Good and Bad Luck of the Irish

"Seamus Kevin Finnigan!" Alicia Spinnet's screech echoed from her dormitory to the common room...and to the corridor outside, and the Quidditch pitch, and in Albus Dumbledore's office.

Seamus thought he was going to faint.

"I hate it when she uses my middle name," he croaked to Dean Thomas. "Hide me."

"Why's she so mad at you this time?" Neville Longbottom laughed as Seamus attempted to hide under the table the three had been seated at.

"How am I supposed to know? That girl's mad, I swear! She starts these fights, not me."

The door to the seventh year girls' dorm was thrown open and a fiery blonde came storming out. Despite the fact that she was barely 5'4" was completely overshadowed by her anger, and the common room seemed to empty in an instant.

"Hey Seamus, we need to go to the— " Dean had stammered out, but before he could finish, Neville had dragged him out the portrait hole to safety.

"Seamus!"

"Yes, we have already established that you are talking to me Alicia, what is it?" Seamus snapped as he burst from under the table. Alicia stopped right in front of him and held up a book that was charred in some places and water damaged in others. Though Seamus was quite positive he had never seen the book before in his life, he was seriously considering admitting he had ruined her book just to avoid a shouting match.

"What did you do to my Charms book?!" she shouted. Seamus took a second to ponder how far he could get if he threw the book and started running now..

"I didn't touch your Charms book! I can't even go into the girls' dorms, how could I have gotten to it?" Seamus countered angrily as he grabbed her damaged book and hurled it across the room. It smacked the wall above the fire and fell to the ground a few feet away. Unfortunately, that move had used up all his courage and he had lost the ability to run. So much for avoiding a fight.

"Oh, I don't know, how about just last week over Christmas holiday when you and your mum were at my house? You're the only one who's even been near my stuff, and this certainly looks like your handiwork!" Okay, he had to admit, she had a point there. He had a habit of, well, destroying stuff, and he wasn't very good at covering it up, but he could have sworn he didn't catch anything on fire over Christmas! Did he?

"That doesn't mean I did it, maybe it was your brother."

"My twenty-five year old brother? He works for the Accidental Magical Reversal Squad, what would he be doing with a seventh year Advanced Charms book Seamus?" Alicia's face was getting very red and she looked as if she were going to start pulling her hair out at any moment. If she wasn't careful, she was going to look like a very large tomato.

"Well, if he's as smart as you, he must have thought it was an 'I Can Read' book!" The minute the retort spilled from his lips, Seamus knew he regretted it. Mainly because Alicia had seized him by the front of his robes and looked as if she was going to punch him. "Whoa there, violence never solved anything!"

"Fuck you Seamus!" Alicia bellowed right in his face. Seamus couldn't help it. The comeback escaped from his lips before he even realized he had thought of it.

"It would probably improve your mood!"

"Are you volunteering?" Alicia barked with a little less sass than she obviously originally intended, judging by the shocked look on her face.

"...Okay, getting weird with the childhood friends here 'Licia!" Seamus laughed uncomfortably, throwing his hands up in a submissive fashion. Alicia let go of his collar instantly and pushed him back. As Seamus fell onto the couch a few paces behind him, he watched his mother's best friend's daughter storm over to the fire to pick up her damaged book.

"I know you did this, all I need to do is prove it," she growled just as the portrait hole swung open.

"What do you mean I don't want to go in here?" Angelina Johnson's voice could be heard asking the Fat Lady. "I, oh, Alicia!" she cried out, turning to look in the common room. "Oh dear, you found your book, I'm so sorry! I lost mine and I needed to borrow yours, but the Charm I was practicing kind of, well, backfired. Then I tried to put it out with water from my wand, but I produced wine instead. Katie had to help me! I'm so sorry, I meant to tell you!" Tears were starting to form in Angelina's wide, frantic eyes. But Alicia's face was visibly softening as she listened to her fellow Chaser's confession.

"It's okay Angelina! It's all right, I can just get another one from Flitwick. I'm his favorite student, remember?" she joked good-naturedly.

"I knew you were mad," Seamus muttered under his breath. Alicia turned her head towards him and gave him a small, sarcastic scowl.

"Oh, no, I'll pay for it! I have to get another one anyway, if I can't find mine. Well, um, I have to go to the library now," Angelina spluttered, apparently desperate to get away from the scene of the crime. "See you later!" As the Fat Lady murmured, "I told you so!" Angelina closed the portrait hole, leaving Seamus alone with Alicia once more.

"Heh, sorry 'bout that Seamus," Alicia sighed ashamedly, plopping down on the couch next to her old friend.

"Told you I was innocent!" Seamus chuckled. Alicia just shook her head.

"Bloody Irish."

"Bloody Irish you say? Everyone talks about the hotheadedness of the Irish, but I say the English are just as bad, and you're a perfect example!" Alicia just laughed.

"You're a good kid Seamus, don't ever change." And with that, Alicia leaned forward and gave Seamus a light kiss on the lips. "Give me a buzz in five years."

Without so much as another word, Alicia stood up, headed over to the portrait hole and hopped out, leaving Seamus with much to think about.