Susan (_bonetopick) wrote in fourteenshades, @ 2013-07-27 21:14:00 |
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Current mood: | crushed |
Who: Susan (narrative/dream, with cameos by Jasper, Ernie [his spoken line is canon in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows], Hannah, Pansy, Harry, and Professor McGonagall)
What: Her life's ~defining moment~
Where: Her bed / Hogwarts Castle
When: The dream happens Saturday night, 27 July. The event happens on 1 May 1998.
Rating: PG for thematic elements
Status: Complete
"And what if we want to stay and fight?"
Ernie's voice rang through the Great Hall and with them, Susan knew she would be staying, too. This was her chance. It was her chance to prove herself as a witch. It was her chance to defend her family's honour and know that they didn't need to die in vain. It was her chance to make sure that her children wouldn't have to live in a world that she had known.
When Professor McGonagall gave the order that those of age were allowed to stay, her eyes scanned the room and found the ones across the table, bearing into them. It was now or never. Susan knew she could die in this battle, and she was willing to take that risk. But was he?
I'm staying, she mouthed, as Professor McGonagall began to speak again. She was about to add that she would understand if he didn't, and that she'd meet him safely outside, but then that high, chilling voice penetrated their thoughts, and an unconscious shiver ran through her. She grabbed his hand out of instinct, and when Harry Potter's name was called out, she, like everyone else, turned towards him.
And then there was that Slytherin girl, Pansy Parkinson, who had tried to call him out, and before she knew it, she was on her feet. She was not doing this out of loyalty to Harry, though he had been nothing but decent to her. She was doing it because she knew that if they handed him over, there wouldn't be a chance at a normal life.
Too quickly, people were leaving. In the commotion, through the noise, Susan told him softly, "I'm staying. If you want to go, I understand, but I'm staying. I have to, Jas. I can't not fight."
Jasper looked at her for a long moment, and then nodded, squeezing her hand. "I'm not leaving you." Together they sat as the younger students of their House filed past. Susan looked around. The majority of their yearmates were still there. Ernie. Hannah. Wayne. Megan. They weren't going to go down without a fight.
They'd been put into the group to defend the entrances, and they waited there; Susan was filled with dread, a bundle of nerves as they anticipated the inevitable. They'd put their best defences on their particular corridor, magical and non-magical. There was no point in hiding as it was just waiting for that moment, but they'd wedged themselves between a knight and a portrait for some semblance of protection. Susan was waiting, wand at the ready, focused, though she could still feel Jasper's presence next to her, and it comforted her. "Stay close to me," she told him, in a low voice. It wasn't because she felt like she was a better dueller, but simply so that they wouldn't be separated, and they could protect each other. "I've got you covered."
She turned to face him, and took the moment to take him in, his expression, the look in his eyes. She didn't have to hear the words to know that he had her back, too. She gave him a small smile, and leaned in to kiss him lightly. She didn't care who was watching. She wanted to make sure that, in the event that something happened, he would know. He laughed softly and pulled her close for a moment.
For a moment, everything was right.
And then the world literally exploded; the ground was shaking, and they stumbled. When Susan got her bearings back, she could see people running and hexes flying and she immediately sprung into defensive mode, throwing up Shield Spells, Stunning the cloaks and tripping them up with the Impedimenta Jinx. Her first few hits were good, and Jasper was right next to her, using more offensive spells to fend off the Death Eaters. They made a good team, she noted. She was doing her best to keep up, but it was hard as people were moving about, spells flying everywhere, and people were falling, Death Eaters and her fellow fighters. She slid out of the way just in time as a particularly nasty looking spell came straight for her and though she managed to not be a direct hit, it nicked her right temple and distracted her for a moment. She tapped it with her wand and then continued on, trying to keep an eye on everyone at all angles.
It was so difficult. It didn't seem to stop, and for a fleeting moment Susan wanted to give up, to laugh at the absurdity of barely-finished witches and wizards fighting some of the most advanced practitioners of Dark Magic. But then she blocked a curse that she knew was meant for her, and it became an all-out duel. She had to admit she got a thrill from being able to dodge curses and throw some of her own at her opponent, but with the way she was maneuvering, she was beginning to stray from where Jasper was. She needed to get back to him. She was doing her best, keeping an eye on him as best she could. She dodged another particularly scary spell - it was green; Susan was always afraid of green jets of light coming from a Death Eater's wand - and turned to make sure Jasper was doing okay.
She saw the curse out of the corner of her eye as she turned, and when she was finally facing him, she saw it hit him.
No. No.
Before she realised what was happening, her body was carrying her to his. She could see him falling, and she barely made it as he hit the ground. "No," she whispered. Maybe he was just Stunned. "Ennervate." She pointed her wand at him. "Come on, Jas. You're just Stunned, wake up -- Ennervate!" When that didn't work, she physically shook him. "Jasper. Wake up. Please." The pleading came out in Susan's voice, and that was when it hit her, because they always had each other's back. He wouldn't leave her willingly at a time like this, and he wouldn't respond to her because he couldn't. She was supposed to have had his back. The tears started before she could stop them, and then the anger hit. It was a powerful feeling, like she literally could not hold it in, and she felt it burst forth from her before she could control it. She heard nothing but a loud scream. Maybe it was coming from her. Susan wouldn't be able to tell at this point.
She couldn't do this anymore. She had to make sure he was safe. She dragged him back to their starting point, their safe spot, and there she put a Shield Charm around them. She could vaguely hear someone calling her name, someone shaking her, but it didn't matter anymore. He was gone.