A Heroâs Promise (Lucky Charm Zine)
This summer I was asked to pinch-hit for the @luckycharmzine and it was so much fun! Thank you to the mods for all of your hard work, and for letting me be apart of this experience! The theme was reveals, and seeing as they asked me in the middle of Ladrien June, ya girl just had to write some Ladrien (with a lil bit of Adrinette too because yall know me:P) Be sure you support the whole zine because itâs full of wonderfully talented people who created so much amazing content!
Summary:Â When Marinette finds herself in a dire situation with Adrien, she has no choice but to transform and save them both. Will Adrien keep her secret, or will Marinette's identity be revealed for good?
Read on AO3
âOkay, girl, no chickening out this time,â Alya said.
The class had taken a field trip that afternoon, and as was customary any time the opportunity presented itself, Alya and Marinette had a plan to get closer to Adrien. It was a simple plan really, one that even Marinette couldnât mess up. All she had to do was stand beside him on the tour and talk. Easy.
âWhat if I mix up my words again?â Marinette whispered as they trailed several paces behind Adrien and Nino.
âJust keep going. Adrien has heard you stammer a million times by now. Take deep breaths. Iâm gonna distract Nino.â Alya patted Marinetteâs cheeks before striding over to link her arm through her boyfriendâs.Â
âAdrien, do you mind if I steal Nino for a while?â She asked, batting her eyelashes, and Marinette wished she had a fraction of her confidence.
âNot at all, Alya,â Adrien said, and Marinette saw her opening.Â
She could do this. The field trip was only a couple hours, and if she played her cards right, heâd fall in love with her then one day theyâd get married, have three kids and a hamster named-
âAdrikins!â Chloe cooed, shoving Marinette out of the way and latching onto his arm. âLook at my new manicure!â
âUh, thatâs great, Chlo,â he said, sounding every bit as unenthused as he looked.Â
Marinette glanced at Alya who motioned for her to step in, but at her panicked expression, Alya slapped a palm to her forehead. Sheâd messed up and chickened out again. Maybe she should give up on love and move to the countryside and become a beekeeper. She could totally be a beekeeper.Â
âHey, Chloe, I think I saw Sabrina refilling your water bottle from the tap,â Alya called, and Chloe stopped in her tracks.
âShe what?â Chloe gasped. âIf she thinks Iâm going to drink tap water, she has got another thing coming. Sabrina!â
As Chloe stormed off, Alya nodded toward Adrien, and Marinette took a deep breath. She could do this. It was only two hours and the rest of their lives. All she needed to do was just talk-
A loud crash sounded several floors above them, shaking the building, and Marinette braced herself as the windows shattered. As people ran screaming, Mlle. Bustier barked orders from the front of the line, urging students to safety.Â
Marinette threw her head back with a sigh. Did Hawkmoth need to pick right now to create an akuma? Did he have a radar that went off every time she was about to make headway with Adrien? Nevertheless, duty called.Â
Using the chaos as cover, she slipped away from the group and ran the other way toward the stairwell, but as it turned out, the stairs werenât as private as she originally thought. Throwing open the door, she crashed into another person, toppling them both to the floor, and as she sat up, she found herself staring into two green eyes wincing under a mop of blond hair.Â
âA-Adrien!â She jerked back several feet. âIâm so sorry! I was just, uh, trying to run away from the akuma, and-â
âItâs fine. You okay?â He asked, offering a hand to help her up. Always the gentleman even if she did completely knock him over and ram her head into his chin.Â
âYeah, you?â She asked, and he rubbed his jaw with a shrug.
âIâve had worse,â he said. âWe should probably get out of here.â
âUh, right. We should,â Marinette said, sparing a glance at her purse.Â
They jumped at the loud crash in the hall, but both stood frozen on the platform. Marinette needed to get away and transform, but she didnât have a viable excuse to ditch Adrien. Luckily for her, he took the lead, tugging her down to the next level.
âWe can hide out until the akuma passes then make our escape,â he said, ducking into the door one flight below.Â
âUh, right,â she said, hoping her voice didnât betray her lack of enthusiasm.Â
She glanced around the room, searching the rows of cubicles for any means of escape. Never in her life did she think sheâd be desperate to get away from Adrien, but now wasnât the time for snuggling. Paris needed Ladybug, so her love life would have to wait.Â
Large windows spanned the far side of the room. Several had shattered from whatever attack the akuma launched, and hanging just on the other side was their ticket out of there.Â
âLook!â She tugged his sleeve. âA window washerâs scaffold. We can get down with that.â
âWhoa, good thinking, Marinette,â he said, rushing over and clearing away broken shards with his foot.Â
He climbed in first then offered her a hand, and she tried not to think about how much hand-holding this excursion had come with. She hit the button on the control panel, breath hitching as it started to lower. Freedom was only a few minutes away, that is, until a desk flew through a window and sliced the wires.Â
Adrien pulled her close as they dropped six stories before the scaffold jerked to a stop, and they flung apart, scrambling to right themselves as it swung. They were still ten stories up, but from the looks of the wires, they werenât going to be for much longer.Â
âAre you okay?â Adrien asked, attempting to reach for her, but the scaffold shook and rocked.
âDonât move!â She gasped, shifting her weight to counteract his. âWe need to figure out a way down.â
âMaybe we should just wait for Ladybug,â Adrien suggested, and she glanced down at her purse with a wince.
âI donât think weâve got time,â she said, nodding at the fraying wire.Â
âWhat are we going to do?â He asked.
Marinette surveyed their surroundings, searching for anything to add time or get them out safely, but their options were slim. Any sudden movement would likely send them plummeting to the ground, and even if they did nothing, it wasnât long before the scaffold gave out under their weight. There was only one way out, and she didnât have another choice.
The scaffold groaned, and Marinette lunged at Adrien as the wire snapped, wrapping her arms around his waist as her suit materialized. Her yoyo hooked around a beam as the scaffold crashed to the ground. When she glanced back at Adrien, his eyes were wide which was only natural seeing as sheâd inadvertently told him the most important secret in the world.Â
âYouâre-â
âI know,â she said, lowering them to safety. âAnd you canât tell anyone.â
âNo, yeah, sure, but youâre really her?â He looked her up and down with awe.Â
âUh, yeah,â she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. âNo one should know who I really am, but we didnât have another choice. Iâm trusting you, Adrien.â
His gaze found hers, a soft smile curling on his lips. âI wonât tell anyone. Your secret is safe with me. Promise.â
Her cheeks warmed, but there was no time for flirting. She palmed her yoyo, taking a few steps back. âFind somewhere safe to hide, okay?â
âLadybug, wait!â He called as she tossed her yoyo up the street, and she turned over her shoulder. âUh, I- come by my house later.â
âOkay,â she said, and when he nodded her on, she tugged the slack and shot off.Â
Chat Noir arrived on the scene the same time she did, and she hoped that her expression didnât betray her guilt. There wasnât another option. It was a fact she repeated to herself that day as they captured the akuma. As the city returned to normal. As she and Adrien exchanged curt nods on the bus, her secret passing unspoken between them.
She wasnât sure how to feel knowing that someone knew her identity now, or that this particular someone knew her identity. Of course it was dangerous and wrong, and it never should have happened, but she did her best to see the positives. She finally had someone other than Tikki to tell about her double life. Even better that someone was the boy she was in love with which gave her more excuses to talk to him, and being a superhero didnât exactly hurt her chances at impressing him either. A little late-night tour of the city from the rooftops and-
What was she thinking? This was bad! Adrien knew her identity. Should she go into hiding? Stop being Ladybug? Maybe she could make Chat Noir the new guardian and lose all of her memories. But what if the new Ladybug failed, and she had no memories to help stop Hawkmoth then it would be all her fault for exposing herself, and Paris would be doomed and-
âYou okay, girl?â Alya snapped her out of a downward spiral, and she removed her nubs of fingernails from her mouth.
âUh, yeah, just thinking about how I messed up with Adrien earlier,â she said, plastering on a smile.
âAww, donât worry. Youâll get him next time,â Alya said, draping an arm over her shoulder, and Marinette let out a breath.Â
âYeahâŚâ
***
Adrienâs window was open when she arrived later that night, her stomach churning as she hesitantly lowered into view. He paced the length of his couch, looking up when she appeared. Their eyes locked, both staring until Ladybug gestured to the floor.
