25th November, 1888 — Magical Bugs Office
Finnian Byrne

In the long period of declining weather and darkening nights that categorised the portion of the year that stretched between All Hallow’s Eve and Yuletide Belle, along with many of her colleagues, often found herself confined to her office during any moment that could be construed of as being free. It was not free of course. Instead it was taken up with a seemingly endless stream of paperwork that covered everything from the end of year expenses report to the upswing in injuries and maladies across every department of the hospital that inevitably came when people were inside with too much time on their hands.

Merlin, she bloody hated November.

Sitting in her office on one such afternoon, nursing a rapidly cooling cup of tea and ignoring the patter of rain against the window behind her, Belle was very quickly becoming irritated with what she was reading. People couldn’t help becoming ill, but did they have to be so reckless with their health? A rap at the door caught her attention but, anticipating it would be one of the tearoom staff bringing her something undoubtedly lacklustre to eat she didn’t look up as she permitted them entry.

“I’ve told the Matron time and time again, if I wanted to eat I’d-“ She looked up, her words dying as she noticed her visitor was not wearing a pinafore or wielding a tea trolley. Feeling a flutter of surprise run through her Belle gave him a smile and carefully laid down her report. “Mr Byrne, whatever brings you here? I do hope you’re not unwell?” She highly doubted it by the look of him; in fact, somehow, he looked stronger and brighter than he had the last time she had seen him.

  

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Lady made me sexy <3

In the time between August and November, Finny had not forgotten about his unfinished business with the Magical Bugs healer-in-charge. He'd all but promised he'd come visit, but there had been little time for personal matters when work—specifically the pink letter scandal that he and his colleagues had been tasked with handsome—continued to weigh him down.

Most of the cases were settled now, though; unhappily married couples had either had their requests accepted or denied, and all he had to deal with was keeping his fat mouth shut when approached by reporters. (Unfortunately, most Crime and Politics reporters were male, so he couldn't exactly distract them with his dazzling smile.)

The first day his lunch hour had been clear, Finnian had floo'd to Hogsmeade and directly gone to Hogsmeade Hospital with hopes that he might find his cousin. Finley, unfortunately, wasn't there; however, after convincing a nurse in a jumbled mess that he'd been there to have lunch with a patient of  the Magical Bugs ward, he'd weaseled his way up to the floor where Mrs. Bones was hopefully enjoying her lunch.

It was surprisingly easy to figure out where the brunette was located, a large metal plaque with her name on it nailed to the wooden door at the end of the corridor. He'd knocked and, making sure no one was behind him, slipped inside when he heard the familiar voice on the other side of the door.

"Not unwell," he teased, his lips spread into a broad grin. "Lonely, perhaps. My cousin failed to show up for lunch today." He, in fact, hadn't, but he didn't care if Mrs. Bones figured that out later. It was an unimportant detail in the scheme of things. "I thought you might like the company instead. I know what it's like to be hauled up in the office on a long, winter day," he said, this time softer, more personal.

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— set by MJ! —

☙ Post Log ❧

Precisely how he’d managed to get to her office without being stopped Belle had no idea. The security at the hospital wasn’t exactly exemplary but there were more than enough winding passages and surly matrons to ensure no stranger, or patient as the case may be, could get too far without being stopped. He was persistent, she would give him that.

Of course he had also taken his time in coming to see her so perhaps she had been wrong after all? Which was just as well as, without the addition of champagne she had begun to wonder why she had invited him to come and see her at all…well, no, that was wrong. She was quite aware of why, she just wasn’t sure in the harsh light of day whether it was entirely a sound idea. If he was just paying her a courtesy to spare her blushes then it was all the better.

Except he wasn’t. She knew full well that he wasn’t.

“Well I do keep him rather busy I suppose,” Belle replied with a twitching smile she simply couldn’t help, wondering whether she ought to mention that Finlay Connolly had gone home four hours ago, having done the night shift as he had been doing all week, and certainly would not have arranged to meet his cousin for lunch.

“I appreciate the thought, I can think of any number of things I would much rather be doing to while away the dark, cold days.”

Even to her own ears that sounded…not quite as conversational as she had intended and she laughed breathily at her own ill thought out words. “Goodness, I must have been locked away on my own for too long.”

