The next few days went by in a blur. Although there were definitely less people at the castle, there were many students left. It confused me as to how we all fit into two tables at dinner time, but people would just come and go for breakfast and lunch, some waking up later than others. Anyway, it was a day before the ball and I had yet to tell Michael about the change of plans. I needed to do that today. Because Draco and I were going back to the ways things were, I had to relearn to disregard his feelings. I had to crush him. I had to do what I wasn't afraid of doing four years ago.
"Here's your chance, Rave. Corner has just entered the Great Hall." Goyle said to me.
I nodded and stood up. I didn't need a deep breath or any preparation. That was a sign of nervousness, and I was not nervous. I just put on my smirk and made my way over to him.
"Corner!" I called.
He stopped walking and looked at me, smiling. Merlin, that smile made me feel bad. No! This is what I do. This is me. This is the real me.
"Hey, Raven! Are you excited for tomorrow?" He asked, still beaming.
Here we go. I looked at him, pretending to be confused.
"Tomorrow? What do you mean?" I asked him.
He looked around awkwardly before looking back down at me.
"Um, tomorrow is the ball. The one you asked me to attend with you to?" He said, questioningly.
I raised an eyebrow at him.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Corner. I'm going to the ball with someone else." I told him, still pretending to be confused.
"What? No, you asked me, I remember. I'm not stupid." He said.
"Maybe that Ravenclaw title is getting to your head. I don't recall ever asking you to the ball. I remember Draco asking me to. It was sweet. We were over in Hogsmeade and we looked at a shelf with heart decorations. They were beautiful. And he told me that we've been friends for eleven years and no one else deserves this honour more than him. And he's right. I don't know what made you believe that I'd even want to go to the ball with you. You're not even a Slytherin!" I explained.
"Raven, I told you- I'm not stupid. Stop feeling bad for Malfoy and follow through with a decision that you made. There was obviously a reason that you asked me and probably a reason why Draco never asked you until you had a partner to the ball." Corner said to me.
He obviously wasn't letting me go to the ball with Draco. Then an idea came to me.
"Are you not letting me go with Draco because you're jealous?" I asked, slightly amused.
"Why would I be jealous?" He asked, crossing his arms.
"Because you like me and I'm closer to another boy that isn't you." I said, smirking.
He scoffed and rolled his eyes.
"That is definitely not the reason." He said.
"Then what is it? Why wont you let me go with Draco?"
He sighed and dropped his arms at his sides.
"Raven, I'm not jealous of Malfoy. But I want you to go with me because I feel like we've been forming some sort of friendship that just proves that I am here for you. I think this should be a form of thank you from your breakdown and me being there to calm you down and talking to you. Not to mention that I've liked you for a while now." He explained.
My heart raced and my stomach began cartwheeling inside me. My fight or flight reflexed were kicking in. And they wanted to get away from here as soon as possible. I couldn't stop them. My legs ran faster than they have ever ran. I didn't know where they were taking me until I ran down the stairs towards the dungeons and past the Slytherin common room door. They stopped at a dark oak door that I knew as my father's office door. I knocked and walked in, slamming the door behind me. My father was at his deck, glaring up at me.
"Where have your manners gone?" My father asked me, coldly.
"I apologize, father. I needed to go somewhere and I just showed up here. Now I can't leave. I need your help." I blurted.
"Sit." he said, signalling me to my chair across from him.
I walked over and sat in my chair.
"Now what is it?" He asked me.
"I have a problem. I need to choose a partner to go to the Yule Ball with. I asked Michael Corner, a Ravenclaw in my year, a week ago, but then Draco begged me to go with him instead that same day. Then today I was telling Corner that I was going with Draco and he pulled a pity card, that going with him, Corner, was a thank you for helping me during my breakdown. Then he, Corner, admitted to liking me and I ran. Now I don't know who I'm going with! Draco with be furious with both Corner and me if I go with Corner, but Corner wont let me go with Draco. He won't accept that I want to go with Draco! It doesn't get through his thick skull that I don't want to go with him! But at the same time, I kind of do because he's done so much for me over the past while. But Draco's my best friend and this is a once in a life time ball! I need someone else's opinion on who I should go with." I ranted.
I knew this wasn't what my father wanted to deal with, but at the same time, he kept one daughter thirteen years ago and now he needs to deal with her drama. He set himself up for this type of torture.
He sighed and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms and looking deep into my eyes. Like he was searching my soul for the answer.
"You haven't considered the possibilities of tomorrow night. You may attend the ball with one, but spend the majority of the night with the other. There are no rules telling you that you need to spend the whole night with the person you go with. Be Corner's partner to the ball, but spend the majority of the ball with Malfoy."
