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I Believed in Father Christmas	By : sarcastrow Category: Harry Potter > General > General Views: 1698 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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I Believed in Father Christmas

Chapter 1

They Said There'd be Snow at Christmas

           Luna walked across the little kitchen in their flat and set a plate in the middle of the table in front of Seamus. He was very fond of his best mate’s girlfriend, and as flatmates they got on well, but the girl had very odd tastes. One was food, although tonight’s sushi looked spectacular. Several different kinds sat on the platter, and he was having a lot of trouble waiting for Dean.

            “Art boy better get home soon or I’m starting without him,” Seamus said.

           Luna swatted his hand as he stretched it out toward the platter. “He’ll be here shortly. He just had to stop off at his mother's. Since you’re going to Lavender's parents we’re staying over at his mum's for Christmas, and he wanted to get his old room ready for us.”

           Seamus grinned. “Don’t think Sylvia and Mr. Brown would let Lav do that, do you?”

            “No, Seamus,” Luna said with genuine concern. “Unfortunately, many parents are not as open minded as my father and Dean’s mother. I fancy you and Lavender will be sleeping in separate beds tonight. Sadly there’ll be no making love until you get back home.”

           Seamus chuckled and shook his head. You just have no filter at all do you? he thought. You think it and out it comes.

            “Quite the contrary, Seamus, I think a great many things that I don’t say,” Luna said, and then looked at him concerned. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”

            “’S okay, I wasn’t really trying, and I know how hard it is for you not to hear the thoughts around you. I am getting a bit better at the Occlumancy though, aren’t I?”

           Luna smiled. “Oh yes, I hardly ever hear your thoughts anymore, unless of course you and Lavender are making love. Then I hear both of you so loudly I have to make love to Dean just to clear my head.”

            “Thanks. That helps a lot, that does,” he said sarcastically.

           She smiled. “I’m glad. Dean certainly doesn’t mind,” she said.

           As if on cue, Dean Thomas stepped through the back door of their flat and into Luna’s arms. Seamus was very happy for his best friend. He had found the love of his life in the most desperate of situations. Luna and Dean had known each other in the DA, but since they had been reunited in the basement of Malfoy Manor they hadn’t spent more than a few hours apart, and they had become a noun, Luna-and-Dean, like Ron-and-Hermione, or Ginny-and-Harry. Seamus smiled. He had recently heard his name incorporated into a noun, and he was secretly thrilled. Seamus-and-Lavender: he grinned even wider.

           The kiss broke apart and Luna stroked her hand down the side of Dean’s face. “I missed you,” she said in a husky voice. “This afternoon when I was cleaning the table,” – her eyes grew even more misty than usual – “as I was wiping it down the rhythm of it bumping on my hips reminded me of Thursday night.” She drew her hand lovingly down the middle of the table, closing her eyes in reminiscence. “It’s good that this table is very strong and can support us.”

           There was a loud thump as Seamus’s head impacted against the table’s surface.

           Luna looked at him quizzically. “Is something wrong, Seamus?”

           His forehead banged against the table again. “Just wiping that image from my mind.” His head came down with another thump.

           Luna smiled. “I can help with that if you want,” she said, only half seriously.

             “No, it’s better this way,” he said, and there were a few more thumps.

           Luna turned back to Dean, who was shaking in silent laughter. “Sushi tonight, the fishmonger I go to down at Billingsgate got in some very fresh blue fin tuna. He also had some octopus, some fresh Irish Salmon, and some very nice prawns.”

           Dean rubbed his hands together. “Well then my love, let’s eat, it looks terrific,” he said as he surveyed the carefully arranged platter on the table. The selection of tasty, bite sized morsels formed a spiral pattern of alternating colors that ended in a splayed arrangement of thin sliced tuna and salmon in the middle.

           Luna was just as artistic as Dean, but her talent ran over a broader range. Dean was highly skilled and talented at realistic illustrations, drawings, and paintings. Luna could draw well, but she could also sing, and she played the piano with a skill and emotion that frequently took Seamus’s breath away. She also had a talent for matching form and color when she cooked, and even though some of the combinations were odd at best, she had never made anything that the boys didn’t finish.

