Jealous Minds

Untitled Part 1

The common room was cluttered with students hard at work. Exam time was just around the corner and everyone felt the urgency. Ginny pulled Dean over to study with her friends despite them being in separate years. He really didn't like sitting in the middle of this gaggle of young women but he had very little choice in the matter.

At this most inopportune moment, Seamus Finnigan entered the common room. He took one look at Dean with Ginny and immediately headed in the opposite direction. Dean's entire body sagged. He wished his friend would speak with him. They hadn't spoken in weeks, Seamus doing everything possible to avoid him. It stung although Dean supposed he deserved it.

"Hey Seamus!" Neville said, jovially. Seamus returned the greeting, joining him by the fireplace.

"Which topic are we studying tonight, Neville?" Seamus's voice caught as if he were forcing a warm tone. It did not sound like his natural voice at all. "I'm ready for anything."

"Are you sure? You don't seem okay, Seamus." Neville glanced at him, mildly concerned.

"Really. Never better. Now let the studying commence." Seamus brandished his book bag in finality. Neville figured it was better not to argue so he went along with Seamus's odd behavior.

"Well, we are starting with-" But before he could finish the instructions, Seamus was up and making his way to the stone steps towards the boy's dormitory. Neville heaved a sigh, running after him. "Seamus, Wait!" He grabbed the other boy's arm without thinking. Seamus's eyes flashed dangerously. Neville let him go, watching him closely.  Seamus took the steps two at a time, disappearing quicker than he had appeared.  

Neville heaved a sigh.  He turned to see Dean who had been watching them the entire time.  Something about this was quite odd.  

Neville decided to ask the one person who knew Seamus better than any of them.  Walking to Dean's side, Neville gave him a sideways glance.

"Do you know why he's acting so strangely?"

"No, Seamus won't speak to me. We've never gone this long without talking. It's as perplexing for me as it must be for you." Neville's sharp intake was all Dean needed to confirm that this had gone on all day.  Dean found his shoe laces a lot easier to look at than his friend's face. But eventually he realized he had to give Neville acknowledgment.  

"I'll go speak with him," He lamented, "We do need to get this whole thing resolved."  Neville nodded, leaving Dean on his own.  He went back to studying, giving Dean one last hopeful eye.  

The trek up to the boy's dormitory was harrowing. Dean tried his best not to listen to the thumping in his ears or his footfalls. Instead he thought about what he would say when he got up to the room. He knocked on the door.

"Come in." A voice beckoned him. The moment he crossed the threshold, he regretted everything. Seamus took one look at him and immediately flipped to his side.

"Oh, it's you." The phrase stung. But Dean shook it off.

"I don't understand what I've done or not done to make you so angry, Seamus but whatever it is I'm sorry. We can't keep going on like this. I...I miss you." Dean let his words hang in the air and left Seamus to himself.

Seamus for his own record was listening. He felt awful because he couldn't explain what Dean was even doing. It actually wasn't what he was doing at all. This was a battle within Seamus himself. It was his demons he was angry at. 

 Why couldn't he like Ginny? What was it about her that made his blood boil? She was a nice enough girl, a year below Seamus and his friends. She was part of Dumbledore's Army and a skilled witch in her own right. So why did he hate looking at her and Dean together so much?