Just a little one-shot I wrote over a pic I found on Instagram

I don't own any of the characters -or even the places- on this story.

I may continue it someday

The night was falling down over the Hogwarts' roofs as Lydia knew the storm was coming. They had been running for hours, or at least it felt so, when they reached the castle.

It was Scott at first.

They had found his red necktie hooked to a branch and then, him, just a few steps later. His eyes sparkling with bravery. His wand, a couple of meters away. The dementors were surrounding him and, if Malia hadn't jump at the moment she saw his housemate, maybe they wouldn't have any Scott left.

"Expecto Patronus" She shouted at them, and a white brilliant thread came out of her wand. A few moments later, the dementors were gone.

"Thank you guys" Muttered Scott, picking up his wand from the floor. Stiles was almost running towards him and after a blink, Lydia saw both best friends hugging each other.

"We better go" Said Kira, next to her. She was holding up her wand with so much strength that Lydia was afraid she would break it. Instead, she took her hand, looking at her friend, and smiled at her. She smiled back -just a little cute smile- and Lydia was able to appreciate how the girl always brought a little light even in the darkest times –"After she had kicked ass, of course" the strawberry blond Ravenclaw thought.-

Lydia let Malia and Kira go ahead and she kneeled down, pretending to be tying her shoe, as she was overhearing Scott and Stiles' conversation.

"I just couldn't do it, man." She heard Scott's voice. "I haven't been able to summon a Patronus since the night in the forest. Since Allison."

Lydia remembered: The Forbidden Forest. Allison, being as brave as a Gryffindor could be, even though she was a Slytherin. The pack had missed, was missing her so much. At least, they got Stiles back. It was the strongest Imperius she had seen, the one that had caught the boy. -At least, they had gotten him- She thought again. It was almost the only thing the pack was able to hold on into since Allison's death.

Even tough, Lydia didn't think that Scott talking to Stiles about that was fair. Everybody could feel Stiles' guilt. It only increased when she heard him.

"I'm sorry. You know I'm sorry"

"You don't have to" Scott assured, realizing his mistake, in a softer voice. The dementors' influence was still on it, Lydia could tell.

"But I am"

"Being in the Forbidden Forest couldn't be helping though", she thought, reaching her friends. Malia and Kira's relationship had grown since none of them had known Allison for a long time.

Kira had come at the beginning of the last year, their sixth year at Hogwarts. She and her family had transferred from France, where her father taught History, and from Beauxbatons she was sorted into Hufflepuff. They became friends quickly and she was the first girl Scott had a crush on since he and her best friend, Allison, had broken up. Kira had started taking class at the age of seven, in Mahoutokoro and Lydia couldn't imagine how hard moving so many times had to be.

On the other side, Malia's story was still unknown. She was found by the Ministry of Magic and brought into the school. Still, she had fit into the pack well, after a couple of innocent incidents. Lydia admired her capacity of learning and growing; despite they were not as close as Malia and Kira were.

The little sun they had gotten on such a dark day was hiding when they reached the ends of the Forbidden Forest. Stiles and Scott pronounced an apology before walking away together towards Deaton's house. He was their keeper, and a father figure to Scott, so it made sense for Lydia that the Gryffindor boy wanted to recur to him.

Stiles came back a minute later, placing his robe carefully.

"He said he wanted to stay there for a while" He explained, reaching the girls. He smiled at Lydia and it was like the sun came up. Stiles had that effect on everybody they knew.

"We better keep going if you guys don't want to be punished. Priorities" Lydia tried to joke, something needed after a dementors' attack.

Since the Ministry had put the creatures on Hogwarts as a way of defense -or that was what they had told the school.-, the attacks were more common that they wanted them to be. None knew why they were there, but maybe being in the Forbidden Forest wasn't the smartest thing they could have done. Lydia had not agreed with going, but Malia insisted that maybe she could find something important: Something about her. So they had gone.

Still, they had found nothing.

None laughed at Lydia's joke, but she could see relief on the brown eyes of her friend. It wasn't an easy time for him. In fact, it wasn't an easy time for anyone.

But they do kept going. It was getting cold, and Lydia could feel Stiles was looking at her -For a long time, maybe for too much time.-

"What?" She asked, looking back at him.

"Nothing"

"You were looking at me"

"No, I was not"

"Were you going to ask me something?"

"No, I was not" He repeated "No questions here for Stiles"

"Kira said that she has left something on the Quidditch field, so we're going to get it" Malia interrupted them, as she and Kira turned back to look at them, holding hands.