           Dean looked at Seamus. “Lavender coming tonight?”

            “Yeah,” Seamus said, “she’s finishing up with Parv at Madam Malkin's. They’re closing the shop tonight, so I don’t know when she’ll get here. Just save her some of the fish; you know how she likes it.”

           Dean laughed. “Yeah I do: raw, just like everything else.”

            “That’s not what I meant,” Seamus said, giving his friend a side long look.

           Luna grabbed a piece of a roll from the platter and popped it in Dean’s mouth. “You eat, I’ll fix a plate for Lavender.” She grabbed a bite for herself and began fixing Lavender’s plate.

v“Mphf. Okay, I’ll just do that,” Dean said through the mouth full of food.

           Seamus took that for the dinner bell and tucked in.

*******************

            “Parv?” Lavender called across the empty shop. “Parv, can you help me with this?”

            “Coming,” she heard from the store room. Parvati came through the door with a bundle of ties in her arms. “What do you need?”

           Lavender had a large collection of dress robes levitated in front of her. “I don’t want to put these down on the floor, could you hang them on the rack for me?”

           Parvati smiled at her best friend. “Of course,” she said. She draped the ties over her left arm and with a wave of her wand the robes, one by one, lifted themselves off the pile in front of Lavender and hung themselves on the rack. “That right?” Parvati asked as the last one slid into place.

           Lavender lowered her wand. “Yeah, I didn’t want to have to clean them, they’re brand new.”

            “So… Christmas at home,” Parvati said, smugly, “and with Seamus.”

            “Oh shut it,” Lavender said, laughing. “It’s all part of the deal we made in July. I went with him to his parents' twenty-fifth anniversary party, so he has to come to my house for Christmas.”

            “You’re not worried?” Parvati asked in a serious voice.

           Lavender's face fell. “I’m terrified, Parv. Mum’s thrilled. She’s only met Shay a few times, and she’s really looking forward to getting to know him, but Dad… I just hope he behaves.”

            “Jasmine and Artemisia are okay then?” Parvati asked.

           Lavender sat on the shoe stool, and chuckled. “Yeah, they’re rather curious about Shay, but those two I can handle.” Her voice became melancholy and stressed. “I’m just really worried about Dad. I mean I’ve told Shay how he gets, and I’m going to try to keep him away from the whisky. I just hope he doesn’t ruin everything. He’s done it so often.”

           Parvati smiled knowingly at her friend. She and Seamus had talked about Lavender’s father. Parvati had witnessed more than one of Mr. Brown’s lapses, and they hadn’t been pretty. When the man had too much to drink, as he was wont to do, he became belligerent and abusive. After he sobered up he was depressed and contrite, but Lavender had told her that would only last a few days, and then it would happen again. Parvati had recounted her experiences to Seamus, and he had made it plain to her that if the man got out of control, he had a plan.

           She knelt next to her friend. “Don’t worry, Lav,” she said, patting Lavender's hand. “Seamus loves you so much; he won’t let anything or anyone get in his way. You’ll see.”

           The two women shared a hug. “So … you and Anthony?” Lavender said with a smirk.

           Parvati smiled and blushed. “It’s a good thing neither of us are particularly devout in our own religious heritage. We’ve gone over to his parents' house the last few nights to light the Menorah, but mostly we’re doing the Christmas thing – which reminds me, look at this.” She drew a velvet bag from her pocket, undid the draw string, and pulled an oval brass medallion about the size of her hand from the bag. “It’s a cloak clasp I got from that little shop that opened at the end of the alley. It’s got these charms on it so that it never falls from the cloak. It uses magic instead of a pin so it doesn’t make a hole either.”

           Lavender turned the clasp over in her hands. “For Anthony?” Parvati nodded and smiled. “I don’t recognize the design. Looks like a Celtic knot but it’s kind of angular. Where’s it from?”

