"I deserved a better goodbye"
At six o'clock on the dot Finn landed in the atrium of the Ministry of Magic, bag in hand and a huge grin on his face. Hermione rushed forwarded and allowed him to wrap both arms around her as he bent to give her a gentle kiss, a warm greeting she had been missing all week. What Hermione hadn't been expecting was Emily Chamberlin who was standing just behind Finn. She had a hard time not turning a cold glare on the woman, she had after all been part of the ploy to get her back here to England. Hermione was reasonable enough to know that it probably had more to do with doing a favor for Kingsley and less to do with Hermione but all the same she had helped. It was funny how she could hold Emily accountable for it but when it came to Draco, she didn't feel the same resentment, she wasn't capable of it.
"Merlin, I have missed you this week." Finn said in her ear before pulling away to taking a good look at her. "So, this is the famous Ministry of Magic, one of the places Harry Potter famously faced Voldemort."
"We don't talk about that here." Hermione said with a roll of her eyes. American's had a rich history, but nothing quite as juicy as Britain's more resent history. "Emily, I didn't know you would be coming too." Hermione said leaning around Finn to get a good look at the other witch.
"Well since Draco will be spending a lot of time here in the near future, I thought I might surprise him with a visit. Not use to having him so far away."
"How lovely." Hermione said in a sweet voice that was the exact opposite than the way she was feeling. "Well if you don't mind, I think we are going to head out. I have a whole weekend planned for us and I want to get it started."
"Of course, don't let me keep you. I was just going to head up and see Kingsley before I started to try and track down Draco." She smiled at the couple.
"You might try the office building next to St. Mungo's first, I know he is busy trying to get that up and running before some of his staff start arriving in a few weeks." She looked back to Finn and smiled "Shall we?" he smiled back to her before turning to wave to Emily before taking Hermione by the hand and allowing her to lead the way.
Once they left the Ministry Hermione took him to her favorite fish and chips place that happened not to be too far from the hotel they would be staying at for the weekend. Now that she had Finn here, she let go of the anger she had been carrying all week, she wanted to enjoy this time with him because she wasn't sure when they would be able to do it again. They opted to walk most of the way so Finn could take in the city and all its true glory. It had snowed all day which meant that London was under a blanket of fresh white snow which in Hermione's opinion only made the city more beautiful.
When they were done with dinner they walked to the hotel hand and hand, and Hermione couldn't help but feel content at where she was in this moment, the fear and the worry of telling him the truth was there but she didn't let it overwhelm her like she had allowed it to do all week. She was living in this moment and wouldn't let anything taint the memory's they were making right now. She had told her friends not to expect to see them tonight, no she fully intended to keep this gorgeous man all to herself tonight. Finn had away of pushing everything to further reaches of her mind when they were a lone together naked in bed, he was a kind lover who took her pleasure just as much as his own seriously. It was no wonder she found herself falling for this man more and more with each passing day.
It was well into the morning when the two finally started to stir in bed the next day. They had spent most of the night worshiping each other and had been too tired to even and try to make an early morning of it. After the fifth phone call from Ginny however they both knew it was time, or else they might have a firer redhead banging on their door very soon. It was decided by Ginny that they would have brunch at eleven at the new café that had just opened in Diagon Alley, with a little more than an hour before they were to meet the Potter's and Ron. They pulled themselves from the bed and made their way to the shower, they would after all need all the time they could get if their normal shower routine was any indication.
It had been hard but the two had been able to make it to the Leaky Caldron with five minutes to spare. Finn was fascinated by the old grimy pub that concealed the entrance to the most magical place on earth, well in Hermione's opinion anyways. Finn's face at the first glimpse of the little Alley was pretty similar to her own the first time she had seen it as a child. It wasn't hard to see where the architect of Main Street in the states had gotten their inspiration. They had done a fine job imitating the wonder, but it would never compare to the real thing, and before the day was done, she would get Finn to admit the same thing. She hurried him along and promised him that after they ate, they would explore, because if they weren't careful, they would be late, and Ginny would have both their hides for it.
