Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.
Author's note: I guess we can say writer's block is over. (He said jinxing himself.) Well anyway, here you go. Enjoy! As always let me know what you think.
"Okay, first and foremost." Dean said, "We don't have clue one where Luna might even be!" The point was good. But Neville knew why Dean had lodged it. Dean was on the run. When Voldemort took over the ministry Dean couldn't prove he wasn't a half blood and couldn't go back to Hogwarts. He had joined up with the DA as a way to fight back. Neville was certain that Dean was not willing, anger not withstanding, to face the government again.
When Hogwarts had started back up the DA took a serous hit. Many of the members were unable to convince their parents not to send them back. Others were now old enough to be members of the Order of the Phoenix. When the dust had settled on the beginning of the mission to find Harry and join the fight of the twenty three old members only six remained. The DA now consisted of Ginny, Alicia Spinnet, Parvati and Padma Patil and Neville himself. Though Lee Jordan and the twins were both Phoenix members they kept their galleons.
"We haven't got a lot of options." Ginny responded, "She's one of us. They must've nabbed her on her way back for Christmas Holiday. We find out where the Death Eaters are keeping their prisoners and we bust her out. We can't abandon her."
The DA members looked about each other. They were growing more and more frightened as the days passed. They were fine to look for Harry but this meant joining the war and many were not prepared for that. Lee Jordan's pirate radio show, The River, was reporting a revolt within the halls of Hogwarts. Even there, a place that always seemed so safe, was beginning to look like it would rack up some war casualties soon. The members looked slowly from one to the other. Finally Neville saw the first change.
"You're right." Parvati said with a look of solid determination on her face, "Luna would have risked everything for any one of us. We would be cowards or worse if we failed her now."
Even Padma looked at her sister with a kind of awe. No one saw that coming, of course she was right and they all knew it. Neville was impressed. He looked to Ginny and saw that she was too. He smiled. He stood up next to begin his speech. He had practiced it all night with Ginny. He told them the plan.
* * *
Seamus had been taken to the torture room. Anthony knew beyond anything else that this was the worst blow the DA had received since their leader, Luna, had told them that she had to visit her Father over the holidays. Anthony hadn't been to a single class since before she left. Him and Hannah Abbott had taken to planning out the tactical aspects of the revolt in the Room of Requirements. Anthony hadn't even seen the Raven Claw common room in months. Hannah had made excursions to the kitchens now and then and would check in with the Huffle Puff common room when she went down.
Hannah would bring back dark warnings she got from her fellow Huffle Puffs. There was no safety, not even in these hallowed halls. The world was growing darker. Anthony could hear the rain hitting the side of the building but dare not conjure a window for fear of being caught. Anthony paced the room with worry growing with every moment in his heart. He couldn't handle this anymore. The stress was killing him. He had even found some grey hair when he woke up that morning. He wished Hannah was there. He worried about her while she was on the food runs. He had insisted at first in going himself, but she accused him of being sexist. Hermione had mailed her the Marauder's Map at some point during the summer and she now knew the school like few before her had. It made sense to let her do the food runs.
While she was gone though Anthony would pace and let his mind wander. He would run the scar along his forearm. A gift from the Carrows. The Carrows were the sociopath twins Snape had brought in when he was made headmaster. Early on Anthony had defended a young Gryffindor girl from a jinx cast by one of the Carrows. The response had been a deep cut by a powerful magical curse. It had taken weeks to heal, even with Madam Pomfrey's best magical cures.
Now it existed as a reminder of what was out there. The danger was immense and the worst part was the fear. Anthony had become more and more hardened as the battles wore on. He was terrified all the time, stressed out and worried. When his Galleon had lit up with Luna's signal he knew the worst had come. Now he had to have the life of every DA member in this school hanging over his head all the time. Everyday he tried to force Hannah to agree that they should pull them out of class and live here. It was safer.
They were the few wizards in the world on the front line of this secret war. He only hoped he could get them out of this alive. He was shocked out his reverie when Hannah came in with the food. Anthony couldn't believe how hungry he was until he saw that food. She put it down on the table and walked over to him examining his face. A wave of anger and pity dropped over her face.
"Have you slept yet?" She accused.
"I'm not tired." He said, "I slept last night."
"You slept for like an hour!" She yelled, "You'll do no good t anyone if you drop dead from exhaustion!"
"You're right." He sighed. He was tired, but sleep wouldn't help. He wished Harry was here. "I just have to… look, Hannah. We need to pull them out of classes. They need safety."
