[lochinver] you've got the love - reagan

Merlin. He was so nervous. So, so nervous. Finn ran around the house, hoping that everything looked perfect. The Christmas tree was still in the big living room, decorated with red and golden ornaments. It was just a coincidence that his mother had used Gryffindor colors but he liked it. Malcolm and little Kenneth were still staying with them but they were currently playing outside in the snow. The boy had thought about joining him but he was too excited for that. Instead he ran back to his room, checking if Reagan's present was still where he had put it. Thank Merlin. It was.

He had invited her to come over three days after Christmas and she had agreed to visit. He had already been at her place but she hadn't been here yet. The boy had already told his parents and especially his brother to behave but he was still kind of scared that they'd ruin everything. Mal had the talent to ask the most ridiculous and embarrassing questions and he feared that he'd ask Ray some stupid stuff. Things between them were awesome at the moment and he didn't want it to change. He just had to make sure that everything was fine.

Finn went to the kitchen again to check if he had some cool drinks ready when he suddenly heard the door bell ring. He ran a hand through his hair and walked straight to the door. Sometimes he forgot that Reagan was the older one but she was already seventeen and had gotten her apparition license a while ago. It annoyed him that he still had to use the floo network but there were only a few months left until he would finally be seventeen as well. Not being able to use magic outside school sucked but he had to live with it. At least for the next four months. He could do that.

He took a deep breath before he opened the door and flashed Reagan a wide smile. She looked beautiful again. Just like she always did. "Welcome to my home," he said and greeted her with a soft kiss on the lips. "Come in. It's freaking cold outside." He could see his breath forming little white clouds and shivered slightly. He led her in and closed the door behind her. After taking her cloak and hanging it on the clothing hook, he turned around to face her again. "Would you like a little tour first?" His parents were probably outside with Mal and Ken and he was grateful for the fact that they we're giving him some time. They would get to know his girlfriend soon enough.

It was freezing. Reagan liked the cold weather just fine, and actually preferred it over hot weather, but it was a little too chilly for her tastes at this particular point. Christmas had been three days ago and it hadn’t come as a surprise that she was going to visit her boyfriend. They  hadn’t been able to do anything alone when he’d visited her family in Salford -- her father hadn’t really ever been the hovering type, but that was all he’d seemed to do when Finn had come over. No closing the door. No this. No that. Pfft. When Sarah came over during the holidays, they could do whatever they bloody well wanted -- they could go on a killing spree and Reagan doubt they’d have been bothered. Half of his gift was kind of girlish in nature, almost more for her benefit than his, and the other was practical -- things he would use.

Moreover, Reagan knew she’d been utterly mortified at her mother’s smothering behavior, her little brother’s taunts, her sister’s snoopiness, and her father’s ‘got-to-scare-him-off’ techniques. What the hell was that all about, anyway? She was seventeen years old, a legal adult, not thirteen. Though she could’ve just apparated to Finn’s place from her bedroom, she’d decided to take a little bit of a walk outside in the snow to prepare herself. Her nerves were bouncing off the walls and her hands were shaky that she was so jittery. It wasn’t so much that she was worried about Finn -- she knew him well enough to know the things he liked and didn’t like to be in public, much less in front of his family. That was the worst and she didn’t want to screw anything up.

Ray felt a little silly in her snow boots. Looking down at them as they crunched around in the icy-topped snow, she supposed that leaving might be a good idea if she wanted to show up on time and make a good impression. No more time to stew. Within just a few seconds, she was standing outside the McKenzie residence with a tentative smile lingering on her lips. Showtime.

Reaching her hand towards the doorbell, she hesitated and then pressed it furiously after an immediate decision. She tended to do that. Her bravery usually triumphed over whatever she was unsure about, though, so at least that was good -- most of the time, when it wouldn’t get her into any trouble. The short girl was thankful for her hat’s assistance in keeping her head warm in that moment, and was quite relieved when the door opened to reveal the same tall form she was so used to.

