Chapter twelve
Disclaimer on opening note
Ruby looked somewhat like a mummy with the cold clothes on. She was surprised at how cold they were; as if they had been soaking in ice for ages, but yet they were always dry, so they could be wrapped around her clothes. Madam Pompfrey and Ruby changed them twice a day, in the morning and evening. Her fever only receded by tenths, she ate less then what she had before, and keeping the potion down took more effort.
To make things worse, she wasn't allowed to have any visitors. It was always quiet. It made her paranoid and have nightmares. But then she would think about the nightmares and wonder if they were really figments of her imagination. One night the nightmares came to a pinnacle.
She was in front of the practice mirrors at the dance studio in Hawaii. She was working at the bar when some one appeared in the mirror.
"Filthy little mudblood," the first image, one of Malfoy, said. She just turned away, continuing her practice when a vision of Hermione came up on her.
"Stop bothering me! You know I have enough problems going on without you being sick!"
"What are you talking about," Ruby asked her.
"You never come to support the Quidditch team," said Oliver.
"That never bothered you before? You should have just told me."
"But that's just it," said Harry, "I tell, and tell, it's not my fault if you're the last one to hear the story."
Ruby was confused. She understood Malfoy's comment, but why was everyone else mad at her.
"Now they won't even let me visit you. I wish you'd die," yelled Ginny.
"But, but."
Snape then appeared. "It appears that you don't have all the answers after all, Miss Kennedy."
"Stop it. I never said I did." She collapsed on the ground and felt them all around her.
Then her parents, her real parents, were there. "Why can't you be a normal child," yelled her mom. "People look at you funny. You make us the laughing stock of the neighborhood."
Ruby was now curled into a ball on the ground, shaking.
"You're not a wizard," yelled Ron.
"You're not our child," yelled her parents.
"Please, stop," she whimpered. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Tom Riddle crouched down by her.
"It hurts, doesn't it?"
"You did this. Make them stop."
"You really want me to?"
"Yes," she whispered hoping he'd let her wake up. Instead he pulled out his wand and pointed it first at her parents.
"Avada Kadarva." Ruby screamed. That wasn't it. One by one he killed them while she watched. Ruby's scream was blood curdling, yet no one seemed to hear her. She grabbed on to his robes, pulling and tugging at them for him to notice.
"Shush, it's ok."
"No, don't let them die."
"Let who die?" Ruby had not noticed that the voice had changed. It was no longer Tom's voice, but Snape's. Her eyes flashed open, her wrapped hands were clutching Snape's robes. She didn't let go when she woke up.
"It's you," she said as she fell against him. He quickly pushed her away, but her hands still clutched his robes.
"What on earth is wrong."
"You're not dead," she heaved.
"I should say not. It was only a dream."
"Lately I've been having a hard time figuring the difference between dreams and reality."
"You need to drink this." She nodded and finally let go to take the potion. When she had finished it, Snape got up to leave.
"No," she yelled.
"What," he snapped.
"Please, please don't leave yet," she pleaded. He sighed. "Please, I need someone here."
"Madam Pompfrey."
"No," there was a look of terror in her eyes, "I mean here, really here."
"Why me?"
"Because you are here now." He didn't seem thrilled with the idea. "Just until I'm really asleep."
"Fine." He sat in the chair next to her bed.
"Thank you," she said with some relief. They were silent for a while. She really didn't care at the moment.
"Who died," Snape finally asked.
She looked at him and took in a sharp breath. "Everyone." He just nodded and silence resumed until Madam Pompfrey came to take Ruby's temperature and change the cold clothes before bed.
"Professor, I must ask you to.," Madam Pompfrey began.
"He is only staying to make sure I get to sleep tonight." Madam Pompfrey nodded and left.
Ruby turned on her side and closed her eyes. She started muttering to herself. Snape thought her to be asleep and started to get up. "I'm not asleep. I'm asleep when I'm not muttering." He huffed and sat back down. She brushed his hand and whispered, "Thank you." She feel asleep soon after and did not dream a thing.
