Author's note: Finally! Here's the next chapter. Thanks for reviewing! You guys were awesome. Special thanks to tsukilovessnape, Esclair Stones (hey you have the same name with my oc!lol), SweeneysDeviousLittleAngel, Weird1 and Cryptic knight.

Note: slight OOC on the way. =)

Enjoy reading!

Chapter thirty-seven:

Going Back

Three days had already passed after the incident at the forbidden forest, yet it was still the talk of the whole school. Even the whole wizarding community talks about it too, as the sudden became a front article the next day. No other death eater was found at the forbidden forest, except from the dead corpse of the convicted man. The whole school tried to be normal after that, though some of the students were still traumatized from the attack.

Snape glanced at the empty chair beside the brunette Gryffindor as he gave the class an essay to write. It was already three days, but the girl still hasn't woken up. The girl still occupy the same bed she had three says ago, and still doesn't have any improvement since then. Isabel had left the school two days ago already, after escaping from the mediwizard's hands. He knew the woman still have important to do that he didn't tried to stop her that night.

"Please take care of her while I'm gone" Isabel told him.

"What are you going to do?" he asked her, he was sitting at his usual chair besides Renee's bed.

Isabel didn't reply, though there are hatred and sadness could be seen on her eyes.

"Don't do anything harsh" he reminded her.

Isabel nodded and then exited the room.

It was either a job for Voldemort or revenge for her daughter…or even both. The only thing he's sure was Isabel won't let this go with her doing nothing about it.

…

"Can we visit her, Madam?" Hermione asked the mediwizard as she and the two boys entered the infirmary.

Poppy nodded at the trio, "Please do" it was unusual for the mediwizard to accept visitors like that, but it was the only way she could think of to stimulate the girl to wake up.

The old woman glanced at the trio as they got nearer at the sleeping student. The mediwizard had never encounter such case like this before that she pray to Gods that the girl will wake up soon.

Hermione sat at the edge of the bed while Ron and Harry sat on the nearest chairs. They were the regular visitors of the girl ever since the girl got admitted in the infirmary. They were silent as they stared at the unconscious girl. The girl's complexion improved now, thanks to the help of the mediwizard's nursing abilities and Snape's potions. Now, she just looked that the girl was just sleeping.

She took Renee's brush from her satchel and started to brush her dark brown hair.

"Hey Renee, you've already got three days of free brushing…you really owe me something" Hermione spoke lightly at Renee, and watched the girl for any reaction…or any retort that she would usually do before.

Nothing

Hermione sighed, though she still continued brushing.

"Ren, we won the Quidditch match! Too bad you didn't saw my great shielding skills..." Ron spoke then laughed.

Nothing

His laughed died instantly and suddenly got interested at the window.

"Ren…you should really get up now, you don't want to miss too many lessons, do you?" Hermione spoke again.

Nothing

"Neville's missing you" Harry tried, then her two companions chuckled; Renee would always retort at them when they would tease her with Neville.

Nothing

Hermione sniffed, making Ron hold her hand for support.

"She'll wake up soon. Don't worry" he assured her. Hermione just nodded.

They stayed a little longer, using the time by talking to her about the last day's events. But no matter they chatter or Hermione fought Ron in front of her, they gained nothing from their friend. The trio stood up to leave the infirmary empty handed and Hermione gave her one last whisper for the girl to hear.

"He's worried sick about you already, Ren. Wake up soon, we're waiting for you"

…

Emptiness…that was all Renee could feel.

She did not know if she was standing or floating…she couldn't feel anything, just emptiness. No pain around her body, no pain inside her chest…nothing.

Maybe it was only for the best, she thought as she gingerly ignoring faint murmurs from afar. She was pain-free; she has no problems to face. No school cramming, no bullies and no family problems.

No death eaters, no convicted man, no Isabel, no Dumbledore and no Voldemort.

Maybe it is best to stay here.

"He's worried sick about you already, Ren. Wake up soon, we're waiting for you" a very familiar voice said.

It was a familiar voice, yet she couldn't comprehend who it was. And besides, who would be worry about her. She was perfectly fine to be alone in this place where no one could harm her.

Yes, it is best to stay here.

…

Severus' robes billowed behind him as he passed the empty corridors. It was already past curfew, and students were already in their dormitories. From Snape's expression, whoever student he will collide will surely have an unfortunate night.

The potions master entered the infirmary and got warmly welcomed by the mediwizard.

"Poppy" he greeted, "I've got the potions you needed" he gave the potions he had on his hands that Poppy happily received.

