A/N: This fic is coming out fairly fast... I suppose that's a good thing. And FINALLY, we're getting towards the end of the school year. Yes. There will be people leaving (like Draco, Seamus, Pansy, Neville, etc...) amongst other things. Yes, everyone, this means angstfluff. And I promise more action (of the battle battle smite smite smite type) very soon, too.
Disclaimer: Ehh, I don't know. The Slytherins seem a bit of a high-maintenance sort. I don't think I have enough money for their ownership and up-keep. And the Gryffindors would hate me, as would the Hufflepuffs. And as for the Ravenclaws... well, I don't think I have time for all the deep discussions on the mysteries of the universe for that, either.
~*~
"It's not going to be safe for us to owl."
Those were the words that he had given her. Blunt, to the point, with a slight scowl and a troubled look in the stormy gray eyes.
She'd gasped, but it wasn't completely beyond her expectation. But nevertheless, she stared up into his face, white teeth chewing on red lip. "I see."
"My father might be gone,' Draco murmured, almost to himself, "But there are others. Malfoy Manor is still being combed down, too. I won't be living there."
Ginny let out a shaky breath that she didn't know she'd been holding. "So... after tomorrow, it's going to be goodbye, then?"
She was keeping calm, not showing emotional weakness. There was only a barely perceptible tremor in her voice, and a faint sheen of liquid in her eyes. Secrets of the heart. Almost Slytherin. But he knew better, and when he took her hands in his, pulling her up into a sitting position and gazing into her eyes, his own face wasn't quite calm.
"Hell, no," he finally told her, eyes narrowed. "So you can get snatched up by ruddy gits like that Michael Corner? You're mine. I don't share."
She was forced to give a small laugh at his almost bratty attitude, but when she looked back up at him, her eyes were still solemn. "But if we can't owl, and I won't even know where you are..."
"There will be ways, angel." Truth be told, he wasn't quite sure what ways there would be, yet... but nevertheless... "Do you trust me?"
He wasn't sure if that was a fair question... if he had any right to ask that of her, but with it, she gave him a smile, and twined her arms around his neck. "Always," she answered, leaning up and pressing her lips to his. A few moments later, she pulled away, her gaze still settled upon his face. "I won't say goodbye, then."
~*~
Emma Dobbs had been putting away her broomstick after an evening fly when a hand shot out of the darkness and closed around her wrist. And just as she was about to cry out, the other hand clapped over her mouth, and she was pulled against a tall male body. Her eyes widened for a moment, and she was just about ready to lash out, kicking and scratching, when a familiar voice whispered against her neck, "It's me."
She relaxed slightly, and pulled his hand off her mouth. Turning around in his arms, she gave him a mock-glare.
"Could've hexed your hair off, just so you know."
He gave her a half-apologetic look, before moving his hand from her wrist to clasp her fingers. "I didn't think that I'd be able to... talk to you tomorrow before I left."
She nodded with a slight sigh, "Too true. What is it that you want to talk about?"
Bringing her slender hand towards his face and resting it against his cheek, he whispered, "I... well, you know that I'm going to be working for the Diagon Alley Quality Quidditch Supplies."
She nodded again. "I'll try to stop by when I go to get my school things."
"Emma, I..." he started, his face pensive and the green eyes under the sandy bangs glimmering oddly in the dimness of the broomshed, "I..."
She, in her oddly knowing way, knew what he was trying to put into words as usual. Her eyes softening slightly, she brushed his cheek with her fingers. "I'll miss you too, Seamus."
That she, secretive little Slytherin, was the first to say this, seemed to break the dam. Letting go of her hand, his arms slid around her, his neck bending as he buried his face in her hair. She could hear him breathe, just a slight tremor as he exhaled. Pressing soft lips against his throat, she held onto him, feeling him press a kiss to her temple. They always felt warmer with each other.
And then, she pulled away, staring up into his face with a grave expression in her blue eyes. "I'm still living with my parents. Correspondence over the summer will be out of the question."
"I know," he whispered, his face filled with an odd sort of pain that she'd never seen before... not... not even when Dean Thomas had died. "But when school starts again..."
"Visit me," she finished for him, raising her hands to cup his face, "Come to the Quidditch games." Putting on a brave sort of smirk for him, she jibed, in a lighter voice than she felt, "Cheer for Slytherin."
Her words brought a smile to his lips. And Seamus reflected, with surprise and with a strange sense of heartache, that only she could bring out the... the savage in him. The lover. The joy and love and hate and pain... and it shouldn't be this way, and yet now that it was, he wouldn't have it any other way...
And when he leaned down to kiss her lips, a tear slid from his face to hers. Like that very first time.
Kisses, with them, almost always grew out of control, from a spark to a wildfire, but this time, he pulled away, his forehead pressed against hers, his fingers still stroking through her hair. Deep breaths, and the incredible warmth that came from someone who lived within such cold, and together they stood, hearts overflowing with just too much and it was choking them and both of them were smiling bravely for each other and mixed with the pain was the peculiar confidence that, with what they had, everything would be all right.
