No one thought that they would be so relieved to leave Hogwarts for the break, and no one even tried to see the brighter side of waiting for the holidays, because almost everyone in Hogwarts wanted to leave the school to be away from Umbridge and her stupid rules. Some first years were practically running towards the carriage not waiting for the woman to say a good bye that wasn't even sincere. Most of the students who planned to stay in school for the holidays changed their plans last minute, others who had no family in London decided to crash with their friends.
But for Finley, she wanted to stay. Looking back at the black lake to the distance, she could imagine the runespoor in the ruins. Her questions, her mission, things bothering Harry, it was getting even more difficult by each passing second.
"Are you alright, Blythe?" Astoria asked her, turning towards the younger girl who gave her a concerned look. She had been acting rather timid, that it was becoming a Finley trait that some could recognise, especially her free styled sleep schedule.
"I'm fine," she replied with a smile, but the look that the boys were giving her said otherwise.
"Are you sure?"
"I promise that I am."
"Aren't you all excited to take a break from that god awful inquisitorial squad duties?" Theo scoffed, manoeuvring the conversation to something light. "I swear if I hear another 'ehem' from her—"
"Please don't do that," Blaise winced, getting shivers down his spine as Theo imitated the signature pink toad cough. "I get nightmares."
"It wasn't that bad, was it?" She asked her friends, both of which turned to Draco who sat beside her, seeing the look of discomfort on his face said it all.
"If I hear one more meow," he breathed in heavily before releasing it in a shaky breath. "I will shatter all of them."
This caused Finley to laugh, being amused to the part where that small four foot of pure displeasure of a woman had the power to bring on discomfort to three of the most snobbish Slytherins in school. The woman is ratchet, no one was going to not remind them of that.
"I'll bring my dad's gold handled mallet," Astoria added. "Those kittens are adorable, but I want them shattered. Don't you?"
"We do, it's not good old beater's bat can't fix, right?" Finley winked at Draco who only cracked a smile, their hands intertwined to their sides, barely noticeable because of the large coat that Finley had on.
Seeing the scarlet train in view, the carriage stopped, Draco and Theo being the first ones to get down from the carriage, helping the girls with their trunks.
"I'll be helping you lot to a compartment, I'll join you a little later, we have a meeting," Draco mentions as they all got in the train, Astoria now gone to join her sister Daphne in a compartment a few doors away.
"You'll bring us some snacks if you see the trolley maid, would you?" She asks, opening the sliding door to have the four of hem who had their trunks enter the empty compartment.
"Make sure to get us pasties and licorice wands," Blaise tells Draco, taking Finley's trunk from him, shoving it up the shelf above their seats.
"If you pay me the amount with interest," Draco retorted, not really in the best mood to pay for him.
"Jerk," Finley chuckled, turning him to face the door, seeing that Pansy was outside waiting, getting a bit bored as she looked down on her nails. "Go on," she say, pushing him out. Before closing the window, she whistles for Pansy's attention.
"Don't try anything on him," she threatened, though the girl was no longer a little bitch, she was actually a decent person under all the unkind exterior. Pansy had proven to her that she was reliable the moment that they had potions with Umbridge and purposely put in he wrong ingredients to burn the woman's cloak. All this of course is that she proved that she was reliable to go against common enemy, but to Finley, she can't trust Pansy with her Draco.
"Tsk, whatever," Pansy sneered, encircling her arm around Draco's as the two of them walked towards the prefects compartment to meet up with Cedric and the Head girl.
"You, are incredibly possessive, should we call an exorcist?" Blaise remarked, pulling Finley by the coat inside the compartment, sliding the door shut.
"I still don't trust her, could you blame me?" She scoffed, slumping on her seat.
"We don't blame you, but honestly, what are the two of you?" Theo asked her.
Her and Draco had been bonding more than usual, from holding hands to sneaking in Draco's room around midnight, it was suspicious.
"He's human, I'm human—"
"You know that, that is not what we meant Finley," Blaise rolled his eyes at her. But then again, what could her answer be? She didn't know herself. Sure, she and Draco kissed, twice, for that night. And maybe a few more times during the times that she sneaked into his room past midnight. But she wasn't sure what they actually were.
"Well, what about you and Tatiana Young? What are you two?" She diverted the question, raising her brow at Blaise who only went a shade darker. "Don't you know that broom closets are for cleaning supplies?" She teased him, causing Theo to break into a fit of laughter. But he wasn't going to be left alone on this one.
"What about you Quincy?" Blaise smirked, causing Theo to stop laughing and glare at him. "What are you and Mademoiselle Argent? Still sending her lavender scented letters?" Blaise teases.
"We're not talking anymore," Theo deadpanned, the teasing and amusing grins on both of their faces faded into a concern look.
"What happened?" Finley asked her friend, seeing him this down again, it was like the Yule ball all over again.
"She..." he trailed into a blank, not sure if he was okay with sharing this with his best friends. They deserve to know, but after all, he had some right to have secrets of his own.
