Dislcaimer: I don't own it.

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Chapter Twenty-One: Nightmare

Hope was in the quidditch pitch, waiting for Fred to arrive. She was almost sure George and Harry would show up, but she couldn't wait too much longer. She still had to get down to the dungeons to meet Severus.

"Ready to get beat, Hope?" Fred asked from behind her.

"Considering Harry let me win, I'm sure that's exactly what'll end up happening," Hope said with a laugh.

"Let's do it then, on the count of three…" he said as they both mounted their brooms.

"…One, Two, Three!"

They both took off, and to Hope's surprise, she pulled ahead quickly. Fred pulled up even with her about halfway through the race. Hope pushed even harder and ended up winning easily. They were both laughing over it when they heard Harry's comment.

"I guess we can add flying to your list of talents."

"Yeah, I guess we can, can't we? We'll also be adding me to the list of potion's ingredients I don't get my butt down to the dungeons. Does anybody want to escort me down?" She asked with a wink.

Fred and George bowed out, but Harry walked with her. They reached Severus' quarters and Harry turned to leave, but Hope pulled him inside.

"Severus?" Hope called out. "Draco?"

"We're back in the lab, Hope," Severus called out.

Hope motioned for Harry to stay and walked back there with a plan forming in her mind. She knew she had worried Harry earlier by avoiding him, and while she didn't want to get too close to him, she didn't want to lose his friendship either.

"Severus?" She called again as she entered the lab.

"Yes?" He said, stepping away from the potion.

"Could I perhaps talk to you for a moment?"

Severus shrugged and stepped into the hallway.

Hope sighed before beginning. "Harry is in the living room. Something happened earlier and I handled it the wrong way, making him thing that I was mad at him. I need to make it up to him, so I was wondering if maybe I could strike you a deal."

Severus was not thrilled about Potter being in his quarters again, but motioned for Hope to continue.

"Okay, well, Harry eats dinner with us, but then I walk with him back to the common room. After that, I get the stuff I will need for tonight and tomorrow and stay here tonight."

Severus agreed, although he was disappointed that Hope was only going to stay down here if it meant that Harry could stay for dinner.

He sighed as she left and went to warn Draco.

"Potter will be joining us for dinner tonight," he said calmly as he began researching the potion again.

"What!? Why?"

"Hope messed up earlier and wishes to make amends over dinner. Just be civilized for her sake."

Draco sighed and answered dejectedly. "Well, I guess I can if it's for Hope."

Dinner actually turned into an enjoyable affair. Draco and Harry discovered that they had many things in common and they quickly struck up a conversation with each other while Hope listened and smiled.

Soon though, it had ended and now Hope was standing outside the common room with Harry.

"I thought you were mad at me about earlier…" he said shyly, looking at the ground.

"I wasn't mad, Harry. I was confused. I can't allow myself to get too close to anybody, and that includes you. But you're making it difficult for me, because I want to become closer to you."

He reached out and gently grasped her arm, causing her to wince from the burns still there. He loosened his grasp before speaking.

"Hope, I've lived with knowingly putting someone in danger for the past five and a half years. From a personal standpoint, it's not worth it to push them away."

"It is for me, Harry." He went to interrupt but she stopped him. "I need to get back down to the dungeons. Balderdash," she said before climbing into the common room.

Hope quickly gathered all her things that she needed and left. She knew that Harry was upset, but honestly, couldn't make herself stop and try to put it in nicer terms. He had to stay away from her, at least until after the war was over.

She walked back into her godfather's quarters and sat down. "I'm back!" She yelled into the next room.

"So soon?" Draco said teasingly as he entered. "I thought for sure you'd still be snogging Harry."

At the hurt look on Hope's face, he regretted the words. "What happened?" He asked, sitting next to her.

Hope sniffled before answering. "Nothing. Can we get this done?" She asked as Severus walked into the room. "I have a certain potion's essay to finish as well as many other assignments."

"You'll have time. I'm sure Draco wouldn't mind helping you out either."

"No thanks, I'll get it," she said. "It's not as if I'll be able to sleep anyway," she added under her breath.

Severus' keen ears picked up on the last statement and he put the topic away for a later time. Instead, he took the seat directly across from Hope.

"Hope, if I thought that by adopting you it would make you feel more a part of this family, I would do it without a second thought. The problem is, I think it would just make the situation worse."

"Is this what you wanted to talk about? Because honestly, Severus, I'm over it now. I'm fine with you adopting Draco. He was in danger, I wasn't, and circumstances change things," she lied. "In fact, I already apologized to Draco, and am apologizing to you now for how I acted."

Severus was taken aback. "And this would have nothing to do with the note?"

"Note?" She asked, pretending to be confused. "Oh, that stupid prank from class? No, it has nothing to do with it."

"Very well, you two should go do your schoolwork."

Snape breathed a sigh of relief as she did just that.

Severus walked quietly into Hope's room to check and make sure she was asleep. He went up to her bed and was relieved to see her even breathing and calm features. He gently brushed her blonde hair out of her face and watched as her features tensed.

"Hope?"

It was useless however, because Hope was stuck in a dream from Voldemort.

Hope watched, tears streaming down her face as her parents were hit with yet another curse.