Like always, her immediate reaction when she saw him was to smile right back. She leaned in and let him kiss her and then let herself be led in -- she nodded at his statement. “Yeah, you’re right about that.” Her fluffy coat, now hanging up on the coat rack along with her hat, was luckily no longer needed, which she was thankful for as well -- she thought she looked a little bit like a human marshmallow with all of her snow gear on. Plus, it was nice and warm in the house, so no human marshmallowness would be happening anyway. Nodding maybe a little too vigorously at his question, she hummed positively in response. “Mhm. That sounds good.” It was weird to think she'd never even been to Finn's house before, but she was here now and she was ready to spend some time with him without being watched like a hawk.

Reagan swore she's heard a little piece of her father's soul shrivel and die every time they'd kissed (no matter how discretely) in front of him, or even not -- she assumed it was psychology, the whole "there but not actually there" thing. Smiling at Finn to let him know she was sort of paying attention, she followed him further into the house.

She was adorable. Even in thick winter clothes, Reagan was still one of the prettiest girls he knew. Finn knew that he was probably biased but then again… Ray was beautiful and he wasn't the only one who noticed it. He considered himself extremely lucky that she had fallen in love with him out of all the guys she could have had which is why he wanted her visit to be special. The girl deserved nothing less than the best, that was for sure. The tall boy flashed her a warm smile and placed his arm around her slender shoulders while he led her through the house.

At first there was the kitchen on the right side of the hallway. It wasn't huge but it wasn't small either. Usually the Gryffindor didn't spend much time in there when he was home but this time it had been a little different. For the first time he had actually helped his mother with the cookies and much to his surprise they had turned out well. He reached for the small bowl on the counter and held it in front of his girlfriend. "Almond vanilla cookies," he said with a smile and took one himself. "You should try one. They're good even though I made them." The boy winked before he put the bowl back on the counter. "As you can see, that's the kitchen. It's not big but big enough for mum to work her magic. Most of the time she doesn't want any of us to be in here anyway."

After that he led her out of the bright room, back to the hallway and then up the stairs. Finn looked back while he took step after step and his gaze was fixed on the girl behind him. "Our bedrooms are upstairs. I doubt you want to see my parents' room but I'll show you mine and Malcolm's old room." Mal's room was more like a guest room at the moment. There was nothing personal in it and it was kind of boring. The man had visited their parents more often after his wife's death but it still didn't look like it had before. Next to that there was the little crib for Kenneth standing right next to Mal's bed now which hadn't been in there before either. "Mal and Ken sleep here at the moment but usually we only use the room for guests. Oh and the restroom is right next to this one." Now to his room…

Finn opened the door for Reagan and bowed slightly while he let her go through first. "There you go. My room. I'm sorry it's a little messy." The sixth year smiled his typical crooked smile, hoping that Ray wouldn't mind that much. It wasn't completely chaotic but there were his new Quidditch supplies on the bed, as well as various kinds of chocolate and sweets. The light blue walls were covered with posters of famous Quidditch players and his bookshelves were filled with Quidditch related books and magazines. On the nightstand next to his bed was a photo of him and Freya which someone took during his third and her second year. He should add one of him and Reagan but at first they had to actually take a nice picture of them.

The boy looked at his bed for a second, wondering what Reagan would do if he grabbed her and threw her on it but he dismissed the thought quickly. His parents were probably already dying out of curiosity and they would surely come upstairs to check on them if they didn't go downstairs soon. "Ready to meet the family?" Finn flashed her a playful smile before he took her hand and went back downstairs. He hadn't thrown her on his bed now but well… There would always be some time for it later. The Gryffindor grinned, glad that Reagan was behind him and couldn't see his face. They made her way to the living room and as soon as they entered it, he could hear a loud wail coming from outside. Kenneth. The glass door to their garden was closed and apparently it hadn't been closed before.

He felt sorry for his little nephew but at the same time he just had to laugh softly. The little boy was sitting on the ground and it was obvious that he had run against the door. His parents as well as Malcolm were kneeling right next to the boy, trying to cheer him up again and they didn't even notice that he and Ray were standing on the other side of the door. "Well. That's my family. Chaotic as always."