"Hey," Finley pats on Theo's shoulder. "Whatever it is, she'll come around, alright?" She tried to assure, finally seeing a grateful smile on her best friend's lips. Just as the three if them finally had the chance to smile at each other again, the compartment door opened, revealing Draco with tons of food in his arms.
"Need any help?" Blaise chuckled.
"No, please, recline on your benches and let me do the heavy lifting," Draco sarcastically said.
"Alright then," Theo shrugged, placing both hands behind his head. "Wake me up when we get to England—"
"Help me!" Draco demanded, causing the compartment to be in another fit of laughs, even from the boy with blond hair.
Finley leaned her head on Draco's shoulder and sighed, once she arrives in England, she won't be having any rest at all. Her things will be at Blaise's but she would be out for most of the time, spending Christmas dinner with Harry and the Weasleys and Christmas morning with her boys.
What would her life be if Voldemort didn't kill her that night? Will she be in hiding? Will she be the Finley she always wanted to let everyone know?
"A galleon for your thoughts?" Draco asked her, she blinked twice, breaking her train of thought to find a pair of green eyes staring back at her.
"A galleon? You'd need a lot more to look into my head," she smirked at him teasingly.
"You seemed a little lost, tired? Have you been sleeping well?"
She nods. Her sleeping schedule may be a little off, but then again, she had been spending time with Draco in most evenings. And her sleep on his bed were the best, the best factor for that is his mattress being so comfortable, more so than her own bed in the dorm.
"Just a lot in mind," she tells him, placing her head on his shoulder again, this time closing her eyes as she listened to her breathing. His breathing was steady and peaceful, something she wished she could do too, but honestly, her breathing was often unbalanced, as if she's been running around for a long time. She intwined her fingers with Draco's, feeling the warmth that radiated from him.
"Well, it's Christmas. Where will you be spending yours?" Draco asks her, squeezing her hand lightly.
"I'll be spending Christmas dinner with Harry and the Weasleys," she says. "Then Christmas morning at Blaise's"
Draco nods his head in understanding, "I wish I could take you home, meet my mum maybe?"
"If the situation we're facing isn't with the Dark Lord wanting to kill my brother, I would've loved to," she says.
"She would've like you, you know?"
"I wouldn't blame her, I like me too," she grinned, she felt Draco's shoulders shake in a chuckle causing her to giggle. Until both fell into a comfortable silence, with Finley and Draco snuggled into a corner just holding each other's hand that fit perfectly together. Finley's dark red hair contrasted on Draco's platinum blond head.
Finley finds herself fidgeting with Draco's hands until she lifted his wrist to see a dark green ribbon tied on it. Her brows shot up in surprise, not expecting to see that familiar green thing.
"You kept it?" She asked him.
"Of course I did, you gave it to me remember?"
"I just thought that—"
"Thought what? I would throw it away?" Draco raised his brow at her. "I could never."
Untying the ribbon from his wrist, showing how long the ribbon was, it was still in its best condition. "Turn around."
And she did. As she turned around, she could feel his hands in her hair, fixing it to a familiar fashion, and once he was done, she was surprised that Draco could do a braid even with the length of hair that she had.
"From whom did you learn to braid hair like this?" She playfully accused. "I certainly didn't teach you."
"Yeah, because you suck at fixing your hair these days," he rolled his eyes.
"You did a great job," she compliments, kissing his cheek before laying her head on his shoulder again.
"I know I did," Draco grinned, not able to contain it, finally the weeks of braiding lessons that he had from Astoria paid off. Kissing the too of her head, and arm on her shoulder, he felt her get heavy, indicating that she was falling asleep. She would need all the sleep that she could get her felt like, and he was glad to be her pillow until she wakes up.
"Happy Christmas!" Finley heard the Weasleys greet each other in the old Grimmauld place. She took off her beige coat, folding it on her arm as she was holding a lot of paper bagged gifts. She specifically told Moony that she would be late, she needed to be sneaky in going down her vaults to gather up presents, thankfully she had a lot in her disposal.
Her heels softly clicked in the old building's halls, hearing the cheers from the kitchen where the dining room was, she slightly peered over to see the lot of them in there exchanging gifts.
"Finley!" Ginny was the first one to notice her. "Happy Christmas!"
"Happy Christmas!" She smiled, walking in the kitchen, holding up the presents. And soon was accepted in a large hug by Harry who didn't think she would make it at all. "Sorry I wasn't there to visit you at St Mungo's," she apologised.
"It's alright, my dear. You're here now!" Arthur Weasley chuckled.
"Well, I hope these would make up for me being late?" She grinned, showing the bags that she had in her arms.
It was a Christmas she missed, sitting around with a group of people that you call your family, though she wished her boys and Mirelle were with her. But looking around the room filled with red heads, two of her dad's best friends, and her brother. It was enough.
"What are you all waiting for?"
I'm sorry for already messing up the updates, I accidentally published on Monday, now I'm publishing a few minutes before midnight in my time. I will do my best to stick to the schedule next week, I'm making up for my mess up.
I hope you enjoyed it!