As Ronan appeared in front of his flat door with Pandora by his side, he let out a sigh of relief for two reasons; one for the fact that his lungs had been squeezed from Apparating and two for the fact that none of his Muggle neighbors had noticed that he and his girlfriend had just popped out of thin air and appeared at his door.

Turning to look at Pandora he smiled out of excitement. "Ready to see the flat, Rose?" he asked reaching for his keys in his jacket pocket and putting it into the lock and turning the keys to unlock the door and allow Pandora to venture first into the dark apartment.

He reached for the light on the right hand side of the door and looked down the hallway, whistling to call Lancelot who came jangling from his bedroom to greet their guest.

Pandora felt safe as Ronan guided her through the suffocating blackness and breathed in deeply as the appeared in the shared hallway of his flat. Biting back the question of how advisable it was to apparate to somewhere they were likey to be seen, she smiled and said "Very ready."

After he had unlocked the door, she stepped through into the darkness. When he put the lights on she saw the modern hallway she had expected but was distracted by the appearance of Lancelot.

"Hello" She crouched down and stroked the cat, tickling him under the chin. "Has the horrible man been nasty to you? Scaring you like that? Did you loose one of your nine lives?" She looked up at Ronan, suppressing a grin.

She scooped the cat up in her arms, straightened up and turn to it's owner. "Which way now?" She asked, unsure of the layout of the the flat.

Her hip gave a painful throb. "Have you got that bruise paste darling?" she asked him quietly.

'Of course, the first thing she does is pick up the cat.' he thought suppressing a chuckle.

"Hey! I already apologized to you for that, no need to keep bringing it up." Ronan interjected as he watched Lancelot soaking up all the attention from Pandora.

"I'll go get the paste in the bathroom. Why don't you go to the right and all the way through past the kitchen to the room the looks out to the garden." Ronan explained before heading to the left and into the all tiled bathroom in search of the paste that would heal Pandora's hurt hip.

A wry smile tugged at the corners of Pandora's mouth. "Are you talking to me or the cat?" She chuckled and scratched Lancelot behind the ear.

When he said that he would bring her the paste, she bit her lip. She gently put Lancelot back on to the floor caught Ronan by the wrist. "Darling, don't take this the wrong way but I think that the first time you see my hip it should be bruise free." She smiled at him, steely eyes sparkling.

"A mixture of both." Ronan said matching Pandora's laugh.

"Alright well then come on into the bathroom with you." he said leading Pandora by the hand, as she still had a hold on his wrist and bringing her into the bathroom. "Just sit here." he said, referring to the closed toilet seat since he lacked any sort of a proper chair.

Ronan opened the bathroom cabinet and began to search around for the paste and finally found it behind his shaving cream. With a satisfied grin, he looked over to Pandora.

"Here you go Rose. I'll be in that room that I described to you earlier." Ronan said kissing her cheek gently before walking out of the bathroom and shutting the door behind him.

When he led her to the bathroom and instructed her to sit on the toilet seat, she wondered if he had missed the point of what she had said. Just as she was about point out that she was going to have to unfasten her robes to apply the cream and the bathroom, especially one in need of a good cleaning charm, was not really the place she wanted to do that with him for the first time he passed her the paste, kissed her on the cheek and was gone.

She sighed and unbuttoned her robes, exposing her bruised hip. She smeared the paste on to the bruise and while it dried she cast cleaning charms over the bathroom. Satisfied with her handiwork and that the paste was dry, she buttoned up her robes again and let her self out of the bathroom. She followed Ronan's instruction and found herself in a large airy room. She looked at him and said "Hi" quietly.

Ronan turned his head round at the sound of Pandora's voice. He grinned and stood up from the couch he had been sitting on with Lancelot at his side.

"Alright right then Rose?" he asked leaning forward to kiss her gently on the lips. Ronan was glad that he didn't have to worry about others talking since they were in his private abode and therefore, could do whatever he pleased, within reason that is.

