On the day of her OWLS , after returning from her own, Hermione sent an eager message to Seamus; how did it go?! Tell me everything, I want to compare notes. My proctor was very nice; I think I'll score highly!
And then, bursting with excitement, she sent it off and expected his letter within the night.
But it didn't come.
Not the next day, or the one after, or the one after that.
She didn't need to wonder what happened, however. Hermione heard from everyone what had happened.
Everyone wasn't an exaggeration. Students she'd never talked to…Professors…siblings of Hogwarts students who had long graduated far after Hermione…they all wrote to her. She received more mail to her house in three weeks than she had her entire life.
She knew that everyone was writing her out of selfishness. They wanted to know what happened, and surely, Hermione would know too, right?
Most of those, even those carefully couched in very realistic seeming sympathy for Seamus, went straight into the fireplace.
She wrote back to those she trusted; Lavender, Ron, Harry, Dean, Ginny, Luna…but those people weren't interested in his mystery. Some of them had more contact with Seamus than Hermione did. They were telling her information that was unknown to her, like about which doctors his mum was taking him to or what McGonagall was saying about it. Hermione hated feeling so left out. She ought to have the most up-to-date knowledge, what with being his girlfriend.
At least, she thought she still was.
Maybe she wasn't. Maybe he didn't know how to tell her. Maybe…
She tried not to let her thoughts spiral out of control, but as her letters continued to be unreturned, she let her worry get the best of her.
Her friends tried to encourage her where they could
"Seamus is incredible, but he's still just a sixteen-year-old boy," Lavender wrote, "So he's prone to being a bonehead."
"Not everyone can be as mature as you, this is incredibly difficult," Ginny also wrote.
She wasn't discounting that. She was sure it was killing him on the inside. She couldn't imagine how she'd feel if she lost her magic. But she just wished he'd talk to her about it.
Hermione's job to everyone she cared about was to fix things. But she couldn't if he wasn't letting her.
Harry was more on her side, that he should write her back. Surprisingly, Ron wasn't. Not that there were sides to be taken. She wasn't in an argument with someone who wouldn't write her back.
"I dunno," Ron had written, and she could just imagine him rubbing his neck and sucking in air through his teeth, "I can't imagine how barmy I'd be if I was everyone's newest interest. I don't know if you can rightly blame him for anything."
Ron went on to say that Harry should be more understanding of Seamus, as he had his fair share of the entire world being curious with him for things he couldn't explain.
"You're so stubborn sometimes," Ron had finished his letter, "That sometimes, I think a little grace wouldn't hurt."
Those words stung, but she knew Ron was right.
Seamus was going through it. She was allowed to be hurt that he didn't seemingly want to confide in her (and perhaps that would trigger something worse later on) but she shouldn't be upset about how he was dealing with this. Though she would have been unstoppable if she was in his position, downright annoying about finding a solution, Seamus was his own person.
Who could blame him for being depressed?
Her parents, who were usually very logical, were not being reasonable at all right now.
"Unless you're invited, we're not letting you just stalk over there," Her father said, "We raised you better!"
"But it's Seamus, and he's hurting-," Hermione argued, furious.
"-And how do you know he wants you there, too?" Her mother asked quietly, "I'm not trying to be cruel, darling, I'm trying to save you the heartache. And respect his wishes."
"But…" Hermione's lip quivered. Merlin, she didn't want to cry in front of her parents, "I'm not mean to be logical. I'm meant to be lovesick, do anything for the person you love the most, right?"
"Maybe that's true, but maybe that also means waiting until Seamus is ready." Her mother added.
She'd never felt like her parents saw her as more of an immature child than how they were looking at her right now.
Frustration exploded through her.
"I can't believe both of you!" Hermione shouted, "You're being so…so…stupid!"
It wasn't even the most vile thing she could have said, and a fair few were loaded on her tongue if she were bolder, but she'd never raised her voice or called her parents such things. Her father gave a choked gasp, "Hermione Granger-," He began to lecture, but she didn't stick around to hear it.
Hermione, being the most teenager she'd ever been, had stomped upstairs and slammed her bedroom door.
Without Hogwarts and Seamus…well, Hermione knew she could survive it. She just wasn't sure she wanted to.
The answer to her wishes came mid-way through summer.