He spoke to me as if I should have known this. Like it was common sense. How was I supposed to just make something like that in my head? I nodded, anyway, understanding the problem's solution. I would go to the ball with Corner, but I would spend most of it with Draco. That was my plan.
"Father," I said, looking into the eyes that matched my own, "I still don't have a dress."
His face didn't change from it's cold glare.
"Of course you do. Your cloak will do the trick. Just wait for the right moment and it will fix your issue." He said.
I looked down at the cloak that wrapped around my shoulders. It made sense. This cloak was enchanted! Surely it could do more than just change sizes! And if it didn't, a simple transfiguration spell could do the trick.
I bid my father good day and walked out of the office. I walked back to the great hall and back to Draco.
"Hey, where were you?" he asked me, "I just saw you ran out."
I didn't answer his question, I just asked him, "can we go for a walk?"
He nodded and we walked away from our group. We walked toward the courtyard and we sat on a stone bench that had been whipped of snow. We sat next to each other, staying close for warmth.
"Draco, do you promise you're not going to be mad at me?" I asked him.
"You didn't tell him, did you?" He asked with a sigh.
I shook my head. He was silent for a minute.
"So what am I going to do, Raven? I have no one to go with. This is your mess, so what is the plan?" He asked.
I could tell he was mad, he was just trying to hide it from me.
"I consulted my father about this. He told me to attend with Corner, but spend the majority of the ball with you. So then it'll be like deciding to be there with you while I'm there with Corner." I told him.
"So I'm just going to wait for you?" He asked me.
The most brilliant thing popped into my head at that moment.
"Revenge!" I exclaimed.
He looked at me, confused.
"It's revenge! Go with Parkinson! She's at the school for the holidays. Parkinson likes you, Corner likes me. If we switch almost at the beginning of the ball, it will give them the message that we would rather be with each other then with them! My revenge Parkinson and your revenge to Corner! It's bloody brilliant!" I explained excitedly.
Draco smiled down at me.
"This is why you're my favorite person in the whole world." He said, planting a kiss in the top of my head, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.
I placed my head on his shoulder. We sat there in silence for a while, just watching a few snowflakes fall. It felt nice to be slowly getting back to the way things were.
"I can't wait for tomorrow. It will probably be the best day of my life." I told Draco.
"I can't wait to see you at your happiest." He said, "And I know this isn't on topic, but I bet Corner is a werewolf. His look just screams it. I don't want him to hurt you."
The mention of one of the students at this school possibly being a werewolf made my heart skip a beat. Werewolves were my worst and only fear. I was terrified by werewolves.
I tightened my cloak around me.
"Do you think it's a possibility?" I asked him.
"There's always a possibility with people that you don't know. Its impossible with people that you know because you never get them a chance to change into a monster without you knowing if you're always there. With people you don't know well, you don't know what they do on a full moon." Draco explained.
"You'll keep me safe from them, right?" I asked.
He gave my shoulders a reassuring squeeze.
"I promise to protect you with my life, always."
***
The day came to a close and Draco, me and all of our group were walking out of the great hall, excited for tomorrow. We walked to the full common room. So many Slytherins chatting about plans on where to meet up tomorrow and who's wearing what.
"So where are we going to meet up?" Davis asked the group.
I rolled my eyes and turned to her.
"You, me, Greengrass and Parkinson are meeting each other in the room. Where we wake up. And we are all going to suck it up and try to get along for one day while we go to breakfast together, prepare for the ball together, and go to the ball and find our dates together." I explained.
Davis nodded quickly.
"Now, off to bed. You need some beauty sleep for tomorrow." I smiled at her.
She smiled back and walked quickly up the stairs to the girls' dormitories.
"You need some beauty sleep too." Draco said.
"You think I need beauty sleep? Aren't I pretty as I am now?" I asked, pretending to be offended.
"No, no, I mean-"
"Drakie, I'm kidding! Don't get your wand in a knot." I laughed.
He gave a sigh of relief and a small chuckle. I gave him a hug.
"I'm actually going to go to bed. Would you like me send down Parkinson?" I asked him.
He rolled his eyes and nodded. We said our good night's and I want up to my room. I walked in and Davis and Greengrass were already in their beds.
"Hey, Parkinson." I said.
She looked up from her book and glared at me.
"Do you have a date for the ball yet?" I asked her.
"No, I'm going alone. What's it to you?" She asked back.
I gave a fake smile and walked over to my bed, which was right next to hers.
"Well, Draco actually is waiting for you down stairs. I didn't want to do it, but I'm curious as to what he wants. And he said that he would come up here if it weren't for the stupid rules." I said, lying the entire time.