He smiled down at her and then looked out the side window that revealed his garden. Suddenly, Ronan remembered his surprise for her.

"Rose, would you care to take a quick walk through the garden before we go to bed?"

"Much better, thank you." She returned his gentle kiss and smiled, as much as one can, against his lips.

"Okay." She said warily. Pandora thought that it was a little dark for a walk in the garden. In fact that she thought that he was up to something. She slipped her hand into his and entwined her fingers with his. "Lead the way."

Ronan grinned wickedly, rather excited for Pandora to see the garden. He led her by the hand to the door and opened the French doors wide, letting the cool night air into the flat.

The lights came on automatically with the appearance of movement from Ronan and Pandora walking onto the paved walkway. Ronan smiled down at Pandora as they continued to walk towards his surprise.

"It's taken me a bit of time to get this whole garden relatively good looking." he explained as they walked along the path. "And I've just put in a new addition that I think you might enjoy."

Ronan's blue-green eyes looked over to the white rose bush which was illuminated by the surrounding lights overhead as well as the half moon shining down from the sky.

When Ronan grinned wickedly, she was certain that he was up to something. When he threw open the doors and the lights came on, she blinked rapidly as her eyes adjusted to the light. She followed him along the path and listened to him, looking at how he had laid out the planting. "You've done a really good job."

"Something I might enjoy?" She questioned. She followed his gaze and saw the white rose bush he had planted. She smiled up into his face and put her arms around him. "That's beautiful!" She raised herself up on to her toes and kissed him softly on the cheek.

"Thank you." Ronan replied to her compliment. It was much better to see on a nice sunny day but he really had wanted to show her the white rose bush in her honor.

Ronan smiled as Pandora seemed rather pleased by the surprise and wrapped his arms around her lower waist when she kissed him. "I'm glad you like it Rose." he said quietly and then decided that that was enough excitement for the night.

"Shall we head off to bed then dear?" Ronan asked beginning to guide Pandora back up the path and towards the house once more. He was anticipating a long day at the Ministry the next morning and would need the rest he could get.

She smiled at him. "I love it. When it gets properly established, I'll have to come and take a cutting so that I can have a plant at Old Mill Cottage."

When he suggested that they go to bed she blinked rapidly and said "Yes, umm, absolutely. I'll need to borrow those pyjamas. And you'll have to show me where the spare room is." She allowed him to guide her back up the path to the house.

"Sure, that sounds alright." Ronan said with a small grin.

When they arrived at the flat once again, Ronan took Pandora's hand and led her through kitchen and towards his bedroom. "Hope you don't mind waiting outside for a moment." he said with an embarrassed grin. His room wasn't in the best state at the moment for lack of cleaning since he had been so involved with his work at the Ministry.

Quickly, he grabbed a good looking pair of pyjamas, a deep red in shade that he had received as a Christmas gift from his old nanny Mrs. Allmore. "Here you go Rose." he said with an apologetic look knowing that they would be rather big on her. His hand went to the small of her back as he led him a little ways past the bathroom and to the door that had yet to be opened. "The spare bedroom is right here." Ronan explained as he opened the door.

"Would you like me to tuck you into bed and all?" he asked cheekily.

When he left her outside his bedroom door she was rather amused. She had invited him into her house, with it's patches of plaster missing and deep gouges in the walls and furniture and he didn't want her to see discarded robes and books. It was charming and funny.

Taking the pyjamas and stepping into the spare room that he indicated, which more resembled a storage room with a bed in it. When he suggested tucking her in with that cheeky manner that he had, she smiled at him and shook her head gently. "I think it's best if we say goodnight now darling." She put the pyjamas on the bed and put her arms around him again. "I love you." She murmured. "Thank you for a very interesting afternoon."

"I love you too Rose." Ronan said quietly kissing the top of her head and added. "Good night and you're quite welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed it."

