Home sweet home pt.2
A/N: in case anyone wonders why the first chapter looked more like a rough draft than a chapter, it actually was a first draft. Hard day at work, late break, angry scribbles while on break and walaaa! A first draft. I came home, typed it into my tablet, then went back to expand each idea and strung them together with time jumps. Now that we're at the main portion of the story, it will hopefully be smoother and slower paced. This will be a Thorfinn/Hermione story but don't expect them to perform a lot of magic. This is set in the Muggle fictional world of 'Home and Away'. The only ones magical will be Thorfinn, Hermione, and Reina. This is supposed to be a slow burn, we'll see how the muse feels about that!
Kim, Robbie and Tasha don't trust Thorfinn, he looks too dangerous. Hermione meets Thorfinn who tells her he isn't leaving. He wants to be a family. Can Hermione trust herself and him?
As he left the diner, Thorfinn grinned to himself. That kiss had left her confused. Good. Let her scramble to figure out his motives. In the meantime, he would have time to get himself immersed in the town. It would go to show her that he was serious about them. He was bound and determined that she would marry him. They would have their daughter and everything would work out. He just needed her to give him a chance.
He had come straight to the diner, intending to eat. Seeing her had knocked the thought of food right out of his head. Now he realized he'd also forgotten to shop for food before he went to the Park. No matter, it wouldn't be the first meal he'd skipped. It certainly wouldn't be the last. He went on to the caravan. Finding his number, he pulled into the little driveway. It had taken him the full week to be able to get the hang of driving. He didn't want to use magic any more than he had to. They were tracking his wand.
He opened the front door and threw his backpack onto the couch. He dug into it and pulled out the dolly. He propped it on the counter where she would see it as soon as she came in. He wondered how soon he could have her convinced to stay the night with him. He walked through the caravan quickly. It was one hell of a lot smaller than he was used to. On the other hand, it was bigger than his cell at Azkaban and that was always a plus.
He found the loo easily enough and played with the faucets until he knew which was hot and cold. He went back and carried his backpack to the bigger bedroom. He'd had to get some new clothes. All he'd had was the outfit he'd been captured in, his Death Eater uniform. He was damned well NOT going to wear that again, especially around Granger! The man in the Muggle shop had asked him if he wanted formal or casual attire. He'd told him both and he would be in Australia. The man had taken him up to a floor called Big and Tall after they discovered regular pants rode halfway up his shins and shirts wouldn't go over his shoulders. They went through all the racks and got him completely outfitted for life in Australia.
Knowing she'd be there soon, he grabbed a set of clothes from the pack and went to shower. He was toweling his hair dry as he walked into his living room. He went to the door to check for her. As he glanced out, he noticed a car across from his. He could see the outlines of three people. He wondered who they were and why they were just sitting there. The light came on briefly, exposing their faces. It was the three kids from the diner. The boy in the passenger seat actually waved at him! He snorted as he smiled and waved back. 'So the little shits didn't trust him with their waitress!' he actually didn't mind, hell, if he was in their shoes, he'd probably do the very same thing! He stood there at the door until headlights crossed his wall.
Back at the Diner
"Miss Granger! Miss Granger! Miss Granger, are you all right?" she vaguely heard the voices but didn't register them at first. She was too much in shock at Rowle's actions. She had her hands laid across her lips.
He'd kissed her! Right here in the diner, in front of everyone! The teens' table was situated in the back of the diner, so maybe it hadn't been in front of EVERYONE! But still, how dare he do that! The bloody big Neanderthal! Thinking he could just grab her when he took a fancy! What they must be thinking of her right now! Gods, if her parents had been here, if Reina had seen that! The little girl had already been asking why she didn't have a daddy like everyone else.
Now he wanted to meet her. She wondered why he hadn't just taken the necklace and left. Surely he didn't actually intend for her to marry him! Oh, gods! What if he was intending to take Reina away from her? Hermione began panicking at the thought. She needed Harry there! He'd know what to do, him and Ginny.
"Miss Granger, are you all right?" a voice asked again. She didn't stop to think who it was talking to her.
"YES!" she snapped before spinning around. "Oh, Robbie! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to snap at you!"
Robbie smiled sweetly. "Its ok, Miss Granger. Um, if you don't mind me asking, who was that? Why does he look so much like your little girl? Is he her father?" she looked at the three teens staring earnestly at her.
