[center][h2]Random Encounter[/h2][/center]
Collab with [@agentmanatee]

There more things change, the more they stay the same. 

While the other hunters were going off to make some sort of peace with 'witches', Draco found himself stalking through the underbush of a strange forest, weapon carefully in hand as he kept his senses as sharp as possible. 

Just because there were other things happening did not mean that the duties of a hunter could be neglected... or that the beasts of the world were going to stop doing their thing just because of human matters. Nations changed, Empires rise and fall, but the hunt remains eternal.

This time the hunt hadn't actually started in the search of a certain beast... it was more of a patrol to see what was out there; Sometimes you could nip a problem in the bud just by seeing how balanced the local wildlife was on the scales of predator and prey... And there was something big stalking through the area that seemed new. 

At first it hadn't been all that strange; An accident felling a beast might have been rare, but it could happen. Nature was funny like that. But the trail of dead bodies suggested that something was passing through... something that seemed to be killing without feasting on the bodies afterwards. This suggested that it was either defending itself, or it was staking out its territory and dealing with its rivals in a quick and bloody manner. 

It had to be found and recognized as soon as possible before it became to great a threat.

Her new powers were... intoxicating, so much so she had not been able to resist trying them out on her way back. Creatures simply fell to their own deaths before her, the power of negative fate, or bad luck or whatever she woould call it was quite useful. Genoveve hoped that by being on the outskirts of the safe parts of the wood no one would notice all the... dead animals. Currently, she kelt in a clearing, next to an elk that had attempted to gore her.

The poor buck had caught his antlers on a tall root in the charge, and snapped his own neck trying to hit her... it had never stood a chance. Its corpse was next to her as she knelt, chanting quietly to re-center her powers after so much use. Her thick cloak covered her head and shoulders, covering her back entirely appearing to be some cloak alone, you would not be able to see her if approached from behind. As she chanted she swayed slightly back and forth, lost in her new powers.

The tracks were getting easier to read the further along the trail that he got. A sign that he was getting close... 

Reaching the edge of a clearing, Draco peered out into it with a respectable amount of caution and paranoia; The animals that he had seen die seemed to have done so due to a bout of terminal bad luck in one way or another and the fact that the source of the bad luck was making tracks and leaving a body trail behind was rather creepy and weird.

On the hunt, weird things got you killed.

In the clearing for all to see was the lastest victim of whatever was killing the creatures of this forest. The tracks and the appearance of the body suggested that he was close. But there also appeared to be a... cloak of some kind, shrouding something from view that was swaying back and forth in a breeze that wasn't there, chanting something that he didn't understand. 

With great care, Draco stepped out into the clearing, stalking towards the shrouded figure with his hand on his weapon, pushing his eyes and ears to their limits to scan the forest surrounding them in case this was merely the bait for an ambush.

She heard someone... or something approaching from her back, but Genoveve continued chanting... she would deal with them once she was done. As her chanting came to a close she sighed, and slowly stood, looking all for her movement not unlike a snake uncoiling upwards as she spoke, "And who is it that would disturb my meditations? I have expent much power teaching the proud animals of these woods who their master is. Now,", she turned about, now revealing herself to the man and seeing him herself. Though Draco would still recognize her very much was... different. 

Most markedly was her height, now 6'3 she was nearly as tall as he was. In addition her skin was paler, free of any blemish and, aside from her rather loose clothing, he would see that since he would have last seen her she would have matured into a woman, tall lithe and developed. Her lips were a dark red, the color of blood, her eyes circled with thick purple-black rings... her hair was even different, now thick streaks of black ran alongside the deep and vibrant red. Though it had been many years, and she had changed much there was no mistaking who stould before him.

", Who dares disturb the powerful Witch Genoveve Boudicca? Answer wisely... hunter."

Draco blinked in what could only be utter surprise, clearly shocked at the sight before him... but not for the standard reasons that someone might have been. It was like staring into a picture of the past that had been worn and damaged with time, changing the image so that it looked the same but was still strange and alien... Through by no means was it an unpleasant sight to behold.

Looking at Genoveve with a surprised look in his eyes, Draco speechlessly did the one thing that would answer exactly who he was... and in turn prove if this really was Genoveve and not just something that looked like her; He pulled down his mask, showing off the scars that he had received in her defense many years ago. 

The first words that managed to escape his mouth after all this time were "You've grown up."

Genoveve sat, stunned as she saw who the hunter was... how was this possible?! What were the odds?! Draco Russ was not only here but... so was she... how was this possible? It had been... god over a decade surely since they had met before she was even a teenager. Now there he was, scars and all... and she could not help but smile slightly at his slightly off guard comment, "Well yes it has been... god years now... alot has changed, Draco... more than you can imagine...", without thinking she took a step back... he was still a hunter after all and his policy on witches may have changed over the years.