He gave her one last grin before turning on his heel and heading back to his room and to get changed into his pyjamas and climbed into bed. Ronan heard a little meow as Lancelot jumped up onto his bed. He reached out to pet the animal gently and turned on the television and put it to a low volume.

Sleepily, he looked over to the purring animal and asked, "Would you like Rose to be your new Mummy. I quite like her being around here." Chuckling to himself sleepily, Ronan slowly fell into a deep sleep.

Pandora picked up the pyjamas and slipped into the bathroom, washing her face and changing. She folded up the bottoms of the pyjama trousers and the cuffs of the pyjama top but they were still rather big on her. She left the bruise paste on so that it could work fully and then waved her wand, concentrating hard, making her toothbrush appear on the sink. She brushed her teeth and looked in the mirror, hardly able to believe the day that she had just experienced. She left the bathroom quietly.

Pandora made herself comfortable in the bed in Ronan’s guest room. She thought about all the things that had happened recently and the things that had been said that night. Waves of exhaustion broke over her and she fell asleep. She stirred fitfully in her sleep, tossing and turning and calling out in fear.

She was in the garden, in the the hidden magical section that the muggles could not see. She was picking lovage leaves for her mum. She looked around. Prometheus was supposed to be helping her but he had gone off exploring. She stood up and realised that she was an adult and both her mother and brother were long gone. She started to walk back towards the cottage when she heard someone shouting “Rose, Rose run!”

She whipped around and saw Ronan running towards her, just as Prometheus had done so many years before. He grabbed her hand and they ran for the kitchen door but it was locked. “Have you got your wand?” she asked him desperately, her own was sitting mockingly on the kitchen table, on the other side of the door.

“No, it’s broken, I only just got away... it’s a werewolf Rose.”

Pandora’s eyes widened with terror. She rattled the door again and Ronan pushed her aside to try and shoulder it open.

“That won’t work, there are spells on it!” She grabbed his hand and ran to the huge, ancient ash at the bottom of the garden. She clambered onto the bench below it and started to climb. Just as she had done before. And just as before there was a howl. She looked up and saw that the moon was full. She climbed in earnest now and then turned to Ronan. “Hurry, please!” Ronan scaled the tree with ease, as though he were a ten year old boy who spent every spare moment climbing on everything and anything. He helped her up to the next branch as another horrifically familiar sound crashed into her ears: the sound of a werewolf running towards them. “Climb Rose, climb!” Ronan shouted to her. She turned to pull him onto the same branch as her, grabbing his arm at the elbow as the werewolf lunged and Ronan was gone, pulled from her grasp.

“NOOOOOO!!!!!!” She screamed. “NOOOOOO!!!! RONAN!!!!!! NOOOOOO!!!!”

She jolted awake, she had fallen out of the unfamiliar bed onto the floor, twisted up in the bedclothes. She was drenched in sweat. She looked around her desperately. When she could not see Ronan she burst into tears, sobbing loudly.

'NOOOOOO!!!! RONAN!!!!!! NOOOOOO!!!!'

Ronan bolted awake at the sound of Pandora's screams. Ripping off his covers and opening the door he raced down the hall way barefoot and opened the guest bedroom door with a little bit of difficulty for lack of light.

The door banged open and Ronan switched on the light to see Pandora tied up in her sheets, drenching from the apparent sweat she had acquired in her nightmare, sobbing on the floor.

He walked to her hurriedly, kneeling down in front of her and put her palm to her forehead and then moved it to her cheek.

"It's alright Rose. I'm here, everything is alright." Ronan said quietly looking into her bloodshot eyes trying to get her to realize that she was safe with him.

He didn't want to have Pandora tell him what happened and he didn't want to leave her alone either. "Rose, are you okay to walk or do you want me to carry you?" he asked in a concerned tone.