"Hermione, there's someone to see you here!"
Hermione had been on thin ice around her parents lately. She bolted up; she didn't have plans to see any of her Hogwarts friends, which meant...
She took the steps, two at a time, eagerness replacing any anger she had toward Seamus. Though it was a Finnigan at her door, it wasn't the one she so desperately wanted to see.
"Finn," Hermione said, catching herself on the last step.
"Hermione, you need to come with me. We don't know what else to do."
Hermione grabbed her bag automatically, "You're not going to stop me," She muttered to her parents, sour still.
If her parents reached out to stop her from leaving, she wasn't ever sure. She imagined they must have okayed it because they would have just told Finn to leave otherwise. Yes, she argued with herself, they'd allowed her to...they weren't as heartless as she'd been assuming of late.
She and Finn were gone by the time her guilt caught up with her, but she shoved it down.
When the world stopped spinning around her, she was in Ireland.
XXX
Time dripped through the hourglass like molasses to Seamus that summer, and eventually gunked up in the middle, meaning every day that passed felt meaningless. The only way he could tell heads or tails of how long it had been was by counting the meals his mother left at his door.
At first, he refused to eat.
Then, when Dilan visited him, crying (the first time Seamus had seen him do so) and begging him to eat, he relented.
"I can't lose my other brother too, Seamus," Dilan hiccuped, looking empty and haggard, "Please, please, don't do this."
When he thought about the anguish his death may leave those he loved, Seamus ate.
His mother cooked his favorite meals, but nothing tasted like anything other than cardboard.
It was a perfunctory daily task.
Some time later, the door of his bedroom was thrown open.
He heard the clang, but faced the wall, staring at the dots in the plaster.
"So you're just ignoring me, then?"
Slowly, Seamus turned around, blinking in confusion, "Hermione? What are you doing here?"
"You haven't answered any of my owls. I'm bloody worried about you, Seamus!" She said, eyes burning with anger and sorrow.
Seamus turned away, "Haven't you heard? I'm no longer magical." His voice was devoid of emotion. It had been bleached away long ago.
There was pressure on his bed as Hermione sat, "I heard. From everyone. And then your Mum. She's concerned; you know it has to be bad that I was begged to come here. You have a really beautiful home, Seamus," she whispered with a pained sob.
Guilt flooded Seamus.
"Luv, fuck, don't cry…" He sighed, turning around.
"You…you…" Hermione's eyes were red, "Are you breaking up with me?"
"Isn't it the other way around?" He asked dully, "Don't you want to be with a wizard?"
"You are, Seamus!" Hermione insisted.
"I'm not, not anymore," He replied with a grim smile.
"Well, of course, I'm not!" Hermione thundered up, "Are you insane? You think I'm so fairweathered that I'd leave you?"
"I-,"
"Of course not!" Hermione answered furiously, "The thought that you assumed I wouldn't want to see you…Merlin, Seamus!"
"I'm embarrassed!" Seamus said, raising his voice above a mere whisper for the first time since crawling in here, "I'm a laughing stock. Everyone wants a look at poor little me."
"You're a hero," Hermione insisted, "You saved my life. And I can't help but feel guilty-,"
Seamus' eyes widened, "Guilty? What the hell are you talking about?"
"If we had never started dating, you probably would never be at the battle and you wouldn't have gotten hurt and-,"
"And you may be dead," Seamus said, eyes wild, "And I'd be anguished."
"You wouldn't know me well, so it wouldn't matter," Hermione said with a shrug.
"That's hell, that thought," Seamus groaned.
"Well, either way, I'm not leaving until I get you up and going again. It's not the end of the world."
Seamus sent her a narrowed glare.
"Okay, it's pretty awful," Hermione sighed, "But…if my parents don't ever let me go back…maybe we could…be muggles together?" She offered quietly, "They may not like the Wizarding world, but they like you. And they let me come here, so, that's good."
Seamus felt terrible. He'd been a shite for not remembering she was also going through something similar and life-changing. He was the worst boyfriend ever.
"Any news on that front?"
She shook her head, "No. They said we'd talk in early August, but I was forbidden from any discussions otherwise. I don't think it looks good, though. Every time I have to take a potion, my dad just gets this furious look…"
"And you? Are you okay?" He asked, eyes catching the scar peeking out of her shirt.