As usual though Hermione was the first to arrive which meant she would be able to rub it in that Ginny herself was running late when she had warned Hermione not to do the same. Oh, sweet justice, it did rankle her though, it just meant they had could spent more time in that divine shower. They didn't have to wait to long before Ginny's bright red hair came into view, Harry and Ron not far behind her. Hermione smiled at them all when they reached the table. She had been giving Harry the cold shoulder all week for whatever part it was that he had played in helping Kingsley, but now she had jumped up to give them all a hug and introduced Finn and Ron.
"Finn what do you think of London." Ginny asked when they were all settled around the table.
"It's amazing, I can't believe I have never made time to come and see it before." The smile that lit up his face made Hermione heart stop for a moment as she watched the man she was falling for and her friends.
"I still can't wait to go the States." Was Ron's answer to his, he had been rather put out by not being the first Auror sent for the new program.
"Don't worry Ron, you will get your turn and I am sure that Luna will love New York." Hermione said with a laugh. "Besides right now Harry needs you here, big things are hopefully going to be happening soon and he is going to need his number two."
"Yeah yeah, I know I have already heard it all." The redhead man said with a frown, but she knew that he would get over it eventually.
"So, what do you guys have planned for the rest of the day?" Harry asked trying offer an olive branch.
"I thought we might spend some time wondering around the Alley. Finn here seemed pretty amazed by it when we came in. Then I thought we might head back out into London, explore some of the tourist traps before grabbing a bite to eat."
"We have a pickup game of Quidditch this afternoon at mum and dad's if you guys wanted to stop by. Ginny said you were a fan of the game, maybe you could even teach us your version of it, Finn." Ron said of handedly. "Stay for dinner even, its been forever since you've been Hermione you know how mum gets."
"That would be awesome." Finn said delighted at being invited to play with her group of friends. "Can we?" he asked as if he was a child asking for ice cream.
Hermione wanted to say no, it was bad enough she was having to share him with her friends over brunch but the look of pure joy on his face kept her from uttering the word. "Sure." Was all she managed. She looked to Harry who could see the utter disappoint written all over her face. He gave her a sad smile as if to say 'sorry', she shook the feeling of disappointment off and plastered a smile so Finn wouldn't notice.
With their afternoon hijacked by Ron, Hermione found herself sitting in the back garden of burrow with all the Weasley's watching the game. Harry had picked Finn to be on his team to Ron's disappointment who had called dibs on Finn before they had left the restaurant. Ginny was sitting this one out and sat beside Hermione as the boys played hard.
"I take it that you haven't told him yet." She whispered to Hermione as Ron made a nice save keeping Finn from scoring a point.
"No." Ginny looked at her with pity before turning back to the game. "I don't know how to broach the subject honestly. Hey by the way I can't go back to New York with you."
"What did Malfoy say?" she asked and when Hermione turned to give her a funny look Ginny gave her one of her all-knowing looks. "Don't play dumb, I know all about your little friendship with him. Harry told me after we got back from New York. Besides I have hardly seen you all week, and I know for a fact that you left before five every day. If you weren't with us, then…"
"What exactly did Harry tell you? And besides I have been helping him out while he transitions his business." Had Harry told Ginny the whole story? She knew that he had a hard time keeping things from her, but he had promised Hermione that this would stay between them.
"That still doesn't answer my question Hermione."
"He said maybe some time and distance would be good for us. We moved so quickly, its easy to get caught up in the newness of it all."
"All Harry said was that you had found a friend in Malfoy of all people." Hermione breathed a sigh of relief; it did seem like he could keep secrets from his wife.
"He isn't the same person he was when we were at Hogwarts" Hermione said lamely.
"I don't think any of us are, do you?" the redhead witch asked, "I mean I know I'm not, you certainly aren't the same girl that started at Hogwarts all eleven years old."
"They are friends, Finn and Malfoy. Finn use to date Emily, back when they were in school."
"That's a little weird isn't it?" Ginny asked, Hermione could tell she was watching her American boyfriend like a hawk.
"Or just mature."
"Whatever you say Hermione."
The rest of the evening was pleasant, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were as welcoming as always and made Finn feel right at home, he was regaled with more of their adventures from Hogwarts and had even survived a practical joke George had played on him. All in all, it had been a wonderful evening spent with friends and family. It was just past seven when the couple left the burrow to make their way back to London, with most of the early evening gone they had decided to head back to the hotel and call it a day. They still had a lot of making up to do for their week apart.
