Behind Closed Doors (ch7)

EALRY RELEASE FOR MY HIGH-PLEDGING PATRONS! THANK YOU!

I knew I'd be dying to write a Blue Team reunion after episodes 19 and 20. I finally got a bit of time to throw something together for it.

Unlike other chapters of this fic, this one is directly linked to events of the canon.

Disclaimer: I do not own Little Witch Academia.

------------

															Chapter 7.

Hannah and Barbara are silent in their vigil.

They sit on their respective beds facing one another, no light around them but the dim glow of the moon outside. The room feels too big, too empty.

"It's not fair..."

Hannah's voice is thick and bitter from crying, her cheeks swollen.

In contrast, Barbara's is thin and feeble.

"Why did she have to go...?"

They say these things and ask these questions.

But they know exactly why Diana had to leave Luna Nova.

She'd told them both in great detail just last night, and even before then she had been dropping multiple hints. They'd just never thought it could pose an actual threat.

But now it's too late.

Diana's leaving Luna Nova tonight as they speak.

And they're just sitting here...

Hannah wipes her eyes vigorously.

"We... We should go stop her-"

"We can't, Hannah!" Barbara grabs her hand before she can stand up all the way. "Diana's made her choice. She's thought it through... and she's made her choice..."

Hannah wobbles, but eventually collapses back down, this time next to Barbara on her bed. With a whimper she wraps her arms around her shoulders.

"I know... I just... it isn't fair..." she whispers. "We're her best friends. Shouldn't we be able to do something? Shouldn't we be able to help her...?"

Barbara hugs her back, sniffling into her shoulder.

"I wish we could... more than anything, I wish we could help her... But I think this is something Diana has to do on her own. Without us. We... We have no right to try and stop her if this is what she wants to do... It's her dream, after all..."

Hannah sighs.

"Yeah... I know. She's wanted this her whole life. But I just wish she could've waited till after graduation..."

"Well, her aunt..."

"I know..."

Both of them heave a sigh.

Neither can bear to look up, for fear they might see Diana in the window, riding away from Luna Nova for the last time. They can't escape this feeling of helplessness, of defeat.

"It's not fair..."

"There's nothing we can do..."

The reality weighs more and more heavily upon their hearts by the second.

Any second could be the one when Diana leaves for good. Or she could already be gone.

The pair cries in each other's arms all night long, bitterly wishing they had the strength or reason to go after her.

------------

The next morning, they hardly speak a word to one another.

They're both just so miserable. It's unbearable to wake up and not see Diana already brushing her hair and gathering her books for the day.

Some part of them believes she'll appear from around the corner and ask them why they look so dazed and tired.

They keep thinking it'll all have been a dream, that she'll just magically re-appear in front of them.

But even in a school of magic, it doesn't happen.

They find the same air of unease all across Luna Nova.

The hallways are a bit quieter, as if everyone is silently mourning the loss of their top student and fellow classmate.

Each of their classes is painfully quiet, because Diana isn't there to constantly raise her hand and answer questions or to demonstrate spells for the rest of them. When the professors take roll, they have to remind themselves not to say her name anymore.

It's just awful.

Hannah and Barbara barely make it to lunchtime before breaking down quietly in each other's arms.

"I h-hate this..." Barbara whimpers.

"Nothing feels right..."

"Wh-What if we have to have someone else added onto our team? I don't want them to replace her!"

"Or worse, what if they split us up and put us onto different teams?"

"N-No! They can't do that, c-can they...?"

"I don't know..."

Either way, the can't bear to think about it.

It takes them all their strength to make it through the rest of the day. They eat supper alone together in silence, then limp their way back to their room. Their eyes constantly wander to the bookshelf – to Diana's side of the room.

Without saying a word, both of them make their way over, leaning against the corner, staring miserably at Diana's vacant bed and dusty bookshelves.

Barbara sniffles.

"She's... really gone, isn't she...?"

"Yeah..."

They don't know how they're going to survive without her.

Not only was Diana their protector and their pillar.

She was so much more than that.

She was their best friend.

They're already crying again as they stagger back to their own beds, holding each other as they sit down side by side.

"Sh-She didn't even say goodbye..." Barbara whispers.

"But... can you blame her?" Hannah mutters. "If she'd waited to say goodbye to us... we never would've let her go... She was resolved to go and we wouldn't have let her..."

"I know... but it s-still hurts..."

"I know," Hannah murmurs. "And you know it hurt her, too..."

For a moment, they simply cry softly, huddling in each other's arms.

"Hannah... what are we... g-gonna do...?"

"I don't know..."

They cry away another restless night together, dreading tomorrow and all the days to come if Diana won't be in them.

------------

The next day plays out just the same as the day before had.

All morning, the school is in its unpleasant state of melancholy, where no one dares to even say Diana's name. Now it's as though they're all trying to forget she ever existed at all.

It's too much for Hannah and Barbara.

As soon as it's lunchtime, they retreat to their room together, wanting to be away from everyone else. The sit on the couch together, leaning heavily on one another.

By this point, they've cried all they're able to. Now, all that's left in them is that dry hollow feeling that clogs their throats and makes their eyes burn.

There's a giant hole in each of their hearts. They've always been a three-piece puzzle, and now it's down to two.

"Hannah..." Barbara sniffles, clinging to her arm. "Maybe... Maybe we should just quit too... nothing feels right without her..."

Hannah bites her lip and draws in a deep breath.

"Maybe... Maybe you're right... maybe we should go back home, too..."

"B-But then... we'd have to go to our own houses... we couldn't even be together..."

"I know... I mean I don't know... what to do..."

The loneliness is eating away at them bit by bit.