"I... see you still have the uhm... scars, and wear that mask... what-what brings you here? To the Folly? More specifically I suppose to this clearing... and me."

Seeing the sheer shock that hit Genoveve at the sight of him, Draco actually found himself relaxing somewhat. This wasn't some kind of shape shifter or demon trying to pretend to be Genoveve, this seemed to be the real deal. With practiced care, Draco put his weapon back where it belonged... at his side, not in his hand.

Returning the small smile despite the fact that it looked strange on his face, he carefully took a step forward. "I... honestly didn't think I was going to see you again. I stopped by our meeting place a few years ago and stayed there for a few weeks without seeing you..." Draco actually seemed to get rather shy as he bashfully looked away, rubbing the back of his neck as he added "... and might have gotten into the habit of camping there a fortnight every year since, hoping that you were just away and recently got back..."

Shaking his head a little as he forced his mind back to the hear and now, he cleared his throat as he looked towards her. "Well, I came to the Folly because I heard rumors that a lot of hunters were gathering and I wanted to see why. As for why I'm here..." He glanced over at the dead stag nearby. "...I was following the trail of dead animals to see what was killing them."

She was certainly happy to see him again, it really had been too long a time... and apparently he had [i]really[/i] wanted to see her. He had camped at where they met in the hopes of her return? If only he had known... no she wasn't even sure she could tell him now. "You... you did? I uhm... I'm sorry I never did things, well pushed me away from... that place.", she blushed lightly thinking of him waiting for her for... a few years surely. Then there were the hunters... oh god the hunters they must have been there for the coven! She didn't panic... Lorelai could stop them if they tried. She followed his eys to the dead stag and smiled nervously, "Uhm... yes the dead animals... that would be me I, aquired new powers and was... testing my limits you see...", now she was getting nervous.

She had done... well frankly terrible things since the last time they had met, not the least of which was murdering her own mother. Hell she had helped slaughter an entire camp of hunters what? A month or so ago? All these animals... even more at the urging of Yeris who had been awfully quiet recently... she looked up at Draco, scared again, "I... I simply wished to... see what I could do."

He looked at Genoveve again, his mind whirling as it tired to process some of the things that he had heard and seen. He had encountered a demon once that took the guise of a woman that used their magic for horrible things, but Genoveve wasn't a demon... he knew that for a fact!

Were... were witches actually real? 

Shaking his head in order to try and quell the mental unrest that was going on as his world view was being challenged, Draco decided to do the only logical thing and do something to get his mind off of it for now in order to deal with it later when he had time to think and get all of his facts right. Offering her another smile, he nodded his head as he said "That... is okay. Nothing wrong with testing something out after all if no one gets hurt. Honestly I thought that something nasty was staking out a claim of the forest and wanted to see what it was."

Glancing back at the stag again in a slightly relaxed manner, he asked "Would you like to help me get some wood for a fire? It would be a shame to let that meat go to waste..." The fact that the two of them would be spending time together and eating something together was left unsaid, through Draco couldn't help but notice that she looked rather thin... beautiful sure, but seemingly underfed.

Genoveve was... surprised at how ok he was with all the... animal murder with magic... but she was extremely hungry seeing as she had not eaten in an extremely long time. She sighed happily as he asked her to help get wood, "Of-of course Draco I'll help get some wood... I am quite uhm... hungry heh.", and began gathering wood.

It was not long before they had started a fire and Draco was beginning to cook the stag, even as the sun began to fall.

The search for wood wasn't a long one; It was safe to say that both of them had experience living out in nature after all. Still, as the sun began to set at the early flames of the fire started to build up steam, Draco couldn't help but glance every now and then at Genoveve. Part of it was still the disbelief that he was seeing her in the flesh... part of it was because she really was beautiful, even if some of the changes were otherworldly and she looked like she could use several solid meals. 

As the chunk of deer meat that he had carefully set up on a makeshift spit was slowly turned, he couldn't help but ask "So... what have you been up to lately?" 

Draco had changed so little since she had last seen him... a bit taller, a bit broader of shoulder but largely similar, right down to the facial scars he had gotten so long ago. She could see him glancing at her occasioanlly but acted like she didn't, after all she really didn't mind it... though she blushed a bit knowing he was admiring her.

As he asked the question she had been terrified of she froze for a moment... what was she going to say? What could she? That she murdered her mother? She was possesed by malign spirits? Or maybe that she was a part of a Witch coven, that killed hunters and summoned demons? She hesitated for... what may have been too long. "I... have been trying to... expand my powers and grow stronger...", she was not... technically lying...

