**Disclaimer** I just need to throw in that there are certain aspects of the movies that I like that are not necessarily in the book. Just needed to let you know. Thanks!

Chapter 26

The first challenge in the Triwizard Tournament was here. She spoke to a nervous Harry the day before and he told her that the first task was dragons. He wasn’t certain what he was going to do with them, but going up against a dragon is nothing to take lightly. Raven became nervous for him. She tried to reassure him that he would do great, but it wasn’t that convincing considering she wasn’t that convinced herself. Hermione helped him the night before with Summoning Spells. Raven wasn’t sure what that was all about, but was sure that they knew something that she didn’t.

Draco had asked Raven to sit with him at the first task and had no choice but to say yes. On their way to the task, he pressed her on her health and asked about her sleep and eating habits. She tried to assure him that she was fine but he kept asking her stupid questions anyway.

“Why do you care so much?” Raven asked.

“I care about you. I need you alive, dear. I can’t marry you if you’re dead.”

“True. But wouldn‘t it work out so much better?”

“Watch what you say. You’re crossing a dangerous line when you talk like that.”

As they arrived, she noticed George and Fred taking bets on the competition. Wanting to upset Draco more, she called out Fred’s name.

“Hey Rave! Are you going to bet?” asked Fred.

“I’ll give three Galleons on Harry. And if I win, you and George can keep my winnings.”

“We can’t do that. That’s a lot of money.”

“Okay five Galleons. Call it a donation to a very good cause." Fred still wasn’t taking her money. She grabbed his piece of chalk and wrote on his board how much she bet and then dropped the money in the box. “I’m not taking no for an answer. Now go! Take those bets.”

Fred finally agreed and walked over to George and told him what Raven just did. She could tell that he disagreed but Raven kindly looked at him and mouthed the words “take it,” and he left it alone.

“Why did you do that? You are only wasting your money,” Draco snapped as she sat down next to him. “Potter’s going to lose and you’ll be broke."

“If you are so confident, place a bet. Go tell Fred that you'll match my bet and put it on Krum."

“I’ll match your bet and raise it," Draco said, pulling out twenty Galleons. “WEASLEY!” he shouted at Fred. “Here's seven Galleons on Krum. My bet is that he takes it all!”

Without hesitation, Fred took Draco's money and logged it into his case. Raven got the sense from Draco that he only made a bet to spite her. He never would have had a second thought about betting if Raven had not made a bet initially.

Draco and Raven waited for the task to begin. Soon Cedric came out with a nervous confidence about him as he was about to face a Swedish Short-Snout. He transfigured a rock into a dog with the hopes that the dragon would go for it while he made his move to get the Golden Egg. He was successful, but was burned pretty badly.

Fleur Delacour came out into the arena and no one was really sure what she tried to do against the Welsh Green that she faced. She succeeded in putting the dragon to sleep but her skirt caught fire after the dragon snorted. She put the fire out and caught the egg, but it wasn’t very impressive.

“I could have done better,” said Draco. “All she has is looks and no skill.”

“That’s not nice. She got the egg didn’t she? That’s good.”

Krum came out and everyone in the crowd went crazy. Hogwarts was visited by a celebrity and people could not wait to see him up against a Chinese Fireball. He cast a spell that hit the dragon in the eye. While the dragon fell, it squashed the some of the real eggs which made him lose points. Other than that it was still pretty effective and he got the Golden Egg. After his scores were posted, Krum went ahead of Cedric in points, which disappointed Raven and made Draco start to gloat.

"Potter doesn't stand a chance now. There's no way he can beat Krum!"

“It’s not over yet.” Raven rolled her eyes. It was her hope that the tournament trophy would stay at Hogwarts. And although she had respect for Cedric, and wanted him to do well in the tournament, Raven desperately wanted to see Harry win the cup.

“Nervous, Malfoy?" asked Fred from behind Raven and Draco.

Raven turned and beamed at Fred. When Draco noticed, he turned her around and gave Fred a nasty look.

Draco took a deep breath and awaited the last champion to show himself. “I give Potter five minutes, ten at the most. His body might last a bit longer than his nerves!"

“Shut up, Draco! You haven't won yet. So quit acting like you have!"

Draco didn’t say anything but Raven could tell he wanted to. Soon Harry came out and faced a Hungarian Horntail, quite possibly the meanest and most vicious of all dragons.

“Oh yeah! He’s dead.”

“Draco! Shut up!” Raven never took her eyes off of Harry and the dragon. She then remembered the Summoning Charms that he was practicing the night before. What exactly was he going to do?

