*Written for THC, Year 3, Round 9*

House: Ravenclaw

Year: 1

Category: Standard

Prompts: [Speech] "I hate to ask, but does anyone have a spot of chocolate?"

W/C: 1,259

Beta(s): 2D

Snow crunched under Harry's soles as he ventured deeper and deeper into the woods. Breaking branches and quiet footsteps behind him told him that Ron was also fighting his way through the undergrowth. It was almost too dark to see anything. No moonlight broke through the impenetrable wall of clouds, heavy with snow. The feeble light of his wand could barely chase away the darkness and he was unable to discern his surroundings..

Harry shivered. It was ice cold. Not the best weather for having to complete a training mission, but the Auror department didn't care about such things. Today, a test was scheduled, so there would be a test, not matter the weather.

A portkey had sent them to an unknown location. They had to retrieve an object that was hidden and protected by dangerous beasts and dark curses and protection spells. Ron and he had already made it through the most part, and they knew they were close to the end.

The snow had begun to fall slowly but steadily. Flakes of silver glimmered all around, falling obliquely against the wand light, covering the frozen forest floor, and laying in heavy drifts against the trees. It was almost peaceful… almost. Harry never forgot that there must be some monsters lurking somewhere in the shadows, waiting for their prey.

"We have to hurry or I'll freeze to death," Ron muttered behind him, his voice too loud in the forest that stood silent and frozen.

Wind drove snowflakes into Harry's eyes as he climbed up a short, steep slope. His breath stood in clouds in front of his mouth, and he cursed. It was too cold to wander aimlessly through the woods.

They reached the top of the little hill, and there it was: a frozen lake on a small clearing, a fallen tree. It could have been beautiful were it not for the cold. Goosebumps ran over Harry's back.

"It's here," he whispered, pointing down at the lake. In its middle stood the rusty metal can – the object they had to retrieve and their portkey back into the Ministry.

Ron nodded and together they slid down the hill.

"That was easier than I thought," Ron said as they reached the lake. "Let's grab the can and get out of here. I can't wait for the hot chocolate they promised us when we get back."

Harry half-smiled. He was also craving the hot liquid that would warm him up again. But something about this place felt wrong. The clearing was as silent as a graveyard; not the calm, comfortable silence of the Hogwarts library, but the silence of death. No bird was sitting in the trees, no squirrel was digging for nuts. No heartbeat, no warmth. Only cold.

The temperature seemed to drop a few degrees with every step they made, and Harry's teeth started chattering.

"The ice seems solid," Harry said, carefully examining the lake. "Let's do this."

"Harry," Ron breathed, stopping him. "That seems too easy."

Harry nodded. "I feel the same. Something's wrong with this place."

Suddenly, a deep hopelessness overcame him, like all happiness was suddenly sucked out of him.

The light of their wands seemed to falter; it flickered like candles in the wind. The blink of an eye later, it went out and the duo stood in total darkness in the middle of the forest. The cold was biting deeper and deeper into Harry's flesh, and he felt utterly lost.

That was when Harry knew that something was terribly wrong.

This feeling was awfully familiar, and he knew what caused it. Scanning the forest, he noticed that there was something else beside Ron – a creature, only visible because it was of a denser darkness than its surroundings. Dragging, rattling breaths reached his ears.

"Bugger!" he cursed. "Dementors!"

Ron spun around, his wand pointing at the creature.

Noiselessly, the Dementor glided over the ground towards them, and the deadened feeling inside of Harry grew. All happiness, all hope, seemed to drain from him and was substituted with guilt, and pain, and despair.

His mum's screams filled his head as the creature edged closer, one bony, grey hand outstretched to grab him.

A strangled sound tore from Ron's throat, "Harry!"

Harry cursed himself. He'd allowed himself to be paralysed by the Dementor's power, and now it was almost too late.

"I've got this," he said, his voice strangely husky. Harry tightened his fingers around his wand, trying desperately to summon a spark of happiness. "Expecto… Expecto Patronum!" Wisps of silvery light flowed out of his wand, stopping the Dementor that had reached for them. The momentary reprieve from the power of the Dementors was all Harry needed to pull himself together, pushing the memory fragments aside that threatened to drown him.

In the light of the Patronus, he was finally able to see their attackers. They were surrounded by at least five tall, wraith-like creatures, their long cloaks dragging over the forest floor as they glided towards them.

"Expecto Patronum," Ron cried and a little dog sprang from the tip of his wand. Instantly, the Patronus hunted the creature that was closest. Its mere presence seemed to chase away the darkness and cold. It seemed to be made of pure joy, and Harry felt like a weight was lifted from his chest.

He concentrated on Ginny's laugh, her sparkling eyes, her lips on his lips, and cast, "Expecto Patronum!"

Without problems, his stag Patronus appeared, tackling the Dementor that had homed in on them from behind. Guarded by their two Patronuses, they made their way over the ice to the rusty can.

"Ready?" Harry asked.

"Bloody hell, yes," Ron sighed.

They both grabbed the can, and the forest disappeared.

Back in the Auror training gym, warmth welcomed them.

"That was close," Ron said quietly, taking off his wet winter jacket.

"Yeah, thanks for the help, mate," Harry replied.

"I'll always have your back." Ron grinned at him. "Let's go collect our prize."

Harry smiled back and followed his friend out of the gym. "Just out of curiosity – what did you think about?"

Ron flushed red. "Hot chocolate."

Harry burst out laughing, and all the tension of the past hours left him. Ron joined in after a second, and their laughter echoed through the building. They were still laughing as they entered the main room.

Everyone inside looked up, a little startled.

"What's going on with you two?" Auror Mellark asked, a frown furrowing her brow. "If I had known that these missions are so much fun for you, I'd have sent you more often."

"No, sir," Harry hastened to say, trying desperately to banish the grin from his features. "We're just really looking forward to the hot chocolate."

Auror Mellark quirked an eyebrow. "Really? Well, I'm sorry to tell you, but we're out. You were the last of the recruits to come back, Potter. Sorry."

"Out?" Ron gasped, all laughter forgotten. "But… but…" He turned around and looked at the others. "I hate to ask, but does anyone have a spot of chocolate?"

"What happened then?" Hermione asked, leaning forward in her chair, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Nothing!" Ron hastened to say.

"Ron ate almost ten chocolate frogs – that's what happened," Harry interrupted him, grinning from ear to ear.

Hermione chuckled. "You were right. I really needed to hear that story."

Smiling, Harry nipped at his hot chocolate and watched his two best friends banter. In the end, the day hadn't turned out to be as bad as he had thought it would.