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wook77Title: Memories as a Teacup: Chapter 7
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
wook77
Pairing:: Dean/Seamus (other slash and het pairings contained within)
Rating: PG (Eventual rating: Hard R to NC-17)
100quills prompt: 13. Waltz
Warnings: Canon compliant through DH. Pre-Epilogue. Additional Warnings at the beginning of Chapter 1.
Wordcount: Overall: ~70k This part: 3400
Summary: Four years ago, Dean Thomas died in the midst of a raid. Seamus saw it happen right in front of his eyes but seeing isn't believing and reality is in the eye of the beholder.
A/N: Many many thanks tonefernat for the beta job. All remaining mistakes are my own.
All Chapters
Seamus felt awkward and out of place as he walked into Parvati and Lavender's flat. First, there were all the girly gewgaws about, little fairy statues and fabric on every surface. Then there was the group assembled around. Parvati hadn't mentioned that she'd basically planned a Dumbledore's Army reunion. Michael Corner was off to the side with some bird while Neville had his arm wrapped around Hannah Abbott. Harry and Ginny leaned in close together while Ron and Hermione poked at one another. Dennis sat on the sofa, alone and morose, while Lavender and Luna moved about in the kitchen. Padma was talking to Anthony Goldstein by the fireplace.
"Everyone? Can I have your attention?" Parvati called out and, slowly, everyone turned towards Parvati. "Seamus has some news."
He was standing in the doorway, Dean just out of sight to the side, and felt completely and totally put on the spot. He had sort of just planned on Dean walking in behind him. Then again, he hadn't planned on anyone other than Parvati, Lavender and Dennis.
"Um, that is, a few weeks ago, I, um, I met someone," he stumbled over the words.
"Who's the unfortunate soul?" Harry called out and everyone laughed.
"Not like that, wanker," Seamus said though there wasn't much heat to the words. The snickering continued as he stumbled over how to announce Dean's return, "Look, it's probably, ok, scratch that, it's going to be a shock when you see him but, that is, just, err, I mean –"
"What Seamus is trying to say is that I'm not exactly dead." Dean walked in to the flat and the room went completely silent. "Though I should say that I don't remember any of you."
Seamus closed the door behind him and then the questions erupted. How and why and where have you been all tumbled over and around each other. Neville hurried around the room to hug Dean and then Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny quickly followed. Shunted off to the side as more people joined the group, Seamus kept getting pushed until he was almost next to Dennis who only stared straight ahead.
"Dennis? How are you, mate?" Seamus asked as he sat on the arm of the sofa. He was feeling a bit left out but he'd had Dean to himself for over a week so he wasn't entirely upset. No, not entirely.
"Brilliant, of course, absofuckinglutely brilliant." Dennis sounded bitter as he stared straight ahead. "Been spending my time alone as you've been too busy to do shite."
"I… what?" Seamus gaped at Dennis. It had only been a few days since the last time they'd talked and the bitterness in was shocking.
"You turn me down like that and then faff off to whatever the fuck you've been doing and I'm supposed to be all right with that?" Dennis's voice slowly started to rise, getting louder and louder. "Oh, sure, no worries, Seamus, off with Dean while I'm stuck by myself. Why yes, I'm fine with you blowing off two years of spending time together. No worries, everything's great! Ignore me now that you've got Dean back. Fuck you, Dennis, I've got better company. Now, off you go by yourself, never mind how I've led you on with the snogging and shit."
The rest of the room went silent by the end of the diatribe. Seamus stared and felt the flush crawl up his neck and flood his face. Then the anger hit. "I never led you on, you fucking arse. I stopped you, didn't I? Stopped you before you did something fucking stupid. This isn't the time nor is it the place to be doing this. You want to talk about this shit, we can talk but not here and not right now."
"Oh no, wouldn't want darling Dean to know about any of this, would you?" Dennis stood and stumbled across the room. Everyone moved out of his way until he was standing next to Dean. Drunkenly, he put his arm around Dean's waist. "Wouldn't want you to know that Seamus here kissed me first, no matter what he says."
Dean looked from Seamus to Dennis to Parvati and back to Seamus. He looked confused and, to Seamus, like he was beginning to draw certain conclusions. Seamus didn't mind that he was gay, he was open about it, but he hadn't wanted Dean to know, not yet.
"Dennis, this isn't the place." Parvati attempted to intercede.
"Course it isn't. Well, then, I'll just be going," Dennis said while sneering at the group. "Wouldn't want to be the reminder that sometimes people die and they don't come back. Sorry for breaking up the happy reunion."
When he stumbled out the door, Parvati followed. Seamus went to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of ale while the conversations in the main room started once more. He attempted to block them out but considering that there wasn't even a wall between them, Seamus didn't have much luck. Quickly opening the bottle, he started to chug it. The warm ale went down smooth and he thought maybe another five or six might possibly make a dent in the embarrassment.
"Shall we eat?" Padma asked.
Everyone went to the enlarged table and sat, the two empty chairs reminding everyone of what had just happened. With a flick of her wand, Padma brought the food from the kitchen to the table. Seamus shifted uncomfortably in his seat next to Dean, refusing to look over at him.
