Fic: Memories as a Teacup Chapter 18 (Dean/Seamus)
Title: Memories as a Teacup: Chapter 18
Author: wook77
Pairing:: Dean/Seamus (other slash and het pairings contained within)
Rating: PG (Eventual rating: Hard R)
100quills prompt: 009. Victory
Warnings: Canon compliant through DH. Pre-Epilogue. Additional Warnings at the beginning of Chapter 1.
Wordcount: Overall: ~70k This part: ~1900
Summary: Four years ago, Dean Thomas died in the midst of a raid. Seamus saw it happen right in front of his eyes but seeing isn't believing and reality is in the eye of the beholder.
A/N: Many many thanks to nefernat and elanorofcastile for the beta job. All remaining mistakes are my own.
All Chapters
Perhaps meeting was a misnomer but Seamus didn't feel too bad for misleading Dean as to what, exactly, the 'meeting' was about. The trial for Rodolphus Lestrange was this morning. Seamus's nerves weren't nearly as bad as they had been when he'd first received the summons. Instead, he concentrated on the feel of Dean's flesh under his lips from this morning.
"All right, Seamus?" Harry asked from his right as the lift lowered.
"All right, you?" Seamus asked back as he looked to Harry. Harry gave a nod.
"How's Dean?"
"Good. They restored some of his memories yesterday. Didn't get a chance to find out what ones yet, though. I'm hoping for everything but I'll be happy enough if he can remember anything at all."
"Yeah. Had to be weird to be in that position. Glad it wasn't me," Harry said. "Don't know how I would've coped if it had been Ginny, either."
"Day by day. You learn to get around one another."
"Back together?"
"Not yet but-," Seamus paused to collect himself. "But it's looking likely."
"That's brilliant news! Congratulations!" The lift doors opened, interrupting their conversation. Ron stepped out from the alcove and the three of them walked towards the courtroom. The narrow halls slowly started to creep in on Seamus but he pushed all of that back. He wasn't on trial much as his guilty conscience might make him think that he was. The worst that the Wizengamot could do was forbid him from ever working as an Auror again. Either way, he didn't much care about being in law enforcement any longer. Tedious reports aside, he liked working with Quidditch.
The doors opened and the three of them slipped into the courtroom. The pomp and circumstance of the opening of the trial started, stealing Seamus's attention from his thoughts on his career. Lestrange entered in shackles while being escorted by two very burly Aurors. After sitting on the chair and being secured, the rest of the trial, the recitation of charges, the administration of Veritaserum and the rest all flowed past quickly. So absorbed in the proceedings, Seamus didn't realise that they'd called his name until Harry elbowed him.
"Sorry, sirs and madams," Seamus apologised as he hurried down to the witness seat.
~~**~~
His hands pinned over his head, Dean grinned up at Seamus as they wrestled for the top position. Seamus's grin was cocky, far too cocky, and all Dean wanted to do was wipe that smirk off his face. Going placid, he waited until Seamus's arrogance let him relax. Bucking against Seamus, he was able to flip them around and then he quickly pinned Seamus to the bed.
"Got you, you know," Dean said as he leaned forward and pressed their lips together.
"Always," Seamus said seriously.
"I love you, Seem," Dean vowed and then kissed Seamus once more while entwining their hands together.
~~**~~
"Could you please tell us about the first interview." The stately woman asking him about the time he'd beat the everliving shite out of Lestrange seemed familiar to Seamus.
"Aye, sure. I was reinstated temporarily as a full Auror so as to sit in on the questioning of a prime suspect in an investigation I'd been Lead Investigator. We didn't have permission to administer Veritaserum so the questioning didn't go well. Lestrange was argumentative and defensive."
"We are given to believe, from the reports filed about the questioning, that force was utilized?"
"Aye, madam, it was."
