Disclaimer: I've decided I want to write a pressure-free story, so if some of my facts are wrong or little things don't make sense, just go with it! This is going to be a Seamus/Luna story. It sounds crazy, and well I think it's insane too, but I want to give myself a challenge. This does contain HALFBLOOD PRINCE SPOILERS. don't say I didn't warn you.

- Ferin

ps: 'defenestrate' means to throw out of a window. :)

Seamus awoke to the same fight he'd listened to everyday since he'd arrived home for the summer. It wasn't that his parents were often subject to marital spats, but recently things had taken a rough turn. They constantly argued about what was the best course of action for the coming wizarding war. Frankly, Seamus was getting a bit tired of hearing about it.

"I wouldn't dare spend more than 15 minutes with that family of yours!" Mrs. Finnigan announced, rather loudly.

"An' what exactly is the ma'er with 'em?" Mr. Finnigan demanded to know. Seamus could feel the floor shake with a stomp, most likely his mother's, and rolled out of bed. He attempted to cover his yawn while stretching his arms above his head. After a good head scratch, he stumbled down the stairs.

"What is the matter with them! You know as well as I do that not a single one of that lot can stay sober! Not to mention they sent my only son a flask for his birthday!" Mrs. Finnigan responded, and slammed a few pots and pans around for emphasis. Seamus had never heard of the flask incident. He suspected his mother had never sent his 'present' to Hogwarts.

"He's my son too! Besides, 'twas just a wee bit of Irish humor! They didn' mean any harm of it! You're only complainin' because they don't know about you an' Seamus!" Mr. Finnigan speculated, unable to hide his grin. Seamus leaned against the doorway silently and listened, amused.

"Well, it doesn't make much sense, does it? If you are so anxious to have us near other wizards with Dumbledore gone, why would you take us somewhere that I can't pull out my wand?" Mrs. Finnigan asked, clearly exasperated.

"You know as well as I do tha' I'd be telling 'em. Why would they love ye any less? I just want my wife and me boy to be safe," he reassured her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I know, I know. It will be odd going back to London. I quite like living here now," Mrs. Finnigan said and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Well, Ireland does have that appeal . . . "

Seamus cleared his throat to stop things from going any farther. He had already seen more than he wanted to before breakfast.

"So, should I be packin' me bags then?" he asked with a chuckle, plopping down at the kitchen table.

"We haven't finalized anything, Seamus, so never you mind. Now, you have to promise me that when you apparate you'll be extra careful not to splinch yourself! The Floo network is too dangerous, but I don't want to be keeping you out of Diagon Alley!" Mrs. Finnigan fussed, trying hard not to slip back into the habit of biting her nails.

"Yes'm. It's too bad you can't come with me, Da.'! I know I've gotten you hooked on Quidditch!" Seamus joked with a grin.

"Now, you said Dean's mum is going to be there with you?" Mrs. Finnigan asked, running her fingers through her hair.

"Yes'm! We've been o'er this a hundred times! I know you're afraid I'm goin' to be attacked by some death eater, but even Dean's mum says she's bringin' a few friends. I'll be fine," Seamus reassured her and pulled on his jumper. Before his mother could say another word, he had disappeared with a loud 'pop'.

Dean was waiting for him outside of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, one of the only businesses left open in Diagon Alley. Seamus suspected that Dean had finally matured a little bit. When Seamus had asked him to go to the twins' joke shop a few weeks earlier, Dean had let out a grunt and muttered some excuse about being stocked up on childish toys. Seamus didn't bother trying to figure out what had gotten Dean in such a rut. The twins were Weasleys, and Dean had been annoyed with one particular Weasley for some time.

Seamus did try and warn Dean that Ginny would probably not be a long term relationship. Seamus himself had been interested in Ginny toward the beginning of her fourth year, when she was going out with some Ravenclaw fellow, but he saw the way she looked at Harry Potter and knew that it wasn't worth it. What Seamus hadn't counted on was Harry developing mutual feelings. Everything had come as a shock in his 6th year, really. He was lucky at least to have brought his mum around to the idea that Harry really wasn't a liar in constant need of the world's attention.

"I suppose I shouldn't have been so harsh to you before, Seamus. I was just still a little upset about our last night . . . well, you know. I figure now I should spend as much time with you as possible. Who knows if Hogwarts will even be open for our last year!" Dean said finally, breaking the silence that had made both boys rather uncomfortable.

"S' all right, mate. I didn' take it personally. I'm looking forward to a day with just us two, and not the whole bloody lot of Gryffindors!" Seamus exclaimed and gave Dean a pat on the shoulder. Dean's expression, however, turned quickly to guilty, a sheepish grin upon his face.

"Yes, well about that . . . my mum has made a new friend it seems. I didn't think much of it at first. Mum said she had gotten set up on a blind date and it went horribly, but he was such a good wizard that she figured they could still chat once in awhile. It was a bit weird, I must admit, but anyway . . . the point is that he brought his daughter along, and I assume we'll have to keep her company," Dean explained, hardly taking a breath. Seamus sighed and placed his hands in his pockets, casually placing more weight on one foot than the other.

"Well, between you and me, as long as she's got nice eyes and a pretty smile . . . it'll be you I'm trying to ditch by the end of the day," Seamus admitted in a whisper. Dean began to laugh wildly and pulled Seamus closer to him.

"That's all fine and good if you like the loony ones," he whispered back just as Luna Lovegood's face appeared beside his own.

"Hullo Seamus! I had no idea you'd be coming along with us!" Luna said cheerfully.

Seamus had a feeling he would have to throw his fantasy out the window. The day was not going to go as he had pictured.