Chapter 27
The last week of term was long and excruciating. Raven was ill from sitting outside all day the weekend before; something that she really never intended to do. With the stress of her end-of-term exams, she hardly slept and only felt she had enough time to go to the Great Hall to grab a piece of fruit from the table a few times a day. When anyone saw her out of class, she was either in the library or in the common room tucked in a corner, studying (more like cramming). Since the night that she was found outside by Ron and Hermione, she hasn’t spoken to anyone…intentionally.
Her health was starting to worsen and teachers were constantly asking her if she needed to go to see Madame Pomfrey. She would swear that she was fine but was a little stressed over the exams and would leave it at that. Her friends would disbelieve her and attempt to ask her what was going on but Raven would completely avoid the conversation by walking away. The truth was she was much too weak to use her energy to speak. She had difficulty breathing and anytime she would talk, her sentences would be fragmented and incomprehensible.
The day before term ended, she had been studying all night for her Transfiguration test. Over the course of the last few days, she developed a high fever and she swore to herself that after her last exam she would go to the hospital. But until then, she felt that she could fight it and continue on with her studies and exams. On her way to Transfiguration, she was stopped by Draco who looked concerned for her. Raven looked faint and frail. She was sweating from her fever and her hair would sometimes stick to her face. Being weak caused difficulty in carrying her bag and walking from place to place. She would have to give herself an extra five minutes to get anywhere so she could make stops along the way.
“Raven, you need to go to the hospital.” Draco took hold of her arm as she staggered and looked at him.
“I am…fine, Draco. I just…want to…sit.”
“I am actually concerned for you. You need to get better.” Draco gently wiped hair off her face.
“Are you…really upset…because…you can’t…torture me…yourself? I’m doing…a better job...on my…own.”
“Why can’t you understand that I care for you? I don’t like seeing you ill. You can’t even say a few words without taking a breath. McGonagall will understand if you are sick and need to see Madame Pomfrey. She will let you take the test later.”
“I don’t need…you…trying to…help me.” She walked over to a wall and leaned up against it. Rubbing her face, she sat her bag down and wanted to curl up in a ball and let this illness take her. “You…half…the reason why…I’m sick.”
“Raven, can we please forget about what happened last weekend for a while? You can’t even say complete sentences.” He walked over to her and put his hand on her forehead. “Your fever is getting worse.”
“I’ll go…to hospital...tomorrow…after potions.”
“Does Snape know you’re sick?”
“I told him...it was a cold. Please…leave me alone. I can’t…talk. Will later.”
Raven gathered her bag and walked inside the Transfiguration classroom and awaited Professor McGonagall to issue the exam. When she sat down, she pulled out her quills and parchment and buried her head in her arms. Her head felt as if it were too heavy for her neck. When she would look around the classroom her eyes would want to roll into the back of her head and she would quickly turn her head back to the front. The dizziness was getting so bad that she started to feel sick to her stomach. She had no clear focus on anything in sight.
Professor McGonagall walked in and began talking. The only thing Raven could hear were the thoughts of everyone in the classroom. She couldn't make out what any of the voices were saying. It sounded as though she walked into the Great Hall at lunchtime. Her head was starting to throb. She thought if she rubbed it, the pain would go away, but it was only getting worse.
Suddenly she felt an elbow in her side. It was Seamus Finnegan, whom she was sitting next to. Raven looked at him and saw that he was looking to the other side of her. She turned to see that Professor McGonagall was looking at her and talking to her, but she couldn’t hear what she was saying. Raven squinted her eyes to try and concentrate on the professor’s voice but could only hear ringing. McGonagall walked over to Harry and Ron and said something to them but she couldn’t make out what they were saying. The voices in her head seemed to be causing her to be deaf to actual spoken words.
Ron rushed out of the classroom and Harry and McGonagall walked over to her. Draco got up and walked over to them as well, but McGonagall quickly made him sit down, much to his obvious disappointment. Harry was gathering her things while McGonagall, and soon Harry, helped her to her feet. Harry walked her out of the classroom and they began walking to the hospital wing. Once she left the classroom, the voices in her head left and she finally got back her sense of sound.
“Where…are we going?” Raven asked. She noticed Harry was clutching tightly on her arm.
