I yawned and looked back down at my Potions homework.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked. "You look beat." I smiled weakly and shook my head.
"I'm fine." Harry, Hermione, the twins, Ron, Draco, and I were sitting in the library doing our homework. Or in Jordyn and Ron's case, whispering quietly.
"Do you're homework Jordyn," I said. Jordyn scowled at me and started on her work again. I sneezed and Taylor looked up at me.
"Schyler are you sick?" she asked. I shook my head.
"No, I think it's just allergies," I replied. Draco reached over and touched the back of his hand to my forehead.
"I think you have a fever," he said looking at me worriedly. I knocked his hand away playfully.
"I'm okay," I said. I stretched and closed my Potions book. "I think I'm going to go for a walk."
"Leave you're stuff here," Harry said. "We'll drop it off in the Common Room when we're done here." I nodded and walked out of the library.
I walked out of the castle and down to the lake. There were a few other kids milling around but other than that I was alone. I touched the fingertips on my right hand to my forehead.
"I guess I do feel a little warm," I muttered. "It's best not to tell the others though, they'd just get worked up." The truth was that I wasn't feeling very good at all. I felt weak and dizzy and really tired but I didn't want to worry the others. I sat down on the bank of the lake and laid down, folding my arms behind my head. I closed my eyes and tried to doze off. Then a shadow fell across me.
"Hey," Draco's voice said. I opened my left eye and gazed up at him.
"Hey," I replied sitting up and pulling my knees up to my chin and resting it on them. Draco sat down beside me.
"You'd tell me if something was wrong, wouldn't you?" he asked. I gasped quietly.
"Yeah," I said feeling guilty for lying. "Why?"
"You've just been really quiet lately and I thought maybe something was wrong." I shrugged.
"I'm not big on telling people when something's wrong," I replied.
"Why?" Draco asked. I stood up and brushed the dirt and loose grass from my jeans. It was Saturday so we were all in muggle clothes instead of our uniforms.
"Because I don't want them to worry and I don't want to sound like I'm complaining. I know that I'm annoying, I know I probably annoy everyone. I don't want to give everyone another reason to realize it." I walked away. I heard Draco get up and follow me.
"Schyler," he said catching my arm and turning me to face him, putting his hands on my shoulders.
"You don't annoy me at all. I love to be with you. So do the others."
"Really?" I asked.
"Yes," Draco answered. "I love you." I hugged him and he wrapped his arms around me.
"Draco," I said softly. I stood on my tiptoes and we kissed. I pulled away from him and smiled. He smiled back and I turned to walk back to the castle.
"Let's go find the others," I said. I started to walk awaybut was overcome by a sudden wave of dizziness. I gasped and fell to the ground.
"Schyler!" Draco cried. He ran to me and lifted my head onto his lap. I opened my eyes a little and looked at him.
"I'm okay," I whispered. My breathing was fast and irregular and I felt like I was spinning. I closed my eyes tightly and moaned.
"What's wrong?" Draco asked. I opened my eyes again and looked up at him. My stomach was churning and I felt like I was about to vomit.
"Everything," I whispered. Then I passed out. Draco picked me up and rushed me to the Hospital Wing.
Harry, Draco, and the others were sitting around my bed in the Hospital Wing. Madame Pomfrey had given me a bed at the end of a row by a wall. Taylor was kneeling on the bed, on my left side, holding my hand. She was trying not to cry. Harry and Hermione were sitting on chairs on the same side as Taylor holding each others hands, looking very worried. Ron and Jordyn were sitting against the wall on the right side of the bed. Jordyn had her head on Ron's shoulder and he had one arm around her. Draco was sitting on the same side as Jordyn and Ron but he was in a chair. His face was paler than usual and he just sat and stared at me. Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey came around the curtain behind Harry and Hermione.
"What seems to have happened here?" Dumbledore asked.
"She just passed out sir," Draco said his voice sounding very hoarse. "I think she's sick."
"What has she been doing today?" the headmaster asked.
"Studying and doing homework," Hermione said.
"Has she eaten at all?" Draco's eyes widened.
"No," he said. "Actually...has she eaten at all lately?" The others shook their heads.
"Not really," Taylor said. "She just picks at her food."
"She doesn't sleep either," Hermione said. "She falls asleep but then I wake because I hear her whimpering. Then she wakes up and I'm pretty sure that she stays up for the rest of the night."
"How long has all this been going on?" Dumbledore asked.
"A few months I think," Harry replied. "Since a little after Christmas break." Draco shook his head.
"This all started last summer," he said. "When she had that nightmare."
"What nightmare?" Dumbledore asked.
"She dreamt that Voldemort captured her and killed her." Draco said. "Will she be all right?"
Dumbledore looked at me thoughtfully.
"I think that if she wanted to wake up she could but otherwise, in her current state, it's possible that she may die. Unless she has the will to live. But I fear that she is losing that." Taylor's eyes widened and she began to cry. Draco put his face in his hands and cried.
"You can't die!" Taylor sobbed. "You can't Schy-san!" Draco stood up slowly, came over to me, and picked up my right hand.
"Wake up Schyler," he said. "Please luv, I need you. We all need you."
I could hear Taylor sobbing and Draco trying to coax me to wake up. I had heard Dumbledore say that if I didn't have the will to live then I would die. I couldn't die! I had to protect Taylor! I had to wake up.
I moaned a little and opened my eyes. Draco looked down at me.
