Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I do own Sean and Paddy. Snape may come across a bit OOC but that's only because he's being nice. SLASH!
Family
Chapter Eleven,
It was odd, after that day Severus had begun to avoid the little Irish family, no longer offering to baby-sit and the little boys had noticed.
"When's he coming back?" Sean asked as Seamus washed his hair quickly.
"I don't know, close your eyes," he ordered. Sean obeyed and Seamus tipped a jug of warm water over his head to wash away the shampoo. Sean whined uncomfortably. "I'm nearly done Sean, just keep your eyes closed."
"I don't like it," Sean complained as two more jugs over water were tipped over his head.
"There we are, done. Now you play for a little while and I'll go and get Paddy ready for his bath," Seamus stood up from where he'd been knelt and dried of his hands and arms. He heard Sean begun to play pirates with the little dolls Seamus had found him to play with in the bath and picked up Paddy from the rug near the fire. "You ready for your bath?"
"Bah-Baf," Paddy gurgled, not yet forming proper words. Seamus smiled and tickled the boys chest gently as he undressed him, Paddy roared loudly with laughter.
"Do you want to share your bath with Sean to start with?" he asked Paddy who was reaching for Sean excitedly. Paddy loved bath time. "Alright then, in we go." He lifted the boy up and placed him in the nice and warm water (a heating charm kept it warm for the boys baths). Sean gently splashed Paddy who laughed and splashed back.
"Seamus?" Harry called from the doorway.
"In here Harry, it's bath time," Seamus called as he put a small amount of shampoo on his hand and started to massage it into Paddy's fair hair. Harry, Ron and Hermione came to the doorway and watched Seamus on his knees being as gentle as he could while Sean played with Paddy. "This is where it gets not so nice," he warned them as he picked up a flannel. "Paddy doesn't close his eyes all the time."
"Ah, I never used to either," Hermione said as Seamus placed the flannel over Paddy's eyes and poured the jug of water over his head. The wails began and Seamus was as quickly as he could be in getting the shampoo out.
"There we are Paddy, all done little love, it's all over," Seamus said kindly as he took the soaked flannel away and wiped Paddy's cheeks. "All done." The tears slowly stopped as Sean played with him. "Sean can I trust you to keep him safe while I talk to Harry, Ron and Hermione? Head above the water and all that jazz?"
"Yes, I'll make sure he's safe," Sean said proudly as he put some of the bubbles from the bath on Paddy's nose making him giggle. Seamus kissed Sean's forehead, dried his hands and walked the trio out into the main room.
"What do I ow the honour of this visit for?" Seamus asked happily.
"Yeah, well you see members of the DA have asked if we can carry on meeting, not to learn this time, just to practise and we were wondering if we could meet here?" Hermione asked. "It would just be helpful, with no worries of being interrupted and chucked out of a classroom."
"Sure you can use the living room. What nights?" Seamus asked.
"Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays," the boys stared at her, "Oh alright just Mondays and Wednesdays. Happy?" She placed her hands on her hips.
"That's before Quidditch on a Monday right?" Seamus asked.
"Yes, that ok?" Harry asked.
"Yup, I still have to find a babysitter for those two though," Seamus said sadly.
"But what about Professor Snape?" Harry asked.
"He-He hasn't been for a while, I think he's too busy," Seamus looked at the floor quickly. Loudly giggles and splashing was hurt from inside the bathroom.
"I can baby-sit for you, I won't mind," Hermione offered. "I don't play Quidditch and I'll already be here from the meeting."
"Thanks Hermione, I'd better get them out of the bath now," Seamus smiled at his friends before going back into the bathroom and lifting a slightly resisting Paddy out. "5 minutes Sean." Seamus put Paddy down on the towel laid over the baby changing mat and started to rub the boy dry while he giggled happily. "Into pyjama's for you little man."
"Do I have to get into pyjama's?" Sean asked as he pretended he was swimming in the black lake like Harry did for the TriWizard Tournament.
"Yes, you're bed time's in an hour. Finish you're game while I put Paddy in the living room and be ready to get out when I come back," Seamus ordered as he did the last button on Paddy's blue all in one suit up. Sean loudly took a gulp of air before submerging his head in the bath.
"You're really good with these two Seamus," Hermione said as the trio watched Seamus place Paddy gently down with his toys.
