The Forgotten 7th Year

The Choice

Hi everyone! Finally updated. I didn't want to write because this chapter was supposed to be super sad. But, I'm delaying, so this chapter isn't too bad.

As a warning, this chapter contains PDA.

Hannah's POV

I couldn't sleep that night. I spent hours staring at the ceiling, thinking. There was no way to get out of this. My stomach lurched, I felt sick with dread.

I watched the rays of sun creep over the horizon with a hopeless sort of longing that it would stop.

Give me more time. Please. I begged silently. My lip trembled, and I bit it until I tasted blood. Sharp. Metallic. Not the last time I'd see it today.

My heart fluttered frantically. Like a caged bird. I started shaking. I couldn't stop. My thoughts raced in circles. Oh God, what am I doing. What am I doing. What'll happen? What'll they do to me? At best the cruciatis curse. At worst...

Beaten, scarred, burned, cut, broken.

The words came unbidden to my mind.

They could do all of those things and worse without consequence. Hell, they might even get a raise.

I almost laughed. I gasped. My breathing caught. I couldn't get a full breath. I couldn't breathe. My lungs were compressing, my windpipe narrowing. I pulled my knees up to my chest; burying myself in blankets.

The blankets suddenly felt restrictive. They were going to come. They wouldn't wait for me to surrender. They'd be waiting if I uncurled. I couldn't stop them. The blankets were preventing escape. I kicked and thrashed: trying desperately to get free. They were here. I couldn't run. I couldn't hide. I heard footsteps. A sob wracked through me.

Susan was suddenly by my side. For a moment she looked paralyzed, but she crouched down next to me.

"Hey, you're safe. You're safe they're not here."

"But they're coming." I sobbed. "I have to go to them."

There was nothing she could say to that.

She stayed there, whispering things in a soothing voice, and when the bell chimed for breakfast I was calm enough to get ready and head into the Common Room.

The second he saw me, Ernie stood up so fast his chair toppled backwards. It hit the floor with a clatter that made me flinch.

"They can't do this. We need to-."

I pushed past him. Pushed past all of them, out into the sloping, earthy tunnel. The tunnel was cramped. Too close. I couldn't breathe. But I kept moving forward. Through the passage and out into the air.

I gasped, out in the open air. I heard Susan behind me, but I didn't wait. I ran. I ran and ran and ran. All I knew was I needed to get away. I needed to get away from everything and everyone.

My sides ached, and my lungs burned but I didn't stop. My feet pounded against the stone floor. I pressed through it all, my thoughts a jumbled mess with only one solution.

Get away.

I didn't know how long I ran for. But eventually I found myself on the seventh floor in the left corridor, facing a wall opposite a tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy.

I could hide. The Room could create a place where no one could find me. But I couldn't.

"Hannah?"

I turned. A boy with dark hair walked up to me.

"Michael?"

"I thought I'd find you here. It's where I'd be..."

"Why are you here!" I snapped. He looked hurt.

"I-I just wanted to help. To give you someone to talk to. B-but I'll go..." He turned to leave, but I stopped him.

"I'm sorry. I'm stressed. I'm more than stressed, I'm an inch away from hysteria. I don't know what to do... what would you do?" I asked desperately.

He gave me an unreadable look.

"Honestly, there's no way in hell I'd willingly go. They'd have to drag me, kicking and screaming the whole way. After what they've done to Neville and Ginny and Padma-." His voice caught on the last name. He shook his head. "I couldn't." His voice was choked with emotion.

"So, do I hide forever?" I felt so helpless. None of my options were good ones.

"Just until we drive the Carrows out." He reassured me. "It's completely your choice, I would never make it for you. I'm just telling you what I'd do."

I nodded. He nodded back. The tension that'd been filling me drained away.

Relief.

I wasn't going to go through that again.

A single tear trickled down my cheek. I closed my eyes against the oncoming flood as I brushed it away. Michael looked concerned, and I hugged him.

"Thank you." I whispered. There was an awkward moment, and then we turned and headed down to the Great Hall.

I'd hide after breakfast.

***

In the Great Hall I looked for Neville. I saw him sitting at the Gryffindor Table and walked quickly over to him. He must've seen something in my face, because he swung his legs over and around the bench to face me.

Seeing him seemed to bring back everything I'd been ignoring and suddenly I was sitting next to him and sobbing in his arms. He stroked the back of my hair soothingly.

"Hannah..."

"I'm hiding in the Room of Requirement. I'm not going to the detention. I can't."

He's going to think I'm such a coward. He's been through three detentions and I haven't heard him complain once.

He looked momentarily surprised at the suddenness of my outburst, but he didn't look disappointed in me.

"Good." He replied simply. "I was hoping you wouldn't but I didn't want to pressure you since this is such a big choice. And... and it kills me when you're hurt. Knowing that they could be doing anything to you and I couldn't help you would....." He didn't finish.

Gratitude and relief flowed over me and I kissed him. He gently brushed my cheek and I leaned into him, wrapping my arms around him.

He broke of the kiss but didn't entirely pull away. Instead we stayed like that, with our lips centimeters apart and our foreheads touching. I'd never noticed this before, but he smelled faintly like the fresh dirt in the Greenhouse.

He gave me a quick peck on the nose and I smiled. He kissed me again, a real one this time: a gentle lingering kiss that made me slightly lightheaded.

Our lips separated only long enough to catch another breath before they met again. I intertwined my fingers through his hair, and, in a split second decision scooted onto his lap.

I felt my cheeks flush, but I didn't care. I knew the whole Great Hall must be watching us, but I still didn't care.

I briefly wondered why Michael hadn't interrupted this yet. I pushed that through away too.

Right now all I wanted to do was ignore all my fears because how could anything be a problem when this moment was so perfect.

I never wanted this to end. It was wonderful and perfect and the only thing in the world I wanted was to spend the rest of my life with this boy.

Little did I know that in 36 hours that would completely change. And it would be our last kiss for quite some time.