As the evacuation continued the four tables slowly emptied. The Slytherin table was completely deserted but a number of older Ravenclaws had stayed put and even more Hufflepuffs remained, including Rose's friends Susan and Megan. Ernie Macmillan had remained in his seat as well. Half of the Gryffindors remained and Professor McGonagall had to come down from the teacher's podium to send the underage students on their way.
One of the members of the Order, Kingsley, was now at the podium addressing the remaining fighters as the last of the evacuees left the hall
"Now, we only have half an hour until midnight. We must act Quickly. The teachers and the Order have already devised a battle plan. Professors McGonagall, Flitwick and Sprout are going to take fighters up to the Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Astronomy towers where they'll have a good vantage point to cast spells. Meanwhile Remus–" He pointed at their old Defense against the Dark Arts teacher Professor Lupin, "Arthur–" He pointed to the Gryffindor table where a man waved as his name was called, "and I will lead groups of fighters out into the grounds. We also need to organize the defense of the passageways into the school."
"That sounds like a job for us!" Fred Weasley called from the Gryffindor table, indicating himself and his twin brother, George, Kingsley nodded approvingly.
"Okay, leaders up front and we'll divide up the troops."
As the team leaders made their way to the front Rose saw Professor McGonagall have words with Harry who quickly sprinted out of the Hall, notably alone. Rose could hardly spare a thought for where Ron and Hermione had run off to before her name was called.
"Rose, Lee, Hannah, Susan and Katie." Fred said, pointing to each student as he named them, "You're with me."
As soon as the assignments had all been given the fighters went their separate ways; Fred and George clasped hands before parting.
"Good luck, Gred." George muttered.
"Back at ya, Forge." Fred replied. He then gestured to Rose and the others and headed out of the Great Hall, heading for a secret passage which was in a side corridor. The stone statue that had once been on the empty plinth had been summoned to fight and the passage it had concealed was now exposed. Rose and the rest of the group surrounded it and drew their wands.
"And now we wait." Fred said quietly. The group stood silent, listening intently. The minutes seemed to stretch on for hours. Rose's ears seemed to pick up every sigh of the wind, every creaking sound of the centuries old castle sounded like Death Eaters creeping around the corner. Her time on the run had made her jumpy but she tried her damndest to keep a level head. Her friends needed her. She had to summon all the courage she had and stand loyally with the fighters of Hogwarts. She had to come out of this alive. There was so much she'd yet to do. So much she'd yet to say. Someone she wanted to see again…
Rose shook her head. There was no point in whinging now, even in her own mind. She had chosen the path of battle with all it's possible outcomes. She had to remind herself that some things were worth dying for, and stopping the evil forces that had shattered her peaceful world until it was unrecognizable was one of those things.
Rose was yanked out of her revere as a weird keening scream from out on the grounds reached her ears followed by a volley of cracks and bangs and shattering glass. It was midnight and the battle had begun.
"Here goes, everyone get ready." Fred said, gazing around as the entire castle began to shake with the force of battle. Rose's grip on her wand tightened, her heart hammering in her chest. Harry suddenly appeared from around a corner, looking like he was in a huge hurry.
"Nice night for it." Fred yelled after him as the castle shook again. Windows were shattering around them and jets of light from curses flew through them.
"Let's not just sit here!" Lee shouted over the screams and rumbles that shook dust from the castle's ceiling, "Some of us can go use those busted windows to help our lot!"
"Right," Fred called back "Katie, Rose. Go." The girls nodded back at him and took off a little ways down the corridor to two of the shattered windows. Rose ducked a curse that flew through hers and then looked out, aiming a few well placed jinxes at the black cloaked figures that were quickly advancing on the castle while her fellow Hogwarts fighters retreated, beside her Katie was doing the same thing. People were screaming as a giant that Recognized from Dumbldeore's funeral was lumbering around waving a stone gargoyle at the attackers and roaring angrily. It wasn't long before the Death Eaters had managed to breach the castle.
"The passage is irrelevant now!" Fred shouted over more screams and bangs, "Let's go!" The group of fighters backed away from the windows and scrambled off to join in the fray. Glass was still shattering as shards of vases and china flew through the air like shrapnel. Rose felt a shard cut her cheek but she barely gave it a thought. The masked figures were advancing into the corridors and spells were flying in every direction. Rose dodged a curse and shot back with a stunning spell, her next jinx collided with her opponent's, causing a huge shockwave that made them both stagger backwards a few steps. The Death Eater recovered first and shot another hex that grazed Rose's arm, ripping her shirt sleeve and leaving a deep gash in her arm. Rose winced in pain and fired another stunner that sent her opponent crumpling to the ground. Breathing heavily and clutching at her bleeding arrm Rose tore the rest of her shirt sleeve off and used it to bind up her wound as quickly as she could. A horrible patch job to be sure but the best she could do in the heat of the battle. Once she'd finished she headed back into the battle, her eyes burning with the flame of war, she twirled her wand skillfully in her hand as jet after jet of light flew from it. Her opponent dodged and ducked but didn't escape a few cuts caused by her jinxes.
"Avada Kedavra!" the opponent screamed suddenly and Rose watched, as if in slow motion, a jet of green light fly from his wand and straight towards her. Rose jerked to one side just in time. Death came so close that she felt it singe her hair as it missed her by a mere inch.
"NO!" Another voice shouted, a voice Rose recognized immediately because it belonged to the one person she was longing to see. In another moment Draco was at her side, a jet of orange light from his wand struck Rose's would-be killer square in the chest, sending him sprawling to the floor. Rose turned to look at him, his wand still pointed in the Death Eater's direction held aloft in a shaking hand. His gray eyes were cold as steel but he looked shocked, as if he couldn't believe what he'd just done.
Rose blinked, hardly daring to believe her eyes even as the world continued to end around them, a kind of peace filled her. He was here. He'd protected her. She made a split second decision, it was now or never after all. She grabbed Draco by the hand and dragged him down the corridor still dodging curses as they went, she ducked into an empty classroom and, for a moment, the two of them were safe.
"Draco…" Rose breathed, stepping closer to him. Draco looked like he was having trouble forming a coherent thought. He didn't speak but instead he pulled something from under the neck of his robes. It was a golden necklace with a dragon pendant. Something Rose had given him when they were first years. Rose stared at it, her head tilting to one side.
"I..I never forgot." Draco whispered finally, "Not really. Can you believe that? Despite everything I've done?" Rose didn't answer. At least, not verbally, her eyes filled with tears and she closed the final gap between them and did something she'd been wanting to do for years and kissed him. Draco let out a small gasp of surprise but that was just an opportunity for Rose to deepen the kiss. The next moment he was kissing her back, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her in as if he couldn't get her close enough. It was a desperate kind of kiss, both of them knew they might not see the dawn and so they were treating it as if it were not only their first..but their last.
"I love you." Rose whispered when they finally broke apart.
"I love you too.." Draco answered. Their little moment was shattered by the sounds of the battle that was raging just outside the door. Rose pulled her wand again and Draco did the same. They knew they'd have to leave their little slice of heaven and go back out into the hell of war but at least now there would be no regrets. Nothing left unsaid. No matter what they had to face, at least now they'd face it together.
