Bottoms Up

[James Woodlock]

James had spent the most of the last year traveling the world. It was something he had wanted to do ever since he left Hogwarts. The opportunity to do so never showed itself when circumstances found him teaching at his old school so soon after he had left it. There was no doubt he loved his job and he was thrilled to be returning to it when the new term began. During his sabbatical he had a lot of time to think and one of the things he found himself dwelling on the most was his run in with Margarette, a girl he knew from his school days. It had been the first time he saw her since he ran around in emerald trimmed robes. She hadn't been one of his closest friends in school but she was always someone who made him smile. He never would have pursued anything because he had spent his school days chasing after the wrong girl.

As soon as James found himself back in New Zealand he reached out to her and asked her to meet him in one of his favourite drinking places. It was somewhere he came a few times whenever school was out. It was a wizards pub called the bubbling cauldron, tucked neatly between a muggle bookshop and a bank on a busy New Zealand high street. He found himself getting to the pub earlier than he would have liked so he got himself a drink and found an empty booth in a quiet corner of the pub.

 

[Margarette Woodlock]

Margarette was completely content with her work for now. She had been the shopkeeper for Vibez for a while now and she had also gotten back into modelling recently though preferred to stay in muggle New Zealand instead of travelling the world and going to and fro the muggle and the wizarding world for different projects. That had been exhausting in comparison to now that she actually had time to relax herself in between her modelling projects. And even then, there were times that she wanted to bonk her head somewhere whenever a certain male would enter her mind. James Woodlock. He had first known him as a Slytherin that was different from the rest during their school days. Of course, being the muggle-born she was, the only concept she had grasped from Slytherin that time was mean, cause most of them were. Well, except for James and she had actually had a crush on him back then. And she had to admit, that maybe even now she did.

Frankly, Terra was quite surprised when James had asked her to meet up with him. It was rare, well, more like, it almost never happened. Nevertheless, she had agreed and was now fully dressed to meet up with him at the Bubbling Cauldron. It was a few minutes before their assigned meeting time that she arrived in the pub and entered it, the music was already blaring, drinks were being passed around and many were already dancing into the groove. The former Ravenclaw gracefully maneuvered herself through the crowd as she looked for the former Slytherin which she eventually found in a corner of the pub. "Hey, glad to see you here," she greeted as she approached him, her voice slightly raised so he could her through the loud music of the pub.

 

[James Woodlock]

James had rarely seen the pub so busy but he knew why it was like this. From the age of most of the customers in the pub it was obvious that most of them were recent graduates from Hogwarts and they were out celebrating their new freedom. James could remember when he did the same, he had come to the same pub with some of his friends and drank until they couldn't remember where they were. They were forced to sleep it off in the pub and find their way home the next day just as the muggle day was beginning. James smiled as he thought back to his youth with fondness. Any thought to his youthful drunken antics were gone when Margarette walked through the door and James froze midsip of his drink.

She was even more beautiful than the last time he saw her. She walked like a model, with a confidence in her stride that was missing from her when she met her almost ten years ago. He could remember the girl he met by the lake during their first year. The girl didn't know a lot about the magical world but she knew just enough to be confused by his kindness towards her. Looking back at that shy little girl taking her first steps into a new world and looking up at the beautiful, confident creature walking towards him. James found it almost hard to believe they were the same person. "Hey, I was early I thought I'd be waiting a while," James could help but notice what she was wearing when she was up close and swallowed a lump in his throat as he took her in. "Have a seat, can I get you a drink?" He asked after clearing his throat.

 

[Margarette Woodlock]

Although a model, Margarette wasn't one to frequent in the club and frankly it was because she hated unknown guys hitting on her. She would only go to pubs if she were with friends and co-workers and there were even times that she refused to go because she was mostly uncomfortable by the leering eyes of the unknown men ever present in such places. But even so, there were times that she would agree to drink with her friends until the night has passed or until they were too drunk to even take a step. And so, she vaguely had an idea that she might be getting drunk this evening, though hopefully still sober enough to get home. Or at least she hoped. Soon enough, thoughts fled her head as she was now staring at her companion for the night.

