Chapter 31 We Are All Outcasts

That night.

Sanguini, with practiced ease, infiltrated the Badminton Estate for what felt like the hundredth time.

He pushed open the door to the third-floor bedroom, where Patty, as usual, sat in her wheelchair by the floor-to-ceiling window, waiting for him.

Compared to the first time Sanguini had seen her, she now looked much more like a living, breathing person. The lifeless aura around her had completely vanished, and her clear eyes were far more vibrant than before.

The moment she saw Sanguini, the corners of her lips curled up involuntarily.

"We agreed we'd groom the pony today, you're late, Sanguini."

Sanguini's expression was numb. Hearing Patty's words, he replied sluggishly, "Something came up before I got here."

His demeanor was unusually off today, and Patty, being a sharp girl, noticed it immediately.

The air grew still for a few seconds.

"There's no more delaying it, is there? You have to erase all my memories of you?"

Sanguini tightened his grip on his wand. He didn't want to let his pain show on his face, but he couldn't control his expression. He could only lower his head and say, "I have to do this, Patty… I have no other choice. They can't let any Muggle know about magic...

She stared at him steadily, her smile not fading, though her eyes had turned red at some point.

"It's alright, Sanguini. You don't have to apologize. I'm grateful to have met you, and I'm grateful for all the time you've spent with me."

The room fell silent again. After what felt like an eternity, Patty spoke softly once more, "Can I ask you one last favor?"

Sanguini looked up at her.

"In the bottom drawer of the wardrobe, there's a metal box."

Following Patty's instructions, Sanguini retrieved the box from the wardrobe. Under her gaze, he opened it and found a stack of high-denomination pound notes inside, along with some obviously expensive jewelry and ornaments.

"You're the only one I trust. After you erase my memories… could you take these to the Lawson Orphanage in Bristol?"

Sanguini stared blankly at the contents of the box.

"Why?"

Patty pressed her lips together, then replied calmly, "My father once caused a car accident. That disaster took my mother from me… and half of myself. But we weren't the only ones who suffered. There was another family… the couple in the other car died in the crash, and though their three children survived, two were left permanently disabled."

"It was my father's fault, but all he gave those orphaned children was a pittance in compensation. I don't think that's fair to them."

Sanguini felt the metal box in his hands grow unbearably heavy.

"Then these things...?"

"The last of my mother's possessions. Everything else was divided up by the others." Patty tilted her head slightly, giving Sanguini a faint smile, "Don't worry, Sanguini. This is the only thing I have control over. It won't cause you any trouble."

On this night, when Sanguini had steeled himself to sever all ties with Patty, he ultimately couldn't bring himself to do it.

He took the box she had entrusted to him, promising that once he delivered it to the orphanage, they would part ways for good.

Under the cover of darkness, Sanguini left the manor with the box of valuables and returned to the secluded castle hidden deep in the woods of southwest London.

He wasn't the only one living there, as there are also Worple and an idle goblin named Harla.

The moment Sanguini set the box down and began rummaging for food, Harla's attention was immediately drawn to it.

He inhaled deeply, with his nostrils flaring.

"Ah! The scent of gold! It reminds me of my days as security at the French branch of Gringotts!"

Without waiting for permission, the ill-mannered goblin yanked open the metal box. His eyes nearly bulged out of his head at the sight of its contents!

"Merlin's beard! Who'd you rob, Sanguini? This is a haul! An absolute haul!"

Greed flickered in his eyes.

"Muggle money's exchange is restricted at Gringotts, but it's still a tidy sum. Though these jewels, these trinkets… now those are the real treasures!"

Hearing this, Sanguini, who had just found a stale meat pie, lunged at Harla like a madman, violently snatching the box back!

"Keep your filthy hands off this!"

Hala was angry and he glared at Sanguini.

"Fine! You want to break our deal, is that it?! We agreed… I get 30% of all your hauls in exchange for securing your blood supply! That 30% is rightfully mine!"

"These things were not stolen!" Sanguini growled, clutching the box tightly, "Patty asked me to deliver it to someone."

Harla stared at him with his bulbous eyes.

"Patty? Who's that? Some rich girl?"

At this point, his eyes sparkled and he rubbed his hands together, "Merlin's beard, you're a genius, Sanguini! You gained her trust, didn't you? You lied to her, used sweet words, charmed her, and then swindled her out of her fortune!"

Sanguini's glare turned dangerous and he threatened Harla with a cruelty that had never appeared on his face before.

"Don't you dare lay a single finger on these things! If your filthy hands so much as touch it, I'll bite them off. I mean it, Harla!"

That night, Sanguini didn't sleep. He guarded the metal box like a dragon hoarding gold.