"Thank you Severus! This could be a great help for her" Poppy smiled at the potions master and secure the potion on her hands.

Snape glanced at Renee, "Is there any improvement?" he asked.

He watched the mediwizard sighed in frustration and then shook her head, "That's what I'm thinking about. The girl doesn't have major injuries or anything of a sort. But she still doesn't wakes up, and stills no improvement"

"What's your theory about it?"

Poppy glanced at the sleeping girl, "Either she had been gone to a serious mind invasion that her defense mechanism had closed her mind for protection or just she herself was stopping her body to wake up, I've heard that before…but I never thought I would actually seen one"

Severus glanced at the unconscious student. Surely enough, the girl looked that she was just sleeping…not having some serious situation that most people were worried about her condition.

"Talking would be a great help for her to be encourage to wakes up. I'll just go to prepare her medication" the mediwizard left him alone with her patient, knowing the potions master won't be saying anything to the girl if she was still lurking around.

Severus waited until the mediwizard disappeared through the back door before reaching her bed. He sat at his usual chair and stared at her sleeping face. The potions master had been doing this every night that he thought why the mediwizard didn't found those unusual.

"Miss Matte" he started; it was uncomfortable at first when he started to talk with someone who's not responding, especially someone who's talkative and always talks back at him before. But then again, he already got used to it after a few nights of telling today's events.

"We've already finished brewing the last time's potion. As usual a few people completed it with full marks, not that I'm not used to it" he smirked as he remembered his students' faces after giving them the snide remarks they deserved.

Renee didn't respond, her eyes were still closed and didn't even move an inch.

"Granger was the first one who finished it perfectly. That know-it-all surely lives in her name, doesn't she?"

He waited for any reply, or reaction. But nothing came.

"Your unfinished project is still waiting for you to finish it" he continued, "You think you can get away from school works just because of sleeping there? Go wake up now you lazy silly girl"

Severus hopefully waited her to wake up and complain about him calling her lazy…but nothing came. He sighed as he stared at her pale hands, and gingerly brushed it with his. He waited her to blush, like the girl would always do before.

But nothing came

He fully knew why she was acting like. And basing from Isabel and Dumbledore's tales, he couldn't blame the young witch to be like this.

"You can't solve things by running away, so wake up now Renee" he whispered, hoping his words would reach her.

…

Who was that?

The voice was very familiar to her; it was a deep and velvet voice that it was like musical to her ears.

She sat up, finally realized that she was lying at the white empty place and waited for the velvet voice to speak up again.

"Your unfinished project still waits for you to finish it" the velvet voice continued, "You think you can get away from school works just because of sleeping there? Go wake up now you lazy silly girl"

Silly? Did that voice just told I'm a lazy silly girl?

Renee wanted to react to the voice, telling she wasn't like that. But then she found out that her words couldn't reach the voice. She heard the velvet voice sighed; making her unconsciously touched her right hand as she could felt something brushed from it.

Who was this voice anyway?

"You can't solve things by running away, so wake up now Renee" she startled at the use of her given name.

Running away? Did this voice even know what is happening around me? Does this voice even knew how I was hurt from the things were happening to my life?

Renee wanted to shout, to swear at the voice…but she just couldn't. She waited for the voice to speak up again, but then nothing came.

She lay down again, as she could tell the voice won't be speaking again. Renee knew she was already in a perfect place…and no one could let her go away from there.

Yes, it is a perfect place.

…

A week had already passed, but a certain bed at the infirmary was still occupied by the sleeping girl. The trio still continues to visit her, and tell her tales about the classes. Even the mediwizard allowed the twins to be loud at the infirmary hoping the girl will get stimulated by the twins' jokes and prank tales.

But still no response from the girl

At the other hand, Renee inside the empty space started to notice the voices around her. She could always hear a girl's voice, along with two boy's voices. Sometimes she could hear a soft voice, a voice she knew it always made her relax when she was a kid. Sometimes she could feel some rough wet sensation at her hand, but when every time she glanced at her hand, there was nothing on it. The girl would always hear them plea about going back, but she would always ignore those pleas; she was determined and really believed she was in a perfect place.

"That potter boy did it again" the velvet voice complained again. "One more mistake in my class and I'll make sure he won't be passing potions class"

Renee snorted at the velvet voice's complains. It was one of the voices she always anticipated. It was a kind of voice that soothes her, a voice that she wouldn't get tired of listening to all day.

