I've never spent so long writing a chapter before! This was really really hard to do. I started it straight after the last chapter but I fell asleep and when I came back I was stuck I couldn't think of anything. (So if it's crap it's 'cause it's kinda forced) Oh and even though I've been stuck on this, I've started three new fics. I probably won't post any of them until I can be sure I can actually go somewhere with them. I'm also trying to focus on this for now (and my GCSEs which are less than a fortnight away! Shit I should start revising)

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Chapter Six ...and Unsettling

(An, although I can't put the dots in the chapter title in the drop down bar thingy they are meant to be there)

Draco's main problem with finding a job had been his complete lack of experience in the modern world, he tended to cover this up with the story Dawn had handed to him in the beginning about being a spoilt brat who never had to do anything for himself, which was half true anyway. Yes he had read all the muggle studies books in preparation but he had never actually taken the class (a Malfoy taking muggle studies? I don't think so), and it was still quite different to actually living and working as a muggle. Not that he knew about the working part yet.

After a month in the muggle world, the truth was, Draco still didn't know all that much, but he knew more than when he started. Living with Dawn had been a great help, he watched her do all the basic everyday things that muggles do and learnt by watching. Dawn had also taught him things, mainly the things that she was sick of doing herself. He now knew how to clean the muggle way, something he would never admit to if he ever went back home. Dawn had taught him how to use the oven and the basics of cooking, it turned out that Dawn was a pretty bad cook though, especially when she tried to invent her own dishes. They had resorted to buying some second hand cook books and Draco, as the one with time on his hands, was the one who seemed to be trying them all out. He had turned out to be quite a good cook, he never told Dawn but it was because he found the correct measuring and adding of the ingredients to be much like potions, which he was always good at. Of course in cooking the ingredients were much less disgusting and if you did go wrong it didn't blow up, unless you used the microwave wrong. Unfortunately he was still new to the actual cooking part, so sometimes the food would be a little under or overcooked, but as Dawn pointed out, he hadn't made either of them puke yet so that was a plus.

The way it worked out however, Draco's first job, although working with food, didn't exactly require any of his newly acquired skills. Draco was the newest employee of their nearest Double Meat Palace. Despite the fact that for the two days he had been there he had absolutely hated it, he felts a strange sense of pride in actually having a job. He had always looked down on people with less money who had to work for what they had, but there definitely a sense of satisfaction in paying your own way. Maybe it was just because he was feeling less guilty towards Dawn now,

(AN: Can you all see Draco in a hat with a cow on it? OK, this is getting all Draco; looking back it's been pretty much all Draco since they met. I better get some Dawn in there quick!) ---------------

Dawn had first met their neighbour Callie on the first day they arrive at their new apartment. The girl had literally walked into her.

"Sorry" she said, "I didn't see you over all these bags"

Dawn smiled; she could hardly see her face over all the brown paper bags she was balancing. "That's OK. Do you wanna hand with those?"

"Actually I've only just got my balance. I think if you were to take one they might all fall down. Although you could open the door for me, the key's just in my jacket pocket"

Dawn obligingly got the key and opened the door. The girl dumped the bags on the floor inside the door and then came out again. "Thanks, I'm Callie by the way"

"I'm Dawn. I just moved across the hall with my flatmate"

The had talked for a couple more minutes before Dawn decided that leaving Draco alone for so long with cleaning products could be potentially fatal, to him and they new apartment. She had promised they would talk again soon before she left her potential new friend.

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Today, about two weeks later she had got the chance to meet up with Callie. They had gone to a small coffee shop just around the corner of their apartment block.

"So how long have you been in the building?" asked Dawn, trying to make conversation.

"A few months now. It's not a bad place to live; I've been in a lot worse. So what's your story anyway, you don't seem like you've been away from home all that long"

"Am I that obvious" she said with a smile. "Where I was living before was never really home. I just had to get away for a bit"

"Ran away then?"

"Yeah"

They continued talking for nearly an hour. Dawn realised how much she had missed female company when the only person she really spoke to was Draco. She had been surrounded by girls all the time before she arrived here. Draco was quickly becoming a very good friend, but it was different talking to a girl for a change. She wondered if Draco missed male company in the same way, or of it would be different for him as an only child coming form a mixed school.

