Christmas at Saint Mungo's

[Ravyn Daniels]

Spoiler: Visiting Chloe, In Noctem

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNJHO0sON4M

Ravyn and Erica had left James' wedding which judging by how they were acting seemed for the best. Ravyn wanted to visit Chloe and knew that Erica did as well. Her parents were probably going to be waiting for them as they had for three years, they seemed to depend on them coming as a sort've proof that their daughter had not been forgotten by the outside world. Ravyn would never forget Chloe and would never forgive herself if she had missed seeing her and she knew that Erica felt the same. Ravyn, Erica and Chloe were the Tripod, three pieces of a whole that depended on each other. It didn't seem plausible that without one the others would be able to go on standing and indeed it was difficult to do so every year knowing that Chloe was missing it.

 

[Erica Matthews]

As Erica entered the hospital with Ravyn she felt the tears come back but decided to keep them in, the last thing she wanted was to see Chloe's parents crying since she knew that they had probably done their fair share already. Erica didn't know what they would've done if Chloe had been killed the night she was attacked though she sometimes wondered if that would've been better, more merciful rather then the state she was in where she was literally trapped inside her own body. Erica could only hope that she would snap out of it one day and come back to them the same way she was the night she was taken. "It was a nice ceremony wasn't it?" Erica said to Ravyn as they made their way up to Chloe's room.

 

[Ravyn Daniels]

"Yes, it was very beautiful" Ravyn said with a smile as they headed up the stairs slowly, they could've used the elevator but since the first night they came here they had always used the stair, perhaps as a last ditch effort to by time, so that something could come to them and tell them it was all a joke and that their friend wasn't lying in a bed unable to wake up. "I'm glad you were able to come" Ravyn said with another smile as she turned towards Erica and took her hand. The last bit of stairs had always been difficult to go especially on Christmas. Ravyn knew she ought to tell Erica about the interview James and Kiera wanted her to do but also knew that now wasn't the time. This was about friendship, a friendship that was all but lost.

 

[Erica Matthews]

"I was honestly surprised James invited me, I think he did so because he didn't want you to be alone" Erica said in a half joking manner since she and James were not as close as Ravyn and him. As Erica and Ravyn made their way into the hallway they could see Chloe's door, it was closed slightly though a crack had been left so that they could enter without having to open it fully. Erica felt a pain in her heart and stopped a moment and had to take a few deep breaths, she never had trouble visiting Chloe throughout the rest of the year but Christmas was definitely the hardest since it always brought back memories of the night Chloe had been brought in. The tears that had been shed on that horrid night and the tears that had been shed since, Erica was glad she had Ravyn with her and didn't know what she would do if she had to do this alone.

 

[Ravyn Daniels]

"It's okay" Ravyn said as she watched her friend stop, Ravyn felt the same pain but hid it very well. She had always seemed the strongest of the three and always felt the need to be so even if it was difficult at times. Ravyn guided Erica farther as she walked to Chloe's door trying to mask the pain that she felt inside with happiness that she didn't feel anymore. As they opened the door Ravyn saw Mr. and Mrs. Mack sitting by her side, Mrs. Mack was crying though quickly composed herself at the sight of Ravyn and Erica. "Good evening, I hope all is well" Ravyn said with a smile though their was definitely a shakiness that was never present in her voice as she said this. Ravyn didn't want to look at Chloe because she had to be strong, especially when she was talking to Chloe's parents who at times seemed to depend on her as much as Erica.

 

[Erica Matthews]

As Erica entered Chloe's room she heard Ravyn exchange pleasantries with Chloe's parents though she was focused on them, her eyes immediately turned towards Chloe who lied in her bed with her eyes closed as though she were simply asleep. Her eyes fluttered a couple times like they did when Erica had first seen them and hoped that they meant she could hear them and would return soon. That was over two years ago and she had remained in her coma still so that now Erica wondered if Chloe could hear them. Erica let go of Ravyn's hand as she walked over to Chloe, her parents stepped out to give them a moment as Erica looked down and brushed Chloe's hair slightly "Merry Christmas Chloe" Erica said as tears began to fill her eyes.

 

[Ravyn Daniels]

Ravyn said thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Mack as they stepped out and gave Erica and herself time alone with Chloe. Erica wished Chloe a merry Christmas as Ravyn walked to her side and looked at Chloe trying to be strong though feeling as though she were weak instead. "Hello Sweetheart" Ravyn said with a smile as she looked at Chloe and noticed that her eyes fluttered again causing both a pain and a jump in Ravyn's heart "I hope your doing well, we just came from James' Potter's wedding" Ravyn said as she gave a little laugh "I know, it's hard to believe that little James beat us all to the alter isn't it" Ravyn said feeling better as she talked with Chloe just as she had when Chloe was awake and responsive. Ravyn didn't know why but it did help with the grief they felt, even if Chloe wasn't dead they all felt it.

 

[Erica Matthews]

Erica listened as Ravyn spoke to Chloe as if she would actually join the conversation at any moment. The tears in her eyes grew stronger as Erica felt the regret at not having been by Chloe's side more, she needed them and Cynthia had been right, they did abandoned their friend to return to their lives. Erica couldn't fight back the tears as she looked down at her friend wishing that she would wake up and forgive them for not being with her at her gravest moment. "wake up" Erica whispered as she touched Chloe's hand hoping that it would do something though nothing happened. "Please Chlo, wake up" Erica repeated a little louder as she wiggled Chloe's hand. "We need you Chloe so WAKE UP!" Erica said with a shout as she shook her friend's hand though it was warm it felt so lifeless that it threatened to consume Erica's heart.

