happy late birthday, The Real Ravenclaw! title belongs to Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart." please review!
forever's gonna start tonight
The world is reeling, and Susan can't see straight. The paper before her blurs and she can faintly hear her name being called, as if from a distance, but she can't bring herself to care. She vaguely recognizes the presence of someone at her elbow, and the buzzing sound of a deep voice, but she doesn't let herself respond.
She feels herself slowly sinking to the ground, her heavy heart weighing her down, and then she's roughly pulled up and shaken. "Susan!" snaps the voice, and Susan blinks.
"Justin," she says, with some edge to her voice. "Stop grabbing my arm."
"I thought you were about to faint or something," Justin responds sheepishly, dropping her arm. Susan sways slightly without his steadying hold, and he grabs it again. "Hey. Sit down."
"I can't sit down," Susan cries. "My family was murdered. I have to… I have to make arrangements! I can't just sit and-" She breaks off, sloppy tears spilling down her cheeks. She's aware of everyone silently watching as the always-steady Susan Bones breaks down but she doesn't seem to care. "I don't know what to do."
Ernie steps forward and looks at her sympathetically. "I think- we should probably talk to Neville, of course- but I think that you should go ahead and pack your bags. Live in the Room of Requirement for a while. It's not safe otherwise, you could be a target."
Susan lets out an involuntary cry, and Justin glares at Ernie. "That can wait. Right now, Susan, sit down. I'll get you a cup of tea."
Susan laughs slightly through her tears- the idea of tea helping at all is ludicrous, but typical of Justin. He was born and raised an English lord's son, in his world, there's nothing a cup of tea can't fix. "No thanks," she says finally. "Ernie's right. I'll go."
Hannah looks at her best friend tearfully. "I'll go with you."
Zacharias looks up at that, but before he can voice a protest, Justin shakes his head. "No," he says fiercely, daring anyone to argue with him, "I'll go."
~.
That night, Justin holds Susan close as she cries. There's no one else up there, just the two of them, and it's safe for once- no threat of the Carrows, of fear and pain and torture.
"I'm scared," Susan says, as her sobs diminish. "I know it's cowardly, but I don't want to end up like- like my aunt, and Ernie said…"
Justin holds her tighter. "You're the opposite of cowardly. And I'm not going to let anything happen to you," he promises. "I can't live without you, Susan. So maybe it's for selfish reasons, but I would protect you with my life."
Susan smiles tearfully. "I love you, Justin."
"I love you," Justin says, kissing the top of her head. "And I always will. After all this is over, Susan, I want to marry you."
Susan's breath hitches and she looks at him. He looks so earnest that any protests she might have had about age and danger fade away, and all she can do is smile. "I want that too," she whispers.
He smiles brilliantly and slips a simple silver band on her finger. "It was my grandmother's," he notes as she gasps. "I've been carrying it around for- well, ages, really. I know it's a bit pathetic, but ever since I met you, I knew you were the one. I want to be with you forever."
"Forever," Susan agrees, and kisses him softly.
He deepens the kiss, and within moments, they're wrapped up in each other. Amidst all the pain and fear and chaos, the only thing that seems to matter now is the two of them, him and her, Susan and Justin, and the tantalizing promise of forever ahead of them.