They eventually had to go home, but promised to do this again soon.

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"What are you doing?" asked Draco emerging from him room, wearing only jogging trousers and a sleepy expression.

"Getting ready to go out" said Dawn brightly as she continued stretching.

"It's half past seven on a bloody Saturday morning, do you have to get ready so loudly?" he watched her stretch, "Where are you going?"

"For a run, I'm getting out of shape; I used to do way more exercise than this"

"You're crazy, didn't your hear me, It's early Saturday morning, the normal thing to do is sleep"

"Staying in bed is for Sunday" she replied. She looked him up and down. "You know you look like you used to be no stranger to a work out either. Yet I haven't seen you do any exercise, why don't you come with me?"

"I don't think so" he said a little too quickly.

She shrugged "Suit yourself. You'd probably just slow me down anyway" she continued stretching, purposely ignoring him.

"I'm not falling for that" he said, but he was actually thinking about the amount of Quidditch practice he used to do. It may look pretty easy to fly around on a broom but it kept you pretty fit. Of course several laps of the bath every morning hadn't hurt either.

"I'm not asking you to" said Dawn smiling sweetly. "You go back to your nice wimpy, I mean comfy bed, and feel all that muscle turn into flab while I go out. Then I'll go on all week about how fat you're getting, and we can have this conversation all over again next Saturday"

Draco groaned. "Give me five minutes" he disappeared into his room and came back a few minutes later dressed and ready to go.

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Dawn had been right, lack of exercise for a few weeks meant her body was now protesting as the muscles that were getting used to he break were being used once more. Draco felt the same way, wondering why it had never occurred to him before that he was getting so unfit. He always took so much pride in his appearance, and that included keeping fit. He realised just how little time he had been spending on his appearance lately. When he was the Slytherin Prince he had to make sure there wasn't a hair out of place before he left his dorm in the morning. HE was always perfectly groomed, it was his father's influence, he had told him that there was always someone watching, waiting to comment on your down points. At Hogwarts he could never be seen like he was now, wearing loose jogging bottoms, similar to those he had he had slept in and an old baggy T-shirt. His once perfectly slicked back hair was a mess, going wherever it wanted, as it had been a lot lately. And somehow he preferred himself this way.

(An: and we're back to Draco, damn, let me try some more Dawn again. This chapter is meant to be dawn centric according to my summary)

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"I saw you coming back from your run on Saturday" said Callie as she and Dawn met up again. "Do you do that a lot?"

"I'm planning to make it a regular habit, whether I can drag Draco out of bed to keep me company is a different story"

"You know it's weird" said Callie, "I used to be a total exercise phobic, but about a year or so ago I got this whole new burst of energy. I can be mentally exhausted but I have to run a mile before I sleep"

Dawn looked up alarmed. "You've had loads of extra energy?" she asked.

"Yeah, it comes in handy sometimes but not I have to get up at one and go for a jog just so I can sleep"

"And you feel restless a lot?"

"Yeah"

"And this started about a year ago?"

"Something like that, why?"

"I just, it's um, have you heard from anyone about this? Has anybody tried to contact you?" asked Dawn nervously.

"No. Why would somebody care that I have a bit too much energy?" asked Callie.

Dawn forced herself to laugh. "Don't worry about me. I'm just being paranoid; I don't know what it's about. Maybe you changed your diet or something"

Callie wanted to question Dawn further but doubted she would get anywhere with it so she just said "Maybe".

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"Hi" said Callie, as the door opened. "You must be Draco, I'm Callie, I live well there" she pointed at the door behind her. "Is Dawn in?"

"Yeah" said Draco. He moved out of the doorway. "Come in" he said.

"Callie, hey" said Dawn catching sight of her. She saw her serious face. "Are you Ok?"

"I was just wondering, if um" she glanced at Draco who announced he had to go do something in his room. "I was wondering about what you were saying yesterday, about somebody contacting me, you weren't being paranoid were you?"

