Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only Raven and her family and background. And this story. Yeah.
Summary: This is a girl's quest to find out just why she was placed in a house with people she hates. A witch, raised as a muggle, finds out about her family history. Unexpectedly, she is inducted into Slytherin House, and is doing everything in her power to find out why.
Chapter Notes: Ok...I sort of lied when I said Raven wouldn't be getting involved with the main characters too much. This chapter, especially, is proof of that. (But honestly, how could she not get involved with Draco? He's such a pain in the arse.) This was one of my most anticipated chapters to write. But I hope you guys all like it...This is when things really start getting interesting...
So, if you have any questions, comments or ideas, please feel free to tell me. I'll try to accommodate as best I can. (I really like ideas... :)
Please review; I'd really like some constructive criticism! Try not to flame; constructive criticism is by far more helpful in a world of hate. (Ok, that sounded a little cheesy, but I meant it.)
Secret Friends
I stayed in the hospital wing until Monday morning, when classes started again. When I was around the other Slytherins, I used all of my internal strength and acted as if I was all I had had was a mild cold. I avoided Draco like the plague, but he kept his distance from me as well.
While I was in the infirmary, Blaise and Theo had tried to visit, but thankfully Madam Pomfrey shooed them away, claiming that I needed my rest. Pansy was at least thoughtful enough to bring me my homework and a fresh set of clothes, although I secretly suspect she was doing it to try and save me the embarrassment of an overly-eager-to-help Blaise going through my things. Nice girl, really, when you weren't on her bad side. Hopefully, things would stay that way.
My time in the hospital wing was spent mainly lying there, staring at the various parts of the room, thinking about what had happened between Draco and I, and what I had learned. I had spent a fair share of it crying as well, but whenever Madam Pomfrey asked about it, I shook my head. She really was a sweet lady, Madam Pomfrey, but for some reason, I remembered what Draco had said before he left me that night, and I kept the knowledge of what really happened to my family between us. I can't tell anybody. Not a soul.
But I broke that promise, less than a week later.
A few nights had gone by since I had gotten back from the hospital, but I was still having problems sleeping. I would finish all of my homework, and then lie there for hours, staring up into the darkness of the room. I tried reading, I tried writing to Hermione, I tried pacing...I even tried to see if playing the piano might help. But nothing did. I couldn't sit at the piano for more than a few minutes, until, without even playing anything, I had to leave. I thought I was going to be sick every time I thought about that night.
The Thursday after, I believe, I finally ventured out into the school. I figured if I stuck to the obscure passageways of the dungeons, maybe no one would find me. How wrong I was.
I was just turning a corner when I bumped into something warm and quite solid. But there was nothing there.
"Who's there?" I whispered. I tentatively reached forward, to see if whatever it was, was still there. There was nothing but air. Puzzled, I kept walking down the corridor, darting my eyes around, just in case they weren't just fooling me.
I was about ten feet from the next corridor when I heard footsteps coming towards me from around the corner. Looking around wildly, I searched for some means of hiding myself. There was nothing. Quite suddenly though, I felt an invisible hand slip over my mouth and another around my waist, pulling me back against a warm body. I struggled for a moment, afraid it was Draco again, but heard a silent whisper in my ear.
"Shh...I'm not going to hurt you." Then my mouth was released, and I felt a light silky fabric cover me from head to toe. I could now see my invisible saviour. It was Harry Potter.
Relief spread through me as he held me close to him underneath the invisibility cloth. I wasn't even sure I wanted to know what Harry was doing wandering around the dungeons in the middle of the night. But when Filch came around the corner the next minute, I didn't care. I was just glad that he was there.
Filch turned the corner, with a scowl on his face that rivalled most. He stopped about three feet away from Harry and I, scanning the corridor. Harry and I held our breath. Then Filch sighed. "I wish Mrs. Norris were here," he said, full of sorrow. Then he moved along, down the corridor and around the corner.
Harry and I both let our breath out at the same time, making a whoosh sound. I pulled away a little. "Harry?" I whispered.
He nodded. "Raven." Then he smiled. "Let's not talk here. Is there a classroom or broom cupboard nearby?"
I nodded. "This way." Then I led him by the hand, around the corner and into a small, unused broom closet. Harry took the invisibility cloth off of us, casting a silencing bubble charm around the room. I cast a lumos spell on my wand, so we could see. Then I looked at the invisibility cloth in wonder. "Did you enchant it?" I asked, fingering the silky fabric.
Harry shook his head, grinning. "I wish. No, it was my father's invisibility cloak. They're really rare."
"Wow." I took a large breath. "Oh, goodness Harry, I really can't thank you enough. I don't know what Filch would have done to me..."
