The Hollow Beneath Hogwarts

74. Never Be The Same Again

The Great Hall felt strangely different that evening. Not quieter.

There were still hundreds of students spread throughout the room.

Still whispered conversations. Still nervous laughter. Still the occasional complaint about sleeping arrangements.

But beneath it all there was something else. A tension. An uncertainty.

Everyone knew something was happening.

The professors had tried to keep panic to a minimum, but Hogwarts students weren't stupid. Rumours travelled faster than Floo powder. They knew something dangerous was lurking beneath the castle. They knew Aurors were involved. And they knew that a significant number of adults had disappeared from the Hall shortly after dinner.

Now all anyone could do was wait.

And waiting was always the hardest part.

"So..." Ginny's voice broke the silence within their little group. "What do we think?" She was sprawled comfortably on a cushion on the floor.

Blaise sat behind her with his back against one of the stone pillars. Ginny was leaning into him, her head resting against his chest while he absentmindedly ran his thumb up and down her cheek. Honestly, if he kept it up much longer she was going to start purring.

She'd never admit that aloud.

But it was true. For the first time in a very long time she felt completely safe. Completely comfortable. And she wasn't in any hurry to move.

"About what?" Harry asked.

Ginny rolled her eyes.

Hermione answered for her. "The fact that we're sitting in here while everyone else is off preparing to fight the evil creatures we discovered."

The group fell quiet. That was the question, wasn't it? The one none of them really wanted to answer.

Across from them, Sloane sat cross-legged on her camp bed. Draco was behind her. One arm around her waist. His chin resting lightly on top of her head.

They looked entirely content.

At least from the outside.

Sloane could feel the emotions rolling through the group.

Ginny's frustration.
Hermione's restlessness.
Harry's relief.
Ron's relief too.

Even if neither boy wanted to admit it.

She understood all of it. Because she felt the same. Part of her wanted to be down there helping. Part of her wanted to make sure everyone was safe. Part of her wanted to do something.

Anything.

But another part of her was exhausted. Emotionally. Physically. Mentally.

The last few weeks had taken a toll. "We did everything we could." The group looked at her. Sloane shrugged. 

"We found out what was down there." A finger went up.  "We identified the threat." Another finger. "We researched its weaknesses." Another. "We warned everyone. And we gave the Aurors a pretty detailed idea of what they're walking into."

Hermione nodded reluctantly. She hated admitting it. But Sloane wasn't wrong.

"We investigated every angle we could think of." Sloane sighed. "Maybe we've done our part."

The words settled over the group. Not comfortably. But not unpleasantly either.

Draco nodded. For once, he agreed completely. "Yeah."