Hey guys! So this update took a little longer than the others…sorry about that! It was kind of busy and I needed just a little break to decide where I wanted to go next. Thanks for all the reviews! I know some people asked why I named Ava's middle name, James…and there is no reason. I know someone who has a baby named Ava James and that's where I got the idea. I thought it was precious! Anyway, here's the next update. It's pretty much all Nora. Enjoy!
~HM
Unwanted Love
Chapter 3
Nora was in love and it didn't take long for her to take the fall. As soon as she arrived to Magic Mountain, she was immediately charmed with the secluded resort nestled around beautiful snow capped mountains. Although she still thought the name was cheesy, it did the place justice as far as she was concerned. It was truly magical.
The house they would be living in the next three weeks was fantastic. It was all wood and glass and it stood three stories tall and far enough away from the other cabins to be nice and quiet. The first floor was spread out beautifully into one huge space with the kitchen, den and dining room all tumbling together. The den had big cushy couches one could sink into and never wish to get up. A fireplace was provided for chilly nights and a huge flat screen telly was propped up on one wall.
One large glass window was at the back of the house, which was equipped with a sliding door that led out to the back patio. The patio had comfortable lounge chairs, a circular bonfire pit with seated cushions surrounding it and a nice, big hot tub that was big enough to fit half of her family. And that was saying something.
The view from the patio was spectacular. The sky was so blue, the mountains so strong and beautiful in the distance and the rolling green meadows that seemed to go on and on were breathtaking. She had stood outside for a good moment, taking it all in, before finally making herself go up to her room to pack.
The second floor had enough rooms for her and her siblings and their families, along with Dameon and Liam. The hallway that held the rooms went in one complete circle and the doors to each room were on one side and a wooden railing on the other so one could look down and see most of the first floor. She had been happy with her room, but it was bittersweet since she knew she'd have to share it with her messy sister and her creepy little snake. The bed was big enough for the both of them, which meant she'd enjoy the nights when she could spread out and use the entire mattress. She did have to share a bathroom with A.J. at all times, but since it had two separate showers she didn't see that as a problem.
Her parents and Uncle Draco and Aunt Tasha were located up on the third floor of the house, which was nice for them since it was soundproof and more private. When her and A.J. did a tour of their parent's room, they had both been incredibly jealous. The third floor was split in half, each side having a nice sitting room with a fireplace, a bed as big as a lake and a nice roomy shower with two heads and a Jacuzzi that was just as big as the hot tub outside. Needless to say, she had a feeling her parents…and Uncle Draco and Aunt Tasha…would be enjoying their stay.
By the time her and her family took a tour of the house, unpacked and whipped up a quick lunch, Nora had been anxious to get out and explore. The Malfoys weren't due for another hour so she wanted to get out while she could, just by herself so she could take it all in.
"Going for a walk!" she yelled out before she walked out of the front of the house. She walked to the edge of the front porch, took a deep breath of clean crisp air, and then jotted down the steps and followed the gravel path to the main road that led to the heart of the resort.
She took her time, studying and admiring her surroundings as she walked lazily down the road. When she got to the main square, a smile bloomed on her face as she looked around. There was a gift shop on her right, which she definitely had to explore sometime before she left. A big blue building with white trim was further down and above the double doors was a sign that read, "Chow Hall." Witches and wizards were coming in and out of it now since it was still lunchtime. She could smell the delicious aroma coming from the building and told herself she had to convince the rest of the family to have supper at the Chow Hall later tonight.
She continued on her journey and heard splashes and laughter before the pool came into view. She laughed lightly to herself as she followed the short path to the pool and stood by the gate to observe. She could see the light steam coming off the pool, which told her the water, was nice and heated. It was fairly crowded, but since the pool was a decent size, it didn't seem to matter.
There was a swim up bar…nice one…and a waterslide was built into the rocky mound on the farther side of the pool. They had a hot tub and a pool built just for kids. That will be good for the terrible three, she decided with a grin as she finally walked back to the path to continue on.
The road narrowed a bit the further she walked and she could see small trails leading out in different directions just wide enough for a single person to walk on. The trails were tagged with signs and arrows pointing the way for each trail. She also noticed that the trails were named after witches and wizards she have heard of or learned about in school. She stopped short at one; then narrowed her eyes as she walked up to the sign, just to make sure she read it correctly. "Harry Potter Trail," she read out loud, before a bubble of laughter erupted from her. "Oh, Daddy…you're going to hate that." She shook her head in amusement as she continued on, following the path that now curved to the right.
She heard a soft whinny coming to her left, so she looked up to see a meadow filled with horses grazing at a distance. "Oh, look at them," she said aloud as she trotted up to the fence to get a closer look. There had to be at least twenty or so, some were dark brown with black hair, others were spotted, some were as dark as the night and a few as white as snow.
