Chapter II – The Finnegans

Seamus Finnegan starred at his wife of twenty-five years with a grin on his face. Twenty-five years … it still blew his mind to think about it and now as he starred at the letter in his hand he realized the impact of having been married that long. It had been twenty-five years since he and his wife had graduated from Hogwarts. He sighed and read the letter out loud to his wife:

Dear Mr. Finnegan,

It is my pleasure to inform you that this July, on the 30th to be exact, will be your twenty-fifth anniversary of graduation from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We would be honoured if you and your spouse/mate would attend this celebration. There will be a buffet dinner in the Great Hall at 6p.m. sharp as well as music and dance. All of your old professors shall be in attendance and hopefully all of your old school chums.

I hope to see you again.

Please respond with an R.S.V.P. immediately.

Sincerely,

Professor M. McGonagall

Headmistress of Hogwarts

Lavender smiled at him. Her blonde curly hair was shoulder-length and pulled back in a braid. "Twenty-five years. Has it been that long already?"

Seamus nodded. "I guess so. And well … we've been married twenty-five years."

Lavender nodded. "Wow. It's hard to believe. It will be nice to see everyone again. You really lose touch after school."

Seamus shrugged. "Well, I still see a fairly good amount of people. It's one of the good things about owning a pub. Neville and Harry were just in the other day."

"That makes sense. Delilah and her daughter were in Lavati just a few days ago as well. Miriam looks just like her, beautiful." Lavender replied.

Seamus nodded as he sorted through the rest of the post. "You got an invite too. McGonagall must have just sent one out to every former student, regardless of marriage."

She smiled as she stared at the envelope. "Hogwarts brings back so many good memories, doesn't it?"

Seamus smiled at her, turning her into his arms. "Aye, that it does. I still remember the moment I fell in love with you."

Lavender rolled her eyes. "I still think you made that up."

He grinned at her and brushed a stray curl out of her eyes. "Nah, making it up would be pointless, especially after all these years. You were walking with Parvati, chatting absently when Peeves, the ever present prankster, tripped you and down you fell, to what surely would have been a terrible fall down the stairs."

"Good thing your strong arms were there to catch me."

Seamus grinned. "Aye. When I caught you in my arms I looked into these hazel eyes and I suddenly thought … wow, I'm in love with you. It just took me a while to really understand what that meant. Not to mention how long it took for you to notice me."

Lavender shrugged. "It's not my fault. You never made your intentions clear."

He tugged her closer to him and bit down lightly on her neck. "I'll make my intentions clear!" He picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder as she shrieked at him.

"Put me down, you idiot!"

Seamus ignored her and marched up the stairs to their bedroom, tossing her down on the bed. He straddled her and held her arms up over her head so that he could feast on her neck. "Hmm … naughty woman, I'll have to teach you a lesson."

Lavender bucked under him, "Mmm."

The sound shot a jolt of pure unadulterated lust through his system. Even after twenty-five years of marriage, he still wanted her with every part of his being. As his lips trailed over her neck and he held her arms in place, he couldn't help but remember, not too long ago, when Lavender wouldn't have been so trusting.

He had ached for her.

Merlin knew he had ached for her and dreamed about her and Merlin help him, masturbated about her. But when he finally had Lavender to himself, nothing had shocked him more than learning she never wanted to have sex.

When he had learned the truth, the truth about what she had suffered for her life, it had shocked him.

Seamus found Lavender in the common room and he wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning down to kiss her neck. He was still shaking in anger at what Parvati had told him about Lavender's life but he didn't want to scare her away. "What are you working on?"

She smiled at him, turning in his arms to let him hold her. "Nothing really, just starting a bit early on the chapter readings."

He grinned and leaned down to kiss her softly. "Come upstairs with me for a bit?" He asked.

Lavender nodded and let him lead her up to his dormitory. She crawled into his bed with him and she watched as he pulled the curtains around them to give them privacy.

"Come here," he opened his arms and she crawled into them, resting back against him as he leaned against the head board. "I love you."

She smiled. "I love you, too."

