Chapter five: Dreams and big warm hands

Renee had that kind of dream for several days. She would wake up sweating and breathing so hard. There's also one evening she didn't even sleep a wink. She would lie down on her bed, thinking about that dream, or what that dream suppose to mean. Renee had read in muggle book before that dreams supposed to be your inner desire.

I don't know if that is applicable in magical people, and besides running from a fugitive is not my inner desire in life. What would be this dream mean…a premonition, a warning?

Sleepless potions she asked from Madam Poppy didn't even work for her. And Renee can't even talk about this to Hermione or Harry. The trio has been enough problems to worry about; especially Harry. And she could tell it in those secret meetings they would have when she's not around.

I think they still don't trust me enough to share those. Harry is the boy who lived after all and the dark lord is definitely making his move. I can't make them worry to such trivial matter.

I hope this is just a trivial matter.

Today is definitely not even a best day for Renee; she had a terrible headache as she didn't get enough sleep for almost a week. Forgot her defense book, almost missed lunch and Professor McGonagall deducting points from their own house because of not paying attention in class.

Renee was already feeling the result of lacking sleep in Snape's detention. She felt nauseous and dizzy as she entered the potions lab and looked at the dirty cauldrons she needed to clean. However, Snape is still not paying attention to the poor girl. He is grading another set of essay that Renee thought are from their class.

She starts cleaning the first cauldron. Her head is like going to break and she could now see two cauldrons at the same time. Renee couldn't feel her feet anymore, and could sense that she will fall down. Then two warm hands were holding on her on the shoulders to prevent her in falling down.

"Sit" a deep voice ordered Renee. She didn't dare to open her eyes to fear that she might throw up. She felt terrible that she have to lean on him to have some support; Renee feel his shoulders become tense but still assist her on sitting up on the chair.

Renee leaned on the chair as the big hands disappeared. She was trembling that she needed to focus her remaining strength in sitting and breathing.

Professor Snape offered her a glass of water and weakly took it; she even might drop them without his help. Renee twitched as she touched the tip of his fingers but didn't even bother since she was focusing on her well-being.

He helped the new student stand and he let her lean on him. Renee managed to look up to him; he still has that expressionless face but saw a flinch of worry on his eyes.

"Where are we going?" Renee choked. The two of them exited the potions lab, his arm on her shoulders and she leaning to him.

"Hospital wing" Renee heard him said in a distant voice, before she passed out and saw nothing.

Renee was running again, but this time…she was in the forest, clutching her wand as she threw spells to the invincible enemy.

"Crusio!" the invincible man shouted and she was already in the ground crying in pain.

"You can't always run for your destiny" he laughed heartedly as he looked down at her. He put his wand on the air and shouted a spell that makes the clouds gathered to make a shape, a shape that the people dreaded to see.

A shape of a snake

Renee opened her eyes and could see white ceiling, wondering when or how did she get to the hospital wing.

The last thing I remember is that I'm cleaning a cauldron for my detention and I was feeling worse for my lack of sleep….

"She will be alright, she faint because of lack of sleep. I've already given her a pain and sleep potion. She'll stay here for the night though" She could hear madam poppy explained.

Renee tried to get up, and then she touched a magazine on her bedside, the potions journal.

"I see" the familiar deep voice replied. Renee could feel that she might throw up; so she closed her eyes once again.

"She went up to me before and asked for dreamless potion, it seems that it doesn't work for her, she might need a stronger dose I guess" Madam Poppy explained.

After a while, Renee could hear footsteps faintly disappearing.

I guess Professor Snape already went out, and now stressed that I just give him another work aside in supervising my detention.

Renee opened her eyes and gazed at the ceiling. This lack of sleep is really getting out of hand, she thought as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"You surely know how to give a professor a headache Matte" the voice made her startled. Renee looked at her side and could see Snape sitting far as he could, holding a potions journal on his hand. Dropping 'miss' in my name means he is really irritated, he usually do that in Harry.

She stared at the ceiling once again, silence is more comfortable than I thought it could be.

"Is a dream in a witch could be a premonition, professor?" Renee looked at him, daring to ask a question that she didn't dared to ask to anyone. He stopped reading his magazine and looked at the student in bed.

"It could be, but it is best to asked Professor Trelawney about it. It is her area of expertise" he replied after silence.

"Yeah it is best to ask her" Renee silently scolded herself.

Why didn't I think this soon?

She didn't know what it took her to tell him about that dream.

Maybe it is because of the potions madam poppy gave to me, I didn't know.

All she knew was he was listening attentively and even twitched at the sign of the snake she told. It was comforting that someone could really listen to her stressors for almost a week.

