A/N: I needed a bit of cheering up, so I decided to write a different fan fic from what I usually do. So - I ended up writing about Seamus still sleeping with a teddy bear ...
Seamus Finnegan had a secret that nobody, not even Dean, knew of. He was ashamed, embarrassed and terrified of anybody finding out. Indeed, he took careful steps to make sure that nobody found out ever. Seamus still slept with his teddy bear - not something most 13 year old boys would be seen doing. He always had slept with his teddy bear, Patrick, and just couldn't sleep properly without him. He made sure to keep him hidden from his dorm mates and never mentioned Patrick to anybody. However, one day all went wrong.
Dean and Seamus were sitting at a table in the Gryffindor common room late one night. Everybody else had long gone to bed but Dean was still finishing off some homework. Seamus, out of loyalty, was waiting for him - although somewhat impatiently.
"Come on, Dean," moaned Seamus late one night, putting on a face. "It's one o'clock! I'm knackered!"
"All right, all right," said Dean, packing his books away. "But you'll regret it tomorrow when Lupin's disappointed in us for not doing our homework."
Seamus rolled his eyes. "We'll just not tell him, now come on!"
After Dean had packed his books away the two set up to the dormitory.
When they arrived they were careful to be quiet so as to not wake Neville, Harry or Ron up (who were all long fast asleep). They changed quickly into pyjamas and muttered goodnight to each other. When Seamus was certain Dean was in his bed, he quietly opened his trunk to find Patrick. Finding Patrick was never easy - he always buried him pretty well in his trunk just in case, and his trunk was hardly organised.
However, after several minutes of searching, Seamus began to get concerned. He pulled all the contents of his trunk out and checked every compartment and pocket - but Patrick was nowhere to be seen.
Starting to really panic now, Seamus checked under his bed, his wardrobe and his bedside cabinet. He checked under his roommate's beds too and all surfaces and windowsills - but still couldn't find Patrick. He was gone ...
"Seamus, wake up, mate."
Somebody was shaking his shoulder quite hard. Seamus opened his eyes, feeling exhausted. He hadn't gotten much sleep last night - it just didn't feel right without Patrick. He found that it was Dean shaking his shoulder, but Ron and Neville were standing around his bed staring at him in curiosity. Seamus looked down and saw that he had fallen asleep on top of the covers and was hugging his pillow. Immediately positioning himself into a more dignified position, he asked what the time was.
"Er - four in the evening, mate," said Ron uncertainly. "You missed all your classes."
"What?" Seamus exclaimed sitting up suddenly. "Why didn't you wake me sooner?"
"Well," said Dean uneasily. "We just thought you were having a bit of a lie in at first and after that it was sort of too late."
Seamus lay back on his bed and ran a hand through his head, his eyes closed. "I'm in so much trouble."
"Just say you were sick, Seamus," piped up Neville reassuringly. "Mightn't work on Snape but Lupin will go for it."
"Yeah, I guess," said Seamus opening his eyes and getting up. "I guess I had better get changed then."
"We'll meet you down in the common room," said Dean.
Once Dean, Ron and Neville had left, Seamus dropped any pretences of normality. He had lost Patrick - the bear he had had for as long as he could remember. His granny had knitted it when he was just a baby and he had never slept without him ...
Seamus again searched his trunk and under the beds for his beloved Patrick, hoping to have just missed him in the dark. But it was futile - Patrick wasn't there. Somebody must have taken him - teddy bears, even in Hogwarts, do not just get up and leave.
"Er - Dean?" said Seamus a little nervously.
"Yes, Seamus?" asked Dean, looking up from a game of chess he was having with Neville.
"Can I speak to you a moment?" asked Seamus, hoping Neville didn't get any ideas. "In - you know - private?"
"Sure," said Dean frowning but getting up and following Seamus to the corner of the common room. "What is it, Seamus?"
"Did you - I mean - did - did you take anything from my trunk?"
Dean frowned. "No, of course not. Why is something missing?"
"Er," said Seamus uneasily, shifting from foot to foot. "Yeah, but it's sort of private."
Dean looked intrigued. "Oh?"
"I can't tell you," said Seamus firmly.
Dean smiled. "Oh but now I am curious. Can you at least tell me what sort of thing it is?"
"Sorry mate," said Seamus. "I really just can't."
"Well, I'll tell you if I see anything I think might be yours."
Ron and Harry were sitting at a table in the common room talking about something that Dean couldn't discern, but something that seemed to be quite serious. Dean didn't really want to interrupt in such a conversation but decided that he h ad to ask them sometime - this thing, whatever it was, was really bothering Seamus.
"Harry? Ron? Can I speak to you, please?" he asked having approached their table.
"Sure," said Harry calmly, looking up.
"Its about Seamus," began Dean. "He's a bit upset -"
"Ah," said Ron smiling knowingly. "Yes, I think I might know why. Is it because his teddy has went missing?"