            “Pakistan,” Parvati told her. “There’s these wizards that live up in the hills. They’ve been working metal for centuries. We hardly ever see their work here because it’s so good it just doesn’t make it to us.”

           Lavender returned the clasp to her and she stowed it back in the bag. “So what’s Anthony getting you?” she asked.

            “I don’t know, and it kind of scares me a little. He does work in a jewelry shop that his parents own, you know,” Parvati said.

            “Ooh, a ring then, maybe?”

           Parvati smiled and shook her head emphatically. “No, no, no. I told him very firmly that he was not to do that.”

            “Well I’ve got Shay one of the nice dark green travel cloaks with the self cleaning charm. His is nearly worn out and too short anyway. Margaret, his mum, is embroidering the Finnigan and McNearny family knots on the back for me.”

           Lavender was looking off into the distance with a faint smile, and Parvati chuckled. I hadn’t seen that look on you in a long time, she thought. It’s good to see it back. You need to be in love. “Sounds beautiful,” she said. “Much better than some you’ve given past Christmases. Any idea what he’s getting you?”

            “You’re never giving that up, are you?” Lavender said, shaking her head.

            “Are you kidding?” Padma asked, shaking with tears leaking from her eyes. “My Sweetheart? I’ll be laughing about that when we’re pensioners!”

            “Well, my dearest friend, thanks ever so for that pleasant memory, but as to Seamus’s gift, I’ve not a clue,” Lavender said. “But he says he’s certain I’ll like it.” She rose from the stool. “And speaking of Shay, he’s back at the flat with Luna, Dean and dinner, so I’d best be on my way if I want to eat tonight.”

           Parvati laughed. “I’m sure they’ll save you some.”

           Lavender chuckled, shook her head, and smiled at her. “I’m not,” she said.

***************

           Luna tapped Seamus on the shoulder. “She’s here. Dean and I are on our way, so give Lavender our best,” she said, and walked out of the kitchen. Lavender came through the back door a few moments later, and Seamus wrapped her in a hug.

            “You’re cold,” he said, and kissed the chill from her lips.

           Lavender brushed a little snow from her robes when they broke apart. “It had just started snowing in the alley when I left.” They looked out of the kitchen window at the gentle flurry. “White Christmas this year. That’ll be beautiful,” she said.

Seamus smiled down at her. He was still slightly amazed at how much she affected him. There was a sensation of weightlessness in his chest, and he shook his head at how hard he had fallen for Lavender. “Yeah, white here in London, but will it be snowing in Suffolk?” he asked, to cover his burst of emotion.

            “Usually, yes. When it snows here, it snows there,” she said.

           He hugged her to him and kissed her again more soundly. “Hungry?” he asked.

            “Famished,” she answered. “Madam Malkin and all those male customers kept us running, we didn’t get a break all day.” She smacked his arm. “Why is it you men wait until the last two days before Christmas to shop?”

            “Hey, I was done a week ago,” he said in mock offence. “Got Mike the new Evanescence CD, Shieghly that piano course that Luna recommended for the kids, Mum and Dad the comforter you suggested, Luna and Dean the Kama Sutra box,” – he blushed furiously – “and you yours.” He kissed her one last time and released her from the hug. “Luna made sushi tonight and fixed you a plate, here.” He pulled her plate from the cooling cabinet.

           Lavender growled in pleasure at the artistic array of salmon, tuna, prawns, and octopus that Luna had laid for her. “Looks great,” she said, and took a seat at the table.

           Seamus shook his head and laughed. “I don’t know how she does it,” he said as he set Lavender’s plate in front of her. “This unassuming little witch from Surrey can wrangle sushi with the best in London, she can make a curry to die for, and the pies… oh Lav, you have to learn the pie recipe.”

            “Already have, my love,” she said between bites, “already have.”

            “Wicked,” he said, and kissed her hand.

           Lavender squeezed his and took another piece of salmon. “Yeah, I’ve learned a bit from Luna, and not just the art of control. She’s taught all of us a bit, and we’ve taught her even more.” A serene smile rested on her face and Seamus felt the weightless feeling again. He could see her reliving the memories, and he was pleased that they were such happy ones. She looked at him. “She made the lasagna yet?”