"Somebody contacted you?" asked Dawn

"Yeah, a school, it was weird. This woman called and at first she said she wanted to offer me a scholarship. I know I could still be at school for another few months, but I haven't been in a couple of years, so a scholarship just sounded wrong. I asked her why me and she started asking me questions like you had, about me being energetic and restless, and strength, basically they're sending somebody out here to talk to me, she should be here in a couple of days"

"Somebody will be here in a couple of days? Coming to you? In your apartment? Opposite where I live?" said Dawn panicking.

"You know about this place, can you give me some advice here?" asked Callie,

"My sister's one of the founders" said Dawn honestly. "She'll probably be the one that comes; she'll explain it all better than me. I assume you came for my advice so I'm going to say go. It's a good place"

"So good you ran from it?" asked Callie sceptically.

"It won't be like that for you, you'll fit in there. I didn't. I never settled there, but you can. Trust me"

They continued talking for sometime, Dawn tried to describe the school without explaining about the slayer thing yet. It was better that whoever came did that, she would only confuse matters. She told Callie repeatedly to go and Callie tried to get her to explain why she left but she refused. When Callie eventually left she seemed to have been won over, she was at least going to listen to what the schools rep had to say with an open mind.

Dawn sighed then turned to her bedroom; she pulled out her suitcase and started throwing all her stuff into it. "What are you doing?" asked Draco from the doorway.

"Leaving" she replied. "And quickly. I have to go, I have to leave here, leave New York"

"Why?" He asked confused and wondering just what she and Callie had spoken about.

"Because my sister is coming here, well to Callie. Actually it might not be Buffy but it'll be someone I know, probably Buffy, she does most of that stuff. Sometimes Faith will go but she normally finds it too boring, but they'll come and they'll know I'm here and try and take me back, only they won't try, they will take me back and I'll be in the same situation all over again"

She was still packing and her voice was getting higher and faster. Draco came over, grabbed hold of her and pushed her onto the bed "Sit and breathe" he said standing over her. "Why would anybody come?" he said.

"They're coming for Callie; she's being offered a place at the school. She fits their criteria"

"Ok, how will they know you're here?"

"For one thing she lives opposite, you know like two metres away. I could just walk into them at any time. I only have to open the door and they'll know I'm there. I can't hide out in the apartment because I don't know exactly when they're coming or how long they'll stay and I can't miss work. Plus Buffy will just, I dunno, she'll know"

"She'll sense you're in the next apartment?" asked Draco, trying to get her to talk calmly and sanely.

"Yes. I can't explain it but she will. I know she will. I can't be here; I can't be here when I know she's coming. I have to leave"

Draco digested all of this. "OK, where are we going?"

Dawn did a double take, "We?"

"Yeah, we, let's face it, I can't exactly pay the rent on my own. Plus I'm pretty crap at doing anything for myself so it's we"

She smiled a little. Then went serious again. "No, I can't let you come. You're settling here, you've just got a job an everything. Don't leave just 'cause of me"

"Dawn. You're my friend, and that's a pretty new concept to me. In the past I've had sidekicks and followers, not friends. Coming to New York was a random choice, staying in New York, staying here; knowing what the hell I'm meant to be doing was because of you. The only thing keeping me here is you, so if you go, I go. We clear?"

She smiled, properly this time, "We're clear"

"Oh and you need me because you're cooking is bloody awful" he added. She laughed and he smiled, this had been his intent. "I'd better go pack" he said.

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It took less than an hour for Dawn and Draco to completely pack everything from their apartment. Dawn went and said goodbye to Callie, who blamed herself for them leaving. It took a few minutes of reassurance before Dawn could actually get away again.

"So" began Draco. "Where to now?"

"Um..."

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There, another chapter down. Once again, sorry it took so long. Thanks for all my reviews so far. Keep reviewing.

So next chapter they have to start over new again. They may move again for a different reason next time. In case you were wondering, where they go is pretty much random. I'm English and have never been to America (so I should really stop basing all my fics there) so I'm picking random cities that I've actually heard of from the big Atlas on the wall next the computer.