Seb woke up still as upset as he went to sleep. Looking down, he noticed he'd went to sleep in his school clothes. He picked up his PJ's from the top of his trunk, and went into the bathroom. After getting a wash, and getting changed, he headed back up, and lay in his bed, thinking.

Sariss entered the second-year boys' dormitories, looking for someone to talk to... preferably Seb. She looked around and saw that Seb was awake.

"Hey..." she said nervously and walked towards his bed. She thought it was quite obvious that she was close to a nervous breakdown and terribly frightened. The Death Eaters had attacked. An Auror was in the Hospital Wing; so was Professor Longbottom; and a lot of students were also there, suffering from the aftermath of severe hexing and cursing.

Sariss was slightly shaking. Another Death Eater attack. The bad memories came back with a vengeance.

"Um... how are you today, Seb?" she asked.

Seb watched as Sariss walked towards his bed, looking pretty shaken up. "Wh what? What is it?" He jumped out of his bed. "Are you ok?"

Sariss shook her head, her lips tightly pressed together. She closed her eyes for a moment and began to speak. "Haven't you heard? There was a Death Eater attack last night when most of us were already inside the Common Room or asleep. Some students were still outside on the lawn. Others entered the forest even though the Headmaster had forbidden it," she whispered for fear that her voice might turn into a hysteric screeching if she spoke any more loudly.

"Professor Longbottom was injured. And they say that a centaur is dead," she continued, close to tears, her voice shaky. She was absent-mindedly aware that she was wringing her hands. "They haven't killed a student yet... but... but what if..."

She had to break off or else she'd lose her composure entirely. This was like the war. It was just like it had felt for her when her mother had gone into hiding with her.

Seb paled. "God no, I've not taked to anyone since dinner last night. I'd only just woken up." He noticed how scared she looked, and how she was nervously wringing her hands.

"Here, sit down," He said, as he guided her by her elbow onto his bed. "Daft question, but it has to be asked. Are you ok? Like, ok ok?" He sat down next to her.

Even though there was a gap between them, he could feel her violent shudders, and he wondered why it had got her so shaken.

"Here, sit down."

Sariss let herself be guided to Seb's bed. She all but collapsed. She was shaking so badly that she felt the need to try and suppress it.

"Daft question, but it has to be asked. Are you ok? Like, ok ok?" he asked, clearly concerned.

Sariss bit her lip and shook her head.

"Seb, I'm frightened. How can they do this? Why do I have to go through this?" she said and then it started to spill out of her. "Seb... I... This is just like it used to be. It's as if no time had passed at all. It's just like it was back then when You-Know-Who had returned, shortly before Harry Potter defeated him."

She looked at Seb. All blood seemed to have drained from his face. "I... I think I already told you that... that I saw how... how my mother died... b-but... what I haven't told you is that... that... HE did it... And if the Aurors hadn't arrived in the nick of time..."

She looked away, focusing on her hands which were resting in her lap. "I'd be dead. It's been seven years now. Almost. And... and... the day she died was my birthday..." she exhaled in a shuddering breath. "And I'm afraid I... I..." She shook her head, unable to continue. But she did not cry. Crying was something that Sariss Electra Ravon simply did not do.

Seb listened as Sariss told him her life story, how she became where she is now. His friend had been through hell, and now she was reliving every single moment of it.

"It's been seven years now. Almost. And... and... the day she died was my birthday..." Sariss exhaled a shuddering breath. "And I'm afraid I... I..." He watched as she shuck her head and went silent, looking down at her hands.

"I'm so very sorry," He declared, as he pulled his friend into a tight hug. "You must be really strong to still be here. God," He muttered, "All I ever do is complain about my parents, and your mother.. It's, you must think i'm some idiot. I'm sorry."

Sariss didn't dare look at Seb when she had trailed off. Her blood was pounding in her ears.

She heard his voice as if from very far away, saying, "I'm so very sorry."

And all of a sudden, she found herself in a tight hug. She didn't know how she'd got there. Out of the blue, Seb had pulled her into a hug. Sariss welcomed it.

"You must be really strong to still be here. God," he whispered. "All I ever do is complain about my parents, and your mother... It's, you must think I'm some idiot. I'm sorry."

Sariss shook her head slightly. She couldn't move very much, but it must have been enough to allow Seb to feel it. "Don't be sorry," she said softly and inhaled deeply. "No pity, Seb. Please, no pity. I'll live. It's just that..." (She hugged him back equally tightly) "...at the moment I'm not sure if I can bear it... It's just too much..."

Seb let the hug linger for a few seconds longer, then pulled away. "Pity? From me?! Nooooo!" He rolled his eyes. "Never! I was just saying sorry... for, um." he looked around. "For you seeing my bed area messy! Yes, that's it." He grinned at her, knowing full well it wouldn't even be close to cheering her up.

Sariss didn't want the hug to end. It was actually making her feel better. She'd never believed in sharing her feeling with others, but it felt strangely good to know that there was somebody who knew it all now, somebody she could confide in, somebody who might be able to understand her without her having to say anything...

But there she was, dreaming away, probably wishing more than was practical and logical to wish.

"Pity? From me?! Nooooo!" he said when he'd pulled back. "Never! I was just saying sorry... for, um..." He hesitated for a moment. Sariss instinctively felt that he was trying to come up with something original and funny. He always did that. Something random. A little story about a goat, camel or a pineapple maybe. That would be just like him.

He settled for something far less clever than usual though. "For you seeing my bed area messy! Yes, that's it."

There was a grin on his face, but it did not look quite genuine.

Sariss sighed and attempted something that could be defined as a small pained smile.

"Don't worry about me," she said, trying to make her voice sound more steady than it would be under these circumstances. "Maybe I just need some more sleep..."

She got up. "Thank you, Seb. For even asking and listening and the hug... and... everything." She bit her lip. "Good night, Sebbie," she added and rushed out of the dorm.

"Nighty, Sari mate." Seb said, as she left.

Never were good at cheering people up, or being serious, were you? A voice said in his head. No wonder Cien doesn't spend time with you no more, and Sari always seems to be rushing away all the time. Oh, and that's probably why you only have 2 friends.

Snarling to his own thoughts, he turned in his bed, pulled the covers over his head and tried to fall asleep.