It was a cold Tuesday in the middle of December. It was nearly three months since Seamus and I started dating. Harry had formed his little club to learn spells.

But I wasn't a part of it. Harry and I got in a little bit of an argument a few months ago.

"What the hell?" I listened to a pair of angry feet stomp down the stairs. I was sitting on the couch with Seamus, holding his hand. We were talking and joking around.

Today was only 5 or so days after Seamus and I started dating. "What is this?" Harry demanded, standing awfully close to the couch I was sitting on. "May I remind you who you were snogging on this very couch merely a week ago, Annabelle?" he asked, not expecting an answer back. I frowned a little bit, almost confused at this.

"What's your problem, Potter?" Seamus asked. He squeezed my hand tighter, as if I was slipping from his grip.

"Do you mind if I have a word with Annabelle?" He didn't wait for an answer. The two of them shot some pretty horrible looks at the other.

"No funny business, hear?" Seamus reluctantly released his hand from mine and walked a few steps upstairs.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked Harry, not meaning to make it come out the way it did.

"No, the question is, what's wrong with you?" I stood up and make eye contact with Harry.

"I wasn't good enough for you, huh?" he asked pacing back and forth.

"Harry, we weren't anything! We were nothing but friends. When we kissed- that- that was a mistake, Harry. It wasn't supposed to happen. Neither of us meant for that to happen," I said, raising my voice a bit.

"Annabelle, why don't just understand! I wanted that to happen. I wanted us to become something. I wanted us to go back to the way we were before."

"Then why do you look at Cho the way you do?" I asked. A tear was threatening to fall. "Why do you look at Ginny with that stupid sense of yearning in your eyes? If you really had feelings for me, those things wouldn't happen, and there's no way in hell I'd be able to notice them!" I quickly pushed the tear from my eye before he could notice.

"Don't come back into my life unless you have time for me, time for us." There was a hint of worry in his eyes. "I look at them because I don't think there'd be a chance between us anymore. But now I know. Now I know there isn't a chance between us anymore." Just by him stating that, another tear or two made their way down my cheek. "When you start loving me the way I love you, I wouldn't care for them at all. It'd be you. But now-" he paused, and shook his head.

"I didn't say that-" I tried to say before he cut me off.

"You implied it. And your implications are too strong to ignore." He walked upstairs to his room. I collapsed back on the couch and let a few more tears drip down.

Fine, Harry.

I'll stay out of your life.

I'll stay out of it for good.

And so, I haven't made proper eye contact with him, nor have I had a conversation with him since. It seems like each time me and Harry get along for a little bit, we end up in an argument...

Although Harry and I weren't friends, I still did believe that he saw Voldemort and that Voldemort's coming back. Time and time again, Seamus and I would have conversations about that. Just recently, he gave in to the thing I told him about, and he joined the Defense Against the Dark Arts class Harry formed. Yeah him and Harry weren't friends, but he wanted to keep safe. Time and time again, Seamus would teach me two or so spells. He wanted to make sure I could still defend myself without attending the classes.

A few times though, he'd ask me to come with him to the classes. He said he wasn't a good enough teacher for the things they were learning those days.

I wasn't sure if I could go, I mean, Harry was the teacher.

Today, I'm focused on one thing; something I don't know if I can tell him about.

Today is the day I would make my plan on getting out.

I wanted to leave Hogwarts; escape somehow.

I was just scared Seamus would disagree, then not let me go..

"Annie, you wanna go out today?" he asked while putting an arm around me.
"I don't think I can. I have a potions test..er- I have to study for potions today," I lied.

"Oh. Okay. I'll see you tomorrow then?" he asked while reluctantly starting to get off the couch.

"Of course. Tomorrow." He put a hand around my neck and gently kissed me on the lips. He started to pull away before I pulled him deeper into the kiss. I didn't want to let him go. He was all I had left; the only one I could depend on for comfort.

Soon enough, he got up and walked to his room.

I started to write out my game plan for leaving. I might not ever come back, but I couldn't let my mother stay in the Dark Lord's grasp. I'm going to get her back. However I need to do it, I will.

I only have one mother.

And I only have one life.

I need to find more clues. When did she leave? How did she? Maybe if Harry and I were still friends I would be able to ask him and he'd have some good answers. Or I could get some help from someone who has access to the Dark Lord. Someone that would give me a few answers... No. No, Annabelle. You can't use Malfoy for this. Not Malfoy. If only there was someone else.

Maybe I should tell someone. Maybe someone could help me with this. I need to talk to Seamus about this. I think- I know he'd be there for me. He'd help me like a good boyfriend. Or he'd not let me leave, and be the protective boyfriend that he was...