~~**~~
"Adams, Anthony. Adams, Antonia. Adams, Barbara," Dean read the list of names from the phone register as he stared at Seamus squirming in his seat. Deepening his voice, recalling the way that Seamus made him growl at times, Dean taunted, "About ready to give up? Face it, you can't help that I turn you on for anything at all. I told you that I could read the names and you'd get hard. You're hard, Seem, give it up and kiss me."
Seamus leapt from the chair and tackled him, toppling them and the chair.
~~**~~
"And what was the results of this forceful interrogation?"
"Lestrange didn't confess. We were able to secure permission to use Veritaserum in the next interrogation session because he was recalcitrant."
"Ah, of course," she said and Seamus could tell that she didn't approve of the beating he'd administered. "Is it common practise to utilize force in the course of your investigations?"
~~**~~
"You're avoiding me and I'm sick and tired of it. We're best mates, aren't we?" Dean demanded as he held the door to the closet closed.
"Let me out of here. I've work to be doing," Seamus spat back as he tried to get around Dean.
"Work that I'm your partner for! You keep avoiding me and we'll never get through training! Just tell me what the fuck is your problem before it gets us both tossed out of here!"
"You, all right?! You are my problem!"
"How's that go?" Dean was so angry that he couldn't quite breathe properly.
"You and this and everything! I can't talk to you about this!"
"Why not? If I'm the problem, you need to tell me so I can stop doing whatever it is that I'm doing that pisses you off so much."
"You can't change it so just leave off!"
"No fucking way!" Dean yelled back. He was certain that there was a hell of a crowd outside the door but he didn't much care. Seamus was close and his scent was teasing Dean. There'd been all those awkward looks and Dean had seen the hurt building for a few days.
"You and Lav, all right?"
"She's not your girl so what's the problem?"
"She shouldn't be yours, either."
"Why?"
"Because I should be," Seamus said and then abruptly stopped all motion at all. "I don't mean that."
"Yes, you do."
"I don't. I wouldn't. Ignore I said anything and let me out of this fucking closet."
Dean laughed before saying, "That's what I'm trying to do."
With that, he kissed Seamus, holding on to his arms tightly. The feel of Seamus's arms swinging around him and the feel of his fingers kneading the back of his neck turned him on more than any flirtation he'd had before. It brought back memories of that drunken snog and the way that he'd been dreaming of Seamus's taste for all these years.
~~**~~
"We have before us, twenty three reports of interrogations that you have conducted, Mister Finnigan, and of those, three had force utilized in them."
"Aye, I'm sure. If a suspect attacks, I'll protect myself."
"Is that your position in this instance? Lestrange attacked you within the interrogation room?"
"No, madam, didn't say that. I'm saying that the previous interrogations were out in the field and I was under attack meself." Seamus did his best to keep his temper under control as he was interrogated but couldn't resist saying, "I thought Lestrange was the one on trial and not meself."
"He is. However, we must confirm the veracity of the testimony. If it was given under duress or to avoid another such forceful interrogation, than the veracity is called into question."
"I didn't attack him again. We, Potter, Weasley and meself, administered the Veritaserum calmly and without any incident. The confession to the misdeeds were eventually recited in a proud tone. There was no fear on Lestrange's part at all. He's proud of taking away the lives of his victims and stripping them from the lives of their loved ones. He's happy to have wrecked countless lives. That's what we should be talking about, not a couple of hits on my part. You want to talk about duress? Try having a loved one disappear right in front of you and coming across him in a park. You try it and then we'll be talking about duress." Seamus's outburst didn't embarrass him.
"Dean Thomas," she said simply.
"Dean Thomas. Me partner."
"In more ways than Aurors?"
"Aye."
~~**~~
"You're right, we need to get in there before they disappear," Dean said as he looked towards the building. "Come on, Seem."
The curse came from nowhere. Dean didn't even know what hit him before everything darkened.
~~**~~
"He is currently undergoing treatment to reverse the effects?"
"Aye. The Healers are hopeful that they can recover the majority of his memories. They're not entirely optimistic that Dean'll get all of them back."
"And there are more victims? Do we have a list?"
