I sat quietly pushing around my food, not really hungry but rather tired. "Cheer up...Raven she is a ministry official that will be teaching defense so it can't be that bad." I looked up at Hermione who sounded more like she was trying convince herself more than me. The ministry had turned on Harry and so did apparently most of the students, even in gryffindor. "The Ministry is in denial, putting us all on a verge of another war...My mother said so. Umbridge and her had history of disagreements. Mom was worried I would be a target for that reason." I had spoken so only the three could hear. Harry looked up at me with great concern, "There was something I meant to tell you about the night...at the graveyard...someone was there...I thought you should know about…" I looked at him before nodding slowly. The feast continued and I picked at it so I had something in my stomach dinner ended and all the students left.
The trio and I were the last Gryffindor's to get up and leave, once out of the hall harry stopped in his step when he saw Draco standing by the main stairs. "He is waiting for me…" He turned back to me before pulling me off to the side of the great hall. "Raven that night...when Voldemort came back...his most faithful death eaters gathered. Among them was Mr. Malfoy…" All eyes were on me as I bit my lip until I could taste copper and didn't say a word. "We are not telling you to break up with him….while we probably should." Hermione broke the silence. "He seems to be treating you well...from what we see...despite the likelihood of him turning out like his father….we may be mistaking. You could have some influence on him...but I don't think he would have much of a choice to be honest..." I looked at her my eyes getting irritated from me holding back my tears. "Look we know you are smart enough to get out when it gets out of control...you have good judgement." Harry cut in before giving me a small smile. "He seems to be getting impatient…" I turned and looked in fact was tapping his foot and had his arms crossed. "Thanks for letting me know...I should go…I'll see you in later" I turned and walked over to Draco grabbing his hand before dragging him up the stairs and to the astronomy tower. "Sorry you had to wait...harry had to tell me something..." "It's fine..." He wrapped his arms around me from behind as we both looked out at the school grounds.
I considered telling him about what harry had told her. She decided against it she just wanted to enjoy their short time together before curfew. I had spaced out looking onto the forest, until a small pinch on my neck brought me back. It's than I realized it wasn't much of a pinch but a small bite. "Draco…" I could feel him smiling against my neck as he continued. I enjoyed the feeling with a smile on my face until he pulled away and turned me to face him. He had small smiled on his face before giving me quick kiss. "It's getting late...let's go…." I nodded and followed, before taking our separate ways. And I rushed back to the tower avoiding filch.
The next morning I got up and dressed I had slept into breakfast which was now nearly over. Rushing down and into the hall I took a seat by harry and quickly tried to eat some food. "Someone slept well?" I looked up at harry who smiled and I rolled my eyes before swallowing my food. "It doesn't happen often so yes I did sleep well for once…" I smiled before eating some more, that's when I noticed Hermione staring at me. "Is something on my face?" "No...More like your neck…" I reached up to my neck where I remember Draco lingering for a while. "Yeah that…" I couldn't believe him he had left a mark, on my neck. I turned to the Slytherin table still holding my hand over my neck looking for him/ I found him looking back before he smiled a bit. I turned back facing away still thrown off by it. "Let's go to class...maybe if we fix your collar of your shirt you could hide it. it's not cold enough to wear a scarf yet." I nodded as we got up and left, first class was defense. Entering the classroom I frowned, it looked so plain and boring. I took a seat away from the trio not wanting Umbridge to pick on them because they sat next to me. I opened the book skeptically and flew over the first few pages, all this was theoretical nothing said anything about practical portions of it at all. Is this going to be their so called changes, no practice?
I looked up from the pages when someone sat down next to me and turned to find Draco looking around the room was practically filled so no one would question it. "I can't believe you left a mark on me…" I was whispering while getting my things ready. "I'm sorry I just couldn't resist but you seemed to have enjoyed it…" I blushed and glanced at him, only to find a smug grin. Blushing I looked down trying to hide my smile. The clearing of a throat tore me from my thoughts, and my eyes turned onto the woman dressed in all pink. It took every piece of self-control not to frown at the sight. The woman introduced herself before babbling on about what the ministry wants and believed. I on the other hand was distracted by the boy sitting next to me, he was resting his head lazily in his right hand as he scribbled and doodled on the parchment in front of him. My attention returned to class as harry raised his voice. This wasn't going well, "detention potter after school…" I wanted to protest and get harry out of detention but a hand on my knee turned my attention to Draco. "Don't you'll get it as well...remember what your mother said..." Was all he whispered, I frowned knowing he was right. After class I packed my things and got ready to go. "Ms. Celestral. I would like a word with you." I dropped my bag on the table and looked back at the others, both harry and Draco had stopped, before looking at each other Draco turned and quickly left. "Go, I'll catch up..." I turned away and faced the woman with a blank expression.
