Happy Birthday St. Margarets!
Hope you're enjoying your day, honey. Here's a tiny present from me, Seamus and Lavender.
He could hear someone slip into the Common Room long before he saw them. Soft footsteps padded across the floor closer to where he was sitting in the shadows.
“Seamus,” he heard her whisper. “Seamus, why have you been avoiding me?”
Because I can’t bloody well think right around you lately, that’s why.
“Seamus?” Her hand touched his elbow, and he was incensed. His jaw tensed as his teeth gritted together in frustration. Couldn’t she tell that he was keeping his distance? Didn’t she know it was all he could do to not touch her?
“Aye,” he replied. It was all he could say, his voice would allow nothing else - just the one syllable that he’d been able to utter since birth practically.
They were back again in this spot, at the window seat of Gryffindor tower. Had she looked out here and wondered how her heart would heal after Ron broke it off with her? Had she wondered how to face all of Hogwarts afterwards? He remembered that day with uncharacteristic anger. At the time, he thought, he could live being her friend. Such a fool. He was sorely mistaken thinking that he could go on being her bloody pal. It just couldn’t work out that way; too much had happened. He’d held her hand as she cried for her father. Led her by the small of her back into classrooms, never letting her out of his sight for fear that something terrible would befall her. And he felt like such a fool.
She still loved Ron.
He knew it deep down.
So angry with himself; Seamus knew she didn’t deserve this. No, she didn’t deserve to wonder what was wrong with her friend. She didn’t bloody well deserve it. He just couldn’t see his way clear of loving her - it was out of his hands.
“What’s wrong?” She questioned; so full of questions she was tonight, Seamus thought.
Groaning inwardly, he ran his hands over his face. It might just be best to push her away, he thought. Just give her a shove and tell her she’s not what he needs or wants. And when his heart clutched at the thought of hurting her, Seamus reminded himself that it might be for the best. His eyes darted left then right, finding that they were very much alone in the middle of the night. His heart pounded, again.
“Nothing,” he ground out. “Nothing’s bloody wrong, Lavender. Go back to bed.”
He knew that hurt her. No more than it’s costing you, his inner voice reminded him. Still - she didn’t budge - he didn’t hear her soft footsteps retreating. Sucking in a deep breath, he fortified himself for what he was about to do. Looking up into her eyes, at her lovely face, he almost took the easy way out. He’d done it often enough in the past; taken the easy way out when standing and fighting was the order of the day. No, not this time. She meant too much too him and he couldn’t go on like this anymore.
“What, Lavender?! What do you want of me?” Standing, he was near her…closer than he’d allowed himself in months. “Go, I told ya. Go on, now. Get away, I don’t need any company and I surely don’t need you.” Grasping her shoulders, he turned her and gave her a gentle push to get her on her way.
And then she did the unexpected, she rounded on him and pushed her finger in the middle of his chest. “You listen here, Seamus Finnigan, I have no idea what I’ve done or what kind of bug you’ve got up your arse, but there is no need to hurt your friends on purpose.”
Staring incredulously at an angry Lavender Brown, he almost laughed at her expression. And if it weren’t so serious, he very well might have. Yet, he didn’t.
“Friends? Is that what we are now?” He whispered heatedly, looking down at her upturned nose.
“Of course it is, Seamus. Of course we’re friends.”
He couldn’t help it, something inside of him broke. His hand skimmed up her arm, and cupped the side of her face.
“No,” he said, rubbing his thumb over her cheek. “We’re not.”
And with that he leaned down, and buried his hands in her hair and did what he been aching to do for so long. He kissed her. It wasn’t particularly suave or smooth, but he put his heart into it. And when he pulled back, he watched her eyelids flutter open. He then led her by the hand to the girl’s dormitory door, and turned to walk away. Thinking better of it, he turned. She was still standing there watching him.
“You think on that, Lavender. I don’t want to be your friend anymore, I want more.” He was tired and it was late at night and his heart hurt and it was time. “I want you.”
Heart sore and worn out, he turned and walked up to bed.
Two days went by and not a word from Lavender. She won’t even look at ya, his inner voice noted. Pulling a face, he grabbed his History of Magic text and strode out of class. Old Binns’ class gave a body too much time to think. Chatting with Dean on the way out, he was surprised to see Lavender striding down the corridor in their direction. Eyes meeting, he felt his heart beat, beat, and beat in quick time.
When she stopped in front of them, Seamus was sure Dean said something but he only waved his friend away. He took a moment and drank in the sight of her. Her hair and face was as familiar to him as the face that greeted him in the mirror everyday. The blue of her eyes was clear and calm. So unsure whether he should smile or say hi, he stood and looked his fill.
And without any notice or warning, her arms encircled his neck and her lips were upon his. Startled for a moment, he then wound his arms around her waist. Lavender dropped back upon her heels, while he tried to tame his wild running heart. She touched a finger her lips. If he had to venture a guess he would say that it looked as if she was trying to imprint the memory of his lips upon hers, or so he hoped. If he wouldn’t look like a complete fool, he might have done the very same thing right then and there. But he didn’t.
“Hogsmeade, you and me, two weeks from now. We’re going together. And not as friends either, Seamus.”
With that she strode off in the opposite direction. He grinned and laughed. And he didn’t care if all of Hogwarts was watching; he whooped out loud and tore off in the direction that Dean had gone.