Finally, he let go of her, stepping away and bringing her hand up to his lips for one final kiss. He left the broomshed first, backing out, never taking his eyes off her.
And before he shut the door between them, he whispered, softly so that only she could hear, "I'll think about you every day, my love."
Emma's body froze for a moment, eyes wide in the dark and her heart leaping to her throat. For several minutes, there was no movement in the broomshed, but then, the girl emerged, her face faintly flushed, but her head was held high and proud.
And she was smiling.
~*~
"So, you're not staying around to teach the next term." Cho Chang gave her 'fellow faculty member' a long, solemn look.
Roger shook his head slowly, peering down at his former Seeker's face. Cho liked to wear her old Seeker robes during lessons, and now she stood in front of him, her long black hair in a braid, slight, graceful form clad in blue and bronze, big brown eyes filled with sadness, looking...
Almost like how she had been, after Cedric Diggory had died and she'd lost one of her closest friends. Except Cho was no longer fifteen, and she could hold in the tears now. "I can't, Cho," he said hoarsely, "You... you know I have to go back."
"Yes, I know," Cho murmured softly, looking down at his shoes. "Roger, I... good luck."
There was a small note of worry... and something else, in her smooth, quiet voice. Looking at her, Roger felt... old, and jaded, and... then she looked up, and as she stepped up to him, he took a step forward, their robes brushing against each other, and then he was holding her in his arms and it wasn't a victory hug like he'd given her when they were in school and she just melted against him, engulfed in his warmth and strength and feeling more steady and yet oddly more desolate.
For a few moments, she was content to burrow her face into the crook of his neck, shivering slightly when his lips brushed her hair. And then, she looked up, and at this distance, she was able to give him a brave sort of smile.
"Do take care of yourself, Roger, please... it's dangerous and if..."
Before she could say the unlucky sentence, he had cupped her delicate face in his roughened hands, close enough to feel her warm breath on his cheek. And his eyes reflected every emotion in hers... the fear, the sorrow, the countless things unsaid... and a sort of plea. And when she gave a tiny nod, he lowered his lips to hers, feeling the world fall away as she leaned closer, arms reaching up to wrap around his neck, gentle fingers winding into his hair.
It was harder to leave now, in some ways... but then, it was also easier to be noble and do what he had to. It is always easier when one isn't alone.
Cho smiled for him, and was courageous and supportive until the day he left for the battlefields again. The tears didn't come until after he was out of sight.
Disclaimer: Ehh, I don't know. The Slytherins seem a bit of a high-maintenance sort. I don't think I have enough money for their ownership and up-keep. And the Gryffindors would hate me, as would the Hufflepuffs. And as for the Ravenclaws... well, I don't think I have time for all the deep discussions on the mysteries of the universe for that, either.
~*~
"It's not going to be safe for us to owl."
Those were the words that he had given her. Blunt, to the point, with a slight scowl and a troubled look in the stormy gray eyes.
She'd gasped, but it wasn't completely beyond her expectation. But nevertheless, she stared up into his face, white teeth chewing on red lip. "I see."
"My father might be gone,' Draco murmured, almost to himself, "But there are others. Malfoy Manor is still being combed down, too. I won't be living there."
Ginny let out a shaky breath that she didn't know she'd been holding. "So... after tomorrow, it's going to be goodbye, then?"
She was keeping calm, not showing emotional weakness. There was only a barely perceptible tremor in her voice, and a faint sheen of liquid in her eyes. Secrets of the heart. Almost Slytherin. But he knew better, and when he took her hands in his, pulling her up into a sitting position and gazing into her eyes, his own face wasn't quite calm.
"Hell, no," he finally told her, eyes narrowed. "So you can get snatched up by ruddy gits like that Michael Corner? You're mine. I don't share."
She was forced to give a small laugh at his almost bratty attitude, but when she looked back up at him, her eyes were still solemn. "But if we can't owl, and I won't even know where you are..."
"There will be ways, angel." Truth be told, he wasn't quite sure what ways there would be, yet... but nevertheless... "Do you trust me?"
He wasn't sure if that was a fair question... if he had any right to ask that of her, but with it, she gave him a smile, and twined her arms around his neck. "Always," she answered, leaning up and pressing her lips to his. A few moments later, she pulled away, her gaze still settled upon his face. "I won't say goodbye, then."
~*~
Emma Dobbs had been putting away her broomstick after an evening fly when a hand shot out of the darkness and closed around her wrist. And just as she was about to cry out, the other hand clapped over her mouth, and she was pulled against a tall male body. Her eyes widened for a moment, and she was just about ready to lash out, kicking and scratching, when a familiar voice whispered against her neck, "It's me."
