Disclaimer: I do not own the wonderful world of Harry Potter. That belongs to Queen Rowling. However, I like to play around in her giant sandbox from time to time. Also, any music/books/tv shows/movies mentioned in this fic do not belong to me.

Author's Note: This first chapter is a little...graphic. It has to be, it's the set up for the entire story. I hope you al enjoy and please, drop me a review, they're my lifeline!

This will all be over soon

Like pouring salt into an open wound

Is it over yet?

Let me in

So sacrifice yourself

And let me have what's left

I know that I can find the fire in your eyes

I'm going all the way, get away, please

You take the breath right out of me

You left a hole where my heart should be

I've got to fight just to make it through

Because I'll be the death of you

-Breaking Benjamin

April 30th, 1998

"Are you sure that's not too heavy for you?" Neville Longbottom turned to look at his companion, Hannah Abbott, as she climbed down the portrait hole from The Hog's Head and into the tunnel. Hannah rolled her blue eyes.

"No, Nev, I told you, it's fine." She replied for what felt like the hundredth time. They were carrying boxes of food back to their friends in the Room of Requirement and some of the boxes were quite full.

"All right," Neville told her, frowning slightly. "If you're sure."

"I am." She reassured him. "Come on; let's go, before the others get worried."

Neville lit his wand and tucked it in the band of his trousers to light the way. He was carrying three times the weight Hannah was, but he still felt guilty. He didn't know why, maybe it was because she was a girl? A beautiful girl with eyes that sparkled like the sun on the water off Blackpool Pier, where he had spent many hours as a child, and blonde hair that reminded him of those warm, sunny days… He mentally shook himself. Not the time or the place, he thought. There was a war on, for Merlin's sake! He didn't have time to be mooning over Hannah, even though had had strong feelings for her since fifth year. No, this was not the time at all.

Behind him, Hannah walked carefully, trying to pay more attention to where she was going, and less on Neville's bum. It was a nice bum, she thought. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. There were much more important things to think about, weren't there? But she couldn't seem to help it. She and Neville had always been friends, since their first year, but it wasn't until this past year that she had begun to see him differently. He had really stepped up in Harry's absence, taking a stand for Dumbledore's Army. And he'd grown quite handsome as well, she thought. When had he gotten so tall, so muscular under his slightly dorky sweaters? And he was always so sweet to her, making sure she had enough food, enough to drink, that she was okay. How could she help but fall in love with him?

They never spoke of it, of course, the tension that was slowly mounting between them like hot bubbling lava. This wasn't the time, nor the place, what with the war that was going on. But then again, what if this was their last chance? It's not like they were ever alone.

"Neville?" She said suddenly. He turned to look at her. "Maybe we could rest for a tick? I'm getting a little tired…"

"Oh, sure, of course." He said.

They put their box's down and sat on the floor of the tunnel, side by side.

"Are you afraid?" She asked out of the blue.

"What?" Neville looked at her. Her pink cheeks were slightly flushed and her hair disheveled. Had she ever looked more beautiful?

"I said, are you afraid?" Hannah repeated herself.

"Of what?" He countered, though he thought he knew the answer already.

"Of….this." Hannah waved her arms about. "We can't stay in the Room of Requirement forever and this is going to boil over soon, you know? People could die. People probably will die. Our friends. You or I, even."

He thought for a moment. "Yeah," He admitted. "I am afraid. I'd be crazy not to be, but you can't let that stop you from standing up for what's right, Hannah. You have to take a stand, no matter what the cost."

And, without even meaning to do it, he reached out and caressed her cheek with his hand. She caught his fingers in her own and brought them to her lips, kissing each one gently. Neville's eyes widened slightly as she pulled him closer and their lips met. She was sure this was his first kiss; it was tentative at first, but became hungrier as it went on. His hands in her hair, on her sides, up and down her back.

He pulled back. "Maybe we should-."

Hannah cut him off with another kiss. She took his hand and slowly placed it on her breast. "This could be our last chance." She whispered. "Let's not waste it."

And they were kissing again, and she was pulling his shirt over his head and he was fumbling with the buttons of her sweater. She lay back on the hard packed dirt of the tunnel as his hands slid up her legs and under her skirt. She looked up at him, looming above her slightly.

"Make love to me, Neville." She said. "Make me forget for just a little while that the world is upside down."

He was trembling when he came to her, and she reached her hand down to find his manhood, hard and bigger than she expected. He sucked in his breath when she closed her hand around it and helped guide him himself inside her. It hurt, a little, but she didn't mind. They stayed like that for a minute, quite still, connected as one. And when he began to move inside her, she gripped his bare shoulders. This is what it feels like to be alive, she thought to herself. It didn't take very long; she felt him shudder hard, as something hot shot inside her and he moaned quietly, burying his face in the side of her neck. She stroked his hair until the shuddering stopped.

He lifted his head. "I love you." He told her. "I've loved you since fifth year…I just didn't know how to tell you."

She kissed his nose. "I love you too." She said back.

They lay like that for a bit, but then Neville sighed.

"We better get back," He said. "Or they'll wonder what's become of us."

They dressed without speaking, but before she could pick up her boxes, he grabbed her and kissed her again. "No matter what happens now, we'll have this." He said when they broke apart. "And when this war is over, we'll have each other. There's nothing to be afraid of, Hannah, not when you have love worth fighting for, okay?"

She nodded. "Okay." And she knew it to be true.

Together they started back up the tunnel.