Late Night at the Leaky Cauldron

As she smiled at his compliment, Draco noted the change in her appearance. The smile made her look more pretty and more friendly in a way. The fact that she had not recognized who he was through his experience was odd. The Malfoy family more or less looked the same, and their features were quite unique too. They had been in the papers a lot of late too. Also, Draco still seemed to remember seeing her somewhere, perhaps the manor, but he could not remember, especially not in the current state of his mind.

Still, her surprise and delight upon knowing his name flattered him, and he chuckled when she said that she hadn't realized she was in such illustrious company. He was starting to really like Remy. She had most of the traits that Draco liked in a woman, like confidence. And she was also quite attractive. "So, do you have a place to stay for the night?" he asked her.

Draco’s laughter could only mean that her plan was working, and Remy joined him in his delight, though likely not for the same reason. Remy was pleased to see that the wheels of her plan were starting to turn of their own accord, and that her suggestions were starting to take root in Draco’s mind. All in all, the task of wooing him had been far less difficult than she had anticipated, especially for a married man, but she ought to have known better. Married men were always looking for the thrill and excitement they no longer felt with their wives, and what was more exciting than an affair? The secrecy, the fear of getting caught, the thrill of the chase of a woman you know you aren’t supposed to be with; all of these added to the allure.

As their laughter died away it echoed off the walls of the empty bar. Tom had long since left the pair of them to their own devices, leaving a bottle each of whiskey and wine on the bar in case either of their glasses should need refilling. For a while Remy had watched him at the end of the bar, observing their conversation with intrigue, but exhaustion had since overtaken him and he was very nearly snoring into his scotch. It was probably for the best that Tom would not be awake to observe the way the evening ended between Remy and Draco; men were the jealous type, even about women who did not belong to them, and it would be harder to get what she wanted from Tom later on if he saw her slipping upstairs with Draco now.

And just as the thought of that flitted across her mind, Remy’s attention was brought back to her companion as he asked about her intentions for where she planned to spend the night. This was just the question Remy had been prompting him to ask, though he was likely unaware of it, and she found it easy to smile as she shrugged and gave the answer she had prepared for just these situations.

“Well, I had planned to go home,” Remy answered, making a show of looking at her watch, “but it seems rather late for that now. It’s a long walk by myself.”

Heaving a sigh for added emphasis, Remy turned on her bar stool to look outside the windows where the inky black of night had taken over. She could see her own reflection looking back from her from the window, and the outline of Draco behind her. She took just a few moments with her back to him to accentuate her “predicament” before turning back to him and shrugging her shoulders once more, which allowed one sleeve of her T-shirt to fall down from her shoulder and reveal the greater part of her clavicle and bra strap. It was not a premeditated action, allowing her sleeve to fall that way, but instead a useful accident. She was quick – but not too quick – to readjust her shirt to lay where it ought to before looking back up to Draco. It was at these times she wished she was capable of embarrassment and therefore blush, but she thought the rest of her demeanor and act would probably do the job just fine.

“Then again, the dark never really hurt anyone,” Remy said, hinting with her tone that if Draco was chivalrous, he would argue this point and, if she was lucky, do something about it.

Draco was having fun with conversing with Remy. She seemed to know everything he wanted, as if she was the perfect match for him. Only when their laughter died away did Draco really notice that it was just them in the bar now. Tom had clearly left a while ago, leaving another bottle at the table. Looking at his almost finished glass, Draco managed to resist refilling his glass again, he had drank enough for the night.

Draco was quick to notice her little accident, his eyes moving down for a fleeting second before looking back to her eyes. He decided not to prolong it any longer, they both obviously wanted the same thing. Draco would, perhaps, regret this all later - he usually did - , but there was something exciting about an affair. Astoria could not give him the same feeling other women did really. "Don't be silly, it is far to late for you to go out now," he said calmly. He doubted that she would have to walk, most graduates could merely apparate. "Why don't you stay here for the night?" he added. "There is more than enough space for another person in my room."

((Good observation noting her lack of appration. Not many would have caught that. But with her being magically inept she, of course, cannot apparate. But Draco wouldn’t know that, nor would he likely care by this point ))

There was a specific type of calm with which Draco made his offer, the type of calm that only existed in a man who had cheated before. Men were very revealing in the way they went about breaking their wedding vows to their wives; first timers always stuttered and squirmed, showing their discomfort even though they were about to get what they wanted. Men who had never intended to be faithful in the first place were easier yet to pick out; they came into the bar with their ring already removed, the telltale strip of pale skin revealing their indiscretion, but they made no effort to hide it.

But men like Draco were rare. He had clearly not been on the prowl when she arrived – how could he have been prowling in an empty bar? – but he was not objecting. Whatever qualms he might have had about spending the night in a room with a woman who was not his wife, he had silenced them. Perhaps this was an agreement he had with his wife, or perhaps the affairs had become so frequent that it no longer phased him. Whatever the reason, Remy was getting what she wanted. The motivation behind it was inconsequential.

