A/N: I do apologies for the late update on the story... I've been researchering material for the story and working on my re-writes on another story.
I don't own the characters... blah blah blah and all that disclaimer stuff.

Anyway, here it is.


Chapter 4: Harefield

Okay, so I wasn't really planning on kissing him, but now that he had asked me why... well I really didn't know why.

Malfoy sat sits there waiting for my answer, his thumbs rubbing circles into my hips; it was a little distracting. I wanted to say something, anything really, because the silence was deafening.

"Well?" He raised his eyes brows at me in a sort of encouragement.

Taking a shallow deep breath I replied, "I just felt like it." It was the truth, sort of. I couldn't very well tell him that I wanted to comfort him by kissing him now could I? That would have just made me sound petty and really weird.

"Okay." He had this confused look on his face. My own face probably reflected this.

"I should go sit over…" Oh God! He was kissing me again. Malfoy was kissing me! Oh, God did it feel good. I melted into his arms and his hands moved smoothly from my hips to my lower back. He drew me in so close that I was flush against his chest, my arms wrapped around his shoulders.

There was another moan, but this time it didn't come from me.


I cursed my hormones. I wasn't a little boy anymore, so what was I doing kissing her? Oh shit, did I just moan? Yep, I did.

She was good at this though. Her tongue was so curious and she… did she just lick the roof of my mouth? Ahhh, yes she did. FUCK! I had to stop. She just broke up with her boyfriend for Merlin's sake.

I wrenched my mouth away from hers and she let out a small protesting noise that just made my blood rush to all the right places. She was going to be the death of me.

"We can't do this." I panted against her lips. She simply nodded in agreement, though her eyes were tinted with lust.

"No we can't, can we?" Her whispered voice was thick and heavy. As exciting as train sex would be, it just didn't feel right.

So I gently nudged her away from me, her arms falling uselessly to her lap, and proceeded to enter the washroom. Lunch would be shortly which would help to avoid this… what was this? I mean, I'd taken advantage of women (and men), I'd even been the rebound guy for some of the people that I'd been with. What was it about her that just made me feel so… disconnected?

Splashing water onto my face I pushed the palm of my hand against the bulge in my pants, willing my erection away. Thinking of Dolores Umbridge in a flamingo pink bikini did the trick, but I knew I would have a few nightmares after picturing that.

Weasley was sitting in her original seat, her face flushed red to the roots. She was rummaging around in her bag. I didn't say anything as I opened the door to the compartment and silently closed it behind me. I needed a smoke.


I watched Malfoy leave while I sifted through my bag. I was only faking it, but I just needed something to distract myself. Kissing Malfoy and being kissed by him was intoxicating. I didn't think that I could get enough of him if he was free for the taking. What was I saying? After everything that I had just been through I wanted a rebound relationship with… with Draco Malfoy? Merlin, I must be ill. This trip was going to be a nightmare.

Thankfully, ten minutes later our lunch arrived. Malfoy came back from whatever he was doing. I noticed that he smelled like tobacco smoke but didn't comment about it. His habits were just that: his.

We shared small talk during the meal and afterwards I pulled out one of the books I packed in my carryon bag and engrossed myself in the pages. The book was a muggle work of fiction about two individuals who hated each other but then fell in love because they hated each other so much. I had to laugh at the irony.

During the trip Malfoy got up and left two more times before the train reached the station we were depart at, each time returning smelling like an ashtray. I wanted to ask him about the smoking, but many people had developed some bad habits from the war so I didn't question it. We all had our vices. I just wished he would do something about the smell.

Leaving the station I noticed that the town was further up the road and the station was set on top of a hill, giving us a view of the surrounding area. It was nice. Very open, very quiet. There was a small parking lot down a bit from the station and I could spot a few vehicles there.

Malfoy motioned for me to follow him towards a paved path to the parking lot. When we reached the lot he headed towards a Red Ford Truck. It looked like it was for off-roading. Harry had explained the concept to me when we discussed going camping last summer. It was big and it was bulky and it screamed 'This is a Man's Truck'. I wanted to pop the tires and laugh.

