"He made you…scream?" Evie asked in disbelief, her eyes wide. "I thought that only happened in…you know…porn."

"It's never happened to me before," Ginny quietly admitted, shaking her head at the memory. "But that orgasm was a hundred times more intense than any I've ever had. And it wasn't just me; it was intense for him, too." At first, she'd been reluctant to tell Evie about her experience with Soren, but Ginny had already told her about their 'agreement', anyway. Besides that, she considered Evie to be her best friend.

"But you said he didn't hurt you, right?" Evie clarified. It was difficult for her to listen to Ginny's tale because she knew the danger that her friend was in, but she had to listen in order to keep her mother updated and, ultimately, to keep Ginny safe.

"Not at all," Ginny answered, a phantom tingling between her legs reminding her of just how pleasurable it had been. "Had I been with him of my own will, I would have considered him almost…romantic." She knew it sounded absurd, given the situation, but there was a certain charm about Soren that was unmistakable and, more often than not, irresistible. Sometimes she felt like she was dealing with Tom Riddle all over again; he'd been ridiculously charming, and she'd eaten up every word of his as if it had been pure sugar.

"When will you see him again?"

"Not sure. He'll let me know."

A look of concern shadowed Evie's usually bright face. She found it hard to believe that the prophecy that she'd heard of her entire life was actually coming to fruition. "I'm scared for you, Shayla."

"I know, Evie, but it's okay. Really. I've decided that I'm going to play his game; I'm going to ask for something every time we're together, and not just little things. I think he'll get tired of that sooner rather than later and find someone else to play with."

If only it were that simple, Evie thought sadly. "And you're drinking Mum's tea every day, right?"

Ginny nodded. "Yes. She's got me completely spoiled with it. I drink a cup every morning."

"Good. She'll be happy to hear that." And you'll stay protected, Evie thought. I hope.

"Madame Adair, I don't think I understand –"

"Shayla, I know it sounds cryptic, and I apologize, but there are some things going on that even I haven't been told yet," the older woman explained in a half-truth. "It has to do with my husband and that accident. Just please keep Caelia in the house, and make sure that the alarm is on all the time."

"Of course," Ginny agreed, the thought that they could be in danger frightening her greatly. "Whatever you wish." Her mind raced with questions as to what was going on that was so precarious.

"Thank you, Shayla," Madame Adair replied with a forced smile as she grabbed her things. "See you after lunch."

After Ginny put Caelia down for a nap, she decided to talk to Mara. She walked through the large house and found her in the laundry room.

"Hi Mara."

"Hi, Love. Baby napping?"

Ginny nodded as she watched the older woman separate the clothes to be washed. "I have to ask, does this alarm thing make you a little nervous?"

Mara paused to look at Ginny, and she knew that the smart young lady wasn't completely buying the car accident as truth. Veturia's cousin was right; she was quite perceptive. "Honestly? Yes, a little. I'm more concerned for Mr. Adair's safety, though. I don't think his injuries were from a car accident."

Ginny's eyes widened at Mara's suspicion because she had thought the same thing. "Neither do I! What do you think happened?"

"I think that it was some sort of attack," Mara answered quietly, thinking that maybe offering a little veiled truth might be helpful. "Heard him mention something about previous 'attempts'."

"An attack? Who would want to attack him?"

"Well, he is the president of the Glenties Parish Council," Mara reminded her. "Maybe he's done something that has upset someone or a group of someones. You know how crazy people can get."

Ginny nodded as a harsh memory flashed through her mind of the Quidditch World Cup when the Death Eaters attacked and of all the pandemonium that they'd caused. "Yeah, I'm well aware of that fact."

"I'm sure the alarm is more precautionary than anything else," Mara continued, trying to ease Ginny's current concern. "It mostly makes Madame feel better when she can't be here."

"It makes me want to grab a knife and hide under the bed."

"You're in no danger here," Mara truthfully assured her with a warm smile as she returned to sorting the laundry. "Speaking of danger, what's happening with Teague's boss?" She thought it better to change the subject quickly before she said too much; it wasn't quite time yet.

Ginny briefly looked away. She hadn't told Mara about the "arrangement", and she wondered if she should keep it to herself. It certainly wasn't something to be proud of, but Mara had never judged her. The older woman had been quite motherly to her, actually, and Ginny had been comfortable discussing subjects of a personal nature with her. Besides, only Milana and Evie knew, so maybe it would be better for someone else to know, just…in case.

"Things have…progressed."

Mara stopped sorting to turn and look at Ginny, her dark brown eyes filled with concern. "What do you mean?"