Reagan gratefully took one of the cookies her boyfriend had made. She hadn’t gotten the chance to eat much of his cooking before -- Reagan wasn’t a big snacker or anything, but she did appreciate some Christmas sweets from time to time. She took small bites and nodded. “You’re right. Not bad... for a boy.” She winked back at him before she was whisked back into the other room toward the staircase. Ray took a deep breath in. She was a little nervous for this part of the tour -- it would be the first time she’d seen Finn’s bedroom and she hoped not the last. The petite girl blushed a little at her own thoughts and thought of Sarah. Reagan had never said such things to her -- Sarah had teased her about it jokingly, but Ray was afraid her best friend might projectile vomit all over her clothes if she ever brought it up seriously.

After being shown Malcolm’s room and being pointed quickly to the restroom, it was time to go in. He opened the door and let her walk in first, and Reagan wasn’t really very surprised at the room’s contents. Quidditch paraphernalia. Posters. Some things on the bed and some clothes on the floor. She caught sight of the picture of him and Freya on his nightstand and grinned. That was who he really was. Ray caught Finn glancing at the bed for a few seconds and raised her eyebrow. Maybe he was thinking the same thing she’d been thinking just a few moments ago, but she wouldn’t bring it up just now. She didn’t want to go and meet his parents with a red face and messy hair.

Shrugging, she looked at Finn nervously and managed to conjure up a reply that was, at best, unsure. “As ready as I’ll ever be for something so.. important. “ Upon their re-entrance to the lower level of the house, Reagan was briefly startled by the cry of someone infantile. She assumed it was his nephew that he so often talked about, Kenneth. Instead of being annoyed, waves of concern overtook the seventeen year old. She loved little kids and distress coming from them was one of the most heartbreaking things ever, at least, in her opinion.

Instinctively, her hand reached out a little toward the boy. “He’s even sweeter than you described. They all are, really. Lovely. They don’t look quite as militant as my father, either.” Reagan said apologetically, still a little guilty about how her father had treated her boyfriend at his visit. “Chaos is a natural thing in all families, whether they be functional or dysfunctional. I think I’m ready to meet them.”

She was still terrified, but the Gryffindor was confident that she could make a good enough impression, especially if he’d talked about her at all. Finn thought more highly of her than she did of herself, so whatever input he had in the matter had probably helped her case. Humility was definitely going to prove useful in this situation.

His parents loved her, there was absolutely no doubt about it. From the moment she reached out for his little nephew, Finn knew that she had won his family over. The next two hours they all spent together, playing with Kenneth, talking about topics like their future and what they - especially Reagan - wanted to do after school and preparing dinner. The sixth year had been a little afraid what Malcolm would think since he knew that his brother still wasn't over the death of the only woman he had ever truly loved but when they went into the kitchen together to get some of the food, Mal clapped his shoulder and told him how lucky he was. She really had won all their hearts.

Dinner went nicely and for the first time it seemed as if his family had listened to what he'd said. Not a single embarrassing question was asked and Finn was really really grateful for that. He could see that his girlfriend was just as grateful as he was - maybe even more - and he took her hand in his, squeezing it lightly. Soon it was time for dessert - cupcakes, with little snitches on top -  and then they could finally leave again. He had enjoyed the time with his family but right now he really wanted some time alone with Reagan. He was dying to giver her his Christmas present and it was nothing he wanted to give her in front of his parents or in front of anyone.

They climbed the stairs for the second time and after entering his room, Finn closed the door and pulled her close. "I hope it was not too bad," he said and placed a soft kiss on the top of her head. "They adore you, it was pretty obvious and Ken… Have you seen him smiling every time you looked at him? I think he loves you the most." He took a tiny step back, his arms still around her waist. "Are you ready for your Christmas present? I think you've earned it." He winked at her, hoping that he she would like it. Freya had said she would and that it was a great idea and since she was a girl, she had to be right, hadn't she? He really hoped so.

Reluctant to let go off her completely, Finn took the Gryffindor's hand and led her over to the bed. He sat down, reached out and got the little box from under his pillow. It was neatly wrapped in dark red paper with a golden ribbon around it. Reagan could probably figure that he hadn't wrapped it on his own but he didn't mind. He had wanted it to look pretty and after three attempts he had given it to his mum. "Here you go," he handed it over to her. "Merry Christmas." He looked at her expectantly, his hazel eyes fixed on her face.