           Seamus looked a bit puzzled. “What, you mean the one with mushrooms, and all those Italian meats?”

                       “That’d be the one, yes.”

“Oh yeah, about four weeks ago,” he told her.

            “While I was at Hogwarts?” Lavender said in an annoyed voice.

            “Yeah, come to think of it, it was.”

           Lavender smiled. “The bitch,” she said laughing. “That’s my recipe, and I didn’t get a bite. I didn’t even know.”

            “Well she did credit you as I recall.” Seamus laughed

            “Why didn’t you say anything?”

           Seamus blushed as the memory overtook him. “It was really good,” he said earnestly, “and I uh, you see love, sometimes I don’t think so well when you’re around. You’d just been away for three nights, you had, and when you got back…”

            “I remember,” she said coyly.

            “So do I,” he said reverantly.

           Lavender took a bite. “So you liked it?”

           A stunned look crossed Seamus’s face. “Yes. Of course, how could you ask? I mean my god, woman…”

            “The lasagna, Shay,” she said, as she laughed and blushed herself.

            “Oh yeah, um, that too,” he said, looking into her eyes. She could see a boundless ocean of adoration there, and her heart swelled.

            “Good,” she said, and took the final piece of salmon from the plate. It was fantastic, and the last three pieces of tuna followed. She had saved a few slices of the octopus to top off her meal. The almost crab-like flavor was one of her favorites, and with just a hint of wasabi for bite it sent shivers though her.

           Seamus snapped out of his reverie. “Oh, and there’s this chocolate… thing for afters.”

            “Chocolate thing?” she asked, with raised eyebrows.

            “Yeah, well it’s not cake, and it’s not pie, but it will do nicely,” he said.

            “Then let’s have some,” she said, and then looked at the door to the sitting room. “Where are they?”

           Seamus retrieved the dessert from the cooling cabinet. “Dean's mum’s. They’ll be spendin’ Christmas there. Luna told me today.”

            “I’m glad she likes Luna, it’s so much better when the mum likes you,” Lavender said, and brushed her hand down Seamus’s arm.

            “You’re a walking advert for that, you are,” he said, then bent and kissed her.

           Lavender looked at the glass bowl he was holding. “It’s called a trifle, Shay.”

           He tilted his head to the side. “Okay. All I know is it’s really good.”

           She laughed a little as he dished up two more helpings. “I just hope this next few days goes as well as it did with your family.”

            “It will, love,” he said, as he gave her the dessert. “Sylvia seems to like me already, so I just have to win over your dad, brother, and sisters. Not hard at all with me winning charm, I tell you.” He said in full brogue.

           She slapped his arm. “Oh, turn it off!” she said, with a mouth full of trifle.

            “But you want me to make them love me, right?”

            “They will anyway.” She gave him a chocolate flavored kiss. “Just like me.”

            “I love you, Lavender.”

            “I love you, Seamus.”

           They decided to walk more than Apparate to Lavender’s parents' house. The snow was falling thickly but not sticking, and it made London a magical place. When they had made it out of the little Wizarding neighborhood that surrounded Diagon Alley, they Apparated to a park about a mile from her childhood home in Suffolk. The snow was indeed falling there too. There was heavier traffic in the area near Ipswich than in their part of London. The air was cleaner though, and they held hands and snuggled as they walked the mile to her house.

           The old house wasn’t in the town proper, but just outside in a neighborhood of small farms and cottages. The trains could be heard clearly in the distance, as could the local church bells. They chimed seven times as Lavender led Seamus up the walk to the front door. He recognized the same unease in her that he had felt five months earlier.

            “It’ll be fine,” he told her as they reached the door. “I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere.”

           You really are my knight, Shay, she thought, then turned and kissed him. “Thanks,” she said, and took a deep breath. “Well, nothing for it.” Lavender reached out, grasped the ornate knocker on the door, and gave it two loud raps.

