Behind Closed Doors (ch8)

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

Gosh this one has been waiting a long time. I wrote it last year in the fall but wanted to wait till winter/colder months to post it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Little Witch Academia.

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														Chapter 8.

For whatever reason, Luna Nova's heating system had malfunctioned somehow, but only in one section of the dorm rooms.

When Diana and her teammates woke up that morning, the air was cold and unpleasant. Of course, the staff had promised they were already taking care of the issue, and Diana had reassured a shivering Hannah and Barbara that they'd be able to warm up during classes today in the other sections of the school that were still heated.

They'd never hurried off to classes quite so quickly before, though Diana had maintained her usual, casual pace.

All day, Hannah and Barbara had been fantasizing about returning to their room this evening to find it cozy and warm. But now, after having finished supper with Diana, they're on their way back to their dorm room, and they can already feel the stagnant chill in the hallway.

"Oh no," Barbara whimpers. "Don't tell me-"

"They haven't fixed it? Seriously?"

"W-We can't sleep here tonight! It's, like, way too cold!"

"Should we ask another team if we could sleep over...?"

As the two of them cling to each other for warmth and fret, Diana strides past them without flinching at the cold.

"I fear it is too late in the evening to jump such a sudden request on another group. It would be best for us to simply tough it out tonight as best we can."

Hannah and Barbara each whimper and whine, but they have to admit Diana has a point. Not every other team has a suite as big as theirs, so to suddenly have an extra three people coming to spend the night would be hectic and cramped indeed. They heave a simultaneous sigh and accept their fate for tonight.

"I guess we have no choice..."

"M-Maybe they'll still be able to fix it before we go to bed?"

But Barbara's hopeful comment goes unfulfilled. Even after she and Hannah have taken an extra long hot shower together, by the time they dry off, put on their pajamas, and step back out into the suite, the raw air is still frigid and cold, a cruel contrast to the warm air of the bathroom. Both of them shriek and wail, hugging one another and slumping to the floor.

"I-It's impossible..." Hannah's teeth chatter dramatically. "W-We'll n-never survive..."

"We'll be popsicles by morning!" Barbara wails.

However, across the room and freshly-dressed in her robes is Diana, calmly pulling a brush through her hair.

"We will be just fine, girls. One night should be bearable." Her collectedness always serves to make the others feel better, no matter how unsettled they are. Diana is their pillar, especially in situations like this.

So Hannah and Barbara try their best to suck it up. With their knees wobbling, they help each other back to their feet, still clutching each other in a desperate embrace. They sit for a moment on Barbara's bed like this, trying to savor each other's warmth, hoping it'll last.

As Diana takes her turn in the bathroom, the two of them use their wands to cast heating spells on one another's damp hair until it's comfortable and dry. They sigh in relief and bliss at the warm sensations spreading through their bodies.

But it's never long before the cold air comes back with a vengeance, and it's like being splashed with cold water all over again. They huddle up in each others' arms and just try to stop shivering for as long as possible.

When Diana emerges and turns of the light, she wishes them goodnight before heading behind the bookshelf to her own corner. Hannah and Barbara wheeze goodnights after her.

The lack of lighting makes the room seem even colder than it already is, and when they do finally muster up the courage to part ways and go to their own beds, both girls have to swallow soft shrieks.

After sitting here in the room all day, their blankets, pillows, and mattresses are all saturated with cold. They've covered every inch of themselves in long pajama clothes and socks, but the chill still seeps through and goes directly to their skin. When their hands touch the blankets it feel almost numbing, but lying their cheeks against their pillows feels like pressing their faces onto blocks of ice.

Both girls whine and wail as quietly as possible as they try to arrange themselves as comfortably as possible in these igloos of beds.

But it isn't long before they come to a mutual decision. Peeking out at one another, they nod.

Hannah opens her arms invitingly, and right away Barbara hops out of bed, leaves it behind, and crawls into Hannah's.

They snuggle right up to each other, and their body heat fends off at least a fraction of the cold. The places where the other has lain for a moment now becomes a little warmer when they shift about. Their teeth are still chattering as they hug each other close, rubbing their hands up and down each others' backs, sides, and arms to keep them warm.

It takes a while, but eventually they manage to curl up in somewhat of a warm, comfortable position. Hannah cushions her face against her pillow with her hair in between to create somewhat of a barrier from the cold material so it doesn't hit her skin directly. Meanwhile, Barbara snuggles close, resting her head on Hannah's chest.

