disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling.
dedication: To frozen yogurt. Lovelovelove.
note: I like the Mollies.
…
Seamus hated how dead she looked.
The days went by in blurs of color and noise. He held her hand as people passed, leaving cards and flowers at her bedside.
She is not dead.
Her pulse was faint. All he ever wanted was for her to wake up, and then he would be able to live again.
He was a dead man walking.
Her skin, previously smooth and warm, was cold and covered in scratches and bruises. Seamus couldn't even bear to look at her face, because then his gaze would be drawn to the hideous wound on her neck. It didn't bleed anymore and was beginning to scab, but it was a reminder of the war, of the werewolf, of his own racing heartbeat when he heard that she almost died.
[He never thought he'd be more grateful for that nutty Professor Trelawney and her crystal balls.]
Her eyes were closed, her breathing molasses-slow. It was scary.
"Lav," Seamus began, and immediately he was confused. His voice was low, gravelly, broken but still his, and he cleared his throat and tried again. "Lav, please wake up. Please."
Until this had happened, he had never realized how much he needed her.
Harry and Ginny visited one day. In Ginny's hands was a big bouquet of lavenders — he was too tired, too scared, too lonely to laugh at the irony — and in Harry's was a box of licorice wands.
Harry glanced at him sympathetically, and Ginny murmured, "She'll wake up soon, Seamus. She will."
Seamus just stared at them blankly and wondered if they were trying to convince him or themselves. And as they walked away, Seamus couldn't help but feel a bit jealous of them and their entwined hands.
The days passed again. Dean and Parvati visited periodically, and Seamus envied how they had each other. He was lonely and he had no one.
He hardly went to classes. Professor McGonagall thought it would be best not to force him to go to classes while he was still 'in this state.' So Dean would take extra notes and bring Seamus whatever he needed.
The hospital wing was practically his second home, at this point. Madam Pomfrey didn't have the heart to make him leave.
He felt so alone.
"Lav, I miss you. Wake up soon? Please? We all miss you."
Her face was unmoving, but her pulse was speeding up. For the first time since the night of the battle, he smiled. It felt weird on his face, though, and he knew he needed to practice smiling more.
So the third time he practiced smiling, he felt her hand twitch. His eyes widened, his jaw dropped, and his heart nearly burst. "Lav? Lav? Are you awake?"
Her eyes fluttered open and met his, and he slumped over, practically sobbing in relief. He held her tightly and she relaxed into his embrace. "Seamus," she whispered, her voice cracking. "Seamus."
"I'm here, Lav, I'm here," he muttered soothingly, pressing kisses on her hair. "I'm here."
I'll always be here, Lav.
…
footnote: I love these two very, very much. I think they're like … fireworks & flowers.
footnote1: I thought this was all over the place, but I like the effect of it. Review, por favor?