She glanced further down the road and noticed the red barn just down the way and little corral right by it that was occupied with a few horses. Grinning, she made her way down, following the fence line that led to the barn. At the corral, she reached up on her toes and put her folded arm on the top of the fence. This one was a bit higher than the fence lining the meadow.
There were three horses inside the corral. There was a beige colored horse with a black tail standing on the other side licking some sort of white block on the ground. He was beautiful. Or was it a she? She couldn't really tell from here so for now…it was beautiful.
There was a dark brown horse, with a black tail and man also, just like some of the horses she saw out in the meadow, except this one had cute little white hair on his legs that looked like socks and a single white patch in it's forehead. She wanted to call it over, but since it was busy eating hay she didn't think it would want to join her.
The other horse though was standing in the middle of the corral looking right at her with both its ears perked straight up. Its coat was a…well, she guessed it was orange but not bright orange…more like a rusty orange. Its mane and tail were dark blonde and it had long thick strands of hair that swooped between its ears and curved to the side. He also had some socks on him, but only on the two front legs and the back right, plus he had a thick white stripe right down the center of his nose.
"Hi there," she finally said as she held out a hand. "Will you come see me?"
The horse didn't hesitate; as soon as she stretched out her hand the horse slowly walked over to her and sniffed the tip of her fingers. Nora let out a little laugh when the little bugger nipped at her fingers. "So it's food you're looking for, hmm?" she asked as she stepped back fully on the ground. The horse followed her as it stepped closer to the edge of the fence until the horse's large head was towering over the top.
"I don't have anything, but…I guess I can improvise." She searched the ground until she found a random stick and then bent over to pick it up. "See this stick?" she asked the horse as she held it up. She waited as the horse sniffed it a moment, before blowing on it with disinterest. "Awe, yes I know…just a plain old stick…however, with a little wave of this wand…" She pulled out her wand and gave it a flick as she said the spell and the stick transformed into a big juicy carrot. She laughed when the horse suddenly pricked up her ears and stretched his big head out towards her. "Oh, so now you want it, huh?" she asked as let the horse take the carrot from her hand.
"Nice trick."
Nora yelped so loudly and jumped so high, that the horse got spooked and jerked its head up as it shifted back a few steps. She looked up at the man that had snuck up on her and the first thing she noticed was his height. He was very tall and practically towered over her. She probably wouldn't get to his eye level with her highest pair of heels on. And she was no shorty.
He was sporting a faded blue cap with a dark blue star on the front of it. His eyes were a pool of chocolate brown, which went nicely with his thick mahogany hair she could see peaking out the back of his cap. He had on a pair of dusty old blue jeans and wore them entirely too well, and his simple white cotton tee shirt stretched out across his broad shoulders and hugged comfortably around his narrow waist. After a quick and thorough evaluation, Nora decided that the man was entirely too attractive for his own good. And by the look of the cocky grin he was flashing at her, he knew it, too.
"Do you always sneak up on people like that?" she finally asked with a hint of annoyance. "Or am I just lucky?"
The man rubbed his chiseled jaw in thought. "I can't say that I do make a habit out of sneaking up on people, so….yes, mam…I guess you're lucky."
"Well," she said clearing her throat. "You certainly scared the poor horse."
"Actually, I scared you…and then you scared, Tango," he corrected as he gave the horse a little rub when he came back to join them. "He's had worse, though…so I wouldn't worry about it."
"So, it's a boy," Nora said then smiled when Tango nuzzled his head gently against her chest. "He's sweet."
"He's a pig…now that you did that little trick if yours…he'll never forget it."
Nora laughed as she circled her arms around his head. "So, I take it you work here with the horses?"
"Got it in one." He held out a hand. "Dallas Cosgrove."
"Oh, of course," she said as she took his hand. "I remember my Dad talking about you. You're going to be in charge of our overnight camping trip. You have your work cut out for you."
Dallas' brows lifted. "So, you're Harry Potter's daughter?"
Nora smiled. "Yes…well, sort of. He raised me…my biological father died when I was young." She then realized that she was still holding his hand, so she quickly pulled her hand away. "Er…My name's Nora, by the way."
Dallas slipped his hands into his back pockets. "Nice to meet you. Do you like horses, Nora?"
"Yes," she said as she lightly petted Tango's cheek. "I didn't realize it until now…but yes, I do."
"So, I take it you've never ridden one before."
"No, I haven't…I'm definitely looking forward to it."
Dallas took a step closer and lifted a hand to pet Tango's other cheek. "I can give you a lesson if you'd like?"
Nora's eyes lit up with pleasure. "Really? Oh, I'd love that."
"Well, then….it's a date," he said with a wink and a smile.
Nora blushed. "Okay. I knew you took people out on horse rides, but I didn't know you offered riding lessons."
"I don't," he admitted with a shrug. "Since most of these horses just follow each other in one big line, one doesn't really need riding lessons. "
Nora blinked. "Then why did you…"
"You seem to have a real interest in them," he told her before she could finish the question he knew she was going to ask. "And I think you'll have a knack for it…you're already good around them and horses can sense things like that."