"I'm fine," She insisted, "It feels strange, and yes I have many potions to take daily, but otherwise nothing lasting."
"Fuck," Seamus mumbled into his hands, "I hate everything about this. Why does winning feel so much like losing?"
Hermione leaned into his shoulder, "I know."
They sat silent for a moment before Hermione lifted her head.
"I'm going to say this as delicately as possible, Seamus, but…" She scrunched her nose, "You are in desperate need of a shower."
Seamus giggled. He couldn't help it. And then, he was full-blown laughing, the first since the battle. Her delicateness in the issue was so…undeniably adorable.
And she was right; he did smell pretty rank. He couldn't remember the last time he washed his shirt or his sheets.
"Alright, alright. Just for you."
"Perfect. And then, once you're clean, I expect the full tour."
XXX
Hermione was allowed to visit Seamus for the weekend. Hermione had an opinion it was her parents were trying to apologize or letting her say goodbye.
Either way, Hermione seemed like she had decided she was going to enjoy it and not worry about why or how.
Seamus couldn't have even told you what day it was, much less that she'd dragged him out of bed on a Friday morning.
Her parents were wary, but Adare was half-muggle, half-wizard so they were more willing to allow her here than the Weasleys, where it was all magic.
"Do you think you'll just vanish in a poof of dust, never to be seen again?" Seamus snorted, raising an eyebrow. Hermione huffed, rolling her eyes.
"Maybe. Who knows. They're very tightlipped about all opinions…other than the obvious."
While Mam was happy to allow Hermione into her home, she was not letting the two sleep near each other and had set Hermione up in Finn's old room. Still, she was making an over-exaggerated effort to make Hermione feel welcome.
Seamus wanted to shake his mother's presence.
Though not to aggravate him home before this, his siblings had heard of Hermione's appearance and Seamus' miraculous raising from the proverbial dead and flocked to Mam's house for dinner.
"Nice to meet you, finally, formally," Dilan said, shaking Hermioen's hand, "When you're not half-dead!"
"Likewise. I hear you're the fellow Gryffindor and knew Charlie!"
"We were great mates," Dilan said excitedly, "Man, what cool things he's doing out in Romania. A bunch of school chums and I are planning a trip out to visit him perhaps next summer."
"I hear you're also having a grand time working abroad," Hermione added.
Dilan met Seamus' gaze, "You gave her the run-down, huh? Also told her my Zodiac sign, didja?"
Hermione peered around the kitchen, "Is Nathair coming? I really should thank him for the Quidditch match this past winter. I didn't get a proper chance before he left for his shift."
Seamus felt his stomach plummet and his siblings exchanged nervous looks.
Hermione frowned. The chill that settled in the kitchen was impossible to miss.
"...What happened?"
Somehow, in the excitement of it all, that information had been…failed to be communicated.
"We don't know where he is," Finn sniffled, dabbing her eyes on the back of her hand, "He's been missing for weeks. We thought he was at work, up to his neck in a project, his work thought he was taking a holiday with us. And, well…" She trailed off.
Hermione spun to look at Seamus, horrified, "No! And no one has any idea of where he went? Have you asked anyone to look into it?"
"Aurors are pretty swamped right now; he's not very high on their list of concerns. They think he just 'forgot' to tell us that he went away for a bit," Finn answered bitterly.
"What about his flat? Any clues there?"
"We searched it," Mam broke in, her voice tight, "Nothing."
"Could I look?" Hermione asked, standing straight and raising her chin, "I'm not suggesting at all that you did something wrong, but perhaps a…outside pair of eyes less emotionally attached may see something you didn't?"
Mam and Da shared looks; Seamus watched them have a whole conversation without saying a word.
"It couldn't hurt," Da finally sighed, "Those damn Aurors won't get to his case until we're all dead in the ground anyway. And, as Seamus constantly reminds us, you do have a sharp mind."
"I might not find anything," Hermione blushed, "But I feel like I must help!"
"Finn can take you tomorrow," Mam finally relented.
Seamus groaned, "Mam; we don't need a babysitter! Hermione's nearly seventeen anyway."
"Her parents requested it," Mam said sharply, "And I do not wish to make enemies of them. They're perfectly reasonable folk!"