âCan I come in?â She asked, and he nodded, moving around the couch to meet her.Â
Silence stretched between them, and Ladybug drummed her fingers on her yoyo, heart threatening to beat out of her chest as Adrien ran a hand over the back of his neck. What exactly did one say in this situation? Should she play it cool? Crack a joke? Beg him not to tell anyone? There wasnât exactly a training course on what to do if you expose your secret identity.Â
âUm,â he finally managed, and her eyes flicked up to his. âThank you for saving me earlier.â
âOh, yeah, no problem,â she said. âI mean, after all, it is my job.â
âRight, of course.â Adrien nodded, and the silence resumed. They both shifted, the tension between them stretching until the pressure snapped like a rubber band. Words spilled out like rapids, one stream overlapping the other.
âListen, I know that we canât undo what happened, and I know that you wonât tell anyone because youâre so trustworthy and cute-- wait did I say that out loud?â Ladybug said as Adrien rambled just as awkwardly.
âIâm really sorry that you had to tell me your identity like that, and I promise not to tell anyone. Iâd never betray you like that ever, and I feel really bad that you had to be the one to reveal your identity,â Adrien said, their words mixing until they both clamped hands over their mouths.Â
Adrien pressed his lips together, determination glinting in his green eyes.Â
âI feel like itâs only fair that I tell you because itâs important to me that you know you can always trust me,â he said, taking a step forward. âYou werenât the only one who could have gotten us out of that situation. In another couple seconds, I would have transformed to save us both too.â Lifting her hand to his lips, he continued, âIâm sorry, mâlady. I guess now the catâs out of the bag.â
âBut- you-â A devilish smile curled on his lips, and as the two halves of his persona clicked together, Ladybug threw her arms around his neck. âItâs you.â
âIâm really sorry, bugaboo,â he murmured against her shoulder. âI should have acted sooner.â
âEven if you had, I would have known your identity. There was no way around it,â she said, pulling away. âWe canât change what happened, but we do need to talk about what to do now. Knowing our identities while Hawkmoth is still out there is dangerous. If one of us gets akumatizedâŚâ
âI know,â Adrien said, lowering his gaze. âThis isnât exactly what I was expecting when I dreamed of finding out who you really are. I hoped that Iâd single handedly take down Hawkmoth and impress you so much youâd fall in love with me.â
She smiled at that, brushing his nose with her finger. âWhat should we do? Should we stop being Ladybug and Chat Noir?â
âWhat? No!â His eyes widened in horror. âLook, thereâs no one I trust more than you, and I think we make a pretty awesome team. Besides, who knows, maybe this is for the best. Maybe weâll be stronger and more united. We can have each otherâs backs all the time.â
When she didnât seem convinced, he added, âWeâre the cat and bug team, remember?â He said, and at her stern expression, he corrected, âFine, the bug and cat team.â
âOkay,â she said, taking a breath. âI trust you, and we both agreed when we took on our Miraculouses to keep the city safe. We canât turn back on that promise now.â
âYou and me against the world?â Adrien said, holding out a fist.Â
Ladybug looked him up and down, a smile curling on her lips as she touched her fist to his.
âAs always.â
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The Struggle of Tough Decisions
Pairins: Scorpius Malfoy x Albus Potter, Dean Thomas x Seamus Finnigan
Summary:Â Albus and Scorpius have been dating in secret but after an argument that may have left a mess that cannot be fixed, Albus finds comfort in talking to his dad's old classmates Dean and Seamus, at the 2023 DA reunion as they chronicle their own love story.
Words: 10,767
Albus opened his eyes and smiled when he realised Scorpius was cuddled close to him, his light snores filling the roomâs silence. He could hear footsteps downstairs as his family got ready for the day so he could only hope no one came upstairs to wake the pair up. They should get up soon to avoid the threat of it but the position they were in was far too comfortable to leave.
He heard Scorpius softly yawn and he nuzzled closer to him. Albus smiled. âMorninâ,â He mumbled.
âGood morning.â
They fell into a comfortable silence, simply holding each other, Albus tracing his finger along Scorpiusâ back as Scorpius kept his face buried into Albusâs shoulder.
They rarely got moments like this. At Hogwarts it was almost impossible. They stole kisses in the rare moments their dorm was empty but they couldnât snog without the risk of being caught. Theyâd thought about trying an empty classroom but before they could, another couple â a straight couple â had been caught by Peeves who was joyfully singing about it as he flew around the castle. The last thing they needed was Peeves catching them and the entire school finding out about them. Exactly the opposite of what he needed, everyone knowing Harry Potterâs Slytherin son and a former Death Eaterâs son were snogging each other. That would definitely make the front page of every gossip column. Earlier in their friendship there was enough talk about them simply being friends, about how Harry Potterâs son could go on such a path, being sorted into Slytherin adding fuel to the fire. He avoided thinking about that situation but their relationship in this form would do nothing but restart sneers that ended years ago.
Since it was the summer holidays they took the chance for a âsleepoverâ. Or really, their only real chance to kiss, or cuddle in the current case. His dad had come around to their friendship and Mr Malfoy had never had a problem with their friendship. He still wasnât sure how either of their parents would react. No matter how things were it was still scary as fuck when you were the child of one of the most famous wizards in the world.
They were still cuddled together when Albus heard footsteps walking down the corridor. In his panic he jumped out of his bed â Scorpius grunting as Albusâs arms pulled from under him â and Albus almost tripped on the foldup bed that was set out for Scorpius. He breathed heavily as the footsteps passed his room and grew softer as whoever it was got farther away.
Albus let out a breath of relief and sat down on the foldup bed. âThat was close,â he said.
He looked back up at Scorpius who was now sat up and pressing his lips together. âWhat?â he asked.
âNothing,â Scorpius muttered and tore his grey eyes away.
âNo, somethingâs up, whatâs wrong?â Albus asked as he sat back next to Scorpius and wrapped his arms around his waist. Scorpius didnât meet his eye but he let Albus rock him gently on the spot.
âScorp, câmon, what is it?â
Scorpius sighed. âYou didnât need to react like that.â
âWhat do you mean?â Albus asked confused.
Scorpius met his eye. Albus hadnât gotten over how much he loved Scorpiusâs grey eyes and stark white hair. He looked exactly like a younger version of his father, much like Albus did with his own. Same untameable hair, same bright green eyes.
âJumping off the bed like that,â he said.
âWell how exactly would we explain why we were sleeping in the same bed, cuddling no less?â
Scorpiusâs eyes left his, but Albus didnât miss him mutter, âThe truth?â
Albus held back a sighed. This again. Scorpius was far from pleased about keeping their relationship a secret. Scorpius had learnt to not care what others thought about him after years of rumours that he was the son of Voldemort. Heâd made it clear he desperately wanted to come out but he wanted to do it with Albus rather than alone. Albus felt awful about making Scorpius feel this way but it was scary. Scary that the entire wizarding community would be buzzing about it. Scary that itâll be a new reason to be seen as a disappointment. Scary that he was in love with his best friend.
That was probably the biggest thing. He broke the biggest rule; do not ever fall in love with your best friend. Do not ever let them know your feelings. Do not ever kiss them. Do not ever start a relationship with them. He broke all the rules. He was fucked a long time ago.
âBabe-â he began but Scorpius met his eye.
âAlbus,â he interrupted, his voice rising slightly and standing up. âIâm tired of this, okay? I donât want to do this with you if you refuse to tell people.â Tears were prickling in his eyes and that was the last thing Albus wanted to see.
âScorp, we talked about this.â
âNo,â Scorpius bit at him. âNo, you said we should keep it quiet for now and I agreed because what other goddamn choice did I have? I want to be with you but you keeping it quiet isnât easy. I donât want to sneak around with you. I figured at this point youâd stop caring so much about what other people think.â
Albus stared at him. Scorpius was rarely like this. He rarely raised his voice. He rarely tried to fight. It was only when he was really emotional and he was far past that point. Angry tears were rolling down his face as he spoke.
