A/N: This story will be a oneshot and it's for Ancient Runes assignment 4 on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry… This will also be written for the Character Boost Challenge on Harry Potter Fanfiction Challenge Forum! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own HP!

Task: A light in the darkness. You can interpret that however you'd like, but it must be clear in the story.

Extra Prompts: Colour: Yellow

Word: Harmony

Word: Protection

Word: Unity

Word: Spiritual

Character Boost Challenge: Lisa Turpin

Word Count: 1,796 words

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Lisa Turpin looked out over the Astronomy tower at the new moon and sighed. She felt so alone and disconnected from everything that she just wasn't sure what to do. She had lost her whole family before Harry Potter finally put an end to Voldemort's reign of terror. She was grateful that he had killed the bastard who had ordered her family to be killed all because they refused to join him. She ran a hand through her hair as she wondered just how much more she could take because in all honesty she felt like giving up.

The only reason she hadn't given up yet is because of one boy who has been making it his life's work to get her to smile at least once a day. Even though everything was so screwed up she had to admit even if only to herself that Dean Thomas was her light in the darkness that she was lost in. She knew that if he wasn't around that she would have given up and done something stupid already. When she heard footsteps behind her she didn't even bother looking to see who it was because she knew without a doubt that it was Dean. "My mother loved Astronomy so I come here just so that I can feel closer to her. When I'm up here I can actually feel something other than the numbness I have been feeling."

Dean wrapped an arm around Lisa's waist and pulled her into his side. He kissed her on the top of her head and sighed softly. "Lisa, I wish I could take away the hurt that you are feeling, but unfortunately I can't. However, what I can and will do is offer you my shoulder for anytime you need to lean on it. I can and will offer you my protection and we both know that, that will make sure that those who have dared to look at you wrong or say something they shouldn't stop doing it. My protection also comes with Harry's protection. I wish I could say that the pain and hurt you are feeling over losing your family will go away, but I refuse to lie to you. While the pain and hurt won't go away completely over time it will lessen."

Lisa laid her head on Dean's shoulder. "Did you know that the reason I have been wearing so much yellow is because it was my father's favorite color? I wanted to honor him in some way and I figured that wearing yellow was a good way to do that. You in some ways remind me of my father because of the kind of man you are. You have a kind word for everyone and even when someone makes you angry you find a way to address the issue without resorting to violence. My parents were always in harmony with one another and that is something that I want."

Dean turned Lisa in his arms so that he could see her face. "Lisa, you can have that if that is what you want. You are not alone and you will NEVER be alone again because I will always be by your side. You need to let your grief out because holding it inside of you like you are is slowly killing you. You can't bottle up your emotions like you have been because it isn't healthy. Just let it all out, Lisa. I promise that I won't let you go."

Lisa lost it at that and let the tears she had refused to cry finally out. Her body racked with sobs and she clutched onto Dean's t-shirt and refused to let it go. She dimly registered Dean whispering words of comfort in her ear as she finally let all the pain she was feeling out. She wasn't sure how she knew it, but she knew that Dean wouldn't let her fall. She knew that he would keep his word and always be there for her. She was right when she had thought that he was her light in the darkness.

She grew weak as she cried and sagged against Dean whom she felt tighten his grip on her before he swung her up into his arms. She wasn't sure where he was going or what he was doing and she really didn't care. She cried into his neck and felt like she was being torn apart by the sobs racking her body. She knew that she needed to calm down, but she couldn't do so and she knew that it was because she had bottled everything up inside of her for way too long. The last thing she heard was Harry Potter ordering people to leave as Dean sat down on something and situated her on his lap because she lost the battle and fell into an exhausted sleep.

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Dean walked through the halls of Hogwarts towards the Gryffindor common room. He knew that there was no way in hell that he was letting Lisa go tonight because she needed him desperately. He also knew that Harry would want to know how Lisa was doing which is why he soon found himself in the Gryffindor common room glaring at anyone who looked at him wrong. He wasn't surprised to see Harry shoo everyone out of the common room and towards their dormitories as the other boy made his way over to where he was now seated with Lisa on his lap.

