"Dean! Dean, wake up! Are you alright?" a voice calls out to him. He can barely hear it through the pounding in his ears. Eventually, the warm, fuzzy feeling of a spell draws over him, and he feels brave enough to try to assess his position.
He realises he is lying on the hard ground, and his head is supported by some rocks. He tries to open his eyes, and is blinded by the brightness of the sun staring at him. He can't quite place where he is, or what he was doing, but he recognises the voice speaking to him. It is a voice he knows very well, and a voice that-dare he say it?-he has come to love.
He tries again to squint at the light, and this time, he succeeds in being about to discern some vague shapes. His memories return slowly. The war, and Voldemort, and Harry, and the Death Eaters, and the curse, and the pain, and the darkness.
Seamus kneels down next to him and gently holds him shoulder while he attempts to sit up and steady himself.
"Did we..." he begins to rasp, but is cut off by a coughing fit which makes his throat feel as if it's on fire.
"We did. We won, Dean," Seamus replies, beaming. Dean tries to nod in response, but it only makes it hurt, so he settles for a weak smile.
Seamus' expression changes to concern as he watches Dean lean back a little against the rock, unable to keep sitting up. He quickly mutters something under his breath, before taking out his wand and casting a basic numbing spell on his friend. Dean sighs in relief as he feels some of the pain abate.
Seamus smiles at him again, that lovely smile that is associated with so many of the memories they shared together, that it hurts Dean a little to taint it with the war. But Seamus himself looks tired through his happiness, Dean notices. In the distance, he sees a group of Healers, led by Madam Pomfrey tending to various wounded witches and wizards across the ruins of Hogwarts. He supposes they'll eventually get to him, but he wonders if he'll make it till they do, considering the blood that is profusely flowing from his wounds.
The throbbing in his head becomes stronger again, and Seamus, seeing him pale, grips his hand tighter.
Dean closes his eyes, amid Seamus' protests to not do so. The last thing he hears is his oldest friend's sobs before the darkness engulfs him again.
Notes: Written for the 500 Different Pairings Challenge
Pairing: Dean/Seamus
Word Count: 428