She relaxed slightly, and pulled his hand off her mouth. Turning around in his arms, she gave him a mock-glare.
"Could've hexed your hair off, just so you know."
He gave her a half-apologetic look, before moving his hand from her wrist to clasp her fingers. "I didn't think that I'd be able to... talk to you tomorrow before I left."
She nodded with a slight sigh, "Too true. What is it that you want to talk about?"
Bringing her slender hand towards his face and resting it against his cheek, he whispered, "I... well, you know that I'm going to be working for the Diagon Alley Quality Quidditch Supplies."
She nodded again. "I'll try to stop by when I go to get my school things."
"Emma, I..." he started, his face pensive and the green eyes under the sandy bangs glimmering oddly in the dimness of the broomshed, "I..."
She, in her oddly knowing way, knew what he was trying to put into words as usual. Her eyes softening slightly, she brushed his cheek with her fingers. "I'll miss you too, Seamus."
That she, secretive little Slytherin, was the first to say this, seemed to break the dam. Letting go of her hand, his arms slid around her, his neck bending as he buried his face in her hair. She could hear him breathe, just a slight tremor as he exhaled. Pressing soft lips against his throat, she held onto him, feeling him press a kiss to her temple. They always felt warmer with each other.
And then, she pulled away, staring up into his face with a grave expression in her blue eyes. "I'm still living with my parents. Correspondence over the summer will be out of the question."
"I know," he whispered, his face filled with an odd sort of pain that she'd never seen before... not... not even when Dean Thomas had died. "But when school starts again..."
"Visit me," she finished for him, raising her hands to cup his face, "Come to the Quidditch games." Putting on a brave sort of smirk for him, she jibed, in a lighter voice than she felt, "Cheer for Slytherin."
Her words brought a smile to his lips. And Seamus reflected, with surprise and with a strange sense of heartache, that only she could bring out the... the savage in him. The lover. The joy and love and hate and pain... and it shouldn't be this way, and yet now that it was, he wouldn't have it any other way...
And when he leaned down to kiss her lips, a tear slid from his face to hers. Like that very first time.
Kisses, with them, almost always grew out of control, from a spark to a wildfire, but this time, he pulled away, his forehead pressed against hers, his fingers still stroking through her hair. Deep breaths, and the incredible warmth that came from someone who lived within such cold, and together they stood, hearts overflowing with just too much and it was choking them and both of them were smiling bravely for each other and mixed with the pain was the peculiar confidence that, with what they had, everything would be all right.
Finally, he let go of her, stepping away and bringing her hand up to his lips for one final kiss. He left the broomshed first, backing out, never taking his eyes off her.
And before he shut the door between them, he whispered, softly so that only she could hear, "I'll think about you every day, my love."
Emma's body froze for a moment, eyes wide in the dark and her heart leaping to her throat. For several minutes, there was no movement in the broomshed, but then, the girl emerged, her face faintly flushed, but her head was held high and proud.
And she was smiling.
~*~
"So, you're not staying around to teach the next term." Cho Chang gave her 'fellow faculty member' a long, solemn look.
Roger shook his head slowly, peering down at his former Seeker's face. Cho liked to wear her old Seeker robes during lessons, and now she stood in front of him, her long black hair in a braid, slight, graceful form clad in blue and bronze, big brown eyes filled with sadness, looking...
Almost like how she had been, after Cedric Diggory had died and she'd lost one of her closest friends. Except Cho was no longer fifteen, and she could hold in the tears now. "I can't, Cho," he said hoarsely, "You... you know I have to go back."
"Yes, I know," Cho murmured softly, looking down at his shoes. "Roger, I... good luck."
There was a small note of worry... and something else, in her smooth, quiet voice. Looking at her, Roger felt... old, and jaded, and... then she looked up, and as she stepped up to him, he took a step forward, their robes brushing against each other, and then he was holding her in his arms and it wasn't a victory hug like he'd given her when they were in school and she just melted against him, engulfed in his warmth and strength and feeling more steady and yet oddly more desolate.
For a few moments, she was content to burrow her face into the crook of his neck, shivering slightly when his lips brushed her hair. And then, she looked up, and at this distance, she was able to give him a brave sort of smile.
"Do take care of yourself, Roger, please... it's dangerous and if..."
Before she could say the unlucky sentence, he had cupped her delicate face in his roughened hands, close enough to feel her warm breath on his cheek. And his eyes reflected every emotion in hers... the fear, the sorrow, the countless things unsaid... and a sort of plea. And when she gave a tiny nod, he lowered his lips to hers, feeling the world fall away as she leaned closer, arms reaching up to wrap around his neck, gentle fingers winding into his hair.
It was harder to leave now, in some ways... but then, it was also easier to be noble and do what he had to. It is always easier when one isn't alone.
Cho smiled for him, and was courageous and supportive until the day he left for the battlefields again. The tears didn't come until after he was out of sight.