âItâs hard Scorp, youâre my best friend,â he said softly, his eyes drifting away. âAnd⌠and a guy.â
âOh what, scared everyone will be disappointed that Harry Potter has a huge fucking gay for a son?â his tone was hostile, a jab that was meant to hurt.
âItâs not that â well not just that at least,â Albus replied. âItâs that how I feel about you is scary as fuck. I donât want to ruin our friendship.â
Scorpius took a deep breath and looked him in the eye. âWell, I think acting like a fucking wanker is going to ruin our friendship much faster than us dating.â
Albus opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He was right but that didnât lower Albusâs fear.
When he didnât reply Scorpius sighed. He picked up the bag he brought and stuffed his belongings into it.
âWhat are you doing?â Albus asked softly.
âIâm going home,â he muttered in reply.
âScorp-â
âNot now, Albus. I donât really want to be around you right now.â Before Albus could squeeze in another word, Scorpius Disapparated out of the room.
Albus stared at the spot where Scorpius had been. Scorpius wasnât the type to leave when things were hostile but this wasnât a situation they usually found themselves in. They both avoided going into detail of what their relationship meant, much less if they were going to tell people. They were both gay so itâs not like it could be avoided forever. But it was far too overwhelming. It was times like this he really wished he was like James. Athletic, a Gryffindor, straight. But he wasnât any of those things. Heâd continue to be the family disappointment, the black sheep. He definitely looked like his father but he was the farthest thing from being like him.
He made his way downstairs and when questioned where Scorpius was, he simply muttered his dad sent an owl telling him to come home. He was meant to stay a few more days but not so much that it would raise too many questions. His mum put a stack of pancakes in front of him and he poured honey on top of them.
âCanât wait until I can Apparate everywhere,â Lily said taking a huge bite of her pancakes. âItâll be so much easier.â
âDonât talk with your mouth full,â his mum scolded. Lily grumbled and swallowed, muttering something under her breath.
âItâs hard to learn, Lils,â James said, spreading strawberry jam on his pancakes.
âAlbus can do it so it canât be that hard.â
âHaha,â he muttered in response.
âStop arguing, kids,â their dad replied, his eyes not leaving the Daily Prophet. âKeep that up and you canât come to the DA reunion.â
Albus almost groaned. He knew there was no way they wouldnât be going to the reunion. When they had the first reunion in 2014 at the Quidditch World Cup, all the members who had children had brought them. This year would be no different, almost ten years later, this time renting out a hall in Diagon Alley. Now that they were all older they werenât really given a choice. He didnât really want to go through being told a million times that heâd grown. And as far as he knew no one in the DA had a kid sorted into Slytherin so he wouldnât even see a friendly face aside from his cousins. Although, he still didnât get along too well with them. Maybe aside from Professor Longbottom but he was still a teacher.
Lily muttered a âfineâ and resumed to stuff pancakes into her mouth.
âDo I really have to go?â Albus asked.
âYes, you do,â his dad said. âDonât you want to see your cousins?â
âI could see them at Hogwarts if they talked to me,â he muttered.
âYouâre coming,â his dad said defiantly.
âFine,â he muttered. He almost added âif theyâre okay with having a Slytherin there.â No matter how good his relationship with his dad was, distaste for Slytherins would always exist. Even being sorted into Hufflepuff wouldnât have been as bad. At least people wouldâve known he was loyal and hardworking, and at least people spent time with Hufflepuffs and not avoided them in the school corridor. Even Cedric Diggory was a Hufflepuff and he definitely wouldâve had serious competition in the Tri Wizard Tournament when it came to being picked. It was a huge reason none of his cousins spent time with him. No matter what he did, no matter how much he tried to connect with them, heâd always be the cousin that got into Slytherin.
âWhy couldnât we have had it at the world cup last year?â James asked.
âNot everyone got tickets, more people can come this year, especially if we do it in a hall and rather than informally,â their dad explained. Albus was pretty thankful it wasnât at a Quidditch game, he definitely didnât want to be forced to play a game since he hated it so much with the add on of the winners celebrating for hours into the night.
âDo we have to wear dress robes?â Lily asked.
ââCourse not,â he replied. âBut at least try,â he said that while looking straight at Albus.
âYes, yes, dad, Iâll try,â he grumbled in reply.
âCâmon, arenât you at least a little excited to see some adult wizards, especially ones that fought in the second world war?â James asked.
âIâve met âem before,â he muttered.
James sighed. âFine, be like that.â
âŚ
They travelled via floo powder to get to Diagon Alley since Lily was too young to Apparate and their mum didnât want her to experience it too young. Lily tried to protest but they quickly got to their destination. Albusâs Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione were already there with their kids. Unsurprisingly, Rose had a book under her arm and an excited smile on her face. She was definitely excited to meet some older wizards, especially veterans of the Battle of Hogwarts. A few people were already there and cracks could be heard around the room as they Apparated, and more people travelling by floo powder.
Albus moved to the corner of the room, a glass of fire whisky with him. Some of his cousins had grouped together, seeming to split by age groups. DA membersâ children who were friends grouped together too. Albus never really realised how everyone else seemed to get along with each other while he spent his time with Scorpius. It seemed so natural how they got along while he just stood at the sidelines. He didnât mind people watching, it did save him from âyou have grown so muchâ comments and awkward interactions with people who clearly didnât want to be around him.
He let his eyes drift around the room, watching the DA members greet each other with hugs. He saw Professor Longbottom Apparate in with his wife, his round face grinning as he hugged Albusâs father. It was strange that this was the man who essentially saved the Wizarding World and had turned to being the Herbology teacher at Hogwarts. He was pretty good at his job though.
In the midst of wizards Apparating, he saw two men he vaguely recognised Apparate into the room. His family had gone to the 2022 Quidditch World Cup game held in France last year; Ireland vs France. His parents talked briefly to them, in nothing more than a quick catch up, before separating to find their seats. He didnât remember them from 2014 when the last DA reunion was held but his young age mightâve played a role. He watched the taller of the two give friendly hugs to his dad and mum, clearly pleased to see each other.
There was something he didnât miss though, something about the way they were standing together. The shorter of the two was talking animatedly, his hands touching the taller every so often, and the taller smiling down at the other, a look that was undeniably adoration.
He watched the way they interacted, the way the taller gave slung his arm over the shorterâs shoulders and gave it an affectionate squeeze, quickly dropping his arm. The way the shorter looked at the taller and would briefly brush his arm against the others. And they each wore a gold band around their left ring finger.
It was painfully obvious they were a couple, even without the rings.
His eyes followed the pair as they talked to other DA members, avidly catching up. The affectionate gestures continued, easy to miss if you werenât paying close attention. They seemed⌠happy. Like, maybe he and Scorpius could be like that one day.
âEnjoying the party, Albus?â
He tore his eyes away from the couple to see Professor Longbottom, holding a glass of fire whisky, his cheeks plump from his grin.
âI guess,â he replied. Professor Longbottom had always been his favourite teacher, he always was one of the most kind at the school and never treated him â or Scorpius â the way others tended to.
âHowâs your holidays going, finishing your homework?â
As he spoke he tried to look past him to the couple, grunting an âuh huâ as he did.
With a curious look Professor Longbottom followed Albusâs gaze to the couple who were making themselves comfortable in a sitting area, sitting on a loveseat that was adjacent to a couple of armchairs.
âAh, Dean and Seamus, havenât seen those two in years,â Professor Longbottom grinned turning back to Albus.
âWere you friends?â Albus asked, tearing his eyes away from the pair.
âYeah, we were in the same year as your dad â theyâre Gryffindors too. Roomed with them for too many years. Although during seventh year it was just me and Seamus â the shorter one â since Deanâs a Muggle-born and your dad an uncle were⌠well, you definely know the history.â
Albus nodded. âMustâve missed each other pretty bad,â he muttered, looking at the two again. Dean laughed at something Seamus said and Seamus kept his hand on Deanâs knee affectionately.
âYeah, definitely. Enough was going on in our seventh year, worst thing would to not go through it with the person youâre closest to.â
âWas Dean in Azkaban then?â
Professor Longbottom shook his head. âNo, he was on the run then when he got back to Hogwarts he fought in the battle. I donât know the full details but on the run is better than Azkaban.â
âIâd bet,â he muttered.
