An Unnoticed One [A Seamus Finnigan Fanfiction] [CURRENTLY BEING EDITED]

Chapter 26: Pleasant Surprises

My eyes did not deceive me. Dean Thomas was standing before me. There was evidence in front of me that showed he was alive and okay.

I still sat upon the snow. I was practically paralyzed at the sight of Dean. We presumed he was missing, nowhere hear Hogwarts, possibly fled the country. Yet here he was.

"Who are you?" Dean asked. The dark concealed my identity.

"Dean, it's me, Iris. Iris Howard."

"Iris?" Dean was about to go up to me but stopped himself. He raised his wand again. "What's the last thing Iris said to me at Dumbledore's funeral in June?"

"Dean, what are you-?"

"Answer the question. Want to prove you're the real Iris Howard, just answer correctly."

I understood where Dean was coming from. I wouldn't blame anyone who had to interrogate me. They're just trying to stay safe.

"I said to you, 'Either we go down with the world or we try picking up, even if we're doing it with no one standing by us'," I answer.

Dean lowered his wand and rushed over to me.

"Bloody hell, it's you," Dean tried helping me up.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you," I said.

I got up from the ground and approached Dean. He looked exhausted and tired. I had a million questions to ask him, but that didn't matter right now. Dean was here in front of me, safe and sound. In a moment of fear and doubt, I'm extremely thankful to come across a friend.

I hugged Dean feeling so glad to see him. He felt cold and stiff. I wondered why he was even out here, and I had plans of asking him soon, but I couldn't when I heard someone approaching us.

Behind Dean there stood a man. He looked like he was in his forties, had brown hair, blue eyes, and wore raggedy clothes. He stared at me looking skeptical. But he didn't look at Dean like that. He disregarded Dean and stared at me, looking somewhat uncertain.

"Dean," he spoke up. "Who's that?" I could see him sneakily grab his wand in his back pocket.

"Oh, uh, this is Iris. Iris, this is Dirk."

I shyly smiled at Dirk, he didn't bother to pay attention.

"What is she doing here? How'd she even find you?"

Dean looked over to me. "It's kinda a long story," I muttered.

"You can explain everything to us in the tent," Dean said as he guided me up a nearby hill. Dirk immediately stopped him there.

"Are you sure we can trust her?" Dirk whispered.

"I already checked her."

"Still, it's just-"

"She's one of my best friends. I trust her with my life."

I was genuinely surprised he said such a thing. I was glad to know Dean trusted me. Normally, people trust others with minor things, secrets and such. But trusting a person with your life, that was a whole other story. I promised myself to maintain the trust between Dean and I.

Dean and Dirk led me up a small hill. Atop of it, there was a tent set out. A lantern inside of it illuminated the tent. I thought about how that wasn't the smartest idea. It'd just give them away and risk their safety.

Dirk lifted up the flap, letting Dean and I enter the tent. An extension enchantment was casted over it to make it bigger on the inside. The warmth of the tenth felt welcoming, but the looks of the two short goblins displayed in front of me did not.