Title: First Impressions, part two (AKA Roller-Coaster)
Author: kissmeimirish Pairing: None yet, just crushes. Seamus and Dean.
Rating: G! Wow! I wrote a *G!
Summary: Dean's POV of his and Seamus' first meeting. Disclaimer: If I owned this, there'd be some seriously happy secondary characters.
Notes: You may want to read the prequel (First Impressions) but it's not necessary. (The prequel is the meeting from Seamus' view)
- - - - - - - This place is *huge*
There's about seven hundred people sitting at four long tables, each under a different banner, and even more burning candles levitating over our heads. I don't even notice the sky until the bossy girl from the train whispers about it.
"...I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."
There was a *book* about this place? Oh, hang on- was that the one on the list? Maybe. I haven't read any of my textbooks yet. Is this the *only* magic school? How old is it? How long do we stay here? Some of the people look almost like adults.
Oh, yes, this place is weird. Here, headgear *sings*
The short, sandy-haired boy in front of my jumps when the hat starts it's poem. A giggle escapes my lips before I know it, and I get a grin in return. He has really pretty eyes. Sea-green, with a tint of blue, framed in lush eyelashes.
A funny feeling jolts my heart, like a roller-coaster just beginning it's ascent.
We get "sorted" like jelly beans, or clean socks, into "houses." When you sit on the stool (in front of *everyone*), the hat talks to your brain and decides which "house" you belong to. The Professor that brought us in said that our House was our family, while we're here. Hopefully they'll like me, whoever they are.
The different houses are apparently at the different tables. Above one, the banner is emerald green with a silver snake, then a bronze raven on a sapphire background, a black badger on- well, yellow, and a gold lion on ruby-red.
Happily, it decides quickly, in about twenty seconds. He took forever for the sandy-haired boy. Seamus Finnigan. Sea-green Seamus-
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The red-and-gold table screams and cheers, and I stagger off to sit next to Seamus. Our elbows brush, and I don't think he even notices, but when they do, my heart jumps again, like I'm at the top of the coaster and looking down.
The conversation turns to families around dessert, after the sorting. (The food is *amazing.* It just appears on the table, anything you could ever want, except possibly rice)
Seamus' mom is a witch (wow, I never thought I could hear that and have it mean something good) and his dad is a Muggle. I wonder if that affects you, or if the magic side tramples the non-magic.
I manage to go unnoticed, keeping my head down, but as I study my peas, two soft, warm fingers brush over my arm.
I startle out of my thoughts, and look over- right into those eyes.
Seamus is smiling at me, and I feel like I could get lost in his face, lost and never come back, just exploring and testing and-
Hang on, his lips are moving.
"Sorry," he says, that smile still quirked around the corners of his mouth.
"Oh, hi." Very eloquent, Dean.
"Hi."
"I'm Dean."
"Seamus."
"Hi, Seamus."
"You-er, from a wizard family?" He's got an irresistible Irish lilt. Oh. My. God.
I shake my head. "Muggle-born. Do I look that out-of-place?"
"Naw, just wondering."
And we return to dinner.
I try to concentrate on my potatoes, but I can feel his breathtaking eyes watching me, making my heart beat faster and louder until I'm sure he can hear it.
I feel like I've just gone down the first big plunge, holding madly onto the cart.
Seamus and I (and three other boys our age) are in the same dorm. In fact, our beds are right next to each other. If I scooted over to the edge of mine and reached out, I could touch his pillow. We meet the others- Neville, Ron, and Harry- and unpack. I put up my treasured West Ham poster, and Ron is entranced with it, poking it with his wand, trying to do- something, I dunno. I don't understand why until I see the photo that Seamus has on his bedside table of his family. It *moves*
There's his parents and sisters, waving, smiling, and laughing at us out of the frame. He sees my expression and laughs, but not unkindly. I file the sound under "Things To Never Ever Forget."
We change to our pyjamas and spend the rest of the night talking and sharing the sweets he's got left from the train. I could listen to him forever and a day and still not have enough.
I feel like I'm full-swing in the roller-coaster: heart pounding, thoughts racing, mouth dry.

- - - - - - And the young love continues to bloom.
Please R&R! I live for feedback! (Well, and ficcys, but that's taken for granted, innit? ;D)
Dunno if this'll continue on as a series, as always, what do *you* think?