When he had visited Freya, the two had been to a small jeweller's shop and it hadn't taken him long to find what he wanted. Inside the box was a little dark red velvet cushion and right on top of it laid a silver charm bracelet. Of course there wasn't only the bracelet in the box. He had carefully picked some charms that were now hanging from the the silver piece of jewellery. A small silver snitch with golden wings, a little silver lion, a music note, a book and three letters. The first one was an R, of course, the second one an S since he knew how important her best friend was to her and the last one was an F. It hadn't been that cheap but he had saved some money and even his parents had given him some sickles. Freya was convinced Reagan would love it. Now he hoped that his best friend was right.

Dinner had been everything she had hoped for and more. Reagan was so thankful that her boyfriend’s family was so accepting and kind, and she could see why he’d been sorted into Gryffindor just by interacting with his family. His nephew Kenneth had been just about the highlight of the evening -- the little boy was simply adorable and Reagan couldn’t help but allow her maternal instincts to kick in when she talked to him and played with him. Kids like him were the main reason that she wanted to pursue being a children’s Healer. After they had finished eating and she had gotten deep into conversations with just about everyone, Finn had started giving her subtle signs that he wanted to get out of there. She couldn’t necessarily blame him, as she more than welcomed alone time with her boyfriend, but she made the slipping-out as discrete as possible. The couple managed to steal away from the larger group at an opportune time and ended up climbing the stairs quickly to get into Finn’s room.

“Hmm.” Reagan sighed when she was pulled into his chest. She almost complained when he backed up a little bit, but the seventeen year old supposed it wasn’t enough to constitute any whining privileges. “Not too bad? I love them. I really enjoyed spending time with them, actually. I might have to make my visits more frequent, if they do like me, anyway.” Ray grinned at the comment about Kenneth and nodded. “I think the feeling is mutual.” His question right after that was slightly alarming -- Reagan had a couple of Christmas presents for him. One of them was physical, one …. well, it was physical in the true meaning of the word, she supposed.

“Hit me!” Reagan said, jokingly of course, and held out her hands for the gift. Finn’s presents were always the best. He knew her very well and therefore could always pick the gifts that she would love and that suited her the best. She was never displeased with them, and sometimes, he would even show up with gifts that had nothing to do with holidays or special occasions. Snapping out of her mooning session, she paid attention to what he was handing her -- a little red box with gold ribbon. It looked like it had been carefully wrapped, so she wondered a little if he had done it or if he’d cheated and gotten help. The thought made her smirk slightly as she unwrapped the tiny box, eventually reaching the final destination. There, lying in the box, was a charm bracelet, and each charm that hung from the jewelry seemed to fit Reagan just perfectly.

Her eyes lit up and shone with happiness. She had just known that it would be perfect. Her wrapped gift would be so lame in comparison to the beautiful silver bracelet, but hopefully what she would give him afterwards would compensate. That is, if he would take it when it was offered. Looking at Finn, she didn’t know what else to do but slide the thing onto her wrist and then lean in to hug him tightly. “Thank you. I love it. It’s perfect. I haven’t got much except for this, and then something else.” Ray said apprehensively and gave him a carefully wrapped box. The wrapping paper had little prints of holly all over it and then she had attached a small piece of actual holly to the bow on top. Inside there was a Quidditch plays handbook and some expensive gloves -- gloves were kind of Reagan’s specialty because of the position she played, so naturally, besides the snitch, they were her favorite piece of non-broom equipment. Reagan was so enthralled with her charms and examining each and every centimeter of each of them that she almost forgot to watch him open his present.

It felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off his chest. Finn had never doubted that his family would like Reagan but he had been slightly afraid that it wouldn't be the same the other way around. He knew that it was silly but he hadn't been able to shut it off. He loved his family and they were nice most of the time but sometimes they just liked to make him feel uncomfortable and they always enjoyed it way too much. They had been a lot like Freya's family, with all the little comments about their relationship, but the boy really hoped that they would stop now that they knew Reagan. At least they had not brought it up today.