She had to admit that James look really good with how he dressed for the night and she could barely believed that she actually stared at him! She really had to pull her act together. And so, she let her purse settle on the table before she took a seat. "Does that mean I'm a little early too? Or were you expecting that I would take long to dress up and actually be late?" the woman teased with a small grin. Many expected that from her. Just because she was a model, that didn't mean she was picky about what to wear. She wore anything that fits and if it was appropriate for the occasion. As she took her seat she nodded her head at James. "Yep, a drink is good. Anything that is a little light," she said with a small smile as she looked at the man in front of her.

 

[James Woodlock]

"Coming right up," James slid himself out of the booth and forcefully teared his eyes away from Margarette. He felt uncomfortable about leaving her alone at the table, the pub was full of half drunk men and she was a very attractive model. He maneuvered his way to the front of the bar and made sure he left her alone for as short a time as possible. He came back with her drink and another for himself, "I have no idea what it is, I just told the barmaid to surprise me," He finished off the small amount of fire whiskey left in his first glass and sat back at the table. "I can't believe how long its been since I last saw you, it's been too long. Any news? What you doing these days?" Last time he saw her Margarette was a full time model, looking at her she could easily still one. He looked around the bar and couldn't help but notice the wandering eyes of some of the men in the place looking at Margarette. He couldn't blame them, he could help but look at her too, "You're attracting a lot of attention," James mumbled as he lifted his drink to his lips.

 

[Margarette Woodlock]

"Thanks," Terra mumbled as James left her alone at the table to grab her drink. She had to admit though that she didn't like it when he left her though considering that she knew that some drunken men were bound to approach her at some point of the night, and really, she didn't want any leering men filled with obviously the most perverted thoughts in their heads. Thankfully though her companion did not leave her for too long and got back to her immediately. She gave him an appreciative smile and took the glass in her hand and took a sip of the drink. It wasn't light but it wasn't too strong for her taste either. "Oh, I decided to stay in New Zealand since I had gotten myself a shop down in Makutu Mall. I still model, though I only take projects in New Zealand in the muggle world." she said with a small smile before taking another sip of her drink. "I haven't seen you for a while as well. Did you have a lot of fun while you were away?" she asked quite curiously before her cheeks turned into a slight tint of red. She let her gaze wander for a bit and indeed she was getting some attention from the men, and then again, James was also attracting the female population. It wasn't a surprise to her though. James was very attractive. "I'm not the only one. You seem to be getting your share of attention too," she said softly, her eyes fixed on him.

 

[Paige Hardy]

*Wrong account*

 

[James Woodlock]

One of the things James had regretted about his world wide year off was that he didn't get to stay in New Zealand and see more of Margarette. He had missed her when he was away and she was one of the things he was most looking forward to coming back for. That's great, it'll be nice to have you in one place, I'll be going back to the school this coming semester, I hope to see you a bit more now we're both in New Zealand," It was always a shame that Margarette had lived a jet set life of a model over the past few years because it meant that James had barely seen her since they both left school. "I'm glad your still modelling, I think its been good for you," James loved to see that Margarette seemed to carry herself with more confidence.

James looked around at some of the female customers in the pub and to his surprise she was right, he was getting a few looks himself. He returned a few smiles and turned back to his companion. "I suppose we're both just too good looking to go outside," He said with a slightly flirty smile.

 

[Margarette Woodlock]

Margarette grinned at the thought of James wanting to meet with her more often. In fact, she too loved the idea. And she would be lying if she told anyone that she didn't miss this man during the time he was away for travelling. "Well, you could always drop by my shop if you want. Or I could visit Brightstone once in a while too," she said with a genuine smile gracing her features that she would rarely show to cameras nor people close to her. To be honest, Terra had grown accustomed to modelling and found that it became a hobby after a year of starting. She could have backed out after a year after all, but she enjoyed it a lot until she eventually made a name for herself almost in every part of the muggle and wizarding world. Well, until she decided that she wanted to settle down in one place and so she had been taking less projects though still enjoying it nonetheless.