"We can't, Anthony. I told you." She began her defense yet again, "If all the members of the DA mysteriously go missing they start looking for us. It won't be long before they find this room."
She was right. She usually was. Anthony was just so worried these days. And tired. Worried and tired. He looked at the bed the room had made for him. Hannah followed his gaze and nodded.
"Yes." She said softly, "You can go to bed, soldier. You earned it." He looked at her pleadingly. She knew why. Weeks ago when they had moved in her they had shared a night together. They hadn't had sex. They just fell asleep cuddling. It was in their mutual weakness. They were both so scared and lost that they fell into each other. Since then Anthony had been avoiding sleeping around her. She thought it was because he didn't like her that way, or wasn't attracted to her. She didn't know that it was because he was afraid to get attached. That he was afraid to let himself feel something for her. Because if he did it would destroy him to lose her.
She turned her back and let him get changed. When she turned around he was already fast asleep on his bed. She sighed. She stared for a few minutes before she curled up next to him and fell asleep. Even though he avoided sleeping around her they had woken up every morning holding each other. Finding each other in the night. To make sure that the other was safe. She had stopped fighting it. If she was to be honest with herself she would admit that the truth was that she was falling for this wonderful boy who cared so much for everyone else and nothing for himself. He, of course would admit that if he ever woke up without her in his arms he would be devastated.
All around the world people were finding that the only thing carrying them through this time was love. The world ran on love, people couldn't live without it. Unfortunately war runs only on fear and death and sacrifice. Anthony worried that love wouldn't be enough to win. Little did he know that hundreds of miles away Harry Potter worried the same thing.
* * *
So far Ron was sure that Harry was the only one that could do this. He had explained to them how to do it, but it was all too fanciful. They had to look for some hidden part of their minds or something. Which is part of why he had found himself so far from the hotel that night. Hermione wanted to talk to Harry about an idea of hers but needed to do it in private. Ron knew that when she asked for something like this it was best to just listen and go. The situation was only getting worse.
Harry was recessed into himself apart from trying to teach them to transfigure their faces. At all other times he was alone trying to think his way through a war he never wanted to fight. Ron was going crazy with this. Harry was so confident that they could figure it out but Ron was struggling. He tried not to show it. His confidence in his best friend was unshakable. He had to believe that Harry would show them how. He just couldn't see a way.
* * *
Hermione on the other hand was doing no better but was trying a different track. She was trying to convince Harry to let them into his head so they could find out first hand the way he had. So far he was not letting them. She knew he was afraid to let them in. Afraid o let them see what he saw, let them into his secrets. She hated it, but it was his way now. He had become something different during the war. They all had. Aspects of themselves had come front and center as a method of survival. Harry's had been the most profound. He was always a hero, but the difference between a hero and a war hero was not a subtle one.
Ron had become a tactical genius seemingly overnight. It had always been there, she knew from his wizard chess skills, but it had always been covered by his goofiness in the past. Her, she knew there changes in her but it was hard to tell objectively what they were. She wondered if she was going to survive too much and she worried about Harry and Ron all the time. She knew that the relationship she wanted with Harry had been sidelined to fight a war. The pain was sometimes over whelming. She and Harry had a sexual relationship but they couldn't really be together, not if they were to survive.
She had to forget these things. She had to push them deep down and forget them. At that moment in time she could concentrate only on getting Harry to let her into his mind. His defenses were too good to try without permission. She had spoken with Ron and convinced him to leave them alone tonight. She saw Harry lying on the bed in the other room. This was her chance to convince him in a way that only she could.
As he lay there she came out in the skimpiest outfit she had. The slip that went under her dress for the wedding. The temperature of the room made her nipples show through the thin fabric. Harry noticed her and sat bolt upright. He looked nervous. She waved her wand and spoke several incantations. The lights went out and little balls of floating light popped up around the room. A deep blush spread over his face, but it was nothing compared to hers.
She was a deep crimson red and her eyes were looking intermittently between him and the floor by her feet. As she got closer and closer to him he jumped up and pulled her into a deep and passionate kiss. She knew she would need the pillow talk to try and convince him, but she refused to let that ruin this for her. When he kissed her it did things to her that nothing else could. The few times they could be together were the only highlights of her life these days. She had a responsibility but she refused to let it color this moment. She would let the war seep back in later. She let it seep from her mind and kissed him back. What followed was the most beautiful and passionate night of either of their lives.