When Dean Thomas met him for the first time, he never thought they'd become best friends.

Dean was writing a letter back home, describing, in vivid detail, about his Sorting. He dipped his quill (he still couldn't believe pens weren't allowed at Hogwarts. I mean, who uses quills?!) into his inkpot and starting fishing for the right words.

His stomach grumbled loudly. He groaned. Maybe he could use a snack. He turned around to see that sandy-haired boy who had sat next to him at the Gryffindor table. He was chewing something – and he had something in his hand.

And it looked simply delectable.

The boy (Seamus, was it?) swallowed, and asked him, "Want one?" in his Irish accent.

He nodded. He hesitated, took one little sweet from the packet, and popped it into his mouth.

It tasted just as delicious as it had looked.

Licking his lips, he asked, "What is this thing? I've never eaten it before."

Seamus replied, "Chocoballs. They're the best, innit? Full of strawberry mousse and clotted cream…" he trailed off, his eyes glazed over.

As the two boys bonded gleefully over sweets, little did they know that a true friendship had just been born.

December seemed to come abruptly that year. And along with it, the Yule Ball.

Seamus still hadn't found a partner to go with, and neither had Dean. They were putting it off until the last minute – something that is quite irresponsible, said that annoying little voice at the back of his head. He pushed it out of his mind.

But, there was only a week left until the ball, and if they didn't ask someone now, then they'd have to go alone. He lifted his head up from his copy of Unfogging the Future to ask Dean if he was planning to ask someone.

Dean was sitting next to the common room window, concentrating hard on drawing something (a sketch, perhaps).

He scrutinised Dean for a few moments, observing the way the evening light fell on his face, making his dark skin seem to glow. His right hand had ink splotches on them, a sign that he had previously been working on homework.

And then something seemed to hit him – was he really checking Dean out?

He'd never really pondered about his sexuality. All he knew was that, unlike most of the people he knew, he didn't find girls attractive at all. Sure, he could say that some of them were pretty…objectively. He had, however, found certain guys attractive – Cedric, for instance. But he'd never, not even once, thought about Dean that way. Could he possibly…fancy him?

He shook himself out of his thoughts. But that annoying little voice was niggling at the back of his mind again – do I really fancy my best friend?

Seamus was trying hard, and failing, to stay awake, when Dean plopped next to him with a heartbroken expression.

He turned towards his friend. "Hey, mate. What's wrong?"

He met his eyes and said in a voice so quiet that he had to strain his ears to hear it, "Ginny broke up with me."

He sat up a little straighter. "What? Why?"

Dean went into a long explanation, but Seamus was only half-listening. His mind was racing. He knew he shouldn't feel so happy that Ginny and Dean had broken up, especially not when Dean was so sad.

He had long accepted that fact that he had a crush on Dean. The only problem?

He wasn't sure that Dean reciprocated his feelings. Sometimes, just sometimes, he felt like he did, but he just couldn't be sure.

Dean's voice jolted him out of thoughts. "You…okay, mate?" he asked uncertainly.

He realized his inner battle had shown on his face.

"Yeah," he said hastily. "Totally grand."

As Dean lay on the cool, damp leaves in the Forest of Dean (he had to suppress a smile at the name), he found himself thinking of Hogwarts – of its many towers and turrets, trick staircases, Quidditch, his friends…Seamus.

Seamus was a complicated case. When he thought of him, he thought of his broad grin, fair hair, his Patronus, his love of sweets, and clumsy personality.

The more he thought of him, the more he thought he might even be in love with him.

When Dean came back from being on the run, Seamus thought he might explode from sweet, pure relief.

Reliefthat he was alive. Sure, he didn't look too good, but he was there.

He threw himself at him in a fierce hug that nearly knocked both of them down, and the only thing he wanted to do was to burst into happy tears – no matter how unmanly, or whatever it was.

But he didn't. Instead, he let Dean go, squared his shoulders, and rolled up his sleeves.

It was time to fight.

To fight for a better future.

Dean was exhausted. He could feel the beginnings of a migraine, his stomach was growling, and he felt (and looked) absolutely filthy.

He heard familiar footsteps coming closer to him, and he knew who it was before he saw them. Seamus sat next to him, the wood creaking underneath him. They sat in a comfortable silence for a while.