"And Longbottom never fail to cease me at his different ways of blowing up my classroom" she could imagine the voice smirking at his words, yet there is something wrong at the voice.

Was that sadness? Is he sad?

"And if Granger managed to irritate me again by her attempt to discuss the whole lesson by answering my single question…"

Renee waited the velvet voice to continue, "…never mind, you wouldn't like it if I tell you" the voice finally said, making her frown.

"If you want to stop me from terrorizing you friends whom I know you do…you first have to wake up in that silly sleeping of yours and get back here"

Renee rolled her eyes; she never got affected by the voice's insulting words. Instead, she could plainly see the voice's sadness…which made her heart thug. She touched her hand again as she could something brushed from it; but as she glanced at her hand, there is nothing that could possibly touch her.

Renee looked around the white empty place as she could no longer hear the voice. She might not feel any pain or whatsoever, but she could finally realize the sadness within the close place. Yes…it was a perfect place for her, yet she could feel that there is something missing, a thing that could complete everything. No one was there to laugh with her, no one was there to worry with her, and no one was there to be with her. All she has was those voices; voices that were starting to drift away, the voices that want her to be back.

She was missing a companion in her perfect little place.

Is this place really a perfect place?

She stared at her right hand and then finally realized that her hand was beginning to blur. In fact, her lower part of body was beginning to blur in her eyes also.

Renee stood as she finally knew the answer and started to walk. She doesn't know where she was heading to but there was only one thing that was on her mind now.

I need to get back.

…

"When are you going to sleep like a log Sweetheart? We're missing you already" Isabel spoke at her again.

The woman looks like she had aged a decade since last week. Her skin was dry, her eyes were fluffy either from crying or not sleeping…or maybe both. She wasn't really glowing like she had on the past, but how could she take care of herself if she knew that her daughter was still lying on her hospital bed and not waking up?

She holds the pale hand at the side of the bed. It was becoming colder as days passed by that Isabel was becoming terribly worried about it.

What if she won't wakes up anymore?

"Do not worry, she will wake up soon. You're daughter is strong enough than her own problems" Dumbledore assured her as the headmaster gazing at the worried mother.

"It's my entire fault…if I reach her so soon, this won't…"

"Nonsense, do not blame yourself for it. Everything has a reason for them to happen" he told her.

Isabel didn't argue with the old man, though she was still blaming herself deep inside. She continued to stare at her sleeping daughter, still telling herself that this shouldn't happen to her.

The two adults glanced at the sudden creak of the door. Harry, Ron, Neville and Hermione entered the room consciously as they caught the two at their friend's bedside.

"Ah, your friends were here already" Isabel exclaimed to hide her sadness, "Come, don't just stand there…I'm not going to bite you" she gave them a small smile as the four started to walk towards them.

"How is she?" Harry asked her. It was plain visible for them to see how hard Renee's mother was experiencing.

"Still the same, she sleeps like I didn't let her for months!" Isabel huffed as she tried to lighten the mood. The mediwizard suddenly appeared at the back door with her face serious then become soft as she saw her patient's regular visitors.

"You guys were early today" Poppy greeted the four and they smiled back at her, "Can I talk to you privately?" she asked the two adults as she stride at the corner, making the two follow her.

The four of them watched the three adults walked away towards the back door. They couldn't really hear a thing from them that they could easily think that someone had casted a silent charm around them. And with the mediwizard looks earlier, Hermione knew nothing good was happening around their friend.

She finally couldn't take it anymore.

"Now look have you done Ren!" she exclaimed, making the three boys got startled at her outburst. "Can't you see how many people you got involve by this stupid hiding of yours? Get up now!"

"Hermione…you shouldn't be like that to her…" Neville tried to calm the fuming witch.

But Hermione wasn't really listening at him or to her two other best friends. She grabbed the sleeping witch's hand, making her startled how cold Renee's hand was.

"Damn it Renee! You have to help yourself to wake up before it's too late!" her tears were about to release any minute. Her excursions at the library surely made some fruit that she fairly knew what was about to happen to Renee if she won't wake up any time soon.

And it wasn't good at all.

"Stop it Hermione" Harry grabbed their hands to stop the brunette from gripping her hand too much, "You're hurting her" he took off Hermione's hand from hers, making him got contact with the young witch's hand.

…

Renee walked aimlessly through the white endless road. If you could call this a road, she thought. It was an endless pathway as she couldn't even see the end of it. She didn't know where she was heading too; though she was fairly knew that she was walking. She also knew that she had walked long enough, but the latter still couldn't feel any physical fatigue…as if her soul had been detached from her own body. The only thing that was tired was her mind…and her hope that was beginning to deteriorate.

