I was sitting in the common room, watching Harry and Ron play what was shaping out to be a very tense chess game. Of course everyone knew Ron would beat Harry, as Ron seemed to win almost every game.
"I think Harry may actually have a chance of beating Ron." I turned to see Neville had joined me to watch the game. I nodded, agreeing with his statement as Harry's move looked promising. By now, everyone in the common room had squeezed their way around a tiny table to get a view of the game.
"Ah he may, but Ron probably has something up his sleeve...He alwayshas something up his sleeve." I said while keeping my eyes well focused on the game.
"YES! I am the champion!" Ron shouted as he leaped up onto the chair he had been sitting on for the past half hour. Everyone clapped as it had been a very good game. Harry looked gutted as he had been close - closer than he or anyone else has ever been to beating Ron.
"Good game Harry - really good game. Thought you had me for a minute but no! I got it back!" Ron said before laughing. "Sorry Harry, you're just not as good as me - but don't get me wrong, you're good! I'm just better." Ron said with a smug look on his face. Oh how I wish someone would just beat him!
"SEAMUS!" someone entering the common room shouted. Everyone instantly went quiet and turned toward the common room door. From the voice I knew it was Hermione. She began calling his name again. "Seamus, don't you ignore me! Seamus! Shay! Shay! Shay! Shay-"
"WHAT? What do you want Hermione?" he snapped back as he cut her off.
"I want to know if you're okay Shay! I want you to go to the hospital wing - now!" she said strictly.
"I'm fine 'Mione! I'm good. Can we leave it at that please? Or are you going to get McGonagall to take me?" he bit back at her. She just stared at him with a 'already-on-it' look.
"Uh..." She calmly replied.
"For god sake Herm-" Seamus began.
"Mr Finnigan." he was cut off by a very stern Professor McGonagall's voice. He slowly looked up at her. I knew something was wrong but I couldn't see what all the fuss was about, if it was something that serious, Seamus would have told me. Well I hope he would have - I am his boyfriend at the end of the day.
"But professor, I'm fine!" Seamus pleaded with McGonagall, but she was not going to soften, and Dean had to admire Seamus wasting his energy on the hopeless fight.
"Oh give it up Shay! You're not fine! You wouldn't get yourself into petty fights if you were fine!" Hermione quickly snapped back, taking Seamus and Dean by surprise. Fight? He had been in a fight? Okay so Seamus blows things up and has a slight temper, but he never gets into fights! I was taken back with shock when Seamus's body turned towards my view: his face was full of cuts and dried blood, a black eye was brewing on his left eye and he had a few bruises flecked along his arms. I just stared at him. Seamus looked away from Hermione's and McGonagall's faces and his gaze met mine, his eyes filled with water and he quickly looked away.
"Fine! Ill go see the bloody nurse, okay?" Seamus shouted hoarsely as tears started to flow and he ran out of the common room. Hermione was just about to run after him but I sprinted past, almost knocking her off her feet. I wanted to know if Shay was okay.
"Seamus!" I shouted down the hall trying to find my short, Irish boyfriend. Before I even made it to the hospital wing, I heard some quiet sobs coming from the corner of the hallway, and as I followed the sound of crying, I could see Seamus's sandy blond hair resting upon his arms. I walked over and softly said his name. "Seamus." He looked up at me, eyes all red from crying, nose sniffling. Before he could say anything I was sitting beside him holding him in my arms.
"I think I had better go to the hospital wing" laughed Seamus as he looked at me. I smiled back and kissed his nose, stood up and held my hand out.
"Yeah, I don't really wanted a human punch bag for a boyfriend." I joked as he took my hand. We walked to the hospital wing hand in hand. Of course, I wanted to know why Shay had gotten into this fight, what caused him to flip and why he was crying, but I wasn't going to pressure him into telling me just because I'm his best friend and his boyfriend. If he wants to tell me, I reasoned, let him tell me on his own terms and I'll be waiting for him to explain.