As he looked back at the couple he felt Professor Longbottomâs eyes on him. âYou caught on that theyâre a couple, then?â
Albus tore his eyes away. He nodded in response and the smile that had returned to Professor Longbottomâs lips didnât falter. âYou should talk to them.â
He stared at his teacher. Was he implying what he thought he was? âWhatâd you mean?â
He shrugged. âNothinâ, sure they got stories. Or advice.â
He looked at his teacher, then back at the couple. They seemed to be focussed on each other but not so much that itâd be rude to try and talk to them. But he hadnât spoken to them himself, only in the awkward shadow of his parents.
âSo they were best friends first, then?â he asked.
âYep, definitely a story there.â
âIâd bet.â
He politely said goodbye to his professor and walked to the couple. How the hell was he going to approach this? He canât just awkwardly go up to a couple heâd never spoken to before and ask âhey howâd you start dating?â But maybe their story would prompt him to sort things out with Scorpius as Professor Longbottom so heavily implied. With a final skull of his fire whisky he walked to the two and put on a smile that was somewhere between awkward and friendly.
âDamn, is that little Albus, there?â Seamus asked when he got closer.
âDonât swear in front of the kid, Seamus,â Dean scolded, but there was affection in his voice.
âIâm not a kid, Iâm seventeen,â he replied.
âOkay fine, youâre a full grown adult,â Seamus said with a cheeky smile.
âDid you want something?â Dean asked politely, ignoring his husbandâs remarks.
âUh, yes, sort of?â it came out more as a question than he wouldâve preferred. âI just wanted to ask something?â
Dean and Seamus exchanged a brief look, their faces suggesting they were expecting a question theyâd been asked multiple times before. âOkay, what?â Dean asked.
âHowâd you guys, yâknow, go from friends to now?â
That was definitely not the question either expected. Seamus gave Dean a confused look but Dean kept his eyes on Albus.
âUh, why do you want to know?â Dean didnât sound offended by the question but he was definitely confused by it.
âIâm just⌠curious?â he stammered out. He couldnât keep the nerves out of his tone as hard as he tried as he face turned pink.
A knowing look passed through the two, a small smile on Seamusâs lips. âReally, aye?â he asked. âJust want to know our epic love story?â Seamus asked.
âItâs not epic,â Dean argued with a smile.
âAnything that involves a war â especially separation â is epic.â
âIs there more to why you want to know?â Dean asked. âIf there is, we wonât tell your dad.â
âOh yeah, weâll keep it between us,â Seamus added.
When Albus didnât reply, opting to stare at his feet, Dean said, âCâmon, pull up a chair. Itâs okay.â
Albus sat in the armchair next to them and took a deep breath. He looked at them, trying to not let his eyes drift away. âMe and my best friend became more but heâs angry with me, because I wonât tell people.â
What he didnât expect was the couple to smile at him. âAh yes, thatâs all too familiar,â Dean said. He turned to his husband. âSounds like heâs a lot like you, eh?â
Seamus laughed. âYep, definitely. Youâre friends with Malfoyâs kid, right?â
Albusâs cheeks tinted but he nodded. âYeah, itâs him.â
He didnât understand how they could take it so lightly. Maybe because it had been so many years and they were passed the point he and Scorpius are at now.
âWhelp, fuckinâ Potterâs kid and Malfoyâs kid, whoâdâve guessed?â Seamus said as if he were ready to burst into laughter. That almost made him leave, he hated it when people were like this. He didnât need to hear sneers about being the opposite of what was expected of him, even in a light hearted way.
âHeâs saying that because they hated each other,â Dean assured when he saw Albusâs face.
âYeah, people were bettinâ on Rose and Scorpius though,â Seamus said with a good natured laugh.
That brought a small smile to Albusâs lips. He remembered how Scorpius had that very brief crush on his cousin, one he later realised was him forcing himself to like a girl. Albus still wondered what wouldâve happened if they did date.
âSo uh, the story?â Albus prompted.
âWell, itâs a little long but weâve got hours,â Seamus said with a grin. He cleared his throat. âYou should know we werenât just friends; we were best friends.â
âŚ
Seamus had gone through some of his homework as he lay in the empty dorm room. His roommates had gone off to Harryâs Dumbledoreâs Army business. He scoffed at that, surely his mother was right and it was simply all some publicity stunt.
âŚ
âWhy would you think that?â Albus interrupted.
âBecause I was a stupid kid, can you not interrupt?â
âŚ
Dean had decided to join but Seamus still wasnât sure. It wasnât that he didnât trust Harry but seriously, how the hell could You-Know-Who be back? The git did like to be the centre of attention far too often. He was still suspicious over the Goblet of Fire fiasco from the previous year. Even if it was that pretty boy Hufflepuff with hair that looked like itâd be real nice to run his fingers through and really nice grey eyes, who was the champion, at least he got in fairly.
He heard footsteps coming up the stairs and turned his head to see his best friend Dean walking in, a grin on his face.
âSo how was it?â Seamus asked.
âSorry, sworn to secrecy,â Dean replied with a cheeky smirk and a shrug.
âReally? Canât tell me nothinâ?â
âWell, I can say it was boring without you.â Dean fell onto Seamusâs bed, pulling up next to him and smiled.
âStill not gonâ join,â Seamus replied.
âYour call,â Dean shrugged. âSo, excited for Christmas?â
âI guess,â he replied with a shrug. âMiss me family.â
Dean smiled at him. âWell, hopefully you wonât miss me too much.â He playfully poked Seamus side. Seamus flinched and laughed, trying not to blush at the comment. Whatever he was feeling for Dean had been easy to ignore when he wasnât making comments like that.
âWho says Iâd miss you at all?â he replied with a smile.
âWanker,â he said affectionately.
âŚ
Seamus didnât know why he loved being in the cold so much. A part of him enjoyed the feeling of the cold biting his skin. Another part liked to watch snowflakes leave a fluffy blanket on the ground. Being at Hogwarts gave the add on of people watching. Despite being very much of an extrovert sometimes it was nice to watch people as they went about their business.
He watched some of his classmates. Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, who were as inseparable as he and Dean were, sat with a book in their laps reading together. He was friends with them, good enough to ask Lavender to the Yule Ball as a friend. At the time she seemed like an option that made sense, maybe become boyfriend and girlfriend. But he spent the entire night with Dean too. Dean didnât bring a date so he stayed with Seamus. Youâd expect that Dean wouldâve been a third wheel on the night but more than anything, Lavender was. She didnât seem to annoyed with it, turning to talk to Padma, Parvatiâs twin instead. That definitely marked it as a platonic date.
But during the night heâd tried to figure out why he didnât have interest in her. She was pretty, he knew that much. But thatâs where it ended. He didnât want her to be his girlfriend. He didnât want to kiss her. He didnât want to do any of that. It was a constant thing for him. Why did no girl make him feel like that?
But when he had the chance to look around the room while Dean left to get a drink and Lavender was busy talking to Padma, his eyes fell onto Cedric Diggory who was dancing with Cho Chang. He was grinning at her and he was dressed pretty sharp in his dress robes. His soft hair had looked softer than ever. Despite being a seeker his build was strong and he was tall. Taller than Dean but not by much. He was extremely handsome, that was something he couldnât ignore. He totally understood why so many girls fawned over him. He didnât realise he was staring until Cedric looked right at him. He hadnât looked creeped out, he simply gave Seamus a friendly smile and Seamus had looked away quickly, his face going red.
He didnât know why he stared. He just got lost in Cedricâs appearance. He hadnât known why. He hadnât known why he hadnât reacted to Fleur like all the others guy did. Whenever Fleur would enter a room Dean would go stiff and his eye wouldnât leave the girl. He didnât understand why he didnât feel that why. He knew she was pretty but he didnât understand why Cedric made him feel the way Fleur made the other boys feel. He didnât understand why he looked at Cedric the way the girls were.
When it had dawned on him why he almost had a panic attack.
âŚ
âYou had a crush on Cedric Diggory?â Albus was close to laughing. âSeriously?â
âHey! A lot of people did!â Seamus argued.