And it hurts.

It hurts so much...

Both girls lift their heads wearily when a soft knock sounds on the door.

"Oh, right," Hannah mutters. "Guess it's time for the trolls to clean up..."

"Wh-Why don't we go for a walk together? Maybe some fresh air will..." Barbara doesn't finish. She can't even put on a hopeful expression for longer than a few seconds.

With heavy hearts, the two of them help one another up and head for the door.

"Sorry," Hannah calls out. "You can come in. We were just heading back out..."

Their eyes drop to the floor as the door creaks open.

But it isn't the toothy grin of their cleaning troll that they see before them.

Two brown shoes, two dark blue socks, the end bristles of a broom with a blue ribbon tied to it...

With a loud, simultaneous gasp, Hannah and Barbara snap their heads up.

She's standing there with a bag in one hand and her broom in the other, her uniform and shawl as pristine as ever, her posture nothing short of perfect, her chest out, chin high, eyes forward, and voice clear.

"Please pardon the intrusion."

Hannah and Barbara nearly collapse on the spot. It's only because they're desperately clinging to one another and dragging each other up that they haven't fallen to the floor yet. Their eyes shoot wide open, their jaws dropping, their breath hitching in disbelief.

"D-"

"Dia...na...?"

Diana steps into the room, closing the door behind her and putting down her things. Her teammates watch in disbelief, unblinking.

"Is... Is it really you...?"

"It's... It's not a prank, right...?"

They stagger back a pace to let Diana forward. She sighs, and there's a bit of sadness in it. But when she next lifts her head, there's a smile on her lips.

"I assure you it is not."

For a moment, none of them move an inch. It feels like time has stopped, like the world has started spinning backward.

Hannah and Barbara are all but numb aside from the thudding pulses in their chests. A rush of emotion overwhelms them at the same time, spilling out from behind their eyes in streams of tears.

"D-Diana-"

"Dianaaa!"

It only takes them a second to throw their arms around her, all but hurling themselves forward. Diana's back bumps against the door as she frantically tries to keep ahold of them both without falling. But their legs buckle under them, and before long their weight inevitably drags Diana to the floor, and they all sink down together in a pile of limbs and hair.

Hannah and Barbara cry into either of Diana's shoulders, hugging tightly to each of her sides, clinging to her arms. Their sobs and wails fill the entire room, breaking through whatever uncomfortable silence they've been living in for the past two days.

Two days.

Diana's come back... after two days...?

They know instinctively something must have happened back at the estate, but neither of them can bring themselves to speak right now. They can only wail and blubber and curl up against her.

Of course, Diana had been preparing herself for their extreme reaction. But even so, she can't help but feel emotional that they were truly this distraught about losing her.

It takes a few minutes for Hannah and Barbara to quiet themselves down. When they finally do, they realize they aren't the only ones shaking and crying.

Diana pulls them each close, her chest jolting with silent little hiccups as teardrops fall silently down into her lap.

Hannah and Barbara both stiffen and gasp in unison. They've only ever seen Diana cry a few times before, like many years ago after she'd lost her mother.

But hardly ever since.

It sends them into a panic.

"D-Diana?!"

"W-What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Worriedly, the two of them sit up and look at her, waiting for a reply.

It takes her a moment, but Diana eventually clears off her face and catches her breath. She looks up to each of them in turn.

"I am... simply relieved... to be back..." she whispers. "In truth it... it had never been my desire to leave... I apologize for not talking with you girls properly before I departed..."

"No, it's okay!"

"We know you had a lot going on!"

"D-Don't cry, Diana!"

"I-If you cry, th-then we..."

But it's too late, and they burst into tears all over again. Diana hides her face between the two of them.

"Even so... I feel truly wretched for... for leaving you two behind..."

"But you had to..." Barbara whimpers.

"You had to... complete the ritual..." Hannah sighs. "You've been... working toward being the family head all your life. Of course you had to go..."

The mention of the ritual causes Diana to stiffen, and both of them feel it. Timidly, they share a glance, softening their voices.

"Diana...?"

"Did... Did something happen...?"

Diana heaves another long sigh.

"Due to various circumstances... I was unable to complete the ritual in time..." Her voice breaks at the end, and her breath hitches. "H-However... as such, I have elected to complete my term at Luna Nova."

Her words elicit both dismay and joy from her teammates. Dismay that she couldn't fulfill her childhood dream, and joy that she'll be staying at Luna Nova until graduation. Sniffling, they both tighten their hold on her.

"Diana... we're so sorry..."

"But... we're glad you're back..."

"Yeah... really glad."

"Like... glader than about anything else ever."

Diana actually cracks a smile and looks to each of them in turn.

"Thank you, Hannah, Barbara. Although I regret not being able to complete the ritual... I am grateful to be back. I very much look forward to completing my term with you both."

"Y-Yeah!"

"Us too!"

The tears have finally stopped, and the three of them hold close to one another. At last, they begin to help one another to their feet.

"H-Here!" Barbara squeaks. "Let us help you unpack!"

"Yeah!" Hannah agrees. "Then we can all go have lunch together!"

Diana smoothes out her own skirt, then un-ruffles Barbara's ribbon and straightens out Hannah's bow.

"That sounds wonderful."

And Diana smiles.

It's the first time in too long of a time they've seen such a beautiful sight.

Hannah and Barbara squeal in delight, in relief, and hug her once again. The sounds of crying melt into giggles of joy.

"Welcome home, Diana!"

Diana drapes an arm around each of them and holds them close.

"Hannah, Barbara... I am home."

At last, they're complete again.

-----------

A/N: If only we'd gotten to see it happen in the show ;w; But there is artwork, thankfully.