Her eyes lit up. She jumped out of bed and almost bolted out of the room.
"Rave, he didn't say any of that!" Greengrass exclaimed, confused.
"I know. Draco and I have a plan." I told her.
She nodded and said good night, closing the curtains on her bed. Davis did the same. I got changed and I took the sleeping drought out of my side table and took a sip. I closed my curtains and fell asleep.
I saw nothing. I knew I was asleep. This was happening again? Where's his voice?
"She needs to leave Hogwarts. With her sister around, she's getting angrier by the day. She's reckless and cruel and she needs a new home with new people. She needs a new start."
It wasn't that cold whisper. It was- Old. And kind. But sad, almost agonizing in how sad it was.
Then I wasn't in darkness. I was standing in Dumbledore's office. It was Dumbledore and all the heads of houses. And Filch, Hagrid and Moody. And the Minister for Magic. It was Dumbledore who said that. And it was to my father.
"Where will she go?" My father asked, cold and without any expression.
All the teachers turned to Cornelius Fudge, the minister.
"We think it is a good idea for her to stay with her mother the day after school ends. She can go to Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She will get sorted as a fifth year with the first years. I believe her behaviour will turn to good when trying to make friends." Fudge explained.
"Don't you think, perhaps, that my daughter doesn't look for friends? She looks for respect. She has this thing in her head. She calls it a pyramid. She and her current friends, like Malfoy, are on top. Everyone else in this school lies far below her. If she goes to another school, she will show people that they are not on top of that pyramid. She will put people in their place and she will not be kind about it." My father explained.
Dumbledore and Fudge exchanged looked.
"It is effecting Auzilyn as well," Professor Flitwick said, "That girl is scared. I never see her leave the Ravenclaw common room unless it is for food or classes. She is afraid that Raven is going to attack her in one way or another. It hurts me to see a student so smart and confident cower in fear of another student. Especially her own twin sister."
"She doesn't only scare her sister. Yes, perhaps she scares her sister the most, but she scares Gryffindors as well. I have heard many of my studens whisper of how they want to tell a teacher of what Raven does, but they believe that they will get hurt by your daughter." Professor McGonagall said.
"Even my sweet Hufflepuffs are scared to talk to her. Many say they have tried, but she scares them away." Professor Sprout said.
My father was quiet. Dumbledore took a few steps toward him.
"You know it's for the best, Severus. And she needs to know. If she doesn't hear it from you, she will hear it from someone or something else and she will not be pleased." Dumbledore said to him.
"How will she get there?" My father asked.
"I will personally take her myself and make sure she gets to her mother's safe." Fudge said.
He was actually making me go? Without my say? He knows what I will be like there, and he still gets convinced to making me leave?
My eyes flew open. I sat up in my bed. I drew open my curtains and moved to the edge. I looked at the clock on the wall and saw that it was eight o'clock in the morning.
"Girls wake up!" I called, "We have a big day ahead of us. I just need to go do something and I'll meet you in the Great Hall."
"Yup, see you there." Davis' tired voice called from inside her curtains.
I got changed and wrapped my cloak around me. I walked out of the dormitories, then out of the common room. I walked to my father's office and knocked on the door. The door opened only seconds after and I saw my father, dressed in all black, towering over me.
"What can I do for you?" He asked.
I pushed past him and sat at my chair. He slowly closed the door and walked to his own, sitting across from me.
"When was this conversation about me leaving?" I asked him.
"Who told you about this conversation?" He asked back.
"You didn't deny having the conversation! You're actually considering making me leave?" I asked, almost not even believing it.
"There is nothing to consider."
"So you're making me go."
"How do you know about the conversation?"
I rolled my eyes and placed my elbows on his desk.
"My dreams aren't just regular dreams. I can see my past. I can see other people's conversations, walk around like being there, but I was never there. And Lord Voldemort talks to me. I haven't heard from him in a while, but I would hear him almost every night without a sleeping drought. I saw you, Dumbledore, Fudge, all the other heads of houses, filthy Filch, Moody and Hagrid. You were talking about having me leave because I scared a few people." I explained.
"So you saw it in a dream?" He asked me.
I nodded. Obviously, or else I wouldn't have mentioned that my dreams aren't only dreams.
"Well it was just a dream. You can't think that it happened in real life." My father said.
"So are you going to give me a straight answer? Or am I going to have to ask Professor Dumbledore?" I asked him.
"Alright." He said, "that conversation happened three days ago. But you have a talent that not many people have."
"Don't try to change the subject, Father, please?" I said, "You said that I'm leaving and I didn't get any warning, except from a dream of a conversation that happened three nights ago!"