"It's alright. But I'm wondering what you're doing walking around the dungeons in the middle of the night. Especially without anything to hide yourself with, and with a monster on the loose."
I frowned, looking at the ground. "Honestly...I didn't think about the monster...or that anyone would be patrolling these parts of the dungeons. I've...just been having a hard time sleeping..."
"Why's that?"
I bit my lower lip. "I...my...I..." I stuttered.
"It's alright. You don't have to tell me."
"No! I...I want to! But...I'm not sure how to start..." I fiddled with my wand, the light dancing around the small room, casting angry shadows. Harry sat down against a wall, his knees drawn up and his arms crossed over them, waiting patiently.
"I'm not going anywhere." He said. I finally sat down right in front of him, crossing my legs, placing my wand in between us.
"How...how much has Hermione told you about me? I know that you know she's offered her friendship to me."
Harry shrugged. "Not a whole lot, other than you're really nice and don't belong in Slytherin, but that you're pretty much stuck there."
I nodded. "Mum and Dumbledore told me the same thing," I sighed. "Well, I suppose I haven't really told Hermione all that much about myself, for her to be able to tell you anything."
"She hasn't mentioned any more letters from you other than the first one."
"Yeah...I meant to write back to her...but...life suddenly got so complicated."
"I know what you mean. But she knows that you're grateful. She's a really understanding person, Hermione."
I nodded. I just hope she's understanding enough to stick by me when she finds out what happened to my family. It'll be even more dangerous, being my friend.
I took a deep breath. "I heard...I heard that Voldemort killed your parents."
Harry's face fell. "Yeah. He did."
"Most of my family's dead too." I didn't know what was wrong with me, but words just kept tumbling out of my mouth. It was like I could tell him anything.
"Really?"
"Yeah, except Mum. She's the only one left, besides me."
"I'm sorry to hear that. How did they die?"
Tears sprung up in my eyes. It seemed like I was always crying these days. "My father was...my father was killed. B-Because he was...a-a Mudblood." My breath shuddered, as I tried to rein my tears in.
Harry was silent for a moment. "It was Voldemort, wasn't it?" he asked quietly, and I nodded.
"Did you know...that I was raised as if I were a muggle...like you were?" I asked Harry.
He shook his head. "No, I didn't."
"My mum hid after Daddy was killed. I wasn't even born yet. She was a pureblood witch, and she had to raise me like a muggle, to protect me. All because of Voldemort. Even Daddy's parents died because of Voldemort. Mum's dad died too. Then Grandma had a heart attack and died. They all left her. My mum. She was left all alone with me in the muggle world because of Voldemort." The tears kept streaming down my face. I couldn't control it any longer, I started sobbing. "I never knew about any of this; being a witch, how daddy died...none of it, until this year."
Harry studied me a moment before placing a hand on my shoulder. "I know exactly how you feel. I never knew my parents, either. I had to live with my aunt and uncle, who hate magic. My Aunt Petunia was my mum's sister. She always hated my mum, and me, but never told me why. I never knew about any of this either, until last year."
I sat there, wiping my eyes and sniffling. "You don't know how long I've been wanting to talk to you, Harry."
"To me?"
I nodded. "I saw you in Diagon Alley, that day you ran into Malfoy. I heard what you said to his father about your parents, and I knew I wanted to be in your house, to be friends with you, to talk to you about our parents. I needed someone to talk to. Mum has a hard time, talking about it."
I could see his eyes as he searched for the day I was talking about. They were so expressive, his eyes. And so green, just like mine. I realized then, just how much we looked alike.
"Raven..." he started.
"Yeah?"
"Can I tell you something that might sound a little odd?"
"Of course you can."
Harry took a deep breath. "Ever since Hermione told me and Ron about you...I've been thinking. I mean, I've been a little preoccupied with the attacks...but when I see you around school, I feel like I need to help you. I know I warned Hermione about being your friend, but I just can't help feeling like you should have more than that. More than just a letter every now and then. I can't imagine life without seeing or talking to Ron and Hermione. They're my best friends." He sighed, playing with the hem on his shirt. "And I want you to have the same, even if the whole school doesn't know it."
That's so sweet. "I'd like that a lot, Harry. I'd really like to be your friend." I smiled at him.
He smiled back. "I'd really like to be your friend too."
"I..." I started. I looked down at my hands, twisting them in my lap. Harry lifted my chin.
"It's ok. Whatever it is, I'm here." Hearing that, I felt so much better than the news I was preparing to tell him.
I tried again. "As your friend, I don't want to keep any secrets from you. So I want to tell you that I found out who actually killed my father."
Harry's eyes narrowed. "Who?"
"Lucius Malfoy."