Can I really get back to the place I was before?

The place she wanted to get back was full of lies, and fully knows that going back will only hurt herself. But then she knew she needed to, so Renee continued to walk, to walk aimlessly at the white endless road.

The poor girl was still full of thoughts when she suddenly jolted in her spot. There was a sudden stinging feeling at her right hand and it wasn't like the brushing feeling she would usually feel when she was hearing the velvet voice, albeit it was more different with the rest of sensation she had felt. It was hair-raising, like she was being electrified or something.

It started on her hands, and then to her shoulders…and then it reached her head. But she brushed all of those; she was far more interested with the sudden door that appeared from afar. Renee started to run; run so fast that she began to be afraid to get tripped and won't be reaching it in time.

She extended her hand, hoping it could get help in reaching it. The feeling of being electrified intensifies as she got closer. Her fingers were able to touch doorknob until she finally opened it and got greeted with a blinding light…slowly the light started to crawl into her body until it engulfed her whole.

…

"Get your hands away from me Harry"

It was just a whisper, yet it took a lot of effort from the newly awaken girl to say those.

It was only a whisper, yet all the people around her seem to catch her voice so well that her surroundings began to panic. Harry did removed his hands away from her head but never moved from his close proximity with her bed; Hermione and Neville were teary eyed, yet Hermione managed to ask Neville to tell the adults outside what has happened; Ron was smiling from ear to ear and even smacked her arm slightly in joy.

Renee tried to get up, but her unmoved muscles for a week seem to be doing their own way. She really thought Hermione was going to help her, instead she found herself got stuck by the girls arms around her neck.

"You're strangling me Hermione" she squeaked under her friend's hold.

"You deserve it!" Hermione stubbornly replied, yet she removed her arms and gave her a teary smile.

"Sorry" said the bed ridden girl before the adults rushed in entering the infirmary to see her.

"Good Lord!" the mediwizard exclaimed as she went next to her bed immediately, "And here I am talking to them about taking you to St. Mungos. You might have heard that do you?" Renee smiled at the mediwizard's attempt to joke.

The other snickered at this too.

Blue lights started to survey her body as the mediwizard started to check her body up. Renee just stared at Isabel, who was also staring at her intently. The girl's eyes expressions changed so fast that Harry couldn't really read what Renee was feeling. At a moment there was a hint of sadness, and then hatred…but later changed to guilt…and remorse.

"You seem to be fine" Poppy finished her check up, "How are you feeling?"

Renee felt herself before answering again, "I'm fine…I guess, just couldn't move much"

"That's because you've been bedridden for a week already, that's why. But a little physical therapy and you'll be good as new" Poppy assured her and tapped her knee before she reached Isabel to talk with her.

Renee stared at the two females and wondered what happened while she was asleep, though she was more intrigued how Isabel walked normally as now after what had happened that day….

"It's really good that you already woke up" Ron piped at the dazed girl.

"Good to see you again guys" Renee replied.

Dumbledore just stared at the teens while the fellow Gryffindors filled Renee what had happened after the incident. Renee tried to be attentive to their tales and even laughed when she noticed that there were toilet seats next to her bed. He even stared at them as the others watched her while eating shyly in front of them, telling them to shove off and keep her eating in peace. After a while, Poppy noticed her tired appearance and shoved the teens outside, telling them to let her rest for a while. The others were forced to follow the vile mediwizard and promised the witch to visit her next thing in the morning.

Isabel and Dumbledore exited the room also. Dumbledore tapped her knee and gave her a grandfather smile before leaving.

"It's nice to see you awake again Miss Matte"

But Isabel never tried to talk to her, though she was really thankful about that. Isabel just gave her a timid smile; a smile that still indicates that there was still an invincible wall between them. She wasn't really surprised about that though; after what happened that day, she was surprised that Isabel managed to stand up normally and didn't ran away from her.

Poppy gave her a sleeping draught, as the mediwizard saw that it was already safe for the girl to give her potions like that again. The girl was really weak looking that a little nap wouldn't hurt her a bit.

Her eyes were beginning to droop while staring at her hands and then finally drifted into a fitful sleep.

A/N: one thing I've got to say. I will never play that 'five reviews before updating' again…I forgot I'm a very impatient person to play that game…-lol- and just got worried that I might not get my quota. Anyways…

What do you think of the story so far? Please review and tell me about it to get this lonely writer smile! –Winks-

Renesnee