Disclaimer: I own no characters because I am just a poor, broke school girl. JKR rules all.
The lines from the books are in italics and are from the respective pages of Deathly Hallows (US edition): 576, 608, and 608 once more.
A/N: So this has been floating in my head for a while now, and I finally decided I needed to put it out on paper. There are still parts I don't like 100%, but what the heck. Hope you enjoy.
A Small Pause
In the beginning it was all a haze. He vaguely remembered pulling his tired ass out of the hammock, stumbling and landing painfully on all fours on the wooden planked floor. He reached for his wand in his pajama pocket as Terry Boot grumbled in another hammock, the Room slowly coming out of their deep sleep.
He then heard Neville exclaim loudly in the corner, "Oh! I wonder if it's them! Hey," he called to the awaking room, "I'm going to the Hog's Head! Aberforth's got something!" And with that, the door to the secret passageway snapped shut and Neville was gone.
Groaning, Ernie drew his pajama sleeve over his drowsy eyes. A few moments later, the rest of the D.A. staggered out of their hammocks, pulling robes over sleeping garments. The few students who had been clustered in the chairs by the wireless talking with Neville (Parvati, Padma, Lavender, and Seamus) stood alert by the secret entrance that Longbottom had just disappeared down, conversing in low tones.
"Oi, what's going on?" a cranky Anthony Goldstein yelled, descending the balcony where his high-hanging cobalt hammock swung. Ernie frowned inwardly- he had wanted that hammock, and instead he was stuck with this disgusting mustard one. He shook himself into reality. On the ground, Anthony had started arguing with Padma. Anthony was generally a very genial person so it was surprising that he was this irritable.
Then Ernie had to remind himself that everyone was on edge- they had been stuck in the Room for two weeks, only ever leaving to sneak up to their dorms for books or other personal possessions and even then it was always carefully under the cover of darkness. The last time he'd been outside was ten days ago, his second day in the Room.
The small group had set up camp here, creating a small library and study space with comfortable, cushy pillows, and they sometimes even magicked the hammocks to the edges of the room and had a makeshift Quidditch match, usually boys against girls. A stolen crystal ball functioned as the Quaffle, two large rock cakes (Hagrid's Christmas present to Neville this year) served as Bludgers, and a bewitched Dungbomb made for a very interesting Snitch. They had grown close over the past fortnight, twenty kids stuck in a room together. It was kind of impossible not to. He glanced at the uneasy crowd around Padma and Anthony, who were practically clawing each other's faces off. He snorted.
So much for unity.
"How dare you?" she shrieked, shoving the blond-haired boy's shoulders furiously. "How dare you say that? You are a part of Dumbledore's Army, Anthony, but if you can't handle fighting against the Carrows and the Dark Lord, fighting with Harry and for our families, well then, you can just walk out of here and go back to your dorm. We won't care, so get out! Get out!" She was livid, panting, face pressed into his enraged one. Anthony was about to retaliate when Seamus squeezed in between them, his bruised face infuriated.
"Hey!" he roared. "Enough! Shut up, all right? Neville's gone to get something from Aberforth and we're going to be respectfully waiting until he gets back, ya hear me? We're not sure but we think it's Potter, so-"
At the mention of Harry, the stormy tension in the room was suddenly gone, replaced with excited shouts and shocked roars from the assembly. Ernie laughed, elated, at the joyful clamor around him. He caught sight of Hannah, smiling and looking very cute but also extraordinarily sexy in pigtails. He didn't know it was possible to look seductive in pigtails. Grinning to himself, he threw an arm around Michael Corner and another around Lavender Brown. Everyone saw (but pretended not to notice) when Padma squealed and threw herself into Anthony's embrace.
It was Parvati who spoke next.
"Hello!" she called over the din. "Is this how we want to look if Harry comes marching back in? Like a bunch of kids? No- we're Dumbledore's Army, so we're going to look professional, okay? Everyone gather around, Neville will be back any moment."
The room was electrified with anticipation, and the crowd hurried to organize themselves in a presentable manner. Ernie could barely stand it. If Harry was back, then he could help them overthrow the Carrows…
It seemed they waited for hours before they could hear Neville plodding up the stairs. The door swung open, and Neville emerged, beaming.
"Look who it is! Didn't I tell you?"
The rest was a blur of elated voices welcoming the Trio back- and then suddenly Harry was gone with Luna to Ravenclaw Tower and Hermione and Ron were off to go to some bathroom, and then the Room was filling with Order members and other D.A. students.
It was all too much for Ernie, so he found a quiet corner in the bathroom and leaned his forehead against the cool mirror to collect himself. A quiet touch roused him from his thoughts, and Hannah was beside him, smiling faintly. He didn't ask what she was doing in the wrong bathroom. They just embraced each other as was their usual habit, and he buried his nose in her hair, inhaling her sweet cherry shampoo. He almost kissed her then. But he didn't.