Harry was silent for a long moment. "How..." he swallowed. "How did you find out?"
"Draco." Harry scowled. "He wrote to his father a week after I got here. He's actually known for a while...since the first Quidditch match. But he only told me Friday night. I read the letter myself."
"That bastard." He shook his head, an unbecoming snarl on his face. Then he looked up at me, a wild look in his eyes. "Do you have it? The letter? Something like that could put Lucius Malfoy away for...forever!"
I shook my head. "No, I don't have it. I was kind of...distracted, I guess, by the news, so when Draco took the letter and burned it, I didn't think to stop him. He told me that it would stay between us, for now."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "It seems rather odd that he would keep something like that a secret."
"I think so too. I don't trust him. I never have. He even told me that he was sorry, and I suppose he seemed to mean it, but it was so unlike him, that I really can't believe him. He was calling me a Mudblood, boasting about his father the whole time. And then I read the letter." I laughed a bit. "After that, I beat the crap out of him."
Harry smiled. "You did?"
I shrugged. "Not really. I just jumped on him and started punching, but I was so upset that I didn't get very far. He left me lying there, on the common room floor, and then feigned ignorance when everyone found me the next morning. He even had the nerve to suggest that I was sick, then escorted me to the infirmary, where I stayed all weekend." I paused. "That was when he told me that he was sorry for what his father did to my family. He really seemed different then. His eyes...they were a strange colour, not their usual grey."
"You noticed that about him?"
I shrugged. "I'm a pretty observant person. That's how I've always been. I observe people, rather than talk with them. I've never had that many friends. And now I only have you and Hermione."
"And I'm sure Ron will be your friend too, when he gets to know you."
"Really?" He nodded, smiling. I smiled back. I felt so much better, telling someone that I knew would understand. I think I fell in love with Harry, right then. "So Harry, tell me, why were you walking around the dungeons in the middle of the night?"
He looked a little embarrassed. "Well...er...I was trying to find the Slytherin dungeons, truthfully."
I looked puzzled. "What for?"
"You promise not to tell anyone?"
"Of course."
"Hermione, Ron and I...we're trying to find out if Malfoy is the Heir of Slytherin."
"And how do you plan on doing that, exactly?"
"Using Polyjuice Potion to turn into Crabbe, Goyle, and a Slytherin girl. Then interrogating Malfoy to find out if it's him."
"Polyjuice Potion?"
"Yeah, it turns the drinker into whoever you add to it. It won't be ready until almost Christmas, though. It takes a month, at least, to make."
"I see..." I looked sceptical.
"I know...not one of the best plans." He conceded.
"Well, I can tell you already that it isn't Malfoy."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because I asked him, right after Mrs. Norris was attacked. He seemed insulted that I would suggest such a thing, but almost mad that he didn't think of it himself."
"You can't trust anything he says, Raven."
"I know. So that's why I'm going to help you. A little, anyways."
"Help me?"
"Yeah. I'll show you where the entrance to our common room is. But I'm not sure what the password will be by then, so that's really all I can do for you."
"I understand. I can't imagine what it must be like, living in Slytherin House. I really can't ask anything thing else of you."
"You didn't ask, I offered. Besides, it's not so bad, living in Slytherin, if you have friends."
"Like who?"
"Like Blaise. And Theo and Pansy."
"Theo?"
"Yeah, Theodore Nott's nickname." Harry nodded.
"So they've all been nice to you?"
"Yeah, for the most part. Blaise especially."
"He seems to like you a lot." Harry said quietly, looking at the floor between us.
"Yeah...he does, doesn't he?"
"Do you like him?"
"You mean as more than a friend?" Harry nodded. "I think he's cute...but I haven't really thought about it, I guess. He seems to make me blush a lot though."
"You're probably really pretty when you blush," Harry said, then slapped a hand over his mouth, looking more embarrassed than I had ever seen someone. "I said that out loud, didn't I?" He looked apologetic.
Blushing, I nodded. "It's alright. I think...that maybe...we just feel really comfortable around each other? Do you know what I mean?"
He nodded. "Yeah. It's a strange feeling. I feel like I can tell you anything." He scratched his ear. "Like that I was right."
"About what?"
"That you're really pretty when you blush." He said embarrassedly.
Blushing harder I'm sure, I mumbled a 'thanks' and said, "I wonder, have you noticed yet how much we look alike?"
Harry thought about it. "A little. I mean, that one day I bumped into you...I just remember thinking that looking at you was like looking in a mirror. Especially your eyes."
"I felt exactly the same way!"
"Really?" I nodded. Harry shook his head. "It really is a wonder that you were put in Slytherin, Raven."
"I know. I wonder about it all the time. Especially considering who killed my father." He nodded.
