The friends glanced at each other with excited eyes as they began to explore their new home. Each of the bedrooms was exquisitely decorated and each door had a small gold plate on which was engraved one of their names.

" This…this can't be real…" Muttered Lucy, sitting down on one of the chairs in the main room.

" Well if this is a dream…" beamed Mark, " Don't anybody wake me up!"

* * * * * * * *

Jo wandered over to the door bearing her name. She traced a finger over the engraved metal and smiled gently. She walked through the open door way and her mouth dropped open as she looked around her. The room was decorated in a similar way the main room but with touches here and there that reminded her of the life she had once led. To one side of the room was a large oaken desk, on which lay some parchment and what looked like a quill. She smiled as she remembered the stories she used to write back home. Above the desk was a bookshelf, lined with books. She reached out and removed a particularly thick, leather-bound volume from the shelf. Reading the title on the spine her smile grew wider, the book was entitled 'Sabbats and Rites'. She put the book back carefully, scanning the titles. The books covered candle magick, chants, meditation, tarot and whole range of topics she had never heard of. She closed her eyes and could remember her own books that she had at home, she felt a pang when she thought of her own Tarot cards and Book of Shadows. A knock on the door snapped her out of her reminiscing and she turned to see Guillaume in the doorway.

" What's your room like…? She smiled, walking away from the desk.

" Well it's very nice…" he grinned wandering in to the room, glancing around as he did so. His eyes fell on the books Jo had been looking at only moments earlier and he frowned. " …I see they've been reading up on you too!"

" Why? What do you mean?" Jo sat on the edge of her bed and watched as Guillaume absent-mindedly picked up one of the books and began to flick through the pages.

" It's just that Marius' room is full of music and Phillipe's has a lot of books on law and order and yours is full of…" Guillaume's jaw dropped open as his dark eyes were sent flying to her face, " Dragon's blood?!"

" What?" Jo frowned, going over and glancing down at the book. She smiled and laughed gently. " It's kind of incense…and no…" She slid the book back onto the shelf, " …it doesn't come from dragons." Her green eyes sparkled as she grinned at him. " Well not back home it doesn't! Here though…who knows!"

" So all this witchcraft stuff…" Guillaume's dark brow knitted together. " It's real…is it?" Jo sat back down on the end of the bed.

" Well everyone here in Vaniria seems to think so…" she sighed as he sat next to her.

" But don't you…?" he frowned, gently taking her hand in his. Jo shrugged,

" To be honest I'm not sure about anything any more!" she squeezed his hand.

" Well don't worry about it…" Guillaume raised her palm to his lips and kissed it softly. " Please…" His brown eyes looked deep into hers and they sat in silence for a few moments. Their fingers entwined and their gaze never leaving each others face.

" Don't worry…I won't…" Jo winked as she leant her head towards him.

" Good…you know how much I worry…" he smirked, doing the same. Their lips were barely touching when there was a smart knocking on the door.

" And what's going on in here then?" Guillaume and Jo turned their heads to see Rosie stood in the doorway, one hand on her hip and a cheeky grin on her face.

" Oh Rosie…" Jo gasped, leaning away from Guillaume. " In here? Er…nothing…why…?"

" Don't panic!" Rosie grinned coming in and leaning on the desk. " I just wanted to see what your room was like…everyone else has gone to bed already. They did shout out Goodnight but I don't think you heard them…" she raised an eyebrow as she glanced around the room. " It's all a bit overwhelming really isn't it…" she sighed.

" I don't think overwhelming covers it!" Jo laughed, joining her friend next to the desk.

" Well, I just wanted to see your room and say Goodnight…" Rosie beamed as she headed for the door. " You coming Guillaume?" Rosie glanced back, the cheeky expression on her face growing with each second.

" Of course…I just wanted to…I mean…I only came in to say Goodnight myself…" Guillaume stood up and opened his dark eyes wide.

" Yeah…of course you did! " Rosie winked before turning and heading through the doorway. " But we all have our own rooms remember! Not even Marius and I share a room and we're engaged!" she called back with a giggle. Jo watched as Guillaume flushed bright red and averted his gaze from Jo. She rolled her eyes and kissed his cheek gently.

" I know…" she smiled as his eyes spoke to her heart. " But…let's not start any rumours eh?!" she winked. " Now go on! Off to bed with you! We've got an early start tomorrow – our tutoring commences after breakfast!" Guillaume smiled back, dimples forming at the corners of his mouth as his mischievous expression met hers.

" Goodnight Jo," he kissed her cheek softly.

" Goodnight Guillaume," she took his hand in hers and squeezed it gently. Guillaume leant his head towards hers once more.

" Goodnight John Boy!" Rosie's voice rang through the suite of rooms followed by hysterical laughter and a groan from Jo's room.

" Goodnight Rosie!" came the terse response from Jo and Guillaume before they kissed each other goodnight and he crept quietly into his own room across the hallway.

Jo sighed as she climbed into the bed, resting her head on the pillows she could see the night sky through the window. A blanket of midnight blue had been stretched across the sky and it was covered with millions of sparkling diamonds. A small smile covered her lips as she closed her eyes,

" Stars…Silent and sure…keeping watch in the night…keeping watch in the night…" she murmured as she drifted into a deep sleep.