"Haven't seen that before," Dean said as the food landed on the table.
"Gone Muggle, have you?" Harry asked as he dished the potatoes onto his plate.
"Yeah, went home to my family and, well, didn't know about any of this stuff." Dean gestured towards the dishes and the rest of the table.
"So what do you do?" Neville asked from across the table.
"I'm a graphic designer." At the blank stares, he laughed and hastened to explain. "I do artwork for adverts and such on buses, mainly. Some magazine work, as well."
Raised voices from outside the door interrupted and the group started speaking louder, trying to drown out the argument.
"Have you thought of working for a Wizard magazine? Merlin knows you'd be better than half the staff they have at those rags." Hermione looked uncomfortable as something slammed into the outside wall.
"Hadn't thought of that, actually. I'm on a leave from my current job right now. Parvati, she's helping me with some of the stuff." Dean seemed to be all right with the topic at hand but Seamus was ready to change the subject if need be.
"So you don't remember anything?" Ron asked.
"Nothing from my eleventh birthday until I was twenty-one or so. It sort of felt like I woke up and was suddenly twenty-one. Went home and mum and the rest, well…"
"So you don't remember the Yule Ball?" Seamus flushed and then glared at Ron. He hadn't told Ron about afterwards, had he? He didn't think he had.
"No, why?"
"I wish I couldn't remember that horrible dance, either. Ron's robes were atrocious and he treated me like shit," Padma interjected. "Poor Parvati and I were stuck sitting there watching everyone else dance while Harry and Ron mooned."
"I didn't moon," Ron denied but then started laughing when Hermione nudged him in the ribs. "I was too embarrassed about my robes to moon."
"What was wrong with them?" Dean asked.
"They were horrible, looked like a dress." Ron's hands gestured towards his chest, "All this lace and these ruffles."
"I have photos somewhere," Lavender said. "I'll have to dig them out. Colin took a…"
The room went awkwardly silent. Seamus wasn't at all sure what to do to clear it up. Finally, he raised his glass and offered a toast, "To Colin, most annoying prat with a camera ever and thank God for that."
"To Colin," the rest of the table responded as the sound of glasses touching rims sounded.
"So what is it that all of you do?" Dean asked to fill in the awkward silence.
"Solicitor," Hermione said.
"Professor of Herbology at Hogwarts," Neville said while grinning.
"I own the Leaky Cauldron." Hannah tipped her glass.
"Quidditch player," Ginny said.
"Professor of Transfigurations at Hogwarts," Anthony said.
"Lav and I work at Witch Weekly," Padma said.
"Aurors, mate," Harry answered and gestured towards Ron and Michael Corner.
"Seamus said that's what we were, Aurors." Dean looked at Seamus and Seamus gave a wan smile back.
"You two were great. We were pretty pissed when Seamus left to go push papers for the Quidditch League. Not worthy of him, though I don't think anyone would turn down free tickets to a match or two every once in awhile." Ron looked at Seamus with pleading in his eyes.
"Mate, the Cannons suck bad enough that they're practically giving the tickets away, anyway."
"Sod off, Seamus. We go two years without hearing a peep from you and you only turn up to insult the Cannons?" Ron laughed and poked Hermione in the ribs. "Least you can do to make it up to me is to get me some tickets. Wouldn't mind some to the upcoming Cannons and Falcons game."
"Ron, you said you were going to come see the Harpies play." Ginny glared at Ron before tossing a roll at him.
"But it's the Cannons, Gin. I can come see you play any time but the Cannons? They stand a chance of winning a game against the Falcons."
"Just about as much of a chance as you getting Hermione to sleep with you after that little poke there." Ginny grinned and waggled her eyebrows as Ron and Hermione flushed.
"You're not supposed to – " The rest was cut off as Ginny interrupted.
"Not supposed to know about sex? Please, Ron, Harry and I've been together how long now?"
"Ginny!" Harry protested as he flushed.
"What? It's completely natural, isn't it?" Ginny looked around the table. "Dean, bet you don't remember kissing me. You were my first kiss, you know."
"Ginny! For fuck's sake, this ain't proper table talk." Seamus glared at Ginny as he watched Dean look around the table.
"It's not like I'm mentioning your preferences, Seamus Finnigan. I'm merely making conversation. I didn't mention that you were his – "
"Ginny, shush," Harry said as he looked towards Seamus. Harry might not be the most observant of people but obviously he'd picked up on how much Seamus hadn't told Dean.
"Has anyone been following the news about the trials coming up?" Michael interjected in a blatant attempt to change the subject as Ginny and Seamus glared at one another.
"Trials?" Dean asked.
"There's a couple of retrials coming up. Some of the Death Eaters from way back are repenting and asking for new trials. They're offering to give up evidence on others to get less time."
"Fuck them all," Seamus spat. "None of them deserve shit."
"Hear hear!" Michael raised his glass in a toast while Harry and Ron seconded the gesture.
Before anyone else could add anything, Parvati came back into the flat and sat at the table. Seamus looked to see if Dennis followed, but it was fairly clear that he'd left when a minute went past with no sign of him. When he made eye contact with Parvati, she shook her head.