Harry stood up from his seat, "If I could interrupt, that information is in the report in front of you. Lestrange and his cohorts didn't recall the names of most of their victims. We've asked for permission to be able to go through the records of the missing and search for them."
"Auror Potter, please come forward. Auror Finnigan, you may return to your seat. We may have need of you further."
~~**~~
When he woke, Dean curled around Seamus's pillow, snuggling it close. There were giant gaps in his memory. Everything - the past and the present and the fake past - all combined into a confusing mess. Shaking with the effects of recalling so much so quickly, Dean slipped out of bed and grabbed the box of photographs and drawings.
He flipped through them, checking to see which ones he remembered and which ones he didn't. He could remember drawing some of them but not all. Gripping the drawing in front of him, he remembered the way that Seamus had looked that morning when he'd woken after their first shag. So entranced with the way the light trickled across Seamus's freckled skin, he'd grabbed his quill and started to sketch, making Seamus stay there even as he whinged about having to take a piss and what the hell was Dean thinking about drawing for when they could be shagging each other rotten. Dean ignored all of it as he captured the moment.
The past Seamus had been quick to anger and jealousy. It had turned Dean on as much as it had repelled him. They'd been great mates, fantastic lovers but not so great at being lovers and mates. They'd fought often and made up just as much. That morning, though, there'd been such intense love.
Just like now.
Dropping the sketch back into the box, Dean grinned to himself as he pressed his fingers against his lips. Dean loved Seamus. Hell, he loved him more now than he ever had before. He'd been falling and falling for so long that he hadn't realised just how far he'd fallen. Seamus wasn't just his best mate or the one he'd run off to when he'd argued with his mum. Seamus was it for him. It.
~~**~~
"In the matter of Rodolphus Lestrange, all those in favour of permanent incarceration with no chance of parole, please raise your hands." Slowly but surely, every hand but two raised.
"Those not in favour, raise your hands." No hands rose.
"The verdict and punishment carry. Rodolphus Lestrange, you are hereby remanded into the permanent and judicious custody of Azkaban for the entirety of your life."
As always, I'd love to hear what you thought.
chapter 19
Author: wook77
Pairing:: Dean/Seamus (other slash and het pairings contained within)
Rating: PG (Eventual rating: Hard R)
100quills prompt: 009. Victory
Warnings: Canon compliant through DH. Pre-Epilogue. Additional Warnings at the beginning of Chapter 1.
Wordcount: Overall: ~70k This part: ~1900
Summary: Four years ago, Dean Thomas died in the midst of a raid. Seamus saw it happen right in front of his eyes but seeing isn't believing and reality is in the eye of the beholder.
A/N: Many many thanks to nefernat and elanorofcastile for the beta job. All remaining mistakes are my own.
All Chapters
Perhaps meeting was a misnomer but Seamus didn't feel too bad for misleading Dean as to what, exactly, the 'meeting' was about. The trial for Rodolphus Lestrange was this morning. Seamus's nerves weren't nearly as bad as they had been when he'd first received the summons. Instead, he concentrated on the feel of Dean's flesh under his lips from this morning.
"All right, Seamus?" Harry asked from his right as the lift lowered.
"All right, you?" Seamus asked back as he looked to Harry. Harry gave a nod.
"How's Dean?"
"Good. They restored some of his memories yesterday. Didn't get a chance to find out what ones yet, though. I'm hoping for everything but I'll be happy enough if he can remember anything at all."
"Yeah. Had to be weird to be in that position. Glad it wasn't me," Harry said. "Don't know how I would've coped if it had been Ginny, either."
"Day by day. You learn to get around one another."
"Back together?"
"Not yet but-," Seamus paused to collect himself. "But it's looking likely."
"That's brilliant news! Congratulations!" The lift doors opened, interrupting their conversation. Ron stepped out from the alcove and the three of them walked towards the courtroom. The narrow halls slowly started to creep in on Seamus but he pushed all of that back. He wasn't on trial much as his guilty conscience might make him think that he was. The worst that the Wizengamot could do was forbid him from ever working as an Auror again. Either way, he didn't much care about being in law enforcement any longer. Tedious reports aside, he liked working with Quidditch.
