Chapter Text
It was the best birthday he had ever experienced. His amazing boyfriend Seamus had organised everything so perfectly he would have thought an event planner had been hired had he not known his lover so well. He had been allowed to sleep in that morning, which has always been Dean’s favourite activity, then was woken for brunch with his family at a local restaurant down the road. His favourite gift was a photo album from his mother and stepdad that was half filled with pics. He couldn’t wait to get home and look through it properly. He also got a new West Ham United t-shirt and a DVD of a documentary about art history from his half-sisters.
When they got home Dean immediately put on his new doco and he and Seamus sat cuddled on the couch together for the duration of it. He absolutely loved to sit, wrapped in his boyfriend’s arms. He felt so safe and at home when the Irishman held him. Once the documentary was over the boys were feeling peckish again so Seamus went to the kitchen to start on an early dinner while Dean pulled out his new photo album and began flicking through. The album documented the evolution of his and Seamus’s relationship, from childhood chums to lovers. The first photo was of the day they met. Due to his family being muggles, this photo, like so many others in the album, didn’t move. But Dean didn’t care in the slightest. The picture was of the two 11 year olds standing on platform 9 and ¾ and grinning at the camera.
Dean ran straight at the wall between platforms 9 and 10. He was a nervous wreck. His eyes clenched shut and his heart racing. There was no way this was real. He had never heard of witches and wizards except in movies before he got his Hogwarts letter. He originally thought it was all just a big joke, a prank from one of his classmates. That was until his mother took him to Diagon Alley. Then he realised it was incredibly real and he was actually a real wizard. However running at a wall seemed a little extreme and he was so worried he was going to smash straight into it. Well he definitely smashed, but upon opening his eyes he found it was into a person not the wall. They had been lingering too close to the barrier on platform 9 and ¾ and Dean toppled straight into him.
“I’m so sorry.” Dean told the boy whilst sticking out a hand to pull him up.
“Nah, I shoulda moved outta the way the moment I got through.” The boy said in a thick Irish accent.
“I’m Seamus.” He told Dean once he was standing again.
“Dean. And we should probably move quickly before someone else crashes into us.”
“Good idea. Hey, do you wanna sit next to me on the train so we don’t have to sit alone?” Seamus asked him eagerly.
“Yeah. That’d be awesome.”
Dean’s family appeared behind them and were glad to see Dean had made a friend so quickly.
“Hey mum, can you please take a photo of me and my first and best friend at Hogwarts.”
Dean flipped through the next few pages. He stopped at a movie photo that Colin, may he rest in peace, had taken of the duo dancing at the Yule Ball together. Dean remembers the night so vividly. They had both gone with female dates but as an act of best friendness they had made sure to have at least one dance with each other. He remembers the laughing and the dancing. That night they didn’t have a care in the world, and they definitely didn’t know the horrors that had lay ahead.
On the next page was a photo of Dean sitting on the couch, arm around Seamus who was folded into his side. The Irish boy’s head was tucked into his neck and their hands were clasped tightly together. Seamus’s eyes were red and puffy from crying. Dean, until now, never realised his mother had snapped a picture of this.
Dean was watching the football on TV when his best friend arrived.
“Mum says I can’t go back to Hogwarts next year Dean.” Dean felt heartbroken seeing the hurt on Seamus’s face.
He turned off the television as Seamus sat down next to him.
“You don’t have to turn it off for me Dean.” Seamus muttered guiltily.
“I don’t have to watch it to know West Ham will win.” Dean stated, flashing a toothy grin.
Seamus let out a hesitant snicker in response.
“Do you want to watch a movie, or talk, or just sit here?” Dean asked.
“I just want a hug.”
Dean pulled the smaller boy towards him, embracing him tightly.
“Do you boys want some lunch?” His mother asked them both.
“Yes please Mrs Thomas.”
The two friends sat in silence, just enjoying the warmth of each other until Deans mother came back with sandwiches.
“I rang your mother hun. She is going to consider letting you go to school but I can’t make any promises.”
“Thank you so much Mrs Thomas. I really appreciate your kindness.”
Dean remembers being so grateful when Seamus later told him that his mother had changed her mind and that he would be allowed to go back to Hogwarts after all.
Flipping through the pages made Dean realise just how sneaky his mother had been with her camera. Half of these moments he didn’t even know his mother witnessed let alone took photos of. He continued looking through the album until one photo caused him to stop dead in his tracks. It was taken at Harry Potter’s millennium New Year’s party. Dean didn’t know who took it, but seeing it, Dean was never happier that pictures in the wizarding world moved.
Harry and Ginny had invited all their friends over to Godric’s Hollow for a huge New Year’s party welcoming in 2000. It was THE party to be at and despite knowing Harry his entire wizarding life he still had to pinch himself that he was cool enough to go to a party hosted by the saviour himself. Everyone in the wizarding world wanted to be at that party, to be Harry’s friend.
The moment Dean arrived a firewhisky was shoved into his hand. He downed it quickly and headed out in search of another. By the time midnight rolled around, Dean was completely sloshed and was dancing like a madman with his best mate. When the countdown began, Dean looked around for a chick to snog but they all seemed to be paired up with someone already.
“Drats.” He thought to himself.
If there were any new year’s he wanted to start off with a good snogging it was the big 2k. He saw Seamus looking around for supposedly the same thing and a crazy idea came to him. Without thinking twice, he cupped Seamus’s face in his hands and pressed their lips together as the clock struck midnight. Pulling back he expected to see shock and shame on his best friends face but instead he saw relief and love. The moment felt so right. He had never thought about his mate in a romantic sense before but nothing had ever felt more right than that kiss. Dean wanted nothing more than to kiss him again, so he did.
The entire moment was captured in the photo and it caused Dean to grin. He was so in love with Seamus it drove him crazy. Seamus’s wrapped his arms around his shoulders from where he stood behind the couch. Dean was so caught up in the album that he hadn’t heard his boyfriend enter the room.
“I love you.” Seamus whispered in his ear.
“I love you too my dear.” Dean reached up and pulled his lovers head down for a chaste kiss.