A/N: Written for round 13 of Quidditch League

BEATER 2: Write about a character forced to fight for their family.

Prompts: 12: (word) desire, 13: (word) strategy

Word count:2,886

This is inspired by the Paul Kelly song 'To Her Door'.

Disclaimer: As always I don't own Harry Potter

Introduction

It wasn't long after the Battle of Hogwarts that Seamus Finnigan and Alicia Spinnet fell pregnant. It was a surprise to all who knew them as they never really seemed close before the Battle. Which was true, they only found themselves becoming close after the Battle, as they both frequented the Leaky Cauldron daily and weren't keen on drinking alone.

When they found out, they both snapped out of their boozy ways and became sensible and eager new parents. Alicia worked at Flourish and Blott's until their son was born, then became mostly a stay at home mum, helping out at the shop when needed. Seamus' attitude towards his work at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes improved and he regained his love for pyrotechnics. Seamus and Alicia were married a year after Jasper was born. They were never rich but they were happy enough.

After a few years Ron joined Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, things took a turn for the worst.

"Seamus! God help you after I am done with you!" Alicia muttered under her breath. She was stirring baked beans that'd just come out of the microwave. The toast popped and she unceremoniously placed the toast on a plate and dumped the beans on top. She placed it in front of her waiting, hungry 3 year old son, and went back to making her own measly little tea of two stale crackers and cheese that she had cut the mould off. Once again there was very little food in the house and Seamus had taken the money they had that week with him to the pub.

After Jasper had been put to bed and fallen asleep, Seamus appeared. It was late and Alicia knew he was trying to sneak in so when she turned the light on, he froze.

"Seamus," there was nothing pleasant in her tone, "where is the money I earned from minding Louise's kids yesterday?"

"You have it," he said, trying to (and failing) sound incredulous, like he would never take her money.

"I put it in the empty tea canister and it's not there. Your son had baked beans on toast for tea again because that is all we had in this god-forsaken house! The pantry is empty now!" Her volume became slightly louder, but she was being mindful not to disturb Jasper. He didn't need to hear another one of their arguments.

"It's not my fault Ron looked at the finances decided I needed to be cut! I am looking for a job!"

"Yeah, but you're not going to find one at the bottom of your Firewhiskey glass!" Alicia had had enough of this endless cycle, "There's a pillow and blanket on the couch, as always."

She turned on her heel and went to bed.

That morning she rose a little earlier than normal. She had written the letter to Seamus before she fell asleep last night, so she sent the owl this morning to her mother to let her know they her and Jasper were coming. She had also packed things she would need and this morning, she packed Jasper's things. He was cranky because there was nothing for breakfast, though she had promised him yummy pancakes at gran's, if he let dad sleep.

She looked around the living room and saw the figure of her sleeping husband. It pained her to leave like this but she knew she was doing the best by Jasper and herself. It eased her mind to think this was at least one strategy to get him, the man she loved, back from the drunk he had become.

A few days later she was looking after the general shop in the Muggle village near where her mum lived. She had to get a job to help her mum financially with extra people living with her.

The bell over the door rang.

"Won't be a minute!" She called from the back room, where she was getting some boxes to refill the shelves. She came out and put the boxes on the counter, before turning to the person who had walked in.

It was Seamus.

"Get out," she spat, pointing at the door. She wasn't hiding from him, but she still didn't want to see him.

"Thanks for the letter," he said less than graciously, "or even a note after you and my son had left to say you weren't coming back."

"I left you one in the tea canister, where I put the money you said you didn't take."

"Is that what you want? Me to apologise for taking that money?"

"No," she said firmly, "what I want, is for you to stop drinking, because I feel like you are going to drink yourself into an early grave."

"Are you going to come home?"

"No Seamus, I can't watch you do this, and I am not allowing Jasper to either."

He stormed out. Alicia went to the door and put the 'closed' sign up. If she was going to cry because her heart was broken then no one in the nosey village was going to see it.

Seamus apparated into their house. He looked around and took stock of the mess he had made in the few days. The empty and broken bottles of Firewhiskey were around the room from where he had thrown them in fits of anger and rage at her leaving. He stomped over to the tea canister, and found the note. Screwing it up into a ball, he threw it on the ground. He crossed his arms and stood there feeling lost.

