Raven stood along the edge of the lake. She would have to talk to Severus soon, to tell him...'Tell him what? That I'm from twenty years in the future? That I know him as an adult?' No...she couldn't tell him that. Raven sighed, bending over to scoop up a handful of pebbles.
What could she tell him? Raven let a stone fly and watched as it landed in the water, ripples spread out from the center. She would have to leave eventually...Once Dumbledore and Slughorn figured out how to reverse the magic. Another stone went flying, landing with a splash. She would have to tell him something...about not being from here, but still be vague about it...and tell him that eventually she would have to leave again as well. Raven sighed, releasing another stone.
She did want to go back...to go home. Raven missed her friends, missed her foster father and mother, missed Uncle Remus...and missed Professor Snape. The stone flew far as it left her fingers, it's ripples wouldn't reach the shore. Raven was also fully aware by now what she would be leaving behind when she did go home, her heart ached. She had loved Professor Snape when she got here...Delighted in the fact that she got to see his younger self...even more so that she got to talk to him. Raven sighed...Another splash. Severus didn't run from her. She was quickly seeing, not only did she love Professor Snape, the man...she loved Severus Snape, the boy. She bit her lip, willing the blasted tears that were welling up in her eyes to go away. Raven pulled back to throw another stone.
"May I inquire as to what you are going?" His voice reached her ears, and the stone slipped from her hand.
"Bloody hell, don't you ever make a sound?" Raven asked turning around to face him. A smirk was firmly in place, and it made her smile. "Just tossing some stones in the lake." Severus raised an eyebrow as to question why. "It's good stress relief."
"Here for a few days, and stressed already?"
"Just have a lot on my mind." Raven answered turning back around to propel yet another stone.
"Does it help?" he asked after a few minutes.
Raven turned to face him again. "Yes." she smiled, "It does."
Severus closed the distance between the two fo them. "What...Do you do?"
"Here." Raven handed him one of the stones she had. "You take it." she said, taking one in her other hand. "And just toss it." Another pebble went flying, landing with another splash. Severus looked at her skeptically, but did as he was instructed. "See, it's easy. And you just think about something that's bothering you, put it into the rock." Raven tossed another one trough the air, "And you send the worry or frustration off with the stone." The two of them spent the rest of the next little while taking turns throwing stones into the lake, and watching the ripples. Talking while the stones flew and splashed. When it got too dark to see the waves anymore, the two made their way back to the castle.
Raven stayed behind in the common room as Severus headed off to the boys dorms, she wasn't quite ready for sleep. Although the window showed the underside of the lake, tonight the waters were still, and she could just make out the amost full silver orb that hung in the sky. Her thoughts fell once more to her time...the future from where she was now. And the one person who had proved he'd listen to her, no matter what her problem was.
'Since the night you brought me back to the bloody castle, out of the freezing snow, you said I could always talk to you. I poured my heart out to you that night...a stranger in the woods. Little did I know then who I was pouring my heart our to. Kind of ironic if you really think about it.
Where are you tonight, when I need to talk to someone? I bloody well know where you are...Up the stairs, this way and that, in the bloody Gryffindor common room, acting the part of bloody prat. And if I went to talk to you...you'd probably laugh in my bloody face. Nice to know you at least grow up to be a decent human being.
Uncle Remus...What am I to do? Can you love and hate something at the same time? I'd be lying if I said I hated it here...but in the same instance I do. This isn't where I belong. I miss my friends, I miss my family...I think I might even miss that bloody owl of mind. Bute here...He doesn't run from me here. He doesn't turn the opposite direction when I dare to get within an inch of him. But I know...I have to leave. When they find the magic...I'll have to go home.
Should I have stayed away from him? Would that have made things easier? Bloody hell, who am I kidding. I couldn't of stayed away from him if my life depended on it. He's going to be so mad at me...isn't he? What are we doing to your minds? Being back here, running amok. Are you all fairing well? I hope we aren't causing too much trouble.
You keep telling me I can talk to you...I need to talk to you. I need to talk to someone. I want to go home...yet...I don't want to go home. I don't know what to tell him. I know I have to tell him something...Is it safe to him anything? Is it safe to tell him now I feel? Bloody hell...Why do I bother asking? I know bloody well I'll do it anyway. I can't help myself. Can't give up the chance that for once...just once...he will tell me he feels the same way.
Is he utterly unbearable right now? Does he miss me? I miss him. I see him everyday I'm here...but...I still miss him. It's not really the same. It's him...and he's so utterly him. But...he's not him. Does that make any sense? Thing is...I love him either way. I love the dour, bloody agravating, stubborn as a mule Potions Master. Despite him being so difficult to deal with. And...I love him now...I love him here. He doesn't run from me...I actually get to spend some time, real quality time with him...Haven't been able to do that since the summer tutoring sessions. He was diffrent then...Not like during the school year...Not like here and now either...I don't know how to explain it.
Uncle Remus...I know you can't hear me while I'm sitting here, pouring my heart out to the bloody moon. But I know, if I was there...or if you weren't such a bloody prat right now...I know you would listen. Suppose I should get back to the dorm, and get some sleep. You know what I miss? I miss my bloody room. I miss all of you.'
With that, Raven headed up the stairs to the dorms, looking back once more on the wall, that in the future held the door to her own private room. Then continued on to the room she shared with Raya here.