She sat at her desk before looking at me as if to decide something. "I'm surprised you didn't defend what Mr. Potter was claiming, like your mother had when he was on trial for using the Patronous charm outside of school claiming dementors had attacked." She paused and stirred her tea with a small spoon before looking back at me as she sipped at the hot liquid. "She defended him, because he was in fact defending himself…" "So she claims…" "So she knows. As to why I didn't defend him and his claims, which are true. Because I don't waste my breath on ignorance and stupidity. No if you'd excuse me, I don't wish to be late to a class that will actually teach me something." I grabbed my bag and walked out of the room before she responded. I'm pretty sure I had just booked myself detention for a week but I didn't care. I ran to my next class which was transfiguration.
The remainder of the day passed relatively uneventful, I had skipped lunch my stomach having been irritated. I instead decided to read a book in the courtyard, by myself. After lunch had been over and we returned to class I found myself yawning almost constantly, I simply shrugged it off as being tired from having not eaten anything. I actually had fallen asleep at the end of ancient runes, only to have Taylor shake me awake giving me a concerned look. "I'm fine…" we were walking to the library to work on our homework until dinner. Draco had been keeping me awake by poking my side. I leaned against him until it was time for dinner. At dinner I peck at my food, forcing myself to eat before returning to the tower and plopping in my bed and going to sleep.
The next morning wasn't much better I had to force myself to get out of bed still tired and actually feeling cold. I pulled on my sweater vest over my shirt before throwing on my robes and wore tights under my skirt as I made my way down to the common room where harry sat waiting. "Morning…" "Morning...hey are you okay you look, pale...I mean you usually are pale...but this looks more like a sick pale…" "I'm fine...I think...anyways. Look I'm sorry for not saying anything in class yesterday, I wanted to but Draco told me I would get detention, so he was concerned. But I'm pretty sure I'm going to get it the next time she sees me, I called her stupid and ignorant when she asked me to stay...and then marched out without permission saying, 'I don't want to be late to a class that will actually teach me something' so yeah I might be in trouble…" Harry smiled and shook his head. "Yeah I don't think she would have liked that...I don't think you'll get detention, just to avoid having mother get involved…" we both walked down to the great hall to eat before rushing to class.
Classes continued in similar fashion as the years before, there was definitely a lot of focus on making sure we all understood, naturally so due to the O.W.L.S this year. Umbridge continued to not teach anything other what the book said. At least we didn't have to buy it that would have been a horrible waste of money. Instead of paying attention to her, I and Draco spend our time in her class writing little messages on a parchment and passing them back and forth to entertain ourselves. We both were confident in our skill and knowledge concerning the subject so we didn't bother listening to her. I was still unexplainably tired, so keeping busy kept me awake. Time passed as did days turned to weeks rather quickly, and soon evaluations of the teachers started. We sat in potions I and Draco sat away from most of the others left alone to brew. It was only two of us on the table instead of three or four. The doors swung open and in came none other than Umbridge. She walked through the room inspected the tables as the students work only to stop when she reached our table. "Hmm...You two seem to work together in every class you have together, odd." I stopped dicing the bat spleens and looked up while Draco did the same. "I don't see anything wrong with it" was all I said before turning back to my ingredient.
"What is wrong with that is, the two of you are working in a group of two rather than a group of three or four like the rest of the class." I chose to ignore her and continued to working, "I believe that should be addressed with professor Snape. But from what we were told as reason for us working isolated from others is that we have proven to be ahead of the class in both skill and understanding." Draco responded and moved to stand in order to stir the potion properly. "Besides this was discussed with our...parents" That last word was enough to have her close her mouth and give up the argument and walked off. "Nice one…" I whispered and smiled at him which he returned smugly. She began questioning professor Snape, I watched carefully one of her comments not sitting well with me. And the flobberworm mucus from Neville's table 'suddenly' fell. Causing the woman to slip and fall, I quickly hid my wand. While everyone in class chuckled I tried to hide my smile. Until my eyes met my fathers who gave me a disapproving look.
"Do not mind that, Mr. Longbottom is nothing but a train wreck in potions...constantly dropping something…" was all my father said as she got to her feet and huffed before stomping off. Everyone returned to work, me and Draco finished our potion with ten minutes left. We cleaned our station and sat quietly in our seats. I let out a yawn as quietly as I could and stretched. "You have been awfully tired lately..." Turning I looked at Draco who had been watching me and looked extremely worried. "I know...I'm not sure why...harry said I looked pale...not my normal pale but a sick pale." He nodded before grabbing my hand under the table. "For once I have to agree with him… Are you sure you are okay?" I looked at him for second before nodding. "Yea…." That was lie, and he knew it. I had been feeling worse as weeks passed. The other day I had felt light headed. Class was dismissed for the day and everyone got up excitedly with it being Friday everyone was talking about their plans. Draco had been packing slowly in order to walk with me, While harry and the others stood near the door. I still sat with my eyes closed my dizziness had returned. "Ms. Celestral?" I opened my eyes and forced a smile, looking into my father's direction "I'm fine…" I quickly got up and regretted it the very second I got up as everything faded to black, hearing only faint calls of my name.