His grip tightened a bit around her as he spoke. "I cornered Parvati after class." Lavender's entire body tensed up. "She told me everything."

Lavender struggled to get up but Seamus held onto her. "She had no right! Let me go, Seamus!"

Seamus shook his head, "I don't think so! Damn it, Lave, why didn't you tell me this?" He turned her around so that he could look at her and she burst into tears. "Oh hell," he muttered under his breath as he pulled her close. "Lave, honey, come on, I'm sorry, baby, don't cry."

Lavender fisted her hands in his robes as she cried. She hadn't wanted him to know about that part of her life but now that he did she felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her chest. She clung to him as she cried for lying to him; for everything that her father had done; for everything that almost happened to her. His hands slid up and down her back in comfort and she burrowed closer to him.

Seamus was at a lost for what to do. He had seen Lavender cry before when she was angry or upset but never like this; never in gut-wrenching sobs that tore at his heart with every breath she took. He ran his hands up and down her back, murmuring sweet nothings of comfort as she clung to him. He wanted to pound his fist into her father's face to make him pay for every time he had hurt her; for every time that he had made her cry. He wanted to protect her. Finally, after about twenty minutes, she pulled back and wiped tears from her eyes.

"I must look a mess," she murmured, wiping at her eyes and hoping her make-up hadn't smeared.

He smiled and kissed her nose. "You're beautiful. I'm not mad at you, Lavender, I just … I don't understand why you didn't tell anyone? Why you didn't tell me?"

She shook her head, "I'm ashamed."

"Honey, it wasn't your fault! Your father's a bastard."

She laughed. "You've got that look in your eye."

He sighed. "So, I want to beat the crap out of him, it's a compulsion."

Lavender smiled. "I don't like when you beat people, Seamus. I know that it's different because when you fight its … it's a fight. My father just …"

"It is different. Look, fighting is not the way to go, I know that. But it makes me feel so much better when I slam my fist in the face of the bastards that hurt you. I love you. I don't want to see you hurt, ever. You're my everything, Lavender."

She smiled at him and kissed him softly. "Did Vat tell you about the … money?"

Seamus nodded. "Prostitution? Yeah … no one ever … they never hurt you, baby, you got away?"

She nodded, tears in her eyes again. "It only happened three times; twice last summer and once this summer. Dad was so angry when I ran away. Did she tell you … when I was twelve?"

He nodded. "The one time you didn't manage to run away? Yeah, baby I'm sorry." He kissed the top of her head. "It's a good thing that you ran away this time. You did the right thing." He replied, leaning to kiss her. "I'm not going to let him hurt you again, not ever. You can come home with me for Christmas, what do you say?"

Lavender smiled. "Meet your family?"

He grinned at her. "Yeah, exactly." He slid her robe off of her shoulders. "Will you show me the marks?"

She shook her head. "They're gone. Ginny healed them for me this morning."

"Healed them? She's very kind-hearted. Does she know?"

"No, but I'm betting she suspects."

Seamus ran his hands gently up her sides, skimming her breasts before he kissed her softly. "You won't have to go back there. I'll protect you."

She smiled. "I can protect myself, Seamus … but with him … it's like I lose everything; all of my control and all of my courage. I just … I freeze."

"It doesn't matter. I'll always be there when you need me." He brought her hand to his lips. "I promise."

Lavender grinned and snuggled close to kiss him. "I love you. I'm sorry that I never told you. I'm sorry that you had to learn from Parvati. I'm sorry about … the prostitution … I'm sorry that it will make you think less of me."

"Honey, I don't think less of you. I love you."

She shook her head. "No, Seamus … I know that you would never pressure me into doing anything that I wasn't ready for. I know that you've had sex before and I know that you expect me to have sex with you at some point, even if you would never pressure me about … but I … I don't want to."

Seamus pulled her close and kissed her cheek. "Lavender, I would never pressure you into doing something like that. I'll wait as long as you want."

"No, you don't understand … I don't want to have sex … ever."

"Why not?"