"It's for the best, Lily-"
"Merlin, that almost makes it worse! You think it's best for me to change my whole life? I'm going to be alone and you think that's what's best?" I yelled, tears catching in my eyes.
I tried to keep them back because I told him that he would never see me shed a single tear. It didn't work.
"The new place, people, culture- it will all be good for you. Just think of it as a long vacation." He said.
"You're obviously not think about me and what's best for me! You doing what you think is best for the school! You don't care about how I feel about all of this!" I yelled.
"Watch your tone, Lily. I am doing this for the school, yes, but I am also doing it for your own good." He said.
"NO YOU'RE NOT!" I screamed.
I buried my face into my hands and I took a couple deep breaths.
"You really don't remember what it's like to love someone, do you?" I asked him, "What other people find frightening about you, I find comfort and happiness in. Your cold stare, your monotone way of talking, other people find it so frightening, but I find it comforting because you're my father! I would rather get hurt than you given any circumstance. I would hand myself over to Azkaban then see you get taken away from your home at Hogwarts, taken away from your friends. Taken away from Mother and Nexxremys. I love you. You're my father. I may not be the greatest at showing it and neither are you, but I do love you and you love me." I explained.
"That is something that I am going to have to forget then." He said.
My jaw dropped. I didn't know what to say, but I got angry. No more sentimental Raven. I was furious.
"So you do love me! You're just too weak to say three easy words! You're too weak to say three easy words and mean them at the same time! You're an awful father! I take back what I said. I don't love you. Just now I decided I don't love you. I don't mead a bloody thing to you, so you don't mean anything to me either." I snapped, standing.
"Sit down, we're not done talking."
"Yes we are. At least I am. And because you don't mean anything to me, I don't care what you have to say. I hate you. That's all I need to say."
And then I left. I had a good day set out in front of me and I wasn't going to let my father ruin any more of it. I walked down to the great hall to meet my friends for breakfast.
"Where have you been? We were about to leave!" Draco said, smiling.
"Ah, Raven your here! Come sit next to Draco and me!" Parkinson exclaimed.
"Sorry I'm late guys, I had to talk to my father." I told them.
" Are you okay? What happened?" He asked.
I shook my head, grabbing some porridge.
"Nothing happened. I'm fine." I said, shrugging.
I began to eat and everyone was conversing amongst themselves while I did so. I watched their smiles. I listened to their voices and their laughs. I watched how they moved and how everyone's lips danced as they formed words. Even now, they may not know it, but I was preparing to be alone. I needed to practice life without my friends so it wont be as much of a shock when I got across the world. I had until next September, but I had so much to untangle from my life. I had to become a new me. Maybe a version of me that I will enjoy. But as I continued to look around and see my friends talk to each other, I really began to miss them. I wasn't even gone and I missed them. I already felt alone. Then werewolves weren't my only fear. I was afraid of being alone.
"I have to go." I blurted, standing up and walking away from the table.
"Rave? Wait, Raven? What's wrong?" Draco's voice called after me.
His hand landed on my shoulder and I reacted by slapping it away. I glared up at him.
"You don't scare me with that Rave. What's wrong?" He asked.
"Who said anything was wrong? I'm stressed! I have a lot to do before tonight. I have to get these curls to cooperate! I need to go." I said.
As I turned to walk away, Draco grabbed my wrist.
"Raven, don't lie."
"Don't touch me!" I yelled, tearing my hand away.
After that I ran. I didn't hear him coming after me so I came to a walk when I reached the stairs to the dungeons.
"Raven!" His voice called, followed by the sound of running.
I ran down the stairs before turning back to him.
"What's going on? What happened with your father?" He asked.
"I told you! Nothing happened! I need to prepare!" I yelled at him.
"It's not just that, I know it. This isn't you, Rava." He said calmly.
"Just stay away from me. Let me be for a bit." I demanded.
"No, you need me. I'm not going to let you be by yourself!" He said.
"I need to get used to it!" I blurted.
I immediately regretted saying it.
"Get used to what?"
I rolled my eyes.
"Forget I said that." I told him.
"No, Rave. don't do this. You never leave me in the dark. What happened to being the old you again?" He asked me.
I sighed and walked over to a wall to sit.
"Forget about being the old me when I have to be a new me. I need to get used to being alone so when the time comes, I'm not as scared." I said.
I didn't feel anything. I felt empty.
"You know you're never going to be alone. I'll always be with you." He said, sitting next to me.
"Yeah and when we're getting married it will be forced, not out of love." I scoffed.
"How would you know any of that?" He asked me.
I shook my head, we had other things to do.
"We'll talk about it later. I don't want it to ruin our night." I told him.
