Hearts Burst Into Fire

He widened his eyes and he grinned big as he opened the door for her. "If I stop you before you get drunk, then I won't be able to take advantage of you back at my place later." He chuckled to himself before he continued on. "I am only kidding." He threw in at the end. Once inside, he spotted a table in the corner. The place was not packed at all, maybe five people all spread out across the bar. It was still young in the night so he did not expect many people.

He pointed to the table he wanted and looked at Zara. "Go grab that table and I will get us some drinks." With that, he took off towards the bar without seeing what she was doing. He realized that he was probably going to get very drunk. He did not drink often and became intoxicated so easily it was almost unreal. He had not had a drink since he had graduated from Hogwarts three years ago, so he knew it was going to be a long night.

He paid for one full bottle of scotch and acquired two glasses for them to drink out of. By the time he had gotten everything a few more people had spewed in, but it was still very quiet in the place. He quickly walked over to the table and sat the glasses down. "I dunno what you like to drink, so I figured this scotch would do." He held up an expensive bottle to show her what he had gotten before he tore the cap off and poured two drinks.

He pushed the glass over to her and he held his cup up into the air. "To you Zara. Hopefully tonight you will forget about all the bad things and realize that he only way to go is up." He smiled brightly and took a big gulp of the scotch, feeling it burn as it went down his throat.

It was going to be a long night.

Zara smiled at him and looked around the joint. She was used to all kinds of inns, expensive ones, dirty ones, the ones filled with prostitutes, yeah, she had seen it all, this place was just about in the middle of the kinds she was used to. Not overly expensive, but not dirty either. She looked at the table he gestured to, and she nodded, walking over to it and sitting down carefully, feeling like she actually fit into this joint. She was dressed for it anyway, the kind of way any other woman out drinking would be dressed like, but definitely not on a date that was for sure. She wasn't sure what to make of his joking earlier, so she had decided to ignore it, she didn't want anything tonight, at least, not while she was sober...

Zara smiled when he came back over with a glass of scotch and a couple of glasses, filled them up, toasted for her, and saw him take a drink. She quickly drowned her glass and sighed, appreciating the sting as it went down. "I do like scotch, thanks." She said smiling at him, and turning her gaze to be around the bar. "So... do you always take random girl's who run into you on the street out for a drink? Or am I a special case?" She turned her gaze back on him and leaned back in her chair, her drink was gone in a few seconds, and she was already pouring herself another one. She was a heavy drinker when need be, and she could take quite a bit, so she poured herself a bit more, and took this one a bit more slowly, sipping the scalding liquid. "And do you need to know their stories every time?" She asked, watching him carefully, wanting nothing more than to get wasted and have him take her home for the night, maybe get a small kiss, and then taken inside to get put to bed. Like a normal person did on a date when she was in the position she was in.

Aaron had only had two gulps of his scotch and he could already feel it creeping up on him. The feeling of his head beginning to get heavy and a warmness he was not used to washed over him. He cursed himself in his head, he literally only had two gulps of his drink! He kept his cool though, showing no signs of feeling tipsy so early. Then he realized she was pouring another glass and he realized just how much of a lightweight he was. He had, in only a few days, met two women who could drink him under the table.

He took another drink before leaning back and smiling at her comment. "No usually I take them to a really nice restaurant and we drink whine and have a delicious meal." He laughed, maybe a little louder than he should have, at his own joke before waving his hand. "No, actually I do not usually go out at all. I am, in a nutshell, a recluse. I like my privacy and usually stick to myself." He smiled and stopped talking for a few seconds, realizing he was staring in her direction in a way he usually did not. He quickly stopped staring and perked himself up and took another drink.

"So, you're a special case to say the least." He grinned and then finished off his drink and poured himself another one. It was a celebration after all, and he could already feel the drunk coming, so why not continue. "What about you? Do you usually follow random stranger to bars after you." He put his fingers up to make quotations as a joke "Bump into them?"

Zara smirked at him, was he really such a lightweight? His laugh was already loud, his face was getting sort of pink, and she could tell he wasn't used to drinking. She was barely feeling fuzzy, and he was halfway to drunk. Seems her dreams of having him tuck her in safe in her bed were going down the drain. At this rate, SHE would be tucking him into bed. Zara smiled at him and raised her glass slightly, taking another few drinks, before setting her glass down. "Normally I'm the one being followed into a bar.." She said softly, before frowning. "You know..." She swirled her drink around in her cup. "I don't know if I caught your name.. we were at the meeting together.. but... I wasn't.. exactly in the right mindset to remember names if you know what I mean." She said frowning, knowing that she had been on the verge of being tipsy that night, as well as completely broken, and hadn't heard his name at all.