Harla was furious. He ranted and raved, dumping every blood pack he had stored for Sanguini into the garden in a fit of rage!

Sanguini just watched coldly until dawn.

At first light, he set out for the Lawson Orphanage Patty had mentioned.

He met the director, explained his purpose, and finally came face-to-face with the three orphans Patty had spoken of.

The oldest among them is already 19 years old. He left the orphanage a long time ago and became a self-reliant plumber. He is saving money to bring his younger brothers and sisters out in the future.

After personally handing over the box of money and jewelry in Patty's name, Sanguini left without another word.

When he returned to the crumbling castle in the woods, Harla was still in a frenzy. He had splattered blood packs everywhere, turning the place into a scene straight out of a horror story.

"What do you think you're doing?! Playing the noble hero now? You're a vampire! A filthy, despised dark creature! A thief, a crook! Did playing house for a few days make you forget what you really are?"

Harla yelled.

Sanguini ignored him. After searching the castle and finding not a single intact blood pack, he left silently, lurking near Badminton Estate until nightfall.

This was the night he decided to come here for the last time.

At midnight, he gripped his wand tightly, though his face was paler than usual, his breathing ragged and uneven.

Sanguini's steps were hurried. He knew something was wrong with him, but he couldn't delay any longer.

If he kept putting it off, he feared he'd never have the strength to do what needed to be done!

Tonight is the time to make a decision!

He threw open the door to Patty's bedroom.

The girl, who was waiting in the wheelchair, looked at him. She was stunned for a moment and obviously saw that there was something wrong with his body.

There was panic in Patty's eyes.

"Sanguini! What's wrong with you!?"

"I delivered what you asked." Sanguini spoke in a hurried tone, his steps began to become unsteady, but he still insisted on moving forward.

He walked in front of Patty, holding on to the wall. His eyes became sharp and a pair of fangs were faintly visible in his mouth, slowly growing longer!

"I can't wait any longer, Patty! I… I don't think I'll have the courage to raise my wand again if I don't do it now! It has to be tonight!"

His voice had turned into a wild beast's roar and his skin turned as pale as paper!

The hand holding the wand kept shaking. He tried to utter the incantation for the Memory Charm, but the moment he opened his mouth, his body collapsed uncontrollably!

He collapsed onto Patty, knocking her wheelchair over.

The two tumbled to the ground in a heap. Sanguini's wand fell to the side, and his whole body was shaking uncontrollably!

"Sanguini… you're… a vampire?"

Patty's stunned whisper reached his ears.

He couldn't bring himself to look at her. Instead, he buried his face in his hands, curling in on himself like a child, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Don't look at me! Don't… just go! Get away from me, Patty! Leave!"

But Patty didn't move.

Instead, she gently wrapped her arms around him, cradling his head against her.

The warmth with the unique fragrance of the young girl enveloped Sanguini, which aroused his inner desire for something even more!

He was in a daze, and for some unknown reason, he reached out to Patty's neck and opened his mouth. His instinct for blood made his sharp fangs bite the girl's delicate skin!

Even so, Patty still didn't let go of him.

She rested her cheek against his dark hair and whispered, softer than a spring breeze, "It alright… Sanguini. It doesn't matter what you are."

Sanguini's consciousness suddenly came back to him, and he gasped in horror, unable to believe what he was doing!

But Patty's voice steadied him, pulling him back from the edge.

"I told you before, didn't I? About my grandfather's farm in the Cotswolds... There was a beautiful red windmill on that farm, the sky was very blue, and between the wheat fields and pastures, there was a huge flower field full of white tulips..."

"It's like something out of a fairy tale. I lived there when I was a child..."

"Every year when the autumn harvest season comes, my grandfather would weave me a straw hat and let me run around with his dog named William in the wheat and flower fields..."

"After the accident… he was the only one who didn't treat me like I was broken. He had a big fight with my father and said he would take me away and let me live with him in the future..."

"But after my mother died, he fell seriously ill after returning... A few months later, he also passed away..."

Sanguini's body stopped trembling, his head buried in Patty's neck, and his sharp teeth ultimately failed to pierce the girl's skin.

Something stronger than instinct held him back. He clung to Patty just as tightly as she held him.

Under the moonlight, two young but special people clung to each other.

"What I mean is… Sanguini…"

"You are just like him. You never cared that I was broken, and I don't care what you are either..."

"We're the same."

"Both of us…"

"We're just outcasts."

The night was utterly still.

In the empty and spacious room, apart from the two people hugging each other on the ground, the black-robed Severus watched the scene in silence.

Harry, who was standing next to him, only felt his nose sour at this moment.

Though he didn't quite understand why.