InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "...that place was me."

Seamus Finnigan (firewaterburn) wrote in pandorarpg,
@ 2011-11-04 01:09:00

Entry tags:

!status: complete, ^date: november 01 2003, character: dean thomas, character: justin finch-fletchley, character: lavender brown, character: seamus finnigan

Who: Seamus, Dean, Justin, Lavender. (Is this good for posting order? If not, first come, first served!)
What: Food and friends, company and comfort.
When: November 1, 2003 a little before 2PM.
Where: Seamus and Dean's place in Blackpool.
Rating: PG, maybe higher for language.

The small house was filling with the delicious smells of lunch being prepared and for the first time all day, Seamus's stomach growled. He was glad his conversation with Lavender had reminded him about food. Neither he nor Dean had eaten since the night before, and he figured Justin hadn't either. Getting the terrible news about Harry that morning had pretty much killed his appetite, but Seamus could practically hear his mum's voice berating him for not taking care of himself and Dean.

So Seamus had nudged Dean into cooking - partially just to give him something to do - while he distracted Justin and himself by going through their music collection in the living room until Lavender arrived with her pies. It was an almost homey scene if not for the heavy sadness lingering in the air.

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artisgratia
2011-11-07 01:17 am UTC (link)

Dean returned Seamus's look, but not before he noticed everyone's reluctance. Half-teasing, hoping to get at least a smile, Dean commented, "You all know how much Seamus can eat so feel free to get seconds. I've made quite a bit." It was pretty good, in his own opinion, and he flashed Justin a smile at the compliment. He tucked into his own plate and had a healthy dose of whiskey to wash it down.

"Lav," he asked suddenly, "how's business going? I've been meaning to stop by. I can cook but baking and I aren't very close mates." Maybe if he got them talking they could shift into the stories Seamus mentioned and pick up the atmosphere of the evening. If it continued in this vein, it would be a pretty dismal dinner.

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lavishly
2011-11-07 01:48 am UTC (link)

Once she settled a little and stopped mentally obsessing over her cards or worrying about making it look like she was eating, Lavender would be fine. Or at least she could present an approximation of fine. The young woman had an amazing ability to talk, often without ever really saying anything specific. It was the sort of skill that might come in handy right now.

"Business is going well, I've recently put out some specialty items that have been selling well." She probably knew the industrial kitchen at Rising Loaf better than she knew the one in her home. "Merete thinks that I should offer to take special orders for the holidays and build up some sort of clientele." It was something that she hadn't really given much thought to. For the longest time baking had been something she fell into rather than something she wanted. Nowadays she wasn't so sure.

"Hence the pies, that and I have an abundance of squashes that I don't have any idea what to do with because while I can bake, I seriously lack the artistry to actually cook anything worth eating."

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basilisk_srvivr
2011-11-07 02:01 am UTC (link)

Justin looked up from his food and wrinkled his face. "Squashes? Squashes aren't worth eating. They're what parents use when they want to punish us as children."

He reached for the bottle of Irish whiskey and poured himself another glass.

"Judging from what I've seen, you bake well. Just... don't bake squash. That's not artistry, that's torture."

It was the most he'd spoken in one shot all day, and it was thanks to the warmth of the whiskey. Well, that and his friends. He wondered briefly where Hannah had gone to find comfort, before quickly remembering how mad he was at her. He shook his head and drank half the glass of whiskey before delving back into his food.

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firewaterburn
2011-11-07 03:12 pm UTC (link)

"Oi, I like squash!" Seamus piped up after swallowing down a mouthful of food, pointing at Justin with his fork. "They're a perfectly delicious vegetable...fruit...gourd. Now beets, those are a punishment!" It felt good that Justin was talking, that they were all talking, even if it wasn't about anything important at all.

Taking a drink, he let the warmth of the whiskey wash through him before he said to Lav, "I bet you could make squash pie. Or muffins. Or something. They're just like pumpkin, right? And delicious." The last was added with a pointed look at Justin.

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artisgratia
2011-11-07 03:35 pm UTC (link)

Dean chuckled into his glass. "I've never much had a problem with either squash or beets. But I also don't exactly turn down anything put in front of me - food-wise anyhow." He waited until he'd had another bit, hewed and swallowed before replying to Lavender. "I think Merete's got a good idea there. You ought to take advantage of those skills. I know I'd put in a few special orders and bring them home to the rest of the family in a heartbeat. I'm sure plenty of folks would."