"I'm Zara...Just in case..." She said carefully, staring at him, and finding him absolutely beautiful, how could a male be so beautiful? It just wasn't humanly possible. "Zara Ellis.." Of course that could be the drink talking.. she already had a hangover, and she had been drunk last night, so she was probably getting drunk easier, simply because she was still probably a little drunk. She sipped her drink, taking it slower before she smiled at him. "Let me guess.. you aren't a heavy drinker.." She commented, unable to help herself from grinning at him.

And there it was, drunk had officially hit him. There were a lot of factors that weighed into it, but the most noticeable one was how he wanted to just say whatever came to his head. He was usually very reserved and thought everything out before he said it, but right now he could tell that almost anything could shoot out of his mouth. He also noticed how Zara went from pretty to absolutely gorgeous in a matter of seconds. He figured he should tell her that, but luckily she cut him off by talking.

"Oh I know your name Zara." He said quickly, finishing his second glass and slamming it down on the table. He leaned forward and propped himself on his elbows. "I have known your name allll day and you didn't even know it!" He was speaking like a drunken fool, but he could not even tell. He was past caring about what came out of his mouth. "And now you probably want to know my name. Well I am going to tell you." He poured himself another glass and he took another huge gulp, the burning completely gone by now and replaced by a numb throat. "Aaron Marcheti is my name. It's Italian mostly because my parents are Italian." He chuckled to himself and then perked up when she asked if he was a heavy drinker.

"Oh no, I am a HUUGE lightweight. I like it better this way cause I get drunk very easily. Saves money. Efficiency at its finest." He downed his third cup and slammed it down yet again. He looked up at her again and could not help but notice her beauty again. "You know, if I can go ahead and say so myself, you are downright beautiful." He smirked before jumping up and running across the bar to the bartender to get more to drink. He bought a bottle of firewhisky, the most expensive one there, and came back across the table and sat down next to Zara instead of in front of her.

"This is for you." He said slamming it down in front of her. "You need to drink more so I don't seem so foolish."

Zara couldn't help but be having a great time. He was nice, funny, and he was smart... except that he couldn't hold his drink if he had to. He was wasted already, and she was feeling tipsy. She was laughing a bit more freely, and conversing easily. He knew her name, and she couldn't help but blush, helped by the drink of course. "Did you remember it from the meeting, or are you a stalker Mr. Marcheti?" She grinned at him watching as he slammed down a third drink. "Maybe you should wait up a bit love... you don't want me to have to levitate you home do you?" She asked giggling, when he said she was beautiful, she blushed harder, and started to say something but he was suddenly up and getting something else at the counter, slamming down in front of her a large bottle of very expensive Firewhiskey. "Oh wow.." She whispered, and poured a small bit in their glasses, giving herself quite a bit more then him, trying to hold him back from getting to drunk so she could enjoy the night as well.

HE sat down next to her, and she definitely wasn't complaining, she lifted her glass into the air, and smiled at him. "To making me feel better just by being yourself." She said and downed her glass, getting some more and downing that one as well, trying to get herself as far gone as possible. She knew it was getting close, she felt giddy, and excited, and she couldn't help but notice him staring at her, and she stared right back, unable to keep herself from grinning. "You are quite handsome you know... even sober I could tell.. and I couldn't stop staring.. I mean.. I mean... obviously you are strong, and you are just so... good looking." She couldn't help but run her eyes appreciatively over his frame, very obviously checking him out, before she downed another glass and could tell she was on the verge of losing all control. This fire whiskey was heavy stuff, and she was taking it down to quickly for her body to fight against, so she sat there, letting the room spin, before she looked at Aaron, and grinning she raised her glass to toast him again, before gulping down more, and realizing she was right next to him in the drunkenness department.

Aaron usually did not like being told about his looks. He sometimes thought it was a curse because he did not like the attention, but right now he loved it, and when she was telling him about how good he looked he wanted her to keep going in typical, narcissistic fashion. "I remember it from the meeting, and why wouldn't I?" He finished off his glass of firewhisky and pushed his glass away, cutting himself off because he was at he perfect level of drunk. "I always remember things that are important, so why should your name be any different?" He shrugged his shoulders and sat back in is chair, locking gazes with hers.

"Bah, my looks pale in comparison to yours so don't waste your breath." He smiled and then he looked around the bar at all of the people. It was starting to get packed and Aaron was not a fan of crowds. "I have an idea." He said, grabbing her by the wrists gently and pulling her to her feet. Quickly he stumbled out of the bar and out into the night air, realizing just how drunk he was. He stumbled and swayed but he kept his balance, trying not to fall over in front of her. "I want to show you something I am proud of!" He said drunkenly before he took off in the direction of his shop.

As they were walking, he threw his arm up and wrapped it around the shoulders of Zara. He tried hard not to stumble or fall but just so he could walk with his arm around her shoulder. "You know Zara, I like you. I think you're a very awesome person and don't think you should let anyone tell you an different." He smiled and looked over at her to try and make her feel better before he stopped in front of his shop.

