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8 - The War is Dead

{7th Year, Disrupted. War}

THIRD PERSON POV:

Mike hide behind a bombed wall, panting as he tries to catch his breath.

There was a large cut on his forehead, bleeding down onto the side of his face. He had just watched way too many people he knew from school die right in front of him, and for some reason he couldn't breathe.

"B-Breathe," Mike whispers as his legs give out. He slumps against the wall and suddenly feels like it's very likely he's going to faint. "Gotta- br-breathe."

But his lungs felt very small and he felt very helpless.

Then, he heard quick footsteps. Someone was running towards him. He flinched when the person ran into the area he was in, squeezing his eyes shut and curling in on himself.

"..Mike?"

He flinched again, not looking. His whole body trembled in fear. Maybe he recognized the voice, but his brain was stuck on flight, fight, or freeze mode. And he was frozen.

"Hey.. It's alright," The soothing voice whispers, coming closer. Mike felt a gentle hand brush away his loose hair on his face. "Oh god, you're bleeding. You need to get to the infirmary." Mike's breathing was still uneven. "Hey, breathe with me, okay?"

Mike took a deep breath, copying the voice. His eyes were still closed. The gently hands moved to cup his face.

"Do you want to open your eyes?" The soothing voice questions.

He slowly lifted one eyes open, hesitant and worried. But through the smoke and haze, he saw Will's beautiful face, watching him in concern. He opened the other eye as well, staring at Will with something akin to wonder or awe.

"Will..?" Mike whispers, the prospect of it sounding too good to be true.

The boy in front of him smiled softly. "Yup, it's me," He says softly. "Can you stand? Do you have a concussion? You're bleeding too much to be safe."

Mike smiled softly, suddenly feeling very at ease. His eyes drooped, and he leaned forward, against Will's chest. "Safe.." He mumbled, finding the thought hilarious. He let out a soft giggle as Will wiped some blood off his forehead with a cloth.

"Yeah, I think you have a concussion," Will says, frowning. Mike blinks, another giggle escaping his lips. "How did you hit your head anyway?"

"Whoops.." Mike murmurs, smiling deliriously.

Will's frown deepens. "Hey, I need you to stay sane for a bit," He says, cupping Mike's face again. "How did you hit your head? Was it a spell?"

Mike's dazed eyes look off to the side, and Will follows his gaze to see a dead body a few meters away. It was a girl from their year, whose eyes were open and wide, unseeing.

"Don't look at that," Will says, knowing Mike was traumatized enough as it is.

"Rock.." Mike mumbles. Another giggle. "She made it fall, I think." More giggles. "Turns out getting hit in the head with a rock isn't as bad as people say it is." The giggle slowly builds up, turning into hysterical laughter. "Whoops. She's couldn't direct her own spell."

Will shakes his head. "Okay, just calm down," He says. "There's still people around, we need to be quiet so they don't find us."

Mike's laughter subsides back into a delirious giggle, his head lolling to the side.

"What are some healing spells?" Will mutters to himself, pointing the wand at Mike's hand. The ravenette hiccups and giggles. "Oh- Episkey." He whispers.

It wasn't the best spell to use, but it was the only one Will could think of.

At least the cut on Mike's forehead closed up, leaving no scars. But Mike still giggled like a toddler, meaning Will, or someone, needed to get a better spell to heal inside.

"Okay, we need to get you to the infirmary," Will says softly. "I doubt you can stand, let alone walk, so I'll carry you."

"Carry me?" Mike repeats, a lazy smile on his face.

Will nods, and starts the slow process of getting a concussed and delirious Mike Wheeler on his back. It was slightly annoying, since Mike kept giggling and half-ignoring his words, but he was able to manage it, and finally Mike's head was tucked in the crook of Will's neck.

"You're weirdly strong, Willy," Mike whispers, giggling through his sentences as his lips brush the tip of Will's ear. A shiver runs down Will's spine at the soft feeling.

"Yeah?" Will says.

Mike beams and hums happily. "Yup," He whispers. "Willy, Willy, Willy..." His voice was slowly getting quieter and thicker, his eyes drooping.

"You know my name's Will," Will says softly, starting to make his way through the back ends of the castle. He wasn't upset by the nickname in the slightest, actually, he found it very cute.

"Will.." Mike mumbles, the word slow and careful.

And then Will hear tiny soft snores, indicating Mike had finally fallen asleep. He shifted the boy on his back so Mike could be more comfortable, and continued to sneak to the infirmary.

...

"So he hit his head in a fight?" Max questions.

Will nods. Mike was asleep in a cot, his breathing nice and even as it's supposed to be. Will and Max were sitting on a bench next to him, talking.

"He's never careful when it comes to these things," Max says with a sigh.

"How can you be careful?" Will says with a chuckle.

Max lets out an amused scoff, before looking across the hall to where Lucas was walking around, helping Madame Pomfrey take care of students. He had always been good at medical things, through his whole stay at Hogwarts.

Thankfully, Madame Pomfrey had dealt with Mike's concussion, and said he'll be good as new when he wakes up.

Will and Max settled into comfortable silence, waiting for something to happen.

Then, Mike's eyes fluttered open, and he sat up, blinking a few times in dazed confusion. Will and Max smiled at the same time. "My head hurts," Mike says bluntly.

"Madame Pomfrey used healing spells," Max explains. "It should go away soon."

Mike nods, distracted. He looked around the infirmary area. "Is.. Is it done?" He questions, looking at Will with hesitant eyes.

Will smiles warmly. "Yeah, the Dark Lord was killed," He says.

Mike sighs in relief.

Max looks between the two of them with an unamused look. "I'm gonna go talk with Lucas," She says, standing up and walking away, closing the curtains that were around them.

It made the two boys become bathed in warm yellow light.

"She did that on purpose, didn't she?" Will says with an annoyed expression. Mike giggles and Will looks at him, momentarily thinking back to when Mike's concussion was bad.

"Yeah, why?" Mike says, opening his eyes.

His beautiful eyes that entranced Will way too many times for his liking. Will smirks, sudden boldness giving him adrenaline.

"Because of this," Will says, leaning forward. He didn't kiss yet, stopping right before their lips touched, just to make sure he wasn't making Mike uncomfortable.

Mike was not uncomfortable. He was very much the opposite. "This?" Mike whispers, smirking and teasing just as much as Will. His eyes flicked down to Will's lips before looking at Will's own eyes again, raising one eyebrow in a questions.

Will finally leans forward, and Mike giggles again.

Max scoffs from where she was standing, and looks at Lucas who was giving her a confused look. "Idiots," She says.

<^> The End

(1.2k words)

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