A New Opportunity

The First Tears

-Seamus

I felt terrible. I couldn't believe that it was possible for someone to mess up so bloody badly. As I sat in the chair beside the bed I had insisted they place Dean in while they figured out how to cure him. I know it was a little silly to give a whole bed to a tiny mouse, but to me, he was still my Dean. The boy who made me feel welcome and loved even in my very first hours here. Hogwarts would not have been the same without him; Hogwarts would not have been home without Dean. With this thought, I promptly burst into tears, and buried my face in my still sooty hands. The sleeping mouse enveloped in sheets stirred, and I immediately quietened my sobbing so I wouldn't wake him. I couldn't stand it any longer; I jumped to my feet with a sudden rush of adrenaline and ran, stumbling, to find Madam Pomfrey. There must have been a cure somewhere, at least for animal transfiguration. I rounded the corner, and just managed to stop myself from ploughing into Professor McGonagall.

"Ah, Finnegan, I was wondering when I would see you next." She said, smiling, her soft Scottish accent pronounced from tiredness.

"I'm sorry, Professor. I was trying to find Madam Pomfrey, but maybe you would have an idea of how to reverse the spell?" I asked hopefully. Perhaps it was fate that I had stumbled into McGonagall that night.

"I'm afraid, Seamus, I do not know a spell that can reverse the Configureto spell. However, Professor Snape was telling me the other day that he had a potion for turning animals into humans and back again that he wanted to teach his fifth-year students. Maybe you could ask him." She said, her normally harsh eyes softening with sympathy for me. I wished she would not look at me that way; I did not deserve her sympathy. I had done a despicable thing, it didn't matter that it was not intentional.

"Thank you very much, Professor." I said hurriedly. If I could have avoided talking to Snape, I would have, but I was desperate; I was desperate to get my friend back.

I sprinted down the hall, eager to speed up the process. Eventually, I found him sauntering around the second-floor corridor, most likely looking for someone to punish. The effort to slow my pace was immense, but I managed it as I walked up to the greasy-haired potions professor.

"Professor Snape, I was wondering if I might ask you if you know a potion that might help Madam Pomfrey change Dean back into a human being. Prof-"

"Dean Thomas?" Snape inquired, his watery eyes narrowing.

"Y-yes. He is a mouse, at the moment, Professor, and I-"

"So you need a potion to restore this friend of yours to his original state?"

"Yes sir." I murmured. I held my breath as Snape seemed to ponder this request of mine.

"Professor McGonagall recommended my assistance, Finnegan?"

"Yes, Professor. She said that you were the best at potions in the school, and so you would be ideal to help us. She really did seem very proud to have a potions master of your intelligence, Professor." You can catch more bees with honey, my mam once said. Seemed she was right, too.

"Oh, she… she did, did she?" Snape said, straightening his robes and smoothing down his hair. "Very well then, Finnegan. Show me the boy."

-Dean

I woke up to see Snape leaning over me. I screamed - or squeaked? It was a terrifying sight; his head was as large as a two-storey building from where I was sitting! My nose twitched, telling me that someone else was there; Seamus. I jumped out of the way of Snape's giant (and very hairy) hand, and scurried over to Seamus. He laughed; it felt as if my eardrums were being assaulted by twenty electric guitars on full volume. I toppled over and lay, panting among the bedsheets. Seamus stopped laughing abruptly, and, very carefully, took me in his soft hands and placed me on the pillow. Still dealing with the aftershocks of my ears exploding, I looked over to where Snape was whispering hurriedly to Seamus.

"I suppose I will be able to concoct an appropriate potion for this, Finnegan, but you will have two weeks detention for Transfiguring another student! I will have the potion to Madam Pomfrey by next week."

"Next week?!" Seamus whispered in disbelief. "You mean he'll… he'll be like this for the rest of the w-week?"

"Yes, Mister Finnegan, now I suggest you return to lessons." Snape whispered furiously. Seamus took one last look at me, sat huddled on the pillow, and fled from the room. I could hear his sobs for a good ten minutes after that. I crawled under the bedsheets, not once looking at Snape. Of course I was glad he could fix this, but he didn't have to go and be so insensitive about it!

There was one advantage of being a mouse; I could hear everything, every footstep, every clearing of a throat - even every breath of those in the room. I could also hear what Seamus had whispered at the door:

"I'm so sorry. I-I'll come back for you. I'll never leave you behind." My eyes filled with tears at the memory. He really cared about this, even if I didn't. This would haunt him, I just knew it. His heart was pure and untouchable by those he did not consider his friends. I had made it through. I had made it into his heart of solid gold, and had melted its core. I was there, and I would never leave him. He had chosen me, and I would treasure that for as long as he allowed me to.

Seamus Finnegan was something special. I just didn't know how I could get the rest of the world to see it.

-Seamus

I let the tears flow properly now; I couldn't believe that I'd let this happen! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! My brain screamed as I whacked my forehead on the cream - coloured door frame. I heard a frantic squeaking, and quickly hurried over to Dean. His doe-eyed expression melted me, and I felt helpless about the horrible situation. Carefully, I picked him up in my hands, cradling him on both sides. He was clearly trying to communicate, and I was REALLY annoyed that I couldn't understand him. My eyes glistening, I brought him up to my face and nudged him with my lips.

The mouse (which was brown) turned a very deep shade of mahogany. I started blushing for no apparent reason, and hurriedly ran out of the Hospital Wing. As soon as I could, I popped him down on a table. His furry cheek began to rub against my arm, and I sighed, patting his head absentmindedly. "What are we going to do?" I whispered dejectedly. He stared up at me, and I smiled gratefully. "Well, whatever happens, I hope that we'll have each other to get through it."

If I could have seen into his mind, I would have envisioned a small eleven year old boy with his head in his hands, smiling and blushing like there was no tomorrow.

-Dean

I gazed up at Seamus, my heart filled with sorrow. I wished that I could have spoken to him, to tell him it was alright; that I was alright. A silent tear slipped down his cheek. I nudged up his cheek and dried it with my fur. I couldn't stand to see Seamus cry, it broke my heart every time. My sensitive ears picked up a change in his heartbeat; it sped up rapidly, then slowed down to the point that I was sure it would stop. What was he thinking about? What was making him so emotional? Who knew. All I could focus on was cheering Seamus up in that moment, not even on the fact that I remained a mouse, furry from my nose to my hide.

I tried to say, "It's alright, Seamus, it doesn't matter. Just be happy, will you? For me?" but all that came out of my mouth were soft squeaks.

Hi it's curly here sorry it was a bit short… :)