A pair of emerald green eyes were the first thing that faded into existence as Raven opened her eyes.
"You're awake! Oh my god, I thought you'd given up on me!"
Raven blinked groggily, squinting her eyes at the light. "Too much effort. Sleep."
"No! You have to take your potion. Snape made you some up, thought it might help you recover quicker."
Raven moved slowly to sit up, but her arms wouldn't support her weight. Harry hurried forward and helped her to support herself, rearranging the pillows to make it as comfortable as possible. He reached to her bedside table, picked up the goblet of potion and helped to pour it into her mouth. She swallowed the entire contents and let out a relieved sigh before collapsing again. The students sat in silence, neither knowing what to say, when voices drifted into the side room from the office, and both stayed perfectly still in an attempt to overhear.
"..Think she shifted again, marks are on her back. Also appears to have been attacked, a couple of broken bones. Nothing her body can't handle, although I'm surprised she managed to walk up to her dorm on her own. I'm more worried about the cuts on her arms though, I can't heal the magically so they must be self-inflicted. What sort of person deliberately cuts themselves Albus?"
Raven glanced at Harry, and saw that he had edged towards the door, listening intently to the same conversation.
"What can we do to help her then, Poppy? We failed last time, and look what happened then."
"Headmaster, I think she needs to do it herself, she's the only one who can."
"So you suggest abandoning her to her own devices again? It's a good job she has Miss Granger as a friend or I think she wouldn't be here. Maybe that's the key. I know Lily tried, but Gabriella wouldn't let her in. Hmm… I will speak to you later Poppy, I must go to dinner."
The silver haired Headmaster turned and left the office. Harry, in an attempt to look like he had not been eavesdropping, walked out of Raven's room fixing a false smile on his face.
"Ah, Mr Potter. Poppy tells me you've been here for the past two days and refused to leave on many an occasion. She tells me Gabriella is going to be fine physically, but I must ask you not to leave her alone for any considerable amount of time. As you can imagine we are concerned about her."
"Yes Sir, I'll keep an eye out." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, and as he left Harry went back in to talk to Raven. "What the hell was that all about?"
"Ssh, I don't want them to know I overheard that! I don't appreciate being talked about when I'm not there. Come on; play along! Act like I just woke up!"
Harry feigned a tone of shock, "Raven! Don't freak me out like that! I thought you were asleep! How you feeling?"
The girl glanced at the window, where the light was fading and a few stars were becoming visible.
"It's about breakfast time. I feel like feeding." She grinned at Harry's uncomfortable body language, baring her sharp canines. "Only kidding babes. I like you anyway, you're not food. Pass me that goblet anyway will you?" Harry passed her the pewter vessel, which had refilled itself magically.
"Oh ha, bloody ha Sev. Look, he's taking the piss with all these crosses. He is so going to pay for that." She smiled far too sweetly for it to be innocent, and downed the contents in one go. She passed the goblet back to Harry, who placed it on the table again, and took a deep breath, "Poppy! Can I go to dinner? I'm starving!" She bellowed so loudly Harry was sure she could be heard in Gryffindor tower. The matron hurried in and began fussing around, measuring things like pulse and temperature. It amused Harry to see that her body temperature was about 15 degrees lower than normal. The nurse stepped back and folded her arms.
"If I let you out, you're not to go pulling another stunt like that again! You had us all worried sick. However, maybe the best thing is to get some food. Come back tomorrow before class for a check up. If you don't I'll be locking you in that room for a week!"
Raven jumped out of bed, grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him out of the Hospital Wing and into the corridor.
"Come on Harry! Race you to the Great Hall!"
Harry sighed, there were so many things racing through his head. What was shifting? Was the Lily mentioned his mother? How had there been a 'last time' when she had only been at the school for a week? He looked up to see her already halfway down the corridor.
"Raven, wait! Don't pretend everything's ok when it obviously isn't."
"Stop being a hypocrite and I'll consider it. Actually, I think I'll just go to the dorm, I want music."
"Hey, how come you got let out so quickly anyway? I always get made to stay for days."
Raven flashed her trademark smile at him and winked. "I'm just good like that. She knows what I'm like when I don't want to be somewhere. It's not pretty."
She raced off again, leaving Harry talking to the empty corridor. "But how does she know? What the hell is going on around here?"
The next few weeks passed relatively uneventfully, unless you count Draco Malfoy being humiliated in the advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons. Obviously the ability to cast Unforgivable curses didn't qualify you as able to defend yourself, and the Slytherin prefect spent most of the class being revived after failing to block Hermione's stunning spells. This particular Saturday morning however, the castle was buzzing with activity. The first Hogsmeade weekend had caused excitement for all the students in third year and above. Raven had donned her usual Muggle clothing, while Harry, Ron and Hermione were dressed in their cloaks. The stares Raven had been receiving from the entire school after Malfoy's revelation were beginning to decrease in frequency, and snide remarks were no longer being hissed every time she walked down the corridor. To top it all off, Lavender Brown had been acting almost friendly, therefore Parvati Patil followed suit. Hermione still heard Raven tossing and turning in her sleep, but apparently the nightmares were becoming less intense. Hermione pondered this chain of events as the foursome made their way towards the school gates where Filch was checking the names of the students against a list of those with consent. Raven stepped up to him and said her name,
"Black, Black, Black… Your name isn't on the list, you don't have permission. Get back to the castle, and a detention I think." The caretaker was sneering maliciously as he said this, obviously taking great pleasure in making a student unhappy. Raven put her hand on top of the clipboard with the list on and pushed it down, causing Filch to make eye contact with her. This was obviously the effect she was aiming for.