Ginny played with a hangnail on her thumb. "During the Halloween party, he cornered me in a guest bedroom, and I let him…do some things and –"

"Sexual things?"

Ginny nodded. "And he…he told me that Teague was doing well at work and that we didn't want to affect his job and that he expected –"

"He blackmailed you," Mara stated with a shake of her head. "He blackmailed you into sexual favors for him?" I'll have to call an emergency meeting tonight, she thought worriedly. This is not good. I wonder if anyone else knows.

Ginny nodded again and gnawed her bottom lip.

Mara closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She desperately wanted to tell Ginny what was going on, but she'd been forbidden to by Veturia. I'll have to ask again about telling her. She's in too much danger now to let this continue!

"Shayla, you're sleeping in the lion's den," Mara finally said.

"I know."

"You must end it, Child."

"Mara, I can't. You know how powerful Soren is. If Teague gets fired, we'll lose everything, and you don't know –" Ginny stopped to swallow the emotion that was suddenly constricting her throat. She would never forget the dilapidated shack, hiding out in the hole in the damp ground outside of Hogsmeade or trekking through the cold forest wondering where her and Lucius's next meal would come from. "We had a really, really difficult time getting here, and I can't go back to the – I just can't go back." She knew that she must sound like an absolute whore to Mara for willingly meeting with Soren; if she could only tell her what they'd gone through, the older woman would surely understand her predicament.

"How long does he expect this from you?"

Ginny shrugged. "Honestly, I think I'm just his current interest. He'll get tired of having to give me stuff all the time and find someone less demanding."

"I'm not so sure about that," Mara stated gravely, wishing the situation was that simple. Soren Noir had vaults of money; it would be a long time before he tired of providing for her – especially when his goal had nothing to do with finances. "Have you considered telling Teague what –"

"Oh no!" Ginny exclaimed, shaking her hands 'no'. "His temper is much too violent. He'd go after Soren, and nothing good would come from that." Well, maybe Lucius's temper wouldn't be quite so vitriolic after their shared moment of understanding at the castle, but she didn't wish to test that theory just yet. They were in a happy, comfortable place, and she wasn't ready for that to change.

Mara sighed and shook her head, biting back the dangerous truth that wanted to spill from her lips. "When will Soren require your attention again?"

"I'm not sure; I've only met him once. He owns a small cottage by an inlet, and that's where we met. It was actually much nicer than you think."

Mara thought quickly. Preventing pregnancy was the biggest issue here. She knew Veturia was brewing tea for Ginny, but what if she didn't drink it daily? Mara continued thinking; perhaps there was one other option to consider. "Did you use protection?"

"I take a pill."

"Oh Shayla, that's not enough," Mara commented, exasperation resounding in her voice. She was almost relieved, though, because it left her an open door to point some things out for Ginny to think about. "You must use a condom, especially with him. He obviously sleeps around frequently, and he could be infected with all sorts of diseases. You could even infect Teague."

"I could?"

"Yes. Don't you know about STD's?"

Ginny remembered Hermione talking a little about them, but she couldn't recall the details. "Um…"

Mara reached for Ginny's freckled hand. By the time she would finish with her explanations, Ginny would do nothing more without a condom, hopefully, and between that and the tea, she would be doubly protected. "Come on, Love. We need to talk."

"Are you sure that we should wait?" Mara asked, looking at each of the women sitting at the small table in Madame Adair's kitchen. "He's already trying to impregnate her and fulfill the prophecy. If he succeeds - "

"We must wait," Veturia answered wearily, her hair looking grayer than usual. "We have not made enough preparations to take the chance yet. Their lives are at risk, not to mention my family's lives. We will only have one shot. If we tell them too soon, it could endanger everyone that's involved." Veturia's voice was shaky and uneven, and it reflected the state of her nerves.

"Is she still drinking the tea?" Mara asked. She wanted to make sure that her idea of double protection would actually work.

"Yes," Evie answered. "She loves it, thank goodness, so I always have some ready when she runs out. I'm fairly certain that she drinks it every day."

"Will it really work, Veturia?" Madame Adair asked, worry darkening her usually bright eyes. "If he succeeds, the connection alone will be so intense that attempting to separate them could kill her." She'd hoped that her choice so many years ago would have prevented this from happening, but she should have known the congenital pull would be too strong for Ginny to ignore.

"Yes, I've no doubt that it will work," Veturia assured all of them with a confident nod. "I brew the potion doubly strong just for extra protection. Soren will not succeed in impregnating her." That was the only thing that she was sure of, though.