He was a 20-something year old man, but he was man enough to admit he wanted his mam. She had been pestering him for a visit, so he decided he would go to Ireland. He took a few minutes to write a note to Alicia to say that he wouldn't be home for the next few weeks, if she wanted to get anything from the house. He sent the owl and apparated.

His mam and dad were happy to see him, and confused as to why the rest of the family hadn't come. As they sat at the kitchen table having a cuppa, he told them.

There was a moment of silence as they took the news in. Seamus could feel the tears prickling at the edge of his eyes. He blinked them back. He wasn't going to cry.

"So, what are you going to do about it?" His dad asked.

"I don't know, I don't know how I can fix it."

His dad got visibly cross at that.

"What do you mean 'you don't know'?" He didn't shout it but the way he said it Seamus felt the intensity, "You know how. Man up and fight for her and your son. What is the one thing you could do to change this?"

"Get a job?" Seamus shrugged, that was the only thing that he could think of that was causing friction in his marriage.

"Then get one."

"I've tried. I'm not the right fit or I just don't hear from them."

"Fine. I didn't think I needed to do this but, today I heard at the garage down the road…"

"Oh, which one?" Seamus' mam piped up.

"O'Shanessy's. They are…"

"Oh, that's a lovely garage now. I heard the son is now in charge. Mrs. O'Brien, down the street - you remember her, she always gave you the loveliest treats at Samhain - any way she got her car serviced there, and…"

"Yes dear, as I was saying," Mr. Finnigan interrupted his wife, "they are looking for someone to man the front desk, preferably they would know a bit about cars, so they can explain stuff to customers about what they did and things like that. Since I've taught you a bit, I could see you being a good fit."

"I don't want to be a receptionist," Seamus groaned, but his father was having none of it.

"Then don't. Don't save your marriage."

The next day Seamus found himself wandering past the garage. He was still not sure of what he was doing, but he knew he needed to get this job. He took a deep breath in and let it out before walking in.

"Seamus!" The man behind the counter shouted when he saw who had walked in.

James O'Shanessy had been a friend of Seamus' from primary school.

"Hey mate, how's things?"

"Yeah, not too bad. Dad left the business and has gone into 'retirement', so that's why he is in the back office doing the books after I have done them," James laughed, gesturing at the wall behind him "Anyway what can I do you for?"

"I heard that you're hiring. I'd like to apply."

"Moving back into the area are you? I thought you were living somewhere in England."

"Yeah, sorta. I was living in England but something's come up and I'm back here."

"I always say it's like Hotel California around here. Do you have your resume?"

Seamus was prepared for this, as he couldn't give his real resume, so instead he gave James his Muggle version one. It just gave Muggle believable alternatives to the Wizarding ones. James read it over.

"No referees?" James enquired.

"Not that you can contact. I have a letter of recommendation from them. They were ridiculously old school and didn't have a phone."

"Look, I'll take the letter and read it, because I know you. I wish I could verify this with them but I'll at least consider you."

"Thanks, let me know which way you decide, I'm staying at my parents' house."

Later that night, Seamus got a phone call from James. He got the job! He would be on trial for a month then ongoing. He couldn't believe it. He was going to get his family back! He wrote a letter to Alicia:

Dear Alicia

You wouldn't believe it! I have a job. I'm on trial for a while then it's mine. I'll soon be able to give you all that you desire.

I am slowly changing.

I hope you and Jasper are well.

Love

Seamus

He expected that she would show up at the door, or the fireplace any day. He sat in the living room watching and waiting, for days. Drinking his Firewhiskey he sat by the window in the living room, at the start he was careful to not over do it, so he could keep his job but as time went on he would often pass out there.

About a month later, a letter arrived from Alicia, it didn't contain a letter of gratitude and sorrow like Seamus had thought.

Seamus,

I'm glad to hear

This is a good start but I think

You still haven't read my letter that I left that night have you? Once you have read it, then we can talk. Until then, I don't want you to see Jasper or me.

Alicia

Seamus screwed the letter up in frustration. Of course he hadn't read that letter from her. What could it say that he didn't already know?

Seamus ignored it and kept going. His drinking got worse as his anger at Alicia increased. He would often turn up work drunk or severely hung over, that James had to send him home again. It was starting to infringe on his work.

