The Other Side: A Harry Potter FanFiction

Chapter XXXIV

After spending hours perfecting all the spells she knew, Lana sat alone in the drawing room on the loveseat pushed against the wall, leaning against one arm with her feet up on the other, going over the Standard Book of Spells for anything else that might help, when it was plucked from her grasp.

            “Hey!” she cried, sitting up.

            Ron, holding the book, stood beside Cedric, who said, “Really, Lana?”

            “I want to be prepared,” Lana said, reaching for the book again. Ron pulled it back, stepping into the middle of the drawing room, pretending to be interested in the text. “You’re prepared enough,” he said, “Take a break for once.”

            “I’ll be fighting for my life in less than forty-eight hours,” Lana said, standing up and going to Ron, who just held out his hand and pushed her back. “Ron, give it!”

            “Oddly enough, there isn’t a spell in here that’ll get you to have some fun once in a while,” he muttered, “What good is a book of spells if it doesn’t have the spell you want?”

            “Ron!” Lana shouted with a giggle, reaching for the book. He held her back and pulled the book farther away from her, grinning.

            “Give it, you jerk!” She slapped his hand away and jumped onto his back, grabbing the book out of his grasp.

            “Get off!” Ron shouted, laughing heartily. Cedric was leaning against the mantel of the fireplace, his whole body shaking with laughter. Lana leapt off his back, fighting the urge to bust out in giggles, and smacked the back of his head with her book.

            “Ahem.”

            The three turned towards the doorway and saw, standing there, Snape, looking distinctly uncomfortable. “Can I speak with Lana for a moment?”

            “Sure,” she said, dropping her book on the loveseat carelessly. “What do you need to talk about, Snapey?”

            Snape glanced at Cedric and Ron, both still trying to contain their laughter, and said, “Alone?”

            Lana looked towards the boys, who obviously weren’t planning on moving anytime soon, and stepped past Snape out the doorway. “What’s up?”

“It’s about Regina,” he said, “I want… I was hoping…” He struggled for the words, then sighed exasperatedly. “I want to ask for her hand.”

            Lana gaped. “In, like, marriage?”

            “I know, it seems like we’ve moved too fast, but… well, with the battle only a few days away—”

            “You don’t think you’re going to survive this, do you?” Lana asked. It was more of a statement then a question, and she crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, staring intently at Snape.

            He nodded. “The chances are well against me. I’ll be marked as a traitor, and therefore targeted by many of the Death Eaters.”

            “So you want to marry Regina before you die?”

            “I was hoping you’d accompany me when I ask her,” he said, “For support.”

            “You’re serious about this?” Lana asked, “I mean, if you survive—”

            “I’ll live a long life with the woman I want to spend it with,” he replied.