"Well I have to be don't I. I hope you're ready Sean!" Seamus called as he ruffled Paddy's drying hair. "You three can stick around if you want and we can chat for a while. I'm coming now Sean, out of the bath."
"But Seamus…"
"Out."
He'd set the class a potion to do and now stood at the front of the room watching for obvious mistakes. Seamus was in this class, at the back paired with that idiot Longbottom and trying desperately to help him. He wasn't doing that bad a job of it either.
"No not those ones Neville, the other ones first. Easy mistake to make," Seamus would say kindly when Neville picked up the wrong thing he asked for, aiming to not hurt the chubby boys feelings. The smile on Neville's face showed that he was succeeding in making him not feel bad about it.
"Like this Seamus?" Neville asked hesitantly as he sprinkled the powder into the bubbling mass.
"Yeah that's in Neville, we'll get you past Potions yet," Seamus laughed good heartedly. Neville replied that that was less than likely but smiled none the less. Severus watched in hidden amusement and amazement as Seamus managed to get Neville to complete a potion correctly.
"Bottle up your potions and bring them to my desk. I will label them and test them, you will get your results in your next lesson," the Professor said calmly, his mask in place. Seamus looked pleased as he poured it into the bottle and capped it off.
"I'll take it up, you start clearing up Neville," he said sliding out of his seat and walking up to Severus along with the other students. Someone elbowed him in the side viciously and Seamus found himself glaring at a smirking Draco Malfoy.
"Out of the way Finnigan," he sneered, "Go back to being mummy to your brats." Seamus stared at him, how dare he? Behind his mask Severus was really angry, how dare Draco Malfoy call Sean and Paddy brats?
"Don't call my brothers brats you ferret!" Seamus shouted.
"I'll call them whatever I want the filthy muggles," Draco sneered. The Gryffindors, all of whom know Sean and Paddy were very angry now and Severus knew Seamus was going to blow up in anger soon. "They're worth nothing, you should have abandoned them in Ireland." That did it. Seamus screamed and threw the potion phial at the Slytherin before hitting him, sending him onto the floor.
"Don't you dare say that you worth-for-nothing-piece-of-shit!" Seamus straddled the Slytherin and began to pummel his face. The Gryffindor's cheered him on, the Slytherin's shouted in protest as Draco attempted to defend himself and failed. Severus quickly stepped foreword, grabbed Seamus by the collar and hauled him off the Slytherin.
"Class dismissed. Everyone out now!" He ordered angrily, still holding Seamus who was shaking slightly. Severus knew he was near to tears. "OUT!" The students fled quickly and Seamus sagged in Severus's grip, his sobs beginning quiet.
"He shouldn't have said that…they aren't worth nothing…" he didn't look at Severus and tried futilely to wipe his eyes. Severus, despite his feelings for the boy and now his plan to distance himself from him could not stop himself from turning Seamus around and giving him a hug. Seamus stiffened briefly continuing to sob his heart out into the black robes of his potions master.
"Of course they're not, it's alright Seamus," Severus said gently, rocking slightly with the boy in his arms. Seamus's sobs slowly decreased and finally he looked up into Severus's gaze.
"Am I going to have a detention?" Seamus asked quietly.
"No, you don't deserve one. You were only defending your brothers," Severus vaguely realised that he had yet to let go of Seamus and the closeness of the boy was electing feelings lower down in his body. Luckily Seamus hadn't noticed…or had he?
Seamus could in fact feel the evidence of Severus's thoughts and feelings and was oddly excited by it, even though it was his potions master. The man despite his age was very handsome, anyone could see that and his voice, the way he spoke…Seamus loved the way he spoke.
"Thank you," he said, giving a smile as he wiped his cheeks. "Why have you avoided Sean and Paddy? They miss you babysitting them." Severus flinched, how could he explain. "Was it the…the kiss?"
"You remember that?" Severus asked surprised.
"Yes. If it helps I'll apologise," Seamus was talking out of his arse, he didn't want to apologise right now, he wanted to do it again. The press his lips to the older mans, maybe this time venture past those thin lips with his tongue. So he did. Severus froze, his hands still on Seamus's back but then he began to kiss back and pull Seamus's smaller body to his own.
A/N Kissing, kissing, kissing…wonderful kissing…