The Shift (A Draco Malfoy Love Story)

The Manor Pt. 1

Rashana awoke to Draco's arms wrapped tightly around her.

"Morning", he said against her cheek with a grin, "How'd you sleep?"

"I slept well", she said dazedly. This was a half truth. She stayed up most of the night going through what she was going to say to his parents over and over. In her head she practiced how she would introduce herself and how she would sit and eat at dinner. When she had finally fallen asleep it was a deep uninterrupted sleep however.

The nerves she had felt that night most certainly carried over into the morning. They had grabbed their bags and hopped on a train earlier than sunrise. She laid her head on Draco's shoulder and began to fall asleep once again.

Rashana's POV

"Hey wake up", Draco shook me gently, "We're almost here."

I sleepily stood up and looked out the window. The sun was up now and a nice darkened red shone over the valley.

"I need to change", I said abruptly and grabbed my bag. I went to the bathroom and put on a dark brown flowy skirt and a black turtleneck. I brushed my hair again and put some makeup on. I sprayed a bit of perfume on and looked at myself in the mirror. I took a deep breath and walked out.

Draco was leaning his head against the window resting on his hand. He looked over at me and got
up slowly.

"Wow", he said with a grin, "So this is what you look like underneath those robes?"

"You like?", I said giving him a little twirl.

"Hate it", he said coyly and grabbed my hand, "Come here."

He pulled me in and gave me a bunch of little kisses. He lifted my chin and looked at me intensely.

"Before we get there I just want to warn you", he took a gulp, "My father can be, well he can be a bit of a dick." He took his arm out from around me and ran it through his hair. "I'm apologizing in advance if he says anything rude to you."

"Well if his insults are anything like yours I'm sure I'll be alright", I said lightheartedly.

"Oh so you're not offended by my insults anymore?", he said with a grin, "Looks like I'll have to up my game."

The train came to a stop. We got up and got our bags and walked down the isle and out the doors. It was a musty sort of day, fog filled the view and gray filled the sky. He grabbed my hand in his and we walked a bit until we came to a stone path with giant green bushes on either side of it.

"Home sweet home", he said with a shrug.

"This is your house?", I said with my mouth agape.

It was beautiful. Not only were the bushes towering over me but the castle-like house was so big it looked like it was floating in the sky amongst the fog in the distance. Its gray stone blended in with the setting of the day and it all looked sort of eerie but appealing in the moment.

"No I just said home sweet home for the hell of it", he said sarcastically.

I hit him playfully and ran ahead of him. I felt the bushes with my hands and felt the oversized jacket he let me wear flow from my body.

Draco's POV:

There she was again, acting like every moment of her life was the first and last time she'd get to live it.

I stared at her twirling and laughing, her hair flowing in circles. My jacket was basically falling off of her but it somehow made her look even more mesmerizing.