A Tree called Life

Characters: Lavender, Seamus, Parvati, Neville & Ginny.

Word Count: 546

Summary: Seamus goes a little philosophical, but Lavender soon changes that.

Author's Note: Meh. I can't get enough of writing about these lot. I love the idea of them all sharing a room. And I'm in love with Lavender/Seamus. Hope you like it, even though it's only short.

Number 61:

"I wish this hadn't have happened."

"I wish this hadn't have happened," Seamus says suddenly from his bed. They've all gone to bed early, insisting they're tired, but somehow none of them are asleep yet.

"What?" asks Parvati, sitting up in hers- or rather, Dean's old bed. Her long hair is loose for once, waving all the way down to her hips. She pushes it behind her ears. "You're not going all philosophical on us all, are you Seamus?"

"Ha ha. No, I mean it. All of it. The war. Harry an' them going. Dumbledore. The Carrows an' Snape." He sits up and leans back against his pillows, stretching out his legs in front of him. "Everything."

Neville sighs in agreement from where he's tucked up in bed, his hair neatly combed and his pajamas pristine- the only thing out of place is a bruise above his left eye- a gift from Amycus Carrow.

Ginny says nothing. She's been quiet all night behind Harry's hangings- everyone thinks she's asleep, but she's far from it. She's reading the library book Harry left under his bed and even though it's pretty boring she likes to know that his green eyes have looked at the same words.

"Why do you say that?" Lavender asks from the floor, where she's painting her toenails a vivid shade of red. Her yellow hair is piled up in a red scrunchie on top of her head and she's wearing no make up.

Seamus looks at her incredulously. "'Cause if y' haven't noticed, we're in the bloody middle of it, Lav'."

"Oh shut up," she says, finishing her left foot and moving to her right. "I just mean- why even say it? You know we all agree anyway."

"Just makin' conversation I s'pose," Seamus says and folds his arms across his chest, a little put out. "What's it to you?"

Lavender looks up from her big toe and grins. "Just making conversation." Parvati watches them with interest from her bed and shares a knowing look with Neville.

Seamus snorts and lays back. "Sure you are, Lav. Sure you are."

Neville smiles and leans out of bed to blow out his beside candle before drawing the hangings shut around his bed. "Night all," he says loudly.

"G'night," Seamus says before closing his own hangings with an exaggerated "hmph".

Parvati catches Lavender's eye and they grin at each other. "Sweet dreams," Parvati calls before shifting over in the bed and Lavender screws the lid back on her nail polish and comes to join her. Parvati flicks her wand at the remaining candles and then settles on her back before linking hands with Lavender, who lays facing out of the bed.

"He adores you," she whispers into her friends hair.

Lavender grins into the darkness but snorts. "Very funny, Parvati. Go to sleep."

Parvati looks at her friend's back and smiles before whispering: "Just making conversation." Then she shifts onto her side so that they're laid back to back, but neither of them relinquishes each other's grasp.

Lavender pretends not to hear her- but smiles secretly again.