Chapter Three
When I awoke, in my own bed, it was pitch black. I was still disorientated from whichever potion they had force fed me, but this was not the first time I had been subject to these talks, and I waited patiently for the effects, and throbbing, to pass.
Somewhere a clock struck three.
My eyes snapped open as it occurred to me that now would be the absolute perfect time to reinforce my wards. I swung my legs out of bed and stood, almost collapsing again from a sudden rush of blood to the head. I regained my balance and gathered my belongings from where I had dropped them in haste earlier. Slipping out of my nightdress, I donned my wrapping gown once more and descended the stairs hurriedly.
My footfalls echoed eerily throughout our deserted entrance hall, despite my efforts to silence them, and the heavy oak door clicked loudly as it closed behind me. Gathering the folds of material about my shivering body, I ran from the house into the woods, my wand clutched at my side.
I was half expecting Tom to appear from behind a tree as I disentangled myself form clawing branches and ran ever further onwards, so it was no surprise to me that he was sitting on my fallen log when I finally stumbled into the clearing. I stopped abruptly, unsure of what to say. He solved that problem for me.
"Here again, my lady?" I nodded mutely to his obvious question. "Just as I thought then. Were you hoping to find me?"
I quickly found my voice at this breech of decency.
"No I was not. I do not go searching for gardeners' apprentices." I flicked my heavy-lashed eyes at him. "No matter how persistent they are."
I hid a smile as he recoiled at my answer; it was obviously not what he was expecting, and I finally felt I had won a point against him. But even as I was silently enjoying my victory, he took me completely unawares by stepping forward and wrapping his great hands around one of mine. I thanked whichever god was listening for the fact that my wand was in my other hand.
"I do believe you are wronging yourself again, Tom" I managed to say, desperately trying to ignore the jolts of electricity surging through my body at the feel of his hands against my own. He just smiled that wicked smile of his.
"That I may be, my lady, but you cannot deny you wish me to." His mellifluous voice seemed to fill the clearing, and I knew then, as he leaned forward to capture my lips with his, that I was all but lost.
So. Another midnight passed without the wards being renewed. For once, however, I did not care one little bit. The night had been well spent.
That morning, I was certain my mother would suspect something from the blushes which constantly graced my cheeks. My lips felt bruised, although his kisses were gentle. So different from the rough groping I had endured from various over-eager pureblood Slytherins.
My mother appeared distracted over the usual formal family breakfast, but I thought nothing of it until she entered my bed chamber some time later, interrupting my musing of the previous night.
"This summer," my mother started, "will be a most important summer for you, Morwena."
"How do you mean, Madame?" I said, not really thinking of her answer. I was planning my next meeting with Tom.
"It will be your preparation for your coming of age." That shook me out of my thoughts faster than lightning. My coming of age had been talked about since…well since I was born I presume. As far as I could gather from half-heard conversations, it was a kind of initiation ceremony to the family. Something in which I had to prove my worth, and help the family perform something dreadful. My father's involved the destruction of a small, muggle coastal town in Cornwall. However, my mother left the room before I could question her further, leaving me to wonder what my own preparation would involve.
I had one single week of bliss before the preparation began. One week in which I spent every day in the garden, or the forest, or down by the lake, or in the village. One week in which I spent every day in the company of Tom. On the last day I met him for the last time in our clearing. I explained that I could not see him, not even once for the rest of the summer. As I waited for his response, I formulated answers to questions, which, in the end, never came.
"Well then, my lady, this is our goodbye." Was all he said. I bit my lip to hold back tears which threatened to fall. How could he stay so calm when I felt like my heart was being torn out at the thought of leaving, of losing him? He gave me a single kiss on my forehead, before turning and walking away from me. As he reached the edge of the clearing, he turned back briefly.
"I shall see you again, my lady beautiful, before you return to school. That I promise you." And with that, he walked away.
