Dance with a Devil [Open]

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It was such a beautiful and peaceful night, a sort of night that was rarely ever seen by the vampire due to both his kind and his chosen career path, something that found him more often than not fighting against the selfish beasts that wanted to claim him for themselves, for the darkness only to succumb to their own selfish desires when they discovered that he could not tamed, he could not be broken. He destroyed those that lusted after his flesh, his blood and his power with terrifying ease, the cold and icy eyes of a beast shining through in the moonlight and yet tonight he showed no signs of being anything but a calm and attractive young man as he strolled through the darkened streets, easily greeting those that called out to him with a single nod of his head and sometimes with the barest upwards tilt of his lips. He was different from the others of his kind in the way that he did not see these mortals as mere objects to feed off of, he saw them as beautiful creatures, ones that should have been dearly loved and protected. So he stalked through the night, watching over his innocent lambs in order to ensure that none of them would stray from the safety that he provided them with.

The last thing he needed was for a dangerous wolf to come and snatch up his lambs.

Tonight however, was an exception. Most of the mortals in the village were sound asleep, tucked safely within their warm beds and he could neither hear or smell anything that would cause any sort of harm to his mortals, even with his vampiric senses. Deciding that there was nothing left for him to do, he turned on his heel and made his way to the local pub, planning to reward himself with a warm beverage [call him strange but despite the pub's overall unpleasant atmosphere, he was always rather fond of their hot chocolate for some reason, to the point where he would endure even the lustful stares from the drunk for a mug or two] before allowing himself to retire a bit early for the night, something that was very rarely an option for him. Perhaps tonight he would dream sweetly of his love who he knew slept soundly within the castle walls like he always did on the nights that he could not come to Hogsmeade for some reason or another . One could always hope, couldn't they?

His thoughts were lost when he entered the pub and was immediately hit with the scent of sweat and cheap liquor, something that made him cringe ever so slightly before his face returned to its normal mask of near indifference as he made his way to the back, snatching up a lone table for himself and managing to order his warm drink before he gazed dully at the wall, ignoring the hungry stares that he got just as he always did. Merlin, couldn't things be different for once?!

[Meggera Tepes]

Meggera was out wandering the streets of the village. Despite all the trips she had come here during her previous 6 years here at school, she still didn't know the whole village well. The days when she wasn't watching the shop she spent wandering the village, finding new places and new things to sketch. After dark though this small village seemed to change into something else entirely. It was fascinating, really, how night transformed a place.

As night fell she found herself not wanting to return to the shop. It could get rather dull there with only Madam Myrna as company. And the old woman usually fell asleep rather early thanks to her tonics and gin, leaving Meggera quite alone until daylight. So here she was, wandering the streets, looking for something to do.

She paused at the entrance to the pub. She was of age now...but she had never gone inside despite her curiosity. Well, tonight was the night. She was going to pluck up her courage and go inside. She paused outside the door, hesitating for a moment, before just manning up and walking in. The smell of liquor was strong and made her scrunch her nose up slightly. Somehow she had imagined it...cleaner. She made her way over to the bar, before realizing she had absolutely no clue what to order. She was suddenly extremely self-conscious standing here clueless. Why had she come in here again?

She looked around, people were staring at her. They probably could tell she had no idea what to do. So she quickly ordered a water and fled from the main part of the bar towards the back. Hopefully she could escape the stares. Merlin why had she come in here? She should have just kept wandering around. She found herself by a mostly empty table. Perhaps she should ask to sit down? There was only one man here after all, instead of a bar full. And she really didn't want to drink her water standing up....

"Um..would you mind if I sat here?” she asked, sounding much more timid then she had intended too, which made her mentally kick herself. Merlin people here were going to think she was some sort of frail child who was in over her head.

[Deleted]

His gaze shifted from the wall the instant that he heard the door to the pub open out of habit and for a moment he felt the urge to roll his eyes at his own reaction. Once again he had forgotten that Nikolai was no longer working at Hogwarts and yet he still reacted as though he was the one who would be the next one to walk inside the pub each and every single time that door opened. It seemed as though old habits truly did die hard and yet there was a bit of curiosity that crossed his features as he realized just who it was that had entered the pub. Her name was Meggera Tepes and he remembered her from the report on the school that he had received the year before during the Triwizard tournament. She was the one that was the quarter vampire if he remembered correctly and from what he had read, she did not seem the type to visit these sorts of places at all, much less when most of the patrons were already drunk for the night.

