to the floor Kris went to get a hot shower knowing that by the time he came out of the shower again the muddy clothes would be picked up and thrown away by the house-elves. But the shower did Kris good. And so did putting on dry clothes. His rather regular attire. Black silk pants and this time a black silk-blouse. Though the regular silver chains holding the collar and cuffs closed were still as present as ever as was the family heir-loom ring on Kris’s right hand. Sweeping through the common room once again Kris made his way to the kitchen’s first where he got himself a silver-filigree goblet full of steaming red wine, accentuated with some cinnamon. Tasting the drink Kris gave a satisfied nod before leaving the house-elves behind and pondering for a while where to go. Common room was always an option but it was too crowded for Kris's liking right now. This left the student lounge as Dana and Cleo were unattainable right now. You didn’t bother a Raven while she was studying. Kris flicked out his wand and using Accio called a book to himself. Some simple reading. Exotic Potions came and Kris found it acceptable not being botehred the slightest that the book was in French.

Finding the student lounge wasn’t hard and surprisingly it wasn’t half as crowded as Kris had expected. Strolling over to the armchairs before the fire-place Kris stopped between the two younger boys having a conversation here and stood patiently for a moment to be noticed. Morrigan hissed for a moment and conversation between the boys ceased. “Can we… ah.. help you?” one of them asked while swallowing audible between his words. Kris just bared his teeth in a soundless snarl before smirking as the floor creaked a little as the two boys scrambled to get away. Kris gave a small gleeful smirk as he dropped himself into an empty armchair and threw her legs on the coffee table. Taking a sip from his wine Kris flicked his book open and leaning his head back against the head-rest let his fingers dance across the lines as he read in Braille taking a sip from the goblet from now and then. These potions were rather strong and while hard to brew - very powerful too. Kris smirked a little to himself knowing that with this goblet and the dark-red steaming wine the drink could leave the impression to someone with a vivid imagination that the goblet held Dracula's very recently spilled blood. If you overlooked the fact that vampires didn't really have much blood in their bodies.

[fallenangel]

Malcolm heard the pounding of the rain on the window of the empty classroom he had decided to sneak into to play his guitar. His one prized possession and his one prized talent. He knew that there was little else he could do other than fist fight. Of course that had been his grandmother's guidelines. He had to learn to fist fight, as he had to learn to control his emotions. Now he dare say that he was a man. A typical labeled man. He sighed at the thought as he leaned his head on the top of his guitar. I am not going to end up like a bunch of her stupid, brainless little toys. She will not control me forever. The thought brought new defiance and Malcolm felt his fist tighten into a ball. How much he had grown to hate his grandmother over the past 6 years. She treated him like an object of possession. She thought she had won, but she had not. Malcolm brought his head back lightly and hit the window behind him. The sound of the rain against the window was soothing. He heard the rolling sound of a great storm and he sighed. There was just something comforting about a storm. It was like all the power of the world was rolled up into those clouds just waiting for someone to give it an excuse to destroy something. Malcolm was the same way. He was just waiting in silence for someone to come along and finally give him a reason to curse them to oblivion.

The wind gave a hard cry and the window next to Malcolm ripped open. Wind and rain swooped into the window and Malcolm quickly moved his guitar away from the commotion and pulled out his wand. He pointed it at the window and within seconds it had closed again and latched tightly. Malcolm looked down at his clothes. He was soaking wet. Within the few seconds the window had been opened he was already soaked from head to foot. He bit back the anger that was rising. Was that at all necessary? Malcolm thought as he glared at the window as if it would respond to him. If it had been a living object it might have responded just by the look in Malcolm's eyes, but it was not. Malcolm knew that, but still sometimes he felt like things deliberately went wrong around him. Bad luck that's what he father called it. Bad luck that was cloaked in good stuff. Like his grandmother's letter to him before he entered Hogwarts. Something that seemed good, but really something terrible. The fact that his mother died while giving birth to him. There was always something. Malcolm just wished that it would stop. He closed his eyes knowing that his anger was getting the best of him. The past could not be changed, only the future could. He sat down on the floor in an old meditation stance he had learned from one of the teachers he had over the summer. Within seconds he was calm again, still wet, but calm. He pointed his wand at his clothes and soon they were dry. He shook his head and water quickly flew away from his hair. That's enough excitement for one day. With that thought he grabbed his guitar and took it back to the Slytherin dormitory.

Once there Malcolm rolled his eyes at the young children of Slytherin as the noise in the common room exploded again. It was too much for him to handle. He grabbed a book on Transfiguration he had bought in Hogsmeade and headed up to the Student Lounge. At least there it would be somewhat more quiet. If not empty, at least quiet. Malcolm was right about that. He stepped into the Student Lounge and found it quieter than the common room he had just left. Though in here he found more intolerable company. He ran his eyes across the room, each one settling on the students. Mudblood. Mudblood. Half-breed. Half-breed. Pure-blood traitor. Mud-blood. He raised an eyebrow as his gaze fell on the only other person in the room worth talking with. He walked toward the fireplace in the student lounge and positioned himself in the seat next to Kris. "Good day Kris?" Malcolm addressed his dorm mate. Though they had been in the same year and house for 6 years Malcolm hardly knew Kris, but then again did anyone really know Kris?