"I think they'd like it and so would I." The Gryffindor gave his girlfriend a warm smile and once more he thought about how lucky he was. Reagan was simply perfect. Finn watched her while she opened the present and when he saw the smile that lit up her face, he knew that he had bought exactly the right thing. Next time he would see Freya, the blonde would definitely get a hug and he would also buy her some of her favourite sweets. Her idea had been perfect. The Gryffindor had the best girlfriend and the best friend in the world. He really had no idea how he deserved it and then there was also Quidditch. Right now his life was perfect. He didn't want to change a thing.

Reagan slid the bracelet onto her wrist and it fit perfectly. This was exactly why he loved giving others presents. Finn didn't even care that much about the present he'd get. Seeing the happy smile on her face and hearing that she loved it was definitely the best part. He hugged her back and for a short moment he even forgot that he still had to open his present. The sixth year let go off his girlfriend reluctantly. This and something else? Someone was being vague… Finn put the piece of holly onto his nightstand before he opened the present carefully.

The boy grinned when he saw what his girlfriend had gotten him. The gloves he had were full of holes and he desperately needed new ones. And then she had found a Quidditch handbook he didn't already know. How she had managed that was a mystery to him and it made his smile grow even wider. Finn put his gifts away carefully before he wrapped his arms around his girlfriend and pulled her closer. "Thank you. It's perfect." He placed a kiss on her lips and pulled back again to look her in the eyes. "I love you." The fact that she was here with him was definitely the best present.

He had been pleased with his gifts, which was fabulous, but it was this next part that Reagan was really nervous for. They had discussed what would happen after she left for Dilys Derwent, and so she was sure that the seriousness of their relationship wasn’t a problem -- it was simply how ready or not ready he would be. She smiled shakily at his comment and nodded, leaning forward into his kiss. If his happiness before hadn’t been reassuring, the statement that he loved her definitely was. He loved her, she loved him, it was just the way that it was. Reagan’s expression softened, her worries went limp for a moment, and all she could think about was the way that Finn was looking at her. You couldn’t fake that kind of look -- Reagan knew that much, after all. “I love you too, Finn...”

Big pause, and it was time to spit the rest of it out. There was no way he wouldn’t be worried already and Reagan’s senses were on overload. She was completely conscious of every rustle of her clothes, every breath she took, and the precise amount of time between each blink of her eyes. “Which is why I think now, today, is a good time to discuss the other half of the present.” Gulping, she prepared herself. She couldn’t go back now. She’d said half of it already, half the battle was won -- it was time to enlighten her boyfriend a little more or he would go crazy. Tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, Reagan took a deep breath. “It’s me, I’m the other half.”

The seventeen year old wasn’t completely positive that he would understand or connect the dots appropriately, so she knew what she had to do to make it more clear. Reagan unzipped her boots, kicked them (and her socks) off, and crawled into Finn’s lap, her legs on either side of his hips. It wasn’t as though she hadn’t been in his lap before, but Reagan figured that her previous blunt declaration would be enough of a hint for him to pick up on her intentions. Intentions sounded like such a dirty thing in her head, but the motivation really came from love, wanting to share what she hadn’t with anyone else with her boyfriend. They were young, and Reagan wasn’t stupid. She knew that anything could really happen at this point in their lives, but she loved Finn so much that she knew she wouldn’t regret it, either, because it was what she wanted now.

“I don’t want to do anything you’re not okay with, but.. I’ve been thinking about this lately, however weird that sounds, and I’m more than sure that this is what I want. With you.” Reagan touched his chin with her fingers, tipping his head down so that she could look into his eyes. Her other hand reached to hold his face and she leaned in to kiss him, butterflies ambushing her stomach. Every nerve ending she possessed was on fire, her head was spinning, and the descriptions people had offered before were pretty spot-on. It sure was different to be experiencing the whole thing firsthand.