"I've been waiting for you Mr Finnigan." Madame Pomfrey's voice echoed through the hospital wing. We both looked up to see her unfolding the sheet on one bed and signalling Seamus to get in. Seamus walked over and got into the bed. I sat down next to him on the chair and smiled at him to give him some comfort. I wondered if he was ill. If so was it serious? Life threatening? Is his mother okay? She has been ill lately but Seamus hadn't wanted to go into much detail. Is he being expelled for blowing to many things up? What am I even thinking? Of course not that's ridiculous! Anyway, if he wasexpelled he would be on the train home by now. Has he failed to many classes?
"Hey Shay." My thoughts were cut off at the arrival of an out of breath girl with frizzy hair, grabbing the nearest chair and sitting opposite me next to Shay. "I'm sorry for yelling at you, but look at you! I would have done the same to Ron and Harry - even Dean!" she said, pointing at me.
"Its okay Hermione, I know you were only trying to help." he said politely while giving a smile to show his forgiveness. Hermione smiled back and grabbed his hand.
Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall appeared and walked over to us. Mcgonagall handed Seamus a letter and said "I'm terribly sorry Mr Finnigan." Seamus looked worried at why she was sorry and began to open the letter.
"You know where I am if needed Mr Finnigan" Professor Dumbledore said in a calm voice before he and McGonagall made their exit. Seamus's face fell as he as he stared at the letter. He had somehow guessed what it was before opening it - he must of had a hunch. He slowly unfolded it and began reading, taking in every word carefully, his eyes scanning every sentence, every word, every letter. Then he just stopped. Froze. I looked at him, not knowing what to say, I could see his eyes began to fill with water and tears fell down his face. He was crying without sound, his eyes showing all the emotion and doing all the talking. Floods of tears were streaking down his face and I began to quickly rummage through my backpack to find a tissue. When I grabbed it, I wiped his eyes, one at a time, before going back to the other. I repeated this for a few minutes before he finally managed to hold back the tears. He took in a deep breath and put the letter down onto his lap.
"She died" he said, fighting back more tears that were ready flow.
"W...what?" I replied, taking in what he said. As soon as he had said it, I knew that his mother had died.
"Whose died Shay?" Hermione said warmly to comfort Seamus.
"Me mam! Me mam's dead!" Seamus said before letting out a massive heartbreaking sob. He buried his head into his hands, and the tears could not be stopped. With every tear, every sniffle, every breath, every sob - I could feel his heart break. My boyfriend, my best friend had lost his mother. She had died, and I was sitting here watching him because I didn't know what to do. After digesting the news for what felt to be the longest few seconds of my life, I got off my chair and held Seamus in my arms, squeezing onto the hospital bed. After crying for 10 minutes with me and Hermione, he rested his head onto my lap, exhausted.
"I got into the fights because she was ill." he blurted out.
"You don't have to explain Shay - not to us" I said, stroking his sandy blond hair, slowing playing with it to keep Seamus calm. It's one of the only things that calms him, and he's not exactly going to go up to Ron or Harry and say "Guys, stroke my hair?"I just sensed it I guess.
"Dean's right Shay. You don't need to explain why." Hermione said, placing her hand on Shay's leg.
"I know." he softly said. "But you guys deserve to know..." He took a deep breath. "She was ill - really ill. She sent letters and I knew she could die at any moment. She had cancer. It was terminal - it couldn't be stopped...but...but she's me mam, I love her. I miss her. How am I going to cope?" he ended before letting out a small cry.
"We'll help you Shay!" Hermione said, smiling at him. "Right Dean?" She asked me.
"Of course! Anything you need Shay, we are right here! I'mright here." I said before bending over to kiss his forehead.
I noticed his eyes had closed. He was worn out and he had fallen asleep."Go on, go back. You look tired too. Just don't mention anything until Shay's said, okay? I'll stay here with him." I told a half asleep Hermione. She didn't even attempt to protest before nodding, grabbing her bag and books and heading for the door.
