Being Brave
The Room of Requirement has become something of a home to the seventh-years who remain at Hogwarts. At first, it was just Neville who would escape there, looking for a refuge from the Carrows' abuse and a headquarters for his brave assault against the reign of terror. But over time, as more and more students join Neville's revamped Dumbledore's Army, the Room churns out the appropriate number of beds, and gradually, the Room fills with the students, mainly seventh-years, and never Slytherins, who are looking for a mixture of safety and rebellion.
They spend their days, and parts of their nights, trying to stand up to the Carrows and for what is right. When the abuse rained upon them for doing so gets to be too much, they retreat to the Room of Requirement, to regroup and to recover.
Lavender is doing just this, curled up in a ball on a hammock, and desperately trying not to cry, when Seamus walks in.
"I was looking for you," he says quietly, as he perches next to Lavender on the hammock (and he doesn't say that he's always looking for her).
"I just needed a minute," Lavender mutters, hopelessly swiping at her eyes (but knowing that he doesn't care if he sees her cry). Seamus puts his arm around her, and she buries her face into his jumper, inhaling the faint scent of mothballs and taking in the comfort (Seamus exudes comfort, and Lavender craves it).
"You were brave," Seamus offers, after a bit.
Lavender doesn't ask how he knows what happened- they all have ways of passing along important information to each other, and Lavender being Crucio'd several times because she stood up for a couple of scared first-years certainly would have made the rounds. She slowly pulls away and gives him a watery smile. "Thanks."
"But you always are," Seamus says, shrugging. "I dunno how you do it, Lav."
The unspoken answer- that they have to be brave, they put themselves in so much more danger if they're not- lies between them, and Lavender shakes her head, smiling slightly. "I could say the same for you."
"None of this seems real," Seamus says philosophically, playing with a strand of Lavender's hair. "Maybe it's all a dream."
Lavender laughs shakily. "Maybe."
"I love you, Lavender," Seamus says bluntly, matter-of-factly.
Lavender doesn't melt, or squeal, or do any of the things she had always pictured herself doing if Ron had ever uttered those words to her. She's grown up this past year, she's had to, and she hasn't realized it fully until just now, but hard-won maturity overrides fluffy giddiness now.
Instead, she smiles (and it's still the smile Seamus loves, the smile that's defiant and brave and colorful all at once), and takes Seamus' hand. "I love you too."
Seamus grins (his infectious grin hasn't been taken by the Carrows, and Lavender loves him for that), and kisses her (and it's different from the comforting, just-friends kisses they've shared before, more real and passionate and oh Merlin, there's so much love in it), and it's perfect (completely, utterly perfect), because with love, the darkness and the pain go away. With love, the frightening reality of war seems a little less scary. With love, Lavender feels like she can make it another day. With love, they can be brave.
Author's Note: For the "I Love You" challenge. Prompts were mothballs and the Room of Requirement. See that review button? You should click it :)