âHe had it pretty bad, I donât know how people didnât notice.â
âWell, you didnât. And I wasnât the one drooling over Fleur, or the Veela at the â94 world cup.â
âHey, gay boys ainât effected so get off your superiority.â
Albus cleared his throat. âUh, can you continue?â
âŚ
His crush on Cedric didnât last too long. The crush itself had manifested into utter distaste for him and belittling him to others whenever he could, the target being his looks. No one would have noticed his crush if he talked about them in a sarcastic tone.
That year felt like a long time ago. His crush was gone before Cedricâs death and attraction had snatched on to an even worse option; Dean.
Dean had definitely bulked up during the summer holidays before fifth year. He grown a few inches taller and he jaw was sharper. Seamus hadnât ever noticed Dean like that but when he started to it didnât cease. And it was scary as fuck.
A snowball hit Seamus in the back of his head and he turned to see a smirking Dean coming to sit next to him.
âLookinâ at girls are you?â he asked playfully.
Seamus patted off the snow from his head and blushed. âWas the snowball necessary?â he asked.
âYes, of course.â
âWanker,â he muttered playfully.
Dean smiled at him and looked at Lavender and Parvati. âSo, were you ever going to ask Lavender out again?â he asked.
Seamusâs gaze dropped to his lap. âUh, nah. I didnât really fancy her.â
âIâm surprised she wasnât angry you ignored her like Padma was at Weasley.â
Seamus smiled. âYeah, me too.â She honestly hadnât seemed to care much at all.
âYou really didnât need to talk to me instead just because I didnât have a date.â
âWell, maybe I talked to you because I like you more than I like her,â he said, smiling.
Dean laughed. âYeah, and she probably wanted to go with Diggory like every other girl in this school.â
He had to stop himself from saying, âand probably some of the boysâ but he didnât. Instead, he said, âYou mean like how you wanted to go with Fleur?â
Dean waved him off. âYeah, I guess. But to be fair I heard sheâs part Veela so it wasnât totally my fault. Iâm surprised you didnât take interest.â
âUh, well maybe I just have a resistance or somethinâ.â You could call it a resistance. Not being attracted to girls was definitely a resistance.
Dean chuckled. âYeah well looks like most of the guys donât so donât hold it against me.â
Seamus smiled and looked away. His eyes drifted over to some seventh year Hufflepuffs. There was a mixture of genders so Dean wouldnât get suspicious but his eyes fell on a Hufflepuff. His hair was jet black and was of Korean decent. His teeth were impossibly white. He still didnât know his name but Seamus remembered him catching his eye in first year. It took his mind off of the feeling brought in his gut by Dean for a sparing moment.
âAnyways, were you wanting to come back inside? Itâs fuckinâ freezing and you still have homework to finish,â Dean said, cutting Seamus out of his trance.
He looked back his best friend, who was smiling right at him. Dean was the much more studious one of the pair and if it werenât for him most of Seamusâs homework wouldâve always waited until the last minute.
âWill you help me?â Seamus asked with his best smile.
Dean smiled back. âOkay fine, only because I like you so much.â
âŚ
âDean, Seamus! Come sit with us!â Lavender said, waving her arm as they passed the compartment. With a shrug the pair made their way into the compartment, sitting across from Lavender and Parvati.
âHey guys,â Seamus said. âWhereâs ye sister, Parvati?â
She shrugged. âShe always sits with her friends,â she said. âAnything special happening over the holiday?â
âIâm spending it with me dadâs side of the family,â Seamus said. âTheyâre muggles though and donât know âbout Hogwarts. Think Iâm at some muggle boarding school.â
âIâm sure your girlfriend misses you,â Lavender said with a playful smile.
âHaha,â Seamus replied sarcastically. âWhatâre you doing then?â
âJust the usual stuff, family dinner. My family are all wizards so I donât need to hide anything. Down side is theyâll ask how Iâm doing in my classes.â
âWe donât celebrate Christmas but I really like the holidays,â smiled Parvati. âMostly because I get to see Padma. Being separated by house really sucks.â
Dean nodded. âYeah, weird how you were separated but all the Weasleyâs are together.â
âWhat about you?â Lavender asked. âYouâre a muggle born, right?â
Dean nodded. âYeah, just spending it with my mum and step family. Nothing special.â
âIâll be sure to send you some letters so youâre not too bored âround the muggles,â Seamus smiled.
âYou better,â Dean smiled at him. As he did, Seamus didnât miss the knowing look the girls exchanged.
âŚ
âSo they knew?â Albus asked, cocking his head to the side.
âYeah, they were pretty intuitive,â Seamus laughed.
âOr we were just obvious,â Dean interjected.
âYeah, that too. Kind of silly to think we didnât catch on to the other really.â
âYeah, especially when you were looking at guys right in front of him,â Albus said with a laugh.
âOkay, okay, baby gay me was too obvious. But it was also a different time,â Seamus defended. âI was scared and confused â which weâll get to soon.â
âŚ
Seamusâs dad invited some friends over a few days before Christmas, a few deciding to bring their children. One brought their daughter who was a year younger than Seamus. She kept smiling at him from across the room and when she got the chance she made her way to Seamusâs side.
âHi,â she said.
âHi?â he replied. She was pretty, heâd admit that. She kind of looked like Lavender. Her hair was straight blonde, reaching to her waist. She was wearing bright red lipstick which surprisingly hadnât found its way to her teeth. And she had dark brown eyes, as dark as Deanâs.
He chewed his lip as she batted her eye lashes at him. He wasnât used to girls around his age showing interest in him. Most girls at Hogwarts around his age had known him for years and that seemed to lead to them not seeing him as a romantic prospect. Other guys obviously showed no interest in him. Other guys didnât think about other guys like that.
So he took in the girl. He flirted along with her. She was definitely intrigued when he said he went to a boarding school in Scotland. He avoided the subject and simply asked about her. He had absolutely no interest in her but this was what youâre meant to do at his age. He was meant to snog girls when he could, especially one showing so much interest.
âWanâ go outside? Somewhere alone?â he asked. He couldnât suggest his room as it had all his magical possessions.
She nodded and they walked to the back yard. She giggled as he took her gently by the wrist and pulled her to the bushes. When they found a secluded spot she grinned at him and he smiled at her. Yeah, she was definitely really pretty but not the pretty he wanted to kiss. Not Diggory, not that seventh year Hufflepuff, not Dean. She was a girl and no matter how much he forced himself he didnât feel how he was meant to about girls.
Regardless of that he kissed her. She smiled against his lips and kissed him back. It wasnât awful, heâd admit that. But it didnât feel right, he wasnât enjoying it. When he looked at guys, when they smiled at him, he got knots in his stomach. He felt nothing when this girl smiled at him flirtatiously. He felt nothing when her fingers tangled in his hair. He didnât want to snog her. He didnât want to snog any girl.
He wanted to snog fucking Dean.
âŚ
Seamus was still slightly dazed from his realisation over Christmas break. Being a poof was bad enough but this crush on Dean was the worst it could get. Heâd been pushing it from his mind for months but after snogging the muggle girl, he couldnât deny it anymore.
âHey, wanker!â
Dean turned and smiled when he saw Dean pushing his trolley along platform 10 of Kingâs Cross station. Seamus smiled and left his trolley with his mum to run to him.
âAye, dickhead,â he said and patted Deanâs back a friendly hug. When he stepped away he greeted Deanâs mum with a nod. âMaâam,â he smiled.
âHello, Seamus,â she said with a small laugh and a smile. âEnjoy your Christmas?â
Seamus nodded at her. âYes, maâam.â He turned back to Dean. âCâmon, letâs get a good seat âfore theyâre all taken.â
They ran onto platform 9 ž and gave their mothers their farewells before getting onto the train.
âSo, anythinâ fun happen over the holidays?â Dean asked when they found an empty compartment.
âI snogged a girl,â Seamus said, scratching the back of his neck. Maybe if he pretended he didnât have these feelings for Dean theyâll just go away.
Dean smiled at him. âDid you, aye?â he asked. âSo you got yourself a girlfriend?â
âNah, we just snogged a little. Weâll probably never see each other again.â And he didnât want to. When they stopped snogging he made an excuse and ran up to his room, wiping the lipstick marks from his mouth and lain on his bed, trying to process his realisation. He knew he was attracted to Dean but an actual crush was different. It made him sick and he was angry with himself for feeling this way.
