Year 2
A sandy blond head popped up behind a corner of a stone wall in a huge castle. His freckled face was scrunched up in concentration as he looked closely at every possible direction. Had he had any eyebrows left they too would’ve been furrowed in suspicion, alas they were scorned off… again, as if torched by a dragon. After making sure that it was safe he waved his friend to him.
The darker boy sighed and walked into the corridor without hesitation.
"No wait!" Seamus shouted.
"I should go first just in case" he hurried past Dean and started looking around suspiciously once again.
Dean sighed again, he had had just about enough of this. The worst part was that he couldn't really be mad at him, not with good conscience. Seamus had these theories about what was going on at Hogwarts, and therefore he had decided to be Dean's protector. Which meant Dean wasn’t allowed to move about freely anymore, not that he would’ve gone anywhere without Seamus attached at the hip anyway. He did miss simply going to the loo alone though.
"Seamus, this is ridiculous! Nothing's going to happen to me" he tried to move past Seamus but Seamus gave out a scream in protest and threw himself at Dean, making them both fall to the stone floor. It hurt, it really hurt. Perhaps Dean was allowed to be a little mad after all. Dean doubted that Seamus would be a good protector even if he needed one, but he couldn’t say that without hurting his best friend’s feelings. Considering Seamus’s record on setting things on fire, or exploding his potions, he was pretty much the last person Dean would consider if he actually decided to get protection.
He really couldn't say that though. Seamus was his friend and it was a bit touching how much he cared.
Even though his theories were demented.
"I don't know if you've noticed Dean, but all the injured people have been muggle-born!" Seamus exclaimed as he sat up on the floor and let go of Dean. He rubbed his knees as he apparently had hurt himself too in the fall. Well, you had to admire his determination. How he was willing to injure himself to keep Dean safe.
"And I don't want the next one to be you" he pointed an accusing finger at Dean and a small blush crept over his freckled cheeks.
Dean stood up and smiled as he helped his friend off the floor. He really was lucky to have a friend like Seamus.
"Nothing will happen, don't you think headmaster Dumbledore would've announced something if all the muggleborns were in danger?"
Seamus was quiet for a while before he sighted in defeat and accepted Dean's statement as probably true. Dean however noticed a spark in Seamus’ eyes that told him that if something else happened, if he by any chance, by any means possible needed to save Dean.
He would.
Seamus was a knight.
A strong and handsome knight in shining armour and Dean was his princess.
Well, not really… Dean was his Best mate and really more like his armourer. It was just that knights usually protected a princess not their buddy right, and it just went better with the narrative.
He just felt that if he had to choose between saving Dean and some princess in a tower he would always choose Dean. So in that aspect Dean was like his princess. Only not like they were described in books, not a literal princess.
When you were a twelve-year old knight, princesses weren't that exciting anyway.
He was watching Dean closely, terrified he would get petrified if he let him out of his sight. When Dean was drawing Seamus sat watching every stroke of his pen. When he was studying Seamus was there even though he hated to study and probably bothered him more than he helped.
Dean sometimes got visibly annoyed, sometimes he didn't care.
When the rumours about the heir of Slytherin spread around school Seamus kept Dean away from all Slytherins on automation. Even going as far as trying to get the professors to change their schedules, so that they wouldn’t have to share classes with them. He received an earful about prejudice and profiling because of that. He wasn’t sure what that meant but he didn’t try it again.
When the rumours about Harry started going he panicked because he had been so careless. They shared a dorm and everything! Heir of Slytherin, right under his nose. He could’ve nipped Dean in his sleep!
He then came to the conclusion that if Harry were the heir of Slytherin then he'd had every chance in the world to attack Dean while Seamus wasn't alert, and when Hermione was attacked he cleared Harry of all charges. Hermione was Harry’s Dean. He’d never hurt her. He did point out to Dean that he had been right to worry. That could’ve been Dean in that hospital bed instead of poor Hermione.
Some thought that Seamus was a bit too suspicious and made a big deal out of nothing, but what could he do when his armourer-princess-friend was in danger?
Maybe he didn't look like the typical hero, all burnt and covered in soot but he was, in a way.
If something wanted to get Dean, it had to go through Seamus first.
Everyone knew that.