"I see you all started without me." Parvati attempted to make a joke and Padma passed her some of the food.
"Dennis not coming back?" Lavender asked.
"He's decided that getting another pint is more important than dinner." Parvati sounded solid but Seamus could see the way that she continued to watch the door long after they'd finished dinner.
Drinks after dinner followed with various conversations and memories of Hogwarts. Ron and Harry told Dean about playing Quidditch together and the way that Dean had been picked over Seamus. Seamus took the teasing good-naturedly but as talk turned to their Auror training, his nervousness returned. Any minute now, someone was going to tell Dean what they'd been together and that would be the end of whatever tenuous re-establishment of friendship they had. Pretty soon, Dean would know and leave Seamus again.
Dean sat next to Seamus on the sofa as the conversation shifted away from Hogwarts into the various couples and Molly Weasley's none-too-subtle hints for grandchildren.
"Having a good time?" Seamus asked as they pressed thigh to thigh and continued up along their hips to their chests and shoulders.
"Yeah, though it's a bit weird. It's like you're all speaking a different language and I don't know all the words." Dean leaned in to Seamus to talk to him so that they could hear one another. He was close enough that it would only take an inch, maybe two, for Seamus to lean in and capture those lips. If someone was going to tell Dean, it might as well be Seamus. He might as well get at least a sodding kiss out of this entire fiasco.
"You'll get on to it," Seamus said instead of leaning in. He pulled back slightly and Dean looked disappointed for a moment. No, Seamus mentally corrected himself, not disappointed because he had nothing to be disappointed over.
"Sure I will. Parvati has these exercises she's certain will work. They've tried them on other spell-damaged people. I did tell you she thinks it's spell damage, right?" Dean was bumped as Goldstein sat on the arm of the sofa and his arm slipped so that his hand rested on Seamus's thigh.
"No, but that's what I was hoping it might be though chances are, it'll be permanent. We had this professor for Defence, poncy git by the name of Lockhart and he lost his memories and it was permanent. Blighter babbles on like he's stuck in the past. They put him in a mental ward."
"Parvati was telling me about him, just a bit. They say that he did it to himself though. She had this guy in from France who's certain that it wasn't an, err, what's the word, an Obliviate? She thinks someone went in and just sliced out certain things."
"Parvati? That true? You think maybe Yaxley and Lestrange grabbed Dean and experimented on him? Maybe this whole thing's the work of Death Eaters?" Harry asked. All the rest of the conversations stopped.
"I wasn't sure; we need to do a bit more testing and exploring to know for certain. There's no magical signatures that I could find. Healer Guérir is going to do some more testing in a week or so. For now, we're going to try to recover a few memories."
"That's just about something they'd do, too. Fuckers weren't satisfied with trying to take over the world and killing all the Muggleborns. I can see them trying to take away the memory of magic from them. When'd we get Lestrange anyway?"
"About…" Seamus thought hard to figure out when he'd captured the man. "About five months after Dean."
"Timing would fit," Michael offered. "Give Dean a month to find his way to London or heal or whatever. It'd certainly fit."
"Wait, what?" Dean looked from one to another as they talked over the theory.
"You can't do that, though. There isn't a spell on record that does that," Hermione interjected.
"They could've played with the Obliviate, though, made it a bit more insidious, better at targeting. Remember how you changed around the jelly-legs jinx?" Ron seemed deep in thought.
"Yeah, I could see that. Parvati, you think you could send over some of the notes?" Harry asked. In a way, it was like watching a tennis match with the way the conversation volleyed back and forth.
"I can't break confidentiality, Harry, you know that."
"Just the stuff relating to the damage, is all. I don't need to know about Dean's wet dreams that he recovers," Harry teased and the rest laughed.
"Would that be all right, Dean?" Parvati asked.
"Yeah, sure, if I had any clue what you lot were talking about."
"I think they're talking about what they suspect might've happened to you, although I could be wrong." Neville smiled at Dean and Dean grinned back.
"So what's Herbology anyway?"
"Oh shit, Dean, you don't have a clue what you just started!" Ron groaned theatrically. "He'll be on about plants for forever."
The conversation lightened for the rest of the evening as the group reabsorbed Dean into their midst. Slowly but surely, the couples started trickling out, first Michael and the girl that Seamus had never caught the name of and then Neville and Hannah before Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione left en masse.
"Dennis say anything else?" Seamus asked as Dean went to use the loo.
"He's just pissed off and feeling excluded. Course, drinking doesn't help him with any of it. I told him to sober up or get on with killing himself." Padma gasped at Parvati's outburst while Lavender and Seamus goggled at her. "What? It's true. He's trying to kill himself and I'm tired of watching him slide like he is."
"Don't you think that might spur him on?" Lavender asked as she rubbed a thumb over her breastbone where Seamus knew deep scars resided. None of them had escaped Hogwarts without scars. That Lavender had healed as well as she had from hers amazed Seamus. She'd been beautiful before but she glowed now. It was just a shame that she hadn't yet found a man willing to overlook the scars on her chest and shoulder.
"Maybe it will get him to wake up to his self-destructive ways. I'd rather talk about other things now, if it's all the same." Parvati looked around the room and Seamus couldn't help but to leap to her rescue.