He hated that she was hurting so much. He had meant everything he said to her because he was in love with her. He wanted to be there for her not only because she needed someone, but because he needed to know that she understood that he cared about her. He was done sitting back and letting her hurt because it was killing him to see her like she had been for the last several weeks. He wished that he could take her pain away from her, but he knew that she needed to embrace the pain and deal with it head-on rather than burying her head in the sand so to speak. He knew that the only way she was going to be able to even start getting past what happened was to deal with everything she has kept bottled inside of her.

He was not going to allow her to hurt herself any more than she already was. He was going to do whatever it was that he had to in order to make sure that she started living again instead of barely existing. He nodded at Harry as the other boy sat down beside him. "Do you think you could make Ron sleep somewhere else rather than our dormitory tonight, Harry? I really don't want to have to listen to him run his mouth about me having Lisa in our dorm room."

Harry's eyes hardened. "Ron will be sleeping in the seventh year dorms tonight and he already knows this, Dean. I had a feeling that you would be bringing Lisa back here and I wanted to make sure that she wouldn't have to deal with Ron or anyone like him. How is she doing? How are you doing?"

Dean shook his head. "She has finally released all of the emotions that she has been bottling up since her family was killed. I truly think that now she can start to heal. She just now fell asleep from all the crying she did."

Harry nodded. "I understand completely, Dean. Lisa will realize that she has you and the rest of us as well. Right now, she needs to know that she isn't alone and that she has never been alone regardless of what she has thought. Ravenclaw for whatever reason hasn't been showing house unity, so we will make Lisa an honorary Gryffindor and show her what it is to be wanted and cared for by a big group of people. You are her light, Dean, and I'm damn sure that she knows this, so I'm only going to warn you once that you had better not hurt her. She may be under your protection, but she is also under mine and I won't allow anyone no matter who they are to hurt her any longer."

Dean smirked. "I told her that she was under your protection, Harry. I also promise you that I will do everything in my power not to hurt her. I will guide her out of the darkness that she is in because she deserves to be in the light. Seeing her the way she had been just about damn near killed me and it made me realize that I was in love with her. I promise you, Harry, that I will make her happy again."

Harry smiled slightly. "I know that you will, Dean. I have no doubt that she is just what you need just like you are exactly what she needs. I already cleared her staying in our dorm room with Professor McGonagall so there won't be any problems from that quarter. Now all we need to do is heal Lisa so that she is once again the happy girl that she used to be."

Dean nodded and stood up. "I'm going to take her to bed, Harry. She really does need to sleep." With that he walked away and up to his dorm. He nodded in thanks at Seamus and Neville who had clothes laid out on his bed for him. He wasn't surprised to see Hermione in the dorm room either. He gave her a small smile as she shooed Seamus, Neville, and him out of the room so that she could change Lisa into more comfortable clothes. Five minutes later he was back in his dorm room and in his bed. He gently pulled Lisa into his arms and kissed her on the head before he fell into a much-needed deep sleep.

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Lisa woke up and couldn't help, but smile when she saw Dean fast asleep. She wasn't a very spiritual person, but she sent up a silent and heart-felt thank you to her family for guiding Dean to her. She knew that she wasn't one hundred percent better yet, however she knew that she would eventually get there and it was all because of the boy who was and always would be her guiding light out of the darkness that she had fallen into.

She really felt as if she could breathe easier for the first time in six months. She would have to make sure that Dean knew that she returned his feelings, but for now she closed her eyes and fell back to sleep and this time she fell asleep with a smile on her face.

A/N 2: *smiles* Yay I managed to get it done... I had to restart this story like four times... And it took forever to type with my wrist... I hope you all enjoyed it... Click the button and let me know what you think!