Seamus sat in the Owlery, knee tucked to his chest and the prosthetic sticking out and laying flat on the stone ledge. He looked contemplatively at the indigo sky flecked with white. The silence was tranquil, which allowed him a moment to himself, which was what he wanted most of all.
"Responsibility, eh?" Mathan asked, sitting down beside Seamus.
His large frame engulfed Seamus's smaller and lankier frame in the looming shadows. The Beorning stared at his hands for a few moments, the shyness taking over and throwing them both into a whirlwind of awkward silences.
"I...I told you that I'll be gone for a while, right?"
Seamus looked at Mathan, eyes widening in surprise as his eyebrows knit together in absolute confusion.
No one had ever told him anything (granted this was nothing new) but he expected his best mate (besides Dean) to tell him something as important as that. He swallowed the tightness in his throat.
"I...I told Zelina," Mathan said slowly, running a hand slowly through his hair.
Seamus felt something like his heart twist at the simple sound of her name. Zelina, his (and Dean's first crush); of course it was Mathan who got the girl he had been crushing on since she first stepped foot into Hogwarts. Something about her snappy attitude yet overall brilliance always had a way of making his heart jump.
"O' course ye did," Seamus said, unsticking his throat and rubbing his mouth awkwardly, trying to hide the fact he was beginning to tear up.
It just seemed like everyone was leaving and it was eating him from the inside out.
"I didn't mean that sercastically either, mate. She's ye girlfriend, I get it."
"I told Kaelyn, too," Mathan said more cautiously, side eyeing Seamus for a reaction.
However, Seamus merely stared ahead, only blinking once in response.
"I..."
"Ferget it, Foley," Seamus said and rose to his feet; his metal foot clumping loudly against the stone, breaking off the loose parts.
"I'm going te find Wren if ye don't mind...maybe find Shepherd along the way."
Mathan stood up, too, deciding not to get on Seamus's nerves (which was the wise decision) and dusted off the imaginary dirt from his pants.
He waved goodbye to Seamus, however, the Irish was already gone, heading down the winding stairs, lighting his hand on fire and using it as his light. Mathan gave in and took his different route back.
Seamus backtracked past Hagrid's Hut, hoping to avoid being caught after hours, and nearly smashed into Felicity Bell; in lightning reflexes, he caught her before she could fall, steadying her back on her feet and clearing his throat with a small and genuine chuckle. Felicity looked up at Seamus and smiled back.
"Long time no see," she said as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Didn't expect you to be out so late."
"Think o'bout who yer talking to," Seamus said with a laugh, looking around to see if any professors were heading down this way.
"I'd love to stay and chat but I'm looking fer someone."
Felicity tipped her head to the side.
"Who?"
"Me sister, Wren," Seamus said and awkwardly shuffled his metal foot on the ground, scuffling the imaginary dirt.
"No, sorry," Felicity said with a shake of her head and a shrug of her shoulders.
"I haven't seen Wren since dinner. I think she went up early, she was talking about wanting to get some sleep."
Seamus's shoulders sagged but he waved goodbye to Felicity, deciding they were going to continue their walks in separate directions.
He always enjoyed her company, even if she could not stop her pining over Harry when he and she both knew Loren Wreath Findley. Despite the two being together, Loren seemed...rather attached to Seamus sometimes (or maybe he was bad at reading messages).
A little later in his walk, he literally walked into a person he had been meaning to see.
"Pyro, you have eyes so use them!"
Seamus instantly broke out into a grin, his old self falling back into place as he stared at his best female friend (besides Gale).
"Miss me much?" he jested arrogantly.
"Not even in the slightest," Zelina scoffed with a roll of her eyes.
"What are you even doing out after hours, Pyro?"
Seamus stopped for a minute to look at Zelina, eyes scanning his friend for the briefest of moments. There were times where he was confused with his platonic and sisterly affection to his deeply hidden romantic affection. But moreover, Seamus knew Zelina loved Mathan and he respected that deeply.
"What am I, what are ye doing out?" Seamus asked, returning the question hastily, seeing if he could get her to admit she was breaking the rules.
"Just came back from a shift at the Hospital Wing," Zelina said, eyes narrowed.
She placed her hand on her hip, the other on her wand.
"Madam Pomfrey had me working for ages on a stupid prat who tried something he shouldn't have. So guess who had to play his damage control?"
Seamus flinched a little inwardly, knowing Zelina was very touchy about the topic of damage control. While it did bring the situation to attention, he did not ever mean for her to feel like that. It was true, he and his friends often went to Zelina to rant and rave about their problems. No wonder she felt like the solo clean up crew.
"Ye know ya more than that," Seamus said teasingly, poking her in the shoulder.
"Poke me, you'll end in the Wing," Zelina grumbled, wiping her shoulder clean from nothing.
She blew back her bangs and folded her arms over her chest.
"Okay, Pyro, was there a real point to this conversation or are you just here to waste my time?"
"Ouch," Seamus said with a bit of a grin still.
"I'm going to pretend ye didn't just say that. I was wondering if ye knew about...Mathan and his...shite?"
Zelina raised one eyebrow, seemingly impatiently waiting for him to sound more eloquent or specific at the very least.
"I mean, did ye know he was leaving?" Seamus asked quietly.
"Obviously, Pyro," Zelina said without missing a beat.
"We're soulmates, I know."
"Right, right," Seamus muttered under his breath.
"And I'm going with him."
Seamus spluttered, gaping like a fish out of water. He had no idea how to respond to that, especially when he was not expecting it. Zelina had caught him off guard, something never done easily. However, through all his shock and confusion, a deep depression began to settle in quickly.
"Are ye really going?" Seamus breathed, his demeanor much different.
"Yeah," Zelina said and frowned.
"Did you really think I wouldn't? I love Mathan, Pyro, all right? He comes first, I'm sorry."
Seamus looked down then he looked away, deciding he was not going to argue that since it made so much sense.
He used to be like that with someone else but ever since tragedy struck the two of them, Kaelyn and Seamus were no more.
"Remember when it could have been us?"
The question slipped out before he could stop himself.
"No, because it never would have," Zelina stated bluntly and plainly.
Seamus pulled it off with a laugh filled with mirth but he knew deep down he had to agree with her. They were never meant to be even if he was sometimes convinced of it. His heart belonged to someone else...or his heart used to be belong to someone else.
"I can hear you thinking from here, which is a first," Zelina commented wearily, sitting down in the alcove bench and motioning for him to do the same.
"So why don't you let me play the shoulder you lean on."
Seamus wrinkled his nose but he sat down, leaning against the wall so he could better face Zelina as he spoke to her.
"I miss her, ye know? I do. I still love her and everything but us...it won't be anymore," Seamus said and frowned deeply.
Zelina pinched the bridge of her nose albeit she remained patient.
"You always have a falling out...like every week," she grumbled pointedly.
"All right, so this has lasted longer but as always, you two'll talk it out. Once you two stop being idiotic prats."
Seamus could not even send another quip in her direction, wondering if what she said ever had a chance of being true. What he made Kaelyn do was unforgivable and it made him look like a murderer.
"Right, and your obsessive drinking has NOTHING to do with it?" Zelina added after his pause.
Seamus scowled as she hit a sore spot for him.
"Ah, sod off," he said but with no venom.
"Keep the alcohol out o'this."
Just as Zelina opened her mouth to say something, a figure who walked up to them interrupted them.
Zelina's lips twitched into a frown.
"Grey..."
_
Stay tuned for Chapter Two.