A few days later the four teens stood side by side out in the grounds, the strong sunlight reflecting off their hair. As Fabius stood at a distance watching them, he observed how they had grown. All four stood strong, eyes closed and completely focused.

Last time Fabius had seen Draco he had no hair and clear blue eyes. The young man who stood before him was worlds apart from that baby. His white blonde hair fell gently in his eyes, which when open, were a steely grey. He was tall and slim, but well built. The world had been cruel to him but he'd come out on top.

Blaise, while having been exposed to the same hardships as Draco, had not suffered quite so much. He was not quite as tall or built as Draco, but stilled had his fair share of muscle tone. His dark skin was flawless and his even darker eyes burned with curiosity. He had black hair that hung in his face on one side and rested just behind his ear on the other.

Luna, although scarred, had the same youthful innocence she did as a child. She had a tall willowy figure and big blue eyes. Her wavy blonde hair fell down to her waist and she had permanently rosy cheeks.

Ginevra, on the other hand, had lost most of her innocence and youth at the hands of Tom riddle. Although she had been scarred quite early, her spirit remained strong. Her fiery red hair hung down her back and in her chocolate eyes. She had a fiery temper and quick wit. Although she stood a mere 5'3", she was toned from the combination of Quidditch and growing up with 6 brothers.

As one, they opened their eyes and followed the moves Annalise showed them. As she moved she spoke to them:

"To fight you need focus, balance and instinct. These movements will help you prepare for just about any kind of combat. As you train with Fabius and I, you will learn to do this instinctively. You will learn to fight anyone and anything. With time, and practice, you will not need these movements, only your mind and will power," she finished coming back to a normal standing position.

"So, we're going to be fighting?" Blaise questioned eagerly, his curious nature showing through.

"No one knows for sure what will come of you four. All we know is that you will be saviours, and that could mean anything. Therefore we will prepare you for anything," Fabius spoke up as he neared the group.

"But not yet," Annalise cut in. "Although you will be learning many forms of combat, there is also much knowledge you lack. Tomorrow our lessons will begin, but for now you may wander the grounds. Enjoy your last day of freedom," she said with a smile and a wave as she and Fabius headed toward the manor.

As Blaise watched Fabius and Annalise head inside it struck him how awkward this was going to be. It would be the first time since they arrived 3 days ago that the four were alone together

"So," Blaise said, "where do you suppose we are?"

"Well, the Kaleet I saw yesterday would suggest we were as far south as Dover, but that doesn't make any sense. I know for a fact we were travelling at a perfectly normal speed in that carriage. We can't be any further south than Dumfries really."

"Much as I hate to say it, Luna's right. But it doesn't make sense. I've seen creatures here that definitely don't live near Dumfries. Plus, has anyone noticed the weather?" Draco pointed out.

"You're right," Ginevra agreed. "It's November. It should be freezing or snowing, but it's beautiful. I mean, look what we're wearing," she said looking around at the clothes that had appeared in their cupboards that morning.

That morning they had approached their wardrobes respectively, to find and array of beautiful clothing. When they opened the door a number of garments flew out and landed gracefully on their beds. As they had been recovering from the shock of it a voice spoke to each of their rooms.

"I believe you will find these garments appropriate for the morning's tasks. Once you have decided, your baths are full. Take your selection with you and the rest will be returned to your wardrobe. Thank you."

When they were all dressed Fabius met the boys, Anna the girls and they all met outside on a flat stretch of grass. At first they felt silly. The girls were dressed in loose fitting black pants and tight tank tops (Ginny's being green and Luna's purple) and the boys in loose black pants and well fitted T-Shirts (Draco's being blue and Blaise's red). But once they realised what they were doing, and the weather conditions, their attire made sense.

As they pondered their surroundings the four of them walked around the grounds. Pretty soon they came to a halt atop a small rise looking down upon the most spectacular sight.

"Oh, wow," Ginevra sighed.

The water was crystal clear, so you could see the smooth sand at the bottom. There were various colourful exotic looking plants growing beneath the surface as well as small fish and other creatures.