No sooner did Raven complete this thought when she heard him shout “Accio Firebolt!” She figured it out. He summoned his broom and he was going to fly. He was quite a good flier and she knew now that he was going to have the advantage over the Horntail.

After quite a bit of impressive flying, he finally grabbed the egg and made it over to safety. He did get burned on the shoulder but other than that he did absolutely brilliant. Raven couldn’t help but join in the crowd's cheers and applause, much to Draco’s disapproval.

“That was exciting, don’t you think?” she asked Malfoy, still applauding. Draco on the other hand wasn’t standing or cheering. He was pouting with his arms folded; making a face that resembled a child getting his favorite toy taken away.

"Malfoy! Anytime you want to do business again, let us know!" shouted Fred. Raven laughed under her breath, while Malfoy was livid.

Harry went off to get his wound looked at by Madame Pomfrey and then came out to hear his score. He was tied with Krum, even though one of his scores, from Karkaroff, was completely unfair.

“You didn’t win,” said Draco as though he had won finally.

“I didn’t lose either. But you lost huge. That’s funny!”

Once again Draco was not amused. He grabbed her arm and they both left the arena. Raven turned to the twins and smiled at them. Draco noticed and jerked her closer to him.

“What is your problem, Draco?” she asked, pulling away from him.

“I will not tolerate this kind of behavior from you. You will learn to respect me."

“I have more respect for the dust bunnies under my bed. What makes you think that you will ever get my respect if you keep abusing me this way with this spell thing you’ve got me under? What makes you think that I am even going to try?”

Draco paused for a moment. His face was blood red and his eyes looked as though they were about to burst. “I have my ways of making you respect me. I am not afraid to show them to you.”

“I know you're not. And just to let you know, I’m not afraid either. Do your worst!”

“So far you have only got a taste of what this spell can do to you." His demeanor then changed. He no longer looked angry. On the contrary, he looked somewhat satisfied with something. “Just wait. Cross the line again and I will show you what it means to be afraid.”

“I can’t wait.” Raven beamed with confidence. Her confidence, though, was bogus. She was afraid that Draco could hurt her worse than what she already was. Raven knew in her heart that Draco was capable of more than what he has been giving her. Her question was how much more her body could take before she finally gives up.

The next week was horrible for Raven. Draco was lurking around every corner, making sure that she was “behaving.” Raven desperately wanted to find a way to get rid of him, but there was some strange part of her that didn’t mind him spying on her. No matter how hard she tried to shake that feeling, it only became worse.

The good news for Raven was that Harry and Ron made up immediately after the first task. Things on the other end of her life were back to normal. She could talk to Harry, Ron and Hermione together without any bickering or back-stabbing. Though she couldn’t talk to them in the Great Hall, she could speak to them in the common room, but while she did she found herself either getting weaker or uninterested in what they were saying; likely effects of the spell she was under.

One Thursday morning, Professor McGonagall announced to her class that the school was going to have a dance. The Yule Ball was to be held the day before Christmas in the Great Hall. Raven’s stomach sank so deep she didn’t know if she would ever find it again. She glanced over at Draco who was turned around talking to Pansy Parkinson, the girl that Draco had been seen many times with before this whole ordeal started. After class Raven didn’t even put her books in her bag. She ran out of the class fast as to avoid Draco asking her to go with him. She was walking so fast she nearly ran into Snape as she rounded a corner.

“In a hurry?” he asked.

“Don’t have time to talk right now.” She looked over her shoulder nervously. “I have to run before-"

“Raven!" Draco ran up behind her. Raven shot a look at Snape that clearly explained why she was in a hurry. “You left class so fast. I didn’t have a chance to talk to you about the Yule Ball.”

“Whatever you have to say to me you can say it with Snape here.”

“Actually, I’m in a hurry myself,” Snape said. “Both of you be nice to each other. “ Raven’s jaw dropped and she stared at her uncle, wide eyed, as he walked away. She couldn’t believe he left her alone with him.

"Thank you, Professor! Really appreciate it, Professor!" Raven snapped sarcastically.

“I am not going to ask you to the ball,” Draco said.

“What?”

“Pansy has been pretty mad at me lately and I thought I would make it up to her by taking her to the ball.” Raven now looked at him confused.

Raven has noticed Pansy acting more coldly to others lately. She wasn't attractive by any means, but the Slytherin boys seemed to be attracted to her. Raven always thought it was because she was always seen with Draco and he was the most well-liked boy in Slytherin. Pansy was never nice to anyone with the exception of Draco and her little group of Slytherin girls, but when she received word of the marriage arrangement with Raven and Draco, she was especially hateful to Raven.