He nodded and got up, then lent me a hand to help me up. We walked to the common room and went our separate ways after saying that we would meet at seven thirty and all walk down to the great hall together, where I would go find Corner. I walked up to my dormitory and looked around the clean room. It was only me there. I took off my cloak and placed it on my bed.
"It's going to be just you and me." I told it, "Now I just need you to become my desired dress for the ball tonight." I said.
It didn't move for a second, but then something happened. Right in front of me, the front of the cloak merged and became seamless, the hood disappeared, the silver ran over the neck line and down the newly formed sleeves. It was long and slim and reached the floor from my bed. I knew it would adjust itself when I put it on. I left the room and I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth again and do my makeup. I started with a smokey eye with a dramatic winged eyeliner, finished with some contour, highlight and natural brown lipstick.
"Raven, we're ba- woah." Greengrass called coming through the open bathroom door.
"How long have you been working on that?" She asked me.
"Not sure what time is it?" I asked back.
"It's almost noon." She said.
"What? I've been working on my makeup for an hour and a half?" I asked, shocked.
"I guess so!" She laughed, "Can you do mine?"
"Sure, what does your dress look like?"
The girls and I helped each other for hours. I did all the girl's make up while Greengrass did our hair. She managed to somehow tame my curly hair and pull it into a fancy bun, adding my hair clip to the side.
"Raven, you're beautiful! Now go put your dress on!" Davis exclaimed while sitting in front of Greengrass.
I smiled and nodded, grabbing my dress and going to the washroom to change. As I expected, the dress grew and shrank to fit me perfectly. I stared at myself in the mirror. This wasn't me. This was someone else in the mirror. It had to have been. But I knew it wasn't. That was me. I didn't have my usual curly high ponytail or my elastic. This was the complete look and I was impressed with myself and Greengrass for my hair. I walked back to the room and the girls looked over at me. They were frozen. Their jaws dropped and their eyes bulging.
"What are you staring at? You have some work to do!" I laughed.
Greengrass continued doing Davis' hair while Parkinson put on her accessories before going to get dressed. I had to admit, when she was changed and finished getting ready, even with her pugface that I thought I couldn't fix, she was beautiful. She had a silver dress with and a green handbag. Her dress had a halter strap and V-neck line. It was form fitting and reached just above her ankles. Her hair in a small bun on the top of her head, decorated with a silver hair clip that resembled a small, but fancy, tiara.
"Wow Parkinson, you actually look nice for once." I told her.
"Can you be nice for one night?" She asked me, "We're supposed to be friends. Like family. Lets at least act like we like each other."
I rolled my eyes and sighed.
"Fine, let me rephrase. You look beautiful, Parkinson." I said.
She smiled and nodded, "Thank you, Raven."
"Oh it's still Snape to you. We're not on first name basis." I said.
"At least you don't hate each other tonight!" Greengrass piped up as she finished curling Davis' hair.
"That's true. We're lucky you're not at each other's throats." Davis laughed wearily.
"Its a one night truce." I said.
We waited for Greengrass and Davis to get changed and by that time it was five minutes past our meeting time in the lounge.
"We're late. We have to go meet the guys downstairs." I said.
Everyone got their shoes on and we carefully walked down the stairs. Parkinson was first, then Davis, then Greengrass, then me. When Draco saw Parkinson, he smiled, took her hand and told her she looked really nice, Davis and Greengrass just got to the bottom and looked up at me. When I wasn't covered by the low ceiling and was standing in the light, everyone stopped. Crabbe and Goyle stopped talking to each other, Zabini's eyes were torn from a mirror on the wall, Parkinson tore her eyes away from Draco, then Draco saw me. His jaw almost hit the floor. He looked me top to bottom. I continued my way down the stairs and walked over to him.
"Are you trying to catch flies?" I asked, placing my hand on his shoulder before walking over to Zabini.
"You look great." He said.
"Good enough to make you take your eyes off of yourself I see?" I asked amused.
"don't get ahead of yourself now." He laughed.
I laughed with him, then turned to the group.
"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" I exclaimed.
We all left the common room and walked to a dimly lit entrance hall, where the four champions stood waiting for their dates. Weasley stood there in ridiculous dance robes.
"Raven!"
I turned to where the voice came from. I saw Corner standing off to the side of everything, but walked over as I saw him.
"You look gorgeous." He said, awestruck.
"I know." I said, smiling.
"I just wanted to le you know that Auzilen is going to be here. I'm just wondering if pretending to be nice for one night is and option?" He asked me.