  

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Lady made me sexy <3

Finnian's gaze dropped to the chair across from her, but decided it was just too far away, almost too... businesslike, for the visit. He was here to visit the healer-in-charge, not a patient, an the desk provided a barrier an unwanted barrier between them as they spoke. He decided to stand instead, moving to the edge of her desk and leaning beside it, a mere few feet from her.

"Busy enough to where I don't have to deal with him at home," he said with a bridge, cheeky smile. Most men his age were either on their own or preparing to, but the Connollys functioned differently; they brought their wives and their families to the main house if they chose to follow tradition, making for a loud—and often overwhelming —household. "But I don't mind," he added. "Your office is warmer than downstairs."

Warmer, private, and more intimate—not compared to just downstairs, but also the Ministry expedition gala and the expedition itself. He could talk to her without worrying about wandering eyes, and she didn't have to pour three glasses of champagne down her throat to soothe her nerves.

He grinned at her comments, which, while unintentionally suggestive, gave him a glimpse into her mindset. "Oh, there's many things I'd rather be doing on long, cold days," he teased. "It's not like there's much fun to be found in the Ministry—or in the Irish countryside." He'd rather be like his brother: curled up by the fireplace with a woman in his arms, but he didn't even think he was brash enough to elope with a baker's daughter. No... he'd find a woman just as pretty, but who was more refined. Finnian's gaze glided over every inch of Mrs. Bones that he could see; though messy-haired and clad in her work robes, she looked no less lovely than ever.

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— set by MJ! —

☙ Post Log ❧

Whether it was intentional or not the result of his stance was that Belle had to crane her long neck to look up at him and she found herself immediately amused, and a little charmed, by how quickly he had allowed her to show off one of her better features. It was all the more pleasing because he had done it accidentally and Belle didn’t think anybody had been that inadvertently thoughtful since Henry had died. He had been a generous man, almost without limits when it came to praise and sense and Belle had long thought that she would have married him even if he hadn’t been selected for her.

What Henry had also been though, unquestionably and occasionally uncomfortably, was so much older than her and she realised with a jolt that she had never seen her husband as youthfully reckless and easily flirtatious as Mr Byrne was now. She resented the small part of her that felt as though she had missed out on aspects of courtship, but she knew all too well that she had all-but become a staid matron before she had reached her twentieth year largely because of the man she had married. She didn’t resent him, but she hadn’t quite realised what she was missing…

“I’ll have to take your word for it, I’ve never have the privilege of seeing either for myself.” Despite her unusual path in life it had still a great deal narrower than some and, while Belle would never complain about her lot in life, she had led a mostly limited existence. Certainly by some of her sister’s standards at least. “I’m beginning to think there are a number of things I’ve missed out on.”

  

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Lady made me sexy <3

The difference between Mrs. Bones and other women he'd flirted with, apart from her age, was how difficult she made it for him to figure out what she was thinking. He supposed she'd have to be good at masking her emotions, as a healer, but he also supposed that was something one did intentionally. As she stared up at him, he noted the twinkle of amusement in her eyes and the slight upturn of her lips, but there was nothing outwardly flirtatious; even with her words, he had to read into them to try and discern their meanings.

"Either? You've never been to the Ministry?" He nearly laughed, but managed to restrain himself; although he spent every working hour in a small office, sometimes he forgot that some people—namely pretty women, who either had no career or careers elsewhere—had little reason to visit. "Not that that's a bad thing. I think it's more of a crime to have never visited the Irish countryside," he added with a goofy grin. "I'm sure you'll visit sometime. You just need a good reason to." And he could give her a reason if she really wanted one.

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— set by MJ! —

☙ Post Log ❧

How long could she pretend Mr Byrne meant nothing by his words? A very mild amount of flirting, in public, with the scrutiny of society waiting to push in at any moment, was one thing. She could pretend that was merely passing the time with a similar soul, but there was only one good reason on her mind for visiting a country she had never given the slightest thought to and it wasn’t the views.

“First I must find the time, Mr Byrne,” she replied as she got to her feet, gaining herself a much needed moment as she moved away to put the paperwork she had been working on needlessly in a tray atop her filing cabinet.

She ought to put a stop to this. It was all fun and games, but she was rapidly beginning to feel her heart beat in a way she had half-forgotten. She didn’t just want to trade flirtation; she wanted him to touch her, to put his eager hands on her body and fan the spark he had ignited in her.