He pulled his arm off from around her and he put them out to his sides excitedly. "This is where my shop is going to be!" He said very excitedly as he pointed at it. "This is mine, I own this! Do you know what I am going to put there? A wand shop. I am a wandmaker, its official. I'll show you the plaque if I have to." He grinned before motioning for her to follow him. "Come on!"

He pulled the key out and he opened the door before shuffling in and looking around. He snapped his fingers and the lamps around the place lit up revealing a strong work in progress. There was a counter and boxes strewn everywhere with the stuff he was going to fill the place with. "What do you think?"

Zara couldn't help but grin and blush as she drowned another glass and felt pleasantly drunk, not totally wasted like she wished she could be, but pleasantly drunk. She flushed red, and sighed. "I didn't remember your name, and I'm sorry... I was so out of it that day.." She said watching him carefully. "I'll waste my breath if I want to! You are very good looking Aaron!" She said staring at him, until suddenly he was half dragging her out of the bar and into the cool night air. There was a definite smell of rain in the air, chilly rain that you go during the fall time, and a soft wind was blowing, and he led the way down the road, his arm thrown over her shoulders.

When they got back to the spot they had first met, she took a real look at the building he had been standing in front of. "This place is yours?" She asked, her eyes wide. "Wow... it's wonderful!" She gasped, the drink helping her speech be slurred, her vision a bit blurry, but she could tell it would be a wonderful shop soon. He led the way into the shop, and she stumbled in after him, looking around at the work in progress. "Wow.." She said, running her hand over the walls, and then turned and looked at him, leaning against the wall, propping up her knee and smiling at him. "It's wonderful." She said leaning leisurely against the wall. "I love it.. where's that plaque of yours?" She asked grinning at him, her cheeks flushed red because of her drink, and her words slurred, showing that she was pretty much at the same point he was at, not quite as drunk, but pretty darn close.

Aaron propped himself against the counter and watched her as she walked around the place and looked at everything. He took a moment to try and sober up and think about what he was doing. He knew that if he pursued anything then nothing good could come of it, but he was in no state to stop himself. He was intoxicated with a beautiful female in his own place, what else was he to do besides exactly what he was. Shaking his head, he pushed it all from his skull. It was too late to go back now.

He walked up to her and he smirked as he did. "I can show you the plaque if you are really interested." He moved himself very close to her to where they were almost touching. Their faces were only inches away and he could smell the alcohol on her breath and he knew she could smell his, but he did not really mind. He brought his hand up and he gently ran his fingers across her right cheek and smirked. "What kind of fool would leave you in the first place? You're fun, smart, and beautiful." He moved a strand of hair out of her face as softly as he could, staring deeply into her eyes. "If you ask me, he missed out on one of the finest girls I have ever met." He dropped his hands by his side and then a bunch of thoughts ran through his head. Should he kiss her or not. The thoughts came so quickly he did not have any time to think.

Without thinking about it anymore, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. He had not kissed someone in so long he almost forgot how to do it, but before long it came racing back to him. He kissed her very softly and wrapped his left arm around her waste, pulling her closer to him and kissing her deeply before he pulled away and grinned at her. "Hope that was OK with you?" He said with a grin.

When she had first met him earlier, and told her that she would be standing in his shop, looking around at all of his things, she wouldn't have believed it. It really was a beautiful place, and she could imagine wands being sold here, once it was cleaned up, made pretty, and made useful again. "If you need help cleaning up I'd be glad to help." she said smiling at him, as he came over to her, his body nearly touching hers, and she drew in a sharp breath, her face tilted up slightly as she looked at his lips, which were rather close to her own. She could smell the alcohol on his breath, but she didn't care, they had both been drinking, and it was obvious that with their banter, their fun, and joking, they would end up here.

His fingers ran across her cheek, and she could feel her whole body tense up, her eyes fluttered closed, and she pressed her cheek into his hand carefully, unused to the soft gentle touches that came with feeling, instead of the harsh, unfeeling touches that came with want. When he spoke, she could feel her face heating up. They always said that didn't they? Complimented her to make her feel better about what was going to happen, but she felt different today, and knew that he was actually trying to make her feel better, and she knew what was going to happen. When his hands dropped to his sides, she knew what to wait for, and in a manner of seconds, she got her wish. He leaned down, and kissed her.

Now, Zara had kissed many a man in her day, kissed, made out with, humbled, and made bold, her lips had gone through the paces, but when he kissed her, it was something that made no sense to her, her stomach did a somersault. Her heart rate sped up, and she felt her whole body tense up, and relax quickly, her arms moving up to his neck, returning the gentle, almost kind kiss. He pulled away much to soon, but she was still in his arms, and she had never felt safer, except maybe with Matt, the thought of him made her heart seem to skip a few beats, and she leaned her head forward, resting her forehead against his chest. "It was perfectly fine with me." She said softly, before she looked back up at him, and moved in for another kiss, this one much more greedy, much more needing then the first one.