Seamus pouted, but Hermione just patted his arm.
"It's fine," Hermione assured, but was bothered by their helicoptering, even miles away in England.
"Why don't you take Hermione out to see the land?" Mam suggested, "While there's still daylight. Dinner is about an hour off."
Seamus doubted he'd get a second truly alone with her, but he was glad of any small moments. He let go of his breath. A summer ago, having Hermione here would have been a wild dream.
He was just glad she was here now.
XXX
Early the next morning, Finn was waiting for them in the kitchen, having a cup of tea with Mam.
"Don't you have a job?" Seamus groaned, hoping his mother had rethought her request in the night.
"Actually, no. Percy doesn't trust me much anymore," Finn said, scowling.
"You're amazing, Finn! You'll find something soon." Hermione assured, "You're better than Percy Weasley's secretary anyway."
Finn let forth a small, escaped smile.
They took a Floo to central Wizarding London, right outside of St. Mungo's. Seamus shuddered as they passed, as though the building held bad vibes within it, seeped from their nightmares.
Nathair's flat felt…empty. Though it didn't look much different than when Seamus had been here six months ago, the colors felt a little duller and the general feeling was something darker. Not necessarily evil, just…lonely.
Finn inhaled hard, locking her jaw.
"Oh, Nath, what did you get yourself into?" She whispered.
Hermione's lip quivered for a second, but Seamus watched her blink rapidly. At once, her face shifted to something impassive, as she began to sift through items. She pulled out her wand, but Seamus made a loud squawking noise.
"You wanna be detained by the Ministry, do you? Tired of having magic?" He asked furiously.
"The Ministry can fuck off," Hermione said savagely, "If they want to throw me out of the Wizarding World for using some light spells, well, that would make my parent's deliberation that much easier."
"I…" Seamus stared at her, slack-jawed, "Aren't you an uber rule follower? Who are you and what have you done with Hermione?" He demanded.
"Seamus, calm down. It's still me. I'm just…less concerned by some stupid Ministry. No offense," She glanced at Finn.
"Oh, I have no lost love for them," She gave a rough laugh, "It's a barmy rule anyway, especially when you're nearly an adult!"
"And, as you said, the Ministry's in a tailspin anyway. If they really have time to come slap me on my writs for underage magic, I have a few choice words about how they spend their time!" Hermione added, "So, there!"
"Alright," Seamus' eyes were wide, "Noted."
The three split off, leafing through Natharis' things with reverence at first, but when that drew up nothing, they all agreed that it was time to go a bit deeper. Seamus felt terrible, looking into Nathair's personal space like this, but he could be angry at them later when it was confirmed he was safe and sound. After hours, just when Seamus was near giving up…
"I found something!"
Hermione's call came from his bedroom.
She'd pulled his dresser out from the wall, and there - in the drywall - was a space cut out and magically glamoured. But Nathair was no match for Hermione!
"What is it?"
Hermione shushed Seamus, working to unravel the deception spell. When she managed to stick a hand through, she patted around behind the space.
"It feels like…something else was here, something he took with him," She said, "I can feel where it used to sit. It also had a glamour spell on it too, to doubly hide it. But…aha!"
She pulled out a few scattered papers. They were half-ripped.
"I think these fell out of a book. I think that's what he had here."
Seamus eagerly crowded over her shoulder, but his excitement was quickly shot.
Not only were the pages fragments at best but they were scribbled in a language he didn't recognize at all.
"Not Celtic?" Hermione asked, slightly hopeful.
"No, not at all," Finn took one of the pages, "Why…why would he need to thrice hide something? The wall, the spells, and now a code language?"
"It must be important. It has to be related!" Seamus insisted, "Can you figure it out, Hermione?"
"With enough time, of course!" She said sincerely, "It does look familiar…hmm, let me think on it for a bit," She rubbed her chin.
"Let's take a break and go for some ice cream," Finn suggested, "While Hermione muses."
They popped over to a shop. Just as they were leaving to find a seat outside, Seamus caught sight of his cousin Aiden with his two young children.
"Oi! Look at you!" Finn waved him over.
The standard introductions were introduced between them; Aiden Finnigan, this is Hermione Granger, Seamus' girlfriend. Hermione, this is Aiden Finnigan, and his two kids and so on.