âShame, no girl at school want to snog you.â
âWhatâs this about snogging?â
The compartment door opened as Parvati and Lavender bounced in, sitting across from the two.
âSeamus snogged a girl during the holidays,â he smiled and Seamus blushed.
âYou did, huh?â Lavender asked, smiling.
âIt was just some muggle girl, her dad works with mine,â he muttered.
âSo whenâs the wedding?â Parvati teased.
Seamus smiled. âKeep that up and you canât come.â
They bantered a little and talked about their holidays
When they got back to Hogwarts Seamus and Dean went straight to their dorm, falling down onto Deanâs bed.
âSo, whatâll take to convince you to come to the DA meeting?â Dean asked.
âReally, doinâ this again?â Seamus asked, turning his head to Dean.
âLook, can you come for one? Why do you refuse to believe You-Know-Whoâs back?â
Seamus was silent for a moment. Truthfully, it was scary. If You-Know-Who was back that would mean death and terror. Dean was a muggle-born and everyone knew they would be at threat the most. He didnât want to think of anything bad happening to Dean.
âI guess itâs just scary,â he said instead. âAnything could happen if heâs really back.â
âThatâs why we need to learn to defend ourselves,â Dean said and he ran his fingers through Seamusâs hair. Seamus stopped himself from flinching away at that. âWe even learnt how to do a Patronus.â
âSeriously?â Dean nodded. âFine, Iâll go.â
âŚ
âExpecto Patronum!â Seamus shouted and grinned when he saw something shoot out of his wand. It was a full Patronus but it only lasted a few moments. âI think itâs somethinâ hairy!â
âNice, mate!â Dean grinned and patted his shoulder. He smiled at him over his shoulder and grinned back.
Before he could try enough times to figure out what it was, a house elf came into the room. Seamus looked in confusion but he warned everyone that Umbridge was coming. Before Seamus could react, Dean grabbed his hand and pulled him with him out of the Room of Requirement. He stumbled over his feet but got his footing, keeping up with Dean. Dean kept a firm grip on his hand so he was running faster than he was used to. They got to the Fat Lady and blurted out the password. He wasnât able to check if any of the other Gryffindors were behind them but they panted in the common room, falling onto a couch.
âThat was close,â he panted out.
âDefinitely,â Dean nodded. âCâmon, letâs get to our dorm. Maybe we can avoid the bitch that way.â
Seamus nodded and they walked to their dorm. It was empty so they sat on Deanâs bed. They were quiet for a moment and Seamus let his sweaty hair fall into his face. His knee was pressing against Dean thigh as Seamus still lightly panted. He didnât have the best stamina especially compared to Deanâs. It was nice holding Deanâs warm hand for a little bit though.
He heard Dean sigh and he felt Deanâs hand brush his hair out of his face. He was looking Seamus right in the eye and was chewing his bottom lip. He pulled his behind Seamusâs head and he closed the small space between them by bringing Seamusâs lips to his.
Their lips moved gently together, slowly. This was how he imagined kissing that girl shouldâve felt. Rather than not minding the kiss, he felt butterflies in the pit of his stomach. He felt the connection. It felt⌠right.
He pulled away first, and sat up. Dean looked up at him, looking disappointed. Seamus looked down at him surprised. âSorry,â Dean whispered. âI donât know why I...â
âNo, itâs⌠it was okay,â he stuttered out. Or more than okay. Really nice actually. âFound a loophole in that eight-inches rule though, aye?â
Dean didnât laugh. He sat up and looked down at his lap. âThat took a lot for me to do, yâknow.â
Fuck. This wasnât how this was meant to happen. But he didnât want to see Dean hurt like this. He sat up and while sitting on his knees, he leaned over to Dean. He held Deanâs face in his hands as he gently kissed him. Dean seemed slightly surprised at first but he kissed him back, his hands holding his hips.
When he kissed Dean, it was like time had slowed down and sped up at the same time. It was a comforting feelings. Doing this with Dean felt right.
However, they were broken apart by loud footsteps. Seamus jumped off his bed and they both sat up, trying to act casual.
Neville came into the room and his face was read from running and was panting heavily.
âYou okay, Longbottom?â Seamus asked.
He nodded, wheezing slightly and collapsed on his bed. Seamus looked back at Dean, who was sitting and hugging his knees. He smiled at Seamus and said, âWell, better get to bed.â
âRight,â Seamus said.
âŚ
The dorm was empty when Seamus had gotten upstairs. He wasnât sure where Dean was but heâd been avoiding him. He didnât want to confront his feelings for Dean. Sure, he kissed him first but he didnât let Dean leave it, he just had to kiss him back. Who knows how long they wouldâve gone if Neville hadnât walked in. They rarely got time alone in their dorm so if they were ever going to talk about what happened itâd have to be in times like this.
He stared at the ceiling, laid on his bed. His curtains were closed to not be disturbed. Maybe if Dean walked up heâd turn around. Maybe heâd just forget it happened. Maybe theyâd just leave it behind them as a fluke, never speak of it again, and marry girls like they were meant to.
âŚ
âYou really thought that?â Albus asked, frowning at Seamus.
âIt was the 90âs,â Seamus replied. âIt was long before marriage equality. And we live in Ireland so we couldnât officially get married until 2015.â
Dean nodded. âWe both really didnât know how to deal with the situation, things really were real different back then. Judgment and all. I didnât care butâŚâ his eyes darted to Seamus.
Seamus nodded, rather shamefully. âIt was tough. When youâre told so much youâre meant to marry a girl falling, for a bloke, best friend or not, is tough.â
âŚ
The door to the dorm opened and close and the curtains were pulled back at the foot of the bed. Seamus looked over to see Dean, grinning right at Seamus.
âHey,â he said.
âHi,â Seamus replied, giving him an awkward smile.
âRoom for ânother?â
Seamus smiled and shuffled over. They would lay in one of their beds together a lot. They just hadnât done it with the curtains closed. Thatâd make it feel much smaller, a reason to lay closer.
âSure,â he decided to say, shuffling over to make room. Dean smiled and crawled in next to him, He used his wand to close the curtain behind him and rested his head next to Seamusâs.
âComfy?â he asked, playfully poking his side.
âI guess,â he mumbled.
Dean looked at him for a moment. âSo⌠that kissâŚâ he prompted.
Seamus looked at him, his eyelids half closed. âWhyâd you do it?â
Dean chewed his lip. âMaybe I have liked you for a while?â he said softly. âWhyâd you kiss me? What happened to the muggle girl?â
Seamus pressed his lips together. âI didnât like kissing her,â he replied, closing his eyes. âI donât think girls are my things.â
âOh,â was all Dean said.
âOh?â he asked, opening his eyes. âThatâs all you have to say?â when Dean didnât say anything Dean sighed. âI didnât actually want to be a poof,â he said, barely above a whisper, looking away.
He felt Dean run his fingers through his hair. âSo what if you, or should I say we, are?â
Seamus was quiet, and he felt Deanâs warm breath as he sighed. âWhat if we⌠we keep it quiet?â
Seamus met his eye again. âWhat?â
âI really like you, and you kissed me back so I assumed you feel something too.â
âYeah⌠I do.â
âSo what if we just⌠donât tell people until youâre ready?â
Seamus stared at him. Being together could mean anything. Disappointment from their families, friends turning on them, a much harder life. He knew this piece of him wouldnât just disappear.
âOkay, yeah,â Seamus nodded. âIâd like that.â
âŚ
For the months that followed they snuck around, snogging at times they could. The times that they could were rare but a lot of the time they stole smiles and sat together in classes â the latter was easy to get away with as theyâd already done it since first year.
Seamus still wasnât at the point where he could tell other people. If someone passed their dorm when they were alone cuddling or snogging, Seamus would jump off the bed and get away from Dean. Luckily if it was one of their dorm mates they were far too oblivious to notice either of them were acting a bit off.
Dean didnât hide that it bothered him whenever Seamus did that. But heâd seemed to be avoiding to talk about it. Seamus understood he wasnât the biggest fan of the situation. If they were going to be a couple â a real couple â he wanted people to know. It didnât feel real if they just kissed in secret. He wasnât ashamed of how he felt about Dean but he was scared as fuck.