Then again, if she had no prior knowledge of this place then that would explain why she would have chosen to come here at the most dangerous time of the night. Narrowed blue eyes watched both her movements and the movements of the others carefully to ensure that no one would try anything on the girl, after all it was still his job to protect the students of the castle even with the tournament long since over. It seemed as though fate was on his side and wanted to make things a bit easier for him for it was only moments later that the flustered young girl made her way over to his table and asked if she could take the empty seat at his table.

Thank Merlin.

" Go ahead. I do not mind if you vish to sit here. It is nicer than sitting over there vith all of those drunkards and no one vill bother you here." A man stood from his seat at the bar and had begun to stagger his way over to the two of them before being stopped in their tracks when Aleksandr's cool gaze moved from her to him and narrowed in a dangerous glare that had him scurrying back to his seat immediately. With a simple nod of his head, his gaze turned back to the girl and he smirked. " At least, not if they are smart." They had long since learned that just because he was supposed to protect them, it did not mean that he would not put them swiftly back into their place when they stepped out of line. It was his job not only to protect them but to also maintain the town's peace and order and he would not be letting some drunkard screw up his near perfect record now.
" At any rate, vhat brings you to this place at this hour?" He would wait to tell her what danger she might have found herself in had he not been here to keep an eye on the patrons. 

[Meggera Tepes]

Meggera nodded and sat down at the table, relieved, holding onto her water glass rather tightly. Her eyes swept the area for a quick moment, watching as one of the men from the bar scurried away. She hadn't noticed him even coming over at first. Well thats what she got for coming in here without an inkling of what she was doing. She looked down at her cup, thinking what a stupid idea this had been, before looking up at the man she was sharing a table with.

Oddly enough she recognized him. Wasn't he one of the Aurors that was posted at the school last year during the tournament? She wasn't positive as she had only seen most of them in passing thanks to being so distracted over that little engagement stunt her grandfather had pulled. He asked her what she was doing here...good question. She was still wondering that herself. This certainly wasn't any place she would go normally, especially not alone.

"I..well I don't really know. I was wandering around the village and realized I've never been in here. It seemed like a good idea until I walked in...” she said, shaking her head at her own stupidity. All this new freedom must be making her go crazy...

"Weren't you stationed at Hogwarts last year? For the Triwizard Tournament?” she asked before taking a sip of her water, more for something to do then anything.

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This girl was apparently more insightful than he had previously thought, something that put his mind at ease as he listened to her. At least she wasn't one of those arrogant girls who insist red that she knew what she was doing, that always made these sorts easier to deal with in his opinion. It was then that the barmaid came with his order, setting a steaming mug of hot chocolate down in front of the man before hurrying off to serve some of the other patrons and he found his gloved fingers moving to the peppermint stick that came with his drink, stirring it slowly and taking a sip of the rich drink before speaking to her."Forgive me for saying this but I figured as much. You see, around this time most of the patrons in this bar are already drunk for the night and it is very rare that a young voman such as yourself vill enter vithout any company escorting her. It is...a bit too risky as the odds are that unless someone is there vatching over everyone that something vill happen and a lot do not like to take those chances." Not that he blamed them, especially not with some of the people that vere here.

He took another long and slow sip of his drink before speaking again, obviously at ease with his surroundings and such." Of course, I am here to vatch over things so you need not vorry right now because it is my job to vatch over students vhen they are here, but in the future please try to come here earlier or at least vith some friends of yours." Just because he was here now did not mean that he would always be here for he rarely took to visiting the pub since the smell usually ended up hurting his nose of he was there too long. When she asked if he had been stationed at Hogwarts last year for the tournament he nodded his head before speaking."Da, I was stationed at Hogvarts during the tournament but since j live here the Ministry has tasked me vith protecting both Hogsmeade and Hogvarts year round, vhen I don't have assignments anyvays."

[Meggera Tepes]

Meggera was somewhat startled when the barmaid brought him his drink. Merlin why was she so jumpy in here? Unfamiliar places and all that... Parties and set ups she could handle, but apparently not a pub alone. Apparently this was not the time to come according to him though, since most everyone had gotten drunk by now. Most came earlier or with a group. Well she could see the sense in that, though she doubted she would be coming here again in the foreseeable future.

“Well, thank you for the advice. I doubt I'll be returning though...this kind of place isn't really my cup of tea.. Maybe during the day or if it were cleaner.” she said, shaking her head and staring at her water glass reflecting again on what a bad decision this had been. She didn't even drink...why on earth had she thought this a good idea for exploring the town?

So he had been there after all. At least her mind wasn't tricking her on top of everything else. “Really? Isn't that kind of taxing compared to you're other assignments? Watching over both this town and the school I mean. Seems like quite a huge responsibility for just one person to me.” she asked. Then again who ever said he was the only one? For all she knew he could be one of many that were stationed here now. She'd been sort of out of touch with the news lately so perhaps the Ministry felt no need for lots of security for now.