Dean looked dumbfounded. "What?" he asked laughing, but Ron was clearly not joking with him. "Explain."
"Seamus slept with a teddy bear," said Ron smirking slightly. "Right up until last night, in fact. I noticed him taking it out one night and getting into bed with it. Well - I, ah, let slip to my brothers Fred and George and they decided to -"
"Steal it?" asked Dean torn between anger and surprise. His best friend still slept with a teddy bear?
"Yeah," said Ron casually. "I don't know what they did with it."
"Can you ask them?" asked Dean a little testily.
Ron smirked. "Worried your friend will loose his sanity because his teddy weddy bear went missing?"
Dean frowned and walked away.
In truth, the idea of Seamus sleeping with a teddy bear was, well, ludicrously hilarious. He was surprised his Irish friend had kept it hidden from him all these years so well. Still, Ron had not been lying - Seamus apparently did sleep with a teddy bear and Seamus was Dean's best friend. The best friend he had ever had in his life, in fact. He wasn't going to rip that friend to bits over it. But he was going to talk to him about it.
Seamus was on the floor of the boy's dormitory, flat on his belly, searching around desperately. It had now been two sleepless nights and he was becoming more and more desperate to find his missing bear - even though he was certain it wasn't here.
The dormitory door opened and Seamus saw somebody enter.
"Still looking for it, Seamus?" came the familiar voice of his best friend, Dean.
"Yeah," sighed Seamus warily. "Still no luck."
Dean knelt next Seamus and sighed. "I know what you're looking for."
Seamus looked up, startled. "No - no you can't-"
"Your teddy bear," said Dean trying to sound as serious as possible.
Seamus looked horrified. He got up and moved over to sit on his bed, running a hand through his hair.
"Look, I'm not going to tease you or anything," said Dean reassuringly.
"Does anybody else know?"
Dean hesitated before telling him about Ron and Harry.
"Ron's brothers have Patrick?" asked Seamus looking up.
"Er - yeah," said Dean uncomfortably. "Listen, I'll talk with them tomorrow, okay? Save you having to deal with them, eh?"
Seamus smiled. "I'd appreciate that. Thanks, Dean."
"Hey, it's not a problem."
Later that night Seamus pushed open his dormitory door to go his third night without his beloved Patrick to help him get to sleep. As he entered everyone, except Harry and Dean, looked at him with a strange expression.
"You sleep with a teddy bear?"
"I've seen him take him to bed," said Ron triumphantly. "And he talks to it as well!"
"Leave him alone, guys," said Dean loyally.
"Aw but we are just having a laugh," said Ron grinning a little cruelly at Seamus. "After all, we plan to give his teddy back - in pieces!"
Seamus' eyes widened and he ran over to Ron and pulled him by the front of his pyjamas.
"GIVE ME PATRICK NOW!" yelled Seamus. "OR I SWEAR I'LL-"
"Seamus," came a quiet voice from the corner. It was Harry. Seamus groaned - was Harry going to turn on him as well? Seamus released Ron and turned to look at Harry.
"I was going to give you it later, but well -"
Harry rummaged in his trunk and when he stood up he had Patrick in his hands. He handed him over to Seamus, who took his teddy bear looking slightly disbelieving.
"I talked the twins into handing him over," explained Harry quietly.
"T-Thanks, Harry," said Seamus gratefully, but a little shocked.
But Ron was still sniggering. "You hear what he called his teddy, Harry? He called him Patrick!"
"That's enough!" said Harry firmly. "All of you! So Seamus sleeps with a teddy bear - so bloody what? You sleep with your rat Ron!"
Ron's ears turned a delicate shade of pink.
"I wish I still had my teddy bear," continued Harry. "Who knows, if the Dursleys hadn't torn mine to bits maybe I still would sleep with it! So leave him alone - if he wants to sleep with a teddy bear then he's hardly doing anybody any harm."
Silence met Harry's words. Harry shook his head and went to climb into his bed but Ron stopped him.
"Look Harry, Seamus," said Ron seriously and looking seriously ashamed of himself. "I'm sorry. Really - I - ah - guess I was just being a prat."
Seamus thanked Harry once again before walking over to Dean, Patrick still in his arms. "Well, ah, goodnight Dean."
"G'night Seamus," yawned Dean.
Seamus got into bed, still hugging his beloved, stuffed friend. For the first time in several nights, he felt happy and content.
A/N: So there you have it. And no, before anybody asks, I do not sleep with a teddy bear. I know Ron and Neville were slightly nasty in this fic but, well, they're kids! Kids sometimes are a bit insensitive. This fic was written during PoA. Let me know what you think - please, please, please leave reviews. They are the only thing I can possibly get out of this fic (except enjoyment from writing of course). So please leave lots of reviews! Thank you!