“Well if you are offering…” Remy said slowly, as though deliberating. She was careful to open her eyes just a bit wider when Draco offered, as though she were surprised by his sudden generosity. It was necessary to the façade, to make him believe that this was his idea, instead of a seed that she had planted and carefully cultivated since the moment she walked in the bar. Appearances were far more important than facts, in Remy’s experience, and this night was no exception.

“I suppose I could hardly refuse,” she finished, her voice now smoldering with the weight of what they both knew was going to happen. There was no point in feigning innocence any longer, not now that Draco had made the invitation Remy had been waiting for. She was no longer the conversation companion in the bar that just happened to be around late at night. Now she was the other woman.

One of Remy’s long fingers stroked just once down the back of Draco’s hand, which was resting on the bar, putting just enough contact between their skin to cause chills. Her enticing smile was no longer hidden by a pretense of another emotion, but she was careful not to look like a lioness about to pounce on her prey. Draco had to feel wanted, but still like he was in control of the situation, and Remy could make him feel that way. She could make him feel anything he wanted.

((I figured I would leave the actual getting up and going upstairs for you to do. I don’t think it would be appropriate for Remy to lead the way to a room that isn’t hers – not to mention she wouldn’t know where it was.))

Draco had of course not been at the pub to find a woman to spend the night with, it had been empty before her arrival after all. But Remy was attractive and willing, so he wasn't about to skip the _____. After all there was no risk of getting caught anyways. Astoria was suspicious as him, and vice versa, but neither had any proof. As she deliberated his offer, he looked straight at her, quite expressionless. However, when she accepted, he smiled slightly. Putting his glass on the table. She smiled back enticingly, whiling brushing his hand slightly, giving him chills.

Standing up, Draco took out 3 galleons from his pocket and put them on the counter. The total would probably have amounted to far less, but Draco wanted to be impressive. Women were, after all, attracted to some form of power. Money was one of them. He waved his wand at her coat, to fly after them upstairs, before helping her up and wrapping his arm around her waist, guiding her up the stairs, to his room.

He wasn't nervous about it, he had done this before after all. Draco took out the key from his pocket and opened it to his suite. He guided her in, and made her coat automatically go hang itself. "Make yourself at home," he told her, still smiling slightly.

((Sorry Remy. I had internet problems. And I just remembered this topic ))

((That is okay. I’m just glad we got back to it eventually.))

Remy stood as Draco did, glad to be finally getting this show on the road. The rehearsal was fun and all, but it was a bit draining to have to put so much energy into playing nice. Once they were upstairs, she could just let her body do the talking for her, which was far easier and far more fun. Of course, fun was not her objective in pursuing Draco, but she was a woman and not without needs. If she managed to kill two birds with one stone, more power to her.

When Draco placed the galleons on the counter Remy was sorely tempted to try a slight of hand to take one or two, but she knew better than to press her luck at this point. The night had gone so smoothly thus far, almost too smooth, that to try anything more would just be asking for trouble. If he threw three galleons on the counter so carelessly, there were plenty more where that came from. She watched the galleons fall on the counter, making sure he knew she was aware of them, before turning her charm full force back on Draco and smiling at him coyly. Men with money liked nothing more than women who noticed their money.

With his arm around her waist, Remy moved with Draco up the stairs, snaking her arm around to his back and running her fingers tantalizingly down his back. The walk was longer than the one she usually took, but only because the suites were located on a higher level of the inn. Remy had expected as much of a man such as Draco, but she was still impressed by the finery that surrounded her as Draco led her into the room. Once inside, he released his grasp on her, turning his attention to such niceties as hanging up coats. Why he bothered hanging up her jacket when there was bound to be more clothes on the floor shortly, she didn’t know, but it was hardly a point she was going to contest.

Remy smirked seductively as Draco suggested she make herself at home, for that is exactly what she intended to do. Remy might be a home wrecker, but she had no trouble making herself comfortable in places that weren’t her home. With a glance over her shoulder, Remy walked slowly toward the king sized bed in the middle of the room, making her steps deliberate. She swung her hips provocatively as she walked, her smirk growing as she turned to look ahead of her. With her back to Draco, she crossed her arms in front of her body and grabbed the hem of her T-shirt and lifted her hands slowly, revealing her torso inch by inch until she pulled it all the way over her head, shaking out her long dark hair as she dropped the T-shirt on the ground. She didn’t stopping her forward motion or look back until she reached the bed, at which point she turned on the spot to face Draco, her exposed bra and upper body sending one signal, her eyes the other, just the right mixture of kitten and lioness.

“I always feel more at home with less clothes,” Remy purred, though she kept her eyes wide and innocent, tempting him closer, “Don’t you?”