A/N: I'm like half an hour off the deadline, whoops. Still, not the closest I've ever cut it. Anyway, this is another fic for the Houses Competition.

House: Hufflepuff

Category: Short story

Prompt: Running out of time

Word count (-A/N): 1000 (That is so satisfying to me)

There will never be enough time.

Everyone alive thinks they have all the time in the world to do everything they want, and so much more besides, and no one realises until it's their time that we're all just trapped in hourglasses with the sands of our lives slipping through our fingers. Death is a far off thing that comes for everyone whether we like it or not, and when it does we will all wish for more time that we cannot have.

James and Lily Potter had thought they were safe, or as safe as anyone could be in a world such as this. Peter was shy, and sometimes scared, it was true, but he was a good friend, loyal, and they had no doubt that he would guard their secret as best he could. So they lived and they lived and they rarely gave a thought to how much time was left for them. That Halloween night was the same as any other, because they both knew that there would be so many more nights like this to come. But then the green light of death came for them and suddenly that future was gone, like a dream that fades as soon as you wake.

The last time that James saw Lily, she was smiling at him, and laughing as Harry gazed wonderingly at the colours he was making with his wand. Perhaps it should have been enough, but he would have paid anything just to see that smile, or feel the touch of her hand one last time.

Lily died with one last 'Mummy loves you' on her lips. When she was young (and wasn't she still?) she had dreamt of having a family and watching her children grow up to do amazing things. Now that would never happen, and it was all she could do to whisper her love to her son until even that was snatched away from her.

Sirius used to feel like he was invincible. He would rebel against his Slytherin family because he was a bold and brash Gryffindor, and nothing could stop him no matter how hard it tried. He pulled dangerous stunts and laughed it off with James later just because he could. Everyone called him and James 'inseparable', and it was the truth; even after James and Lily were married he knew they would stay close and live out their lives together. And then James died without a goodbye and Sirius was sent to Azkaban for longer than they'd even known each other.

At that last battle in the Department of Mysteries Sirius felt like it was the old days again, when he used to duel with other students alongside James. He flourished and twirled his wand perhaps a little more than necessary because that was how it used to be back then with James and Remus and Peter. And when he caught Bellatrix Lestrange's killing curse it was just like with James again, because there was no time for goodbyes.

The Battle of Hogwarts was time up for many people, most of them so incredibly young. Lives that had barely begun before they were abruptly cut short, like the cutting of a thread. Hourglasses didn't just run out that night, they were smashed, and all the sand inside spilled out as wasted potential.

Fred died with his last laugh still spilling from his lips, his final joke left unfinished.

Colin had snuck into the battle with his camera, hoping to get some pictures for the Daily Prophet. He wanted to one day become the photographer for the Prophet, but he would never get that chance. His last picture was of a blinding green light heading straight for him.

Remus and Tonks were not quite touching when their bodies were found together in one of the hallways. When they were laid out in the Great Hall their limp hands fell off the stretchers towards each other, as though even in death they were still reaching for that final touch they had been so cruelly denied. No one had the heart so move them back. Like James and Lily before them, they would have given anything to meet hands one last time, or to see Teddy again, if only for a moment.

When Harry walked into the Forbidden Forest that night, he knew his time was almost up. He had thought he was ready to die - he had for a long time - but he was still so scared and he could feel his heart pounding quicker and quicker with every second.

(There wouldn't be many more seconds left)

(His heart would soon be silent and still)

Sirius said dying was quick. That meant no more time for last words, or goodbyes; no more time for thinking breathing seeing living. Just nothing. Like falling asleep, only forever. As he walked through the forest with the beating of his heart echoing in his ears he wondered if this is how his parents felt when they knew Voldemort had found them. If Sirius had known he might die when he raced to save Harry in the Ministry. If Remus had allowed himself a moment of fear - for himself, for Tonks, for Teddy - before the Death Eater had cast that curse. He thought that maybe they had, and then he thought that maybe anyone who knows their time is running out will feel so desperately afraid.

Voldemort threw the green light at him, and time seemed to slow down. Death was so close; he could feel its icy touch, and he closed his eyes so his last sight wouldn't be the leering faces of Death Eaters. Instead he remembered Hermione's smile, Ron's laugh. The feel of Ginny's lips on his, and the Tonks's bright grin when she showed him her engagement ring. Harry breathed out one last time and felt his lips curl up into a smile and -

His time ran out.

A/N: This didn't turn out quite like I meant it to, but I hope it's okay all the same. Please leave a review if you have a moment! Bye!