"I'd do it again if I had to." - 1/5 for the Five Drabbles Competition at HPFC.

Frank and Alice were touching just barely, her fingertips held in his hand, but the way they looked at each other connected them far more deeply. There was fear and sorrow in their eyes, which were bloodshot from adrenaline. Their hearts beat out a frantic rhythm in tandem. Alice could still remember the smell dark magic. Behind her eyelids, whenever she blinked, Alice saw the spiralling blue streak of light-

"You didn't have to take that curse for me," Alice said, voice wavering.

They were the best of the best, but even trained Aurors made mistakes, no matter how dire the circumstances. Hers had almost cost her Frank.

He shook his head minutely, and she wished she could pardon herself as easily as he offered his forgiveness.

They were alone in the room - or so it felt, because Lily was performing a series of healing charms and anti-curse spells. Alice had apparated them immediately to the safe house - after capturing the Death Eater they'd been hunting, of course. He hadn't stood a chance in the face of her fury.

It was with heart-wrenching relief that Alice noticed Frank's breathing was becoming less laboured as the pain receded. The tension slowly slipped from his features, relaxing the muscles that had been tight around his lips.

"I'd do it again if I had to," he whispered with a small smile. "I'd do it a million times over."

His promise was never put to the test, because that would be their last offensive attack on the Order's part before the Longbottoms were caught by Bellatrix Lestrange.