I laid back to fall asleep, and as I was about to drift off I swore I could hear a "Thank you."from Shay. I smiled and fell asleep.
I woke up to Madame Pomfrey shaking my shoulder. She informed me that Seamus and I had the whole day off class due to yesterday's events, and Professor Dumbledore had asked for me to look after Shay, as he was still fragile. I nodded and looked at Shay, until eventually he woke up, looked at me and smiled.
"Thank you. You didn't have to stay with me though... you 'd better hurry off to class." he said. "You've got potions first and you don't want to be late for Snape's class! He'll kill you!" He looked very worried at the idea of Snape kicking off.
"It's okay Shay, Dumbledore wants me to stay with you today." I replied with a smile across my face.
"Oh...oh okay." he said. He looked back down at the letter that was near him and re-read it before turning to me. "Will you come?" He said, looking at me.
"Come? Come where, Shay?" I said looking at him slightly confused.
"To me mam's funeral? She liked you, you know." he said. I'm not sure if the puppy dog eyes were intentional, but he gave me them anyway.
"Of course Shay, of course I'll come." I replied, smiling at him.
"Thank you, Dean" he said, sitting upright.
"No need to thank me, Shay" I joked.
"Hey Dean?" He said, but didn't look at me. I assumed something was on his mind.
"I...I..I love you." he said nervously. "And I ain't just saying this because me mam just died mind." he added quickly as if to defend what he just said. We had never said this before, but I didn't care. I bloody loved this blue eyed, freckled face, sandy blond haired Irish boy who liked to blow things up! I Had done for ages and there he was telling me he feels the same.
"I love you too Shay" I said before kissing his swollen lips .
XxX
I stood next to Shay at the graveside, his father one side of him, me on the other. Shay was a mess, I could see he wanted his mother to help him through it all and I didn't know what to do or say. I ended up just holding his hand, hoping it might help him or give him the comfort of support he needed. After a few seconds of doubting my actions, he squeezed my hand back tightly and tilted his head a little to the left resting it on my chest. With my free hand I held his face and placed my chin upon his head.
The coffin was lowered to the ground, I felt Shay's body begin to shake as the tears flew down his freckled face. Before I knew it, my eyes had filled up with water and all the emotion I had held back with a barrier for so long as I had tried to stay strong for Shay had broken and the tears streamed down my face. Shay looked up and and gave me a hug. I hugged him back, both of us crying, and I felt a little warmth and comfort when I felt someone wrap their arms around us. I looked up to see Seamus's father hugging us.
"It will be okay." he said, crying himself. Of course he was, his wife had died. "Seamus?" He called and Seamus looked up at him. "I know you were closer to your mother because she was a witch and well...she understood you. But I am here if you need anything - a chat about...boys, school, magic - anything." Before he could add anything else, Seamus had freed himself from me and wrapped his arms around his father. My heart warmed at the sight of Seamus being a bit happier. "Come on lads let's go back home, eh? Have a nice hot chocolate after this long day." his father said smiling at us. We both nodded. As we headed off back to Seamus' house, I turned to noticed Seamus had run back over to the grave and I slowly walked behind him.
"We said I love you mam! We did you know! I just said it and hoped for him to say it back and he did!" I overheard him say to his mothers grave side. I smiled because I knew what I felt for Seamus he felt back. He turned to see me standing there. "Did you...uh...hear any of that?" He nervously asked while looking down, directly at his feet.
"Not unless you wanted me to, Shay" I replied with a smile and put my hand out in front of me. He grabbed it and smiled.
"Thank you for being here Dean! Means and a lot - and like I told me mam, I do love you! A lot actually! Maybe a bit too much, but I love you!" he blabbered on.
I looked down at his face and leaned down to kiss his lips. They were cold from the winter air, but soft at the same time. "I love you too Shay" I said. Then we walked back to Seamus' house and had hot chocolate in the living room as I sat there listening to Seamus and his father retell stories and memories about the late Mrs Finnigan.