Pandora was not aware of Ronan opening the door with a bang or the light being switched on but when Ronan knelt in front of her and felt her face, his own such a picture of concern, she stared at him for a few moments before flinging herself into his arms. "I-I-It t-t-took... b-but... y-y-you're..." She managed to choke out the words before dissolving into tears again, becoming utterly incoherent and only able to cling to him even tighter. She was vaguely aware of him asking her a question but she was unable to answer him. She just could not let him go.

Ronan felt Pandora cling onto him tighter as she muttered an incoherent sentence. "Shh. It's alright Rose." he said quietly running his hand along the back of her head and preparing himself to stand up with her along with him.

Finally, with surprisingly very little difficulty, Ronan stood up with the sobbing young woman tight in his arms and began to walk down the hall to his bedroom and placed Pandora gently in his bed extracting himself from her tight grip.

Lancelot, who hadn't moved from the bed throughout the entire ordeal was looking at Pandora curiously, sniffing out the situation and Ronan shooed him away with his hand. "Silly cat." he chuckled darkly before turning his attentions back to Pandora.

He reached out and held her hand squeezing it once. "It's alright Pandora. I'm here with you. You're safe. Everything's going to be alright." Ronan said trying to comfort the obviously distraught young woman. He looked at her pale face hoping that she would calm down enough to fall asleep once more.

Pandora became aware that he had lifted her into the air. She clung to him, still sobbing, only not so intensely. She was aware of him detaching himself and she started to panic again. "Where... No!"

She reached out for him as he spoke soothingly to her. "Don't... I can't... I want..." She closed her eyes. "Prometheus." She whispered his name and then dissolved again into sobs of pain. She curled up, pulling her knees up to her chest. Eventually her breathing eased and her sobs subsided. "Don't leave me." She grabbed his hand. "Please." She stared wildly into his eyes. "I-I-I can't..." she took a deep breath. "It took them... and it came for y-y-you." Again she was wracked with anguished sobs, tears spilling down her cheeks. "P-P-Please d-don't leave m-me."

'Prometheus.'

Ronan frowned not knowing who that was but began to run his fingers gently over her arm when she began to sob once more. He got out of his chair and scooched Pandora over in the bed so that he could hold her properly as she continued to sob.

"Shh shh. Pandora, please you've got to know that I'm not going to leave you. I'm not going anywhere I promise." he said gently reaching over to his night table and grabbing one of his extra handkerchiefs. He tried to move Pandora's face so he could see it properly and so that he could begin to dry away her tears. Ronan hated seeing her in such a distraught mood. He didn't want her to feel so lost and alone.

"I won't leave you." he repeated.

When he moved her gently over the bed and held her again she clung to him tightly. "It took you... it took you..." She repeated this like a mantra, the words falling from her lips as the tears fell from her eyes. She felt his pressure against her face and moved in the direction that he was guiding her, allowing him complete control.

"I won't leave you."

She stared into his earnest eyes. "Y-you won't? Y-you'll st-stay?"

"Of course I'll stay with you Pandora. I love you." Ronan said kissing her forehead gently before continuing to try and wipe away her tears but they just kept coming.

He began to rock Pandora gently hoping that she would stop crying soon. It broke his heart to see her like this. Ronan never wanted to leave her, not even for one second.

The cat tried coming onto the bed but Ronan would have none of it and he nudged the animal off and Lancelot disappeared down the hall again.

"Rose, do you want me to make you something to help you sleep?" Ronan offered hoping that she would knew of some potion that he could easily whip up that would help her sleep through the night.

"Of course I'll stay with you Pandora. I love you."

"Y-Y-You love me?" The terror of her dream had driven the memory of him saying this, of them telling each other, completely out of her mind. She hiccupped.

Potion She looked at him as the realisation dawned on her. "I forgot... I ran out of potion." She murmured into his chest. "It-it'll be dawn before it's r-ready." She whispered. "Will you stay with me until the m-morning?" She hiccupped again. She wanted to know that he would be there, that she could fall asleep in his arms, that she didn't have to be alone.