"Do you think it's safe to swim in?" Blaise asked.

"One way to find out," Draco replied smirking.

Before she could so much as react, he slung Ginevra over his shoulder and ran toward the lake.

"Draco Malfoy you put me down this instant!" she cried kicking furiously. "Draco! You'd better not put me in that lake!" she yelled just as he launched her straight into the water. In a couple of seconds she came up to the surface spluttering and looking extremely mad.

"Now Ginny," Luna said passively, "don't hurt Draco".

"Hurt? Oh I'd never HURT him…" she trailed off giving him an evil smirk and walking up out of the water. She continued to approach him and saw out of the corner of her eye Blaise retreating to a safe distance. When she was close enough to see right into his stormy grey eyes, she leapt on him soaking him just as he'd soaked her.

When Draco saw Ginny approaching him, the last thought running through his head was that she would leap onto him, but that's what she did. And thus Draco found himself lying on the ground, soaking wet, with an equally soaked Ginny perched on his chest.

"My Weaslette, I never thought you'd have the guts to pull something like that," he drawled looking up at her.

"Ah, Draco, you think I fear you? You're about as scary as a kitten," she smirked

"Kitten? Kitten! Who do you think you're talking to?"

"You"

"Now why didn't I think of that?" he asked more to himself than anything else

"You're stupid?" she grinned

"I'll show you who's a kitten!" he growled dislodging her from his chest

"Eeep," she squeaked quickly standing up and running to hid behind Blaise and Luna

"Not so fast Little Red, don't you want to play? After all if I'm just a kitten..." he trailed off approaching where she hid behind Blaise

"Little Red?" Blaise questioned with an arched brow

"What's it to you, Zabini?" Draco responded, his attention diverted.

In that split second Ginny ran up the grassy slope to safety.

"Weasley!" Draco cried and took off after her.

When he reached the other side of the slope he saw a flat stretch of grass in front of him, a small stream that ran off the lake to his left and to his right a rose garden.

"Oh, Ginevra," he called heading towards the rose garden. "Where are you Little Red? Don't you want to play?" As he crept through the bushes he heard a giggle to his right. A quick glance confirmed the presence of Ginny Weasley hiding in the bushes. She hadn't yet spotted him. He quickly made his way around to where she was hiding, approaching from behind where she was crouched, muffling her laughter. He crept right up behind her before grabbing her around the waist and mewing in her ear.

He lifted her light form into the air above his head as she kicked and screamed.

"Draco Malfoy! This is the second time you've picked me up today! Put me down RIGHT NOW!" she screamed. He lowered her to eye level, so she was still dangling at least a foot off the ground.

"If I put you down, you'll attack me," he stated calmly.

"I'll attack you even if you don't put me down," she smirked

"You seem to be picking up habits from Blaise and I already," he mused watching her smirk

"Is that so bad?" she asked innocently

"Bad? Pfft! I think it's positively smashing!"

"Of course you do," she muttered. "So are you going to put me down or am I going to hex you?"

"Hex? Do your best Weasley. I've been through worse than you could imagine," he stated without emotion, but when she glanced into his eyes she saw deep buried pain.

"Draco?" she asked tentatively. "Um…are you okay?"

"I'm fine. It's in the past."

"Oh, well. About that ground?" she questioned

"Hmm...nope."

"What do you mean, nope!"

"I don't want to. I think I'd rather keep you here," he smirked.

"Err…well, this could get awkward," she blushed noticing she was mere inches away from his face

"What if that's what I want?" he asked drawing her closer.

"Oi, Drake! Where did you get to?" he heard Blaise's voice and sighed

"Over here," he called reluctantly. "We'll talk later," he added to Ginny.

As the group headed inside talking amongst themselves, Ginny was decidedly quiet, especially for her. Luna couldn't help but notice the change in her friend and had a fair idea what was going on.

"We've got half an hour till lunch, so how about we split up and meet back in the dining room?" Luna proposed

"Yeah, sounds good," Blaise responded and they headed towards their respective wings.