Harry was back in the Room of Requirement, saying something about Voldemort and a barricade. Blood rushed through his body, blocking out all thoughts, leaving just a feeling of impatience and rage- was this the moment when he could avenge his friends who had suffered at the hands of the Dark Lord?
They entered the Great Hall, the D.A. separating into their own houses. There was no need to fear the Carrows anymore- they were tied up. McGonagall was standing at the platform, speaking, but he couldn't hear. Ernie's blood was pumping through his veins- they were going to fight, they were going to fight, for real, actually- when he heard from far away:
"Evacuation will be overseen by Mr. Filch and Madam Pomfrey. Prefects, when I give the word, you will organize your House and take your charges, in an orderly fashion, to the evacuation point."
The power he had felt surging through him a moment ago was gone, replaced by a horrified squeezing. What? Shock. They were not allowed to fight? But- but-
And somehow he was standing, channeling all his astonishment and wrath into his words.
"And what if we want to stay and fight?"
Battle strategies were being thrown left and right, but Ernie didn't hear them. He could only focus on the wand clenched in his right hand and the sounds his feet made against the stone floor. Now was when he would get his revenge for all the pain Voldemort had caused. Justin, denied from Hogwarts. Hannah's mother, dead. Cedric, murdered. The list went on.
He was fighting, the lust for pain coursing through every nerve. Later, he would be almost appalled by his uncharacteristic show of vicious hate, his desire to cause unbearable suffering. He supposed it wasn't just him- doesn't everyone do things they're not proud of when the need calls for it?
It was a mash of spells, jinxes, and curses. Giants, spiders, and masked followers of Voldemort swarmed around, and he was only aware of the jets of light shooting from his wand tip and smashing into their bodies. He was aware that Luna, Seamus, and he performed the Patronus Charm to save the Trio. Feeling victorious as his boar charged at the dementors, he cast another spell at an approaching Death Eater and moved to continue his rampage.
But just as he turned, he caught a flash of blonde hair in the edge of his vision. Hannah was violently dueling a long-faced snarling man, her face screwed in concentration as her wand whipped through the air. Merlin, she was beautiful.
The anger in his body lessened some, and he knew what he had to do. Quickly Stunning the unsuspecting Death Eater, he called to Hannah.
"Come here! I need to talk to you!"
Whirling about, she expertly Disarmed another Death Eater about to jinx her.
"Can't you tell I'm rather busy at the moment, Ernie?"
But he had a purpose. Swiftly Stunning several impending Death Eaters, Ernie marched towards her. The need was too great.
Roughly pulling her behind a shattered statue, he cast a Shield Charm around them. Pressing her back against the wall, he placed his fists on either side of her face, preventing her from escaping.
Her seething protests stopped when she heard the urgency in his voice.
"Hannah. I don't know if I'm going to die today or if you are. We both might. But I want you to know that I love you. I've loved you for a long time. And if we, by some miracle, get out of this alive I want you to marry me. I need you. Hannah. Merlin, you're so beautiful, so strong." His voice cracked from the effort of not crushing her in his arms. "You are the most amazing person on this earth and I want to be with you forever. So if we survive today, Hannah Abbott, will you marry me?"
He stared into her eyes that were so blue and amazed. He thought he caught the sight of a tear vanishing from her cheek.
She looked at him, and at that moment he knew that if he died today, he would die the happiest man in the world.
"Yes. Yes... I love you too."
Her response was choked and uneven but it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard.
And by some means they were kissing. It was so small but in the taste of her mouth he could sense the whole world. He could feel the sweat of the fight, the desire for justice, the pain of death, the exhaustion of resistance, the warm love she carried for him, the chocolate cake she'd had for dessert, the peppermint lip balm she used. He wanted to drink in this moment and never stop.
"Hey! Abbott, Macmillan, now is NOT the time for kissing!"
Lee Jordan waltzed by them, a disapproving smile on his face as he battled two Death Eaters, dodging their curses and laughing all the while.
With a grin, Hannah peered into his eyes. "Well," she whispered softly. "We really should be getting back."
He let a sarcastic smile play across his lips. "Yeah, maybe we should. Maybe not."
He captured her lips in one more kiss, longer this time. They broke apart quickly, if not a little reluctantly. But the way was clear and open, waiting for them. They only needed to take a step.
"Come on," she beckoned. And with that, he took her hand and they strode back into the fray, the thick of the fight, hand in hand and ready for what was to come.
A/N: So there it is. Please review, I'm always delighted when I get constructive criticism :) It makes me happy.
Kiles