           After a few moments there was a scuffle from behind the door. It opened to reveal two women, obviously Lavender’s sisters, struggling to be the one to greet them.

            “Told you,” Lavender said to Seamus in a quiet voice.

           Seamus stepped forward and took the older, darker haired woman’s hand. “So you’d be Artemisia, you would. A pleasure ‘tis to meet you. And that would make you Jasmine, then,” he said, as he took the younger, thinner woman’s hand and kissed it.

           The two women giggled in delight, so they didn’t hear Seamus say, “Told you,” quietly to Lavender.

           Lavender knew in her heart that Seamus was a handsome man, but she hadn't been consciously aware of just how good looking he had become until she saw the reaction of her sisters. His face had thinned over the years, and the few small scars from the tortures he had endured during their seventh year lent a hardened, roguish look to him. Seamus kept himself fit. He ran every night, and she had recently started teaching him some of the martial arts that her brother was teaching her. As they hung their travel cloaks on the pegs, Lavender saw her sisters appraising Seamus from behind. That’s right, girls, she thought. He’s handsome, he’s got a great arse, he’s funny, and he’s mine. She slipped her hand in his.

           A woman’s voice came from deeper in the house. “Is that Lavender and Seamus?”

            “Yes, Mum,” Lavender called.

           A middle aged woman, dark brown hair tied up in a bun on her head, came through the doorway to the dining room. “I’m just finishing some of the desserts for tomorrow,” she said as she wiped her hands on her apron. “Good to see you again, Seamus.” She hugged him.

            “Aye, and sure it’s as great a pleasure to see you again, Sylvia,” Seamus said. “It’s even clearer, now that I see your other beautiful daughters, where they get their good looks from.”

           Mrs. Brown hugged Lavender. “Keep him!” she whispered loudly in her ear, and then stepped back. “I’ll just finish what I’m doing and then join you in the sitting room.

Artemisia took Seamus’s other hand. “Have you heard the new Weird Sisters album?” she asked him. “It’s called ‘The Spell of Christmas’.”

            “No I haven’t,” he said, “and I’d love to. They played at the Yule Ball in our fourth year, you know.”

            “Yes,” Jasmine said in a deadpan voice. “I had just finished the year before.” She looked at Lavender in that way sisters do. “We did hear all about it though.”

           Seamus laughed heartily. “I can imagine you did.” He released Artemisia’s hand and slid his arm around Lavender’s waist. “We did dance the night away, didn’t we, love,” he said as he gave her a twirl and then dipped her. As she came back up he drew her to him and gave her a quick kiss.

           Lavender smiled at him and felt her face warm. “Yes we did, Shay,” she managed. And I remember every second, every dance. You were great that night, even if we were only fourteen.

            “Aye, if we’d have only known then.” He kissed her hand, and then looked at Artemisia. “So, you have this new Weird Sisters record then?” he asked.

           Lavender released him from the embrace, and her sisters led him into the sitting room. “Yes, we do,” Artemisia said. It’s on the record player and ready. Oh,” she said, as she saw a young man come in from the kitchen, “Rowan, when did you get here?”

            “Just now, Artie,” he said. “So, is this the infamous Seamus Finnigan?”

           Seamus laughed and shook his hand. “I am, and you’d be Rowan, the man who’s taught me girlfriend how to kick me arse.”

            “I am,” the tall, dark haired man said. “And I’m sure she can kick your arse, so make sure you stay on the right side of her.” He clapped Seamus on the back.

           Seamus smiled at Lavender’s brother. “Oh, I intend to do just that. I’ve seen Lav in a temper, I have, and it’s a frightening thing, so I’ll be behaving, Rowan. Of that you can be sure.”

           Jasmine lowered the needle onto the record spinning on the turntable.

           They said there’d be snow at Christmas

           They said there’d be peace on Earth

           But instead it just kept on raining

           A veil of tears for the virgin birth

            “Ah, me da' loves this song,” Seamus said. “He knew the feller that wrote the lyrics when he was in uni. He looked out the window at the falling snow. “Interesting arrangement, this is. It fits.”