After that long talking, Renee could feel her eyes were getting tired, and now fighting in closing of her lids. He stood up and headed to the door.

"Thank you professor" Renee managed to say and saw him nodded and she drifted to sleep.

This time she had a dream of cleaning cauldrons with Snape on the side marking essays, a quite dream but really comforting.

Renee woke up feeling refreshed, like she had sleep for almost a day. She looked at the clock and it's nearly noon. Renee bolted up in bed and groaned thinking she hasn't able to get on my morning class.

"Feeling okay now?" madam Poppy popped out nowhere. Renee just nodded and smiled. The throbbing headache was already gone.

The healer assessed Renee again and gave another dose of dreamless potion, saying she could drink this if only needed. She thanked her in response and bid her goodbye. She went straight to the Gryffindor tower, changed her uniform to another fresh one and went straight at the great hall for lunch.

"Renee!" Hermione waved at the table. Renee sat next to Harry and Ron who were already eating.

"Professor McGonagall told us that you're in the hospital wing, we went up there when we heard of it" Hermione smiled at her.

"You haven't even wake up with all those noise Ron doing, madam Poppy really kicked us out" she continued and rolled her eyes on her seatmate, munching about a piece of roast meat.

"I guess the sleeping potion they gave me is really in higher dose" Renee grinned back at her. She glanced at harry, clutching his scar here and there.

"You okay there harry?" he couldn't even heard Renee asking him, he is concentrating on the pain he was feeling on his scar.

"Harry? Are you…"

"He's looking for someone. He was…" He's already trembling, both in pain and fear, clutching and scratching his scar in his hands.

Renee holds his shoulders and shook him up. She could feel the electricity flowing on her body and he flinch back but didn't mind it. I need something to distract him from having a panic attack.

"What are you doing Renee? Don't…touch..." that was his final words before he passed out.

"Assist him in the hospital wing please" Professor Dumbledore ordered, not even noticed that the crowd was already looking at them. Renee glanced at Ron and Hermione helped Harry get up on his feet, following the headmaster's lead.

Renee looked at Harry sleeping at the same bed she had occupied the last night. He was sweating so hard that Hermione swiping it with her handkerchief. She glanced at our headmaster; his blue eyes were fixed at him.

Silence filled the room. Renee glanced at Ron and he changed to the Ron she usually saw to a very well mannered one. She could see worried eyes from him.

The silence broke when Harry slowly opened his eyes. Everyone in the room felt relieved on his consciousness.

"Professor" He looked at him urgently, Professor Dumbledore went next to him.

"They were planning to infiltrate the school. Those two prisoners…" he said, taking deep breaths.

"Calm down Harry, I'll do the best I can to stop them" he assured him.

"For now you needed some rest. You'll need strength in the future" the headmaster looked at Renee before leaving the room.

"Good job miss Matte" He looked back at us again and exited the infirmary.

Good job for what?

Renee glanced at Harry and he was looking at the ceiling, deep in thought.

"He's looking for someone…within the students here, but who?" he muttered, more talking to himself than them

"He is not looking for you? Now that's a change" Ron went back to his usual self, and Hermione rolled his eyes on him.

Harry shook his head. He looked at Renee and smiled all of the sudden.

"Thanks for the shake earlier. That snapped me to reality"

"Glad I could help. Never know that it could be helpful at times" She grinned and tried to lighten the mood.

And she succeeded, everyone grinned back at her.

Renee was hesitant to knock at the door in front of her. I'm having a feeling that asking professor Trelawney is a bad idea, she thought. Ron already warned her about the divination professor, she always predicting everyone's death in the class, especially Harry. But still nobody died in the end of every term.

She decided that it was a stupid thing to ask about it.

I don't want to hear my time of death.

Renee turned her back at the door when it suddenly opened.

"Come Miss Matte, I've already predicted that you'll come to me sooner or later" she has those round glasses and a hair that looks like bushes. She pulled Renee on her office and closed the door behind them.

The room was full of round balls that they usually used in predicting the future in class. Some tarot cards and a pile of parchments were resting on her table.

She pulled a chair next to her table and pushed Renee to seat there. She could sense the divination professor's excitement on her appearance.

"I saw in the tarot cards that you were coming here, dear" she explained as if she's reading Renee's mind.

"I…" She really don't know how to began, or even tell about her ridiculous dream.

She sat on the chair next to her; eyes were twinkling on her green eyes.

"What are dreams represent?" Renee quickly said with eyes closed.

"Well…it depends what kind of dream you have my dear, now tell me. What about it?" her eyes were definitely twinkling on her, very excited and eager to listen.