"I missed you, Dean."

Brown eyes met brown with a startling intensity that made Dean's heart skip a beat. They stared into each other's eyes, hyper-aware of their surroundings.

Dean was suddenly aware of the fact that Seamus' face was coming closer, his freckles and the dirt on his cheeks were coming into focus, his warm breath was on his face, his eyes were closing of their accord, the space between their lips was closing steadily, ever-so-slowly-

Their noses bumped into each other.

Both of their eyes flew open. They stared at each other for a few moments before bursting into laughter.

They couldn't help it - trust them to make things awkward.

Wiping their tears, they tried again.

And it was magical.

It wasn't like how most people described their first kiss – it didn't "feel like fireworks" – it was so much more than that. It was clumsy and shy, but it was simply perfect.

They broke apart after a few seconds and heard soft clapping coming from behind them. They turned around to see Luna, now wearing clean clothes and a serene, if somewhat surprisingly smug smile on her face.

"I did have a feeling this would happen today. A Blibbering Humdinger told me so, and it's said that their prophecies are never false." she said in her usual, dreamy voice.

Dean gave her a fond smile, while Seamus just blinked.

"Don't tell anyone about this, Luna," Dean whispered, and she simply nodded.

He knew she would keep her promise.

"Agh!"

Seamus gave a loud groan – he had just stubbed his toe on the table in his little flat. Rubbing the sore spot, he drifted into his own thoughts again.

Him and Dean were in a relationship now. It was going well – they were both happier than ever. The only thing that worried him now was about doing it.

They hadn't done the deed yet, and he really, really didn't want to.

He had just found out, a few weeks ago, from a book (Hermione would be proud) that the reason he felt that way was because he was asexual.

Sex-averse, to be specific.

And the reason he was worried was because knew for a fact Dean was bisexual. He'd told him so himself – he wouldn't have known otherwise.

Seamus figured he should break the news of his asexuality to Dean, but that was exactly what he was worried about. What if Dean breaks up with me because of that?

Two days later, as he was sitting on the floor of his flat with Dean, drinking tea, he felt it was the right time to break the news to him. The words came tumbling out of his mouth in a hurry.

"Dean…I-I'm…Imasexual."

The corner of his mouth tugged upwards, as it always did when he was amused.

"What?"

He took a deep breath, and said, "I'm asexual."

Dean's smile disappeared, and he was worried, for a split second, that he was going to say something that would utterly shatter him. But then his eyes widened with realization.

"Oh. I…is that really what you were so worried about, Shay?"

"Uh, yeah."

Dean smiled gently. "I don't mind. We'll find a way to compromise."

He sagged with relief. Maybe this would work out after all.

A month after they started their relationship, Dean and Seamus came out to their family and friends.

Seamus' father had just given him a knowing smile, and said, "Ah, that's grand, child. He's good for yeh, I think." Surprisingly, his nan had been perfectly alright with it too.

When they announced their relationships (and Seamus came out as ace) at a DA reunion, they were met with applause, whistles, and cheers.

"I knew there was something between you two!"

"Didn't I tell you they were a couple?"

"Hey, Charlie's ace too!"

"It's been a long time coming, mate!"

"Congratulations!"

Dean and Seamus looked at each other, utterly bemused. Seamus shook his head.

And to think they'd been subtle.

Dean and Seamus married a few years later with a beautiful ceremony set in the breathtaking backdrop of the Irish countryside. It was a lowkey affair, with only their closest family and friends attending.

When they saw each other in their wedding outfits, they forgot about everything around them – they looked into each other's eyes and saw their whole life ahead of them – a life together.

They could sense their parents' and friends' eyes upon them as they kissed for the first time as a married couple, and once again, they felt that same sense of euphoria that they had felt they first time they kissed.

"Go n-éirí an bóthar leat, leanaí," said Seamus' nan with a soft smile on her face, and all they could do was smile.

They really were idiots in love.

Dean and Seamus went on to spend the rest of their life together, just the two of them, until the ripe age of 105, when Dean passed away peacefully in his sleep.

A few months later, Seamus, his sandy hair now completely white, sat looking out of the window, watching the sun set.

He looked at the gold ring on his finger and the words engraved on it.

"Chocoballs. They're the best, innit?"