It was pretty clear that asking her what she had been up to lately had put the fear of whatever gods actually existed in the world into her. Part of Draco wondered why, but considering the years that had passed and some of the things that someone can do in order to survive he decided not to push the subject to harshly at the moment. Still, he couldn't help but tilt his head a little as he asked "Why? Surely there is an end goal in mind for your new powers?" 

Genoveve shifted a bit uncomfortably as Draco pressed ever so slightly further with his questions. "W-well...I... I wish to gain new power in order to-to uhm... I...", she gulped loudly, resolving to tell him... something at least. "I want to become more powerful in order to... maybe gain further standing in my coven upon returning...", that actually was a lie... it had nothing to do with her standing at all... but now he knew she was in a coven.

Draco blinked in surprise, confused for a moment as his memories of the past conflicted with the reality of the present. In an attempt to buy himself a little time in order to try and work through the confusion, he reached out and started to turn the spit as the fire seemed to gain some more strength. 

The time it brought didn't really help him, but it did let him figure out a question to ask to try and make more sense of the situation. "Why did you join a coven? Last I recall, you seemed pretty content just doing your own thing with your mother without worrying about what anyone else thought."

Genoveve looked at the ground... she was wondering if he was going to get to her mother... she gulpes again, what could she say? "Well mother was... she-she became very, uhm... well she always...", Genoveve started to cry... quietly but it was all she could do... what could she tell him? ... the truth... that was all there was. She looked at him, tears running down her cheeks, "I-I killed her Draco! That was what was always supposed to happen I-I-I even knew that before whe-when we first met... its how-how our magic transfers from mother to daughter I-I-[b]sob[/b]", she put her face in her hands... he would hate her now, call her a monster...

For a moment, Draco didn't know what to do. She had murdered someone and she was admitting to him that she did so... but from the sounds of it, it wasn't exactly out of the blue. On the other hand, Genoveve was crying...

Abandoning the spit for now, Draco moved over to sit down at her side, wrapping an arm around her and being a shoulder to cry on. He didn't say anything like it would be okay because in truth he didn't know. But he was there for her, calming and caring. "Let it out." was all he muttered, getting the impression that she had been carrying this around with her for a while now.

He... he wasn't angry? ... Genoveve wiped her eyes, it did not take long before she looked up into his eys, hers stil somewhat watery, "You-Your... not... you don't think I'm a monster?", she sighed happily, "Thank, thank god Draco... I was terrified you would hate me for the things I've done but... thank god..", she giggled looking up at him, as the sun dipped further into the horizon and she looked up at Draco.

He couldn't help but smile a little as he reached up to wipe away some of the tears that had trailed down her cheeks. "You're not a monster. From the sounds of it, killing your mother was something that she was aware of and approved?" It was a fishing question, but if her mother had been on board with the idea then who was he to judge such a practice?

The smile faded from his face for a moment as he glanced towards the setting sun. "If it helps... I'm not exactly perfect either. Let's just say that some hunts are better then others..." Not all the werebeasts that he had killed had [i]been[/i] werebeasts at the time he had come for them. The very human screams and begging for mercy was something that haunted him some nights. 

Genoveve struggled with wether or not she should tell him the whole truth... she was never very good at lying? ... well he wasn't mad about what she had said so far so... "W-well yes... she had always intended for it to happen. But... well...", she was worried about revealing her condition to him but, "I didn't do it the way she had intended. I was... well I had a few 'friends' and they showed me... a way to change it that would make me even more powerful. But... w-well...", she was having trouble getting it out.

Draco looked at Genoveve with a surprisingly deadpan expression, taking a wild guess about what happened. "They screwed you over for their own purposes. By any chance is this related to the whole 'Great and Powerful Witch' thing earlier? Because the Genoveve I knew wasn't [i]that[/i] egotisical."

She gulped as he more or less got it somewhat right, "Well, s-sort of... the way they had me do it [i]did[/i] make me more powerful but... well it has maybe something to do with that..", she blushed now embarrased about that whole display, "I have found that if I act that way people are less likely to attack me... and thats what my friend suggest I do...", she sighed nervously.

Draco couldn't help but grin a little more at seeing her blushing in embarrasment about the whole situation. "Out of curiosity, has that ever actually worked?" He didn't mean anything mean behind it, he just honestly wanted to know. Rather relunctantly, he removed the arm that he had wrapped around her in order to go back to turning their dinner over the fire. Burnt meat tasted awful after all.

