Seamus wasn't quite sure why Harry Potter had asked to see him. Not that he didn't want to spend an evening catching up to his old dorm mate- he was quite looking forward to that. The timing was just odd. Harry had sounded rather urgent, and, in Seamus's opinion, it was bad news when the world's most powerful wizard was concerned about something.
The Irish man arrived at Harry's office right on time. He was quietly ushered into the cluttered, well-appointed room, and he saw his old friend slouched over his desk, finishing up a hard day's paperwork.
"Good to see you, mate," the auror said, standing to shake Seamus's hand. "It's been too long since we all got together for a few rounds."
"You're not wrong there! But it wouldn't be so hard to do if someone wasn't working all the time," Seamus responded with a wink.
Harry just laughed. "Yeah, yeah, you're starting to sound like my wife now. Hermione says that if she didn't have our license, she would think I was actually married to this office. And don't even get her started on the kids. Speaking of which…"
Harry gestured toward the sitting area in his office where tea service was already laid out. They sat down, each preparing his own tea. Seamus stayed silent, unsure of just where he fit in with the mention of Harry and Hermione's kids.
Harry took his time stirring, adding just the right amount of sugar and milk, sipping slowly. It was driving Seamus mad. Unable to put off the conversation any longer, Harry sighed and placed his cup on the coffee table.
"Mate, I don't know of the polite or proper way to say this, so I'm just going to get on with it- I think my son is gay."
Seamus very nearly spat his tea all over Harry's office.
"Well, I, um… Yeah, that's…Uhh…" Seamus spluttered.
Harry chuckled. "Yeah, when Hermione told me her suspicions that was my reaction too. But the more I thought about it, the less I was surprised. I don't really want to get into right now, but we have our reasons for suspecting that Al is gay, or at least not straight."
"Forgive me for asking, but what does this have to do with me?" Seamus inquired warily. He'd had other men ask how to keep their sons from turning into poofs like him. He was pretty sure Harry wouldn't say anything of the sort, but it didn't hurt to be cautious.
Harry's face turned pink. "Seamus, you're the only man with the… necessary experiences that I feel comfortable talking to about this. I'm not trying to dig into your personal life or your relationship with Dean, and I know I've made a bloody mess of this conversation. But what I really need to know is this- what does my son need to hear from me if and when he comes out to me?"
Seamus looked up into the most earnest, sincere pair of emerald eyes. Harry was leaned forward, looking a bit like his wife when she was learning something new and important. In a way, Seamus supposed he was. In that moment, it was clear that Harry Potter wanted nothing more than to support his son; he was just uncertain of how to do so.
Leaning back in his chair, Seamus said, "There's a lot I could tell you. What he may be feeling, what advice you should and shouldn't offer him, what struggles he may face in the future. But what's most important, mate, is that you love and support him, and you need to make sure he knows that. I know you do because you wouldn't have asked me here if you didn't."
Harry pondered this for a moment. Nodding his head, he said, "I think we've got that part down pat, but it never hurts to keep reminding him. Thank you for all your help, Seamus."
"Not a problem, Harry," Seamus replied, standing and shaking the other man's hand. "Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you or your son."
"Absolutely," Harry assured him.
Seamus left the auror's office confident that, if Harry's son was gay or bisexual or asexual or anything else, he'd have a great support system, no matter what.