"Maybe we could meet for lunch in a couple of days?" Seamus asked and he knew that Parvati knew that he'd just agreed to talk to her about the problems going on.
"I'm free rest of the week, just ring me before you come by," Parvati looked grateful.
"Yeah, fine, that'd be good." A yawn came out unexpectedly and he smiled at the group. "Dean? You about ready to go?"
"Sure," Dean said as he stood up and then hugged Parvati. "Thanks for having us."
"Glad you're back," Lavender said before embracing Dean and then turning to Seamus, hugging him and chastising, "And you, stop being such a stranger. I'm beginning to think that you thought I was too ugly to talk to or something."
"You? Ugly? Fuck's sake, Lav, you look in a mirror lately? You're gorgeous." Seamus kissed her on the lips, a quick brush across, and then hugged Parvati followed by Padma.
"I know well enough what I look like," Lavender said as she mock-glared and then swiped his shoulder. "Flatterer."
"Aye, that I am but I'm also speaking the truth. You're beautiful, lass." They walked to the door and as they stepped into the hallway, Seamus looked to Parvati, "Do something about her, will you? Get her a new mirror or something?"
"I can do that." Parvati bussed their cheeks once more and then pushed them the rest of the way out. "I'll see you," she looked to Dean, "tomorrow and you," she looked to Seamus, "later this week."
"All right, lass, thanks for dinner."
"Yeah, thanks." The women waved and then Parvati shut the door. The ride down the lift and then back to Seamus's flat was silent. Seamus didn't quite know how to broach the subject of his sexuality, now that Dennis had told everyone. When the train shifted and they bumped shoulders, Dean shrank away from him abruptly and Seamus felt his heart sink.
The silence continued until they were in the flat and, unable to take more, Seamus told Dean he was heading to bed and escaped into his room. After locking the door, he slid out the box of photographs and flipped through them until he could stare at the one where they kissed. It wasn't a sweet kiss nor was it a romantic one. Instead, it was comical and obviously over-exaggerated.
He traced Dean's face and then set the photograph back into the box before burying it where it belonged. It was about time he got over this, dammit.
As always, I'd love to hear what you thought.
Chapter 8
Author:
wook77Pairing:: Dean/Seamus (other slash and het pairings contained within)
Rating: PG (Eventual rating: Hard R to NC-17)
100quills prompt: 13. Waltz
Warnings: Canon compliant through DH. Pre-Epilogue. Additional Warnings at the beginning of Chapter 1.
Wordcount: Overall: ~70k This part: 3400
Summary: Four years ago, Dean Thomas died in the midst of a raid. Seamus saw it happen right in front of his eyes but seeing isn't believing and reality is in the eye of the beholder.
A/N: Many many thanks to
nefernat for the beta job. All remaining mistakes are my own. All Chapters
Seamus felt awkward and out of place as he walked into Parvati and Lavender's flat. First, there were all the girly gewgaws about, little fairy statues and fabric on every surface. Then there was the group assembled around. Parvati hadn't mentioned that she'd basically planned a Dumbledore's Army reunion. Michael Corner was off to the side with some bird while Neville had his arm wrapped around Hannah Abbott. Harry and Ginny leaned in close together while Ron and Hermione poked at one another. Dennis sat on the sofa, alone and morose, while Lavender and Luna moved about in the kitchen. Padma was talking to Anthony Goldstein by the fireplace.
"Everyone? Can I have your attention?" Parvati called out and, slowly, everyone turned towards Parvati. "Seamus has some news."
He was standing in the doorway, Dean just out of sight to the side, and felt completely and totally put on the spot. He had sort of just planned on Dean walking in behind him. Then again, he hadn't planned on anyone other than Parvati, Lavender and Dennis.
"Um, that is, a few weeks ago, I, um, I met someone," he stumbled over the words.
"Who's the unfortunate soul?" Harry called out and everyone laughed.
"Not like that, wanker," Seamus said though there wasn't much heat to the words. The snickering continued as he stumbled over how to announce Dean's return, "Look, it's probably, ok, scratch that, it's going to be a shock when you see him but, that is, just, err, I mean –"
"What Seamus is trying to say is that I'm not exactly dead." Dean walked in to the flat and the room went completely silent. "Though I should say that I don't remember any of you."
Seamus closed the door behind him and then the questions erupted. How and why and where have you been all tumbled over and around each other. Neville hurried around the room to hug Dean and then Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny quickly followed. Shunted off to the side as more people joined the group, Seamus kept getting pushed until he was almost next to Dennis who only stared straight ahead.
"Dennis? How are you, mate?" Seamus asked as he sat on the arm of the sofa. He was feeling a bit left out but he'd had Dean to himself for over a week so he wasn't entirely upset. No, not entirely.
"Brilliant, of course, absofuckinglutely brilliant." Dennis sounded bitter as he stared straight ahead. "Been spending my time alone as you've been too busy to do shite."
"I… what?" Seamus gaped at Dennis. It had only been a few days since the last time they'd talked and the bitterness in was shocking.