[Deleted]

So he had been right to assume that the reason she had arrived at such a bad time was simply because she did not know any better. He could feel the smallest sense of sastifaction at being right before glancing at the girl and feeling bad. It was obvious that she was uncomfortable and weary about her surroundings and for a moment he thought to himself before speaking quietly. " I had assumed as much, you do not seem like the type to come here looking for trouble nor do you seem to be the type of person who enjoys a drink every now and then. Might I suggest that the next time you vish to go somevhere new, that you go to this place called Madame Puddifoots? It is a tea house at the end of Hogsmeade, I do not know if you are avare of this place already and if you are than excuse me but I think it is the sort of place that you might enjoy."

It was a quiet place, one that was filled with peace and serenity and it was a place where the girl would not have to be constantly on guard, something that he thought she might like more than this place. " I have noticed that it is the sort of place that most vomen and girls seem to enjoy visiting at any rate. Perhaps you might feel the same?" If not, he can at least say that he had tried to help her.

When she asked if his job was taxing compared to the others that he received for a moment he simply smirked before chuckling quietly and responding to her question. " It can be a bit tiring at times, but I do not mind it. I have an apprentice that helps me patrol the town between his lessons vith me and he does help ease the burden a bit." Even if he was a pain in the ass a good majority of the time. " Besides, I do not mind vatching over the castle as vell as the people. The person I love vorks at Hogvarts and if I can keep him and the children that he cares so much for safe, then I am happy to do it."

 

[Meggera Tepes]

Ahhh he was suggesting she go to Madam Puddifoots instead next time. She'd been there a few times and knew well enough to avoid the place anywhere around valentines days as it was decorated with enough frills to smother someone. The rest of the year it wasn't half bad though and it had decent tea and cookies. She nodded, “I know it. I've been there a few times. It does seem the better choice of places though...during most of the year that is. It gets a little stifling in February.” she said , shaking her head and sipping at her water.

Well he had a trainee that helped him with the patrolling. That was good, and she wondered if they were any of the recent Hogwarts graduates. It was possible. Being an Auror did seem to be a popular choice among her classmates lately. “The person you love is a teacher? Well..that must be convenient, being so close by.” she said. Frankly it was a little weird seeing teachers dating. It was kind of like watching your parents date. There seemed to be no shortage of that recently though...or certain meddling teachers trying to play matchmaker with their students. Honestly..since when were teachers supposed to condone students dating?

[Deleted]

So she did know about that place then, how interesting. In the back of his mind he was curious to why the girl had come here instead of going to that place but immediately ruled it out to be simple curiosity on the girl's part. Something that he could not blame her for given the fact that curiosity was a part of nature for every creature to feel. Every being from the most intelligent of his kind to even the simplest minded of creatures all felt that same curiosity. When she mentioned how the atmosphere tended to get around the month of February, he had found himself curious, for that was not something that he had known. Perhaps it had something to do with hormones that came from those desperate young teenagers feeling the air or perhaps it had something to do with the fact that the very mischievous old woman who ran the shop enjoyed sending out tea that was laced with natural aphrodisiacs to unsuspecting couples, getting a kick out of the way they embarrassed themselves.

Sadistic old woman.

" I imagine it has something to do vith the many hormones that come around that time of year. That and the owner can be a bit of a mischevious old voman. She likes to send out tea that has natural aphrodisiacs in them to couples just to laugh at them vhen they start taking affect." At least he could say he warned one person of her tricks. When Jamie was brought up, he nodded. " Not a teacher but rather the school healer. Jamie Rosenthal is my lover and yes it is rather convenient. I know that he is safe and he can come and see me vhenever he vishes to do so." It was a rather nice arrangement they were blessed with.

[Meggera Tepes]

Her eyebrows shot up at the mention of the aphrodisiac laced tea. Surely that was against some sort of law..not to mention just plain unfair to the couples who went there. “My...I had no idea... She's worse then the flying instructor...” she said, shaking her head. She wouldn't be surprised if the two were in league actually...meddling in students love lives. One would think adults would be past such things. Then again...look at her grandfather.

She was surprised when he said it was the school healer, the very person she was going to study under this coming year to start learning the art of healing. “Mr. Rosenthal? Really? I'll be studying under him this year for my N.E.W.T.S.” she said. She had thought the healer much to mild mannered to be dating an Auror, but then again he might be a good balance to the stress of being an Auror. Oh Merlin what was she thinking? She had enough to worry about without wondering about her teachers love lives...