Unperturbed by their insults, Seamus used the advantage of Dean's arm around him to snuggle closer. It wasn't easy on the stools and he had to throw his arm out to grip the counter and stop himself tipping backwards, but he managed it. It was purely a show for Susan, but for all that it wasn't exactly a hardship. "You're too scary," Seamus told her. "I know Dean won't hex me."
He considered Susan's point, then shrugged. "Are there nasty Hufflepuffs? It's hard to imagine." The hat had considered him for Hufflepuff too. He always wondered what had eventually tipped the scales for Gryffindor - and whether the hat could possibly have known he would meet Dean there. Could it tell the future, or did it only decide based on a student's personality at the instant of its choice?