They were settled on Deanâs bed, Seamus under Dean as they snogged under the sheets. Seamusâs in Deanâs hair, careful not to tug on the tight curls. The end of the year nearing and theyâd hopefully see each other over the school holidays. Getting in time to snog â and maybe go on a date without raising suspicions â would be easier.
In the midst of their snogging, Seamus heard footsteps come close to the dorm. In his panic he shot up from under Dean, pushing Dean in the process, and falling to the floor, quickly crawling backward to his bed. He listened carefully as the footsteps grew softer and farther away from their room. He let out a huff of relief and stood up.
âThat was close,â he said and looked at Dean. He looked⌠downright pissed off. âWhat?â
âSeriously?â he grunted. âYou seriously did that?â
âAnd what wouldâve we said if someone came in?â Seamus asked, crossing his arms.
âTell them that weâre together maybe?â Dean glared. âAnd they wouldnâtâve cared.â
âHow do we know that?â
âYou really think Longbottomâll care? Or Potter and Weasley?â he said through gritted teeth. âBecause they wonât, you git.â
âDean, please calm down-â
âCalm down?â he huffed. âLook, I only said we could keep this quiet until youâre ready because I thought youâd quickly get over it. But I donât know if I want to be with you if youâre going to be like this.â
âLike what?â
âFucking closeted like this!â
âFucking easy for you to say!â he snapped back, his rage coming out. âI canât make meself like girls. Youâre bi, if you wanted you can go off with a girl. So much easier since thatâs what weâre meant to do.â
Dean took a deep breath and looked Seamus right in the eye. âFine, maybe Iâll do that instead.â And before Seamus could get in another word Dean stormed out of the room. Tears prickled in his eyes and he took a deep breath and sank onto the floor.
Heâd fucked up big time.
âŚ
Seamus spent the summer without talking to Dean. The last time theyâd really spoken was the blow out at each other. Heâd thought of sending a letter to Dean but he couldnât figure out what to write. Heâd thought about apologising but he refused to. He had nothing to be sorry for. He wasnât ready to tell anybody that he and Dean were dating, much less that he was gay.
âŚ
âBut you had a point!â Albus interrupted. âYou werenât ready.
âRight,â Seamus said. âBut I also didnât care that I was hurting Dean.â he looked at his husband and squeezed his knee. âReally, I did care way too much about how others thought of me. Me not wanting to tell people was what put the strain on our relationship. Some people are in unsafe situations where they canât tell, but we werenât. I just cared about people giving me dirty looks. I knew your dad and uncle â and Neville â wouldnât care but I imagined the worst situation. I was mostly scared because of me family. Didnât know how much old Irish values would impact âem. Me dad comes a Catholic family â obviously â and he had enough trouble processing me maâmâs a witch.â
âSo what happened then?â
âŚ
âYou gettinâ your homework done, Seamus?â his mum asked part way through breakfast.
His dad shuffled in his seat as he read the newspapers but Seamus ignored it. He didnât need to be comfortable with it as long as he didnât treat either him or his mum like they were possessed by a demon.
âYeah,â he shrugged.
âYou been talkinâ to any friends?â
He shook his head. âNo.â
She gave him a concerned look. âWhat âbout Dean?â
At that question he stuffed eggs into his mouth and shrugged as he chewed. Thankfully his mum didnât push, catching on there was some sort of rift between the two.
âDo you have other friends at the school?â his dad asked, looking over his newspaper.
âYeah, Iâm friends with a couple of the girls,â he said. If he needed any affirmation of liking girls that would hopefully do it.
âPretty?â his dad asked.
âYeah, I went to the formal with one last year.â
His dad smiled and resumed reading. He felt a pang in his stomach and took a long sip of his tea. He felt his mumâs eyes on him as he did, almost calculating his expression and mannerisms. God forbid she caught on.
âYou should write Dean to see how heâs goinâ,â she said.
âMaybe later.â
âŚ
He didnât end up sending him a letter and when he caught the Hogwarts express he didnât go looking for him. He found a compartment with Lavender and Parvati, not bothering to look for Dean. Neither girl questioned him but they didnât hide the concern on their faces. As they talked, Seamus stared out the window, watching the scenery pass. He didnât get anything like he usually would when the trolley witch passed, even though he was pretty hungry but at the same time, he didnât have an appetite. He simply said he was saving room for the feast.
He was able to avoid Dean until they were in the dorm room. He was getting ready for bed and he was the only one in the dorm.
âHey,â he said slowly.
âHey,â he replied, not trying to keep the bitterness out of his tone.
âDid you have a good holiday?â his teeth sunk into his bottom lip.
âIt was fine,â he muttered, looking away from him.
An uncomfortable silence fell between them, the tension thick in the room. He should just apologise. If he apologised maybe theyâd figure something out. Maybe heâd work on trying to come out. Maybe they could tell their roommates. Thatâs a step forward. Surly they wouldnât care. And itâd definitely make Dean happy-
âIâm dating Ginny Weasley now.â That got Seamusâs attention.
âŚ
âWait, you dated my mum?â Albus asked, looking at Dean in surprise.
Dean chuckled at that and Seamus looked annoyed. âYeah, and youâll find out what happened if you stop interrupting,â Seamus said annoyed, clearly frustrated with Albusâs constant interrupting.
âŚ
He looked at him across the room. âYou said I should date a girl, itâs easier like you said.â
He took a deep breath, trying to hold off his tears. âHope youâre fuckinâ happy,â he said bitterly.
âWe are,â He said it like it was a challenge.
âGood.â Yeah, he was ready to cry but there was no way heâd do it in front of Dean.
âŚ
Hogwarts was different without Dean. He didnât have someone he could always sit with, usually finding his way next to other Gryffindors with a spare seat. Looks of confusion were definitely given when he was seen without Dean. When asked heâd just mutter something about Dean being with Ginny but it didnât always work out in classes. No one pushed but people were definitely curious. It was understandable, theyâd been inseparable since they were first years. It was always the two of them together, they were almost a package deal. So one without the other somewhere theyâd surely be together was strange to their classmates.
Dean didnât even try to act like he wasnât trying to make Seamus jealous. He found Dean snogging Ginny in the common room-
âŚ
âYou know,â Albus said, âThis may sound crazy but I donât want to hear about my mum snogging anyone.â
âŚ
Seamus had to try and not look a combination of jealous and heartbroken. To anyone else it was an annoying couple but it was like Dean was saying he could snog her in full view of everyone and not him. And all because he was a huge fucking coward who cared too much of what other thought.
When he went upstairs, he saw Ron muttering something under his breath as he did his homework.
âHey, Weasley,â he muttered going to his bed.
âHey,â he grunted. âThey still snogging?â
âYep,â he replied bitterly.
âWhatâre you pissed for, not like Deanâs your brother or anything.â
âIâm not pissed,â he replied defensively. âAnd shouldnât you be droolinâ over Granger?â
âI donât know what youâre talking about,â Ron defended, then huffed. âAnd you are pissed. I would assume it had something to with Dean starting to ignore you but youâve seemed to be avoiding him.â
âPiss off, Weasley.â
âŚ
Ginny came storming into the common room and Dean was awkwardly on her tail. âI said I didnât push you!â he said.
âI said I donât care, Dean. I already broke up with you.â
Seamusâs eyes followed them, as did everyone elseâs who were in the common room. Everyone was silent but before Dean could get anymore words in Ginny ran up to the girlsâ dorms. Dean stood frozen at the foot of the staircase, knowing there was no bother trying to get up there without the steps turning into a slide.
He sighed and when he turned around, his eyes locked with Seamusâs. They hadnât spoken in months. Too many months for them. He bit his lip and clearly broke under everyoneâs eyes being on him, and he went upstairs. Seamus watched him as he walked upstairs to the boysâ dorm. Seamus pressed his lips together, stood up, and followed Dean upstairs.
He opened the door to their room, and cleared his throat. Dean looked over at him and huffed. âEnjoy that, did ya?â
Seamus shuffled on his feet. He took a deep breath and decided it was time to swallow his pride.