[kris]

Kris’s fingers were dancing across the words as he shut out the quiet murmurs and conversations going on here and there in the Student Lounge. It wasn’t very hard as Kris was used to blocking out everything that might disturb his concentrations over years and besides maybe it was due to the fact that there was an older Slytherin here or the fact that people either studied or were alone that kept the noise at bay. Kris had earned himself a rather bad reputation after he had just became blind and while he had raged across the school careless hexing everyone and anyone while he was still trying to accept and understand the loss of one of his senses. Kris had managed to fit himself into a slightly different life-style but that didn’t mean he still didn’t react violently to those irking him.

Morrigan made a soft sound on Kris’s shoulder as someone took a seat in the armchair next to Kris’s. Some Slytherin most likely as other houses wouldn’t approach him this easly and Kris would have known the foot-steps of either Dana or Cleo as well as he would have known the scent of the shampoos and perfumes those two preferred. Raising the goblet to his lips Kris took a sip while he waited for the newcomer to introduce himself. Which didn’t take long. Lowering his goblet again Kris stopped the movements of his finger-tips politely turning his head slightly towards Malcolm. They weren’t exactly friends, but then again Kris was very picky with the people she called friends. Right now she could count them on his fingers and it was this way because Kris preferred to keep it this way, not because Kris wasn’t respected enough.

“Malcolm. And good enough I suppose,” Kris replied in a lazy drawl that was rather characteristic for him. It was storming outside and Kris would have given quite a lot to be out there somewhere to enjoy the weather and marvel in the strength of the storm. Yet that was hardly the possibility now, was it? A muscle in Kris’s jaw clenched angrily for a moment before Kris forcefully relaxed it. “And you? Avoiding the crowd in the common room or were you heading towards somewhere nice and quiet to enjoy the company of your guitar?” Kris questioned lazily while taking one more sip of his wine enjoying the taste. He had been sharing a room with Malcolm for 6 years by now already and Kris was observant so finding out about Malcolm’s interest in music hadn’t been difficult. Kris himself could play the guitar and sing as well, though while Malcolm preferred his electrical guitar, Kris stuck the older and more traditional acoustic one.

[fallenangel]

Malcolm nodded his head with a slight smile. He may not know Kris very well, but it seemed that Kris knew about his love of music. Then again it wasn't that hard to hide. After all, Malcolm was always sitting around with his guitar when he was bored. "It's been a decent day so far, though I'd like to see the storm pick up a bit. Yes, I am avoiding the common room. It's a bit crowed in there and I'm not fond of loud kids. My guitar on the other hand is back in the dormitory. I was playing earlier. It seems that you know me better than I know you Kris. Then again I'm sure you prefer things that way," Malcolm said. He ran one hand through his hair and then opened his book on his lap. It immediately turned to the page when he had placed a bookmark in.

"So Kris I guess I should extend my congratulations to you over your engagement to Cleo. I think it's a major accomplishment considering the girls fiery attitude. Although at the same time I have to wonder why you looked outside of your house for marriage," Malcolm wondered as he turned to look at Kris. "I mean certainly someone in Slytherin would have been a more appropriate choice?" Malcolm wondered if he was pushing the conversation a bit too far. Especially since he didn't really know Kris. Also for the fact that he was pretty much telling Kris that he didn't approve of a Slytherin marrying a Ravenclaw, but then again that was his father's teachings coming out again. Malcolm would never even think so much as marrying someone outside his house. They were more than likely unworthy of his companionship let alone of his love. He of course had never really conversed with someone outside of Slytherin though. He did not know what they were truly capable of. Maybe Cleo was different than he thought she was or maybe not. It didn't truly matter to Malcolm. What mattered to him was why and how Kris had fell in love with Cleo. What sort of things made him think she was the one for him? Those questions were always present in Malcolm's mind, because of his parents. How his parents had forsaken their families because of their love for each other. It seemed like the ultimate sacrifice and Malcolm had grown up with that story always in his mind.

[kris]

Kris turned his head slightly towards Malcolm. “And why would I allow someone to look behind the masks I wear daily to see what’s going on inside me? In order to get to know me one as to gain my trust and not many have accomplished that feat,” Kris replied with one lazily arching eye-brow a if he was questioning his own words. Actually Kris didn’t know Malcolm well. He just knew some about his background as he was a pureblood and he had seen the guitar. Just regular scrapes on the outer façade that Malcolm put up, but Kris wasn’t about to reveal that. It was always better if people though you knew more than you actually did. They were more loose with their tongues at that case. “Kids? Have you not looked around yourself lately, Malcolm? Due to the current times I doubt even any first year Slytherin is thick enough to be taken as an unknowledgeable child by the words literal sense. Talking about nothing is the perfect cover to hide one’s real feelings and thoughts however,” Kris replied with a lazy wave of his hand before he took a sip of his drink.

A smirk appeared on Kris’s face as he listened to Malcolm. He seemed almost hesitant and Kris could well see why. How could he know how Kris would react to the mentioning of his fiancé? The words, while a bit cutting, didn’t actually bother Kris’s pride however. It was almost amusing rather: “While it is possible for you to congratulate, it is hardly a must for you to do so. And Cleopatra’s inner fire is exactly the one thing that made you take a closer look with the added bonus of her pure bloodline. Who from the Slytherin house would be a worthy partner for me intellectually, physically, mentally? She keeps me on my toes so to say and she can call on my every word or move. That makes her a worthy and appropriate choice for me, as I do hope some of the inner fire will pass on to our children one day.” Kris took one more sip from his goblet before spreading his arms a little and giving Malcolm a small smirk: “But, oh knowledgeable one, with the condition of my wife being an equal partner and not a silly doll who will do all I say – who from Slytherin would you have rather seen me with then?”