 

[Ravyn Daniels]

Ravyn tried not to let her sadness overwhelm her as she continued to talk with Chloe though she noticed Erica sitting down beside her whispering something as she took her hand. When Erica had shouted to Chloe to wake up Ravyn grabbed her shoulders, not in a hard way but in a simple guiding way as she placed her head on her friend's neck "It's okay Erica, It's okay" Ravyn whispered in a soothing tone. This was why she had to be strong because if she wasn't then she would fall to pieces like Erica and while deep down she wanted to so badly she knew that she had to help her friend. That was more important then her own needs, "Chloe will wake up on her own time, you know that" Ravyn whispered knowing that indeed Chloe had always seemed to have her own time scheduled and moved accordingly to it's wishes and not to anyone else.

 

[Erica Matthews]

"No!" Erica snapped turning towards Ravyn after having shook her off her shoulder "It's not okay, why hasn't she woken up like the others" Erica asked knowing that Ravyn must've wondered the same thing. "What makes her so different that they would wake up but she has to stay here, like this!" Erica said as the tears flowed freely. Erica wanted her friend back and knew that Ravyn did too, Ravyn didn't cry because she knew that Erica would and Erica cried because she knew that Chloe couldn't. They had been friends since they first entered Hogwarts and yet somewhere everything had gone wrong, they were able to move on like the rest of the students and yet Chloe was trapped. It wasn't fair and it wasn't right, not for Chloe and not for any of them.

 

[Ravyn Daniels]

Ravyn wasn't mad that Erica had snapped at her nor did she show any emotion other then kindness and understanding, "Why was Chloe attacked that night when so many others like ourselves weren't?" Ravyn asked Erica knowing that it wouldn't help to argue but feeling like she had to in order to calm her friend. "It's just the way it happened, we couldn't do anything about it" Ravyn said as tears began trying to enter her eyes however were pushed back by Ravyn's determination. "I know you think it's our fault because we weren't there but it wasn't" Ravyn said even though she didn't actually believe it herself, she had long spent days even months wondering if things might have been different if she had been there to protect her friend like she had when they were at school.

 

[Erica Matthews]

"It was our fault" Erica said as she cried a bit harder "If we had been there she wouldn't have ended up like this" Erica said as she stood up and faced Ravyn, "It's still our fault because we gave up on her" Erica said remembering Cynthia's words all too clear. "I should've continued trying to bring her back but instead I wanted to be the nice reporter and not hurt anyone and now I'm here watching one of my best friends lie helpless in a bed and I still have nothing to say to her" Erica said as she looked at Chloe and felt the pain dig deeper. Would it always be this hard to see her friend? Would it be worse next year if another year had gone by and she still didn't have anything that could bring back her friend? "Why haven't we brought her back, you know she believes that we will!" Erica said as she looked at Ravyn once more for both guidance and comfort.

 

[Ravyn Daniels]

"Who's talking to me right now?" Ravyn said with as much strength as she could muster at the moment, Erica was telling her the same things she had felt inside for the past three years but Ravyn knew that it wasn't her that had ever believed that. "This is because of Vandervoort isn't it?" Ravyn said as she walked up to Erica "Chloe would never be mad at us for what happened to her and would never forgive us if we sat down at her bed for the rest of our life and never moved, she would want us to try and move on and be strong" Ravyn said knowing that she didn't fully believe it herself. "She would be happy that we're trying to do what she would want, we haven't forgotten her and we've beaten ourselves more then enough for what happened" Ravyn said trying to make herself believe as much as Erica "don't listen to what Vandervoort has to say because she knows nothing about friendship or what we've gone through" Ravyn said sternly.

 

[Erica Matthews]

"Then why do I feel like she's right and we have betrayed Chloe?" Erica said as more tears streamed down her eyes, she hated crying but couldn't keep them back as they kept flowing with passion and indignation. Erica looked up and tried to mask her sadness "Hagrid! It's good to see you" Erica said as she walked past Ravyn and opened the door fully for the half giant that had came to visit their friend. He already had a large handkerchief in hand as tears came out of his beetle like eyes. "I'll give you a moment with Chloe I'm just going to step out for a moment" Erica said as she walked by him a not so easy feat considering he took up the entire door way. Erica just felt like she needed a moment to get a grip on herself so that she could spend Christmas with Chloe properly.

 

[Ravyn Daniels]

Ravyn listened halfheartedly as Hagrid mentioned he couldn't stay long since Grawp was home alone and Hagrid would need to get back to him instead she simply nodded as she walked past him into the hallway with Erica. She could see Chloe's parents as her mother cried hard into her father's chest and noticed the tears that were in his eyes as well. Ravyn could see that Erica was trying to control herself as she walked up to her and put her arms around her once more to help her. "Chloe hates it when we argue" Ravyn said kindly as she thought about how Chloe had always tried to play the peacekeeper when Ravyn had wanted to get in trouble and Erica had wanted to study. "We have to be strong for her, she needs us to be" Ravyn said though finding it hard to be strong.

 

[Erica Matthews]

"I wish I could be strong Ray" Erica said as she walked away brushing Ravyn off once more. "I don't know how you do it, I just know that I can't" Erica said as she looked back into Chloe's room and saw Hagrid crying though obviously trying to have a conversation with her. "I just wish there was some way we could help her, with all the magic that's out there" Erica said feeling a bit angry that she was a witch that couldn't do anything to help her friend. Chloe had been so happy when she had received her letter because she came from muggles yet she had been even more happy to see the magical creatures that had existed when she came to Hogwarts and had formed a life long friendship with the COMC Professor, Hagrid. "I'm sorry" Erica said knowing that she really had nothing to apologize about since Ravyn understood.