Won't Let You Choose

11

"Have you seen the notice Mr. Filch's put up? Professor Umbridge is making an Inquisitorial Group for 'extra cedit'." A Ravenclaw, Cho, said while groups of students discreetly entered the Room of Requirement. "She's only making such a group so she could have other students spy on us. It'll be kind of pointless now since Christmas Break is starting next week." A different student replied.

Per usual, Harry and Skylar stood before Dumbledore's Army with Ron and Hermione each at their side. "Are you okay?" Hermione whispered from Skylar's left, subtly inching a step forward. "What? Yes I'm fine. Hermione what is with these type of questions lately?" The Slytherin frowned, shifting on her feet hearing Harry's voice discuss about the Dangling jinx and the Reductor curse.

"Nothing. You just look rather...tired as of late." Hermione replied, shifting her eyes to the back of Skylar's nape. The flesh of fair skin exposed ever so with hair tied in a neat bun. "There's no need for concern. This is nothing other than stress, I find that you're no stranger to it, right Hermione?" Skylar answered rather impatiently, to which Hermione found quite odd but didn't question it any further.

Harry was quick to end his summary of the events was and were currently happening that may pose a risk for Dumbledore's Army. The bright witch however, kept a lingering gaze on Skylar while everyone began to separate into equal groups. Trailing the girl with concerned eyes until it was broken with Ginny starting a conversation.

Everything that had anything concerning Skylar, Hermione found it in herself to find out no matter what. There was definitely something going on with the Slytherin Prefect, Hermione could see the girl's slight limp and the paleness to her skin from a mile away.

"That's it, perfect. Try holding you wand a little higher..." Skylar smiled at a Ravenclaw claw boy, guiding him by his arm and pushing it higher towards a student who was currently being suspended in the air dangling by their feet.

The boy flushed pink, stuttering a 'thank you' under his breath and Skylar moved towards a different circle of students. "Doing alright there, Neville?"

"Don't worry about me, thanks! Hasn't been the first time I've seen everyone upside down." Neville grunted trying to move his ankle around the pressure of an invisible rope.

Walking around, Skylar took a step inside Hermione space with an arm on her shoulder. "Hey, sorry I sounded snarky a while ago... How do you feel?"

"Great! I'm great- feeling great." Hermione stuttered slightly, suddenly being able to concentrate with two things at a time was impossible for the girl.

Skylar chuckled smiling, "That's good, but I meant about Neville, since you know...you're kind of the one holding him up like that?" Poking at the girl's side playfully.

Neville felt the magic around his ankle shake or falter for a second. "O-Oh... Right.. It's going fine. At least he's not being tossed around like a ragdoll..?" Hermione swallowed, feeling heat travel through her face.

"Like a what?" Neville's voice shook as he spoke with a few other people giggling around him. "Do you know how to get him down?" Skylar tilted her head at Hermione. She nodded, "Liberacorpus." and Neville fell to the floor with a soft thud landing on his bum.

--¶--

"Working hard is important. But there's something that matters even more..." Skylar started. Walking through as she adjusted the wand in Neville's hand that was reluctantly pointed at Parvati Patil five feet in front of him. "Believing yourself." Skylar said as she moved on to the other Patil twin, Padma.

Doing the same and helping how a Hufflepuff held their wand. There was a blast of magic that shit from the student's wand hitting another person and Skylar, Padma and the Hufflepuff all winced at the rather harsh impact.

"Think of it this way. Every great witch and wizard in history has started out as nothing more than we are now; students." Harry said, rounding back to the small platform along with Skylar joining him from the other side. "If they can do it. Why not us?"

--¶--

Everyone beamed impressed by the youngest Weasley, Ginny, after successfully turning the wooden dummy into almost powdered ash after blasting it with the reductor curse. "She has very powerful magic for someone that young... And the ashes look like stardust." Luna hummed and Skylar chuckled beside her also nodding in agreement. "You're right, Luna."

"I thought you went back with the rest." Skylar said after that day and the majority had returned to their common rooms. "Are you returning home for Christmas?" Neville asked as he continued to look at the moving figures in the photo of the Order of the Phoenix. Specifically the smiling figures of Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom, Neville's parents.

"I am. It's more for important business rather than a vacation, really." Skylar answered lightly, taking a stand next to the tall boy. "I'm sorry you had a rough last year with Moody- er Crouch actually. I just can't believe he had even the Headmaster fooled with something like a poly juice potion."

"Do you think Crouch was right? That we needed to know the unforgivable curses cause the Dark Lord is back?" Neville asked turning his head down at the girl.

"In a way, maybe. However, certainly nowhere near in the same manner as he did jumping straight in without warning. It makes me sick to my stomach that he did those curses making you stand before him knowing full well that Crouch himself..."

Quickly overcome with strong emotions, Skylar didn't dare finish her sentence. "Tortured my parents into madness. With Bellatrix Lestrage, Rodolphus Lestrage, and Rabaston Lestrage." The Gryffindor finished with knuckles white at his sides.

Skylar looked at him sympathetically before facing the photo as well. This time her eyes landed on the younger versions of her parents. "Death is a far too merciful fate for monsters like them, Neville. Only they deserve to crumble in the cells of Azkaban for the rest of eternity. Subjected to tenfold of the pain that they've inflicted on others. And they will."

It was in the early hours of the morning when Hermione heard hurried footsteps approach their dining table, "What happened? Why was Harry in Snape's office?! Where are the Weasley's?!" Skylar's voice grew higher significantly with each question, panick and confusion set in usually calm green eyes.

"I don't know either. Something about Harry having a nightmare about Mr. Weasley that he got attacked in the Ministry. But I don't know why Dumbledore sent him to Snape, only that Dumbledore did allow Ron and the rest to leave Hogwarts early."

Hermione roughly summarized, equally as worried about her friends as Skylar was next to her. She's only seen a glimpse of Ginny, Ron, and the twins before they left.

Thinking that lightening up the mood would help, Hermione turned her attention to Skylar. "Dumbledore has it handled though, so it wouldn't do us any good to keep on worrying mindlessly. Besides, the express arrives tomorrow morning. Are you spending the holidays with your family?"

"I am... And you're not the first person who's asked me that same exact question." Skylar replied. Trying to discard the roll she gave up on eating from the loss of appetite.

"What do you mean by that?... Don't put your scraps on my plate, finish it." Knitting brows together whilst also giving Skylar a sharp look.

Skylar pouted before retrieving the bread and breaking it into smaller pieces, "Neville asked me first. Just after yesterday. He stayed behind and we talked for a bit." Hermione nodded, but still her face was furrowed slightly.

"D'you want to sit with me on the train then?"