“It would have to be a very good reason,” she added as she turned back to face him where he still perched on her desk, nearly the same height as her now.

  

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Lady made me sexy <3

Finnian felt his own heartbeat quicken in excitement in response to her actions. Whereas he'd formerly convinced himself that Mrs. Bones was merely enticing by nature and that she meant nothing by her borderline suggestive comments, there was no mistaking the way her voice lowered as she moved closer to him. He did his best to reign in his emotions, lest he look like a schoolboy eager to kiss a girl for the first time. Still, he couldn't help but feel a burst of confidence at having her so close, staring intently at him those dark, knowing eyes that drove him mad.

"Aye, the hospital does take up a lot of your time," he commented, his hand reaching up to catch a stray piece of hair that had fallen from her updo. He brought it to the back of her hair and looped it over the bun, but allowed his hand to linger for a moment before slowly, softly, letting his hand move down her neck to her spine.

"Though I'm sure if you gave Mr. Keene that smile, he wouldn't be able to resist giving you a day or two off," he said, his voice lowering as he rose to his feet. She was taller compared to many of the women he knew, but not so tall that he felt intimidated. As his hand flattened on the small of her back, his other hand tucked another stray strand of hair behind her ear. Although he was all too willing to push her back against the desk and force his lips on her mouth, he still felt reservation about doing so. Perhaps it was because she was the healer-in-charge and he was in her office at her workplace; she could have him tossed out—or possibly arrested—if he made her uncomfortable.

Even with that in mind, he found himself thinking such fears to be silly as he tugged gently at her waist.

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— set by MJ! —

☙ Post Log ❧

Belle’s stomach flipped at the touch of his hand in her hair and she felt quite bamboozled for a moment, which was entirely ridiculous as it was such a small touch and she was a mother of four (five, she added mentally) who was no swooning debutante. Had it really been so long, had she been so neglected that such a simple thing set her alight? He was handsome, of that there was no doubt, but she had never been so swayed by a man’s good looks and charm that she had let him be so familiar. And Merlin help her, she truly didn’t mind. In fact she was eager for it.

She took a step forward to meet him as he rose and took her into his embrace rather more smoothly than she had thought he would. She had imagined him vaguely fumbling, though she wasn’t too sure why now the moment was upon her. He wasn’t a boy after all, simply younger than her husband had been, so why shouldn’t he be as sure of himself as any grown man?

“Mr Keene is quite immune to my charms,” she said, unable to prevent the tremor of breathiness in her voice, though she doubted there was much point in putting up a front anymore. He pulled her closer gently and Belle reached up to cup his jaw, running a thumb over the exquisite rise of his cheekbone as her other hand slipped around his waist.

She kissed him first, her lips brushing his with deliberate slowness as she tilted her head up, allowing her body to press against his where they stood. Oh Merlin, how had she forgotten this?

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   Finnian Byrne

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Lady made me sexy <3

Finnian was a Gryffindor, and apart from being bold and sometimes brash, he wore his heart on his sleeve. It was impossible to hide his widening smile as she allowed herself to be pulled into his body, and even more difficult to hide the desire in his eyes as her hand reached up to cup his jaw. While her hands were soft, they weren't as soft as those belonging to other women of her class. Maybe it was the tools and plants she used at work that made her fingertips slightly calloused, or maybe it was years of experience that young twenty-something-year-old debutantes didn't have. Either way, he didn't mind as his hand journeyed up her spine, holding her firmly in place.

"Unfortunately, I don't think I am," he answered huskily moments before their lips touched. He was soft, hesitant at first, not from inexperience but because he wasn't sure of her comfort zone. He took a step forward to judge whether she'd let him lead, and let out a soft, content moan as her body molded into his.

This, he thought, was what it was like to kiss a woman. An experienced woman, one who was starved for affection. A woman who needed the touch of a man, as he imagined any woman who'd lost her husband would. While many argued that women didn't possess the same desires as men, he'd never been convinced of the same. As he tightened his grip around her waist and hekissed her harder, he couldn't imagine anyone—man or woman—not enjoying this.