“You are going to the hospital,” he said. “McGonagall was talking to you and you were not responding to her. Your fever must be getting to you.”
“What about…test?”
“Guess you’ll take it later. Ron is going to get Snape.”
“Was…going…tomorrow.” She stopped to catch her breath.
“You can’t wait. You are much too sick to wait.” He tried to keep her going. She was refusing to move anymore, though. Her body was too heavy now for her legs, which were refusing to move. Her dead weight was too much for Harry. She slipped out of his arms and she fell hard on the floor.
Fear began to overcome Raven. She thought to herself that one of two things was about to happen. The first one being that she was going to pass out and while she was passed out, she would have her dream. The second was that she was going to die. With that, a sad relief came to her. It was a relief to finally be out of the situation with Draco, and sad because she didn’t want to leave George. With that thought, fear turned into panic. Her breathing quickened.
“Harry!” She said grabbing his arms and trying to stand. You have…to promise-”
“Raven! What’s wrong?”
Raven got to her knees. She was clutching Harry’s robes as tight as she could. She was going to answer but turned her head to see Snape and Ron running up to them from the other end of the corridor.
“Promise…Harry.” She fell to the floor.
“What Raven? What?”
“I can‘t…sleep. Can‘t…dream.”
“Raven, I can’t-”
“PROMISE!” There was definite fear in her voice. She wasn’t just trembling from the fever at this point.
Harry looked at her. He wasn’t entirely sure what she was asking him to do. “I don’t know what you’re asking.”
“Please…Harry. Promise.” Tears filled Raven's eyes as she felt that Harry would not do what she requested.
“What’s going on Potter?” said Snape finally catching up to them. “What are you promising?”
“Please…Harry,” Raven cried.
“I don‘t know what you want, Rave,” Harry spoke these words with apprehension in his voice. He looked up at Snape, “I think she’s delirious, sir.”
Raven turned her head and looked at her uncle. She pulled Harry close to her. “He will…make me…sleep.” Raven mustered enough energy to wrap her arms around Harry, as if asking for protection. “Harry, I can’t…I dream…can’t…“ Over the past week, she got a little bit of rest and every time she would sleep, she had her dream. At this moment, though, her fear of having her nightmare was starting to consume her. She wasn’t able to get past the dream for the moment and realize that her body needed to rest.
“Raven, it’s going to be okay. You’ll wake up and be okay. But you have to sleep,” said Harry.
Raven looked up at Harry, then looked over at Snape and Ron.
“Ron…help.“
Ron couldn’t look at Raven but looked at Snape. The two boys had looks on their faces like they were waiting for Snape to step in at any time. Raven finally pleaded to her uncle. “Don’t let …me sleep…Uncle Sn-. I don’t…want…you don‘t understand.”
“Raven you need to let go of your fear.” Snape was now holding his collapsed niece's limp body. “You need to stop fighting for a moment and sleep."
“I can’t.” Tears streamed down her face. The only thing going on in her thoughts now was the one thing she wanted more than anything. “George…I want…George.”
“I’ll have Weasley go and get him now.” Snape nodded to Ron, who quickly took the hint and ran off.
She stared at her uncle for a brief moment and then glanced over at Harry who looked scared and worried. She couldn’t stop the inevitable. She grabbed hold of his hand and gave him another smile. After feeling a little bit reassured, she finally began to see the corridor going black. She decided to give in to the inevitable; she finally decided to go to sleep.
“Severus, she’s waking up,” said a woman quietly.
“Raven? Raven, I’m here.” A familiar voice, followed by a touch on her shoulder, seemed to awaken her.
The room was blurry. Raven tried to open her eyes but the light of the room was blinding her. She felt stiff yet her body was limp. Once she was able to open her eyes she looked around the room to see that she was lying in a hospital bed surrounded by her uncle Snape and Madame Pomfrey.
“Her fever has broken now,” said Madame Pomfrey. “She should be completely rested. I’ll have the kitchens bring her up some lunch.”
“Thank you.” Snape looked at Raven with much concern. He sat next to her bed and felt her forehead. “Yes, your fever is gone. How are you feeling?”
“I'm fine but tired. How long was I out?”
“Five days. You had your dream several times. Do you remember having it?”
“No, I don’t. How come I didn’t wake up?”
