As Dean cooled off, Seamus only grew more angry. They didn't speak for the rest of the day, or even Sunday. They didn't speak Monday morning as the got ready for school, they didn't sit next to each other during class or even breakfast or lunch. Seamus never even glanced over at Dean, knowing that if he did the hopeless longing would fill him with rage. Dean couldn't help his eyes from wandering over to him, wishing to kiss him one more time or even just talk to him.
Their distance did not go unnoticed. No one decided to say anything, most people passing it off as the 'Dean is gay' awkwardness. But one person noticed the difference. Before, it was just short talking and less touching, but now it was complete seperation.
"Dean," Hermione Granger asked Monday night in the desereted common room. "What's going on between you and Seamus?"
"What do you mean?" He asked, staring down at his sketch pad.
"You two are acting...weird. Did something happen?" Dean glanced up at her, decided whether or not he wanted to tell her. He could trust Hermione easily, but would give up Shay's seceret?
"Well we-" He carefully selected his words. "Got into a little fight...about me being gay and all. And before you say anything, he wasn't being a homophobe or anything."
"Then what was it?" She pressed on. He shook his head, hoping she'd drop it. "He likes you, doesn't he?"
"What?" His head snapped up. How did she know?
"I can see it. He gives you the same look when you aren't looking that Lavender gives Pansy."
"Whoa whoa. Lavender likes Pansy Parkinson?" He asked shocked. Hermione's hands flew to cover her mouth.
"Oh! Please don't tell anyone, but yes, I heard her talking to Parvarti about it. Their kinda togehter, secertrly, since Pansy isn't ready to tell anyone. But that's beside the point. Does Seamus like you?" As she said this, the door swung open and a short Irish boy stepped in, his brow thick with sweat from the intense heat outside.
Dean stared, his longing increased. Seamus looked up from his feet and saw Dean staring at him.
"What?" He snapped. It was hard to see Dean's blush through the dark skin, but color rose to his cheeks as he looked back down at his sketch pad. It's hard to explain how it feels to be in-the-closet with no intentions of coming out and being in love with your best friend unless it's happened to you. Anger is the only thing you can use to cover up what you feel, and that's all Seamus could think of to resort to. He stomped up the stairs to hide in his room.
"So is he just afraid to come out, is that it?" Hermione suddenly said after a brief silence.
"Yeah." Dean responded quietly. "How did you figure this all out?"
"I'm observant." She repsonded, her eyes scanning over a book she had opened. "Go talk to him."
Obeying her command, Dean sat up and ran up the stairs. He entered the room to see Seamus sitting on his bed.
"Honestly Shay, you change your emotions faster than a girl." Dean stated.
"So do you." His voice was monotone. "Can we pretend Friday night never happened?"
"W-what?" That was the last thing he expected to hear. "If this about you trying to deny liking boys, well, dammit Seamus, it's not gonna go away. I tried to deny it for three years and never went away!"
"You don't understand." Seamus turned over in his bed to face the wall. Before Dean could respond, their three other roommates entered the room, oblivouis to the tension and only continued laughing as the started up a game of wizards chess. Dean shortly left the room after their arrival and went back to the common room, which still only contained Hermione.
"So?" She asked.
"He wants to pretend that we never admitted that we liked each other." He tried to hold back tears.
"Well, that's Seamus for you. It'll be okay." She tried to comfort him, but Dean didn't listen, he headed straight for the door. "Where are you going?"
"To make him jealous." Dean annouced angrily before swiftly leaving.
The next morning at breakfast, Seamus entered the Great Hall, surprised not to see Dean at the Gryffindor table. He sat across from Harry and Hermione, noticing that she gave him odd looks of dissappointment. He turned his head down to an empty plate, not intending to fill it. He hadn't been able to eat properly since Friday evening. He hated having feelings for Dean, they were so stressful. For one, he didn't want to be gay, it would cause too much trouble. Second of all, Dean was his best mate! Having romantic feelings were already driving them apart, who knows what would happened if he acted upon them? His goal was just to wait until they were gone.
But he couldn't help the sinking feeling in his chest when he saw Dean walking in holding hands with Blaise Zabini.