"Elroy told me that he would be leaving his truck here so we could bring your things up to the house without any trouble." explained Malfoy.

"That was thoughtful of him." I hoisted my trunk into the back of the pick-up. "But who is he?"

Malfoy looked over at me, "Oh, he's one the priests. You'll meet him when we get to Harefield."

"How many priests and priestesses are there?"

"Where? At Harefield?" Malfoy pondered the question before he continued. "Well in England alone there's about fifty. Europe, there's over two hundred and don't even ask me how many there are in the States."

I whistled at the number. "A lot, huh? So what's Harefield specifically?"

"It's sort of the meeting place for everyone in England, but it's also a training house for newcomers like you." He explained.

"Interesting."

We finished getting the rest of my things in to the back of the truck and hopped into the cab. It was an American model which made sitting in what would have been the driver's seat kind of awkward. It was spacious though and the seats were comfortable enough. I definitely wouldn't buy something like this for myself, but I guess it worked out nicely if you liked the outdoors.

"So is there a high priest kind of like Emilia is the high priestess?" I wanted to know more about where I was going to be staying. I didn't want to make a fool of myself in front of anyone else that might be living there.

Malfoy started the truck before answering me. "Yeah, Alastair is the high priest. He and Emilia have been in charge of the priests and priestesses of Avalon for about thirty years now. I think next year they plan on selecting their successors."

"Oh really."

"Yep."

"Do you know who they are going to pick?" That was kind of exciting news. Somehow I could see myself approaching future priestesses and priests like Emilia did with me.

Malfoy's face looked bitter for a moment before it relaxed again. "Nope. And frankly I don't want to know." His voice hid nothing of his earlier bitterness.

"Why?" I ask cautiously.

"What do you care?" He bit out. Malfoy looked uncomfortable with the topic we were obviously heading towards. I had a feeling that something was bothering him, yet something in me told me that it wasn't really a good time to ask. So I didn't.

Changing the topic I asked him a different question as he pulled in along the main road to town. "So how many years have you been a priest of Avalon?"

He half smiled. "Too long."

I raised an eye brow at him. "How long is too long?" I quipped.

His half smile turned into a full one. "Since I was nine."

Okay, that really surprised me. I never would have guessed that all through school that Malfoy was a priest; he had a talent for hiding things it seemed. "Wow. I never would have guessed that."

"No you wouldn't." he half laughed while taking a turn heading along the outside of the small town. "We aren't allowed to speak of our practices. Something to do with the Oath of Merlin."

My brows furrowed. "What's that?"

Malfoy spared me a quick look, mirth clearly written on his features. "You'll learn about it later. I promise."

Looking out the passenger window I watched the small houses pass by. The town was small and quaint. It was nice and kind of cute. Ten minutes out of town we turned off onto a dirt track and I understood why the truck was specifically built for off-roading. Every bump we drove over jostled me and I nearly bit my lip several times. Malfoy on the other hand looked completely at ease driving down the bumpy gravel road. The cocky bastard actually smirked when he caught me swearing under my breath whenever I would clink my teeth together. I had to say I wasn't at all pleased with the ride.

Half hour later we pulled up to what I would describe as a mansion. It was done in the old Victorian style from what Malfoy was describing to me as we drove up to it. Three floors, two wings, an indoor swimming pool and a library that stretched up all three floors in the west wing of the mansion. It had a terrace in the back attached to what was now used as a dining hall but was once a dance hall. The gardens contained a small koi pond, 9 acres of plush forest and grass land, not to mention the mini maze which contained more flowers than you would see in one place and small mausoleums near the east part of the grounds. Overall it was large impressive home that declared itself too grand and important.

We entered into what was once a carriage house but which had been converted to house cars instead. "The majority of the bedrooms are located in the east wing, so I think it's safe to say that your room will be there as well. The kitchen is just off the entrance you see across from the garage." Malfoy explained as we left the converted garage and walked along a short path to the side of the house and straight into the kitchens. The door was left wide open and the smell of baking wafted out onto the grounds.