"Stop it! Please, leave them alone, they're not the ones that you are after!" She cried out as her parents screamed from the pain.

"Little Hope, are you done playing?" Voldemort asked as he walked towards her.

"Stop it. They don't deserve this."

"Oh, little Hope wants us to put an end to their suffering. What do you think, Lucius?"

"I would be honored to, my Lord."

Hope watched helplessly as he shot the killing curse at both her parents. She collapsed on the ground as the tears overwhelmed her.

Hope watched as the dream-scene faded around her and Voldemort stood in front of her.

"How does it feel Hope, knowing that these are only two of the deaths you caused?" He asked, with a smirk playing on his snakelike lips.

"It wasn't me who murdered them. You did," she spat back at him.

"Ah, yes, I had them killed, but only because you weren't cooperating. Would you like to see the other deaths you caused because they were trying to protect you?"

The scene changed around her again, and Hope was standing in a beautiful home.

A person who looked just like Hope was standing behind a man with dark brown hair. They were facing a man who Hope immediately recognized.

"Get out of my house," the man who had to be her father said.

"Where's the girl?" Voldemort asking, stepping closer with his wand raised.

"She's gone, under a protection you won't be able to penetrate," her mother said back to him.

"I suggest you tell me where, unless you want to see your husband die."

Both remained quiet while Voldemort's cold eyes pierced them. "Very well. Avada Kedavra."

Hope watched as her father fell to the ground.

"Ready to tell me yet."

"Never!"

"Silly girl." He shot the curse at her as well and then turned to leave.

The scene faded away, and Hope was once again facing Voldemort.

"You did that as well. I never held a wand to those people."

"True, but they would still be alive if not for you being born."

Hope shook her head, trying to block out the evil creature's voice.

"Still don't believe me? I'll give you a few short weeks to decide if you really would like to remain on their side. If you change your mind, come to me, and I'll reverse the curse and welcome you back. If not, you'll lose another you're close to."

"Until then, a little remainder of the curse. Choose wisely, Hope."

Hope woke up and felt the excruciating pain go through her body. She bit her lip again to keep from crying out and tasted the blood in her mouth.

"Hope, drink this." Severus said, putting a vial to her lips.

Hope opened her mouth and felt the potion slide down her throat. The pain lessened reasonably and Hope sighed.

"Better?" Severus asked as he sat down on the bed.

Hope nodded and felt dizzy. "That was worse than last time."

"That's the point of the curse. It'll get worse with each time. That potion worked, so Draco and I've found an antidote, but it will take about a month to make."

"How many attacks will I have until then?" She asked weakly.

"It's been three days since your last one. The next one will be in six days. It will double with each time," Severus explained.

"So thirty days, it'll be two more?"

"Three, we can't give you the potion until you are having an attack."

Hope groaned.

"How much pain is left?" He asked her gently.

"A little. Last time I was just tired. Now I'm sore and feel dizzy."

Severus nodded. "Next time, it'll start tearing muscle, then bones…the last attack will be extremely painful. The potion will end the attack, but not the aftereffects."

Hope sighed. "I guess I asked for it by spitting in his face, huh?" She said, as she sat up.

"Hope, nobody asks for this."

Hope just shrugged and winced from the pain. "Well I'm up, I might as well study," she said, looking at the clock which read 12:49. "Accio bag."

Severus caught the bag while it was flying and laid it beside her bed. "Go back to sleep. I'll give you a pain relieving potion in the morning after this one is out of your system."

"I can't. Severus, don't make me."

"Hope, tell me about your nightmare."

"NO!"

Severus sighed and stood up. "Okay, if you want to do your homework, it's your choice. That potion will make you tired though."

Hope could already feel that effect of the potion. "Do any of your potion's not?" She asked sarcastically, trying to keep him in the room.

"Some don't."

Hope nodded. Severus turned to leave again but Hope's voice stopped him.

"Please, stay. I won't do my homework, but please, just stay."

Severus looked at the stricken face of his goddaughter and felt his heart drop. "I'll stay Hope. Don't worry."

He sat back down on the bed and felt her weight lean against him. "How often are you having nightmares?"

"This is the first…"

"But?" He asked, knowing there was more to it.

"I'm not sleeping really…maybe an hour a night…"

"Hope…why won't you sleep?"

"I don't like waking up alone. I don't like sleeping alone. I've told you all this already!"

"When?"

"In the Hospital Wing. Before you left. Remember? I said I didn't want to be alone. It made me think I was still there."

Severus thought back and winced as he remembered her saying that. "Hope, I'm sorry, I forgot."

"It doesn't matter. You can't be in the dormitory anyway, well…you're a professor so you can, but not every night."

He shook his head. "I'll figure something out. For tonight, go to sleep, I'll be right here."

Hope was reluctant to believe him. "You said that last time."

"I won't leave. If I do, I'll wake you up first, okay?"

Hope still looked reluctant but knew she needed sleep.

"If you leave me, I'll never trust you again, Severus."

"I won't. Go to sleep, Lea."

Hope listened and fell asleep against her godfather.

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A/N: I apoligize profusely for not getting this out sooner. I've been working a lot and it drains me. I'm going to post another chapter tonight, and then two tomorrow. I really do apologize.

By the way, you all are officially over half way done reading the story now. Yipee!!
Kayla