Six days.

Anna had been in a coma for six days. So for six days, the Trio had been worried out of their minds. They visited Anna often, but Harry had seen her the most.

He felt empty without his best blonde companion. The poor girl had just been trying to comfort Hermione, she did nothing to deserve such a horrible accident.

Speaking of the raven-haired boy, he was sitting at the girl's bedside. Ron and Hermione had just left to get dinner so he had the Hospital Wing to himself. Madame Pomfrey was in her office, as she had been trying to give the grieving boy privacy...especially after the news she had just given him.

If Anna didn't wake up from the coma in three days, they would have no choice but to send her to St. Mungo's, where final decisions would be made.

Poppy Pomfrey had tried everything to revive her. She miraculously mended the girl's cracked skull and stitched the broken skin as well. Unfortunately, she had to shave half of her head to get to the injury.

Harry had taken the news decently well, or so it seemed on the surface. The boy wasn't much of a crier. The Dursley's never taught him that it was okay to show emotion. In sight of others, he just looked blank-faced and depressed. Alone, he definitely shed a few tears.

He also had a horrible tendency of talking to the girl. It was sweet, but he definitely talked to her more than the conscious people around him. Sometimes he would come in and just tell her how his day had been, other times he would read assigned chapters from textbooks out loud to her.

But most of the time, he would convince her that she would be strong enough to make it. Or he would talk about how he felt lost without her and how much she meant to him.

"Today was okay," started the boy, gazing down at Anna's seemingly peaceful expression. It was as if she were sleeping...minus the half-shaved head. He had grown used to it and actually thought it was kind of cool. "Classes were odd without you, as usual. Snape picked on me today, I've just about had enough of the 'greasy git', as Ron would say. I just-"

Harry was cut off by the sound of the door opening. He was met with the sight of Draco Malfoy.

"Malfoy?" he asked bitterly. "Why are you here?"

The boy scoffed. "Why are you here, Potter? She's my cousin. And why were you talking to yourself? Have you gone mad?"

"I'm here because she's my best friend," he muttered, ignoring the last part of the question.

"I've heard you've been here too much, thought you may have finally been gone to get dinner," started Malfoy. He sat in the chair on the other side of her bed, making himself comfortable. "You're gonna die of malnutrition, Potter. You came into the school looking like you've been starved your whole life, you're probably not even gonna make it out."

"Sorry we aren't all spoiled gits like you."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Just eat a sandwich, Potter, it's not that hard."

Harry just ignored him, taking a sudden interest in the Potions textbook he had brought with him. He had planned on reading it to Anna, but decided to do so later.

Yet the blond boy kept talking. "So, Potter, do you just sit here all day?"

"None of your business."

"Boring...hm, fits you-"

"Can you just leave?" asked Harry irritably. "You have no reason to come here-"

"She's my cousin!" exclaimed Draco, his grey eyes wide. "And besides, I'm just trying to converse with you, Potter, stop being so ungrateful."

"Thanks for blessing me with your presence, but I think I've had enough," grumbled Harry.

"You're welcome."

"You don't even know Anna, though. I doubt she even likes you."

"I would get to know her if you and Weaslebee didn't suffocate her," explained Draco. The expression on his face was a mixture of a frown and smirk. "I speak a word to her and you're up my arse. You're lucky I don't tell my father about-"

"Yeah yeah," muttered Harry, gathering his things. He felt a tinge of guilt for not allowing Anna to meet the only family she had left. "I'm going to the Great Hall. If something happens when I'm gone, it's your fault."

Draco smirked. "What if she comes back, hm? Will you reconsider my offer of friendship, Potter?"

"In your dreams."

With that, the raven-haired boy left the room, gently closing the door behind him. Draco was left in silence and he was unsure of what to do next. He studied the girl before him.

He thought back to the first day. He knew it was her from first glance at King's Cross. Even in passing, he saw the features similar to his own. A sharp facial structure, pale skin, grey eyes, and while not as light as his, she still had shiny blonde hair, despite it half being shaved off.

There was a weight in his chest. He couldn't quite figure it out, but the feeling was loneliness. He never had a sibling or cousin his age. He was raised strictly under Lucius with only a tinge of love from his mother.

Yes, Harry was right, he was spoiled and lucky for it. But the thing he never had was companionship nor did he know how to obtain it.

He held onto the prospect of being close with Anna. Honestly, the boy didn't even care that she was a half-blooded Gryffindor. The only thing he despised was that they weren't together in the same house, and that she seemed to have such a low view of Slytherins, considering the fact that she denied her sorting.

Anna was strong and independent and a damn good witch. Draco genuinely respected and liked her, it was a shame Potter ruined it, right? The two came as a package deal, there was no way he could swing it.

"Hey, Anna," started the boy, deciding to pick up on Harry's habit. "I'm sure you can't hear a thing anyone says to you, but it's one of the only times I can talk to you without Potter or Weaslebee interrupting. You know, you're not too bad for growing up in the muggle world. I wouldn't mind being friends.