"You turn me down like that and then faff off to whatever the fuck you've been doing and I'm supposed to be all right with that?" Dennis's voice slowly started to rise, getting louder and louder. "Oh, sure, no worries, Seamus, off with Dean while I'm stuck by myself. Why yes, I'm fine with you blowing off two years of spending time together. No worries, everything's great! Ignore me now that you've got Dean back. Fuck you, Dennis, I've got better company. Now, off you go by yourself, never mind how I've led you on with the snogging and shit."
The rest of the room went silent by the end of the diatribe. Seamus stared and felt the flush crawl up his neck and flood his face. Then the anger hit. "I never led you on, you fucking arse. I stopped you, didn't I? Stopped you before you did something fucking stupid. This isn't the time nor is it the place to be doing this. You want to talk about this shit, we can talk but not here and not right now."
"Oh no, wouldn't want darling Dean to know about any of this, would you?" Dennis stood and stumbled across the room. Everyone moved out of his way until he was standing next to Dean. Drunkenly, he put his arm around Dean's waist. "Wouldn't want you to know that Seamus here kissed me first, no matter what he says."
Dean looked from Seamus to Dennis to Parvati and back to Seamus. He looked confused and, to Seamus, like he was beginning to draw certain conclusions. Seamus didn't mind that he was gay, he was open about it, but he hadn't wanted Dean to know, not yet.
"Dennis, this isn't the place." Parvati attempted to intercede.
"Course it isn't. Well, then, I'll just be going," Dennis said while sneering at the group. "Wouldn't want to be the reminder that sometimes people die and they don't come back. Sorry for breaking up the happy reunion."
When he stumbled out the door, Parvati followed. Seamus went to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of ale while the conversations in the main room started once more. He attempted to block them out but considering that there wasn't even a wall between them, Seamus didn't have much luck. Quickly opening the bottle, he started to chug it. The warm ale went down smooth and he thought maybe another five or six might possibly make a dent in the embarrassment.
"Shall we eat?" Padma asked.
Everyone went to the enlarged table and sat, the two empty chairs reminding everyone of what had just happened. With a flick of her wand, Padma brought the food from the kitchen to the table. Seamus shifted uncomfortably in his seat next to Dean, refusing to look over at him.
"Haven't seen that before," Dean said as the food landed on the table.
"Gone Muggle, have you?" Harry asked as he dished the potatoes onto his plate.
"Yeah, went home to my family and, well, didn't know about any of this stuff." Dean gestured towards the dishes and the rest of the table.
"So what do you do?" Neville asked from across the table.
"I'm a graphic designer." At the blank stares, he laughed and hastened to explain. "I do artwork for adverts and such on buses, mainly. Some magazine work, as well."
Raised voices from outside the door interrupted and the group started speaking louder, trying to drown out the argument.
"Have you thought of working for a Wizard magazine? Merlin knows you'd be better than half the staff they have at those rags." Hermione looked uncomfortable as something slammed into the outside wall.
"Hadn't thought of that, actually. I'm on a leave from my current job right now. Parvati, she's helping me with some of the stuff." Dean seemed to be all right with the topic at hand but Seamus was ready to change the subject if need be.
"So you don't remember anything?" Ron asked.
"Nothing from my eleventh birthday until I was twenty-one or so. It sort of felt like I woke up and was suddenly twenty-one. Went home and mum and the rest, well…"
"So you don't remember the Yule Ball?" Seamus flushed and then glared at Ron. He hadn't told Ron about afterwards, had he? He didn't think he had.
"No, why?"
"I wish I couldn't remember that horrible dance, either. Ron's robes were atrocious and he treated me like shit," Padma interjected. "Poor Parvati and I were stuck sitting there watching everyone else dance while Harry and Ron mooned."
"I didn't moon," Ron denied but then started laughing when Hermione nudged him in the ribs. "I was too embarrassed about my robes to moon."
"What was wrong with them?" Dean asked.
"They were horrible, looked like a dress." Ron's hands gestured towards his chest, "All this lace and these ruffles."
"I have photos somewhere," Lavender said. "I'll have to dig them out. Colin took a…"
The room went awkwardly silent. Seamus wasn't at all sure what to do to clear it up. Finally, he raised his glass and offered a toast, "To Colin, most annoying prat with a camera ever and thank God for that."
"To Colin," the rest of the table responded as the sound of glasses touching rims sounded.
"So what is it that all of you do?" Dean asked to fill in the awkward silence.
"Solicitor," Hermione said.
"Professor of Herbology at Hogwarts," Neville said while grinning.
"I own the Leaky Cauldron." Hannah tipped her glass.
"Quidditch player," Ginny said.
"Professor of Transfigurations at Hogwarts," Anthony said.
"Lav and I work at Witch Weekly," Padma said.
"Aurors, mate," Harry answered and gestured towards Ron and Michael Corner.
"Seamus said that's what we were, Aurors." Dean looked at Seamus and Seamus gave a wan smile back.
"You two were great. We were pretty pissed when Seamus left to go push papers for the Quidditch League. Not worthy of him, though I don't think anyone would turn down free tickets to a match or two every once in awhile." Ron looked at Seamus with pleading in his eyes.