The doors opened and the three of them slipped into the courtroom. The pomp and circumstance of the opening of the trial started, stealing Seamus's attention from his thoughts on his career. Lestrange entered in shackles while being escorted by two very burly Aurors. After sitting on the chair and being secured, the rest of the trial, the recitation of charges, the administration of Veritaserum and the rest all flowed past quickly. So absorbed in the proceedings, Seamus didn't realise that they'd called his name until Harry elbowed him.
"Sorry, sirs and madams," Seamus apologised as he hurried down to the witness seat.
~~**~~
His hands pinned over his head, Dean grinned up at Seamus as they wrestled for the top position. Seamus's grin was cocky, far too cocky, and all Dean wanted to do was wipe that smirk off his face. Going placid, he waited until Seamus's arrogance let him relax. Bucking against Seamus, he was able to flip them around and then he quickly pinned Seamus to the bed.
"Got you, you know," Dean said as he leaned forward and pressed their lips together.
"Always," Seamus said seriously.
"I love you, Seem," Dean vowed and then kissed Seamus once more while entwining their hands together.
~~**~~
"Could you please tell us about the first interview." The stately woman asking him about the time he'd beat the everliving shite out of Lestrange seemed familiar to Seamus.
"Aye, sure. I was reinstated temporarily as a full Auror so as to sit in on the questioning of a prime suspect in an investigation I'd been Lead Investigator. We didn't have permission to administer Veritaserum so the questioning didn't go well. Lestrange was argumentative and defensive."
"We are given to believe, from the reports filed about the questioning, that force was utilized?"
"Aye, madam, it was."
~~**~~
"Adams, Anthony. Adams, Antonia. Adams, Barbara," Dean read the list of names from the phone register as he stared at Seamus squirming in his seat. Deepening his voice, recalling the way that Seamus made him growl at times, Dean taunted, "About ready to give up? Face it, you can't help that I turn you on for anything at all. I told you that I could read the names and you'd get hard. You're hard, Seem, give it up and kiss me."
Seamus leapt from the chair and tackled him, toppling them and the chair.
~~**~~
"And what was the results of this forceful interrogation?"
"Lestrange didn't confess. We were able to secure permission to use Veritaserum in the next interrogation session because he was recalcitrant."
"Ah, of course," she said and Seamus could tell that she didn't approve of the beating he'd administered. "Is it common practise to utilize force in the course of your investigations?"
~~**~~
"You're avoiding me and I'm sick and tired of it. We're best mates, aren't we?" Dean demanded as he held the door to the closet closed.
"Let me out of here. I've work to be doing," Seamus spat back as he tried to get around Dean.
"Work that I'm your partner for! You keep avoiding me and we'll never get through training! Just tell me what the fuck is your problem before it gets us both tossed out of here!"
"You, all right?! You are my problem!"
"How's that go?" Dean was so angry that he couldn't quite breathe properly.
"You and this and everything! I can't talk to you about this!"
"Why not? If I'm the problem, you need to tell me so I can stop doing whatever it is that I'm doing that pisses you off so much."
"You can't change it so just leave off!"
"No fucking way!" Dean yelled back. He was certain that there was a hell of a crowd outside the door but he didn't much care. Seamus was close and his scent was teasing Dean. There'd been all those awkward looks and Dean had seen the hurt building for a few days.
"You and Lav, all right?"
"She's not your girl so what's the problem?"
"She shouldn't be yours, either."
"Why?"
"Because I should be," Seamus said and then abruptly stopped all motion at all. "I don't mean that."
"Yes, you do."
"I don't. I wouldn't. Ignore I said anything and let me out of this fucking closet."
Dean laughed before saying, "That's what I'm trying to do."
With that, he kissed Seamus, holding on to his arms tightly. The feel of Seamus's arms swinging around him and the feel of his fingers kneading the back of his neck turned him on more than any flirtation he'd had before. It brought back memories of that drunken snog and the way that he'd been dreaming of Seamus's taste for all these years.