"Oh thank God," he gasped. "Schyler, can you hear me?" Why did everyone always ask me that?
"Um...yeah..." I muttered. "Yeah...talk a little softer please. Major headache." Draco laughed and hugged me.
"Schy-san!" Taylor cried flinging her arms around me.
"Hello," I said. "Headache. Soft noises or no noise at all. That'd be best." Draco touched my forehead.
"Luv, you're still hot," he said. "Madame Pomfrey, I don't think her fever has gone down."
Madame Pomfrey came over to us and stuck a thermometer in my mouth.
"Don't talk," she commanded. "Keep your tongue over it." I nodded and waited. After a few minutes she took it out and gasped.
"Oh dear," she said. "I'm afraid that it's gone up." She walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a bottle.
"Drink this," she said handing me the bottle of bright blue liquid and a glass. Draco started to take them from me. I pulled them away from him.
"I can do it," I said. I started to pour the bright blue liquid into the glass but my hands were shaking and I spilled some. Draco reached over and took the bottle from me. He didn't say anything, just took it and finished pouring it. I reached over to the bedside table and picked up my wand. I cleaned up the mess and set my wand back on the table. Draco handed me the glass and I took a sip. I grimaced and resisted the impulse to spit it out. I swallowed hard and downed the rest in one shot. I made a face and looked up at Madame Pomfrey.
"Can I go now?" I asked.
"I think you ought to stay tonight, I want to keep an eye on you." I sighed and leaned back against my pillows.
"Can we stay too?" Harry asked. Madame Pomfrey nodded and walked away.
"We were so worried," Hermione said. Taylor hugged me again.
"I'm glad that you're okay," she said.
"I don't know that I am," I replied. "I still feel funny. What was that stuff I drank?" I felt my eyelids begin to get heavy.
"It was fever reducer with a little sleep potion mixed in," Hermione said.
"How do you know this stuff?" Jordyn asked.
"I read," Hermione replied. "You should try it sometime."
"I'll pass," Jordyn said. I yawned and tugged the blankets up around my shoulders.
"Get some rest," Draco said brushing my hair off of my face. "We want you to get better." I nodded and closed my eyes. I don't remember going to sleep.
A graveyard. A building with a cross on it. Why was I in a church? No, not a church. Across from one. That basement from two years ago? That's where I was. I could see the spike filled pit in the light from the four torches that lit the corners. I was chained to the wall and I couldn't get loose. Where was this place? A door creaked open and Voldemort walked in.
"Hello Schyler," he sneered. "Welcome to the Riddle House." I gasped and struggled against the chains.
"Let me go!" I cried. "Let me go you slimy git!" Anger flashed across Voldemort's face. He pointed his wand at me.
"Crucio!" he hissed. The spell hit me and I screamed...
I gasped and sat up in bed. I looked around wildly, half expecting to see Voldemort. Instead I saw Ron and Jordyn sleeping against the wall, Jordyn had her head on Ron's shoulder. Harry and Hermione were asleep in their chairs, Hermione was leaning against Harry. Taylor was curled up at the end of the bed and Draco was sleeping in his chair, his head nodding slightly. I sighed and leaned back against my pillow. I was never going to get a good night's sleep. I could still feel that potion working though and soon I closed my eyes and fell back asleep.
"Schyler," Draco's voice called softly. He was shaking my shoulders gently.
"Huh?" I asked opening my eyes. "What's goin' on?"
"You're fever's gone down," Draco said. "C'mon, the last Quidditch match of the year is about to start."
"Slytherin versus Gryffindor!" Taylor added yanking the covers away from me. "Come on!" I laughed and rolled off of the bed.
"Okay but I have to change first," I said. Taylor shoved an outfit into my arms.
"Hurry!" she urged. I shooed Draco out and pulled the curtain closed. I quickly changed into the jeans and pink tank top that Taylor had handed me.
"Why is it pink?" I asked as I tied my tennis shoes. The dream I had had last night flashed through my mind. I had been wearing a pink tank top. Taylor shrugged.
"I just grabbed something." I nodded and went to the little mirror that hung on the wall. I flicked my wand at my hair and it went up into the Serena style that I loved. I turned to Taylor and flicked my wand at her hair and it went up into the Rini style that she loved.
"There," I said flipping one of the pigtails over my shoulder. "Now we can go." I pulled back the curtain and smiled at Draco. He took my hand in his and the three of us walked down to the Quidditch Pitch.
Once we reached the pitch Draco went into the Slytherin changing room to put his Quidditch robe on. Taylor met up with Hermione and the others and they went to find seats.
"We'll save you one!" Hermione called as they walked up the stairs that led to the bleachers. I nodded. A few minutes later Draco and Harry came over to me. They came from opposite sides of the pitch.
"Well, wish us luck," Harry said with a grin.
"This is complete torture," I groaned. "My boyfriend and one of my best friends are one opposite teams." They were Seekers for their house teams.
"It's not so bad," Draco said. "At least you don't have to wear these robes. They're bloody furnaces." He tugged at the collar of his robe. I laughed.
"You've got a point," I said. "Well the match will be starting soon. Good luck you two." I kissed Harry on the cheek and then kissed Draco on the lips. With that they went back to their changing rooms and I went to sit with the others.
The match ended with victory for Gryffindor. After that we all went to a courtyard to hang out. The whole day went by and nothing bad happened to me.