"We're cousins, you know. I've never had a family member like you. I like that you're different. I doubt my father would approve if he knew, but I don't really care. My mum would probably like you, as long as I do. I hate to get sappy but...well, I'm worried, Anna. I heard you may die...before we even got to know each other."

Draco swallowed the lump in his throat. He was so confused why he was getting emotional, he never did so.

"Look, obviously Potter isn't helping any, so I'm going to try. I don't know where you are or if you can hear me, but you should come back. I care about you, and a lot of other people do too. Please come back."

~=~

Anna Black was not conscious in the real world.

Well, not quite, at least.

The girl had been in a daze between life and death since the accident. As much as she hated to admit it, she loved it. Everything was so peaceful. She was in a meadow, endless beautiful nature around her. She was dressed in a flowing white dress and she felt at peace, like she belonged here rather than the dull, cruel, boring world.

There was only one downside though...the voices.

The girl absolutely hated the voices that came from the sky. She felt terrorized by them, unable to escape reality while in this safe haven. They would say...

"Anna, you can make it,"

"Snap out of your coma,"

"You're strong,"

"I know you can do it,"

The voices were so pleading and depressing. The girl knew they were the voices of her classmates and teachers. Harry's voice rang out quite often. It was the most unbearable of them all, but she was even more shocked to hear the current voice followed by crying.

Draco Lucius Malfoy. Her cruel, merciless, idiot cousin.

It was a revelation for the girl, that she had so much to experience. She didn't even get the chance to know her only cousin at the school, she didn't even know that he actually cared about her until that moment.

Anna felt a hand on her shoulder, shaking her from her thoughts as she was staring at the sky. She turned around and gasped upon the sight.

"Oh...mom, is that you?" she asked, shocked.

The woman gave a soft smile and nod. Her appearance was so similar to the girl's. Everything matched except for the eyes.

Leah Kendricks was also donned in a white gown. She was tall with a strong build. Her face was one that held immense beauty, but also a wisdom that only the feeling of immense pain could give. Her face was angled just right, her eyes a beautiful blue color with flecks of hazel.

"Why are you here?" asked Anna quickly, the words stumbling out of her mouth.

"Oh, so you're not happy to see me?" asked the woman coldly, but she quickly broke the demeanour and roared with laughter. "I'm just kidding, honey. I'm here because you have a tough road ahead of you. You have a big decision to make. I'm sure you already know."

Anna loved hearing her mother speak. She had never heard her do so before. The American accent made her feel so at home, and her loud laugh was a rare one for sure, it was so contagious.

She thought of the possibility of growing up with this goddess-like woman as her mother.

Her life could have been so good.

"I want to stay," stated the girl, having the courage to stare down the woman. "It's too good to leave."

"Or it may be too good to be true," suggested Leah sadly.

"But you said it's a choice-"

"Of course, at the end of the day you decide your fate," she explained. "You're in this odd place between life and death. It's rare anyone comes through here, but this barrier is why you can hear both those living and see me, which I'm obviously dead."

Anna asked, "What do you think I should do?"

Leah stayed silent for a few seconds, deep in thought. "Well, of course I would love to have you. You would be safer here and we could finally be together. But I think back to my life...I died too young. I was only 22, you know. I would hate for you to understand such regret.

"But, not only that, you have so much more to your story. You just arrived at Hogwarts, you still have yet to realize what your purpose is. Harry will suffer alone in defeating Voldemort-"

"Can he do it on his own?" interrupted Anna, immediately realizing how selfish of a question it was.

"I'm sure he could, yes, but it will be difficult and lonely. You need to worry about you. Make this decision for you, not anyone else. It is safe here, but is it really living?"

Anna's gaze lowered to the ground. She was genuinely torn. Her mother and a safe haven was right before her, so easy to grasp onto. Yet she had a whole life to live...but it would be a hard one.

"How much time do I have to choose?"

Leah gave a sympathetic smile. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you must choose now. That is why I'm here, to guide you back to your life or to bring you to the next place."

Anna nodded, giving into her instinct. "I know what to do."

~A section in which old inline comments are preserved and you are allowed to make fun of my horrific writing~

"You can make it, I know you can. Your strong. I just don't know what I would do without you... I love you," I choked out the last part because I had a huge lump in my throat. I just wanted her to make it. I haven't slept in days and I was so tired. I layed my head down on the end table next to me and drifted off to sleep.

^oh my god...they are ELEVEN! y i do dis

"Snap out of your coma,"

^thanks, Ronald

"You have to choose between life and death. You can come with me and leave your worries behind. Or you can go back to your friends and complete your quest with Harry," she said.

^to answer the comments, no, she is not a demigod. I'm not THAT extra with the plot

"I think I will..."

^haaaa, you guys are brutal, I'm sorry I was small brain

CLIFFHANGER!!! Yeah, I know you hate me...... But, I will update soon, I promise! So... I don't have much to say. So just don't forget to vote and comment and keep reading! What do you think she will choose? PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! Keep being amazing! :)

^someone literally called me a bitch, others said they hate me, so thanks for that. it's not like there's seven books or anything :)