Not much to say here, so let's just jump right in people.

Hermione found herself in an open field. The snow was up to her knees and she could barely move in any direction. She couldn't figure out where she was. She had never apparated this badly off course before. She was aiming for home, or Hogwarts, oh hell, she was aiming for anywhere that Ron wasn't. Well she admitted to herself as the snow blew around her; Ron wasn't anywhere near here. She peered around in all directions, out in the distance she saw a small cottage and there was smoke coming out of the chimney stack. However, as she turned towards the house she lost her balance and fell in the deep snow. Soaking wet and shivering she tried to get up but she kept slipping on the frozen ground that had compacted with her fall. Finally attaining and standing position she tried to move again but found that she had little traction in the snow and ice. After falling a second time she found herself feeling quite hopeless until she felt a small jab in her side. She pulled at the irritation and pulled out her wand. Looking at the thin strip of wood like she had never seen it before, she smacked herself in the forehead. Good thing no one saw this little episode. The brightest witch of the age, forgetting she had a wand. She promptly dried her clothes and cut a swatch through the snow toward the cottage making it there in record time.

The cottage was quaint and looked warm and welcoming. She marched right up to it and banged on the front door. A round woman with sandy hair opened it almost immediately. She took one look at Hermione and her rather disheveled appearance and said, "Oh love, what happened to yeh dear?"

Hermione was shivering despite having dried off from her clumsiness earlier. Her teeth were chattering violently. The woman pulled Hermione in the door and shut it firmly against the cold outside.

"Now what on earth were yeh doin out during a bloody blizzard?"

Hermione still couldn't answer the woman but moved closer to the fire and the woman came round with a steaming cup. She handed the cup to Hermione who drank it gratefully. Only when steam was pouring out of her ears did she realize what she had been given was a pepper up potion. Indeed she was feeling better. She sat down on the sofa that was nearest the fire.

"You're a witch?"

"Yes, dear. And you're Hermione Granger. Now how did you end up outside my house?"

She didn't have an accusing tone just a curious one. Hermione looked up in to her kind and open face and was suddenly struck by how familiar she looked. Hermione remembered seeing a woman just like her when she was fourteen at the World Cup. She was supporting Ireland, there with her son…

"Dear Merlin! You're Mrs. Finnegan.

"Aye, dear, that I am. Are you gonta answer me questions now?"

But Hermione barely heard her. Her mind was reeling. She had just apparated to Seamus' home. What was she supposed to tell his mother? Surely Seamus hadn't told her anything about her. What happened if Seamus walked in? But she was saved trying to come up with a viable excuse when she heard a ruckus above her. She looked up and followed the banging noise as it approached the stairs.

"Mam! Mam, there's snow comin in the window ta me room. We haven got a spare board anywhere? I need to seal it and the wind's too strong for me to get a clear shot with me wand."

Mrs. Finnegan sighed and walked over to a rickety stair case muttering under her breath about the house falling apart around her.

"Seamus Patrick Finnegan! We've got a guest in our house, enough shoutin if yeh please!

There was silence above them and Mrs. Finnegan turned from the stairs.

"Now how bout a cuppa tea love?"

Hermione had never been at a loss for words before but this was a completely ludicrous situation. Hermione merely nodded at Mrs. Finnegan as she pointed her wand at a kettle that immediately started whistling. She poured a cup and added a spot of whiskey to the mixture.

"That should warm yeh right up dear," Mrs. Finnegan said kindly as she handed Hermione the cup.

Hermione took the cup and drank it quickly letting it scald her tongue and throat. Hermione was doing her best to come up with a viable excuse for being outside the Finnegan's home when she heard someone thundering down the stairs.

"Mam! I got it all fixed."

Hermione's breath caught as she saw him round the corner and stop near the bottom of the steps. He was absolutely gorgeous. He had his shirt sleeves rolled up past his elbow allowing his shirt to tug deliciously at all the planes of his defined chest. Hermione wanted nothing more than to be in his arms, but seemed to have forgotten how to move properly.

Mrs. Finnegan stood up from where she had placed herself next to Hermione and looked at her only son, a bit of anger flashing in her eyes.

"Seamus, did yeh not hear me properly when I shouted that we had a guest. You're being very rude."

Hermione watched as Seamus' eyes slid from his mother's face to rest on hers. She mustered up a tiny smile that looked much more like a grimace in her state. Seamus' face went from blank, to confused and finally settled with stretching in to a wide grin. He bounded down the last few stairs and raced across the sitting room to the sofa where Hermione was. She saw the look of surprise on his mother's face as he scooped Hermione up whirled her around the room. When he finally stopped, Hermione looked in to his eyes properly and knew she'd made the right choice. She was in love with Seamus Finnegan.

"Yeh picked me," he whispered

"I… oh, of course I picked you, Seamus. I love you."

You wouldn't have thought it could happen, but Seamus' grin got larger.

"Yeh know, I knew yeh couldn't resist me, woman."

"Oh did you? Sure sure, Mr. Finnegan."

And then Seamus set Hermione down on the ground properly cupped her face in his two hands and lowered his mouth to hers. He kissed her more fully than she had ever been kissed in her life. She was warmed up more sufficiently than any potion ever could do and suddenly she was kissing him back as though every fiber of her being demanded that she should. Every nerve ending was on fire and she forgot that she was stuck in the middle of a blizzard, and that Seamus' mother was watching.

Their happy reunion was punctured by Seamus' mother clearing her throat rather loudly and saying something to the effect of, "Oh that was surprising. Oh honestly!" It was like being pulled out of a deep sleep or from underwater, as she and Seamus broke their kiss. Hermione was blushing furiously but Seamus was standing there looking at his mother triumphantly and Mrs. Finnegan was smiling.

"Well this was certainly a turn of events. Welcome to the family then, Hermione," said Mrs. Finnegan with laughter in her voice.

"We're not married yet mam," but in an undertone he added, "not yet at least love."

~FIN~

Thank you for all your support. This is the end of my first fanfiction. The love is fabulous. There may be an epilogue some day but for now this is it. Thanks for sticking with me. You guys rock my socks. Cheers!