"He's just, just an old school rival. A few years ahead but still an old school rival. That's all, Robbie." She said. They looked at her doubtfully. "Ok. I'll tell you who he is but before I do, this does NOT leave this table! Do you understand? If I hear even a whisper of what I'm going to tell you, I will know who blabbed!" they nodded, wide eyed. She sat down beside Kim.
"Back in Britain, we were in school together. He was three years ahead of me. We really didn't take much notice of each other until my fourth year. Then it seemed like I was running into him everywhere. After he graduated, I didn't really think of him anymore. Then in my seventh year, there was a huge fight and we ended up in the middle of it. We, um, found ourselves in close contact for a few minutes and, well, to make a long story short, he gave me two things that day. This necklace and Reina. He went to jail for six years. For his part in the fight. He was a bit of a firebug. Anyway, he's obviously free now. I don't know why he's here but you can't tell anyone about him. Promise me you won't." she leaned forward to stare at each of them. It didn't escape their notice that she had carefully avoided mentioning his name.
"Is he the reason you're always uncomfortable around me?" Kim asked quietly. She looked at him.
"Yes and that was very unfair of me. You did nothing wrong and I should have been able to distinguish between you and him. That was my fault, Kim. You resemble him but that's as far as it goes." She reassured him.
"You're not really going to meet him, are you? He's dangerous, Miss Granger!" Tasha exclaimed quietly. "You need to get the police on him!"
"No! No, the police will not be involved, Tasha! Yes, he's dangerous but I have to meet him. If I don't, he'll really show how dangerous he is! I can't take that chance, not when I can keep him contained. He just wants to talk some things out, that's all. Please don't tell anyone else about him. I don't think too many people saw him in here. Please Kim, Robbie, Tasha, promise me! This meeting is no big deal, I promise." She emphasized to them.
They looked at one another. They didn't really want to promise because they were afraid this meeting would go badly for their favorite sub. But she seemed determined to meet him and confident that she could handle him without any trouble. They reluctantly promised her. She smiled and stood up.
Just then, the door swung open and they all heard an excited squeal. "Mummy! Mummy, look at my picture! Isn't it beautiful?" Hermione spun on her heels and caught the little girl in her arms.
"Oh, my! That is a lovely picture! We'll have to hang it on the wall, won't we?" she smiled brightly at the little girl.
Reina looked past her. "Robbie, Tasha, look at my picture!" she held it up for inspection from her favorite babysitters. They exclaimed happily over the picture. Hermione's parents beamed proudly at their granddaughter. They didn't seem to notice Hermione's strained smile.
"Mum, dad, I need to ask if Reina can sleep over tonight. Some of my old school friends are passing through and tonight is the only time they can meet up. It's not Harry, they haven't arranged their vacation yet." Hermione hated to lie to her parents but she wasn't about to mention Rowle to them until she found out exactly what he was up to.
"Oh, of course, Hermione! You know we love it when we get her all to ourselves." Her mother exclaimed. Her father nodded.
"I get to stay with grand mum and grandpa? Yay!" Reina squealed happily.
"Now, you know the rules, though. You must eat a good supper for them, no candy after five. When they tell you it's bedtime, no arguing with them. I'll be by in the morning to take you to school, all right?" Hermione hugged Reina tightly. She didn't know what she'd do if she lost her.
After they left, she turned back to the teens. "Remember, you promised. I'll meet him and find out what he's up to. Depending on how he answers me, then you can tell people you knew he was here, all right?"
Even though they wanted to refuse, they all nodded again. As she walked away, they looked at each other again. "So did either of you happen to see what kind of vehicle he was driving? If he's in one of the caravans, he didn't walk into town." Robbie said.
"I watched him get into his car. I'll know it if I see it again. Did either of YOU happen to catch the number of his caravan?" Tasha sighed as the boys shook their heads. "Well, she gets off work in thirty more minutes. I suggest we go canvas the park until we find his car."
"And what? Crash their meeting? I don't think either of them would think too highly of that, Tasha!" Kim rubbed his hand over his face. He was glad that he'd finally found out why he made his teacher so uneasy. He was also glad it wasn't actually his fault. Like she said, he couldn't help resembling the guy.
