Closed; And A Very Happy Birthday To You

[finnagoon]

Seamus had completely blacked out shortly after his attack, remembering only the feel of the wolf's razor sharp teeth sinking into his arm as it began to pull him away from the house and back towards the bush where it had been originally hiding. It was very possible he had gone into complete shock, fighting against it briefly before his body began

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[oohlalaorla]

All things considered, it hadn't taken very long at all for Orla's deep wounds to be healed. She'd been lucky, extremely so - as no less than 4 people had informed her - that Harry had chased after her when he had. Otherwise, she would have been turned or killed. With the bright scars against her skin from where the werewolves claws had ripped her side apart, she couldn't get the worry that had quickly morphed into fear out of her mind.

Orla hadn't even been able to focus on that properly for quite a while, having regained consciousness enough to realize that Seamus had been bitten. She'd been frantic and difficult to manage, badgering her healers with so many questions that they'd finally given up and told her that as soon as she was healed enough for it, they'd show her where her young man was. Orla had been too relieved that Seamus was alive to try to correct them

[finnagoon]

Seamus had found himself lost in thought as he stared at his newly acquired scars, remembering enough from his third year lessons to know what they meant. He was going to have to get used to these scars because they weren't going to fade.

He turned to Orla slowly, a sort of blank look on his face to shield his embarrassment over the entire thing. It wasn't like the two of them sat around talking about their feelings anymore, hardly even bothering with conversation before ripping each others clothes off. There were little moments, neither of them could deny that, but nothing as heavy as this.

But none of that really mattered when he noticed the state of her dress, his eyes focused on that bare stretch of skin in an entirely different way than usual.

"Orla, are you okay-" he said quickly, reaching out to her. "What happened? Did you- Merlin, I'm so sorry. I can't believe-"

[oohlalaorla]

"I'm fine. I promise." Her voice was only a little shaky and rough. As soon as he reached for her, she was moving. Maybe she wasn't as steady on her feet, even if she'd abandoned her heels at some point and was barefoot as she climbed off the chair to slip her hand into his.

Orla settled on the edge of the bed. She ignored the way her newly scarred skin pulled as she turned, hand going straight to his hair and only briefly hesitating before brushing the strands that were matted to his forehead back.

"It's just a scratch." It was significantly worse than that, but Orla didn't want him to worry over her. Comparatively, she was fine. "Are you okay? I was -" Orla shook her head, hair wild and everywhere.

This was so far outside their usual realm of interaction, especially now. Once upon a time, they wore their fears and concerns at the surface with each other. They'd built masks and pretenses since then, but in that moment, Orla didn't even care.

"You were late. I went looking for you. But then I was too late. Seamus, I'm sorry." As

[finnagoon]

Even though his shoulder was stiff and his entire body was sore, Seamus moved forward enough to brush Orla's hair from her face, tucking it behind her hear and curling his fingers behind her head.

The break in her voice made his heart jump, knowing just how rare it was to see this sort of emotion from her and hating that he had been the reason she got hurt at all.

"Orla, you shouldn't have come for me-" he sighed, shaking his head.

"What happened to you? Were you bit? Please tell me no. Please-"

He would never forgive himself if she said yes.

[oohlalaorla]

"I wasn't," Orla rushed to explain. She didn't want him to worry about her, not when she was too busy worrying about him

[finnagoon]

"Oh, thank god," he sighed, letting out a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding at her answer. There were times when Seamus's muggle up bringing shown through, which was mostly apparent when he was cursing or in times like these, never really used to the wizard phrase thank, Merlin over the Catholic God.

Though, if his da heard him using the Lord's name in such a way, magic world of spells and broom sticks or not, he would have smacked Seamus upside the head.

Not that he was thinking about his parents right now, even though he probably should make a note to visit and tell his mam all about this.

Right now all that really mattered was that Orla hadn't been bitten and she was safe. And he owed that to Harry-

"Orla, why would you ever come after me like that? I can't believe-"

But part of him did believe it, knowing that if their roles had been reversed then he would have run out after her too.

[oohlalaorla]

"I didn't - " Orla stopped. She shrugged, lips twisting a little in misery. She couldn't even think of how to word it properly. The lines between them were always so carefully drawn and blurred all at once; their relationship having too many layers to be anything she could even accurately name

[finnagoon]

The two of them had changed so much since they had first started their relationship, less afraid then when they were younger and much more innocent to actually call what they had an actual relationship. Though, the War had changed a lot of people, not all for the better.

This moment right here, the moment when Orla was crying and they had been so close to losing each other, was what he had been trying to avoid.

Somehow he thought that if they ignored their feelings and kept each other at an arms length that they could get around this.

"Don't be sorry. It's alright," he told her softly, thumb catching a few fallen tears. The last thing he wanted to do was see her cry over him and he'd lie if it meant making her feel better.

