a/n: This is for the Obstacle Course Competition, the Dream Challenge and The Stone Challenge.
It will be a Two-Shot! I will update the next part tomorrow.
Hopeful in Love
The twigs crackled beneath her feet and the cold wind swished past her raising the hair on the back of her neck. The forest was dark and dank a clear indication that she should not go deeper in the forest. But she delved in further, not liking the hazy feeling the forest gave. Another wind swished past her and she raised the collar of her jacket. The distinct crack of twig behind her made her halt in mid-step. She got the feeling that she was being watched. She discreetly reached for her wand in her back pocket.
Stupid she thought Wand-holsters are much better.
Securing the wand in her hand, she slowly turned around. There was shuffling behind the bushes and a shadow of a human appeared.
Male. The back of her mind registered. But her fear didn't allow her to think clearly. She took a deep breath, trying to relax. Just a stranger in a dangerous forest, no big deal... Yeah right.
"Who is there?" She asked, surprised that her voice sounded brave. The shadow shuffled but didn't make any move to come forward.
"Show yourself." She pressed pointing her wand at the silhouette.
"Put down your wand. It is me, Hannah." The man spoke stepping forward.
Hannah visibly relaxed as she recognized the voice.
"What are you doing here, Neville?" Hannah asked as he stepped completely in her line of vision.
"I can ask you the same question. Didn't I specifically ask you not to come here?" He asked her, his face showed anger under the moonlight.
Hannah looked guilty. She still wasn't used to this version of Neville but she had seen firsthand the transition in him. It had started in the Fifth Year when Bellatrix had escaped the prison and as time passed he became more confident about himself. She wouldn't say that he became brave or more of a leader. He had always been brave and a leader, he had always been strong he just needed to get that out. The snarky comments from peers and people in general did not help his personality development much. She wasn't proud that she used to be one of them. She had been a school-girl looking for interesting gossip and the timid guy from the class seemed nice enough of a target. But not anymore, she had grown up. But that did not erase the marks of the past. She had said too much about him. The things she regretted now. There are things worse than not being popular.
She had befriended him during Dumbledore's Army sessions and as she slowly broke the walls he had constructed around him. The more she learned about him and the more she learned about him the deeper she fell for him.
Yes, she was falling for him or rather she already had?
She fell for the sweet, rather innocent, ground to earth boy. Then she fell for the brave boy behind the mist of the nervous boy. Then she fell for the brave man he grew to be.
She wanted to say that to him, announce her love for him in front of the whole world but...
She wished it was the cliché teenage tragedy that she doubted his love for her or she was afraid of humiliation. Instead, there was an imminent war looming over their heads. Deaths were the present and the foreseeable future. This was not the time to announce undying love for each other.
"Hannah?" His voice reached her brain, "You there? You zoned out... in the Forbidden Forest." He added looking amused. She liked that expression instead of anger.
"Uh..." Hannah said, not knowing what to say.
"Now, that I know you are here are you going to tell me what are you doing here with Carrows' and Snape's reign in Hogwarts?" Neville asked and then added, "After precisely telling you not to."
"We needed the herbs and cuprite and anything that could help in healing the residues of curses and injuries the Carrows implemented on all of us. Colin has the rare blood disease which can be cured through cuprite. And Michael was saying it could be found out here. Madam Pomfrey can help us only so far... Otherwise she will be in trouble, too." Hannah said.
Neville's anger dissipated, "That doesn't mean you have to put yourself in danger." He said softly, "Now come on, I will take you back."
They silently made their way back to the magnificent castle which was now mostly a dread because of the Carrows and Snape. The other teachers tried to maintain the castle as the happy place it used to be but that threatened their life. Either way they tried their best even if behind the curtains to help the students.
It was absolutely true that in the time of crisis you find your greatest strength... And for them it was friendship and love. If not for their friendship, unity and love, they would have all died under the torture.
As they entered the Room of Requirement, Justin bounded on them, "Neville! Aberforth is calling you, through Ariana." He said urgently.
"What's up, Justin? Any problems?" Neville asked. Hannah looked at him, awed again, with the authority in his voice.
"She won't say." Justin replied.
"Fine." Neville said and left for the portrait.
Hannah looked at his retreating back, feeling as if everything was about to change.
Everyone in the Room of Requirement waited with baited breath for Neville to return. Each one tried to maintain a brave facade whilst wondering what could have been the emergency.
After Neville stepped out the portrait hole with Harry, Ron and Hermione everything passed in a blur. The war was initiated and after that adrenaline took control of Hannah.
The first thing Hannah registered after the long seemingly unending war was that Neville and Luna became a couple. She would have delved further into the fact but there was no time for teenage drama right now. So she dedicated herself to the post-war consequences. She helped the injured, helped in the reconstruction of Hogwarts and joint St. Mungo's part-time for associating the Healers.
She devoted herself in helping others so she would not feel the pain in her heart. While, her heart assured her that everything will be fine. Maybe she was hopelessly in love.