"What about the prophecy?" Evie asked curiously. "Doesn't that mean that the pregnancy will happen no matter what?" She didn't really understand how prophecies worked. It seemed to her that a prophecy meant there was no choice; that it was destined to happen, period.

"No, it doesn't," Madame Adair replied. "Events can happen to prevent it, or at least prolong it indefinitely." She had hoped for the first, now she prayed for the second.

"And that's what we're working hard on," Veturia told them, reaching for Madame Adair's hand to squeeze in support. "My cousin and her associates are pooling all of their resources to get the preparations done as soon as possible."

All four women exchanged worried glances and hoped that they were doing the right thing.

"Etainia," Lucius mumbled in between frantic kisses. "Someone could come in. Someone –"

"Everyone's gone," Etainia told him, quickly unfastening Lucius's pants and letting them fall. She dropped to her knees and tugged his boxers down next. When his cock bobbed in front of her, she quickly sucked it into her mouth.

Lucius leaned his head back against the closed supply room door and moaned as Etainia added her hand around his cock. She was amazing. Every time that they had any sort of sexual contact, his reality seemed to shift. His sense of touch was heightened, his concept of time was shortened and his desire grew exponentially.

"Yes," Lucius breathed, sliding his fingers into her golden tresses and curling them into fists. "Fuck me with that beautiful mouth." She'd teased him all day with suggestive emails, and after spending half of the work day erect, he was more than ready to finally get some relief.

Etainia was bobbing her head up and down, keeping a steady pace with her hand. Lucius had been working late again and, as usual, she'd stayed late with him. She'd waited until the office was clear and had then dragged him into the supply room. Well – not really dragged – more like gently took his hand and led him willingly.

When Etainia scraped her teeth lightly along his shaft, Lucius shuddered and squeezed her head.

"Witch," he hissed, squeezing his eyes shut. "Do it again." She did, and Lucius bucked his hips, consequently pushing his cock further into her mouth. "Damn. You're going to make me come so hard. Is that what you want? Is that why you sent all those naughty emails; to get me all worked up?" He looked down to see Etainia's hungry doe-like eyes peer up at him as she nodded. He watched his cock pump in and out of her mouth until he felt that familiar tingle between his legs. "Are you ready?" he asked breathlessly. "Take me – take all of it –" He could feel her mouth slide down until her lips touched the skin around the base of his cock, the back of her throat tickling the head of his penis. He held her head in place when his orgasm erupted with full force, exclaiming a string of obscenities as he rode out the wave.

Lucius felt like his head was spinning, but then it always did with Etainia. His legs were weak, and his heart was racing as he tried to catch his breath. He let go of her head as his soft cock slipped from her. Their eyes met as she stood up and wiped her mouth.

"God, I love going down on you," Etainia purred, kissing his lips lightly as she slipped her slender arms around his neck. "I love when you hold my head still like that."

Lucius wrapped his arms around Etainia's waist and held her close. "That's what you get for taunting me all day and then bringing me in here," he teased, his bright blue eyes glittering mischievously. "I should spank you. In fact, I think I owe you for the last time we were at your place."

Etainia's eyes brightened. "I do believe you're correct," she remarked with a wink. "Next time we're at my place, I'll bend over a chair for you."

Lucius groaned and rolled his eyes. "Evil you are."

Etainia grinned and lifted an eyebrow. "You've no idea."

Lucius and Ginny easily fell into an agreeable routine since their weekend at Soren's castle. They'd celebrated Lucius's thirty-ninth birthday with a quiet and romantic dinner out followed by a rather enthusiastic dessert 'session' at home. The next day, he'd helped Ginny plant three more forget me not plants; one for Molly, Bill and Charlie (though his birthday wasn't until December). The weather had been quite cold, so they weren't sure if the flowers would live, but Ginny had wanted to plant them, anyway, and Lucius had not dissuaded her.

Their conversations were usually about work and other household topics, but Lucius and Ginny did not ask questions that they didn't want answered. They both had suspicions that they didn't want confirmed because they were both guilty, and neither was ready to deal with the repercussions of the knowledge of the other's indiscretions. Ginny didn't ask about the evenings that he worked late, and Lucius didn't ask where she was going when she occasionally took the car for a couple hours. It wasn't perfect, but it worked for them for the time being.

Since Etainia had taken care of Lucius's sexual frustration, he didn't demand attention from Ginny like he had previously. Because of his lack of physical demands, Ginny didn't stay irritated with him, and consequently, she continued to be more attentive towards him, which made them both happy. And that happiness was what they chose to concentrate on, even though it felt like a hissing cauldron about to explode around them.