One day when Raven was walking down the hall and Pansy made some horrible remarks about Raven to her friends. Trying to ignore her didn't seem to work that day because Raven marched up to her and told her, "If you want Draco back so bad, then take him. I certainly don't want him. It's not like I want to be with him."

"Then go away." Pansy's tone sounded disgusted but at the same time, she seemed a little afraid of Raven.

"If you can show me the door, I'll be happy to. In the meantime, keep your comments to yourself!"

Raven didn’t know what to say to Draco about his unexpected news. “I’ll get over it. But there has to be a catch. There is always a catch.”

“You are not allowed to go with Weasley. No questions about it.”

“I didn’t want to go with Ron.”

“I do not want you going with George Weasley! However, I would like a dance.”

“I don’t dance. Why should I let you go with your ex to the ball, when I am not allowed to go with mine? Everyone knows that you still like Pansy!" Raven noticed that Draco's eyes widened and his face went pale. "Is not letting me go with George that whole double standard thing that you are so famous for? Or is this just another way to make my life miserable?”

“Because you have to do whatever I want, remember?" Draco remained tight-lipped about his feelings for Pansy, not wanting to make himself look like a hypocrite. Though Raven could tell that he was trying very hard to stay quiet.

“You don’t allow me to forget, remember? And one of these days, you are really going to have to let that go.”

“Don’t be upset, dear. This is just a minor setback. You will learn to forgive me for this, right?”

“Oh, I think I will survive.”

Raven was infuriated the rest of the day and the rest of the week. She was angry for so many things. There is no doubt that the seed of her anger is in the contract with the Malfoys and the ring. But to add to the growth of her anger was the fact that she couldn't go with George to the ball. Raven felt if she couldn't go with George, then how he was going to let her go with anyone. It's almost as if he likes to see her in solitude.

There was nothing that anyone could say or do to make her feel better. Friends would ask her what was going on and she would begin to explain the situation with Draco and the Yule Ball. She would then begin to say horrible things about him and start to become fatigued. All Raven wanted to do was to find a retreat. A place she could go where she can’t be bothered, and where her mind could have a moment of rest.

Raven grabbed her jacket and ran out of Hogwarts as fast as she could. She needed to find her spot by the lake where she seemed to always find peace. When she arrived, she took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, as if to let out all of the tension, stress and fears that have been welling up inside for the past few months. She closed her eyes and pictured herself alone in the world and free of all the pain and sorrow. She quickly opened her eyes to notice that long, comforting arms were wrapping around her from behind and a warm cheek was gently pressed up against hers. A gentle smile came to her face.

“George, what are you doing here? If Draco sees us, he’ll flip.”

“We’ll deal with that when the time comes. For now, let’s just enjoy this moment.” He gently kissed her cheek and sat next to her. “I heard he’s not taking you to the ball and won’t let me take you. So we are going anyway, right?”

“Do you know how much I would love to? You know Draco would kill me."

"He'll be angry, but there is nothing he can do to you there."

“Let’s run away. We’ll send word to Fred so you two can still work on your shop plans. I’m sure your mother would understand. We’ll stay away until Draco and Lucius know that their plan isn’t going to work.”

“You know that's not possible. We can’t just run away from this. We have to fight. You know that. If we run they will only find us and make it worse for you.”

“I know.” Raven closed her eyes and hoped she would wake from this horrible dream. “I just don’t have the strength to fight anymore. My natural abilities are failing. I hear everyone’s thoughts at my weakest moments. I can’t control anything. I have to use a wand for basic spells, something I have really never had to do before. I don’t know how much fight I have left in me.”

“You are a fighter and you will get through this. You are the strongest, most confident person I have ever known. If anyone can get through what Draco and Lucius are doing, it’s you.”

Raven gave him a self-doubting smile. She knew that he was only trying to make her feel better, but also knew that her strength and her self confidence were fading. There was a moment when she gazed deep into George’s eyes and saw how much he still loved her, which made her smile because her Legilimency was working for the first time in weeks. She saw that he still had so much confidence in her to pull through this plight.

“George, I love you so much.” Raven put her head on his shoulder. “What would I do without you?”

George put his finger under her chin and raised her head to face him. He placed both hands on the sides of her face. “That should never be a thought that crosses your mind. It has never crossed mine because I know us. We will get through this. I promise.”