"Mate, the Cannons suck bad enough that they're practically giving the tickets away, anyway."
"Sod off, Seamus. We go two years without hearing a peep from you and you only turn up to insult the Cannons?" Ron laughed and poked Hermione in the ribs. "Least you can do to make it up to me is to get me some tickets. Wouldn't mind some to the upcoming Cannons and Falcons game."
"Ron, you said you were going to come see the Harpies play." Ginny glared at Ron before tossing a roll at him.
"But it's the Cannons, Gin. I can come see you play any time but the Cannons? They stand a chance of winning a game against the Falcons."
"Just about as much of a chance as you getting Hermione to sleep with you after that little poke there." Ginny grinned and waggled her eyebrows as Ron and Hermione flushed.
"You're not supposed to – " The rest was cut off as Ginny interrupted.
"Not supposed to know about sex? Please, Ron, Harry and I've been together how long now?"
"Ginny!" Harry protested as he flushed.
"What? It's completely natural, isn't it?" Ginny looked around the table. "Dean, bet you don't remember kissing me. You were my first kiss, you know."
"Ginny! For fuck's sake, this ain't proper table talk." Seamus glared at Ginny as he watched Dean look around the table.
"It's not like I'm mentioning your preferences, Seamus Finnigan. I'm merely making conversation. I didn't mention that you were his – "
"Ginny, shush," Harry said as he looked towards Seamus. Harry might not be the most observant of people but obviously he'd picked up on how much Seamus hadn't told Dean.
"Has anyone been following the news about the trials coming up?" Michael interjected in a blatant attempt to change the subject as Ginny and Seamus glared at one another.
"Trials?" Dean asked.
"There's a couple of retrials coming up. Some of the Death Eaters from way back are repenting and asking for new trials. They're offering to give up evidence on others to get less time."
"Fuck them all," Seamus spat. "None of them deserve shit."
"Hear hear!" Michael raised his glass in a toast while Harry and Ron seconded the gesture.
Before anyone else could add anything, Parvati came back into the flat and sat at the table. Seamus looked to see if Dennis followed, but it was fairly clear that he'd left when a minute went past with no sign of him. When he made eye contact with Parvati, she shook her head.
"I see you all started without me." Parvati attempted to make a joke and Padma passed her some of the food.
"Dennis not coming back?" Lavender asked.
"He's decided that getting another pint is more important than dinner." Parvati sounded solid but Seamus could see the way that she continued to watch the door long after they'd finished dinner.
Drinks after dinner followed with various conversations and memories of Hogwarts. Ron and Harry told Dean about playing Quidditch together and the way that Dean had been picked over Seamus. Seamus took the teasing good-naturedly but as talk turned to their Auror training, his nervousness returned. Any minute now, someone was going to tell Dean what they'd been together and that would be the end of whatever tenuous re-establishment of friendship they had. Pretty soon, Dean would know and leave Seamus again.
Dean sat next to Seamus on the sofa as the conversation shifted away from Hogwarts into the various couples and Molly Weasley's none-too-subtle hints for grandchildren.
"Having a good time?" Seamus asked as they pressed thigh to thigh and continued up along their hips to their chests and shoulders.
"Yeah, though it's a bit weird. It's like you're all speaking a different language and I don't know all the words." Dean leaned in to Seamus to talk to him so that they could hear one another. He was close enough that it would only take an inch, maybe two, for Seamus to lean in and capture those lips. If someone was going to tell Dean, it might as well be Seamus. He might as well get at least a sodding kiss out of this entire fiasco.
"You'll get on to it," Seamus said instead of leaning in. He pulled back slightly and Dean looked disappointed for a moment. No, Seamus mentally corrected himself, not disappointed because he had nothing to be disappointed over.
"Sure I will. Parvati has these exercises she's certain will work. They've tried them on other spell-damaged people. I did tell you she thinks it's spell damage, right?" Dean was bumped as Goldstein sat on the arm of the sofa and his arm slipped so that his hand rested on Seamus's thigh.
"No, but that's what I was hoping it might be though chances are, it'll be permanent. We had this professor for Defence, poncy git by the name of Lockhart and he lost his memories and it was permanent. Blighter babbles on like he's stuck in the past. They put him in a mental ward."
"Parvati was telling me about him, just a bit. They say that he did it to himself though. She had this guy in from France who's certain that it wasn't an, err, what's the word, an Obliviate? She thinks someone went in and just sliced out certain things."
"Parvati? That true? You think maybe Yaxley and Lestrange grabbed Dean and experimented on him? Maybe this whole thing's the work of Death Eaters?" Harry asked. All the rest of the conversations stopped.
"I wasn't sure; we need to do a bit more testing and exploring to know for certain. There's no magical signatures that I could find. Healer Guérir is going to do some more testing in a week or so. For now, we're going to try to recover a few memories."
"That's just about something they'd do, too. Fuckers weren't satisfied with trying to take over the world and killing all the Muggleborns. I can see them trying to take away the memory of magic from them. When'd we get Lestrange anyway?"
"About…" Seamus thought hard to figure out when he'd captured the man. "About five months after Dean."