“Your fever most likely caused you not to wake up. It was extremely high. You had a severe case of pneumonia. Madame Pomfrey was worried she would have to send you to St. Mungos if you didn’t wake soon.”
"How do you know I had the dream?"
"You were talking quite a bit. Who are you talking to in your dream?"
"Lucius, I think. His voice seems to get angrier the more I have it. But not remembering these past times that I've had it, I don't know."
"What is he telling you?"
"He's telling me to choose my destiny."
Snape looked as though he was deep in thought. Raven knew what the meaning of her dream was and thought it was obvious to Snape. But he seemed to be lost in thought at its translation, which confused Raven.
“Where’s George? You said you would get him.”
“He’s been here several times. He’ll be back later today.” He stared at her for a moment with an apprehensive look on his face.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“The Yule Ball is in a couple of days. Madame Pomfrey has her doubts that you will be able to attend.”
“But I feel fine.” Raven sat up in her bed, hoping to prove that she was telling the truth.
“Considering what you have gone through in the last couple of weeks, I don‘t think you should go.”
Raven stared at him with a vacant expression on her face. For a moment, she wasn’t sure if she heard him right.
“If you go, it could cause a number of problems. It could make you sick again or it could cause more stress to your body. I think you should sit this one out.”
“You’re kidding!” Raven was exasperated. “Look, I’ve got a couple more days to recover. I’m sure I’ll be fine. I’ll go and if I feel tired, I’ll leave.”
Snape rolled his eyes and stood up. He then paced around the bed for a moment. “We’ll talk about it later. In the meantime, it looks like you have visitors.”
Snape gestured towards the door. Raven looked over and saw two of her favorite people.
“Madam Pomfrey said you were awake.” George sat next to her bed and immediately grabbed her hand.
“Think you slept long enough?” asked Fred.
“I’ll leave you alone, then,” Snape interjected. “We will talk later.”
Raven waved and immediately started talking to the twins.
“What did Snape say about the Yule Ball?” asked George.
“He doesn’t want me to go. I’m inclined to disagree with him,” Raven said.
“You would,” joked Fred.
“So if you go,” asked George casually, “who are you going with?”
Raven thought for a moment. “Here’s the thing. I can not go and probably save myself a lot of drama and less hospital visits. However, I want to go so then the question becomes will I go by myself or go with someone?”
“I think I like the idea of you going with someone,” said George, smiling.
Raven smiled. “Me, too. So here’s the deal with that one. I can go with anyone else and make Draco sort of happy because it’s not with you. However, I will be giving into his double standard because he is going with his girlfriend. So, I should go with mine, right?”
“Snape is going to be so mad!” said Fred.
“It’s not Snape I’m worried about. Snape wouldn’t hurt you like Draco would,” George replied.
Raven was silent as she thought. “I’ll talk to Draco. He’ll have to be fine with it.”
“Are you sure you can pull it off?” asked George.
“I’m sure.” Raven smiled at George, trying to make him more confident in her decision.
“So does this mean we are going together?” he asked.
“Well since Fred is already taken, then I guess you will have to do.” Raven winked at George. The three shared a bit of a laugh. Everything seemed fine now. For some reason, Raven seemed to be unaffected by the spell. She was curious but wasn’t going to fight it.
“I’m going to run and leave you two alone for a while.” Fred bent over and gave a friendly kiss to Raven’s cheek. “Glad to have you back.”
“Thanks, Fred. See you soon.”
After Fred left, George began telling Raven that he was with her several times while she was having her dream. Raven told him that she didn’t remember having it. He then told her how worried he was when he found out that she was in the hospital.
Raven and George sat there in each other’s arms for several hours, then Madame Pomfrey came in and told George he needed to leave to go to dinner and Raven to get some rest. The two shared a somewhat painful goodbye and George left. After Raven ate dinner she quickly fell asleep, forgetting her fear of the dream. All she could think about was what she was going to be doing two evenings from now: having, quite possibly, the best evening of her life with her "cutie."
Chapter 28 
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x5 
x3
Oh well. Guess I'll have to wait and find out, huh?
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Poor Raven though, I worry for her, the choices that she is making.
I♥L♥O♥V♥E♥Y♥O♥U
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Totally awesome.
Sure. *magically makes tent larger, then offers a marshmallow*