           Artemisia turned to him. “Are you a musician, Seamus?”

            “No, oh no,” Seamus said. “I sing a wee bit, but me flatmate Luna is an amazing piano player. I’ve learned a lot from her.”

            “We all have,” Lavender said, as she sat on the arm of a chair.

            “I find her kind of aloof,” Jasmine said. “I don’t know, I just never connected with her.”

           Seamus laughed. “Aye, well she does keep people at arm’s length until she knows their intentions, but really she’s more special than most people can guess. I’m really happy for me friend, Dean.”

           Jasmine snorted “He’s another ‘hero’ isn’t he?”

           Seamus became serious. “Aye, Jasmine, he is. Dean was on the run the whole of the year that should have been his seventh. He saw two good friends murdered by Death Eaters right in front of him, and he couldn’t do anything to stop it. After that he was thrown into the dungeon they called their basement at the Malfoy’s, and that’s where he and Luna found each other. I don’t think they’ve spent more than a day apart since. When the battle started he was unarmed. He physically took a Death Eaters wand from him, beat it from him.” Seamus laughed. “I saw the poor bloke after. Dean had wee bit o’ pent up anger, he did.”

           Lavender took his hand. “You never told me that part,” she said.

           Seamus stroked his hand down her hair. “Never came up, love.” He turned to the others. “I think it was Crabbe’s father actually, couldn’t really tell. Dean had trashed him rather thoroughly, and cursed him as well. After he won his wand, we fought together, me, him, and Luna. For a while anyway, then Lav was hurt and I took her to Madam Pomfrey. I didn’t catch up with him again until it was almost over. He turned back to Lavender. “Did you know he and Grawp handled the giants mostly by themselves?”

           Her eyes grew wide in wonder. “He never talks about it.”

            “Yeah,” Seamus said with a melancholy laugh. “We only talked about it once, just after the battle. He was out behind the castle with Grawp. He’d do a trip jinx on them and then Grawp would pummel them. Dean said Grawp was having a lot of fun with it until one of the big guys broke his foot.”

            “That’s how Grawpy broke his foot!” Lavender exclaimed. “He and I were quite the pair, limping around the grounds.”

            “Yeah, you were,” Seamus said, and kissed the top of her head. “He loves you nearly as much as I do, you know.”

            “He loves Hermione more,” Lavender said, and laughed grimly.

           Seamus smiled at her. “I’m not so sure about that. I think he loves you all equally. After you built his house for him? The way he looked at the nine o’ you when you were done? If anyone tried to hurt any of the Sisters with him around, they’d be flat in seconds.”

Lavender shrugged and nodded. “It was nice of Professor McGonagall to let us build that other hut for him in the forest. I know Professor Hagrid is relieved that he can keep an eye on his little brother and still do his job.”

            “Little brother,” Seamus laughed. “I never thought of Grawp that way.”

            “So you’re Seamus,” a voice from the doorway said.

           Lavender flinched and looked at her brother. Rowan nodded back.

            “Yeah, Dad,” he said, as Seamus stood and turned. “Seamus Finnigan, this is our father, Nathanial Brown.” The two men shook hands.

            “A right pleasure it is, sir,” Seamus said, “and I want you to know that me intentions toward your daughter are honorable and very serious.”

           Mr. Brown laughed. “Gets straight to the point, this one, eh Lavender?”

            “Yeah, dad he does,” she said, and smirked. He certainly tells me exactly what he wants. Just last night…and her mind wandered to a particularly erotic moment they had shared the previous evening.

            “You with us, love?” Seamus asked, and chuckled at her when she snapped out of her reverie.

           She nodded and giggled a little. “Just remembering how… sure of yourself you can be,” she said, looking him in the eyes.

           It was Seamus’s turn to blush. They had come to use the term “sure of yourself” in a very intimate way.

           They were just standing and staring at each other when Artemisia asked Lavender, “You going to let us in on this?”

           Lavender looked at her and smiled sweetly. “No.”