Aiden's nine-year-old daughter, Tami, gasped.
"I saw you on the cover of Witch Weekly!" Then, she scowled, "Weren't you dating Viktor Krum?"
Aiden turned bright red, "Tami!"
"Now, it's fine," Hermione laughed nervously, "I was. Just for a bit. I'm with Seamus now."
Tami scrunched her nose, "Why would you choose Uncle Seamus over Viktor? I heard he doesn't even have magic anymore." She added in a stage whisper that everyone could hear.
Aiden was almost purple he was so embarrassed.
"That's enough today!" He announced, "So sorry, Hermione. Merlin; you'll put me in an early grave, Tami."
"It's fine," Hermione rolled her eyes good-naturedly, "Really."
Seamus sucked in hard. If even a nine-year-old was thinking it…what must others be saying?
"You're no longer my favorite niece," Seamus grouched to Tami.
"That's fine," Tami replied, in the way that pre-teens knew how to absolutely annihilate their enemies.
"I will see you all later this summer, yeah? Now I need to go and have a very long talk with my kids about politeness," Aiden said pointedly, "Enjoy the rest of your day."
Seamus slouched in his chair, his appetite gone. He noticed Hermione frowning and did not like the implication. Hermione noticed Seamus noticing and huffed.
"Oh, I don't care what a kid says! You're better than Viktor by miles," She assured, "No, I just…did you say he was a Finnegan too?" She asked, confused.
"Yeah."
"Well, how…sorry, maybe this is rude but…" Hermione licked her ice cream, thinking hard, "Finnigan isn't your Dad's last name?"
"Oh!" Finn widened her eyes, "Of course. No; he took Mam's. His last name is Hayes."
Hermione picked her next question carefully, "So…all your cousins are Finnigans?"
Seamus blinked; it was so obvious to him that he forgot it was strange to others.
"Yes."
"Is it…are you… matriarchal in nature?" Hermione pressed.
"You'd think so, I guess, considering Nanna had the last name Finnigan, but no. It's uhm, more than that." Seamus never had anyone ask, and never had to explain it, "Finnigan is a Great Irish Lineage. Wizarding specifically."
Hermione looked put out, "But you're not in the Sacred Twenty-Eight."
Finn laughed out loud, "That English rubbish? Of course not; we're Irish! We have our histories," She added with a wink, "I guess Finnigan would be considered about equal to that if it makes it easier to understand."
"How many are there?"
"Five; Finnigan, McClaggen, McDougal, O'Hare, and Gallagher. We don't have any Ghallegers in school right now," Seamus said. He pulled off his ring, the one he always wore and often forgot was even there, and put it on the table, "That's what this is; family heirloom magic. In case I'm even in a bind like, I guess, losing my magic," He said with a low sarcastic drawl, "Won't do much for me, though."
"Our last names just hold importance," Finn jumped in, "And it's sort of an unwritten Wizarding Irish that you take the more important last name, even if it's from the mother's side. Da had no issues with that, thank Merlin. I don't think I'd fancy being a Hayes."
"Finnulola Hayes…Seamus Hayes…Roisin Hayes…" Seamus said faintly, never really considering how his life could feel so different with just a change of his last name, "Yuck, yeah, hate it."
Hermione picked up the ring, examining it.
"So you could still use this, even with no magic?" She asked.
"Yeah, but it drains quickly," Seamus said, "Just like I imagine any squib could get a good puff out of a wand if they focused."
Her eyes were wide, "Fascinating! How far does your history go back?"
Seamus shrugged, "Far as it can. 'Course, there are just stories, and no one knows what's true or not anymore. It's more bedtime tales, reminding us of our 'glory'."
He shared a look with Finn and they rolled their eyes. They didn't feel any more magical than the next, and the only thing their Finnigan name gave them was sometimes a strange look out and about in Wizarding Ireland. Not even a free butterbeer, which sucked. What use was that history if you couldn't use it to your advantage?
"Do you think that's why you can do fire magic?" Hermione was nearly vibrating in her seat.
"Doubt it," Finn said gently, "Seamus is special. None of the other Finnigans can, so…"
Hermione deflated, but only minorly.