"So," Luna began as soon as they were out of earshot, "Want to tell me what's going on?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ginny replied, not at all convincingly

"Yes you do," she prompted, "and so do I, I'm just doing this politely"

"Oh. Fine then. When we were out at the rose garden…well…to be honest I'm not even too sure."

"Just start from the beginning. You can get changed and tell me at the same time."

"Ok," consented as she walked into her wardrobe.

As she got dressed, she told Luna the whole story.

"…and now I just don't know what's going on! I mean, was he going to kiss me? Why!" she exclaimed throwing herself onto her bed.

"Calm down Gin," Luna said emerging from her own cupboard straightening a blue spaghetti strap singlet and long white skirt. "He said he's talk to you later, so there's no use working yourself up. You look great!" she exclaimed as Ginny stood up from her bed. She was wearing a dark purple singlet with crisscrossed straps down her back with a pair of well fitting grey jeans.

"Oh, thanks. So do you. Merlin, I love these wardrobes!" she smiled slipping her feet into some black flip-flops.

"We probably should head down to lunch, the boys are just leaving. These rings are so useful," she said pulling on a pair of white flats.

While Luna had been grilling Ginny, Blaise had been having a very similar conversation with Draco.

"You like her. REALLY like her," he stated on the way to their room.

"Shut up"

"Smooth comeback. Did you kiss her?"

"I was about to when you interrupted!" he exclaimed exasperated

"Sorry mate. There'll be other chances I'm sure"

"That's if she'll go anywhere near me now. Merlin, why do I even like her? She's a Weasley!"

"That means nothing now your father is dead"

"No it doesn't Blaise. She's still a Weasley and I'm still a Malfoy. We're just-"

"Made for each other!" he interjected. "Look, it doesn't matter who your families are loyal to! And you know as well as I that the Weasleys weren't always dirt poor. They were once one of the most respected families in all Britain, hell, the whole world! Just give the girl a chance. Give yourself a chance," Blaise ended his mini-tirade exiting his wardrobe as Draco exited his. Blaise had jeans and a blue t-shirt and Draco had black pants and a white t-shirt.

"Fine, but if this comes crashing down around my ears, you are so going to pay," he growled as Blaise grinned at him.

"Let's head down to see your lovely Ginevra," he teased

"What have I done?" Draco muttered to himself.

As they all took their places at the dining table a thought occurred to Blaise.

"Say, Anna, if this is such a huge place, why is the dining room this size?"

The room was fairly large, but not huge. It had a black marble floor and warm red walls and comfortably held a six person table and a china hutch. It was lit by floating candles and normal candle sticks, but it was hardly suitable for any sort of dinner party like Blaise was used to.

"This is just the room we usually eat in," she said with a laugh. "Can you imagine if we used the formal room? We'd be yelling across the room to each other. This is much more comfortable. Having said that, I'm glad you brought it up. The minister is very anxious to know what is going on here."

"What's it to Scrimgeour?" Draco asked

"Four students seemingly disappeared from Hogwarts. There was only so long it could be kept from the ministry," Fabius answered.

"What do you mean?" Ginny questioned "I thought McGonagall knew what was going on. And didn't she tell our families?"

"Yes Ginny, don't worry. Your family knows where you are, they have been told everything as has Minerva. We didn't want the ministry to know, because of the attention it would draw, but your absence has been noted. Now, we don't want people knowing the whole story, but we have to tell them something," Anna said.

"So," Fabius continued for her, "we are throwing a ball in honour of our new students"

"Students?" Luna asked "I'm not sure I follow"

"We are known in the public due to our own disappearance. When we were summoned there was a story told to the public of how we, and two others, had been accepted into a school for the exceptionally gifted and a ball was thrown in out honour. It's now your turn," Annalise finished with a smile

"What other two?" Draco asked

"In time Draco," Fabius told him. "For now, dig in!"

They ate lunch chatting about the ball and it's preparations.