when love arrives ( lavender brown ) ✓

ix

[  AND IT WON'T BE NICE. IT WON'T BE PRETTY. BUT JUST THINK: HOW LUCKY  YOU ARE TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT MAKES SAYING GOODBYE SO HARD ]

Just before Callisto reached relatively secluded part of the courtyard, Hermione Granger bolted past her, firing a spell and shouting a painful ''NO!''

As the spell hit its mark, Callisto could clearly see Fenrir Greyback fly back and land a few feet away before he was hit by another hex, this one fired by a Ravenclaw student.

Resuming her quick pace, Callisto pushed past Hermione, who was being dragged away by Ron Weasley and was looking at her with an expression of pity and regret before her eyes trained on something behind her.

Following Hermione's gaze, Callisto fell to her knees as she found the body of the girl she loved battered, bitten, and bloody on the ground. Lavender's chest was barely rising and her head moved from side to side feebly, as if she was frantically searching for something.

''Lav, I'm here, darling,'' Callisto spoke, feeling her throat close up as Lavender turned her head one finally time and locked eyes with her, giving her a weak smile.

''Hey,'' Lavender's voice was barely a whisper and Callisto had to lean her head near her lips to  hear her, ''I thought I wouldn't -''

Lavender cut herself off with a groan of pain, making Callisto scramble to apply pressure on the wound on her neck.

''Sh, stop talking, baby,'' Callisto hushed, tears streaming down her dirty face in salty rivers, ''You'll be alright. This will be over soon and we'll get Madame Pomfrey to heal you and we'll get married right then and there.''

''As much as I would like that, you know I'm not okay, Calli,'' Lavender brushed her lips over Callisto's temple before she jerked away suddenly, her face twisted into an expression  of agony, ''It hurts, Calli. Please, please make it stop.''

''I- I'm trying, Lav. Just sh, don't talk,'' Callisto pushed more of her weight into her hands, frantically trying to apply more pressure, ''It'll be okay. You have to believe me, baby.''

There was a moment where neither of them spoke and they only focused on each other, the sounds of the battle fading into the background. Lavender's hand shakily slid up Callisto's arm until it rested on her neck, brushing her thumb over the soft skin before nudging her stargirl forward and bringing her into a kiss that tasted of blood and tears.

''I'm sorry,'' Lavender mumbled as they broke apart, giving Callisto a wavering smile as the girl moved her head to rest on her lap, ''I-''

''I know, '' Callisto hushed, wiping her bloody hands off on her shirt before caressing Lavender's golden hair gently.

And there they stayed, behind the cover of the pile of fallen stone, Callisto throwing hexes and spells of all kinds to anyone who dared come close.

''You should be out there,'' Lavender murmured, looking up at her girlfriend weakly, ''You should be fighting, not here with me. I'm already dead, Calli.''

''No, no,'' Callisto jumped, shaking her head repeatedly before pressing a few kisses to Lavender's forehead, ''You're not dead. You'll make it out of this, I promise.''

''You were always so optimistic,'' Lavender chuckled, tensing up slightly before letting out a long, painful breath, ''I don't want it to hurt anymore.''

''Sh, it's almost over, okay?'' Callisto assured, pressing her lips to Lavender's and trying to maintain her sobs at bay.

She did not want her girlfriend's last memories of her to be her screaming and sobbing.

Suddenly, she felt Lavender's hand slowly slip from its' place in her neck and her lips stop moving softly against hers. Parting from the kiss, she noticed that Lavender's eyes were now closed and her chest had stopped rising and falling faintly.

''No,'' Callisto shook her head frantically, repeating the word over and over as she pressed her head to her girlfriend's chest, desperately searching for a heartbeat, a breath, anything.

But there was nothing. Her love had left her - no, not left her. Her love had been taken away from her by one Fenrir Greyback. The werewolf had killed her love and left her alone once more.

She screamed, banging her fists on Lavender's chest, begging her to wake up, begging her to come back. But the screaming and crying and punching did not work and Callisto slumped; she was alone again.

[ I'M SORRY OKAY??? ]