"Seamus, why did you never mention this!"
"Sorry, I forgot that you wouldn't…just know it!" He said, "It's common knowledge that English wizards and witches like to try to ignore." He added, "Any luck?" He changed the subject, nodding to the scraps of paper.
"No, but I'm determined."
She went back to decoding and Seamus picked his ring up. The last time he'd taken it off was when he was practicing with Nathair, as his brother wanted all the magic he used to be of his own will.
"Finn…have you guys tried checking Nath's plot of land?"
Finn looked confused, "His what?"
"You know," He waved his hand, "The land he owns to build his house one day…he took me there?"
Finn scowled, "Seamus, I haven't the foggiest what you're on about."
"Look, I'm not making it up-,"
"I'm not saying that-,"
"But he took me there! This winter!"
"Fine," Finn crossed her arms, "Where is it, then?"
"Uhm…" Seamus swallowed, "Erm…"
He'd side-apparated with Nathair there every day, not paying too much attention.
"Look," He reasoned, "There has to be records that he bought it, right? Somewhere?"
"In his house?" Hermione asked, not looking up at all from her decoding.
"No, well, maybe. But what about with the Ministry? You can't just go and put a flag on land and call it yours! He had to buy it from someone, didn't he?"
Finn was grinning, "Great idea, Seamus! I know someone there that can help."
"I'm sure he's there, just…" Seamus felt hope bubbling in his chest, "Stranded, or something. Or…or…well, I'm sure it's reasonable!"
They made their way to the Ministry, where they were asked to present their wands for scanning. Seamus thought giving his was a moot point since he wouldn't be doing magic from it anyway, but the voice wouldn't let them through until they did.
From there, they took the Elevators to the Department of Records.
A bubbly blonde-haired girl squealed as soon as Finn entered.
"Girl, weren't you fired?" She asked, leaping away from the table to rush into a hug.
"I was," Finn shrugged, "It's fine. Really."
"Lunch won't be the same without you," The girl gave a long, depressed sigh, "Oh! Hermione and Seamus! You're sort of famous right now in the Ministry."
"Who are you?" Seamus narrowed his eyes, in no mood for socializing. He had a brother to find!
"Be nice," Finn clicked her tongue, "This is Bethie Abbot; we became great friends when I did work here. We ate lunch every day together." She turned, "Bethie, can you look something up for us? We think my older brother, Nathair, bought some land. We can't remember the address of it for the life of us."
Bethie looked unsure, "I'm not meant to give that out…"
"You can go buy a Chocolate Frog, maybe," Finn suggested, "And leave the file out. Please? I'm desperate; he might be missing or in danger or in trouble!"
"I suppose…if I find something…I am feeling a bit peckish," She said with a kind smile. "It might take a moment. Feel free to take a seat."
In the hall were the most uncomfortable chairs Seamus ever had the displeasure to sit upon.
"Probably to discourage people from coming with inquiries," Hermione said, causing Seamus to snort ungracefully into his hand.
Bethie was right…it did take a while.
Hermione was well-occupied, still chipping away at the code.
"What if it's something stupid?" Seamus said out loud, "Like his grocery list, or rating his dates from bad to good?"
No one answered his absurd question.
Finally, Bethie returned to the desk, "I couldn't find anything. I'm sorry."
Finn's shoulders dropped, "Thanks for looking. Lunch soon?"
"Wait…" Bethie frowned, staring at Seamus, as though just realizing something, "You're still in school, right?"
"Depends who you ask," Seamus replied dryly. The consensus was clear; if he didn't get his magic back by the end of the summer, he couldn't come to a magic school.
"I mean," Bethie's fingernails tapped on the counter, "You're underage?"
"...Yes?"
"Born in 1981? Adare, Ireland?"
"Is there a Prophecy ball about me hiding behind there or something?" Samus asked with an uneasy laugh. Why did she know so much about him? He felt a little exposed.
"There's nothing under 'Finnigan, Nathair' for owning any land, but…" She scrambled to the back, coming back with a folder, "There is something under 'Finnegan, Seamus'. With your birthday, so it can't just be a relative you're named after. But it's strange because usually underage witches and wizards aren't making purchases on land; they can, theoretically, but they just…don't usually." She opened the folder, "Some pureblood families by their children lots for future houses - mistress manors as we say here - and put it under their name, but well…" She swung around the paper, "Do you recognize it?"