After a small moment, they locked in a gentle kiss. It was a moment that lasted forever. Raven began to feel like herself and she was going to enjoy this moment if it was the last thing she did. Soon her body couldn’t take the stress. Her finger was in piercing pain and her head felt as though it weighed a ton. Her eyes were in and out of focus and George pointed out to her that she had become pale. She turned towards the castle and noticed near the entrance were three figures standing there watching them. It was Draco with his two followers, Crabbe and Goyle.

“He’s found us.” Raven stood quickly at the sight of Draco.

“Raven. I love you.”

“I love you, too.” She turned back at Draco and then looked back at George. In her biggest defiance towards Draco she kissed George on the cheek. "We are going to the ball together. He’ll have to kill me to stop me.”

“Can you make it up to the castle? Do you need help?”

“No.” She saw that Draco was now heading towards them. “You go, I’ll deal with Draco.”

“Are you sure?”

Raven nodded and George went on his way. She turned back towards the lake to prepare for what Draco had coming to her. Raven then turned back to George when she noticed that Draco was pulling out his wand. With all of the strength that she had left in her body, she threw out her hand and shouted, “Expelliarmus!” Draco’s wand shot out of his hand. George turned back for a moment and Raven gave George a look that said 'go.' He acknowledged her and hesitantly walked away. Draco picked up his wand and marched towards Raven.

The pain in her hand was worse, to the point where she couldn’t stand. She swore she saw two of everything. Her head was pounding and her body was numb. Raven suddenly fell to the ground.

“What did I tell you?” Draco asked, pointing his wand in her face.

“Get your wand…out of my face.”

“Right.” He touched his wand to Raven's ring. “That pain is much worse, isn’t it?”

Raven let out a small whimper. It felt as though he was taking a hack saw to her finger. “Go away, Draco.” Raven realized that with every word she was trying to mutter, she was only upsetting Draco more. Although George had all the confidence in the world in her, at this point she wanted nothing more but to give up and die.

“Don’t talk to me like that. Believe it or not, I do care about you. I don’t like to see you in pain.”

“Considering the last minute and a half, I have a hard time believing that.”

He tried to help her up. “Your strength amazes me. I just wish you would look at me the way you look at Weasley. He could never make you as happy as I could.”

“I beg to differ.” Although she was extremely angry with him, she didn’t hate him. As a matter of fact, this strange feeling came over her that made her feel like she had feelings for him. She shook her head a few times to regain her composure. “I have to go.”

“Don’t go yet. We were having fun.”

“If you say so. I have a class to go to.”

“Don’t lie! I know you’re free the rest of the day.”

“Glad you know my schedule better than I do. Don't you get it? I was making an excuse to get away!”

Raven then heard him shout something and soon her body was completely frozen. He must have conjured a body binding curse on her. He walked up in front of her and then reversed the spell. She was now free to move and wanted so bad to hit him, but realized that her body was tired and limp. All she wanted to do was lie down.

“Raven, Raven, Raven. When will you learn? I am not to be trifled with. You belong to me. You may want to learn to accept it now, before things get worse for you.”

“I belong to no man.”

“YOU BELONG TO ME!” He said, violently grabbing her arms. Fear rushed through Raven’s body. At that moment, she had never in her life been so scared. Draco grabbed her hand and kissed the ring. “Don't forget that!”

Draco left her by the lake. Raven sat down in the snow and faced the lake. She didn’t care that it was cold, or that it began to flurry. Nothing was going through her mind. It was a blank, deep space.

“RAVEN! SNAP OUT OF IT!” said Hermione, shaking her. “Ronald, help me get her up.”

“Where am I?” When Raven came to she realized that it was dark outside. It was mid afternoon when she came outside. How did it get dark all of a sudden? “What time is it?”

“It’s nearly eight o’clock. Apparently you have been out here all day,” Harry said.

“We need to get you inside and warmed up,” Ron said picking her up and putting his arm around her to keep her stable. “It’s bloody cold out here.”

“You are going to get sick,” Hermione said. “You should probably go to see Madam Pomfrey.”

“No, I’m fine,” Raven said, confused and tired. “I just want to get warmed up, if that’s okay with you guys.”

Much to Hermione's disapproval, the trio walked with Raven to the common room and sat her down by the fire. They got her some hot cocoa and a small plate of dinner that Raven barely ate. All she could do was just stare at the fire and wonder what happened at the lake and how time seemed to shift so quickly. Fatigue had set in and she desperately wanted to sleep but knew after today’s events, her dream would haunt her. For the rest of the night, she gazed thoughtfully at the fire, hoping some kind of answer would come from the flames.

Chapter 27