They pull the blankets up and around one another's exposed sides and hug tightly to them. Gradually, the mutual shuddering between their bodies begins to die down, and their teeth stop chattering. At last, they've found a way to get comfortable and warm. Hannah sighs.

"This is much nicer..."

"We're so lucky we have each other..."

With Barbara's agreement, both girls close their eyes, ready for sleep-

But they both come to the same realization simultaneously. Their eyes shoot open as they quickly pull apart, starting at each other in horror.

"Diana!"

With a chant of her name, both girls scramble out of bed, losing any semblance of warmth they'd just created together.

But they don't pay much mind to the cold around them right now. They grab hands, and together they tiptoe their way across the room, pausing at the corner of the bookshelf that separates Diana's bed from theirs.

Being her space is blocked off on all sides, the air here feels twice as cold. Hannah and Barbara have to forcefully clamp their jaws shut to prevent themselves from shrieking out loud. Their interlocked fingers are stiff and chilled as they huddle close, staring across Diana's space to her bed.

She's turned on her side away from them, so all they can see is a silver pool of her wavy hair. But even from this distance, they can tell she isn't all right. The blankets are jolting with slight ripples, and they even watch as Diana involuntarily curls in on herself. It pains them to see her like this.

"Oh no..." Hannah whispers. "She's shivering!"

"I swear I can see her breath!" Barbara frets.

They both feel so guilty for not having thought of her sooner. She's always so confident about everything, they hadn't even considered she might be suffering alone in this miniature crisis. But at least now they're here for her.

Sharing a glance, they nod and begin to tiptoe their way across the room. As quietly as possible, they approach Diana's bed from either side.

It's obvious now that she's shivering really badly in her sleep. Her lips are parted and trembling, and her breathing is a little ragged.

Hannah and Barbara feel they're about to cry at the sight of her. But it's not the time for that.

Slowly, carefully, they slip into bed on either side of her, trying to make as little noise and movement as possible.

But Diana's always been a light sleeper, and it isn't long before she's stirring. A small moan falls from her lips as her senses come back to her, trying to register the odd feeling of slight pressure on either side of her. Her eyes fly open and she gasps, but the shock fades quickly when she realizes she's in her own bed. She simply isn't alone anymore.

Hannah wraps her arms around her from the front, and when Diana turns her head back, she can glimpse Barbara behind her, hugging her back. They slip their arms beneath her, pressing their chests close to her trembling body. It's a surprising, though not unwelcome turn of events.

"G-Girls..." Diana can feel their warmth pooling together on either side of her, fighting off the cold in a steady, gradual expansion of heat across her torso.

Hannah snuggles her face into Diana's collar.

"We thought you'd be cold..."

Barbara nestles into Diana's hair at the nape of her neck.

"Looks like we were right."

Another shudder rips through Diana, and she lets out a tight exhale. Her teammates dutifully hug her closer, running their hands lightly up and over her back and sides.

"Geez," Hannah pouts. "You should've said something, Diana."

"Yeah. Don't suffer by yourself when you have us."

Diana tries to reply, but another shiver cuts her off.

So she remains quiet for a few moments as Hannah and Barbara warm her up. There's not a lot of room for all of them on the bed, but that gives them all the more excuse to huddle closer together.

At one point, they have Diana turn onto her other side so they can switch positions in warming her up.

They hug her and cuddle her until they can feel her breathing slow down and her body stop trembling so badly. They themselves have warmed up by now, and it's only a few more moments before Diana lets out her last shaky cold breath.

"There."

"All better."

Giggling softly they hug her again and nuzzle close to her from either side.

Diana has to admit she's never felt quite so wonderfully comfortable in all her life. She's never had anyone else who would warm her up before – not after she left home.

The thought brings a tear to her eye and it dribbles down before she can hide it. But Barbara notices and spirals into a panic.

"D-Diana! Oh my gosh, are you crying?!"

"What? She's crying?!" Hannah shrieks. "Wh-What's wrong, Diana?"

"Girls... it is all right." Diana reassures them both with a smile, turning to each of them in the moonlight. "Thank you, Hannah. Thank you, Barbara."

"Y-You don't have to thank us..."

"We're glad to help, Diana."

They hug her again in unison.

Diana slowly turns to lie herself on her back, wrapping an arm around each of them now as they rest their heads on either of her shoulders. They drape their arms across her stomach and loosely hold onto each other that way. Closing their eyes, they all press close together, with their hearts all beating together.

And there's not a single shiver between them for the rest of the night.

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A/N: Blue Team cuddles please and thank you.