She was perfect. Absolutely perfect. The way Reagan was looking at him made his heart beat faster and all of a sudden the simple words he had just said didn't seem enough. But was there anything else he could say to show her just how much he adored her? Finn wasn't the cheesy kind of guy. He wasn't good at big romantic gestures and he would certainly be awful if he ever tried to write a poem of some kind. But she certainly knew that, didn't she? She returned his kiss and also his declaration of love and it answered his question. She did.

Right. The other half. Having her so close to him, alone in his room, made it hard to concentrate which was why he'd already forgotten that she apparently had another gift for him. If someone asked him, the gloves and the fact that she was here were absolutely enough but he still couldn't deny that he was excited for the rest. Ray hesitated and the Gryffindor wondered what was going on. Was there something wrong? Finn tilted his head to the side, his hazel eyes fixed on his girlfriend.

He just wanted to ask her what was wrong when she suddenly talked again and at first she didn't make any sense. Discuss the other half? Why? Was it something they had to leave the house for? Reagan continued and… oh. The sixth year blinked, realization dawned on him. They had only been together for a few months now but it definitely felt like more. He couldn't really say why but maybe it was because they had dated before. This time it felt a lot more serious, though. Finn would never admit it to anyone, except Freya maybe, but this felt like the real thing and apparently Ray shared his feelings on that matter.

She moved, got out of her boots and socks, and crawled into his lap. Without even thinking about it, he closed his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. Reagan spoke again, her hands touching his face and the warm touch sent shivers down his spine. The boy's left hand was still pressed against the small of her back while his right one wandered upwards until he could feel the warm skin of her neck. The brunette kissed him and he kissed her back, figuring that it was all he had to do so that she would understand that this was exactly what he wanted as well. Soon he let his hand slip under her shirt, caressing the warm skin of her back, while his lips were still pressed against hers.

The slight confusion that had taken over her boyfriend’s face for a few brief moments had worried the little brunette just slightly, but Finn was intelligent and he’d put the pieces of the puzzle together relatively quickly. She noticed that it wasn’t bad, though -- he looked … well, utterly at peace with the whole thing, which made her feel a little bit better about the circumstances they were about to dive into. There was no doubt in Reagan’s mind that she was totally all-in with it when he responded the way he did, pulling her close and looping his arms around her waist, and it felt almost like the worries just fell right off of her.

She didn’t want to get her hopes up, just because they were both so inexperienced and knew practically nothing about this other than what they’d heard from their more seasoned peers, but that didn’t matter so much, either. The idea that she was getting to share this with him and only him was a much bigger deal… it wasn’t like they’d been completely non-intimate, either, but the general consensus was that this was just about the biggest step you could take in a relationship like this to take it to the ‘serious’ level. That’s what she wanted to do, anyway. Ensure that Finn knew she was serious about this, that it wasn’t as frivolous or fleeting as the last time they’d dated. Yes, she’d said ‘I love you’ to him then, too, but there were different connotations behind her words now. Even though graduation was coming up soon, Reagan had had absolutely no thoughts of what would happen to their relationship when she moved on to adulthood.

They would be together, and that was it.

Ray didn’t care at all about the skepticism from people that were her ‘friends’ or from some of the people in her family -- really, the only opinion she cared about was Finn’s, and Sarah’s, but Sarah’s opinion generally consisted of ‘whatever makes you happy’. While they kissed, the hand on his face slid easily into his thick brown hair, and she shivered when she felt his slightly rougher hand made its way onto her bare skin. Her other hand reached down to toy with the hem of his shirt, and she pulled it over his head like she had so many times before, except this time knowing that there would be more. It was an odd feeling, having more to look forward to than usual -- more than she even knew how to do, really. The lack of expertise would likely be embarrassing, but she supposed it would be just another adventure for them to embark on, too.

Another giddy smile flitted across Reagan’s lips and she laughed softly, muttering against his lips. “Hey, I love you.” It sounded almost silly, considering that they’d said that to each other already, but it felt important enough to reiterate in this monumental instance. As things progressed even further and her hands wandered elsewhere, she was eternally glad that they were wizards, she was old enough to cast spells or charms if they had a need, and that Finn’s family was going to stay downstairs.