~Chapter 17~
Blood Between Friends
"Are you crying?" Scorpius asked with a look of rather disgruntled distaste. She was supposed to be the heir of Salazar Slytherin, and she was crying.
"No," Rayleigh cried as she tucked herself deeper in her sleeping bag. It didn't do much to keep her warm. They hadn't been able to secure shelter, and it was late. The snow below their sleeping bags was the least of their problems. There were rumors that Dementors were searching for them.
"You are crying," Scorpius said.
"Shut up, Malfoy," James growled from his own sleeping bag.
"You shut up, Potter," Scorpius replied. Rayleigh shivered and scooted deeper with in her sleeping bag. She had been pleasantly surprised to find that Rose had managed to fit the sleeping bags into the seemingly too small rucksacks. They had shared a very meager dinner of sandwiches, which James had the fore sense to expand.
"Damn, Rayleigh, you are going to have take a look at my neck to make sure it's not bleeding heavily," James growled as his fingers glistened with fresh blood.
"Wouldn't it be better to have Scorpius do it?" Rayleigh asked.
"Just do it," James growled at her. James sat up, lighting his wand. "No biting!"
"I wasn't going to," Rayleigh snapped at him. "I have some control."
"You would have never guessed from this afternoon," James said rather bitterly. Scorpius sat up and laughed.
"You bit him really good," Scorpius said as two very prominent puncture wounds were visible on James' neck, just above his collar. Rayleigh reached inside her bag and pulled a small towel out of it. She scooted closer to him and pressed it hard against his neck, slowing the blood.
"Well, he bit me too," Rayleigh defended as James held the towel to his neck.
"Let's see it then," Scorpius said. Rayleigh pulled off her sweaters and stripped her top down to her tee shirt. She pulled her arm out of it and showed them her shoulder. There were deep teeth marks, broken skin, and dried blood.
"I am really sorry about that," James said as his fingers touched the wound.
"I bit you first," Rayleigh said as she slipped her shirt back into place. James laughed.
"Yeah, that you did," James said as he laughed. Scorpius made a face.
"Do you want to bite me?" Rayleigh asked Scorpius. He grinned, thinking a minute.
"I know a place I wouldn't mind you biting me," Scorpius said raising his eyebrows rather suggestively. Rayleigh's mouth dropped open.
"Malfoy," James said warningly.
"I was only kidding, Potter. Don't get your panties in a wad," Scorpius said. Rayleigh laughed and James rolled his eyes.
"We should try and catch a few hours of sleep," James said as he reached over to Rayleigh's sleeping bag. "Scoot closer so we can conserve heat."
"I really don't think we should, or at least that I should," Rayleigh said hesitantly.
"Don't be silly," Scorpius said. "You have already made a meal of out of James. Your blood lust should be satiated for a least the night. And if I wake up to find you gnawing on one of us, I'll beat you off."
"Ok," Rayleigh said as she repositioned herself between the two boys. Where normally they would struggle to sleep, sleep came easily. They had planned to sleep just a few hours, rising well before dawn, and head to the south. They were planning to stay away from people at all cost, aware that the muggles and wizarding world would both be looking for them.
"Shit, wake up," James said as he shook Scorpius and Rayleigh. It was beyond dawn, and was already full fledged morning. Rayleigh and Scorpius looked around, as if they weren't too certain where they were. Realization slid into them like an icy bath for their insides and the quickly gathered their belongings. Shaking the snow off the top of their sleeping bags, they stored them back in their bags before taking to the skies. They flew close to the tree line so not to be spotted.
Rayleigh realized fairly quickly she was not a fan of riding the broom, at least not as a helpless passenger. She clutched to James tightly enough to make his side have permanent finger shaped bruises. They stopped midday for a quick lunch. Rayleigh checked James' wound, it looking nearly as nasty as the night before. Her own was nearly healed.
"Like that is fair," James grumbled.
"I do have an idea," Rayleigh said slowly. "It's worth a try, at the very least."
Scorpius and James listened to Rayleigh discuss the healing properties of vampire blood. It wasn't widely used because it would infect the wounded, but with James already blood-tainted, he would get the healing benefits with out the wanting to suck someone dry side effects. The only thing was James would have to bite and drawl himself. James was completely against it.
"It's just not right," James said. "Now, let's get air born. Do you mind having her ride with you a little bit?"
Scorpius flew with Rayleigh on the back of his broom as the skies darkened. They landed at night fall and bunkered down for the night. They tried not to let the bitter cold seep into their bones, but it was a nearly impossible task.
By day three, James was loosing a lot of blood. They had taken refuge in an abandoned barn and Rayleigh and Scorpius both were very concerned with James' condition. Rayleigh begged James to reconsider her offer, and with hours more of persuasive arguments, including threatening to turn herself back in to the Dementors, he agreed.
"Are you sure?" James asked weakly. His skin was cold and pale, Scorpius holding him up. Rayleigh nodded insistently.
"Now you have to bite hard, break the skin, and then draw it in. It shouldn't take much," Rayleigh said nervously.
"Is this going to hurt?" James asked. Rayleigh forced a smile.
"Not you, no," Rayleigh said. "For you, it will be intense and pleasurable."
"And for you?" James asked.
"Don't worry about me, James. You are our leader," Rayleigh said as she crawled toward him. She tilted her head slightly, as if she was going in for a kiss and didn't want to bump noses.
"Will this work?" James asked.
"Just shut up and get it over with," Scorpius snapped as he held Rayleigh's collar open from his place behind James. James had wanted to close his eyes while he did this, but morbid curiosity held his eyes transfixed on her. His mouth touched her neck, his teeth scraped the flesh. She was holding her breath, bracing for the pain that was sure to be great. With a sickening crack, James pierced her flesh. He could feel the blood escaping and he could hear her heart beating. He drew in sharply, her blood sweet on his tongue. He stopped thinking about it, reveling in the intense pleasure that seemed to be spreading in him from with in him. Her hand went to his shoulder and she began to push away. He didn't want it to end, and he now knew the feeling of blood-lust.
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