âIâm sorry.â
Dean met his eye and cocked his head to the side. âWhat?â
âIâm sorry for⌠refusing to come out. For saying you should just⌠date a girl.â
Dean pressed his lips together. âYou should be.â Seamus didnât argue, he was right. âLook, that thing about be just dating a girl that somehow easier is fucking bullocks. I canât choose,â he hesitated. âI canât choose who I fall for, Seamus.â
Seamus nodded, realising he had a completely valid point. âIâm a total fucking wanker,â he said. âIâm sorry.â
Dean smiled and with his wand closed the door. He stepped closer to him, took his face into his hands, and kissed him. Seamus kissed him back gently, wrapping his arms around Deanâs waist. Right now, even if things werenât completely fixed at least they were back to this.
âŚ
When Gryffindor won the final Quidditch game for the year Seamus ran to Dean and hugged him as Dean bellowed with laughter. They went back to the common room for the celebratory party and they shared a bottle of butter bear. Everyone was beyond excited over the victory and Harry seemed to be too since he kissed Ginny in front of everyone, being met with wolf whistles and hollers. Dean stared at the two in surprise, not sure what to do in the situation. Seamus saw Ron give Harry a shrug of approval and the new couple grinned in joy.
âThat was fast,â Dean muttered.
Seamus looked over at Dean, then back at everyone else who were continuing their celebration. He was thinking of telling Dean how he was one to talk, but he decided to show him instead.
He grabbed him by the collar of his robes, pulled Dean to him, and he kissed him. In front of everyone.
Dean was definitely surprised at first but he kissed him back, smiling into the kiss, clearly happy Seamus was over his fear of what other were thinking of them. There were a couple holler of âI knew itâsâ and a couple of playful wolf whistles but no one seemed to care that two boys were kissing in the common room.
âTalk about moving on fast,â Lavender teased when they pulled away, grinning at the two.
âŚ
âIt wasnât always sunshine after that though,â Seamus said. âWe were separated during the war because Dean was on the run for being a muggle-born.â
Dean nodded. âIt was terrifying; we didnât know if the other was alive or not.â
âŚ
Seventh year was meant to be a good year, not a year you fended off a war. More so, it wasnât a year you were meant to go through thinking to person you loved most in the world was dead.
The months went by, the DA tried to defend the school but this wasnât something people their age should experience. Seamus had marks from the Carrows clear on his face but he didnât care about that. He cared the boy he loved was in danger. He cared that he didnât know if Dean was alive or dead. He cared that Dean didnât know if he was alive or dead. And he was especially pissed off there was nothing he could do to make sure Dean was safe.
But then the day came.
The door leading to connected to Hogâs Head in the Room of Requirement opened and out came the boy Seamus loved most in this world.
He didnât even have to think, with a roar of delight, he ran to Dean and threw his arms around him, holding him tight, as if he would disappear again if he didnât. Dean nuzzled into the crook of Seamus neck, both of them lightly sobbing, whimpers of âI missed youâ were exchanged. When they pulled away, Dean took Seamusâs face into his hands and kissed him, tasting each otherâs salty tears. No one interrupted them, they were either not paying attention or knew that couple needed this moment, need their reunion.
âI love you,â Seamus whimpered out. Words that had been on his tongue since they were separated, finally in the air.
âI love you too,â Dean sobbed out in response.
When they pulled away, Dean held Seamusâs face in his hands. âOh my god, what happened?â he asked, his eyes widening at the scars on his face.
âIâm fine, donât worry,â Seamus assured. âJust some battle scars.â
Dean nodded, gently running his fingers over the marks. There was still a battle to fight in.
âŚ
âCan you skip the history lesson and jump to the parent stuff?â Albus asked.
âOh, not much to say on that,â Seamus shrugged. âTold our parents, they said they had suspicions. Thatâs it.â
âReally, thatâs it?â
âYour family was real supportive of us; I doubt theyâd be any different with you.â
Dean gave him a warm smile. âReally, if you take anything from this, itâs that we were way happier when we werenât keeping it a secret.â
Albus bit his lip and nodded. He definitely got their story, that he was essentially Seamus in this situation.
He needed to talk to Scorpius.
âAlbus!â a voice called and he saw his Aunt Hermione walking to the group. âYour dadâs looking for you, almost time to go.â
âOh, okay,â he said and hastily stood up.
âHey, Granger,â Seamus grinned at her.
Aunt Hermione smiled at the two. âOh hey you two. Was meaning to say hi, keeping Albus busy huh? Better than sitting in the corner.â
âYeah, just told him some school stories,â Dean smiled.
âYou got a lot, Iâm sure,â Aunt Hermione laughed.
Albus left the three to catch up and went to find his parents. James waved him over to them and he walked over, his hands in his pockets.
âWhere were you?â James asked.
Albus shrugged. âTalking to some of dadâs old classmates,â he shrugged.
âWho?â
âI donât know what their last names are, but Dean and Seamus.â
âOh, you met Dean and Seamus?â his mum smiled.
He nodded. âYeah, theyâre nice. Seem happy together.â
His mum nodded. âYeah, they were best friends for years before ending up together.â
âDoes he mean Mr and Mr Thomas-Finnigan?â James asked.
âYeah, the couple we ran into at the world cup last year.â
âWhy were you talking to them?â Lily asked, cocking her head to the side.
âProfessor Longbottom told me to,â he said. âSaid theyâre fun and have good stories.â It was half the truth so he decided to run with it.
His dad was finishing his goodbyes with the members of the DA. He and Uncle Ron had joined Hermione with talking to Dean and Seamus. The four were smiling, conversing like the old classmates they were.
âMum, can I Apparate home this time?â James asked.
âNo, James.â
âUgh, but why not?â
âAlbus, have you said bye to Dean and Seamus?â his mum asked, ignoring James.
âNo, didnât get a chance,â He replied.
âWell, go be polite and give them a proper farewell.â
He nodded and made his way over to the two. His Aunt and Uncle had left with their children but his dad was still there.
âUh, it was nice meeting you properly,â Albus said to the couple.
They smiled at him. âYou too, Albus,â Dean said.
âWhatâd you even tell him about, anyway?â his dad asked.
âJust school stories,â Seamus said.
âFar less interesting than the stories you have to tell him, Iâm sure,â Dean said.
His dad smiled. âNah, Iâm sure you two have plenty of stories I missed.â
The couple simply smiled in response to the comment. âWell, we got to get home anyway, itâs pretty late.â
âIt was great seeing you two again,â his dad said.
âYou too,â Dean said.
âGood luck at Hogwarts, Albus,â Seamus said giving him a quick wink. Albus smiled, knowing exactly what he meant by that.
And the two Apparated out of the room with a loud crack.
âThose two seriously havenât changed,â his dad said.
âThatâs good to know.â
âŚ
Albus had debated in his mind what to do first; whether he should tell his parents he was gay or try to make up with Scorpius.
Heâd settled on telling his parents first. Even if Scorpius didnât take him back he still couldnât hide his sexuality from his parents. So as he was walking up the stairs to go to bed one night, heâd called down that he was gay. Instantly, he was met with acceptance and especially hugs from everyone. Dean and Seamus definitely werenât wrong and he realised this was the easy part.
He started by sending Scorpius an owl, stating heâd told his parents that he was gay, so he could only hope Scorpius decided to read it. He was expecting an owl to be sent back or to be ignored but instead he got something that was completely unexpected.
Scorpius Apparated right into his room.
He couldnât get any words out because Scorpiusâs lips were on his, kissing him over and over and over, apologising for being horrible to Albus in between each kiss.
He told Albus that during their time apart he told his dad he was gay and, being the loving father he was, he accepted him immediately. Of course they did eventually tell their families they were more than friends and that was accepted fast too. When the news got around Hogwarts everyone seemed the farthest from surprised.
At the end of Herbology one day, Albus decided to ask Professor Longbottom something that had been on his mind for too long.
âExcuse me, Professor?â he asked as everyone had cleared out.
âYes Albus?â Professor Longbottom ask, his cheeks extra plump.
âDid you know about me and Scorpius? Is that why you told me to talk to Dean and Seamus?â Professor Longbottom smiled and nodded. âHowâd you know?â
âAlbus, I roomed with Dean and Seamus for six years, I know what it looks like when two best friends fall in love.â
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