He pointed his fork at Lavender. "That said I'll take those squashes off your hands. I can come up with plenty to cook and I'm assured Seamus here will eat it plenty. He's got a point though; my mum bakes with squash all the time. Zucchini breads and the like. Butternut squash bread tastes almost the same as pumpkin bread to me."

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lavishly
2011-11-07 09:56 pm UTC (link)

"Beets I can manage." She had figured out how to use them pretty quickly with how much she found herself with. "I have a really lovely chocolate beet cake recipe. Although you might have to find some courage and try the butternut squash pie I brought." Lavender wasn't sure how good it was going to be because she was trying a new recipe, but that was what friends are for.

"But I'll send over some of the squashes, in the hope that you'll be more inspired than I am with them. And if I do go through with the holidays orders, I might need a few volunteers to taste test." Sure, she could have done the same old thing, but she wanted it to be a little different than what they might be able to get on a regular basis. And it certainly didn't hurt to give her something else to focus on.

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basilisk_srvivr
2011-11-08 03:29 am UTC (link)

"All of you are killing me, you know that?" Justin popped in with a wince, which was partly for show - he was making an attempt.

"I don't think I've eaten squash since first year. I overheard Filch telling someone they were grown using hippogriff dung, or some such thing, and I didn't quite know what a hippogriff was yet, so I was terrified of eating the stuff."

He paused, the memory bringing to mind yet another. "Should've been my first lesson in not believing what Filch said, but no. Remember-" He stopped, wondering if he should go on... but Seamus had said they would drink, eat, and tell stories. And this was his.

"Remember when the snake came after me? I swear I nearly wet myself thinking Harry was controlling the thing. Filch had told me he was the Heir of Slytherin, after all." After all this time, he was certainly able to laugh at the story, and he managed a small one.

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firewaterburn
2011-11-08 03:31 pm UTC (link)

Seamus made a face at the idea of beets being used in baked goods. "Why would anyone ruin chocolate with beets?" It's a mystery to him, and an unappealing notion, but it doesn't stop him from making quick work of his first serving of food as conversation started to pick up around him.

He finally paused long enough to take another swig of whiskey to wash everything down. "I'm more than willing to be your guinea pig for anything involving pie," Seamus said to Lavender with mock-seriousness. "I'm sure it'll be fine, though. Can't imagine it not being, what with squash being involved. Like Dean said, we'll be glad to take any extra off your hands."

Seamus's smile was a semblance of its usual self, mischief hovering around its edges as he turned it on Justin at his protests. It barely even wavered when Justin brought up Harry. "Filch was a mean old codger, but he had it half right, yeah? I think he was only mad at Harry, though, for getting away with-" he stopped himself from saying 'bloody murder', instead going with "-so much he shouldn't have."

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artisgratia
2011-11-08 04:56 pm UTC (link)

Dean relaxed a little more, glad that there seemed to be actual conversation going on now. "You are unjust toward beets," Dean replied to Seamus. "Personally I think Lavender could still make beets taste appealing in something she bakes, even to you." He cleaned off his plate and surprised himself by having seconds. He hadn't eaten anything sine the night before and he figured he would make up for it now that he was actually hungry.

"Filch was a terrible man," Dean agreed. "I think he spent all his time he wasn't actively lurking behind us all thinking up things to scare us, or otherwise torture us. We must have been the absolutely bane of his existence." The thought actually made Dean grin cheerfully as he said it.

Seamus was right though - Harry had gotten away with a lot, probably because he was Harry. It never really bothered Dean much, as it was mostly beneficial to Gryffindors. But it had placed strains of Harry's relationships before. "Harry had such a knack for flouting rules back in school, didn't he? It was almost an art."

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lavishly
2011-11-09 02:05 am UTC (link)

"I think I just heard a challenge to get you too not only eat, but enjoy beets, Seamus." That was something she could handle, something she might even enjoy. It was certainly better than talking about snakes. Lavender shuddered at the thought of the basilisk. For someone who loved animals, she really hated snakes. It might have been an entirely irrational fear, but it was real for her. "Although, no more talking about giant slimy things with enormous teeth."