"Timing would fit," Michael offered. "Give Dean a month to find his way to London or heal or whatever. It'd certainly fit."
"Wait, what?" Dean looked from one to another as they talked over the theory.
"You can't do that, though. There isn't a spell on record that does that," Hermione interjected.
"They could've played with the Obliviate, though, made it a bit more insidious, better at targeting. Remember how you changed around the jelly-legs jinx?" Ron seemed deep in thought.
"Yeah, I could see that. Parvati, you think you could send over some of the notes?" Harry asked. In a way, it was like watching a tennis match with the way the conversation volleyed back and forth.
"I can't break confidentiality, Harry, you know that."
"Just the stuff relating to the damage, is all. I don't need to know about Dean's wet dreams that he recovers," Harry teased and the rest laughed.
"Would that be all right, Dean?" Parvati asked.
"Yeah, sure, if I had any clue what you lot were talking about."
"I think they're talking about what they suspect might've happened to you, although I could be wrong." Neville smiled at Dean and Dean grinned back.
"So what's Herbology anyway?"
"Oh shit, Dean, you don't have a clue what you just started!" Ron groaned theatrically. "He'll be on about plants for forever."
The conversation lightened for the rest of the evening as the group reabsorbed Dean into their midst. Slowly but surely, the couples started trickling out, first Michael and the girl that Seamus had never caught the name of and then Neville and Hannah before Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione left en masse.
"Dennis say anything else?" Seamus asked as Dean went to use the loo.
"He's just pissed off and feeling excluded. Course, drinking doesn't help him with any of it. I told him to sober up or get on with killing himself." Padma gasped at Parvati's outburst while Lavender and Seamus goggled at her. "What? It's true. He's trying to kill himself and I'm tired of watching him slide like he is."
"Don't you think that might spur him on?" Lavender asked as she rubbed a thumb over her breastbone where Seamus knew deep scars resided. None of them had escaped Hogwarts without scars. That Lavender had healed as well as she had from hers amazed Seamus. She'd been beautiful before but she glowed now. It was just a shame that she hadn't yet found a man willing to overlook the scars on her chest and shoulder.
"Maybe it will get him to wake up to his self-destructive ways. I'd rather talk about other things now, if it's all the same." Parvati looked around the room and Seamus couldn't help but to leap to her rescue.
"Maybe we could meet for lunch in a couple of days?" Seamus asked and he knew that Parvati knew that he'd just agreed to talk to her about the problems going on.
"I'm free rest of the week, just ring me before you come by," Parvati looked grateful.
"Yeah, fine, that'd be good." A yawn came out unexpectedly and he smiled at the group. "Dean? You about ready to go?"
"Sure," Dean said as he stood up and then hugged Parvati. "Thanks for having us."
"Glad you're back," Lavender said before embracing Dean and then turning to Seamus, hugging him and chastising, "And you, stop being such a stranger. I'm beginning to think that you thought I was too ugly to talk to or something."
"You? Ugly? Fuck's sake, Lav, you look in a mirror lately? You're gorgeous." Seamus kissed her on the lips, a quick brush across, and then hugged Parvati followed by Padma.
"I know well enough what I look like," Lavender said as she mock-glared and then swiped his shoulder. "Flatterer."
"Aye, that I am but I'm also speaking the truth. You're beautiful, lass." They walked to the door and as they stepped into the hallway, Seamus looked to Parvati, "Do something about her, will you? Get her a new mirror or something?"
"I can do that." Parvati bussed their cheeks once more and then pushed them the rest of the way out. "I'll see you," she looked to Dean, "tomorrow and you," she looked to Seamus, "later this week."
"All right, lass, thanks for dinner."
"Yeah, thanks." The women waved and then Parvati shut the door. The ride down the lift and then back to Seamus's flat was silent. Seamus didn't quite know how to broach the subject of his sexuality, now that Dennis had told everyone. When the train shifted and they bumped shoulders, Dean shrank away from him abruptly and Seamus felt his heart sink.
The silence continued until they were in the flat and, unable to take more, Seamus told Dean he was heading to bed and escaped into his room. After locking the door, he slid out the box of photographs and flipped through them until he could stare at the one where they kissed. It wasn't a sweet kiss nor was it a romantic one. Instead, it was comical and obviously over-exaggerated.
He traced Dean's face and then set the photograph back into the box before burying it where it belonged. It was about time he got over this, dammit.
Chapter 8
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no subject
Date: 2008-05-23 12:12 am (UTC)I absolutly love it. Can't wait for the next chapter.
Also, I hate to nit-pick but it's Hannah who marries Neville and is landlady of The Leaky Cauldron.
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Date: 2008-05-23 12:58 am (UTC)I appreciate the nitpicking :D.
And thanks for the lovely comments, as well! I'm glad you're enjoying it!
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Date: 2008-05-23 01:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-23 12:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-23 12:59 am (UTC)I'm feeling a bit better, yes :D. Toast and Diet Coke are staying down so that makes me very happy indeed!
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Date: 2008-05-23 01:10 am (UTC)This chapter had me on the edge of my seat. Gorgeous, just what I need today. You're eeevil for not letting them talk. Will be gnawing my acrylic nails until next week.
