Finn Lynch lives a quiet, tranquil life in a rural village in the mountains. Her life may lack spontaneity and excitement, but at least it's peaceful. And if it's a little lonely too, then she can't complain too much - she's still happy, after all.
...
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"You're getting on better with the lad." Uncle Al notes one morning over breakfast.
Finn just about chokes on her porridge. "I am not!"
"It's not a bad thing." Al frowns, clearly a little confused by her reaction.
It's the first time he's come to visit in person in weeks, and Finn had been only delighted to cobble together a hurried breakfast for the two of them. Communication via owl mail was fine for the most part, but Finn has missed him dearly.
The topic of Regulus, however, is not one that she wishes to discuss in the limited time she has with him.
"It's not up for discussion." She mutters, sinking into her chair.
Al looks a little confused by her reaction, but shrugs it off in favour of continuing to pester her. "I'm only saying that you're not at each other's throats as much as you were before. You haven't asked me to get him out your sight for a while now."
"That's because you haven't been around." Finn scowls, turning her face away from him.
It's true that Finn and Regulus have been getting on slightly better than usual over the last week or so. Finn thinks it's down to the conversation they'd had that day they'd gone to the lake; at the very least, she feels as though she has a better understanding of what he had been through before he came to live with her.
He's still a difficult little bastard to live with, but he hasn't been quite as antagonistic towards her as he had been before. He seems a little bit more human, even though she still thinks he's a dick.
"Well," Her uncle sighs, stretching his shoulders. "I'll be taking him today, anyway. We won't be gone long, but you'll get a short break."
"Good." Finn says absently, stirring more sugar into her tea.
A few quiet hours will be nice, but she finds that she's not as desperate for space as she had been when he had first moved in. She's gotten used to him being around, she supposes.
"Is he still in bed?" He checks his watch, clearly beginning to get irritated. "Lazy beggar. Will you go and get him?"
Finn shoots him a mildly disbelieving look over the top of her mug. "Me? No! You go."
"He doesn't like me." Her uncle points out, as though that argument makes perfect sense.
Finn just gapes at him, indignant. "Oh, and he likes me so much better?"
"He's more familiar with you. Look, go and get him and I'll give you money to go shopping in town this weekend." He bargains. When Finn falters, clearly considering it, he seizes upon her indecision. "A hundred pounds, if you like. You haven't gotten yourself any new clothes in a while, hm?"