"Shayla, you're white as a sheet," Mara commented when she saw the young lady. "You feeling all right?"

Ginny shook her head as she slumped down into a chair at the kitchen table. "I've thrown up twice this morning." She had been fine the night before, but she'd woken up feeling nauseous. It hadn't been long after breakfast when she'd found herself rushing to the bathroom to lose what little she'd eaten.

"Do you have a fever?"

Ginny shrugged.

Mara walked over and placed her palm against Ginny's forehead. "No fever," she concluded. "What did you eat last night?"

"Chicken and potatoes."

"That shouldn't have bothered you," Mara thought out loud. "Here. I'll get you some crackers. They'll help settle your stomach."

Ginny watched Mara get a plate from the cabinet, fetch the crackers from the pantry and put some on the plate for her. She immediately remembered how her mum had doted on her when she'd been sick, and it made Ginny miss her even more than she already did.

"Munch on these throughout the day and drink some clear soda," Mara instructed, setting the plate on the table in front of her. "Maybe you just had some bad chicken. I hope you haven't picked up that awful stomach bug going round."

Ginny smiled and picked up a cracker. "Thank you," she said appreciatively. It was nice to be taken care of again. Her mother's attention had often bordered on being overbearing, but she'd take every minute of it right now, if she could.

Ginny met Soren a few days later, and it was their third time together. It was Saturday, and Keiran had picked up Lucius to go Christmas shopping for Milana and her, so that freed up the car – and Ginny – to drive to the cottage. Soren had been waiting for her in the bedroom when she'd arrived with the candles lit and wine poured. Ginny hadn't expected it, but each time that she was with him seemed to get a little easier.

As Ginny lay in Soren's arms afterwards, she waited until she heard 'the question'.

"What do you need, Cridecan?"

Every time so far, Soren had had sex with her twice, and while they rested together in between sessions, he'd ask her that question. It immediately became the one moment that made it all worth it, and she was glad because she didn't have to bring it up - though she would have had he not asked every time.

"I need my own car," Ginny stated unabashedly, glancing up at Soren. "Sharing the one is becoming increasingly difficult, and it would make it possible to meet you when Teague isn't home without having to send him off with someone else as a diversion." She knew that Soren wouldn't be able to argue with her explanation.

"Is he questioning your absences?"

"A little," Ginny lied as her arm rested across Soren's stomach. "I'm running out of excuses." Thankfully, Lucius had accepted each one as truth and hadn't questioned her at all.

"I may have to involve Keiran and Milana," Soren warned, knowing Ginny didn't want Milana involved in their meetings.

Ginny nodded her head where it lay on Soren's chest. "It's okay," she replied. "This is different."

"Consider it done then," Soren promised, absentmindedly running his fingers through her messy red locks. "I should be able to arrange it next week. I need you to have Teague ask Keiran about it, all right?"

"All right," Ginny agreed, and looked up towards the nightstand knowing it was time. "You brought two, right?" After Mara's little chat with her, she'd immediately mentioned using condoms, and surprisingly enough, Soren hadn't argued (which she'd anticipated that he would); he even offered to buy them. Truthfully, Mara had freaked Ginny out a little, but she'd been thankful for the information.

Soren inwardly rolled his eyes. When Ginny had mentioned using condoms the last time they were together, he'd tried convincing her that he wasn't having sex with anyone else and that they didn't need them. Ginny hadn't believed him, of course, and she had told him that if she passed anything on to her husband, all bets were off, job or not. He then tried to convince her that he was "clean", but she wasn't buying that either. He easily could have told her "no" flat out, but she was stubborn and strong willed (more so than he'd thought originally), and at this point he figured that it was just easier to poke holes in the damn things than to argue with her or force her. The prophecy was much more important, so even though it delayed things a bit, Soren capitulated. He did, however, start taking an elixir to make him more potent and to make up for the barrier now in his way.

"I certainly did," Soren confirmed, reaching towards the nightstand to fetch the other prophylactic. As he tore open the foil package with dread, Soren hoped that Ginny would be impregnated by New Year's, and then he could stop using the awful rubber Johnnys that he was certain a woman had created.

Happy New Year, Everyone! I hope those of you affected by all of this crazy winter weather are staying warm and safe. Many thanks to HedgeHogQuill for her wonderful beta work! *hugs*

I have added a new link to my profile. A creative bug has hit me lately, and I created an account on Etsy. I'd love for you all to check it out, if you'd like. It's mainly Potter themed items, but I am planning to do other themes, as well. Have a request? Let me know!