There wasn't anyone in kitchen when we walked past, but there was a cooling rack on a pale wooden table with steaming bread rolls fresh from the oven. It somehow gave the room a country feel.

"So which wing is the east wing?" I wasn't really in the mood for talking since I wanted to grab a few of those rolls. I hadn't noticed how hungry I was till I smelled those. But I was distracted as I continued to follow Malfoy past the kitchen and into a small foyer. Old England beckoned me to come and relive the old ages of rich fabrics and colourful tiles. I wandered opened mouthed after Malfoy, looking at all the details and rich wood that was the interior of the mansion.

"Wow, this place is really something." I murmured.

Malfoy chuckled behind me, "There's more to see in the rest of the house."

"Really?" I had gotten a taste of beauty and I found myself wanting more.

Malfoy openly chuckled at me. "Just follow me."

Indeed the house was even more spectacular than in the kitchen and the side foyer. Malfoy was even kind enough to give descriptions of everything as we walked along his "tour".

It was interesting to hear what he had to say. On the second floor were the bedrooms mainly used for guests; each hall contained a different theme that went on into the bedrooms as well. We passed by the library where I meet both Blair and Roxanne. It was nice to finally put a face to the voice I heard over the phone. Blair was a petite curly-haired blond with soft grey eyes and a rosy complexion. Roxanne could have been her perfect opposite. Short spiky black hair, green hazel eyes freckled pale skin and as tall as or even taller than Emilia. The woman was a giant in my books.

The large bay windows in the library spared me a moment to really take in the grounds, and I must say I was impressed with the views. We passed by a few empty offices that I was allowed to poke my head into and on the way to the third floor I got to see the 'play room'. It was a small child's dream room. It had everything in it. There was a doll house big enough for a small child to walk into with a wooden kitchen inside and a table all set up for tea inside, action figures littered the floor in one corner of the room, I even spotted a makeshift puppet theater covered in various types of puppets in another corner.

The third floor, thankfully our last stop for my arms and legs were getting tired, held the bedrooms of the more permanent residents of the estate. Again the halls were done in different designs; most if not all continued on into the bedrooms.

Malfoy led me down a corridor near the end of the hall. Down it I could see four doors, each engraved with animal designs.

"So your room is the last one on the left here." Malfoy indicated pointing towards our intended destination.

When Malfoy and I reached my room I started to feel a little nervous. It wasn't as if this had been a date where I was expecting to kiss the gentlemen goodbye at the end. Yet I had this overwhelming feeling that I should do something. I just didn't know what.

"I'll ask one of the guys to come help me bring up the rest of your things." Malfoy explained as he set down on of my bags and shuffled from foot to foot.

"Thanks." I replied meekly. I had no idea what I was doing; this was just too foreign to me.

Hesitating Malfoy opened his mouth, "Ginevra." He started but I stopped him by raising my hand.

"If we're going to be living together then I think it's only fair that you call me Ginny."

Draco smiled and I couldn't help but smile back.

"Then I guess you have to call me Draco from now on as well." His smile turned into a smirk.

"Alright, I think I can manage that." I nodded politely before reaching for the door handle. Draco took it as his cue to head back to the truck for the rest of my things and I was left alone to explore my new room.

Make that "rooms." I had two rooms and a large bathroom all to myself. The first room I entered was sort of a drawing room. Two plush leather couches sat facing a short oval table in front of a cold fireplace. There was built-in shelving along majority of the walls, and next to the large bay windows was a little reading nook. The whole room was done in a deep midnight blue with silver and forest green accents. There was a desk and chair which were a dark oak; the design of the chair made it look like someone had plucked it straight from the forest.

As for the bedroom itself, the colours from the drawing room continued on into the bedroom. The four poster bed had to have been queen size because it was just too much space for me to sleep in. The covers and drapes were the same midnight blue as the other room, except they didn't contain any forest green - only speckles of silver, kind of like stars. A thick carpet covered most of the hardwood flooring in this room and the other as well. Double doors separated the two rooms from each other.

