Written for the Dumbledore's Army Competition.

This is dedicated to the fallen wizards and witches in the Battle Of Hogwarts.

In the Skies

"Your so stupid, you do know that right?"

"Well good thing I'm not a Ravenclaw."

"I'm serious Hannah!"

"Well I'm serious too! I didn't want to get beaten up by the school's biggest thugs you know," Alice said, through gritted teeth. Her cheeks still hurt a lot.

"But I told you! Goyle and Crabbe are bad wizards, even worse with the Carrows praising their dark magic," the brown haired witch whispered to Hannah, who was currently lying in the Hospital wing. Susan was always a worrier, Hannah barely got through first year flying lessons without Susan jabbering on about how to hold the broom properly, but Hannah loved her for it. She needed a friend to tell her she was stupid sometimes. But Hannah knew this time her actions were justified.

Goyle and Crabbe were holding a first year girl at wand point, something about her bumping into them in the hallway, and luckily Hannah came just in time. That was the first time Hannah got into such a vicious duel; Crabbe was casting a sling a dark curses at her, causing Hannah to be put in a very compromising position.

So, it was just her luck when Neville came to her side to help. Well it wasn't a surprise really. Neville had been a voice of the students since the start of the year, many students praising him for his bravery and wit which seemingly came out of nowhere. Sadly, Neville's presence distracted Hannah for a second too long and she got hit by a nasty cut jinx on her left cheek. But by that time Crabbe and Goyle abandoned their wands for fist fighting.

Professor McGonagall stopped it before it got really ugly, but both teams did an number on each other: Crabbe was supporting a nasty, late gash on his neck and Goyle had a bruised cheek. On the other hand, Neville had a black eye and Hannah was sure she had a broken nose.

"Look, I have to complete my Defence Against the Darks Arts essay for tomorrow. But I will be here in the morning-"

"It's okay Susan," Hannah interrupted, but Susan still wore a concerned frown, "I will be okay, seriously, just go and do your essay. I wouldn't want you to have a detention with the Carrows because of me," Hannah gave her, what she wished looked like, a reassuring smile which Susan accepted. After a hug goodbye, Susan left Hannah alone in the Hospital wing.

Hannah couldn't get to sleep that night. She kept twisting and turning and many dark images swam through her mind. Some of torture, some of death. Hannah unconsciously shivered and sat up in her bed. A window was by her side and moonlight shone in. She could see the Hogwarts owls, flying in front of the milky white moon, their wings spread wide and their spirits free. Free.

Hannah wondered what it felt like to be so free. Before, Hannah could run around in the emerald fields that surrounded the school, her laugh could be heard from the Astronomy tower Ernie told her. Now, all the could be heard in the fields of Hogwarts were eager Slytherins practising dark curses. When did it all change?

"Wish you were an owl?" Said a voice in the darkness. But then Hannah could make out a boy just sitting up on the bed on her right. Neville.

"What?" Was the first thing Hannah said, which was quite rude for Hufflepuff standards and made Neville's cheeks blush slightly.

"I mean, they're free, aren't they? Unlike us stuck in hell hole," Neville mumbled, looking out of the window as well.

"Yeah, they are," Hannah said in a small voice. Suddenly her emotions took over her and her eyes started to fill with tears. Why did this have to happen? War, death, suffering. Why couldn't people just be nice to each other and tolerate each other. All of this hate was overwhelming for Hannah, who has only been exposed to the kindness that her parents showed her. Even when Cedric died, her parents kept morale so she did as well.

"Um, sorry, if I made you upset," Neville rushed out when he saw the blonde's tears roll down her face.

"I'm just being stupid, don't worry about me.I just realised that life isn't made of rainbows and daisies."

"I found that out when my nan told me my parents will never be there to care for me," Neille said casually, but Hannah stared, agape. What kind of Nan would be so...blunt!

"It was good that she was that she was blunt like that," Neville said when he say an angry glint in Hannah's eyes, "it gave me time to build a thick skin about them, you know. So if I visited them and if they looked at me like a stranger it wouldn't hurt me...that much."

A silence hung over the hospital wing; Hannah was thinking of what Neville said, over and over again in her head, while Neville just stared out into the night.

"Do you want to go out?"

"Hmm?"

"Like on a broom, I mean," Neville started to blush again.

"I didn't put you down as a quidditch player Longbottom," Hannah said, looking at Neville curiously. The news of Neville's fall in first year quidditch spread like wildfire in their first year.

"I'm not really, but I was just practising during the summer. Something to take my mind off of the..." Neville didn't have to finish his sentence as Hannah knew what he was talking about. Anything would be a welcome distraction after all of the reports of deaths and kidnappings over the summer.

"I would like to try some flying actually, but I don't think I'm any good," Hannah smiled.

"Dont worry, you can hop on at the back of mine," Luckily, Neville didn't see the blush that crept on Hannah's face.

(***)

Neville thought Hannah looked beautiful in the moonlight, but he kept his mouth shut as they made their way towards the quidditch pitch. He wasn't going to ruin his chance.

"A bit nippy, isn't it?" Hannah said, tugging at her dressing gown sleeves.

"Not really," Neville said, but quickly added "you will get warmed when you are up in the sky."

"Even though I'm not a Ravenclaw, that logic seems a bit flawed," Hannah chuckled. Her laugh sounded amazing.

"You'll see."

Neville positioned himself in the middle of the pitch and he signalled Hannah to jump on. Trying really hard to focus on his flying technique and not on the way her arms felt around his torso, he kicked off the ground.

The early spring winds blew their hair past them and and their cheers could be heard from the Astronomy tower. The adrenaline that pumped through their veins battled through any fear they had of getting caught. In the sky, all of their worries or troubles seem to be forgotten.

Professor McGonagall looked on at the pair. She was getting ready to shout at the students who breached the rule of curfew, before the Carrows could make their mark, but then she spotted the joyous smiles on their faces and left them be. Some happiness should be allowed, even in the darkest of moments.