"It became kind of like a hobby. And you think it's been good for me? How so?" she asked quite curiously as she lifted her glass to her lips and took a drink, her eyes still fixed on his. He looked around for a brief moment though, and found out that indeed, many females were staring at him and found him to be attractive to which Margarette won't even deny. She couldn't help but chuckle though at his words. "Perhaps. We should probably stay indoors more," she replied, her eyes holding a hint of mischief as she finished the last of her drink in which the alcohol's effects were slowly going into her system.

 

[James Woodlock]

James looked on at Margarette as she eyed some of the female customers that were eying him and he attempted to read her reaction. He had been hoping to see a hint of jealousy or something that would give away her feelings. Her face was like a closed book, a far cry from the day they spent by the lakeside. When Margarette asked how he thought modelling had been good for her he began to think back to when he first met her, picturing how she was, how she spoke, how she acted around him. Anyone would notice the difference between Terra then and now."I just think, you seem to have more confidence in yourself since you left school, I can only assume its because of modelling, you just seem different, the way you walk and talk, your attitude. You aren't as timid as you were when we met at school, granted we were very young but I just like what modelling has done for you, I think it would be a shame if you gave it up," James didn't want to seem like he was gushing over the new Margarette nor did he want to seem like he was talking negatively about her when she was in school, but she had changed and he thought it was for the better. Yeah you're right, maybe I should come to your shop and we could just hide out there," He said smiling looking for a reaction in her eyes.

 

[Margarette Woodlock]

Terra let her glass fall from her lips as she took a good look at the females eyeing James. They were obviously glaring at her, hoping that they were in her place instead and probably wondering what is her relationship with the attractive man. Well, one thing's for sure. Margarette just glared back at them and raised an eyebrow in amusement when they subtly backed off. Perhaps they recognized who she was? Well, she hoped that was the case. After a few moments of the glaring contest with the girls (that she had obviously won), the former Ravenclaw let her attention drift back to the former Slytherin with a slight smile and a slight tint in her cheeks now knowing that there was perhaps a little chance that James liked her. "Well, I guess it's because of modelling. I haven't really done anything else since I left school," she said with a small shrug and played with her now empty glass. Her eyes lit up in amusement and expectation though at his next words. "Yeah, we should definitely do that. We could close the shop for a few days and just... hide," she told him with a playful smile reigning on her lips, though really, if James decided to hide in her shop, she would gladly keep him there and maybe not let him leave for a while? It was great for her to have company, especially if it was James, after all, she couldn't deny that she likes him and is very interested in him as well.

 

[James Woodlock]

The tint in Margarette's cheeks may have been subtle but James was never going to miss it. He noticed as he sipped on his drink that Margarette was looking around the room, he followed her eyes and saw that she was meeting the gaze of some of the girls that had been starring at him. Some of them seemed to back off after meeting her gaze, James smiled at the idea of her getting territorial over him. "Well as it is the modelling and since you enjoy it you should keep it up, even if it is just as a hobby," James' imagination was suddenly overcome with he and Margarette locked up in their shop for days, hiding... he would enjoy that, "Hiding, I like the sound of that, I'm sure we could find someway to amuse ourselves," James smirked as he finished off his drink. He noticed that some of the bar staff had began circulating the bar to take peoples drink orders, when one of the staff passed their table James ordered two more for himself and Margarette. He could already feel the drink having a small effect on him.

 

[Margarette Woodlock]

Fairly contented with the number of females that backed off from trying to approach them, James now had the full attention of the model. Her gaze was fully fixed at his eyes that she found herself to be completely enchanted in. "Well, you have grown pretty well too. Hope your students don't give you too much trouble, Professor," she said with a slight grin on her features. Just as James begun imagining being locked inside the shop, Margarette was also thinking of the same thing. Staying inside Vibez for a few days seemed to be a very tempting idea in the mind of the former Ravenclaw. "Oh... I'm pretty sure we could," she mumbled with a slight roll in her tongue. It didn't take long for drinks to arrive at their table once again and Terra found herself to be drinking and the alcohol was already taking effect on her brain as she found herself staring at James though she looked away as soon as she had realized this little fact.