Dark oak furniture filled this room as well. There were two identical nightstands next to the bed, as well as a small vanity to the right and two closets flanking the doors.

Off to the left of the room was the bathroom which was just as overwhelming as the rest of the rooms. Soft blues and sandy creams surrounded me. The tiling had an Asian feel to the design and the ceiling even had a skylight. There was a large bath tub big enough to fit at least four people in it comfortably and the shower had multiple nozzles. On one wall was a full length mirror. Unnecessary, but beautiful.

After my awe-filled tour of my rooms I decided to seek out the kitchen. My stomach refused to allow me to forget the buns that were cooling on the kitchen table. After a quick meal I planned on getting my things all unpacked or at least organised. On my way down the hall I bumped into two men who were lugging my things up to my room. The first grunted at me in greeting, which really left a lot to desire. The other man was a bit more vocal.

"Don't mind him. Quinn never really says much." The speaker was a little taller than me and I would have guessed that he was younger than me if not for the five o'clock shadow he was sporting. He had wavy short dirt blond hair, a nice smile the touched his olive eyes and fair skin. "I'm Elroy." He held his hand out to me and I shook it. "Welcome to Harefield."

"Thank you." I said not forgetting my manners. "I'm Ginny."

"We know that." The other fellow remarked from down the hall, the deep timbre of his voice laced with annoyance. He was tall, dark and had this way about him that said 'stay away and don't bother to get to know me if you know what's good for you'. I shivered inwardly as I glared at him.

Elroy laughed again and told Quinn to play nice before he told Alastair he was being rude to the new girl. Quinn huffed, tapping his foot on the carpeted floor.

The kitchen was empty when I got there. Someone probably had come by to put the fresh-baked rolls away because the cooling rack was gone, as were the rolls. Disappointed that I couldn't grab one right away, I scrounged around the kitchen until I found myself a light snack and, thankfully, the rolls as well. Settling into a seat at the wooden table I tucked into my meal.

While I was quietly eating my dinner I heard voices heading towards me. A bit nervous about how I would be received I wiped my mouth and neatly pushed my plate away.

A few seconds later Emilia walked in carrying a small child and followed by two other women.

"Well hello my dear." She greeted me.

"Hello Emilia."

"I'm glad to see that you are settling in alright here." I nodded as she continued. "This is Danica." She indicated the slightly tan woman to her left with long blond hair and blue gray eyes. Danica was a bit on the heavier side but you could say she was ugly by any means. "And I hear you've already met Roxanne, my dearest cousin." Said woman greeted me politely.

"And I'm Megan." A sweet voice came from the girl in Emilia's arms. She looked to be eight or nine years old and was the spitting image of her mother, if Emilia was her mother that is.

The ladies laughed lightly saying that indeed the little girl was who she said she was.

Confirming my suspicions Emilia said, "Megan's my daughter and will be living here with us until she starts school."

Emilia set Megan down on her feet and the four of them joined me for a short meal. There was going to be a meeting that night so they didn't have much time to spare for a proper meal. Emilia left Megan in my capable hands as they left to get ready.

It was a delight to hang out with Megan. She brought me right up to her playroom and we stayed in there until I noticed her yawning more than usual.

Noticing how late it was getting, I brought Megan up to her room and put her to bed. Making my way up to my own bed I wasn't looking where I was going and I bumped into Draco.

"Ooof. Sorry.' I mumbled half asleep already.

"That's alright." Looking up I noticed that Draco looked about as tired as I felt.

He was in some ceremonial robe that was a deep purple and brushed the ground around him. There was thick gold belt around his waist that had a symbol in the center of it. Overall the cut of the robe suited him well and I felt the urge to run my hands along the sleeves just to see what it felt like.

Noticing my look, Draco cocked an eye brow at me and cleared his throat. "See something you like?"

Smiling at his remark I did indeed reach out and caress the sleeve of his robe. "I believe I do." I couldn't help but smile. "So when do I get to meet everyone else?"

Draco looked at me, a soft smile on his face. "Well we discussed it when the meeting ended and we're hoping to have a nice gathering tomorrow evening as a sort of welcoming party for you."