So not only was I supposed to be nice to Parkinson until I stole her sate, but I also had to be nice to Stainface Scarfneck. This wasn't going to be easy. Especially now that she's got me banned from attending Hogwarts next year.
"I can try, but no promises," I told him, "Speaking of, there is she?"
"She's trying to pluck up the courage to actually leave the common room." He said.
"Really? She's that insecure. I mean, I would be too with all of the-"
"Raven, please." Corner said.
"I'm trying!"
"I don't think that's you trying. That's you being you." He said, clearly unimpressed.
"And if you knew that I'd be like this, why did you say yes to me asking you?" I asked him.
"Because I also know the broken girl caged away under all of this tough Slytherin." He said.
I rolled my eyes and took his wrist. The ball was about to start. We stood with Draco and the others while the great hall doors were closing. The great hall looked very festive and winter-y.
"So what's happening?" I asked Draco.
"So first, the champions are going to start the opening dance. After the opening, people can join them." He explained.
"I just wish you had asked me sooner, then we could have been dance partners." I told him.
"We can dance later, I promise. I have to dance this one with Parkinson and you have to dance with Scruffy over there." He said, glaring over at Corner.
Just him saying that made my heart pound. Corner did look like the kind of person to be a werewolf. If anyone in this school was a werewolf, it had to be him.
I looked over at my partner, who looked back down at me and smiled. He had no idea what Draco thought he was, but I thought the same thing. What if he was. There was a fifty-fifty chance that he cold be, and that scared me.
Still looking at Corner, I took Draco's hand. I looked at Corner like everything was okay, but Draco knew I was scared of him. And I would be until I was positive that he wasn't.
How pathetic, right? The most feared girl at Hogwarts was afraid of a potentially harmless boy because of the thought that he could be a werewolf. I didn't even know if he was or not.
My thoughts were interrupted by music played and the great hall doors opening. The champions walked in with their partners. Everyone clapped for them. I clapped for no one but Krum. That was until I saw who was on his arm. Hermione Granger, the Mudblood. They walked to the center of the great hall, where everyone there circled them. The champions got into starting position to begin the waltz. Only second after, the band started the music and the dancing began. They all danced well, except for Potter. He made quite a fool out of himself, barely knowing the simple steps of a waltz. More and more people began to dance. I turned to Corner and smiled.
"I know what you're going to ask, but I don't know the steps to the waltz. I'll end up stepping on your feet and falling over my own." He said.
"What? Asking you was a terrible mistake!" I exclaimed, losing my temper with him.
"I'm sorry, I hope my company is worth keeping you as a partner later. Because I know how eager you are to be with Malfoy." He said.
I didn't say anything back to him. I just turned to look at Zabini.
"Hey, Blaise, want to dance?" I asked the boy behind me.
He smiled.
"I'm just too hard to resist in this suit, aren't I, Snape?" He asked me.
"I'll take that as a yes, come on." I said taking his wrist and pulling him.
Draco looked at me and took Parkinson, following Zabini and me to the dance floor. And then we danced with our partners. I was blessed to know that Zabini knew the waltz well. He lifted me and we spun and danced for the whole song. When the song ended, however, he looked down at me, almost concerned.
"Raven, are you hungry? You weigh almost nothing." He asked me.
I rolled my eyes.
"It's all because I don't eat all the sugars that everyone else does. I eat really healthy. I'm not hungry, thanks for the offer, but I don't need any of the snacks here." I told him.
He shrugged and walked away. I walked over to hang out with Draco, Parkinson, Greengrass, Davis, Crabbe and Goyle. A new, upbeat song began we "jammed" like we had no cares in the world. I was actually happy. But after a couple songs, I decided that I had to face my fate and go back to my partner. I walked back to Corner and sat beside him.
"How was it? You looked beautiful out there." Corner said.
"It was good. Would have been better if it was with my actual partner." I told him.
"I know, I'm sorry." He said.
"Really, Corner? You thought that, even though this ball is a dance, you didn't consider the fact that you might need to know a dance or two? Didn't Flitwick make you learn?" I asked.
"Raven, I'm sorry. I didn't know that this was going to be a big deal to you. And no, Flitwick didn't make us learn." He said.
"But it is a big deal! If you ever plan to dance when your older, like at your wedding, you better get to it. And I wont be there to help you." I said, crossing my arms.
We didn't look at each other for a while, and watched as other people danced and had fun.
"Raven, look at all the fun we're missing, just because we fought over the fact that I can't dance. Come on, let's go join everyone." He said.
"I can miss a little bit. But I don't know much about you. I'm going to be nice and forget about the fact that you can't dance, just tell me a little bit about you." I told him.
He looked at me, confused for a second, but then sighed and nodded.