"Because it's a dirty sinful act. My father shags every bloody woman in sight and I've seen … it's not something I want to do. It's horrible and painful and I know its different then being raped but I … I escaped before those men could do anything to me but I knew what they were planning and I don't want to be a part of it. I don't want anything to do with it. Not ever!" She exclaimed.

He glanced at her in surprise as she stared down at her hands nervously. He hadn't expected that from her. "Lave … sex is … it's not horrible. It's full of pleasure and wonders. I've dreamed of making love to you most of my life." Her eyes met his and he smiled. "But if that's how you feel, that's fine. I won't pressure you into anything. Not until you're ready."

"I'll never be ready!" She exclaimed.

Seamus nodded. "So be it then. You're the most important person in my life. I can wait … forever if need be. I love you." He took her chin in his hands and tilted her head so that she was looking at him. "I love you. Don't ever forget that." He kissed her softly and she sighed into him.

"You're too wonderful," she murmured.

He smiled. "I know."

She laughed. "And a bit arrogant."

"And you love me to death."

Lavender grinned. "I do."

Seamus smiled at her. "You want to go down and get some lunch or would you like to stay up here for a while?"

Lavender smiled and cuddled closer to him, her head resting over his heart. "Can we stay, just for a little while?"

Seamus grinned and gently ran his fingers through her hair as his other arm held her close. "As long as you want, Lave; as long as you want."

She smiled at those words and closed her eyes, her arms wrapped around him. She just wanted to be held.

The memory still made him angry to think about. Her father had been the world's biggest jackass and to Seamus' pleasure, he had died in prison less than three years after he was admitted. But Lavender had learned to love and she had learned to understand the pleasures of sex and what it meant.

The first time they had made love, it had been so important to him that it be perfect; that it be soft and slow. He had wanted her to know the pleasure of it. He had just learned of his mother's death and Lavender had offered herself in comfort. Seamus had wondered on taking her up on that offer. It had worried him that he was taking advantage, that she wasn't really ready. She had proved that to him by how much she seemed to believe she wouldn't enjoy it.

It still made him grin to remember how much he had proved her wrong.

Seamus' hands were shaking as he put down the letter that Lavender had just handed him from his father informing him of his mother's death. He didn't say anything but just stared down at it for a moment. Lavender cuddled closer, her arms wrapping around him tightly.

Lavender wasn't sure what to do. She had read the letter in shock earlier that morning and had dreaded handing it over to him. Now she just held on tightly and hoped that it could offer him some sort of comfort. She ran her hands up his chest gently to cup his face.

"Seamus?"

His arms wrapped around her then and he held on tightly. "It can't … no."

"You dad wouldn't lie."

"Well, he's lying about this!" Seamus demanded, pushing her away and getting to his feet.

Lavender's eyes moved over his body before she could stop herself. He was wearing nothing but boxers with happy little leprechauns all over them. He was so handsome. She sat up and suddenly she knew what she wanted to do, she knew what she should do to give him the comfort he needed.

She stood up and walked over to him, slipping her arms around his waist.

"I love you."

Seamus tilted his forehead down to hers as their hands met. "I know. I love you, too. My mum, she was … Mam was going to help you plan the wedding."

Tears rolled down Lavender's cheeks. "I know. She'll still help. I have all of the letters with all of her ideas in them."

"It's not the same." He murmured.

Lavender ran her hands over his bare chest to cup his face again. "I know." She stood on her toes and kissed him softly.

Seamus sank into her immediately. He felt numb, completely and utterly numb. When Lavender's lips met his, he could feel; he took advantage of it. His hands raked up her sides, brushing the sides of her breasts and he deepened the kiss. He didn't want to stop. He wanted to keep on kissing and touching her so that he wouldn't have to feel numb anymore.

Lavender could feel the aggression in his body and his lips. He was desperate to feel, to chase away the numbness. She could see it in his eyes, in the lines of his face. At this moment, only she could save him. She wondered if she had realized how soon this moment would be upon her. Her hands were shaking as she removed his hand from her hip and placed it gently on her breast. He wouldn't hurt her, she knew that. When his fingers started to knead she cuddled closer as her trembling hands ran over his back.