~~**~~
"We have before us, twenty three reports of interrogations that you have conducted, Mister Finnigan, and of those, three had force utilized in them."
"Aye, I'm sure. If a suspect attacks, I'll protect myself."
"Is that your position in this instance? Lestrange attacked you within the interrogation room?"
"No, madam, didn't say that. I'm saying that the previous interrogations were out in the field and I was under attack meself." Seamus did his best to keep his temper under control as he was interrogated but couldn't resist saying, "I thought Lestrange was the one on trial and not meself."
"He is. However, we must confirm the veracity of the testimony. If it was given under duress or to avoid another such forceful interrogation, than the veracity is called into question."
"I didn't attack him again. We, Potter, Weasley and meself, administered the Veritaserum calmly and without any incident. The confession to the misdeeds were eventually recited in a proud tone. There was no fear on Lestrange's part at all. He's proud of taking away the lives of his victims and stripping them from the lives of their loved ones. He's happy to have wrecked countless lives. That's what we should be talking about, not a couple of hits on my part. You want to talk about duress? Try having a loved one disappear right in front of you and coming across him in a park. You try it and then we'll be talking about duress." Seamus's outburst didn't embarrass him.
"Dean Thomas," she said simply.
"Dean Thomas. Me partner."
"In more ways than Aurors?"
"Aye."
~~**~~
"You're right, we need to get in there before they disappear," Dean said as he looked towards the building. "Come on, Seem."
The curse came from nowhere. Dean didn't even know what hit him before everything darkened.
~~**~~
"He is currently undergoing treatment to reverse the effects?"
"Aye. The Healers are hopeful that they can recover the majority of his memories. They're not entirely optimistic that Dean'll get all of them back."
"And there are more victims? Do we have a list?"
Harry stood up from his seat, "If I could interrupt, that information is in the report in front of you. Lestrange and his cohorts didn't recall the names of most of their victims. We've asked for permission to be able to go through the records of the missing and search for them."
"Auror Potter, please come forward. Auror Finnigan, you may return to your seat. We may have need of you further."
~~**~~
When he woke, Dean curled around Seamus's pillow, snuggling it close. There were giant gaps in his memory. Everything - the past and the present and the fake past - all combined into a confusing mess. Shaking with the effects of recalling so much so quickly, Dean slipped out of bed and grabbed the box of photographs and drawings.
He flipped through them, checking to see which ones he remembered and which ones he didn't. He could remember drawing some of them but not all. Gripping the drawing in front of him, he remembered the way that Seamus had looked that morning when he'd woken after their first shag. So entranced with the way the light trickled across Seamus's freckled skin, he'd grabbed his quill and started to sketch, making Seamus stay there even as he whinged about having to take a piss and what the hell was Dean thinking about drawing for when they could be shagging each other rotten. Dean ignored all of it as he captured the moment.
The past Seamus had been quick to anger and jealousy. It had turned Dean on as much as it had repelled him. They'd been great mates, fantastic lovers but not so great at being lovers and mates. They'd fought often and made up just as much. That morning, though, there'd been such intense love.
Just like now.
Dropping the sketch back into the box, Dean grinned to himself as he pressed his fingers against his lips. Dean loved Seamus. Hell, he loved him more now than he ever had before. He'd been falling and falling for so long that he hadn't realised just how far he'd fallen. Seamus wasn't just his best mate or the one he'd run off to when he'd argued with his mum. Seamus was it for him. It.
~~**~~
"In the matter of Rodolphus Lestrange, all those in favour of permanent incarceration with no chance of parole, please raise your hands." Slowly but surely, every hand but two raised.
"Those not in favour, raise your hands." No hands rose.
"The verdict and punishment carry. Rodolphus Lestrange, you are hereby remanded into the permanent and judicious custody of Azkaban for the entirety of your life."
As always, I'd love to hear what you thought.
chapter 19