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— set by MJ! —

☙ Post Log ❧

Belle was most definitely enjoying this. The press of his lips had made any other thoughts evaporate out of her head and she was already feeling pleasantly languid pressed against him. It had been far too long and she was not built for loneliness, she was rapidly discovering, and Mr Byrne - Finnian - was definitely adept at this. Far more so than either of them had been at evading African animals and she thought, slightly madly, that she had never kissed someone who responded quite so energetically before.

It would be so easy to lose herself in this. To forget where she was, who she was - both in this hospital and in society - and that on the other side of the unlocked door there were any number of colleagues that might burst in at any moment. She was most definitely no blushing debutante anymore so she certainly couldn’t use the excuse of simply getting carried away.

No, she would have to be sensible. She would have to end this kiss, much though it pained her to do so, but she allowed herself a few more moments before she pulled away, her lips curling into a smile despite her reluctance.

“Oh you are going to be such trouble aren’t you?” Belle asked as her fingers brushed the back of his neck.

  

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Lady made me sexy <3

He was no virginal schoolboy getting his hands on a woman for the first time, but the prospect of pulling away was enough to make him  internally whine like one. There was something so thrilling about this; not only was he kissing a woman he wasn't publicly involved with, but an older, widowed woman, and from her work office at that!

Though their lips parted at last, he dropped his hands down to her waist and gave a gentle squeeze, not allowing her to completely extract herself from him - not that she seemed too keen on that idea, anyways.

"Aye," he responded, a teasing smile broadening across his face, "but only with your consent, Madam Bones." His fingers traced along the curves of her waist, knowing that although their time together might be limited here and now, there had to be a way to spend time with her elsewhere. He'd never be as crass to say as much aloud, but the prospect of getting to peel away her robes was an exciting one indeed.

He was, however, blunt enough to ask the question that now hung between them. "When can I see you again?" he asked in a softer, more tender murmur.

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— set by MJ! —

☙ Post Log ❧

The sooner the better as far as Belle was concerned but she was not completely ignorant to the rumours that were beginning to circulate about her relationship with the younger man. She had caught a patient giggling over Witch Weekly recently only to be told by a colleague that there was a suggestion that she and Mr Byrne could be more than friends...which did beg the question of where they were getting their information from but it was far from important at the moment.

“Soon.” She replied, against her better judgement. “We have to be careful. You know how people talk…” Belle kissed him again, gentle, coaxingly, hoping he would understand her worries. “I don’t care so much for my sake but for my children’s,” she pressed her lips to his again. Oh Merlin, she felt like she was waking up. “And yours.”

  

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Lady made me sexy <3

As long as she was still kissing him, he wasn't inclined to fight. 'Soon' would have to be soon enough—between both of their jobs, it was unlikely that there would be an opportunity to plan for a specific time or day. Finnian had long stopped caring about his reputation considering what society already thought of his brother and cousins, but he could at least understand Mrs. Bones' hesitations.

"Don't worry about me," he murmured, his lips trailing across her jawline as he leaned her smaller body against his. "I'm a Connolly whether I wear the name or not. I'm used to the rumors." Not that he would subject her children to it simply because he was used to it.

He kissed her softly, gently once more before finally pulling away, separating their bodies by a good arm-length. He could hear footsteps in the corridor outside Mrs. Bones' office, which meant he needed to get out before he was noticed. Any attempts to protect their reputations would be soiled if they were caught here and now, and he so wanted to see her again.

"But I'll find a way. I always do," he said, a wide, Finny-ish grin across her lips.

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— set by MJ! —

☙ Post Log ❧

The family was a little disreputable from what Belle had heard - and surreptitiously found out from various sources since the expedition in the summer - but they were very far from the worst kinds of notoriety. A little oddness wasn’t awful. In fact compared to some of her brood being eccentrically oneself was positively a virtue...and she found she was even more inclined to think nothing of his background the more his lips travelled over her skin.

She had to put a stop to this. It would be far too easy to fall into making terrible decisions that she might live to regret if they were caught out: she couldn’t think of any reason beyond that she might regret what she wanted to do and that in itself was worrying.

It was a blessing that he was stronger, and seemingly more sensible, than she was at the moment.

“I’m sure you do,” she replied in a fluster, hand travelling to her neck in a vain attempt to cover how pink she was becoming, the other shooing him out of the door. “Away with you. For now,” she added with a sly smile, all but pushing him through the door and just in time to see her assistant head striding towards her office. “Mr ___, prompt as ever.”

  

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Lady made me sexy <3