"I've never told anyone this..." Harry started, "but I was almost put in Slytherin."
I stared at him. "You're kidding!"
"Nope. The Sorting Hat wanted to put me in Slytherin, but decided on Gryffindor instead."
"Wow...I wonder why?"
Harry shrugged. "I don't know."
"Well, I think Gryffindor suits you better, Harry."
"Thanks." He said, ruffling his already messy hair. His scar came into view.
"Harry?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I...Can I touch your scar?"
Harry looked at me intently for a moment. "Yes." He answered.
I got up on my knees to get closer to him. Placing my right hand on his arm to steady myself, I slowly reached forward with my left hand, leaning nearer to him. My fingertips touched his forehead, and Harry closed his eyes, relaxing. I traced the lightning-shaped scar, and when Harry opened his eyes, our gazes locked. I felt a jolt run through me and I jerked back, Harry doing the same, banging his head on the wall.
"Ow!" He exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head.
"What was that?" I asked, bewildered.
Harry shook his head. "I have no idea. I just felt..."
"Linking...?" I whispered to myself, thinking hard about the feeling, and lightly rubbing my forehead above my right eyebrow.
"Something like that. I've never felt that from my scar before." He rubbed at his scar a little. "All it's ever done is itch and burn when Voldemort is nearby."
"What do you mean?" I asked, panicked.
"Voldemort was living off of our Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Quirrell, last year. Like...a symbiotic organism or something...is that what they're called?" he asked.
"Yeah, something like that." I paused. "So he's not dead?"
"Voldemort?" Harry asked. I nodded. "No." He said resignedly. "Almost though." He glanced at his watch. "Oh wow. We've been talking for over an hour. We should really get to bed."
I yawned. "Yes, I suppose we should." We both stood, stretching, and then covered ourselves in the invisibility cloak. Harry nullified the silencing charm, while I whispered nox to cancel the light spell. I saw a dot dance around my vision for a minute, and then Harry opened the door slowly, flooding torchlight into the small room. Looking around for anyone patrolling, we walked out into the hallway.
I took Harry's hand in mine, and led him towards the Slytherin dungeons. I felt so elated that Harry and I had talked, became friends...and shared so many things in common. It was so strange...it felt like we were meant to know each other. But I didn't really want Hermione or Ron to know about it. Not yet. He would be my secret friend.
Once we reached the entrance to the dungeons, I turned to Harry. "This is the wall that will lead you to our common room. You should be able to get back to the entrance hall if you go down that corridor, turn right, then left and up the stairs. The passage down to this corridor is kind of obscure, I know I've passed by it a few times, so I hope you find it again." I whispered to him.
He nodded, "Thanks, Raven."
"No problem." I hesitated for a moment. "Harry?"
"Yeah?"
"Will you...can we be...secret friends?" I looked at him hopefully.
"Secret friends?" I nodded and he smiled. "I don't see why not. I'd like that. I won't tell Ron or Hermione. Not until you want to." I smiled.
"Thank you, Harry. For all that you've done."
"I don't mind."
Before he even had time to blink, I reached up and kissed him on the cheek. "Goodnight, Harry."
Dazed, he said, "'Night." And then I left the safety of the invisibility cloak and opened the entrance to my common room. I quickly went inside, casting a quick glance out into the hall, but saw nothing. Moving inside, I went straight to bed, where I promptly fell to sleep. It was the best I had slept all week.
SmileyFace3, Vanderleigh, dalas-free4all, and Tigerfanfrv: Thanks for reviewing you guys! Please, keep reading!
PinkKangaroo: Thanks for all your comments! And yep, I live in Seattle now...maybe we should hook up. And yes, I suppose Draco is actually capable of caring...sometimes. :)
PurpleHaze: Thank you for loving my story. I think you've reviewed more than anybody! And yes...I know her perspective on things is a little older...but you'll find out why later. Also...I'm a twenty-one year old trying to think like an eleven year old...not exactly the easiest thing. Although...I was pretty mature growing up...oh well. Thanks for reading! And I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Tabari Avaren: To be completely honest, I'm surprised you noticed something like that or took the time to look into that. I'm working off of the information I've found on J.K. Rowling's site and the books, and I've never seen any mention of any particular time period. And I believe I used the date from when the first book was published, which was 1997. Anyway, I hope that doesn't deter you from reading the rest of my story.
Anakah: You know...you've actually given me an idea about Raven's family history...yay! I like getting ideas. I'm glad you think so highly of my story! I live off of ideas...it's those little things that fill in the holes in my story...I have most of everything laid out...but there's long stretches of time I don't know what to do with. Like how exactly to round off Raven's first year at Hogwarts...
Thanks everyone for reading! Please review!
