Chapter Sixteen A Crucial Piece of Information

"Elizabeth," Seamus's voice drifted slowly around her ears, settling in and stirring her senses. She could feel his warm breath washing over her face as she was scooped up and held tight against something very warm. A hand gently brushed back the hair that had come free from her untidy ponytail and – in her fall – had settled on her face. "Wake up… Elizabeth, please –"

"Careful mate, I think she hit her head," Dean's voice came from farther away.

"'Lizbeth come on, talk to me," Seamus's voice sounded desperate as one of his hands traveled to the back of her head and she felt him press his lips quickly to her forehead. "Damn it, wake up."

She felt his breath play across her cheeks and she willed her eyes to open. They wouldn't. It felt to Elizabeth as though she were under water, which was muffling the noises around her and making her eyelids heavy.

"Damn it," Seamus cursed again, his voice reaching her ears with more clarity. "I should have been watching –"

"You were saving your own skin –"

"Elizabeth wake up… please wake up," Seamus cut Dean off, he caressed her face with feather light fingertips.

"She's probably just knocked out," Dean's voice was closer, but was being crowded out by other noises surfacing from the background.

"God damn it," Seamus breathed, his sweet breath rousing Elizabeth. "Fuck, say something Elizabeth."

"You kiss your mother with that mouth?" Elizabeth croaked, reaching her hand out blindly for Seamus, opening her eyes at a squint. When Seamus's face came into focus she reached up to clumsily trace his lips with her index finger.

"Good morning sunshine," Dean sighed in relief and exasperation.

Elizabeth blinked hard and thought for a moment in an attempt to remember.

"Oh god!" She exclaimed. Sitting up suddenly, she was surprised to find the room practically empty except for their group of three and the Muggle Studies teacher, Professor Burbage.

"Oh," Elizabeth gasped, putting her hand to her forehead as blood suddenly rushed to it. Warm arms pulled her back into her semi reclined position and the throb in her head settled.

"Are you alright?" The professor asked, bending over her.

"I'm fine, just a bit of a head rush," Elizabeth said, her eyes were not on the Professor, but instead they were on a pair of watery and extremely concerned blue eyes staring down at her from very close.

"I think she's only bumped her head, we'll take her to our common room… hospital wing's going to be crowded enough tonight," She heard Dean reason.

Professor Burbage surveyed Dean for a moment before her eyes returned to Elizabeth, apparently assessing her condition as best she could. With a quick nod she hurried out of the corridor. Dean moved to the window and leaning against the frame, looked out at the view of the lake it offered.

Elizabeth continued to look up into Seamus's face; she raised her hand again to lightly touch a jagged and relatively deep cut on the side of his cheek. Blood was drying in a sticky red line on his jaw line but he wasn't concerned.

"Did we win?" Elizabeth asked in a whisper.

"Would we be here if we hadn't?" Dean answered from the window.

Elizabeth ran her fingers up and into Seamus's hair, the feel of its soft texture and the fact that he made no objection to her touch caused her body to relax so completely in his arms that it seemed as though she had melted against him.

"I think we should get going before someone comes in here," Elizabeth said, moving slowly to sit up. Seamus kept his arms around her and she realized that he hadn't said anything yet.

Dean came over and helped Elizabeth to her feet. "Are you alright to walk?" He asked uncertainly as she swayed slightly on the spot.

"I think so," Elizabeth nodded, closing her eyes for a second and taking a deep breath. When she opened her eyes the world had stopped spinning and she felt steadier.

"What's that music?" She asked suddenly as the three left the corridor in the direction of Gryffindor Tower. It was the first time Elizabeth had noticed a very lamenting sort of music was drifting all about them, its source seemingly outside as it rose when they neared the windows.

"No idea," Seamus spoke finally, his arms were wrapped securely around Elizabeth's shoulders as she leaned heavily against him. "It started not too long before you woke up."

Elizabeth's head started to spin as they climbed a staircase and she felt Deans hand under her elbow. "You alright?" He asked, throwing a concerned look at Seamus.

Elizabeth nodded, smiling gratefully as they helped her up the stairs.

"What hit me?" Elizabeth asked as they neared the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Abstinence," Seamus muttered as they approached the portrait.

"Still?" The Fat Lady muttered groggily, swinging forward and admitting them to the common room.

"I think it was a really strong impediment curse, but I could be wrong," Seamus explained as they entered the empty common room.

"Where's Neville?" Elizabeth demanded, suddenly alert.

"He's in the hospital wing," Dean explained.

They paused at the bottom of the stairs to the girl's dormitories and Elizabeth looked up at Seamus, tightening her grip on his arm, staring pleadingly into his eyes.

"Come on," Dean sighed, leading the pair towards the stairs to the boy's dormitories.

When they'd finally climbed to the boy's dorm, it was completely vacant. "Ron and Harry are in the hospital wing too," Dean supplied before – despite the late hour – grabbing a towel and heading in the direction of the showers.

Elizabeth critically observed Seamus's face and eyes in an attempt to read his silence as they moved to his bed and slowly sat beside each other. She reached up and again brushed her fingers along the cut on his cheek.

"Someone should look after that," She muttered, leaning towards him to inspect if further. "Was that a curse or a piece of debris?"