This was the moment to do this. It was the right time.

Seamus was simply aching. He could feel Lavender trembling in his arms but she wasn't making any effort of pushing him away. Instead, her hands were roaming over his chest and back as she nibbled along his jaw line. Then she pushed him away for a moment and her eyes met his. Her trembling fingers pulled her sweater over her head and then she unzipped her jeans and stepped out of them.

"Lavender," Seamus breathed, wishing he had pockets to shove his hands into. "Lave, what are you-?"

She stepped towards him and placed her finger over his lips. "It's okay. It will all be alright. I'll make it all be alright. Don't you trust me?" she asked, looking up at him with innocent, yet determined, eyes.

All he could do was nod as she placed his hands on her waist and kissed him again.

She couldn't stop shaking. She was trying to stop, she really was, but she couldn't stop thinking that she was standing in front of Seamus in nothing but her undergarments. She knew what she was doing. She understood exactly where this was heading, but Merlin, she was terrified. The pain would be intense, she knew that and she knew that it would be awful. But she could make up for the awful by taking advantage of the sweet kisses Seamus gave her, the way his hands made her feel when they stroked over her skin.

As soon as she stopped shaking, that's exactly what she was going to do.

Seamus knew what she was doing. She was trembling so much. He knew a great deal of it was from fear. He nibbled gently at her bottom lip before he smiled at her. "I love you, and I promise not to hurt you."

Lavender nodded. "It's okay, I understand."

Seamus shook his head as he continued to undress her. "No, you don't, but you will. Are you sure about this?"

Her hand rested over his heart for a moment and her engagement ring winked back at her. "I trust you."

Seamus picked up her hand, kissing the palm softly, and gently tugged her over to the bed. He picked up his wand off the nightstand and did a quick locking and silencing charm before he did the Contraceptive Charm. He was pretty positive that Lavender wasn't on the potion. She was still trembling when he ran his hand gently over her ribcage.

"What are you afraid of?" He asked.

She shook her head. "I-I don't know."

He leaned down to kiss her bellybutton. "Anything that scares you, I want you to tell me. Anything that you like, or dislike … please, tell me. I won't hurt you." He ran his hand over her leg softly and he smiled at her. "Do you like that?"

She smiled. "Seamus…"

He shook his head. "No, everything, Lavender." He nibbled gently along her lips and her hands fisted in his hair and he grinned. He knew this was the right moment. She was ready. She just didn't fully realize it yet.

Seamus slid his arms around her and kissed her softly, deepening the kiss and letting his hands slide over her. She cuddled into him, enjoying the feel of his hands. She was so lost in his kisses and his touch that she didn't even notice when he slowly began to remove the rest of her clothing. She lost herself in him.

It was only when he lay her back on the bed that she began to tremble again. He silenced her with a soft kiss and used useless, meaningless words to tell her how much he loved her. He kissed his way down her body, pleased to find her ready for him and then he slid his tongue inside of her. Lavender arched back, the shocking pleasure rushing through her. She wanted him to never stop but then he did and his lips were on hers again.

"Only a moment of pain, I promise," he murmured.

He slipped inside of her and the pain hit her and she gasped, but it was over and soon she could feel nothing but Seamus and how much he loved her.

Afterwards Seamus rolled over, pulling her with him so that she was snuggled up against him. He kissed her forehead and took her hand in his. "Did I hurt you?"

Lavender shook her head silently, cuddling closer. "No."

"I love you."

Lavender nodded and turned to look up at him. "It was kind of wonderful."

He grinned. "Well, what can I say? I'm a very talented man!" He let out a whoosh of breath when her elbow collided with his stomach.

"Seamus."

He smiled and gently brushed her hair from her eyes. "You're okay, then?"

Lavender smiled up at him. "Yeah, never better." Then she reached up and kissed him softly.

It hadn't taken much persuading from then on to show Lavender how much he loved her. If her father hadn't been such an utter asshole and tried to sell his own daughter to make a few bucks for booze it might have been different. But she had come around.