"No, not crashing the meeting but we will let HIM see us. He'll know, if he hurts her, there will be witnesses who can point the finger at him. He'll not dare put a hand on her!" Tasha said fiercely. The boys finished their sodas and they left after waving goodbye to Miss Granger.
They headed for the Caravan Park and drove around slowly until Tasha cried out and pointed. There, in the driveway of #19, sat the beaten up car of the stranger. They pulled into a shady spot across from it and cut the engine. Now to wait for the meeting. They spotted him through the window of the caravan. It looked like he had showered as he was toweling his hair. They knew the moment he spotted them. Tasha flipped the interior light enough for him to see them. Robbie actually waved at him. They were astonished when he did nothing more than grin and wave back at them. Shortly after that, they saw headlights approach and a car pulled in beside his.
The Diner
Hermione watched them talk, then leave. She hoped they would really keep their word. She knew she had no choice but to meet with Rowle. If she didn't, he was liable to burn Summer Bay down, looking for her. She wondered how he'd even found her. The only ones who knew where she lived was Harry, Ron and Ginny and she knew none of them would give out her location to him.
Remembering what Tasha had said, she doubted Rowle had been seated long enough to eat. He was a pureblood; he probably had no clue how to use any of the appliances at the caravan. She seriously doubted he'd picked up any basics on his way here. She went to the kitchen and packed a box of leftovers for him. He might not like eating cold food but she was sure he would appreciate not starving over the next day or two. She wasn't sure if she was more excited that he had actually found his way here or more scared that he might actually plan to stay.
She finished her shift and went to her car. Once she was inside, she took a deep trembling breath. 'C'mon, Hermione, calm down! You can do this! You're just going there to talk, nothing more, nothing less. He probably just wants his necklace back. That's all! Just calm down!'
She shifted into gear and pulled onto the road. She almost turned around a couple of times. Each time, though, she had to remind herself that not only was Rowle a firebug but he could wield Fiendfyre. One blast of that really could burn Summer Bay down! She reached the road leading to the Park. Now, to find #19. As she pulled up into the drive beside his car, she glanced around. His was one of the more remote caravans. She started to wish she'd never seen him earlier.
Then something caught her eye. A car was parked across the way. Was that, Robbie? And Tasha? And Kim? She smiled as she pulled the box of food from her car. Feeling touched that the teens were watching over her, she walked to the front door. She could see Rowle waiting for her. He pushed the door open and came to meet her. Before he took the box, he snuck a kiss from her. Rolling her eyes, she followed him back inside. He sat the box down, before digging through it to inspect the contents.
"I wasn't sure if you had groceries or if you even knew how to cook. How familiar are you with Muggle appliances?" Hermione asked him.
"I know how to turn on the lights and use the shower. The rest of it, I hadn't even looked at yet. Too busy getting used to how cozy it is. I like it, though." Rowle replied. "Pie?" he offered her a slice of the pie he'd just discovered.
"No thanks. That should tide you over a day or two until you leave." Hermione watched him. He paused after taking a bite. Once he swallowed it, he looked at her.
"What makes you think I'm leaving in a day or two?" he sat down at the table. She sat down across from him.
"Why would you stay? There's nothing here for you, Rowle. You can have your necklace back now." She told him, unconsciously rubbing the R as she spoke.
"On the contrary, Granger, there is something here. My necklace is here, my fiancé is here and" he looked at her steadily. "My daughter is here. She IS my daughter? I heard them say I looked just like her."
Hermione closed her eyes. She'd hoped he didn't know about Reina! "How did you find out about her?"
"That's not important. What is important is starting our family and our lives together." He watched her frown at his words.
"We're not getting married, Rowle, and that's that! You might as well just point yourself back to Britain and take your necklace with you!" she exclaimed.
"Oh, but we are getting married, Granger! I've been planning on marrying you for the past six years. You remember, I'm sure, the last time we spoke. I'm glad you had her. Any other girl would have terminated her. That's one reason why I chose you. I knew, if I put a child in you, you would keep him or her. I'm looking forward to meeting my daughter." Rowle finished his pie and put his plate in the sink. He put the rest of the food into the fridge.
Hermione took a deep breath and let it out. "I don't think that's such a good idea. She's safe and happy, Rowle. That's all you need to know about her. You can't seriously be thinking of getting married? We don't know each other, at all! We are complete strangers, Rowle! On top of that, you're a pureblood and I'm a Muggleborn! What would your high society say about it!"