"Maybe I should go with you. You know, in case you need me to keep you safe." Stiles replied, with a smirk on his face.

"We don't need you, assbut" Kira couldn't help it, and she started laughing at the improvised insult Malia had thrown to Stiles, while Stiles' smirk disappeared from his face. It made Lydia calmer.

"I'm going anyways" He declared, going after the girls as they had started walking.

"If you don't come back quickly I'm leaving you, guys." Lydia said, hoping they would hear her.

She was alone for a couple minutes -which seemed decades with the feeling of the dementors' presence near her- until Stiles came back.

"I was going to leave you" She said, changing the weight of her body from one foot to another.

"No, you were not"

"Whatever" Lydia rolled her eyes and Stiles imitated her, making fun of her. "Where are Malia and Kira?"

"Oh... uhm… they were a little… busy. You know"

"Okay... I really don't want to know. I can guess it by myself"

"You are so smart" Stiles mocked. "If you are jealous, I could kiss you too"

"Do. Not. Kiss. Me" Lydia said, crossing her arms again, but she was interrupted with Stiles lips being press into her cheek.

"Whoops did it anyways" He laughed, running to the castle. Lydia uncrossed her arms as she started walking behind him.

She wasn't totally calm, still. Something was wrong, Lydia noticed a few moments later.

She couldn't see Stiles anywhere. In fact, she couldn't see anything. She jumped as she felt a hand over her shoulder. "Here you are" She said at her friend.

"Lydia, we have to go" He said, in an anxious voice, looking around them

"What?"

"We really have to" Stiles repeated. Lydia felt everything getting colder as a lament came from behind them, from a dementor.

Stiles' hand got hers as he started running, faster, and faster, and faster; and Lydia couldn't help but to follow him, almost without feeling the floor under her feet, as they entered into the castle. It was dark, and empty, and if Lydia had started to worry the moment Stiles seemed so afraid, now she was scared. Really scared. "Why the heck is empty the castle. It shouldn't. It shouldn't" She murmured, looking at her surroundings.

But Stiles didn't give her a moment to think before running up the stairs, her hand on his, still. After a few seconds, she realized where they were going: The Astronomy tower, the taller one of the building.

It was almost a minute of thoroughly running up the stairs, but it was over. Lydia tried to catch up her breathing, what seemed impossible, as she helped the boy to lock up every door and window that could be seen.

"They're looking for you" She said, turning around to confront him, finally realizing. "The dementors, they want you."

"They do" He said, trying to keep his voice calm.

"Why? Do the rest know? What's happening?" The Ravenclaw asked impulsively, without giving him time to answer.

"Lydia, listen: You have to get away from me" Stiles asked her, taking a few steps to get near to his friend.

"No, I'm not leaving you." She shook her head from one side to the other. "I won't, I won't"

"Please. Please…" His voice had a rest of sadness, as if he was really tired. He probably was, and it made Lydia's heart melt with pain.- "Expelliarmus!" He suddenly said, without raising his voice, but his wand pointing at her.

"Protego!" She shouted back, making his spell useless.

Lydia couldn't believe what was happening. She couldn't believe she was fighting his best friend, that all she was able to see were the threads of light that came out of their wands.

None of them spoke a word, too concentrated on the magic that was flying across the room. Stiles may had a reason but Lydia was one of the most intelligent witches of her age, and an extraordinary adversary. She wasn't easy to fight with: her responses to his spells were as fast as they could, and as powerful as his attacks were.

They moved around the room -As a sarcastic parallel of the dance they had shared in their fourth year- Lydia thought, for what could have been a couple minutes…Until she got distracted by the sound of something hitting the room's door.

"Expelliarmus!" She heard Stiles shout, and within a blink, the Ravenclaw's wand was on the floor. Lydia stuck her gaze at it, and then at him, frozen.

His wand was pointing at her again, his hand shaking, as he looked at her, and murmured

"I'm sorry, I need you to survive." And then, with his free hand, Stiles throw her a piece of paper, which she barely took on her hands. Lydia looked at it for only a second, enough to read what was written on the upper side: "To: Lydia."

"Please" She asked "I don't want to forget. None wants" She took her eyes to his Slytherin necktie, trying to control the shaking on her voice. "We love you, Stiles. We just want to help you"She tried to convince him, hoping he would put down his wand.

"I know and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry" Stiles repeated, looking at her face. "They're looking for me and I can't- I can't let them hurt you" His voice sounded urgent and desperate, his breathing accelerating.

"We need you. I need you" Lydia said, as if it were enough to persuade him.

It wasn't.

"I love-"

"Obliviate"