The Badger **Seamus Finnigan Fanfiction**

2.4 New Beginnings

As Professor Flitwick is teaching his lesson, it seems to get longer and more boring then a first day should be. But none the less, I take notes and Seamus is trying to distract me."Let's play Hangman." he whispers to me. I roll my eyes. "Let's not. It's only day one." Seamus groans. 

"Mr. Finnigan. You ready to focus up there or are you just going to keep flirting with Miss Sigler?" A smile creeps to my face.  Seamus coughs out a 'yes sir.' Dean and Neville chuckle from the other side of the room. 

The lesson goes on for about 20 more minutes before he dismisses us. As we collect our books Seamus stumbles over his words. "He's just joking you know? He doesn't, I mean I..I..I wasn't..." I myself try not to giggle as I say "Oh I know. Just as I wasn't trying to be rude to you, I just hate Hangman. It's barbaric." 

Seamus and I start to leave together. "What why?" Seamus questions. "Like 200 years ago, Hangman was a real game they played with criminals before they were hung. If they could guess the word they'd be free. Of course most peasants, at the time were illiterate so it was unfair."  

Seamus just shakes his head. "Well damn. Lottie coming at me with those facts. I like a smart girl." I roll my eyes. "And you claim you're not flirting." Seamus shrugs. "I'm not." "Mmmhmmm" 

The day goes by pretty quickly after that. 

"And then he just let them all loose!" Susan is telling us about her first class with Gilderoy Lockhart at dinner. Anna's eyes go wide. "And then did he catch them?" Susan laughs. "No, we all ran out of the class but he told the remaining students to just put them back." 

I scrunch my face. "That's so mean and like how would they even know how to do that?" Susan shrugs. "Hermione Granger probably figured something out, but not before the pixies had hung Neville Longbottom from the chandelier." Hannah pouts her bottom lip. "Aww, I really like Neville. He just has..." Hannah trails off. "The worst luck." Anna pipes in, her mouth full of food.   

We all give a sad, small smile at the thought of that. "Hey Lottie." Anna nudges me. I look in the direction she's nudging. I see Cedric. His eyes linger on me. He looks like he wants to come over, but sits down with the guys instead. I bite my lip to keep from crying. I miss him. 

I miss his laugh. His warm hugs. the way we practiced Quidditch most of our summers. I feel myself standing. "Are you ready Lottie?" Hannah asks me gently. I nod and start making my way towards him. My body seems to be on auto-pilot. 

He's seated next to Justin again. "Can I sneak in for a second?" I say in a voice that doesn't even sound like me. Justin slides down and smiles. I sit between them then turn my body towards Cedric. "Hi." I say sadly. He immediately seems to melt at my word. "Hi Charlie." I chew my lip for a minute. "I owe you an apology." I feel Justin's head perk up but nobody else seems to be listening. All the other boys on this end are playfully shoving each other. 

"About the other night. I just...I don't know what it is. You've always been family to me and I guess I hate that you see me as this tiny precious kid who can't do anything for herself. And I know we're different ages and just growing up but I don't want you to leave me behind." The words rush from my mouth. He grabs my hands. "Oh come on Charlie. That would never happen. Please don't cry." I didn't even realize I was crying. 

"You scared me last year, that's all. I'll get over it okay? It's my issue. Not yours." I swallow hard. "Really?" He nods. "Yes, of course. Let's just put it behind us okay?" I sniffle. "Okay. He pulls me in for a hug. 

"Boys, if you don't know this is Lottie. She's going to be the best Seeker Hufflepuff has ever seen." And they all cheer to that. 

"I doubt I'll be better than you." he shrugs. "I might try to change to Keeper." I raise an eyebrow and purse my lips. "I can kind of see that." He playfully shoves me and we stay seated together the rest of dinner.

That night I sleep easier knowing that Cedric and I were back on good terms. "So Cedric's kind of like a brother to you?" Hannah asked from her bed. "I think that's sweet that he wants to look out for you." I smile a little. "Yeah, last year some of the Slytherin boys were giving me a hard time and I think he's just nervous it'll happen again."

"Well, that's silly, because we won't let that happen." Hannah says confidently. Susan and Anna had passed out about an hour ago. But Hannah and I had stayed up talking. "Thanks Hannah. I'm really glad we're friends." I say. 

I can hear Hannah exhale. "Me too, Lottie. Me too." I smile to myself. "I don't know how people go to boarding school without any sense of who they are yet. How did I leave my parents at 11 years old and just hope I'd make friends...but oh wait there's a twist if they don't like you they can perform magical jinxes on you. Who came up with this?" She says clearly rattled.

I laugh. "Only the brightest wizards and witches of the century." "Oh." she mutters. I squeeze her hand. "At least now maybe we'll try to get along with everyone and have each other if it fails." 

"That's true. Good night, Lottie." "Good night, Hannah."  

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Okay so kinda a filler chapter but I thought it was sweet. :)