Seamus felt his throat go dry, "That's…it! That's where he took me!"
Finn stared at Seamus, shaking her head slowly, "Why…why would Nathair put it under his name? Is there a history of an ownership change recently?"
Bethie shrugged, "The Ministry doesn't track that. They only care who owns it now."
Hermione made an aggravated noise in the back of her throat.
"I can show it to you because you do legally own this," Bethie said, "Seems like a nice place, Seamus. Congrats."
"This doesn't make any sense," Seamus whispered, clutching the paper.
"Well," Hermione said, logically, "On the bright side…we know where it is now."
XXX
They appeared on the cliffside, Finn apparating both of them with her.
It even smelled the same, though it was a tad warmer than when he'd been thrust here unceremoniously before.
For a second, Finn just stared, unmoving. Her eyes flickered and her jaw set into a tight scowl.
"I was…expecting a house…" She said quietly after a moment, looking down at her feet.
"Nathair said he hadn't built it, but he had plans to," Seamus mumbled, feeling torn down but equally special for knowing all this about his older brother when Finn had not.
"Ah," Finn said, but her voice caught.
"You said it was a large property, didn't you?" Hermione asked.
Seamus nodded. They had appeared on the training ground, and though he would be surprised if any other places existed here, it was probably too much to search by just themselves.
Hermione took out her wand. Seamus sent her an aggravated look, but she just shrugged. She'd made her opinion on the Ministry clear.
She cast a Patronus and her otter jumped from her wand.
The otter, as though sensing Seamus' depression, swam up to him, nuzzling under his cheek, causing him to laugh as its illuminated whiskers scraped against his chin.
Finn's eyes were wide, impressed. She was covering her mouth but grinning fully.
"Let me know if you find anything on the property," Hermione instructed it. The otter nodded and then pranced off towards the horizon.
"It may be a moment," Hermione added, finding a flat rock to sit on and continuing translating, seemingly no closer than before.
"I need to learn that spell now," Finn said, snapping her fingers, "I wonder what mine is…did you know it would be an otter before it was?"
"No, complete surprise. I guess…" Hermione chewed on her lip, setting her work down, "I don't know what I thought it would be. Just not that. I'm not unhappy with it. You tend to get very attached to your Patronus animal anyway. I know a girl who got a cold-water trout and would fist-fight anyone who said something bad about it. And Seamus'-," Hermione broke off.
"It's alright, Luv. It was fun while I had it," He mumbled, though he did miss his little fox. He supposed he could be sad his whole life about this turn, or start dealing with it.
Maybe one day he'd find it absurd that he even lived a life with it at all.
The otter came bounding back quickly, shaking its head, as though sensing the tension that everyone so badly wanted to find someone here, even just a worker who may have an idea where he went.
Seamus tried not to feel too deflated, but it was hard.
"Maybe…" Finn began, but shut herself up right away, a paleness washing over her face.
"What?" Seamus demanded. She hugged herself, gnawing on her lip.
"Maybe we didn't instruct it well enough…maybe we need to be looking for…" She raised her wand, fingers shaking, "Bodies."
Seamus felt ill at the idea of it. If Nathair was dead somewhere on the island, he didn't want to know.
But he did because otherwise, he'd drive himself crazy with worry. At least it would be settled what had happened, right?
Finn muttered something, flicking out a set of tiny balls that zoomed out in all directions.
"If there is a dead body, they'll light up neon green," She whispered.
"Why would you even know a spell like that, Finn?" Seamus asked, feeling nauseated.
"It's amazing what sort of things you pick up at the Ministry. The Auros use it frequently in cases." She said simply.
But all the little balls returned to the tip of her wand and everyone gave a long, relieved sigh.
Still, it left them exactly where they'd begun.
At least they knew they wouldn't run into a gorey scene while exploring.
"My otter did find something," Hermione said, "A structure to the west."
The practice ground soon turned into weedy branches and high grasses that tickled their exposed skin as they pushed it back. There was no set path or course, though Seamus could see where someone's feet had flattened areas previously.
