In the Rose Bushes

In the Rose Bushes

Kalo

All night Seamus had been watching him. He couldn't take his eyes off of him, stunning as he was in his Ravenclaw-blue robes. All night Seamus had been watching him. Watching him watching her.

He didn't want to feel like this. He didn't want to be in love with someone who barely knew he existed. He didn't want to be sitting on this cold stone bench, seething with jealousy, as the boy he loved made out with his silly French girlfriend in the rose bushes somewhere nearby.

But he couldn't help any of it.

He could remember the first day he had noticed him, dressed in his Quidditch robes, ready for today's match: Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw. Seamus remembered sitting in the stands, mesmerised at how his dark hair had whipped around his face, his knuckles white as he clutched his broom, face set resolutely as he shook hands with Oliver Wood, thinking, This could be the day. Today Ravenclaw could beat Gryffindor. Today Ravenclaw could be in with a chance of winning the Quidditch Cup.

Of course, they hadn't, and Seamus remembered watching how the disappointment had taken over his face, as he had realised that Harry Potter had once again caught the Snitch, and Ravenclaw was once again out of the running for the Cup.

And strangely, at that moment, Seamus had wished that Ravenclaw had won.

From then on, whenever he saw him, Seamus couldn't keep his eyes off of him. His dark curly hair, his handsome face and his fame as a Quidditch Captain meant that girls would flock after him, and he had, of course, used this to his advantage, as anyone would. He would flirt shamelessly, with anyone and anything except, it seemed, Seamus.

But Seamus had forgiven him his faults. Had found chances to talk to him. Just snatches of conversation, but each still enough to make Seamus' heart sing for the rest of the day. Until he realised that his eyes still slid past him in the corridors, that he was just as insignificant to him as he had always been.

And so it had carried on for almost a year, with Seamus watching and hoping, while the other remained oblivious.

Why did he have to be in love with someone who barely knew he existed? He had a girlfriend, some he liked, who liked him, although, admittedly, not equally. Everyone else had been impressed when Lavender had asked him to the Ball, and none of them seemed to realise that she really wasn't his choice. But he had said yes, telling himself that maybe he could forget about him, when really, deep down, he just wanted to make him jealous.

Not that it had worked, of course; he was just kidding himself that maybe he felt the same way, maybe he just hid it well. Kidding himself for so long. But not anymore.

Seamus stood up as Dean stumbled towards him, tipsy from the bottle of Firewhiskey he had somehow managed to smuggle into school. He seized hold of Seamus' shoulder to steady himself, and giggled.

"Come back inside, Shea, we're having a great time," he slurred, tugging his sleeve and almost falling over in the process.

Seamus grabbed hold of his arm as he wavered unsteadily in front of him, but his eyes remained fixed on that rose bush.

"Oh, come on, mate," Dean tugged him towards the brightly lit castle. "Lavender's looking for you. It's not like there's anything for you out here."

"Yeah." Seamus couldn't help but smile at how fitting Dean's drunken words were. "You know, Dean, you're right." His arm around his drunken friend's shoulders, he helped him totter back up to the castle, leaving Roger Davies in the rose bushes behind him.