A Kiss Before Dying Competition - 2nd Place
Prompt: Either one or both of the people involved in the kiss must die afterward
Words : 710
Warning, again: mentions of infant death.
It was over, but it wasn't really over yet, Dean knew. He'd walked between the rows of dead in the Great Hall. He'd seen some Death Eaters disapparate. Hogwarts was in ruins. There was still so much work to be done. Now, though, the battle had ceased, allowing the survivors time to breathe and recover.
He was so tired. Closing his eyes for a second, Dean still saw flashes of red, green, blue and yellow spells. He wondered if they would ever go away.
He made his way wearily to the hospital wing and as he neared closer, he was unsurprised to see extra beds had been conjured and lined the corridor before the entrance. Someone must have called for more Healers – men and women, strangers, were bustling around, tending to the wounded. Certain beds had more than one bloodstained Healer surrounding them – it was easy to see who needed the most care. The death toll would probably continue to rise throughout the night. Some visitors, parents and friends, were also at bedsides – weeping, whispering, praying.
It was oddly quiet. The heavy weight of death pressed everyone's lips closed.
Dean entered the wing, searching for a certain bed with his tired eyes. When he finally spotted it, it was only because it had more Healers around it than any others. He counted quickly – six. Six Healers and one Seamus, on his knees with his head on the bed, squeezing the patient's hand tightly. Lavender's hand.
He approached slowly, silently. He didn't want to get in anyone's way, but as he advanced he saw Seamus's eyes rise to meet his. They were normally so bright with life and good humour, but now they were dark and full of tears. Dean saw he was holding Lavender's hand so tightly that it had turned white. But then again, the rest of her was equally pale – her body seemed drained of blood entirely.
The Healers parted to let him through, and he sat next to Seamus on the floor.
They had removed most of her clothes to better heal her wounds, though the deep, bloody gashes covering her upper torso seemed beyond the point of repair. Dean's suspicions were confirmed soon after, as the busy Healers suddenly retreated.
"What happened?" Dean breathed, barely audible. His voice was hoarse from yelling during the battle.
"We'll leave you with her now," a young Healer said softly before Seamus could answer. He nodded to his colleagues and they melted away, casting sad looks to the crumpled Irishman before turning and leaving. Seamus closed his, tears still streaming down his dirty, bloodied face.
"Greyback."
It was all he needed to say. Dean put his hand on his friend's back, trying to offer some source of comfort. He didn't yet know what had happened at Hogwarts in the year he was in hiding, but Neville had whispered to him with a sly smile before the battle began that Seamus and Lavender were together. It hadn't surprised him, and it comforted him knowing that Seamus hadn't been alone with no one to talk to all year.
"I… I think she's dying, Dean." Seamus' voice broke. "What do I do?"
"You… kiss her goodbye." Dean was surprised to notice that he was crying too.
Seamus pushed himself up on shaky, bruised legs, holding onto the bed for support before sitting down next to Lavender's frail body. Gently, he lowered his lips to meet hers – there was still a thin breath of air escaping her lungs. He pulled away, touched her face tenderly, bloodshot eyes wide as if he didn't want to waste a moment not looking at her. A sob shuttered its way out of his mouth, and he pulled her in his arms, rocking her back and forth, back and forth. Dean said nothing, just watched as Lavender died in Seamus' tight embrace. They were both crying in earnest now, not just for Lavender, but for all the others too. Ted, his daughter, Colin, Fred, Professor Lupin… The list seemed endless.
"We hadn't even told our parents yet…" Seamus hiccupped. His voice startled Dean.
"About what, Shay? You and Lavender?"
Seamus was still violently rocking Lavender's body, and now her blood was mixing with his tears. He couldn't seem to let her go.
"No… The baby…"