The following morning dawned, and Hermione was surprised to wake up to find Finn had ordered them room service so they wouldn't have to leave the comfortable confines of their room to find food. The morning's paper was laying at the end of the bed when Hermione sat up and stretched her sore muscles. She reached for it and was brought up short by the picture that took up most of the front page. It was of Emily and Draco and the headline read 'Former Death eater finds love in American witch.'
"He is going to love that one." Finn remarked as he looked at it over Hermione's shoulder.
"That he will." She said under breath.
"So, what were your plans today Miss Granger. Keep me locked up in here all day so you can have your way with me or are we venturing out into the world." He asked moving so he was now right beside her, he trailed kisses down her neck to her shoulder that made it impossible to actual think straight.
"Keep that up and I might just keep you in here all day." She said smiling as she tossed the paper to the ground before turning to face him.
"I was thinking about something, and I wanted to run it by you." He said in between kisses. All she could manage was a few sounds that made no known coherent word. "What would you think about moving in with me when we get back to New York?"
This brought her crashing back down to reality, she pulled away as her heart leaped up into her throat, it seemed the moment she had been avoiding all weekend had finally come. "Finn."
"To soon? It's too soon, I just can't help it. We already spend so much of our time together I was just thinking that instead of traveling back and forth between apartments that we could just have one."
"Finn." She tried to say but he was working himself up.
"You don't have to answer right now but just promise me that you will think about at least."
"Finn…I'm not going back to New York." Whatever he had been expecting for her to say that was defiantly not it, if the look on his face was any indication.
"What do you mean you aren't going back; we have things that we still need to do. And what about us?" When she didn't immediately respond he pulled further away from her and stood from the bed. "Is this your way of trying to end things? If it is that makes you a really sorry person Hermione."
His words hurt; in the past she might have ended it with someone this way but not with him. She sat up on her knees and scooted closer to the edge of the bed reaching out a hand to him. "Of course not, I don't want to end things Finn, I want to go back with you it's just…"
"It's just what? This is your way of pulling away isn't it? Ginny said you were afraid of commitment, she said you always find away of sabotaging yourself and your relationships."
"No, this is about work. Kingsley doesn't want me going back, he feels we have to much going on here at the moment and doesn't want to waste my talents when we have so much to get done."
"Why don't I believe you?" he asked, his words were harsh, and she didn't feel that she deserved them. "You have been pulling away from me for weeks and now this. When did you know you weren't coming back?"
"On Monday, when Malfoy told me." She said in a small voice.
"What does Drake have to do with any of this? And really you knew on Monday and didn't think you should tell me this before I traveled half-way around the world to see you."
"I didn't want tell you over long distance, and he and Emily knew about it. Him asking me to come with him was all part of it."
"You said Kingsley asked you to come not him." he had finally caught her in one of her lies, and the look of utter betrayal on his face ripped her heart in two. It wasn't just her though and she knew it, his friends had been apart of it too.
"Finn," she said standing from the bed and reaching for him, but he took a step back and put both hand up.
"Don't, I think we are finished, here don't you?"
"Please don't go, not like this. We can make this work; I know we can." She remained where she was, but she wanted nothing more than reach out for him to pull him into her arms and show him that they could do this.
"I don't even know if I can trust you right now, let a lone try and make something work when there is an entire ocean between us." He had started to move around the room to gather all his things before tossing them into his bag with a little more force than what was necessary.
"Finn," she tried to say but what she truly wanted to say she wasn't sure of and the profound grief at the thought of loosing him was starting to take over as she watched him moving around the room with anger.
When he was done, he turned to look at her, the hurt and bitterness was written all over his face and it broke her already fragile heart. "I need some time…" was all he said before he walked out of the hotel room, the door closing behind him with a loud snap. Desperate to make the waves of pain stop, she did the only thing she could think of doing, she found the two pieces of the cord that was her link to Helena and tied them back together, she couldn't face this heart break alone. When two pieces were once again one, they knitted themselves back together as if they had never been broken, and just like that everything changed.
Authors note: Thank you to everyone who has stuck with this fic, it means a lot that you guys are enjoying this story. Leave a review and let me know what you think of this chapter.