"I get the feeling that this doesn't happen often."

"No. Not really."

"So…" I felt awkward and I had a feeling that Draco knew I felt awkward.

"Good night Ginny."

"Good night." I replied. I watched Draco turn and leave, leaving an emptiness within me that I hadn't felt in some months.

I left a feeling of déjà vu in the pit of my stomach and I didn't know where it came from. On instinct I grabbed Draco's arm and pulled him towards me. I was proud that I caught him off guard which helped to boost my confidence as I reached up for his face and brought our lips together.

His lips were soft yet firm on mine. I let my lips part slightly and he slipped his tongue into my mouth. He tasted like red wine, a taste I found I didn't mind so much. There was a hint of mint underneath the red wine and I drank it all in. We stood there kissing, as if our lives depended on that one moment, before we pulled apart for air. His hot breath ghosted against my skin and I shivered at the feeling.


I brushed a loose hair from her face and looked at her breathless expression. She was beautiful. She was… someone else's. But I wanted her. I needed her.

Brushing my lips against her swollen ones for a brief moment longer, I bid her good night and strode down the hall. Ginny didn't stop me this time. I think she knew that what we were doing was… wasn't something we wanted to jump into. At least that's what I told myself.

Turning the corner heading for the stairs I spotted Potter. He was at the meeting tonight, though he didn't look all that well. He needed sleep from the look of him and I overheard him talking to Alastair about finally being able to participate in the meetings come the fall. I shuddered, thinking about what it must feel like losing memories randomly. Deep down a voice told me that it must have been the reason his relationship with Ginny failed; another voice said it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up.

Nodding to him as I headed to my own rooms, I had every intention of walking right past him but he blocked my path. The look on his face was painful, like a dying man praying for a miracle.

"Malfoy." His voice was hoarse.

"Potter."

"I heard you escorted Ginny here this morning."

"I did."

"How is she?"

Scoffing at him just to satisfy some deep emotion I hadn't felt in awhile I replied curtly, "I don't believe that is any of your business, now is it Potter?"

He growled at me, his fists balling at his sides. "Damn it Malfoy, we're not kids anymore and I have a right to ask."

"Doesn't mean I'm going to answer you." My face was a blank mask while Potter struggled to not yell at me. I knew I was riling him up - it was childish, yes, but I just couldn't help it. Sighing I said, "She's fine Potter. Doing alright, all things considered."

Potter visibly relaxed several degrees and somehow he just seemed to crumble. "Good." He ran a hand through his unruly hair. "Good." He mumbled again then turned and continued down the stairs.

I watched as he descended down and turned out of sight. Instantly I regretted my actions, but I didn't allow myself to feel pity for him. After all he had brought this upon himself.

Another person approached me on the stair. "You shouldn't tease him like that, Draco." Hewitt, my dark skinned friend, stated behind me.

"He deserves it."

"Does he?" He asked as he continued down the stairs.

Standing there I didn't know how to answer. My life at the moment wasn't as picture perfect as I liked to pretend it was. Being pulled in different directions by several different people wasn't healthy for anyone, especially for someone who had been through the things that I had.

My soul was in torment and something inside me said that Ginny's was too. It was like we were subconsciously calling out to each other and I wanted everything that made her suffer to suffer as well. It was an unnerving feeling, but I liked it. I liked her.

Wait. Did I like her? That didn't make much sense to me. Before that morning I hadn't had any good or bad feelings towards Ginny. Now after only one day I was already telling myself that I liked her? True she was a very interesting individual and there weren't that many people who could boast that they interested me. It was also true that she had the sweetest lips I had ever tasted. But did I really like her?

It was a thought that I found myself drifting off to sleep to, wondering just how much one person could like another after only one day.


A/N: Woot! Please R&R and all that lovely stuff... Next chapters is under some heavy constructions but I do promise to get it up by the end of this month... just having some issues with event/time-line placement. Got to get the story moving where I want it to and it's getting harder with each chapter... POOP! Anyway, hoped you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writting it.