Ruby looked somewhat like a mummy with the cold clothes on. She was surprised at how cold they were; as if they had been soaking in ice for ages, but yet they were always dry, so they could be wrapped around her clothes. Madam Pompfrey and Ruby changed them twice a day, in the morning and evening. Her fever only receded by tenths, she ate less then what she had before, and keeping the potion down took more effort.
To make things worse, she wasn't allowed to have any visitors. It was always quiet. It made her paranoid and have nightmares. But then she would think about the nightmares and wonder if they were really figments of her imagination. One night the nightmares came to a pinnacle.
She was in front of the practice mirrors at the dance studio in Hawaii. She was working at the bar when some one appeared in the mirror.
"Filthy little mudblood," the first image, one of Malfoy, said. She just turned away, continuing her practice when a vision of Hermione came up on her.
"Stop bothering me! You know I have enough problems going on without you being sick!"
"What are you talking about," Ruby asked her.
"You never come to support the Quidditch team," said Oliver.
"That never bothered you before? You should have just told me."
"But that's just it," said Harry, "I tell, and tell, it's not my fault if you're the last one to hear the story."
Ruby was confused. She understood Malfoy's comment, but why was everyone else mad at her.
"Now they won't even let me visit you. I wish you'd die," yelled Ginny.
"But, but."
Snape then appeared. "It appears that you don't have all the answers after all, Miss Kennedy."
"Stop it. I never said I did." She collapsed on the ground and felt them all around her.
Then her parents, her real parents, were there. "Why can't you be a normal child," yelled her mom. "People look at you funny. You make us the laughing stock of the neighborhood."
Ruby was now curled into a ball on the ground, shaking.
"You're not a wizard," yelled Ron.
"You're not our child," yelled her parents.
"Please, stop," she whimpered. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Tom Riddle crouched down by her.
"It hurts, doesn't it?"
"You did this. Make them stop."
"You really want me to?"
"Yes," she whispered hoping he'd let her wake up. Instead he pulled out his wand and pointed it first at her parents.
"Avada Kadarva." Ruby screamed. That wasn't it. One by one he killed them while she watched. Ruby's scream was blood curdling, yet no one seemed to hear her. She grabbed on to his robes, pulling and tugging at them for him to notice.
"Shush, it's ok."
"No, don't let them die."
"Let who die?" Ruby had not noticed that the voice had changed. It was no longer Tom's voice, but Snape's. Her eyes flashed open, her wrapped hands were clutching Snape's robes. She didn't let go when she woke up.
"It's you," she said as she fell against him. He quickly pushed her away, but her hands still clutched his robes.
"What on earth is wrong."
"You're not dead," she heaved.
"I should say not. It was only a dream."
"Lately I've been having a hard time figuring the difference between dreams and reality."
"You need to drink this." She nodded and finally let go to take the potion. When she had finished it, Snape got up to leave.
"No," she yelled.
"What," he snapped.
"Please, please don't leave yet," she pleaded. He sighed. "Please, I need someone here."
"Madam Pompfrey."
"No," there was a look of terror in her eyes, "I mean here, really here."
"Why me?"
"Because you are here now." He didn't seem thrilled with the idea. "Just until I'm really asleep."
"Fine." He sat in the chair next to her bed.
"Thank you," she said with some relief. They were silent for a while. She really didn't care at the moment.
"Who died," Snape finally asked.
She looked at him and took in a sharp breath. "Everyone." He just nodded and silence resumed until Madam Pompfrey came to take Ruby's temperature and change the cold clothes before bed.
"Professor, I must ask you to.," Madam Pompfrey began.
"He is only staying to make sure I get to sleep tonight." Madam Pompfrey nodded and left.
Ruby turned on her side and closed her eyes. She started muttering to herself. Snape thought her to be asleep and started to get up. "I'm not asleep. I'm asleep when I'm not muttering." He huffed and sat back down. She brushed his hand and whispered, "Thank you." She feel asleep soon after and did not dream a thing.
