"That was awfully gallant of you," said Seamus. He was still snickering, though he was doing his best to hide it, his nose buried in his astronomy textbook. He didn't think it was very effective, based on the way Dean kept glaring at him.

"Oh, shut up," Dean said. "How was I supposed to know that was going to happen?"

"Well," Seamus said, "you might've noticed all those fifteen thousand million other times that it's happened to people."

"Fifteen thousand million," said Dean.

"Yes." Seamus risked a sidelong glance at him, but found Dean still to be scowling. He went back to his star charts.

"But you know what," Dean said, "the worst thing is, --"

"Apart from half the common room seeing you fall flat on your arse?"

"I bet Ron's going to think I was trying to-- you know."

Seamus snapped shut his textbook. "And he wouldn't be wrong, would he?"

Dean wasn't having any of it. "I was only trying to be nice," he said, maybe a little too defensively.

"Like I said, awfully gallant. Right up until the bit where you fell down the stairs and took her with you." Seamus grinned.

"I bet she thinks I'm a bit of an idiot now," Dean said.

"More than a bit, I'd think," said Seamus. "I'd think. If you fell down the stairs on me, I'd think you were more than a bit of an idiot."

"Can you just-- can you shut up?" Dean said.

"I-- yes," said Seamus, and just smiled.

 

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