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Date: 2008-05-25 04:36 am (UTC)Heee! Let me just tell you about my moment of panic where I lost my thumbdrive and my entire MAATC with it. Yeah. I was in tears between that and something that I will, eventually, post about. I just couldn't deal with losing that thing. Stupid me for not backing shit up, methinks. So if you were on the edge of YOUR seat, you can imagine how bad I was feeling :D. But it's all good now... also - I love your icon!
no subject
Date: 2008-05-23 01:39 am (UTC)Oh double dang! I just remembered that I won't be around Wednesday for the next chapter, so I won't get to see it 'til the following Tuesday.
OMG you have hooked me on your Deamus crack, devil woman! blargh! *goes back to working on web pages*
no subject
Date: 2008-05-25 04:37 am (UTC)Also - deamus? is the best crack ever.
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Date: 2008-05-25 02:56 pm (UTC)Yeah, it's definitely addicting. I also enjoy finding another pairing that I can believe and read, 'cause I was starting to get burned out on some of the others I read (but shall not mention, 'cause you don't believe in them :P)
p.s. if any of this seems more outrageous than usual, it's because I'm cracked out on good coffee and my dad's raspberry almond pancakes *bounces*
no subject
Date: 2008-05-23 03:36 am (UTC)Still, you're stringing my quite willingly along :)
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Date: 2008-05-25 04:38 am (UTC)And yayes for willingness! I'm sort of glad that I'm posting this in parts as it gives me a chance to fix the little things that I haven't caught (like the one pointed out above) with no real ramifications to the plot. It makes me much happier to have a tight canon compliance.
♥
no subject
Date: 2008-05-23 08:55 am (UTC)I liked that Dean was making an effort to be closer to Seamus and that Seamus didn't really cotton on. ;) Gives me hope that our boys have a future.
Nice tension between Dennis' feelings of hurt and betrayal and the need of the gathering not to tell Dean the full story about him and Seamus.
I wanted to smack Parvati so hard. Seriously, arranging an intimate dinner of 15 of your closest friends on the first night you're "meeting" any of them. Seriously???? I thought she was a Doctor. Doesn't she know better?
Dean handled it lovely. Loved the way he calmed stepped and handed the situation while still making it known that he didn't know them.
Poor Seamus. He's struggling so hard and I just want to hug him and promise him it'll be all better (and it better be!!!! ;) ).
Lovely lovely work.
:D
no subject
Date: 2008-05-25 04:41 am (UTC)I wanted to smack Parvati too as it's so much the opposite of what I've read in my research. But - quite a bit of the time, the people around the amnesiac think that if they just overload them with details, that the memory will come back and this is where I had Parvati go - sort of a shock therapy.
They struggle and I'm really hoping that I don't drag that out too much. This is the first time I've written something of this length so I'm so afraid that certain things seem repetitive or anything. So I'm hopeful that you'll tell me if they do :D.
♥ you so much!
no subject
Date: 2008-05-23 09:43 am (UTC)Would you mind if I friended your journal so I can follow this better? I cant wait for the next chapter.
no subject
Date: 2008-05-25 04:42 am (UTC)Of course, friend away! The more the merrier! I do post about random things, just as a bit of forewarning, it isn't all about the deamus. I'm multi-fandom and post about RL as well :D.
I think that Dean and Seamus both need hugs liekwhoa. They'll get them :D.
no subject
Date: 2008-05-23 12:08 pm (UTC)As I told you I'm afraid that Dennis might do something, but not to himself, to Dean or to Seamus... So, I'm praying I'm wrong and Dennis will heal somehow.
On the bright side, I want to see Seamus face when Dean confesses that he's not straight ;)
Oh! And get well, I've been away a couple of days and I just realised you were ill.
no subject
Date: 2008-05-25 04:48 am (UTC)Dennis? Pobre Dennis y Dennis necesita curarse (to heal himself?) so he won't hurt otros. Seamus and Dean no son en peligro. Tu tienes mi promiso :D.
Soy mejor hoy qui fue ayer. (omg, I hope I did that right!)
no subject
Date: 2008-05-25 06:49 am (UTC)Me alegro de que no vaya a hacer daño a nadie. Espero que se cure pronto (curarse, yes!)
Me alegro de que estés mejor (Hoy estoy mejor que ayer, that's a tricky one)
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Date: 2008-05-24 04:35 am (UTC)*waits patiently for the next one*
get well soon
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Date: 2008-05-25 04:49 am (UTC)*hugs* Thanks! I'm feeling much better today. I've sort of been eating all day, too. So I think I might be making up for lost time or meals :D.
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Date: 2008-05-26 11:15 pm (UTC)Angsty fun
can' wait for more!
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Date: 2008-05-27 09:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-13 04:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-13 03:41 am (UTC)Seamus and Lavender have such a sweet moment at the end there. That was actually very touching. And I admit to a little fangirly flail when the boys were sitting next to each other on the sofa and Dean’s hand was on Seamus’ leg! You are a master at UST! And what great build up to the inevitable coming out again convo. I love how unsure the boys are, both second guessing the other and trying to figure out what each other is thinking. And watching Dean put all this together is amazing.