Chapter 31: One Kiss for a Lifetime

The world was quieter here. The soft scent of shampoo became apparent and Amelia opened her eyes to realise she had buried her face in Fabian's hair. They were in an alleyway, dull brick and cold concrete everywhere. Amelia could see the flashing open sign of a chip shop across the street and recognised the location as being a block away from her flat. She hadn't really been thinking of where they would go, the only messages running through her brain being get out and Fabian is dying. It was a miracle that neither Auror had been splinched. Gently but swiftly, Amelia lowered Fabian to the ground and ran her wand over his still shivering body, muttering any healing charms she could think off. His breath continued to slow. The tears continued to well in her eyes until she could hold it in no longer and all the air came from her lungs in a guttural cry.

"Don't you dare," she sobbed, "Don't you fucking dare!"

She screamed again and beat her fist into the concrete. The skin on her knuckles was scraped and started to bleed, but she felt nothing. All she could do was cry.

A gentle pressure on her arm roused her. Fabian's fingers gripped around her forearm, the effort of lifting his hand that far clearly showing. But despite the strain on his face, he smiled.

"Bones," he whispered, "Don't cry, Amelia Bones."

A hiccup escaped her lips as Amelia was caught between an in-breath and a tear. She wiped her eyes with an aggressive swipe of her free arm.

"We have to get you some help," she said, her voice hard.

"Bones-" Fabian said.

"We will get you some help and then you'll be just fine," Amelia ignored him.

"Bones!" his voice was louder.

She closed her eyes again and felt herself tense as his tone said the exact thing she didn't want to hear. He knew it wouldn't be just fine. Amelia didn't know what kind of spell Dolohov had used but it was nasty and it couldn't be fixed quickly. If an Auror had sustained that kind of injury in any other circumstance, they would've been taken straight to St. Mungo's for specialist care. And even then chances wouldn't have been good. On the gritty concrete of a dusty back alley, Fabian Prewett's chances were non-existent.

"Amelia."

Fabian's voice was soft and warm. His finger stroked her arm in a unsteady beat, an attempt to comfort her that somehow made her feel simultaneously better and worse. Amelia opened her eyes to see that his still smiling face was getting paler by the minute.

"I don't think we can outrun this one," he said, his eyes sparkling with their customary kindness but also something else.

Amelia thought she knew what it was because she felt it too; regret. The sudden realisation that all the plans one had made but put off were never going to happen. She thought back to only an hour or so ago when Fabian had draped his arm around her and the pitt in her stomach worsened as it dawned on her just how much she had already started to plan their future without realising it. Her tears started again as she took his hand tightly in her own, holding as if she could anchor him to life by the very gesture. With her other hand, she gently brushed the sweat from his brow.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered.

Fabian attempted to shake his head, the motion causing him to cough slightly.

"Don't be," he spluttered, "Don't ever be."

Amelia cradled his head with her arm as he coughed, saying nothing as the outburst passed. His breathing was more laboured after that. Still, he turned his head so that he could look directly into her eyes.

"Amelia Bones," he said, "you were always the best of me."

The witch felt a wave of emotion rising and, without any hesitation, she lent down and kissed him. She let go of his hand to cup his jaw and pull his face closer. Their lips lingered together for what seemed like an eternity, tasting of salt. Amelia was certain that one kiss could never convey what exactly it was she had come to feel for this wild, infuriating, beautiful man, but it didn't stop her from trying. When they finally broke apart, Fabian was crying too. Amelia wiped a tear off his cheek with her thumb, smiled as much as the tension in her face would allow, and kissed him briefly again. Fabian reached up and took her hand once more. Lying down beside him, Amelia nestled her body as close to his as she could manage. He felt colder than she could have imagined. She rested her chin on his shoulder and laid her hand, still wrapped in his, on his chest. Fabian's head lent sideways to rest on Amelia's and they stayed in silence for a second. Fabian gave a quiet laugh.

"Our timing really is terrible," he said.

Amelia couldn't bring herself to laugh back.

"God, I love you," she could hear the desperation in her own voice and she didn't care.

There was another silence.

"I love you too," Fabian's voice was somber.

They lay on the ground, entwined in their awkward yet comfortable embrace. Amelia could feel his breath slowing with every second. She tried not to count the time between, though her brain betrayed her and did it anyway. One, two, three, breath. One, two, three, four, five breath. One, two, three, four, five, six...

As the numbers went on, Amelia felt a great weight in her chest. There would be times later in her life when that weight would return and she would wonder what number the count was up to now, how long it had been since Fabian Prewett had stopped breathing and Amelia Bones had gained a chip on her shoulder that she would carry with her always.

The sky had gone completely black by the time Philip Cho and Mad-Eye Moody found them. Amelia had fallen asleep on the concrete, her hand still holding tightly on to Fabian's.