"Argus, please use what little brain you have. How am I supposed to get a form signed by a parent or guardian when I simply don't have any? Surely you know how old I am, now stop being silly and let me past before you make me do something that is quite painful."
Filch stared for a second, a flash of fear in his eyes, before standing aside, his mouth hanging open. "Of… of course. I didn't recognise you. Go on."
Harry and Ron stared at each other in shock. Their new friend had many secrets, but after a late night meeting in a private room they had decided to not pry any further, Raven would tell them when she was ready. After all, sometimes the secrets had enjoyable outcomes, maybe things were on the up after all. It was a pleasant day, but unfortunately for Ron his parents had decided to have a day trip to the village. Raven delighted Mr Weasley by showing him a small junk shop down one of the back streets that sold Muggle items. This freed Ron and Hermione up to escape to Madam Puddifoots coffee shop. Raven picked up some scratched CDs that had obviously been owned by a wizard family who had no idea what to do with them. Her face lit up as she found one by a band called HIM that she had apparently not been able to find in the Muggle shops over the summer, and one by Killswitch Engage for an apparently bargain price. Harry rolled his eyes at the girl's love of music, especially seeing as if she ever played it in front of the Dursleys they would have a heart attack. For a second he wondered if she could come visit him over the summer holidays to break up the boredom. After finally dragging Mr Weasley away from the shop, they headed up to the Three Broomsticks. It was quite a chilly day and Harry was craving a Butterbeer to warm him up. Madam Rosmerta, the barmaid, greeted the party jovially, but seemed quite taken aback as soon as she saw Raven, who had been stood behind Mr Weasley. The student was embraced in a crushing hug and dragged to the bar for a glass of Ogden's Old Firewhiskey on the house. At some point Hagrid ambled in and sat at their table, taking up an entire side. Harry had no idea how it happened, but somehow Hagrid and Raven ended up having a drinking contest that was only stopped by the realisation that it was time to head back up to the school for dinner. Mrs Weasley tutted at Raven,
"Whatever would your mother say?" As soon as she had said the words she covered her mouth with her hands, "Oh Gabriella, I'm sorry. I totally forgot." Raven raised an eyebrow and grinned drunkenly,
"Don't sweat it Molly, I don't give a flying fuck about her. She dumped me. I hate her. I hate my stupid sister. Screw them, you're more like family than mine ever were. Except maybe Sirius. He was always nice to me."
Harry stopped walking. "You're related to Sirius? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Thought you knew. Sorry mate. Yeah, he's my second cousin or something. All purebloods are related, and my retarded mother would only marry another pureblood. My parents weren't exactly the nicest people, not that I knew them but I heard enough. I'm rambling now, I'll shut up. I'm pissed."
She stumbled on ahead, leaving Harry with his thoughts.
That evening, the Gryffindor common room was full of people showing off their purchases. Raven hadn't sobered up in the slightest, mostly due to the bottle of Firewhiskey she had bought from the pub. Now she was lying on her back on the rug infront of the fire, headphones in ears staring at the ceiling. The room started to empty, and when it was only Harry, Ron and Hermione left, she sat up suddenly,
"You know what? I need a joint." She pointed her wand in the vague direction of the staircase, "Accio tin! Don't look at me like that Hermione, it's not illegal, I checked." Hermione spent the entire time it took Raven to skin up explaining to Ron what she was doing. Raven sat on the window ledge and began to smoke. Hermione tutted and stormed off to the dorm, obviously annoyed by the blatant disrespect for the rules.
Harry awoke that night and for a split second wondered why, that is until the pain hit him. The white hot burning in his scar was on par with a cruciatus curse and he had to dig his fingers hard into his pillow to stop himself screaming and waking the whole dorm. As the agony slowly ebbed away he contemplated going back to sleep, but didn't feel the urge. Instead he pulled on his dressing gown and tatty slippers and headed down to the common room, thinking about catching up with some of the homework he was behind on. Maybe he would see Dobby cleaning and be able to get a pot of tea.
The fire was almost dead, just a few glowing embers remained, making the only source of light the steadily waxing moon that was casting its silvery glow through the window of the tower. Harry sighed, ran his fingers through his ever-messy hair and headed to his usual chair close to the fireplace. As he got closer a strange shape began to form on the hearth rug, obscured by the shadows. Edging towards it cautiously, the dark mass began to take a human shape and the pale moonlight glinted off something metallic, beckoning him even closer. It took a few dazed moments for him to realise what exactly he was seeing. The pieces slotted together and he suddenly became aware of a wetness seeping through the thin soles of his slippers. This snapped Harry out of his trance, he brushed aside an intense feeling of anger from somewhere in his stomach. In front of him was a body, the only visible identifying feature long hair. Gently he rolled the girl over and gasped.
AN: Well, thankyou so much to the reviewer who made me dig out my old papers and get typing again. Finally got round to updating, and no I haven't given up on this fic. Lets just say I've had lots going on, but everything's settling down again now. SI free almost 6 months! Go me.
If you guys are still liking it, drop me a review and let me know. Trust me, you wont have to wait so long for the next update!
If anyone wants to contact me directly its now and yes, Raven is still my baby :o)