ETA: Much thanks to coquillagement and moonette1 for breaking it down and hand holding. Thanks, gals.
He could hear someone slip into the Common Room long before he saw them. Soft footsteps padded across the floor closer to where he was sitting in the shadows.
“Seamus,” he heard her whisper. “Seamus, why have you been avoiding me?”
Because I can’t bloody well think right around you lately, that’s why.
“Seamus?” Her hand touched his elbow, and he was incensed. His jaw tensed as his teeth gritted together in frustration. Couldn’t she tell that he was keeping his distance? Didn’t she know it was all he could do to not touch her?
“Aye,” he replied. It was all he could say, his voice would allow nothing else - just the one syllable that he’d been able to utter since birth practically.
They were back again in this spot, at the window seat of Gryffindor tower. Had she looked out here and wondered how her heart would heal after Ron broke it off with her? Had she wondered how to face all of Hogwarts afterwards? He remembered that day with uncharacteristic anger. At the time, he thought, he could live being her friend. Such a fool. He was sorely mistaken thinking that he could go on being her bloody pal. It just couldn’t work out that way; too much had happened. He’d held her hand as she cried for her father. Led her by the small of her back into classrooms, never letting her out of his sight for fear that something terrible would befall her. And he felt like such a fool.
She still loved Ron.
He knew it deep down.
So angry with himself; Seamus knew she didn’t deserve this. No, she didn’t deserve to wonder what was wrong with her friend. She didn’t bloody well deserve it. He just couldn’t see his way clear of loving her - it was out of his hands.
“What’s wrong?” She questioned; so full of questions she was tonight, Seamus thought.
Groaning inwardly, he ran his hands over his face. It might just be best to push her away, he thought. Just give her a shove and tell her she’s not what he needs or wants. And when his heart clutched at the thought of hurting her, Seamus reminded himself that it might be for the best. His eyes darted left then right, finding that they were very much alone in the middle of the night. His heart pounded, again.
“Nothing,” he ground out. “Nothing’s bloody wrong, Lavender. Go back to bed.”
He knew that hurt her. No more than it’s costing you, his inner voice reminded him. Still - she didn’t budge - he didn’t hear her soft footsteps retreating. Sucking in a deep breath, he fortified himself for what he was about to do. Looking up into her eyes, at her lovely face, he almost took the easy way out. He’d done it often enough in the past; taken the easy way out when standing and fighting was the order of the day. No, not this time. She meant too much too him and he couldn’t go on like this anymore.
“What, Lavender?! What do you want of me?” Standing, he was near her…closer than he’d allowed himself in months. “Go, I told ya. Go on, now. Get away, I don’t need any company and I surely don’t need you.” Grasping her shoulders, he turned her and gave her a gentle push to get her on her way.
And then she did the unexpected, she rounded on him and pushed her finger in the middle of his chest. “You listen here, Seamus Finnigan, I have no idea what I’ve done or what kind of bug you’ve got up your arse, but there is no need to hurt your friends on purpose.”
Staring incredulously at an angry Lavender Brown, he almost laughed at her expression. And if it weren’t so serious, he very well might have. Yet, he didn’t.
“Friends? Is that what we are now?” He whispered heatedly, looking down at her upturned nose.
“Of course it is, Seamus. Of course we’re friends.”
He couldn’t help it, something inside of him broke. His hand skimmed up her arm, and cupped the side of her face.
“No,” he said, rubbing his thumb over her cheek. “We’re not.”
And with that he leaned down, and buried his hands in her hair and did what he been aching to do for so long. He kissed her. It wasn’t particularly suave or smooth, but he put his heart into it. And when he pulled back, he watched her eyelids flutter open. He then led her by the hand to the girl’s dormitory door, and turned to walk away. Thinking better of it, he turned. She was still standing there watching him.
“You think on that, Lavender. I don’t want to be your friend anymore, I want more.” He was tired and it was late at night and his heart hurt and it was time. “I want you.”
Heart sore and worn out, he turned and walked up to bed.
Two days went by and not a word from Lavender. She won’t even look at ya, his inner voice noted. Pulling a face, he grabbed his History of Magic text and strode out of class. Old Binns’ class gave a body too much time to think. Chatting with Dean on the way out, he was surprised to see Lavender striding down the corridor in their direction. Eyes meeting, he felt his heart beat, beat, and beat in quick time.
When she stopped in front of them, Seamus was sure Dean said something but he only waved his friend away. He took a moment and drank in the sight of her. Her hair and face was as familiar to him as the face that greeted him in the mirror everyday. The blue of her eyes was clear and calm. So unsure whether he should smile or say hi, he stood and looked his fill.
And without any notice or warning, her arms encircled his neck and her lips were upon his. Startled for a moment, he then wound his arms around her waist. Lavender dropped back upon her heels, while he tried to tame his wild running heart. She touched a finger her lips. If he had to venture a guess he would say that it looked as if she was trying to imprint the memory of his lips upon hers, or so he hoped. If he wouldn’t look like a complete fool, he might have done the very same thing right then and there. But he didn’t.
“Hogsmeade, you and me, two weeks from now. We’re going together. And not as friends either, Seamus.”
With that she strode off in the opposite direction. He grinned and laughed. And he didn’t care if all of Hogwarts was watching; he whooped out loud and tore off in the direction that Dean had gone.
ETA: Much thanks to coquillagement and moonette1 for breaking it down and hand holding. Thanks, gals.