"So these...'friends' of yours that screwed you over..." His words had a very finger quote feel to them about the word friends "What did they get out of it? Normally in this sort of situation you wouldn't have gotten a damn thing... you know, apart from being left for dead in a ditch somewhere."

"Oh uhm I actually don't get to do thee whole 'powerful' speech very often... we don't meet to many people.", she giggled thinking about how she use to practice that little speech just in case. As he asked about her friends and what they had gotten out of their little deal, "Well... they uhm... they recieved a... a powerful host.", she looked down, not thinking she needed to say anything else.

The chunk of deer meat stopped turning on the spit as Draco actually turned and looked at her, his gaze narrowing in disappointment and anger. However, he didn't say anything right away... in fact he took several large, deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself down enough not to just yell at her. "Damn it, I told you! I told you that demons were no good and you went and did this. What were you thinking?!"

Taking a moment to reach up and rub his temples to try and deal with his sudden headache, he took another calming breath before asking in a somewhat more calm, if professional tone "The terms of the contract you made. What are they?"

"Th-th-they aren't Demons Draco! I am not so foolish and-and... I didn't know what would happen they didn't tell me...", small tears began to agin leak from her eyes as Draco was clearly angry about it, of course that wasn't surprising all things considered. She tried to wipe away her tears as he asked about a contract, "I-I told you, they aren't Demons! They are nature spirits and poltergeists of old they-they... they are less formal they don't have as many rules you see the ritual it... I don't know if it can be undone. Yeris says she is bonded to me-", she clapped her hands over her mouth as she said the most powerful spirit with her body's name.

The temple rubbing continued, deeping a little as the headache got worse. "Genoveve, I have three points that I feel need to be said right now and as harsh as they may sound it is honestly coming from a good place because I care about you and don't want you to get hurt. Firstly, [i]NEVER[/i] make a pact or agreement with [i]ANYONE[/i] if you don't actually know the details of what it is you are agreeing to. Secondly, if you find yourself in a bad position because of said deal, the person who benefits from screwing you over because of said deal is the [i]LAST[/i] person you should be getting advice from. They aren't going to tell you how to stop them screwing you over after all."

Taking a moment to take a deep breath, Draco collected himself futher before asking "Lastly, and I cannot stress this enough, Demons lie. They lie about their intentions and nature all the time. My father once told me a story of this fourteen year old girl who thought she was hearing and making a pact with an angel, only to decorate her house with her families guts and organs afterwards. What evidence do you have that Yeris is actually what it claims to be beyond its word?"

Genoveve sat quietly as Draco gave her his points. These were all things she knew now, but she was young and foolish when she first met Yeris, merely a year after she firsr met Draco. She knew he cared about her and thats why he was so harsh but it didn't make her feel much better and it didn't stop a few tears as he made his points.

She actually knew the story he spoke of... though it was about a witch seeking power, a young witch but a witch nonetheless.  He asked about Yeris and she knew she had to answer, "I know because... well I'm a witch Draco, I've delt with the spirits of nature my entire life, and my mother dealt with them her entire life. My family have been witches since the beginning Draco, and spirit binding is our art. I know she is not a Demon, though they are no less malign.", she fixed him with a look that said she knew what she was talking about. Whether or not he believed her was yet to be seen.

He held her gaze for a moment, the gears of his mind turning for a moment before sighing and nodding his head, turning his attention back to their dinner. "I... believe you." He admitted as he turned the spit a little. "It's just... I really don't like the idea of a malign anything running around inside of your head... even more so because I don't know what its actual end goal is and what will happen to you once it gets there." Gone was the cool professionalism that had been on his face before, replaced with very human worry and doubt about the future.

"w-well good...", she sat in silence as Draco talked about his fear for her future... why did he care so much? She was some witch he met in the words almost ten years ago, and she had even gotten his face horrendously scarred. Yet, he was not only worried about her now, but her future as well... "Draco... why do you care so much?", she turned to look at him, "I mean... you met a little girl and she got you horribly scarred. She told you she was a witch and now...", she looked to the meat on the spit, "you see she can kill animals, and is possessed by spirits and... why Draco?"

Draco blinked as she asked him that question. He couldn't fault her for that because it was quite honestly a good one but he didn't have an answer for her at the moment... or at least not one that he was comfortable giving. After a long, somewhat awkward silence on his part he sighed. "The why is... complicated. I'm not sure that I could actually capture what is going through my mind in words but..."

