Picking up the pieces
Summary: The war is over. Dean and Séamus spent a year apart. Deans seems not to have changed much. Séamus has. In fact, he changed much. Since Dean can't understand his best mate's behavior, he tries to find out what happened. And learns stunning as well as shocking facts about the young Irish man.
Disclaimer: The characters and all the Harry- Potter- World belings to JKR, not me.
Séamus gave a huge roar of delight and ran to hug his best friend.
I'm back, mate. We haven't got much time right now, I know that. We all know that. There's a war going on and the final battle's just ahead. It's in the air, everyone can feel it. And finally I'm back in Hogwarts, the school that had been my second home for six years.
Finally, I see my best friend again. He looks awful. His face is swollen and bruised, as if he'd gotten in a serious fight. And Séamus doesn't really fight often. He discusses with passion, yes, but he never actually gets into fights. But it's war, I've been mentioning that before. Stuck with deatheaters in Hogwarts must've been hard, too, I guess.
Our hug lasts, and I feel my best mate fasten onto me as if his life depends on that. Maybe it is, we spent all the year apart. I missed him so much and I just can guess how he missed me. I went away without a word and God knows what he was thinking about that. But we can discuss that later.
We separate and I take a closer look on him. I'm shocked. Séamus is thin, so thin. Far too thin, as if he'd hadn't eaten enough all year. I mean, he never was fat or something. But he always had this childish plumpness and chubby cheeks and stuff. But now? My best mate looks like he's almost starving. But the worst are his eyes. They're happy, I can see that. But I've known this guy for seven years and I can also see the rest in it. The angst of months, the weariness like he hasn't slept for weeks, and the sadness. So much sadness and I've got no idea from what.
I recognize something else. Something I didn't recognize before this moment. Séamus hasn't said one word since I got in this room. Not this light happy- talk of Séamus, not anything. I've been missing to hear Séamus talk all the time I was running away. Sometimes he used to start to talk when he woke up in the morning and not to stop before he was falling asleep at night. Sometimes he wouldn't even stop when he was asleep. But now, he's quiet.
His looks shocked me before. But now I'm seriously worried. What happened that it was strong enough to mute this strong, brave and always so loud Gryffindor?
Séamus is asleep. We stay at the Weasleys, as Hermione, Harry and Neville are. I look at him again, worried. The war is over and I still can't believe all of what happened. Causing fire, without even using his wand. That's what Séamus did, when I can believe the others. We haven't been fighting side by side all time. Ginny stands in the doorway and nods. I've neither heard her not realized that I said out loud what I was thinking. She comes in, sits down in front of me on the floor and looks at me.
"He changed much during the last year, you know."
"I see that. When did he get that silent?"
"After Potterwatch recalled his parents and he completely burst out."
"His parents are..?" I look confused. Why did I miss that? He's my best mate, I should know what happens to his family. But I haven't had a radio with me while I was running away. Ginny nods.
"As all of his family is. They fought in the first war, did you know? And they didn't have much protection around their houses. Deatheaters came to then first. In Ireland, they always knew that the family of Seamus's Mom is full of rebels. They were all killed."
"I wish I'd knew. But he didn't even tell me."
"Stopped talking about his family. Like he stopped talking about you. Did you know that he was thinking that you're dead?" Again, I'm shocked. I disapprove.
So many things I don't know. "D'you think he'll just need time to come around?"
Now she's the one to shake her head. "I dunno. Hoped that you know."
"I might have known. When he would've been at least nearly like I left him. But now..? I've got the feeling I don't know him anymore." Releasing this to Ginny doesn't feel that bad. We were lovers, right, but that is long ago. We're friends now, good friends, I guess.
Ginny nods. "Maybe you can help him to get like he was before. You've always been important to him, you know that." I nod and take a deep breath.
"Would you tell me what happened? I mean the day his parents died?" I look at her, hopefully. I know that I'm asking much, but I know as good as Ginny does, that I really need to know. Somewhere I need to start when I want to pick up the pieces of Seamus's life. And he is in pieces. Everyone that knows him just a little can see that.
So, this is the first part of my first story. I'd love critics, as long as they're serious and not mean. ;) Especially on language, I'd like critic, since I'm no native speaker and like to improve my English.