Different (Friends)

[malfoy]

Isaac walked by his lonesome down the railroad tracks at the Hogsmeade station. He was walking very slowly, hands in his pockets, wearing a frown on his face. He couldn't stop thinking about the two innocent lives he had taken because he couldn't control his thirst, and the life of one of his friends he had almost taken. The families of the victims, how they must feel... One had been an elderly wizard who had lived in a small cottage with his tiny little wife, had grown-up children and five grand kids. He had been a retired Transfiguration professor (Isaac had found this out from the obituary in the Daily Prophet). The other was a female centaur, a younger one, the daughter of their chief. Now he was in deep shit with the centaurs, they didn't know it was him, but if they found out...

The idea sent shivers down Isaac's spine. Sure, he was super strong, but he knew that he wasn't invulnerable to physical harm. He could still die. He kneaded his forehead with his knuckles, only dimly aware that he had most likely walked several miles down the track. Since he had been Turned, Isaac lost all sense of being tired and of time. at least his thirst was under control. He had never felt so horrible in his life, maybe he ought to turn himself over to the centaurs, that might end the misery, the guilt of the actions he had done during Blood Lust. Isaac sighed, then sat down on the tracks, pulling his knees to his chest. Life was hard now, he could barely live with himself. He heard the footsteps approaching long before they stopped right beside him and the person cautiously called his name.

[lily]

Ariana had been out walking, thinking. She had always wondered what would happen if she followed the tracks. When she came across Isaac, she considered walking the other way, but he had comforted her sister when Ariana had run away. She still felt bad about how she always treated him...Ariana couldn't see his face, and thought he might be crying or something. "Isaac?" She asked cautiously. She could see guilt and pain in his eyes. That was the look she's seen in only one other persons eyes before...She approached him. "You OK?" She expected a sharp response or him to yell at her or something.

[malfoy]

"I used to be," Isaac said softly, not moving. He remembered that Ariana didn't know, so he had to remind himself to blink and breathe. Her blood smelled nice. Everyone's did. Isaac ignored the hunger. He was surprised that Ariana didn't run away when she saw the burgundy color his eyes had turned to. "I doubt I am any longer." he added.

[lily]

Ariana closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had a wild guess, judging by the look in his eyes, and his eyes. "You want to elaborate?" She asked kindly as she sat down next to him. Ariana cocked her head to one side. It was something she did when she was deep in thought.

[malfoy]

Isaac shook his head, laying his chin atop his knees. "Maybe later, I'm not ready." Isaac said softly, looking o the tracks beneath him. They were old, beginning to rust. He felt such deep anguish, but wasn't sure how to word it into phrases that a fourteen-year-old would understand.

[lily]

Ariana sighed. She felt like she would go off on a killing streak at any time these days. She kept on blacking out and images would fill her mind. Images that left her depressed and angry. "Just double checking my theory. By chance does the magical word blood mean anything in this situation?" She asked casually. She felt her head start to hurt. She pulled out her muggle pain killer. Like always she took an overdose of four times the recommended amount. She put it back in her pocket.

[malfoy]

"Oh no," Isaac groaned, holding his head in his hands. He needed to figure out a way to change the deep burgundy color his irises had become. He wasn't thirsty at the moment, but any smell of blood was tempting. He looked to Ariana, eyes still full of guilt, but an element of fear clearly shining through. "You won't tell anyone, will you?" Isaac said, tone of urgency in his voice.

[lily]

Ariana rolled her eyes. "Do you honestly think I'm that kind of person?" She asked. "I know how to keep a secret. If you don't want me to tell anyone, I'll carry it to the grave" She promised. "So now can you tell me what's wrong?" She asked, pulling her knees up to her chin.

[malfoy]

"I'm not sure how to." Isaac said truthfully, beginning to knead his pale forehead with the knuckles of his right hand. He had a vivid flashback of the day he had first woken up after being bitten. The lives he had taken... Isaac knew he should talk to someone about it, but he couldn't word the things that had been eating away at him. At least not into terms that Ariana would understand. But dammit, he would try. "Two lay dead because of me." Isaac said quietly.

[lily]

Ariana nodded slowly. "Who?" She asked cassually. If Isaac assumed she would be afraid because he had killed someone, he was wrong. She rested her chin in her hands. She was getting fidgety and she didn't know why.

[malfoy]

Isaac could almost feel the cloud of nervousness that seemed to hover above Ariana. She must think he was a monster too. Everything was designed to lure anyone to him, he was meant to kill. From his robe pocket, Isaac pulled out two newspaper clippings. One was the obituary of an old man, the other was about the centaur uproar around the death of chief's daughter. Isaac didn't say a word as he handed the clippings to Ariana.

[lily]

Ariana had seen both of them. "If you think I'm gonna run away now, you're wrong. I don't think you're any different than before" Ariana scanned the clippings. She didn't want to make Isaac feel any worse than he already was. If he was causing the fidgety feeling that she had, she still wouldn't run. She knew Isaac wouldn't bite her.

[malfoy]

"Of course you're not scared. What are Gryffindors for, right?" Isaac said, forcing a small smile as he shredded the clippings with a little charm. He had come very close to being a Gryffindor, but he had pleaded with the hat to make him a Slytherin, otherwise his dad might have killed him.

[lily]

Ariana smiled. "So, anything else going on in your life?" She asked casually. She was determined to talk to him like he was no different. "I hear you and Gabby are back together" She smirked.

[malfoy]

"You could say that." Isaac said. Gossip spread far too quickly through the school, it was nearly impossible to keep anything a secret. He was surprised that nobody had discovered just how different Gabriella, Angel and himself were. The topic of Gabriella lightened his mood a little, but the faces of the two who had fallen victim to him... They would haunt him forever.