Edge Of Gravity

His strength was dying in his body, melting away the last of his reserves in a slow burning pressure. Thought itself ached in his scrambled brain making everything a hazy shade of themselves. The milky blue of moonlight seemed like roaring oceans on the walls. Their lapping waves making his body teeter from side to side until, finally, his balance gave out to toss him unceremoniously to the ground. It didn’t make a difference anymore…his body was too far gone in the pain of the passed weeks. All the aches, throbs, and puckering wounds were all cutting his consciousness to the quick.

He would just be left on the floor to die like some Muggle, some pathetic half-breed that had not given his soul’s allegiance to the Dark Lord. The man who would finally prove that Wizard’s were the greater power, that they would not have to hide in the shadows of Muggles. They would bow at Voldermort’s feet, beg for his mercy and receive their just position in life. Lower than the Dark Lord, and in turn lower then himself. All he had to do was escape.

He cringed to himself, knowing that pathetic excuse for a pureblood would leave him. Longbottom was always hiding in the shadows, letting any who wished step all over him. Slack jawed, wide-eyed, innocence dripping from every pore, while he was used like nothing more then a common pillock. Pathetic.

Neville gave off his weakness in his face, the sad expression in his eyes, and most of all the mercy he gave to his victims. It sickened him to think he could not even die like a Death Eater, instead he was left on the ground like a dying dog. Nothing more than the Muggles he had tortured for the Dark Lord’s pleasure.

He would not die such a death, no matter how much his body wanted its release. He would have his revenge on Longbottom, Snape, and very soon that nothing of a house elf-Dobby. The creature was no more then disposable asset, especially for what he had in mind.

Seamus narrowed his magic, forcing past the barrier that Longbottom had left. It was stronger than he would have thought Neville was capable of; the Wizard was a complete idiot. For several seconds, he tried to pinpointed the weakness in his mind. After a long sharp needle pain went through his skull, and one spell of near unconciousness, he decided he needed a clearer focus. He had to turn over, to look at it more thoroughly. Seamus\'s body didn’t move, not even a muscle twitched under his command. He would have to wait for a couple of minutes; his body had solidified from the motionlessness.

One minute passed, magic flowing through his body trying to work out the wooden feeling in his joints. His toe did a slight wiggle but not enough for him to feel any victory over.

Two minutes. His mind clouded over with the magic, trying to knock him unconscious. It wanted to repair him, but Seamus would not have the little reserve he held to be wasted on his body repair. Feeding off of the house elf would do the job much better.

Three minutes…Consciousness gave out in three quick secessions, but only enough to make his skin burn with wakefulness. He wondered if it had only been seconds or hours since he opened his eyes last, every time he blinked. He tried to concentrate on the patterns of moonlight, the distance the light was glowing up the wall.

Five minutes…The pain was sharper.

Nine minutes…His skin came to life burning but his limbs were flexible again. They followed his commands to let him wiggle, over to his back. His head rolled to side following the movement of the rest of his body, catching the vision of the door. It was bathed in unearthly whites, blues, and a sickly yellow. It wasn’t much, but he knew that he could latch onto Dobby.

The idiot creature had no idea how much magic he still held, it was growing stronger every day to how much he had suppressed it. He had felt it as soon as he had been dragged into Snape’s manor, knowing the signs from learning from the masterful hand of Lucius Malfoy. He had taught him how to break these creatures, slowly; making them think that all their magic had abandoned them to the torments. Even the strongest witch or wizard couldn’t see the signs to know that the animals still had power in them. A fact that made using it against them in the end all the sweeter.

“Dobby.” His words came out in a hoarse gargle, sounding more like Snape then himself. It was harsh, abrupt and lacking in the strength that Death Eater should hold. It would be enough to trick the creature into his web, draining him before leaving only the shell to die out.

“Dobby.” Seamus dug his fingers into the unforgiving ground, trying to keep control of his consciousness. He had to hold on long enough to escape; he could drain some the reserve from the house-elf to numb his pains. Then he could go to Pansy, taste her lips once again, and for the first time at the same time. She would help him, love him, and advise him on how to tell the Dark Lord of Longbottom and Snape’s betrayal.

“Dobby!”

The strong pungent odor of magic breaking was thick in the room, making his stomach clench painfully from lack of contents. All he hoped was Longbottom wouldn’t notice the house-elf coming for him; hopefully Neville was still trusting enough not to guard his door while he thought Seamus was dying. Respect for the dying or some rubbish. “Dobby.”

Minutes ticked by slow and syrupy until Seamus wondered if it had been days. His eyes burned from dryness, and the pain began to subside to a distant ache again. It was apart from him, off in the distance for him to watch if he wished. “Dobby.”

Unconsciousness claimed him rather unexpectedly, his mind only realizing it from the change in the lights on the door. The white glowed in an unsullied brightness. The Dark Lord called to him again, the only warm pain he had felt in days. It was demanding, annoyed that he hadn’t come before him. “DOBBY!” The castle seemed to be shaking under his shoulders, or perhaps it was the trembling from the pain. His mind wanted to give out one more time, but he could feel the creature on the other side of the door. The whimpering was soundless from the Silencing Charm, but he could feel every sob in his own chest.

