Chapter Seven Disclaimer on opening note

Ruby only went out of Gryffindor tower when necessary. She had even contemplated skipping some of her classes. She could not wait for Christmas to come. She was staying again, but then she would have no reason to leave. All of her classes where going well. She expected to receive full marks in all, so she felt like a little slacking off couldn't do much damage. Plus, she felt like a mad truck had hit her. She was tired all the time and had a cough she just couldn't shake. That didn't stop some people from begging her to go to Hogmeade with them.

"You said you would come, Ruby."

Ruby coughed. "I don't feel well, Oliver. Do you want me to get worse?"

"Well then why don't you see Madam Pompfrey? This could be because of that potion Malfoy."

"No, these aren't the right symptoms," she answered. "I feel like I've hit a brick wall, not that I have a simple cold or flu."

"You aren't going to come, are you?"

"No, I'm sorry." She felt bad. Oliver wanted her to go so bad.

"I'm sorry I forced the subject. I'll get you something to make you feel better." He smiled at her and touched her hand.

"OooooooooooOOOOoooo," Fred and George mocked.

"Come off it," Oliver yelled back at them. Ruby smiled alittle then went into a coughing fit.

They all left for Hogsmeade, leaving Ruby plenty of time to go to the Library. Sure she was sick, but she had potion O.W.L.S. to study for. On her way she ran into Harry.

"Where are you going," He asked her.

"Library."

"Oh." He seemed a little more edge, then Ruby noticed him gripping some parchment.

"What's that?"

"What you going to yell at me for sneaking around?"

"Harry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. You know I only do that when I'm really stressed."

He sighed, "Yeah I know. Try to make someone else the brunt of your fury next time ok?"

"No Problem." She turned a left for the library.

On the way she kept feeling dizzy. Snap out of it. You have to study! She felt like Hermione for a moment. Just for a little while, then you can go and get some sleep.

"Ah, Miss Kennedy, how are you feeling," asked Miss Pince, the Librarian.

"As well as I can be," Ruby sighed.

"Well, happy studying, you'll have the library pretty much to yourself."

"Thanks." She went over to the potion section and started picking out books and reading. She had remembered most of them from her research for the potion that cured her of the Scherzo Curse last year. She couldn't believe how many of the books she had been through. She only studied about two hours. She knew most of what the books contained, and she needed to rest.

"That all for today," Miss Pince said.

"Yeah, I believe." the dizziness over took her again.

"Are you all right, Miss Kennedy?"

"Just a little dizzy." And with that she fell to the floor completely knocked out.

Ruby woke later that night in the infirmary.

"Glad to see you up, Miss Kennedy," Pomfrey said. She checked Ruby over then said, "You should have come sooner. The poison is in your system."

"You said cold and flu symptoms. I felt like I had mono or something!"

"Don't excite yourself. Professor Snape will be in shortly with an antidote."

Ruby sat up slightly, though her body wanted to force her back down.

"Do you feel like food?"

"Not really." She answered. She was hungry, but the thought of food made her stomach turn. Snape came in with a glass of the antidote and sat beside Ruby's bed.

"You have to drink this now." Ruby took the glass from him and drank. Her stomach was not to happy with her, and started doing sommersalts. She knew she had to keep it down. "Breath through your nose," Snape said. "It will help you keep it down."

"Thank you, Professor," she finally got out.

"Do not thank me. I should have noticed the problem." He got up. "You will probably be in bed for most of the next term. The poison has gotten very far into your system. I'll be back tomorrow with more potion. Rest now."

Ruby slouched down with the weight of her sentence. She then noticed Professor Snape still at the doorway looking at her. He seemed more distant then usually, and in the gray of the infirmary, she felt as is she was gazing at the face of the moon. He turned quickly and left. Ruby had a restless night sleep.

*Short chapter I know. It needed to be so that I could segue into the next chapters better.