           Jasmine laughed. “I see, already have your own secrets do you?”

           Lavender shot her sister a wicked grin. “Yes, and I know more than a few of yours, so don’t push it.”

            “Done, baby sister,” Jasmine said. “I’ve seen your concept of revenge. I’ll just get the wine, shall I?”

            “An Irishman needs something a bit stronger than wine, I think,” Mr. Brown said, and with a swish of his wand a decanter with 'Scotch Whisky' etched in the glass appeared on the side table.

            “While I appreciate the sentiment, sir, I don’t think tonight’s the night for whisky,” Seamus said. “Rather keep me wits about me.”

            “Nonsense,” Mr. Brown said as he conjured three tumblers and poured three generous portions in them. “For the men at least.” He handed one to Seamus and one to Rowan.

           Seamus took the glass. “I’ll join you in just this one, Mr. Brown, but I’ll be sticking to something a bit lighter after that.”

            “Alright then, Merry Christmas,” Mr. Brown said, and he downed the contents of his glass in one go.

           Seamus raised his eyebrows at Rowan who looked back with an exasperated expression. The two younger men clicked the glasses together and took a sip.

            “Very nice, Mr. Brown, highland is it? Which one?”

            “Ah, well spotted Seamus. I have this friend you see, and, well, he’s never had much respect for the law. He runs himself a little distillery up Loch Lorain. Lovely, isn’t it?” He made to pour himself another.

           Seamus finished his in one long draw, and set the glass on the table. “It’s very good, sir, but poteen should be drunk with care and savored. Perhaps you should save the rest, it’s a lovely evening and I’m sure you’ll want to be remembering it,” he said.

            “Bollocks, you sound like my wife.” Mr. Brown's temper was rising. Seamus had seen this kind of thing many times before. He gently laid his hand over Mr. Brown’s on the decanter.

            “I’ve met your wife, and she seems like a wise woman. Perhaps you should listen to her,” he said seriously.

            “I’ll not be told what to do in my own house.” Seamus could tell Mr. Brown was already several drinks ahead of him, and he could see the man’s temper was about to burst out. “Especially by some young Irish punk only interested in getting into my daughter's knickers.”

           Seamus looked at Lavender. She shook her head and a lone tear leaked from the corner of her eye. That was it, he was done. Lavender had shed quite enough tears in Seamus’s estimation, and he would not stand by and let anyone make her cry. He took a deep breath. All those long days with Neville, sitting in the room of requirement, had taught Seamus well. The whole of the year Neville had plotted, strategized, and studied great tactics from the military leaders of the past, and Seamus had been there over his shoulder the entire time. When they were free to do nothing but plan the defense of Hogwarts, Neville had really come into his own, and Seamus had been astounded at his friend’s ability. Now it was his turn. He had made his plan. It was full of risk, and Lavender might hate him when it was done, but he had committed himself. He loved Lavender Brown to the depths of his soul, and her happiness was far more important to him than his own.

           Seamus smiled grimly at the man before him. “Perhaps you didn’t hear me when I said me intentions toward Lavender were very serious - and entirely honorable. Now I’d very much like to start off on the right foot with you, but if that’s not to be…” He drew himself to his full height. “I’ll give you one more go, Mr. Brown. Shall we have a pleasant evening o’ laughter and merriment, or is this to be ‘a learning opportunity’ as me friend, Luna puts it?”

“Let me at my Scotch, boy,” Mr. Brown said, and made to shove Seamus out of his way.

           Seamus had learned many things in his seventh year. Among them was hand-to-hand fighting, taught by Ernie McMillan. He was good, but more importantly, as Ernie had pointed out on many occasions, he was lightning fast. Before Mr. Brown or anyone else in the room knew what was happening, Seamus had him in a hammerlock with his right arm tucked tightly behind his back. Seamus quickly took Mr. Brown's wand from his pocket and slid it into his own, then he pulled out his wand. “’Scuse us,” he said to the shocked people in the room, and then he and Mr. Brown Disapparated away.

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I Believed in Father Christmas