"Alright, my name is Michael Jerico Corner." He said.
"Where did Jerico come from? Grandfather? Father?" I asked him.
"Actually, my dad told me that Jerico means City of the Moon. It's not a direct Spanish meaing, but it's the Spanish name for it. My dad is from spain. Moved to England when he was twenty-four." He said.
"Does your family have a connection with the moon or something?" I asked him.
His smile faded and he looked at his hands.
"Actually, there's a curse type of thing that runs in my family." He said.
"What is it?" I asked.
"You'd probably never talk to me again if you knew." He said.
"What is it?" I laughed, "Come on! You're the only person who has seen me at my rock bottom. You can at least tell me what this 'condition' is! What is it? Are you a werewolf or something?"
He looked over at me, his eyes begging me to understand him.
"Who told you that? Out of all the possibilities and that was your first guess?" He asked.
"But that isn't it, right?" I asked him, praying that it wasn't.
"Raven," He said, taking my hand in his.
I pulled it away, staring at him, trying to read him.
"Raven, I'm begging you, you need to understand that I'm not going to hurt you." He said.
"You are a werewolf. You never denied it. Draco was right." I said, standing up and taking a few steps away from him.
"Hey, Raven, Mikey, is everything okay?" I heard a girl's voice ask.
I turn to see Stainface Scarfneck and Loony Lovegood walking up to us.
"Did you know that he's a werewolf?" I asked Nexxremys, pointing to Corner.
"She knows?" Nexxremys asked, looking at Corner.
"Malfoy told her." Corner said, standing.
I took a couple more steps away from him.
"How does Malfoy know?" Nexxremys asked.
"I don't know, Auzi!" Corner said, throwing his hands up.
I looked between Nexxremys and Corner. I couldn't even call her Scarfneck anymore because she wasn't wearing a scarf. She was wearing a long blue dress with a plunged neck and a silver belt. The blue faded to silver on the bottom and had a blue see through train that just reached the floor. This dress didn't just show the little cleavage she had, but it also showed a large birth mark, much larger then the one on her face. It covered half of her upper left arm, went up the left side of her neck, went across all of her chest that we could see, and down to her left arm reaching her elbow, but not covering her right shoulder. I would say that it was ugly, because it was, but the beautiful dress cancelled it out.
"Going to say anything, Snape? Or are you just going to stare?" Nexxremys asked.
"What? That I can't call you Scarfneck for once in your life?" I asked back.
"Or about my birthmark that makes me proudly different from everyone else?"
"Or about how you're making Dumbledore and the Minister for Magic banish me from this school, and make me move to America, and make me start at Ilvermorny, and make me move in with mother, and make me go to school knowing no one, making me live like some friendless loser, and making me leave Draco! Not to mention making father believe that it's what's best for me?"
She stared at me like she didn't know what I was talking about.
"Raven, can we go outside and talk about this?" She asked.
"No, let's talk about it here, in front of your posse." I snapped.
"Raven, I'm not making you do anything and I'm also not making anyone do all those things. I'm not saying that I want you here, because lying will do nothing but make things more complicated, but I never said that I want you to go either. You're my sister. Sisters may hate each other but we're still family and I hate being separated from my family. That I am saying, hoping you wont yell at me and say we aren't family. And I thought you wanted to meet mom? You have her Ravenclaw necklace. Dad told me that you've been wondering about her for fourteen years. This is good Raven. You may not think so, but it is. You can meet mom, start over, make good friends, maybe even find a soulmate. Isn't that what life is really about? Finding love? Starting a family and raising the best kids in town?" She explained.
"No. I have Draco. Draco is all I need for a bright future and you're tearing me away from him because you're afraid of me. You're acting like me leaving the country is about me and starting over and becoming a better person. But it's actually about you! They're all saying you and this school need me gone. You're the only person left who hasn't admitted it yet! Just say it! Just tell me you don't give a damn about me."
"Raven, that's not-"
"I'm not finished. Don't interrupt me," I snapped.
"Raven, I tried to be nice to you. But you do scare me. I try to care, but it's hard when you're scared of the person you care about, but even then, I really did try." She said.
"Don't lie to me now! You never care about me! Just say so!" I yelled.
"I don't know what you want me to say!" She exclaimed.
"You wanted the easiest way to see me weak." I told her, "That's what I want you to say."
"But I'm not going to lie to you."
"That, there, is a lie."
"Do I owe you now? Do I owe you for something? Did you do something so nice to me that now I have to repay you? I crossed the world to find you, I live through hell for you, I tried to do so much so that maybe, just maybe, we could live as a family, like sisters, but I'm not going to torture myself anymore! You stand there and you think about what I have been doing and what I have told you. You try for just one second to not think about yourself. You are so self centered and I bet you don't even remember the first thing I said to you. You tell me why I want to tear down such a strong person. I just want you to think about others the way you think about yourself for one second!" She said.