"Elizabeth," Seamus whispered his tone slightly chiding with a hint of exasperation. He took her hand from his face and held it in his own before he wordless reached for her shoes and pulling them off he set them on the floor beside his own. He rolled her robes from her shoulders, revealing the plain and now slightly dirt smudged white tank top she was wearing under it. He pulled his hooded sweater over his head, letting it fall to the floor before wrapping his arms around her and slowly lowering them both to the bed.

"How are you feeling?" Seamus asked, caressing the side of Elizabeth's face with a gentle touch. Her stomach lurched as she realized that she was lying in his arms.

"You're taking care of me," She said sadly. It was not a question.

Seamus nodded and shifted on the bed, moving until he was flush against her with her head resting against his chest.

"How are you feeling?" He asked again, his fingers once again tracing her face.

Elizabeth closed her eyes to his touch and focused on the trail of lightening that followed in the wake of his fingers. "Perfect," She whispered.

"Elizabeth," She felt his breath play across her ear as he whispered but a millimeter away from it. "I want you to sleep now and I'm going to wake you up in a few hours."

Confused, Elizabeth lifted her head and opened her eyes, giving him a puzzled look.

"You were unconscious for about ten – almost fifteen – minutes, you might have a concussion," Seamus explained gently, his hand traveling slowly to the back of her head, caressing her hair carefully. "Its just a precaution."

Elizabeth looked up at him silently for a moment before he pulled her to him, tucking her head under his chin.

"I love you," Seamus whispered, pressing his a kiss to the top of her head.

Elizabeth nodded and rested her forehead against his chest as his fingers slowly traced along her back. Burying her face in his shirt, tears streamed down her cheek.

&

True to his word, Seamus woke Elizabeth at two-hour intervals through the night. Some time in the very early morning, before it was even bright out, he woke her gently earlier than he'd intended.

"Elizabeth… hey, 'Liz, wake up," A new voice roused Elizabeth and she opened her eyes to find Parvati leaning over her.

"Parvati, what's the matter? Wh – why are you dressed like that?" Elizabeth asked, scrambling into a sitting position when she realized that her friend was wearing her travel cloak.

"I have to get going," Parvati explained. From the light of a single lit candle on Seamus's bedside table, Elizabeth could see that the other girl's eyes were red and her cheeks tear streaked.

"What's wrong?" She demanded.

"Sh…" Parvati soothed, sitting on the bed and taking Elizabeth's hands in a reassuring gesture. "Mum's come to collect Padma and me, we're going home early. I promise I'll send you an owl as soon as I'm home and explain everything."

"But P –"

"Sh…" She soothed again. "Go back to sleep, you look like hell." Parvati reached a hand up and carefully pulled the elastic band out of Elizabeth's hair in a sisterly gesture. The long brown locks fell free giving her what Elizabeth was sure was a disheveled look. "Back to sleep," She repeated. "Seamus'll tell you all about it in the morning."

Elizabeth nodded slowly, slightly confused by her friend's sudden departure. She held her arms out and embraced Parvati. "I'll see you this summer," She whispered in her ear.

Elizabeth remained sitting and watched Parvati disappear down the stairs to the common room. What on earth just happened?

Elizabeth became suddenly aware of light fingertips on the small of her back. She closed her eyes a moment, reveling in the touch before she turned and lay beside Seamus again.

"What's going on?" She demanded, looking accusingly up at Seamus.

"Sh…"Seamus soothed, pulling her towards him. Elizabeth moved closer to his embrace, but froze when she felt a kiss pressed to her jaw.

"What's the matter?" Seamus asked, pulling back to prop himself up with his elbow and look down at her.

"Are you –" Elizabeth paused and looked up straight into his eyes; searching for any hint of betraying emotions. "Are you alright?"

Seamus smiled a sad smile and brought his hand up to caress her jaw. "I told you I'm ready to forget," He reminded, moving down so Elizabeth could see every detail of his watery blue eyes. Every eyelash.

He kissed her.

It was quick and deliberate. She lay still, knowing that he was testing the waters.

He kissed her again.

Again it was a short and calculated kiss. She felt tears burning behind her eyes as she struggled to push away the feeling of dread that gripped her stomach.What if he never gets over it?

He kissed her again and she felt it. A familiar feeling. The one that had been dormant for too long.

Her heart began pounding and she broke her stillness, responding carefully to his lips. Seamus pulled back slowly from her mouth and his hand traveled slowly up from her waist to her chest. Laying his palm flat, just lower than her collarbone, a smile spread across his lips and Elizabeth knew that he could feel her heart's reaction.

Seamus leaned over Elizabeth and blew out the candle. "Sh…" He trailed, laying beside her and wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

"I've been getting that a lot tonight," She whispered, melting against his touch.

"Elizabeth," Seamus's voice was completely serious and Elizabeth realized that she was missing a crucial piece of information regarding Parvati's departure. Seamus paused and sighed hard.

Elizabeth waited patiently for over a full minute. "Just say it," She said when she realized that he required prompting.

"Things are going to get really rough around here over the next few days but I promise I'll be right here, I'm not going anywhere," Seamus reassured quickly, picking up a few strands of Elizabeth's hair and playing with them between his fingers.

"Seamus what are you –"

"Dumbledore's dead," He said quietly, tucking the hair behind her ear and pulling her body flush against his own in a tight embrace.