"I don't care what THEY would say about it. I'm not planning on going back there anyway. This is the perfect place for a fresh start. Nobody knows me here. The pureblood/Muggleborn thing is just an excuse for you to hold against me, Granger. I was never into that blood purity mess and you know it! When did I, personally, ever insult you or any other Muggleborns? Never! The only reason I followed him is because he let me set fires. I'm an arsonist, Granger, pure and simple. When someone says 'you can set as many fires as you want', those words were music to my ears! Here was someone actually encouraging me to set fires! All I had to do was set them in a way that terrorized people at the same time!" Rowle's eyes were lit up talking about fires. Hermione shivered, remembering some of the fires he had set during the war, most notably the Burrow and several shops in both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley!
"Just say that we did actually get married? How do I know that you won't get the urge to start setting fires again? Go back to jail? What would happen then, Rowle? You'd EXPECT me to wait for you to get out of jail again?!" Hermione jumped up and began pacing.
Rowle leaned back on the counter and waited for her to pass him. When she did, he pulled her against him and kissed her again. "I got that out of my system during the war, sweetheart. I'm reformed. I want to make this work! Can't we just try? You don't even want to give me a chance." He buried his face in her hair. "How hard can it be, Granger, just to try. We don't have to marry right away. There is a matter of courtship, you know? I want us to be a family. You, me and Reina. Maybe even a little brother or sister for her. Maybe both?"
Hermione braced her arms against him. "This is another thing. You can't just grab me any time you want to! I'm not one of your-!" he kissed her again, this time until they were both breathless. He sat her on the counter so they could be more face to face. "You're not going to give up, are you?" he smiled and shook his head no. Hermione sighed. "Just tell me one thing and I'll think about what we've talked about."
Rowle tipped his head curiously. "Are you planning on taking Reina away from me?" she asked.
"Taking my daughter away from her mother is the opposite of what I want. The whole point of my being here is to bring the three of us together. To be a family. Mother, father, daughter. I want to take care of you and Reina. To be able to walk down the street with you and not have people gawking at the 'Death Eater and the Gryffindor Princess'." He stroked a hand down her face. Hermione wanted to believe him, gods, she so wanted to believe him!
He leaned over until their foreheads touched. "Stay with me tonight. Our first time together was just a quickie. Let me show you how good we could be together. We don't have to do anything at all if you don't want to. Just stay with me."
She shook her head. "I can't stay. I would be setting a bad example for my students."
Rowle laughed at that. "Granger, they probably know what sex is. They already know we've had it at least once. If they're protective enough to guard a private meeting, they're protective enough to not rat you out about staying the night with me."
"Actually, they didn't want me to meet you. They told me to get the police on you, because you look too dangerous." Hermione thought back to the diner meeting.
"Well, they're not wrong. I AM dangerous but I don't intend to be a danger to you, nor them or anybody in the town. I simply want to settle down somewhere I can be accepted. Somewhere that I can take care of my family." Rowle put his arms around her. He could already tell the overnight stay wasn't happening tonight. That was okay. He'd known going into this that it would take time to break down her defenses. "Okay, baby girl, I'll let you go tonight. But." He tipped her chin up. "I'm NOT giving up, nor am I leaving. We will be a family, Hermione." Her eyes widened at his use of her first name. "Might as well get used to hearing that, Hermione. My name is Thorfinn. If you don't want to say the whole thing, then call me Finn." He kissed her again, set her on her feet and walked her out to her car. Waiting until she was inside and had it cranked, he watched as she drove away. Then he walked back into his caravan, waving at the teenagers as he went.
Robbie, Kim and Tasha left right behind Miss Granger. They followed and waited until she reached the parking lot of the Beach House. She waved them down. Kim rolled his window down. "Even though you didn't need to guard our meeting, thank you for doing it. He seems like he's serious about staying here. He's made it plain he's not leaving so I'm releasing you from your promise not to tell anyone about him. All I ask is wait until I've told my parents and Reina before you talk to anyone."
The teens happily agreed. They were actually excited about being the first ones to know about the man. There was only one thing. "Um, Miss Granger, what's his name?"
Hermione wrapped one arm across her waist as she slid a hand into her hair. "His name is Thorfinn Rowle."