I'd give myself a few weeks. If I can't come up with any clues or ways to find her, I'll have to resort to telling people. Then, whatever happens happens.

First, I need to figure out how I can leave Hogwarts unsuspected. Floo Network maybe...

That day, I skipped dinner. I really didn't have an appetite anymore.

When the life of your mother is hanging right before you, food really isn't much an issue.

A few minutes after dinner started, I heard footsteps walking back in.

Seamus sat down into the seat beside me.

"You know," he started. "I started going to Harry's classes a few weeks ago. I think if you want to keep yourself safe in case Voldemort attacks, you should come to the classes Harry's teaching. I know you and him aren't necessarily best friends anymore, but still. I want you to come. I don't want you to get hurt." He held my hand. I gripped his tighter, and exhaled. I wasn't very sure I wanted to do that.

But if I go there, I can learn a few key spells to help get my mother back. Some spells I could use if some stupid death eater tried to get in the way...

"He's teaching tonight. There's going to be a lesson at 9. It's in the Room of Requirement." He paused.

"Where's that?" I asked. I didn't know whether or not I really wanted to go.

"It's- meet me here tonight at 8:45. I'll walk with you."

"Fine. But if I don't like it, I refuse to go back again," I said nodding. Seamus smiled, and gave himself a few 'yes'' before he kissed me and headed to dinner.

Two Hours Later

It was almost 8:30. I'd just finished studying for Divination when I remembered that little class Seamus wanted me to go to.

I'm going to go there, and I'm going to learn.

The only reason I'm going to do this though is because of my mother.

Going to these stupid classes are the only way I can ever have hope of bringing her back home.

I took a quick shower and put on a sweater. I slipped on some jeans and walked out to the common room.

A few minutes later, I saw Seamus walk down and take a hold of my hand.

"Hey," I say, smiling.

"Good afternoon, Annabelle," he said.

"So where exactly is this room you've been speaking of?" I asked. He walked with me up many flights of stairs to the seventh floor.

"Okay, it should be right around here somewhere. Apparently, if you walk back and forth here, and think about what you want, you can get in. It's called the Room of Requirement. Think about wanting to be in the room where you can learn, Annie. Then a door will appear, and you can walk right in." He let go of my hand and let me try it. "Neville figured it out. He's a genius, him!" I did as Seamus told me and walk back and forth. A large door appeared, and I walked in. Seamus did the same thing, a bit quicker than I did, though.

"Holy Hell..." I mumbled with a smirk. I walked in, and sat down on one of the empty chairs.

Neville and Luna came in and sat in two empty chairs.

Harry came in next, taken aback at the sight of me. I refused to make eye contact with him. Cho sat there, her pretty little self staring at Harry. She was twirling her hair.

"Go up there and sign your name," Seamus told me. He was referring to the sheet of paper on the desk in the front of the room.

It said Dumbledore's Army on the front. I shrugged and signed my name under all the others.

After everyone settled down, Harry stood up and walked to the front.

"Today, I want to focus on stunning. We've gone over this before, but a lot of people aren't necessarily remembering how to do it. Think about the person being able to do absolutely nothing as you cast a number of spells on them; their helpless bodies lying there, just watching it all unfold. You must think these things. It's the only way it'll be strong enough to send them backward. Now, as you envision this, say the word 'Stupify'. Get a dummy, and point this spell directly at the target near it's chest. On three, ready?" Harry pauses to let everyone find a free dummy. "One, two, three!"

A number of shouts emerged from the room, each and every one of them yelling 'Stupify' over and over and over again. I then found a dummy, and used this stunning spell on it. It moved backwards, and then slowly rolled back toward me. Neville however, was having a bit of trouble with it. I mean, he wasn't totally bad, but he certainly wasn't all that great.

Then there was Cho. An absolutely perfect girl with perfect skin and perfect hair was standing to my left, performing the spell just as well as I did.

Harry walked over. As soon as I got my hopes as high as to even thinking that he would complement me on my hard work, he walks to Chang, and patted her on the back a few times. He was getting a little too close for comfort.

At least for my comfort.

I continue to practice my charms for a few minutes.

"Now," Harry says quieting the class. "I'd like you to get with someone you're not personally close to. We're going to duel." Harry states. I was going to find a random person to pair up with, but each person was with another.

Then, I saw a black haired girl walk up to me. She lifted an eyebrow up higher than the other to try making me a bit more intimidated. She stood to my left and pushed a hip to the side.

"Who'd like to go first?" Harry asked.

I stood there, not planning on saying anything.

Then Chang opened her big mouth.

"We will," she said, her hand raised as high as her ego.

Alright, Cho.

Let's duel.