"Where did you go?" She asked, brushing a bit of sandy hair out of his eyes.

He smiled down at her. "I was just thinking about how much I love you and remembering our first time together. How nervous and scared you were."

She smiled up at him. "You sure showed me. You were so sweet and so romantic. I should have known you would be. Anyone who could write me such beautiful letters would be perfect."

"Hey those letters were to let you know that someone loved you."

"Mmm, my secret admirer. You sure showed me how you felt."

Seamus grinned. "I sure showed you a lot of things."

She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Oh really? What did you show me exactly?"

Seamus let his hand wander down between her legs and when she bucked against him, her hazel eyes darkening he grinned. "Looks like I still got it, that's what I showed you."

Lavender cuffed him gently against the head. "Well you better hurry your arse on up, Mr. Finnegan because Patrick is going to be home with our kids in half an hour."

He grinned and slipped inside of her. "I'll make sure we're done by then."

She groaned and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you, Seamus."

He brought his lips down to hers as he moved slowly inside of her. "I love you, too."

Afterwards, they lay spent in each other's arms and Lavender ran her fingers up and down his chest.

"I miss this."

"What?" He asked. "That? Because I can probably drum up the energy for round two before my da gets here."

Lavender elbowed him in the stomach. "Not that, you prat! This! Just lying here, wrapped in each other. It's peaceful."

Seamus snorted. "Are you saying we don't have any peace anymore?"

Lavender's eyebrow rose. "Well, let me see. Carrick is twenty-one; constantly flirting with every woman in site at Finnegan's Pride; singing drunken Irish songs; and dreams of being a bartender/rock star, which let me tell you, is enough to give one a headache, even though he does have a lovely voice. Sean is nineteen, writing for the Daily Prophet and sleeping with so many different women that I'm terrified I'm going to be a grandma ten times over within the next year!"

Seamus snorted. "Ah, Lave, Sean's careful. There's no need to worry about him. He's a good lad."

She smiled. "Then there's Deirdre, seventeen and madly in love with Potions and everything it stands for. I can't believe she's already been offered a position at the Ministry and she still has her seventh year to take!"

"She's a smart lass." Seamus replied as he lay next to her completely sated and satisfied.

"Cordelia on the other hand … thirteen years old and all she thinks about is boys! We're going to have to keep a close eye on her." Lavender said as she thought about the trouble their youngest was likely to get into.

Seamus smirked at that. "Cordie's a good lass and if a bloke so much as grins at her I'll break him in half. Don't worry, love."

Lavender laughed and kissed the center of her husband's chest. "Cordie can handle herself. Speaking of the kids. Cordie and Deidre should be back any minute. Patrick was only taking them out for the afternoon."

Seamus nodded and let his hand move lower to fondle his wife's breast. "Aye … Da spoils them rotten. I bet they come home with twice as many clothes as they already own. Take after their mam, they do."

Lavender smiled at that. "I like to shop, not my fault my daughter's adopted my skill."

"Daughters!" Seamus exclaimed. "Carrick likes to shop as well! The man buys more than he needs!"

Lavender grinned. "Well, one day he'll make a girl very happy then, won't he?"

Seamus let his hand wander lower and Lavender swatted it away. "Enough, we need to get dressed before the girls come home."

He pouted. "You know, love, I reckon they are aware that we have sex now, eh?"

"Too bad." She stood up and pulled her robe on before she searched for her clothes. "So what are we going to do about the reunion?"

Seamus sat up as well, holding up his wife's bra. "I think we should go. It would be nice to see everyone again."

Lavender took the bra from her husband's hand. "I agree. I'll respond to McGonagall right away."

Seamus smiled as he turned to watch his wife's backside as she bent down to grab her slacks. "Alright then."

"And Seamus?"

"Yes, love?"

Lavender's eyes twinkled at him now. "Stop starring at my arse."

A grin erupted on his face at those words. Time sure had flown by but it was nice to know that not too much had changed in the long run.