"It might have been trouble, but he did always seem to do the right thing and you know honestly not want any of the fame. Do you remember the non-speech he gave at the Hog's Head fifth year?" Lavender shook her head, remembering quite well the emotions of that day and the possibility of doing something wrong and in the process maybe even sticking it to Umbridge. "And I think he might have caused some trouble, but we did our fair share of rebelling in his honor that year and -" she paused just a second, "And in our last year."

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basilisk_srvivr
2011-11-09 02:14 am UTC (link)

Justin nodded, a small smile on his face as he remembered the DA.

"Umbridge deserved whatever came to her," he said with definity.

"I've heard a few stories about that year; wish I could've seen it myself." But instead he stayed hidden away from everyone and everything he held dear. He lifted his glass and downed the last half of his whiskey. If he didn't start pacing himself, he'd be as bad off as he'd been the night before.

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firewaterburn
2011-11-09 05:10 pm UTC (link)

"I am perfectly just towards beets!" Seamus protested giving Dean a look of mock outrage. "They've earned my dislike fair and square. And not even Lavender's cake can convince me otherwise." He turned his attention to her as he said it. "A challenge, then. I bet you can't get me to like beets. If I win, you have to bake me something every month, free of charge, for a year. Twice for my birthday," he tacked on quickly as an afterthought. It only seemed fair.

As Lavender spoke of Harry, Seamus had to bite his tongue. He'd liked Harry well enough, but he'd be lying if he said he was that fond of him. He couldn't keep silent about their last year, though. "I did a lot of stuff that last year, but it wasn't in his honor." He wouldn't call the day-to-day survival they had to go through merely 'rebelling', either, but that wasn't something he wanted to go into.

Instead he lifted his glass at Justin's assessment of Unbridge with a hearty, "Damn right, she did. That bitch was evil." He swallowed the last of his whiskey, but paused before he could refill his glass, eyes on Justin. "Trust me, Just, no you don't. I was there and I didn't want to see any of it."

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artisgratia
2011-11-09 06:47 pm UTC (link)

"Unjust," Dean stubbornly disagreed, the smile on his face widening. It had faltered there for a moment when they started talking about that year. Maybe Seamus and Lavender had been flouting rules that year but Dean and justin had been busy hiding and trying to neitehr get killed, captured, or their families in danger. Dean still keenly felt the pain of separation from all he knew a loved all those months, with only a surly goblin as a companion, until he met up with fellow runaways. Every one of his companions were now dead. Somehow only Dean had managed to survive enough to later be captured.

Dean polished off his whiskey, banishing those thoughts from his head. They'd all gone through more than their fair share of horror that year. No use reliving it. Instead he focused on Lavender and Seamus's challenge. "I'll just settle for being a taste-tester. It's win-win for me. I don't believe you can make anything I won't eat, Lav."

Dean refilled his glass and lifted it in a toast. "To Umbridge! May she continue to rot inside of Azkaban, forever terroised by memories of centaurs."

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lavishly
2011-11-10 02:34 am UTC (link)

No, there were certainly little fond or even good memories in looking back at everything their supposed last year at school entailed or even how it ended, but it was apart of them. But at least then she had the idea of someone like Harry Potter out there, doing what he could to save the day. She had something to believe in and that was powerful.

While it might have been a bit of a laugh or at least a lighter moment to toast Umbridge getting hers, Lavender didn't think that she need to put anymore bad energy out. There was already too much of it. And truly there were far worse people out there. Shaking her head, she raised her water glass. "To Harry," she said, her voice a little low, unsure if this was appropriate or not. "For the symbol that won't falter and more importantly the man who should have been given a lot more, but made the best of what he had."

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	basilisk_srvivr 2011-11-12 01:02 am UTC (link)
	"To Harry," Justin echoed, raising his own glass of whiskey. "A fit bloke, and the best Defence teacher I ever had." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	firewaterburn 2011-11-14 05:40 pm UTC (link)
	Seamus could admit he had many conflicted feelings about Harry, but he'd been a decent friend and he'd definitely kept things lively to say the least. So Seamus lifted his refilled glass as well. "To Harry. To live in the hearts we leave behind is not to die." And with that blessing, Seamus knew Harry Potter was nigh probably to live forever. (Reply to this) (Parent)

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