"Ten years ago, I was horribly scarred protecting an innocent girl from harm. Despite the hellish amount of pain the injuries themselves caused, just knowing that the girl was alright helped to ease the pain... and the smile she gave me despite the ugly nature of my injuries made me feel like it was worth it." Sighing again as he looked at her, he made sure that his gaze got to meet hers. "And by pure chance I run into her again, only this time she has grown from the cute girl into a beautiful woman... but her smile still makes me feel like taking that claw to the face was worth it."

"I don't want to lose you again..." He confessed, looking down at the ground in a mixture of bashfulness and shame that his feelings for her were such a major weakness that she could exploit.

Yeris spoke now in Genoveve's mind, never one to pass up opportunity, [i]"A powerful hunter, head over heels for a powerful witch he saved years ago? I see no reason to turn him away Genoveve. He makes a useful tool"[/i], Genoveve placed a hand on Draco's cheek, and pulled his face to look at her, her eyes travelling over his scars. Her hand moved, her fingers tracing the scars across his face before returning to his cheek, "Draco...  you don't have to lose me again. I think you know exactly what words to say about how you feel for me.", she stared into his eyes, not bothered in the slightest by his scars.

There was no hiding the slight whince that appeared on Draco's face as Genoveve's fingers traced along the scars; Part of it was from pain, part of it was from having someone other then himself touch them... but he didn't try and stop her. If there was [i]anyone[/i] on the planet that he trusted enough to touch them, it was the woman currently doing so.

Her words seemed to both relax him and cause him to tense up at the same time. Taking a deep breath, he nodded his head. "I know... but I kind of wanted to spend some time with you again to see what you were like now... to see if what I was feeling is just a ten year crush or if there might be something more to it..." Offering her a small smile, he couldn't help but ask "That is of course if you won't get into trouble for being courted by a hunter..."

Genoveve laughed at Draco's surprising amount of nervousness, "Well, I have just returned here so... we have time if you don't mind using a new meeting place, I must return to castle Bloodrose after all. As for if I could get into trouble?", she smirked and moved closer to Draco, whispering to him now, "Well, I don't intend to let my sisters know... bedides, whose to say what is wrong Draco?", she smiled sultrily.

A shiver ran down Draco's spine as she neared him, whispering into his ear while she smiled in such a sultry manner... He agreed that having this place as a new meeting place sounded like a wonderful idea but right now his brain wasn't thinking about that. Instead it decided to do something that he had dreamt about doing for over a decade.

Reaching out, he wrapped his arms protectively around Genoveve before he leant in and pressed his lips against hers. If it was a bit bold or unwanted he would have backed off the moment she showed any sign of displeasure, but he had to do it.

Genoveve was not surprised, nor displeased by Draco's kiss. She returned the favor, placing a hand at the back of his head and grabbed a tuft of hair, returning his kiss. She had to be careful, and not get to aggressive... all the same as they kissed her tounge prodded at his lips, testing to see how willing he was.

Higher thought took a well deserved break as lower instincts decided to lead the way for a change. As he felt her tongue proding his lips, Draco was somewhat surprised by her forwardness but he was more then happy to part his lips enough to let his own tongue slide out to join in on the fun while one of his hands started to slowly and softly stroke along her spine.

As Draco allowed his own tounge join hers Genoveve allowed him to take the lead, their tounge's wrapping about eachother as they kissed. The hand running along her spine made Genoveve shudder in pleasure as the odd sensation ran down her back. Her hand on the back of his head gripped his hair a bit harder as she moved it through his thick hair, her other hand ran allong his chest, moving downwards towards his belt.

The feeling of her hand trailing down his chest and towards his belt actually surprised Draco a great deal. Enough to pull back and break the kiss for a moment (Handily giving him the chance to take some rather deep breaths) before looking into Genoveve's eyes. Rather softly, just so that only she would hear him, he quitely whispered "A-are you sure you want to do this?"

She was surprised when Draco pulled back, but smiled as he took several deep breaths and ascked his question. She pecked him on the lips and said, "Draco, if I was not sure, I would not have started.", she smiled, and began to work at his belt.

Hearing her say that seemed to strengthen Draco's resolve, his hands trailing up her back in order to get to work removing her cloak while she went to work removing his belt. Still, there was a lot of nerves in his voice as he managed to make himself say "I love you." Confessing the feelings that she knew he had for her aloud just to be sure that she heard it.

Just as Genoveve finished undoing Draco's belt she heard him confess to her, she smiled as her cloak was pulled from her back, and looked up at Draco. She drew up to his lips, her hand on the waist of his pants as she kissed his lips again, before whispering into his ear, "And I you, Draco.", and began to pull off his pants.

Sad to say the Deer meat on the spit was burned due to no one paying it any attention... still, it was a chilly night and there was still plenty of stag meat to cook up.