She let out a wobbly smile, as she couldn't help to blush again. "Well…thanks. I'm going to be here for three weeks…so maybe I'll be an expert by the time I leave."
Dallas gave her a slow grin that sent her stomach in a flutter. "Maybe."
"So…when should I come by? I mean…what's your schedule like?"
"I have three trail rides during the day. Sunrise, noon and sunset...so the best time for me would be after lunch."
"Okay," she said. He was so close to her…she could see the gold flecks in his eyes. Had he always been this close, or did he shift closer without her noticing? "Well…um…" She took a step back in retreat. "I guess I'll…"
"Nora!"
She turned around at the sound of her voice and smiled when she saw Dameon towards her. "Hey!" she exclaimed as she waved, then turned back to Dallas. "I need to run, but…I'll see you around?"
"Sure," Dallas said after a moment. "I'll be here."
"Great," she said and took a step back as she gave him a little wave. "Bye."
"See ya," he said and watched her spin around and run to the other guy. He heard her let out a giggle as she flew her arms around him and the guy laughed and spun her around. Probably her boyfriend, she imagined as they walked away with the arms around each other.. He didn't look anything liked her and certainly didn't treat her like a sibling or cousin.
It was probably for the best that she had a boyfriend, he thought as he put a hand on Tango's flank. Not only was it against the rules to start a relationship with a guest, she was also Harry Potter's daughter. It didn't matter that she was the first woman he had been attracted to in a long time. He was just going to have to ignore the fact that she smelled like strawberries and a smile that warmed his heart. He had been charmed when he watched her interact with Tango…not everyone shared the same love of horses as he did.
It had been a mistake to ask if she wanted to take lessons. He hardly ever did that and when he did it was usually kids…not pretty little redheads that had a face like an angel. He couldn't seem to help himself, though, and it just sort of blurted out of his mouth. He had wanted to be near her…to spend time with her. Which was ridiculous, since they only exchanged a few words, he shouldn't be feeling this way.
Sensing something was wrong with his master, Tango nudged him with his head hard enough for Dallas to stumble back. "Sorry, buddy," Dallas said with a laugh as he gave him a pat. "I was distracted." He looked over to the direction Nora had walked off with the other man and watched disappear around the bend of the road. "Get her out of your mind, Cosgrove…she's a guest…a customer…that's all." He sighed and then turned his attention back to Tango. "Let's go for a ride, Tango. I need to clear my head."
XXXX
Nora laughed when Dameon spun her around. "Oh, it's so good to see you!" she exclaimed when he put her down. "Did you just get here?" she asked as she slid an arm around him.
"Yeah, just a few moments ago," he said as they started to walk off. "Uncle Harry said you had went out to explore, so I thought I'd get out of the house and track you down."
"Because you wanted to see me? Or because you wanted to avoid A.J.?"
"I guess both," he admitted with a shrug. "It will be good for everyone if I stay away from her and her little boy toy."
Nora snickered. "You don't like Liam either I take it?"
"Can't stand the prick."
"My sentiments exactly," she said with a sigh. "I hate it that she doesn't see that."
"Maybe she does…she just doesn't want to believe it so she's in denial."
"She'll figure it out sooner or later."
"Sooner I hope," he said casually and missed Nora's knowing smirk. "So…who was the guy?"
"The guy? Oh," she said looking back behind her. "His name is Dallas Cosgrove. He's in charge of the horses…he also is in charge of our overnight camp out next week."
"Really?" he asked and shook his head in pity. "Poor bloke."
Nora laughed. "I don't know…he seems like the kind of guy who can handle it. He's going to teach me how to ride."
Dameon lifted a brow. "I didn't know you were interested in horses."
"Neither did I," she said with a smile. "But I just fell in love with his horses…Tango especially. He
was so sweet…anyway, Dallas could tell I had an interest for them so he offered to give me lessons."
Dameon studied her for a moment, then stopped dead in his tracks and grinned at her. "What?" Nora asked puzzled. "Do I have something on my face?"
"You like him."
"What? Who?"
"Mr. Horseman," he said with a chuckle. "You're all smitten."
Nora snorted. "Don't be ridiculous…I am not."
"Your whole face lit up as soon as I asked about him." He cocked his head to the side. "And now you're blushing…admit it…you think he's dreamy."
"Oh, shut up," Nora laughed as she gave him a shove and when he just laughed, she rolled her eyes. "I hate you."
"For what? Being accurate?"
"Among other things…sometimes I understand why A.J finds you so annoying." When he just stood there with a grin, she let out an exasperating scream. "All right…fine. I liked him, so what? He was sweet and…okay, gorgeous…the man is gorgeous...I admit it."
"Good." He put a friendly arm around her as they continued their way to the house. "You could use a little summer romance, Nora."
Nora sighed. "You can say that again."
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