 

[James Woodlock]

James had to lean back in his seat as he began to feel the effects of the alcohol. As he looked at Margarette through the eyes of a man getting drunker with every sip he began to think things that perhaps he shouldn't. The idea of being locked up in her shop was something that was very appealing but it was not for innocent reasons that he desired to be alone with her. James noticed suddenly that Margarette had suddenly given him all her focus, she had previously been scanning the room eying the women that had been eying him. It made him wonder if maybe she was thinking the same as she was. Whenever she mentioned them alone in her shop there was a playfulness in her voice that made him smile and made his imagination go wild. He took another sip and he wondered where this night was going, it seemed like it could going to a place that he hadn't even dreamed of when he made this plans. He had just wanted to see her, maybe even set in a chain events that would lead to the two of them perusing a relationship. That was then, now, they had both been drinking, looking into each others eyes, warning off competition, toying with each other. "I like to think I'm a fair teacher, at least when I can be," Even when talking about his work, Margarette seemed to suggest things by the way she spoke that made James a little hot under the collar. "I think your shop may be a little too far, perhaps somewhere closer..." He brought his drink to his lips and finished the class. He looked into her eyes and he waited for her to meet his train of thought.

 

[Margarette Woodlock]

As Margarette continued to gaze upon James, she had to admit that with the alcohol clouding much of her brain, her thoughts were mostly filled with the professor sitting in front of her. And it was not a new thing either that she wasn't as innocent as she had been when they had first met. Well, she hadn't exactly had past relationship before though she knew a lot just by reading and she was pretty sure that with their continuous playfulness with each other, and interest, it may as well lead to that in a matter of moments. She took another sip of her drink as her mind was flooded with images of her and James being locked up inside her shop and she had to admit that it was a very, very, very tempting idea and it was making her head spin with what was probably desire. "Well, it's good that you're loving your job, Professor," she said, a slight slur in her words that indicated the effects of the alcohol were well throughout her system already. Her cheeks were already a slight tint of red thanks to the alcohol and so it might as well looked like she was blushing with the thoughts her companion's words were implying. Though, she wouldn't be one to deny herself the pleasure of being his company this evening as well. "If you're place in closer then I wouldn't mind being locked up in there too," she said with a small grin as her eyes locked with his.

 

[James Woodlock]

James nodded the best he could in response, "I do love my job, its a lot of fun and I love the school," He was struggling to string together a sentence. He could tell notice that Margarette was feeling the effects of her drink and James had drank more. He played with his empty glass as he noticed a red tint in Margarette's cheeks and he couldn't tell if it was from the increased alcohol level or something she had just thought of in her mind. James preferred to think it was the later because he was sure that he was having similar thoughts. "I do have a little place nearby, I keep it to have somewhere to go when school is out, I suppose it's come in handy for other reasons now," He whispered suggestively, he still couldn't believe how beautiful she was, even when she had drank a little too much and was slurring her words, she was still the most beautiful women he had ever seen. "Maybe we could head back there and... shut ourselves away for a few days, what do you think?" He asked thinking he already knew the answer.

 

[Margarette Woodlock]

As Terra downed the last of her drink, she could feel her body getting uncomfortably hot and she could have sworn that she was not covering herself much up tonight, though it felt as if she had much too many layers of clothing that made her very uncomfortable. And so, James telling her that he had a place nearby sparked her interest and probably more of her desire. She knew what he was suggesting and implying and she knew what she was getting herself into, though she had to admit that she was not disliking it one bit. In fact she was enjoying it and was quite happy about it as well. She liked James after all and was strongly attracted to him. "A few days of being shut inside your place? Sounds great," she whispered as she grabbed a hold of her purse and in her drunken state waited for him to show her the way to his place.

