AN: Prompts will be displayed at the bottom to avoid them potentially giving away things.
WARNINGS: Physical Abuse.
making us safe from the flames
AlwaysPadfoot
When Seamus comes home in the Christmas of his first year, he immediately knows something is wrong.
He goes to the kitchen to seek out his mum and finds her cooking a stew. His nose is filled with delicious smells that Hogwarts could never compete with and he beams widely.
"Mammy, I'm home," he says.
When she turns, Seamus' face falls as his gaze focuses on the bruise on her face. He's filled with horror at the prospect that anyone could hurt his mum. It looks like it hurts. The colours are far darker than the black eye he got after fighting in Primary School. He crosses the room towards her, her arms wide in greeting and engulfs her in a hug.
"What happened to your face?" He asks as she holds him tight. "Did someone hit you?"
"Oh Gosh, no, sweetie," she replies with a soft smile. "Your mother is just a clumsy fool."
There's a flicker of something in her eyes that Seamus doesn't like, but she changes the subject. She wants to know everything about his first term at Hogwarts. It feels like a desperate move, but Seamus gives in, and he tells her everything.
The next thing that the twelve-year-old notices is that his dad is spending a lot of time in the pub with his friends. He comes home slurring and his clothes stink of beer. His actions put Seamus on edge because he seems angrier after drinking, and he makes a lot of bitter comments about magic.
"I thought you were s'posed to be a magician," he says when Seamus spills the water he's taking up to bed with him. "Shouldn't be spilling stuff all over the floor."
"I'm a wizard — not a magician," Seamus responds.
"Don't back chat me." The sudden harshness in his voice is warning enough and it makes Seamus jump. "Now tidy this mess up."
With a hiccup, his dad retreats to back into the living room. Seamus hears him groan and mumble as he drops onto the sofa. The volume of the TV increases. Seamus tears his eyes away from the dismal blue glow that the TV in drenching the hallway in and cleans up.
After that, he hurries to bed and shuts his door.
He hopes that will drown out the noise of the TV.
oOo
It's summer when he realises that his dad is definitely responsible for all the bumps and bruises his mum seems to be acquiring all of a sudden.
He's sitting in his room, finding it impossible to block out his parents yelling at one another downstairs, when his mum suddenly screams. Seamus is on his feet and downstairs just in time to see the front door slam. He follows the sound of his mum sobbing and finds her on the floor, the right side of her blouse wet. The kettle is on the floor, hot water pouring out onto the floor.
"Mam! Mam, what happened? What do you need?" Seamus asks desperately.
She's in pain and he's terrified.
"The burn paste," she gasps. "In the medicine cupboard. Please."
Seamus is running to the bathroom before she can finish the sentence. Knocking bottles and boxes of Muggle medicine aside, he finds the tub of thick orange paste right at the back of the cupboard. He nearly slips as he sprints back into the kitchen, dropping to his knees beside his mother and opening the tub. Gently he pulls the material away and Mum hisses in pain.
"I can—" she begins.
"It's fine," he responds through gritted teeth.
The skin is burnt from her neck right across her shoulder and upper arm. Seamus applies the paste to all the affected skin and his mum whimpers in relief. After she attempts to tidy up, he sends her upstairs to bed and cleans the kitchen himself.
He's furious.
oOo
That night Seamus cooks. He takes his mother her dinner in bed on a tray and he eats alone at the kitchen table.
Afterwards, he stays up, biding his time, waiting for his dad to come home. Since Mum refuses to leave, sure that Dad is simply in need of help, Seamus plans to confront him himself. He's already convinced his mum that he won't mention it, that he will stay out of it entirely.
"Mam, do you really think dad needs our help?" He had asked, not meeting her eyes from where she lay in bed — the paste still healing her injuries. "Are you sure he can change?"
"Of course, sweetheart…"
Seamus didn't believe a word of the excuses she made up for his Dad. So once she's fallen asleep, he takes her wand and tucks it into the back of his jeans.
He sits on the front step. They live right at the end of the street, tucked away in a corner where no one overlooks the front garden. The neighbours' vision is obscured by thick trees. Seamus doesn't want to disturb his mum if they fight so he plans to confront his dad on the front path.
It's dark by the time the gate squeaks open — almost midnight according to Seamus' watch.
The security light above the door illuminates the path and he stands up, defiantly blocking his dad's way into the house. His dad looks him through hooded blue eyes and Seamus feels a sliver of fear shoot through him. His dad's stature is three times his. Over a foot taller than him, his dad's tattooed arms are thick and muscular — no wonder Mammy was terrified of standing up to him.
Dad's shoulders are set squarely, and he stiffens and straightens up to his full height of six feet as he speaks. "What are you doing up? Move out of my way."
"No," Seamus says firmly. "You really hurt Mammy; you are not stepping foot back in this house."
He laughs, the sound rough as it echoes through the night air. Taking a stride towards him, his dad's hand is raised. The man is clearly preparing to hit him just like he does to Seamus' mam.
Seamus reaches for his mam's wand and points it at him. "Touch me, and you'll burn."
The words that leave his mouth surprise them both. His dad freezes for a moment, and then he laughs at the wand. "You can't do magic outside of school."
Then it's Seamus' turn to laugh. "No, you're right I can't, but Mam can. This is her wand. The Ministry will never find out, so I dare you. Try and get into this house. Or, take my advice, and leave — never come back here."
"Why you little bastard," Dad hisses.
He lunges forward, but Seamus casts Incendio causing his dad to dive onto the grass. The spell, instead, incinerates the wooden gate. As he turns the wand back to his father, the man scrambles backwards and up onto his feet.
"You, Son, are a disgrace."
"I'm sorry that I'm not the son you wanted, but you ain't the dad I wanted either," Seamus tells him. His hands are shaking furiously as he points the wand at his dad and the boy watches him step back away from the wand and the house. "Now, leave. I won't miss again."
Dad sneers, his expression one of abject disgust. "Fine. You're fucking psycho, kid. You, and your mam. I shouldn't be supporting neither of youze."
He turns on his heel, wobbling slightly and kicks the embers of the gate as he strides away. Seamus stands for a long moment, rooted to the spot, listening until he can no longer hear his Dad's staggered footsteps. When he's sure his dad isn't coming back, Seamus retreats back into the house and locks the door.
He exhales shakily.
You did the right thing. That's what he tells himself as tears run down his cheeks. You had to protect yourself and your mam. Things will be okay now.
And, after a little while, they were okay.
Comps and Prompts
HG, Round Two: Angst/Anger/Impossible
Assignment 3: Lineage Studies, Task 3 — Write about a blood relationship between someone magical and a Muggle.
IHC: 336. Potion — Burn Heal Paste
365: 242. Relationship — Parent and Child
SC — Birthstones — Onyx - (dialogue) "I'm sorry that I'm not the daughter/son you wanted."
SC — Elemental Challenge — (quote) "Touch me, and you'll burn." - Margaret Atwood
SC — Gryffindor Prompts — Easy: Seamus Finnegan
SC — Summer Astronomy — July 27 2018 - Mars at Opposition. Prompt: (emotion) Anger
WC — Character Appreciation — 4. (trait) motivational
WC — Disney Challenge — Q1. "[Name, do you think father really needs our help?"
WC — Cookie's Crafty Corner — Yarn: Write about learning something new.
WC — Amber's Attic — 4. Inspirational Quote: Write about someone receiving advice.
WC — Bex's Bazaar — O1. Elmer The Patchwork Elephant - Write about someone being bullied for being different.
Word Count: 1329