"Seamus can you come into my office for a moment?" James called. Seamus got up from where he was sitting with his sunglasses on and made his way stumbling the short distance to the office.

"Close the door please," Seamus turned around slowly to do this so he didn't get dizzy and throw up and took his glasses off. Once that was done James invited him to sit in the old chair that sat opposite the desk.

"Are you hungover today?" Seamus was taken aback. He had thought he did well to hide his hangovers.

"No sir, I'm not hungover," Seamus was shaking his head as he said it and immediately regretted it as he felt queasy.

"Don't bloody lie to me. I know I am easy going and I let some things like hangovers slide. As long as it isn't a regular occurrence and that person is overseen by someone else when working on the cars, if they work on the cars. This?" he said gesturing to Seamus, "This is every bloody day you show up to work drunk from last night, or hungover and I cannot have you be the first person customers see. Go home, sober up and if you show up drunk or hungover tomorrow, then you're gone."

James turned away from Seamus, who was sitting there in shock. His drinking didn't impact his work, so why was James being like this? He got up and walked out the door, and walked home.

His mother was sitting at the kitchen table doing her nail polish, when he burst in the front door, causing her to start and knocking the bottle over. He came in to see her using her wand to clean it up.

"What are you doing home so early?" She asked him, puzzled as he had not long started work.

"Not feeling well so the boss sent me home."

"Bullshite Seamus Finnigan. You are hungover. No wonder Alicia doesn't want Jasper to see you."

Seamus was shocked. Anger began to rise within him, the only way she would know is if she went through his room.

"How. Did. You. Know?" He said quietly and firmly.

"I was tidying up your room as it smelt vile in the passage in front of your room, and that letter was out in the open. I owled her to see what could be done to fix this and she told me that you have a serious drinking problem."

Seamus opened his mouth to deny it, but his mam put up her hand to stop him.

"I agree with her and I'm not going to sit here all day arguing about it. I have emptied all your Firewhiskey down the sink and you are sobering up."

Seamus stood up, he towered over his mother who was sitting down.

"Mam, you don't get to tell me what I can and can't do. I am an adult!"

"Sit down. You need help and I, whether you like it or not, am going to help you."

"What good will it do?"

"You'll have your family back. Alicia told me. She is willing to let you see your son and consider taking you back if you get sober. She loves you."

Seamus stayed in his room all day thinking about what his mam had said. James and her had been right. He did drink too much and it was interfering with all the important things in his life. He went downstairs to his mam in the living room.

"Mam, I need your help," His mother's face lit up, "I need your help to use the computer," her face fell a little bit, "I'm going to find a meeting," His mother jumped up off the sofa and hugged her son.

Seamus turned up for work the next day completely sober. He tracked down James to apologise.

"I'm sorry for turning up drunk. I started working here after my wife left me because of my drinking problem. I blamed her for leaving and my drinking got worse. I don't want to lose my job here. I am going to change."

"Then what are you doing standing around here for? You are needed up the front," James said in a joking tone that meant a few things were forgiven.

Seamus sent a letter to Alicia telling her that he would like to visit her because he wanted to tell her something. She agreed to meet at their house.

Outside the fireplace, Seamus got a massive bout of nerves. What if this was a bad idea? She told his mam she would be open to taking him back when he was sober. He wasn't sober yet. He took a deep breath and stepped into the fireplace.

She was waiting for him when he stepped out. He had forgotten how beautiful he found her.

"Hi," she said tentatively. He knew she was just as nervous as him after just that one word.

"Hi, I'm sorry for dragging you away from your mother's and Jasper"

"It's ok, I had to come here to tidy and collect the Muggle mail so it's really not much trouble. Jasper is at Nursery."

"I am getting sober. It's a slow process and I've only been sober for the last month and a half but I finally woke up to what you had been trying to tell me," Seamus hadn't intended to blurt it out like that but his nerves got the best of him and he became self-conscious.

"I'm glad to hear it."

"I'm going to AA meetings and it's a start," he said scratching the back of his neck.

"Well, if things keep going this way, we can talk about you coming to visit Jasper. I know he misses you terribly. Maybe you can write to me in a week and we can organise it then?"

Seamus couldn't believe it. He was going to see his son. It was a start and He was glad of it. Things could only get better.