“DOBBY!” he snarled, growing impatient with the animal.

Two beats, then the door was clicking open. The sharp nose of the house-elf peeking passed the edge of the door, dripping small frightened tears. \"Master Snape?\" Dobby\'s voice was filled with fright, panic, but most of all hope. \"Master...\"
Seamus let fat tears well in his eyes, letting the small quivers of pain finally take over. \"Please...please...\"
Dobby jumped away from the door, his nose slamming into the doorframe painfully. A terrified scream caught in the back of his throat, choking him like a large ball of cotton. His hands rung together, standing in the doorway until the whispering voice drew his curiosity. It was soft, miserable, and choking on pain. The time he had spent at Lucius\'s hands made it easy to spot.
Nervously, he straightened his spine to shuffle forward again. His face crinkling up smelling a odd, but familiar odor coming from the inside. The man was lying flat on his back, seeming unable to move from his current position. His face was tight with suffering, dripping with tears.
\"Please...help...please.\"
Dobby jerked back behind the safety of the wooden door, trying to gather up courage. The house-elf\'s breath came out in fast gasp.

\"Please...help me...I\'m...I\'m d...dying.\" Seamus flinched against the light outside the room, making his performance all the more realistic. \"Longbottom, please I fell down.\"

\"M...M...\" Dobby felt his mouth moving without his permission but it was too late to turn back now. \"Master Longbottom has gone out.\"
Seamus couldn\'t help the small whimper of joy. Neville had not change...he was the same trusting pillock he always was. \"Please help me. I can\'t move.\" Blinking several times, he saw the small, scrawney shadow stumble from behind the door. It took over three minutes for the elf to finally move into the moonlight. His features were sunken, gaunt with malnourishment or perhaps dread. \"Me\'sa...Me\'sa....D\"
\"Dobby?\" he whispered in an awed voice, staring at the creature like it was a ghost. How he wanted to just drain the creature, then perhaps take in a little wandless magic lessons on his body but he would have to wait.
\"M...Master Finnigan?\" It didn\'t really surprise him that Dobby remembered him, but it displeased him to no end that the creature actually looked relieved. Moving closer, it knelt down next to him on the ground never once touching him. He tried to think of one reason to have it touch him, but not a single one popped into his pain wrenched mind.

\"What\'sa happen to\'s you?\" Dobby looked frightened to touch him, but didn\'t move away from the body.

\"Death-Eater attack.\"

Dobby jumped back at that looking about the room like they would pour out of the walls at any minute. \"Theysa, not...\"

\"No, Neville...\" Seamus took a deep gulp of air he didn\'t realize he needed, \"saved me.\"

That pleased the little creature, shuffling forward to stare at the man. His hand shaking slightly, eyes wide with the same innocent, slack-jawed expression of Longbottom. \"Can\'a helps you?\"

\"Help me up.\" Seamus tried to reach out his hand, but it refused to move. He had drained himself to thin, ; he needed Dobbby if he wanted to even breath much longer.
Dobby looked unsure of what to do, looking about the room while ringing his hands. \"Where\'sa the bed?\"

\"I...I...\" Seamus didn\'t want to think of a excuse, he was just too tired. He needed to get back to his Dark Lord, to Pansy. \"Please...just help me up.\"

Dobby shifted the weight between his feet several times before reaching forward to take the bare arm. It had smudges of old burns there, making Dobby\'s skin burn just touching it. His small head buzzed for several seconds before his legs gave out from under him. \"Me\'sa...I\'sa...\"

Seamus took a deep breath of air, loving the pulse of energy numbing and awakening him at the same time. He had learned to do this from Lucius\'s guiding hand, and he had never been so grateful to the wise old Wizard. Dobby was slouching against the ground, losing conciousness after only five blinks of his tennis ball sized eyes. \"Master...\"

Finnigan head bobbed from side to side, trying to take in the hot energy of magic, before finally he couldn\'t take the lethargic bliss his muscles wanted to settle in. He tested his arms first, wiggling his fingers, then wrist, then all the way to his shoulder. Each arm took their turn, before he pushed the weight on his legs. It took him by surprise how quickly he could recover, and his feet had found their place beneath him.

Dobby lay motionless on the ground at his feet, making a small smile form on his lips. \"Lucius will greatly regret missing this,\" he purred, lifting his leg to kick the elf square in the stomach. The body flew against the wall, seeming a rubbery toy than an actual creature. Moving closer, Seamus narrowed his eyes, feeling a small rush of adrenaline that he needed. Perhaps another kick then he could...

\"DOBBY!\"

The voice broke through the barrier, making Seamus flinch at its power. The deep boom of the Potion master’s voice reverberated against the wall, making a small knot of panic well up in his chest. He needed to get away...NOW!

Seamus casted another glance downward, smirking at the milky colored skin of the elf. \"Thanks.\" He scurried out the room, listening to the running of two pairs of feet on the stairs. He would escape through the secret passage Longbottom had brought him in. The fool Wizard hadn\'t even bothered to hide his entrance. A fact, that would be his undoing soon enough. Slipping down the hall, he could help but rejoice in the thought of returning home to finally answer the Voldemort’s call.

Beta_Larilee...who kicks so much a**