"I was the one that was late. You didn't do this, okay?"

[oohlalaorla]

"You're sweet." That wasn't something she got to call him often. She might think it sometimes - in those quiet and soft moments they had like when they celebrated her birthday, just the two of them - but she so rarely said it.

This was a completely different situation. He'd very nearly died. It might not be her fault, and on some level she knew that, but the guilt still weighed heavily on her heart, building a tight knot in her throat.

"If I hadn't asked you to Kiki's stupid party, you wouldn't be in this mess. You'd be fine." She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment before pressing a hand to his and holding it against where he'd brushed the tears from her cheek. "It's such a disaster. And on your birthday."

[finnagoon]

None of that had even crossed Seamus's mind, the realization of there werewolf attack hitting him but never even once letting his mind wonder to a place where it would be possible that Orla could be blamed for it. The entire notion was ridiculous, honestly, and he didn't want let her own mind dwell there, knowing what guilt could do to a person.

"This isn't your fault," he told her firmly, leaning in a little bit further as his fingers twisted into her hair.

"You know I would have ended up at any party you were last night-"

He said it before he could stop himself, maybe the calming drought making his tongue looser.

[oohlalaorla]

After a moment of surprised silence, Orla blinked at him and smiled just a little.

"I know." That was always the plan. That's what they did the night before his birthday. It was always this game for them, the contrast to the dinner and champagne that they reserved for hers.

It was a standing date, one they hadn't missed in years. Seamus was completely right. She could have gone to a Muggle house party, and he'd have followed her without a second thought.

Overall, she knew this wasn't her fault. With his hand so insistent in her hair and his eyes such a bright blue, stark against him paler than usual skin, she would have believed anything he said, but she knew he was right about this.

She still felt insanely guilty.

"I just hate seeing you like this," Orla confessed. Carefully, more gently than she ever behaved with him, she framed his face with her hands. "And not being able to do anything about it."

[finnagoon]

After all the chaos of their later Hogwarts years, Seamus had come to reply on his little traditions, no matter how silly or strange they might have been. He hated the idea of the unknown and lack of any control over is life, it was one of the reasons he never let himself get black out drunk.

He had fallen into such a strange relationship with Orla since they'd broken up, swearing up and down that they didn't expect anything from each other when the truth was they would have given anything for each other.

"We can change that," he told her lightly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "I could probably use some help getting out of here and maybe a late breakfast at my flat?"

[oohlalaorla]

"You're going to turn this into an excuse to get a lot of extra attention, aren't you?" She teased, sounding a bit more like herself.

The truth was, as always, all he had to do was smile at her, and he had her attention in a minute.

They circled each other so often, were so ridiculously aware of one another, that it shouldn't be shocking that they'd ended up here. The first real crisis they'd had to deal with since school, and it ended up with them sitting on a hospital bed, reluctant to let go.

If their carefully orchestrated semblances were hard to maintain on a good day, Orla had to admit she wasn't even trying anymore, not just then. She couldn't, not when she'd been attacked and had no idea how that would affect her while Seamus had actually been bitten by a werewolf, which they had carefully managed not to talk about yet.

[finnagoon]

If it had been any other day and they had been anywhere other than a hospital bed, the two of them somehow escaping the night both completely intact (though, he doubted he'd be thinking he was so intact a month from now and his bones were shattering and shifted) he would have given her the usual run around and denied just how much he wanted her there with him right now.

But the whole thing brought Seamus right back to his seventh year, the war raging on, and he remembered that their lives were so fucking fragile it was disgusting.

He was man enough to admit that he needed her to help him today, wanted her there to take care of him and to keep him from being alone.

"Of course I am," he told her, smiling a little bit easier now, "Do you really expect anything less from me?"

[oohlalaorla]

"Of course not. And you never disappoint me." Orla couldn't help herself, smiling softly at the press of his lips to her hair. She moved, acutely aware of the way her side stretched in reminder of how close they'd come to never seeing each other again, and pressed a short kiss to his lips.

Orla was beyond relieved that Seamus wanted her with him today. She'd been so panicked when she couldn't get any information on him that she didn't think she could tolerate being away from him, at least for a little while.

"If they let you out, I promise you pancakes." And probably a lot of bacon. Orla was having weird cravings, which reminded her that she needed to catch up on her werewolf information.

[finnagoon]

Seamus's eyes lit up instantly, his stomach rumbling and angry with him now at the mention of food. It was probably a lot later than he thought, having slept most of the morning away.

But Orla's pancakes were like magic, perfectly soft and fluffy and exactly what he needed right now.

"You're brilliant, you know," he told her and he meant it, for more reasons than just the food.

"How does this work now? Do we call somebody in or do I just get up?"