Dreamless Sleep

Chapter Fifteen

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, and you should all be aware of that by now.

"WHY do you have to leave?" Virginia was sitting up on the bed, looking up at Severus. He was straightening the collar of his black traveling cloak, and trying not to look at her teary eyes.

"I'll only be gone for tonight. I have to get these ingredients for next week's potions class. Don't ask me if I could get them next week, because you know it has to be prepared." He gave up on trying to look away; he could tell by her voice that she was going to cry.

"Stop that. You know that if you cry I won't go. If I don't go I'll get in trouble, is that what you want?"

"No….But do you really have to skip dinner to get there on time?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, I'll be back tomorrow morning, and if you promise not to cry I'll see if I can get you something. How does that sound?" He shoved the bag full of galleons needed to buy the products deep into the pocket of his robes.

"Alright…Come back as soon as you can. Okay?" She sniffled, trying not to cry while he was still there.

"I promise I will." Without even thinking about what he was doing, Severus bent down and kissed her cheek. "See you tomorrow."

He then turned and made one of his impressive exits; his cloak billowing out behind him.

Virginia lifted a hand to her cheek, staring after him open mouthed, gaping like a fish out of water.

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Virginia made it to the Great Hall for dinner without running into anyone. That was a relief, because if anyone saw her, she'd have to explain what she was doing in the dungeons.

"Ginny! Why haven't you been in your dorm or at dinner with everyone? Is everything okay?" asked one of the various "gorgeous" Gryffindor girls.

"I'm fine." Virginia tried not to wince at the childish name that she was still called.

"Gin? Where have you been?" she began to mentally curse the girl for drawing attention to her.

"No where, Ron. Can't I eat dinner in peace?" she took the nearest empty seat. It was just her bad luck that it was next to Harry. She frowned, but said nothing. She didn't move either, that would have started up rumors. Heck, just about everything she did started up rumors.

"Don't lie to me, Ginny. We know where you've been. And just so you know, we owled Mum. You're gonna get it when we go home for the holidays." Ron looked smug, Hermione stared at her food, and Harry glanced over at Virginia to see her reaction.

"You really should learn to mind your own business, Ron." Virginia just poked at the mashed potatoes on her plate with a fork, having suddenly lost her appetite.

"You were sleeping in the same room with a man old enough to be your father. Have you no shame?" Hermione just had to add to the conversation.

"We were in the same bed, too. What do you have to say about that?"

The others around them turned to stare. They were all listening to begin with, they just didn't turn to look. Everyone in Gryffindor knew what was going on, because they had all been witness to Ron's ranting about his little sister's whereabouts.

(They had all been threatened, so none of the other houses know, and neither do the teachers.)

"You did WHAT?!?!?!"

"That's right. Did you stop to think that we didn't DO anything? Unlike some people, he has a heart, and wouldn't TRY to hurt me." She said giving Harry, Hermione, and Ron pointed looks.

"What do you mean Ginny? Has anyone been messing with you?" Ron, oblivious as always, didn't quite get it.

Virginia was trying to calm herself down before she caused even more of a scene. Then, some GENIUS bumped into her.

"Sorry, I didn't see you there."

She turned around in time to see a young looking Slytherin head to his own house's table.

"Ginny is there anything else you'd like to tell us?" asked Harry, looking concerned, He always looked concerned, so she ignored the expression.

"No. Let me eat in peace." Then she turned her head to her plate and shoved some potatoes in her mouth. Even though Ron was wonderful to have around if you were going on a diet, she wasn't about to let him know that he could destroy anyone's appetite for anything.

"Ginny, you have to stop seeing him. Think of your reputation!!" Hermione looked so serious Virginia couldn't help but cut her down to size.

"I would 'see' him in Potions class anyway, and since when do I have a reputation?"

"Since you started…started sleeping around!" cried Ron, now all of the other house tables, and the teachers at the Head Table were staring at them curiously.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Ron. I haven't been sleeping around."

Virginia was beginning to feel a little nauseous. She stood from the table, not bothering to inform anyone of where she was going. She stopped about half way to the double doors. The room was spinning. Virginia was no Medi-witch, but she knew that spinning rooms were never a good sign.

*THUD* For the second time in her life, Virginia Weasely met the Hogwart's floor face first.

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'It's hot. Why is it so hot?'

Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall were standing over a bed in the hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey was leaning over the bed's occupant. Virginia had been taken to the Hospital Wing without her knowledge again. She was covered in sweat and crying.

"I'm not sure of exactly what it was, but a potion definitely caused this." Pomfrey straightened her back and looked the Headmaster in the eye.

Silently, she was congratulating whoever had done this to her. This would show those Deatheaters….

"If Severus was here he could tell what it was, but since he will be out of the castle until tomorrow morning, I fear we will just have to wait." Dumbledore sighed softly, and then asked McGonagall if the girl's family had been notified of her condition.

"I didn't think it wise to tell them. You saw what happened when we called them to the school before."

"They must be told. I shall go myself. Stay here with the girl and find me if her condition worsens." Dumbledore spared the small form on the bed one last glance, before turning to leave.

"Professor!" a boy he recognized as a third year Slytherin, John Ackley, slammed into him. The boy was obviously upset, and Dumbledore couldn't bear to let the boy suffer through whatever it was alone.

"What's the matter, John?" he asked gently, bending down to be on his level.

"I did it." The boy, rather small for his age, looked up fearfully.

"You did what?" Dumbledore had a grim idea of

what the student was about to reveal.

"I did that to her." He pointed at Virginia, who was shaking with cold even though she had a high fever.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know that would happen! Pansy said that-"

"Pansy Parkinson?" Dumbledore frowned at him, only scaring him more.

"Uh-huh." The boy sniffled, reaching up to wipe at his runny eyes with his sleeve.

"It's alright, John. Go back to your common room and don't tell anyone about what you just said, alright? I'll come get you when Professor Snape arrives tomorrow."

"Okay…" the boy wiped his eyes again and headed out the door.

Dumbledore turned back again to look at McGonagall and Pomfrey. "It appears there was more to this than we thought. I shall contact Severus before I try to reason with her family."

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Dumbledore and John stood just inside the school's front doors, waiting for Severus to return. The Headmaster hadn't informed Severus what was the matter, only that he should hurry back.

The heavy wooden doors slammed open, and Severus hurried up to Dumbledore. He barely spared the boy a glance before asking what had happened.

"John slipped a potion into a Gryffindor student's food, and she is currently suffering in the Hospital Wing because of his actions." The night's 'festivities' were wearing on Dumbledore, he actually looked his age.

"Who was it?" asked Severus, already plotting the boy's punishment.

"Miss Weasely."

Severus looked up, wide eyed. He was sure that he heard wrong, he must have been talking about the Weasely boy, not his Virginia.

Severus shoved past them both and ran to the Hospital Wing. He arrived there momentarily, and when he reached the bed that Pomfrey was still standing over, he saw that the Headmaster's words were indeed true. HIS Virginia was suffering.