In a tiny clearing, backed by tall trees, sat a shoddily made cabin, hardly big enough for one person to live comfortably. It was cobbled together with magic and shoestrings, and Seamus wasn't even exaggerating to say so. He thought one sneeze the wrong way could topple it.
"It's Nathair's magic," Finn said, touching a wooden panel.
"Magic leaves signatures?" Hermione prompted. Finn nodded.
"If you made magic with a sense of…something, sometime that remains too. He was…" She ran her fingers over the grain, tilting her head, "Frantic."
The words sent a shiver down Seamus' spine.
"About what?" He croaked.
Finn stepped back, "I can't read thoughts, just feelings," She said, "But he built this…he needed it for something."
They pushed the door open and it creaked. Inside was a fireplace with a cauldron, a bed, and a little table. Just enough space for someone to stand upright and pace a circle or two.
Hermione picked up a mug while Finn ran her finger along the table for dust.
"Not abandoned-dusty," Finn surmised.
"But it's been a bit," Hermione said, showing them the contents of a cup of tea, mold growing on the edges, "A month or so, perhaps more?"
"But he was here," Seamus whispered, looking at the space where his body had left the bed, unmade, like he was just stepping out and coming right back.
Hermione spied a collection of notes and bee-lined.
"What is it?"
"A journal," Hermione locked her jaw, "and maps of Ireland. Is any of this familiar to you?"
Finn and Seamus crowded her. They both scanned the heavily-detailed maps before Finn tapped with her finger, "Our grandma lives in this area. But she'd tell us if she saw him, wouldn't she?"
"Of course!" Seamus choked, "I mean…probably, right?"
"He was smart enough not to make notes. I have a feeling anything of value is in here," Hermione said, holding up the journal with a long sigh. She began flipping through it, "Same spells, same protections. And you can see, there, he tore it."
"Why take it out of the wall to leave it here?" Seamus mused, confused.
"Maybe he meant someone to find the notes. Maybe..." Hermione trailed off, but her face wasn't looking as though she thought the best of this situation.
"At least we know that he couldn't have gone missing that long ago," Finn insisted, "If he was here drinking tea within the month."
"Unless it was someone else," Seamus said, setting his jaw in a hard scowl.
"Let's not think like that. Who else would know this was even here? Not even his twin; and he and Dilan tell each other practically everything lately." Finn pointed out, "And he didn't have a girlfriend…or boyfriend…as far as we know…"
"I think it was him," Hermione said, "I don't know why, but I do. Not sure it helps."
They scoured the rest of the cabin but came up empty-handed once again for clues. There were a few more notes, nothing of great value according to Hermione, but she rolled them up all the same, just in case.
"I can't be in here anymore," Finn choked, backing away, "These feelings in here are suffocating me."
"It's crowded with three people anyway," Hermione said swiftly, pushing Seamus out to follow her, "I'll be there soon."
Seamus tracked Finn's footsteps to a beach just below the cabin. Waves crashed against the banks, coming nearly up to her feet as she sat, overlooking the water.
"What the fuck, Nathair?" Finn whispered to the universe, tears gathering in her eyes.
Seamus didn't know what to say, so he just leaned into her shoulder, staring out at the choppy water.
"We should go home soon. Let Mam know we'll be back for dinner," Finn finally whispered.
"Uh-huh," Seamus nodded, and went to grab his wand and send a Patronus, until-, "Right."
Finn watched him slump as he dropped his fingers. His wand was on his bedside table. Having it near him was just too painful lately.
"I can't even imagine," Finn whispered, shaking her head.
"Thanks," Seamus replied, frustrated, "Gee."
Hermione appeared, arms full of notes and maps, the journal tucked under her arm, "Dinner at your Mum's? I'm feeling a bit peckish."
"Me too. Disappointment does that," Seamus muttered.
"Let's just Apparate back," Finn said, holding out her arms, "And keep those tight, Hermione," She instructed.
They arrived back with not much to tell their Mam. They showed her pictures of his property and explained it was in Seamus' name, but their parents were both just as bewildered as they had been. They showed them the maps, but neither had anything helpful to add.
The only consolation was knowing he was alive as of a month ago, but a lot could happen in between there. They had no idea if he was being tracked or left by brutal force or of his own volition, or where he was even going.
Somehow, their day felt even more empty than when they began.