To Be A Magical Boy

Chapter 10 - Sixth Year (part 1)

In the summer before his sixth year, Seamus didn't return home. He didn't go to the Kavanagh Manor out in the country as he had for every summer for as long as he could remember. He didn't go back to Ireland at all.

That fact, that he didn't take the usual Portkey back over the Channel – it hurt. But Seamus couldn't do anything about it. He loved his country, but he didn't even know when he'd be able to go back. Certainly not to that house.

Eoghan made up for it. He was working throughout most of Seamus' holidays, but he ensured he was around every moment he possibly could be. Seamus thought it was a little ridiculous that he made such an effort; he was sixteen, for Merlin's sake. He needed neither a babysitter nor constant entertainment. Eoghan said he didn't care, that Seamus was stuck with him, and why wouldn't he want to spend time with him?

That was one thing that Seamus would always be thankful for. Eoghan loved him. Still loved him. That hadn't changed even slightly, not once. The rest of Seamus' family, his parents...

The moment they saw him, his mam was almost running across the road to throw her arms around his shoulders. She squeezed almost painfully tightly, but Seamus didn't mind. He hadn't seen his mam since the previous Christmas and it hadn't been a good day that they'd spent before Eoghan had decided – thankfully and blessedly so – that they'd have a better Christmas at his own place. For the first time in a long time, Seamus let himself be hugged and even hugged back.

His dad was on him the second Seamus' mam drew away just slightly, wrapping Seamus in his own wiry embrace. It was no less awkward but similarly no less heartbreakingly warm than his mam's had been. Merlin but he'd missed them. He'd missed them so much.

"Are you alright, a leanbh?" She asked, the sincerity of her words thrumming through the old Irish term of endearment. She rarely used Gaelic, not nearly as much as Eoghan did, but it seemed to naturally seep forth when she grew emotional.

Just as she was in that moment, for she didn't wait for a reply before wrapping Seamus in a hug once more. It felt almost compulsive in its tightness "I've missed you so much."

Seamus let himself be held, fighting back the upwelling of his own emotion that demanded to make itself known. He squeezed his eyes closed, curling his arms around his mum in return and pressing his face into her shoulder. "I've missed you too."

Diagon Alley was overflowing that day. Seamus knew he shouldn't have left it as late as he had to get his school supplies, but he'd wanted to wait for his OWL results to come in and then simply hadn't the time to do so. Mostly, he would admit, because Eoghan, with a self-satisfied smirk, had said he wanted to come with him because, "What, are you going to pay for all of that yourself, like?" He'd ruffled Seamus' hair after that, which naturally resulted in a tussle of which Eoghan, being just a little bigger and a little taller than Seamus, eventually won. "Just let me do this for you, yeah?"

Seamus hadn't protested, even though he'd felt he should. Do this, Eoghan had said. This, along with everything else. Eoghan had practically saved him the previous summer, at Christmas, and then this summer too. He should hardly feel like he needed to offer more.

But Seamus let him and so they delayed. They delayed until Eoghan had a day off – which just so happened to leave it long enough for Seamus to get one of several owls he'd received from his parents.

This one was different to the last few. Those Seamus had exchanged over the summer already had been superficial, riddled with pleasantries and horribly awkward. Asking but without any real hope if Seamus wanted to come to the manor that summer at all, and dropping the subject after two asks when Seamus had declined. This one was different because Seamus' mam and dad made it different. They'd asked if they could come and see him instead.