"I don't just think about myself, you know. I think about Draco. He is my world, my other half, my best friend, like family, and you are tearing him away from me. That is your way of tearing me apart. By tearing me away from my world. I will be losing a part of me because of you. I am incapable of being alone, Nexxremys. I am weak when I am alone. You want me to be like that." I snapped.
"If you were so incapable of being alone then why do you scare people and push them away? Why do you punish me? Why do you hate everyone?" She asked.
"I don't punish you! I am trying to show you-"
"I am trying to save us, Raven!"
"There is no us, Auzilen! There never was and there never will be! You're a stranger that I never want to know! I hate you! We are nothing alike! I try to save my relationship with my father and you're tearing him away from me. You have been since we were two! He hasn't been with me to celebrate eleven birthdays out of the thirteen years I have existed!" I yelled.
"That isn't my choice! He chooses where he is! And besides, you got to see him the rest of the year!"
"No I didn't! He was here, working! I stayed at the Malfoy's! I never saw my father growing up! He was never home to take care of me! The Malfoy's were more of a family then my broken one ever was! Why do you think I started school a year early? So I wasn't alone! I have never been alone my entire life. Do you see how much you're ruining my life? If you want to help me? Then never interfere again." I said.
And with that, I walked away. There was nothing else to talk about. I went to go steal my new ball partner. I just looked for a tall boy with white hair and I could locate him. Only a couple minutes of searching and I ran into him just in time for a slow song. He saw me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I placed my arms around his neck and we swayed to the music.
"Where have you been?" He asked.
"No talking for a bit." I told him and leaned my head on his shoulder.
He kissed the top of my head and held me. I wanted to tell him, but I've already had a bad night and I wasn't going to ruin his. It was nice to just be with him. I needed him. I had never wanted to be with anyone so much as I did with him. Then I took my head off of his shoulder and looked up at his grey-blue eyes.
"I need air, want to come?" I asked him.
He nodded and we held hands as we walked out to the courtyard together. We sat at a bench. I looked up at the sky. He did the same. And together we saw a shooting star.
"Make a wish." I told him.
"I wish to be with you forever, and never see a day that we are apart." He said, looking over at me.
I looked at him. His small smile made my heart shatter. It made me ask one thing.
"And if today was the last time you were going to see me, what would you say?"
"I would tell you that I'll wait. And count all the days until I could see you again."
"You can't do that Draco. You can't wait for me. I won't let you just wait for me."
"You don't get to make that choice for me, Rave." He said.
"I would say thank you, for every amazing day I spent with you." I told him.
"Please don't say that, I'm not going anywhere."
His smile was gone and he grabbed my hand in his.
"And I would tell you I love you. I always will." I said.
"Don't say that, Raven. Please don't say that." He almost begged.
"I always will love you."
"And I love you."
"Then I would leave and not look back-"
"No, Raven, no, you would look back."
"Because seeing you would make it harder to leave. But then I would never have the chance to tell you how sorry I am and how much I love you."
"Is something going on?" He asked me, "Where is this all coming from?"
I couldn't bear to look at him.
"I can't tell you. I would if I could, but I can't." I told him.
"You can tell me anything. You know that." He said.
"I know, but not this. You will know, but just yet." I said.
I was done with tonight. I just wanted to go to bed. We both stood up and walked inside and to the common room. We sat together on one of the couches and I took off my heels.
"Did you at least enjoy yourself?" He asked me.
"I enjoyed dancing with Zabini, and dancing with you. But I found out that Corner is a werewolf."
"I knew it." He whispered.
"And I talked to Nexxremys." I added.
"That's not good." He said.
"We argued, like usual, but Corner made me promise to be nice tonight. I was for the most part, but I wanted to hex her so bad for ruining so much of my life." I told him.
"But you have me." he said.
"The only part of my world that she can't ruin." I smiled.
I leaned my head on his shoulder and looked into the fire. The sound of the crackling of the fire made my eyes heavy, and soon I fell into a dreamless sleep.
A/n
Word count: 8197
Wow! Another chapter? And its long? Whatttt? Thank goodness for the Christmas break, where I can actually stay up all night and write. I have been waiting so long to write this chapter!!!! Thanks for sticking with me through this whole process. I am not going to stop any time soon.
Question, With Raven's whole sentimental attitude lately, do you think this is her new beginning? Is she going to be raised a Snape, and stay a Snape? Attitude wise, of course.
Luvz, Spade