 

[James Woodlock]

James wasn't sure if Margarette was eager to go with him or if she was just going with him because she didn't want to say no to him. He knew he would have to tread lightly once they got to his flat. He wouldn't want to lead her into anything unless he was sure it was what she wanted too. She did seem eager enough when she grabbed her purse and waited for him. James slid out of the booth and led her out of the bar and on to the street. The day had transitioned into night while they were in the pub, the streets were a little quieter. He took a moment to get his bearings as the night air only accelerated his state of inebriation. He figured out where he needed to go and he lead Margarette in that direction.

They finally arrived at James' flat and he lead her inside, James struggled a little as he opened the door and went inside. He shrugged off his jack and threw it onto the side. "Do you want a drink?" He asked moving over to his drinks cabinet.

 

[Margarette Woodlock]

Margarette was all too happy as she laced her fingers with James' as they walked towards his place. She really couldn't care less how long it would take them to reach his flat though she had to admit that she wished they could reach his place fast. Though she figured she shouldn't rush him or herself too much. It was already dark into the night when they left the pub and the cool chill air that the evening was providing was enough to cool her mind and make her sober up even just for a bit. With them walking and Jame's true to his word, it wasn't long before they reached his place which was indeed not very far from the pub.

As soon as they arrived she let her purse rest on the table and followed him to his drink cabinet. "Something light. I wanna remember the most of this night," she said with a knowing smile as she tuck some loose hairs behind her ear and watched him closely while she licked her lips in excitement and desire.

 

[James Woodlock]

James couldn't help but watch Margarette as she looked over his flat. He loved the way she walked, she walked like a model and seeing her walk awakened a desire in him. She really was the most beautiful women he had ever met and almost couldn't believe that she was here, in his flat. He gave his drinks cabinet a quick once over, it was mostly full of muggle alcohol, they were easier to come by in the part of New Zealand he lived in. He took a bottle of spirit and mixed it with some muggle soda, he made a glass for Margarette and one for himself, his was significantly stronger than hers, mostly because Margarette's mix was quite weak. He took the glass and handed it to her, gently sliding his fingers along her skin as he pulled away. James held his glass up to his lips to take a sip, he grimaced at the strength of his own drink. "You look beautiful tonight," he said pausing wondering what had possessed him to say such a thing.

 

[Margarette Woodlock]

Terra let her gaze wander all over his flat and she couldn't help but admire it. She had her own flats in some countries she had visited often but they were never as homey as James' place and she couldn't help but wonder why. As soon as she was contented with what she had seen and with what she knew, she watched him as he prepared their drinks. It seemed that his collection was mostly muggle alcohol though she didn't mind that at all. In fact she mostly drank them more than those found in the wizarding world and they were much more familiar to her. As she took her drink from his hand, she shivered at the lingering contact before taking a sip of her drink. The brunette smile when he complimented her and it wasn't anything suggestive or anything. Just a genuine smile. People would tell her she's gorgeous, she's hot, she's beautiful. But when he said it, it seemed as though it meant so much more. She stepped a little closer to him. "I'd like to say that you look dashing this evening as well. Also, thank you James. Really. It means a lot to me," she told him as she took another sip of her drink.

 

[James Woodlock]

James took a sip of his drink and once again recoiled at the strength of what he had prepared. As Margarette stepped closer to him James noticed her scent, it was intoxicating. James' breathing increased a little as she stepped closer and took a sip on her drink. Having her this close made it difficult to control himself, he had felt her shiver from his previous contact with her and longed to touch her again. James placed his drink down on the cabinet and he took the glass from Margarette's hand and placed it beside his. James hadn't really thought this part through but he knew he couldn't stand this close to her and not do anything. He placed his hand in hers and curled their fingers together. "I'm glad we could do this, I've missed you," he said as he brushed some of her hair away from her eyes.

 

[Margarette Woodlock]

Margarette had suddenly found the temperature in the room to be uncomfortably hot though she knew not whether it was from the alcohol or the desire she was feeling. Nevertheless, she could have sworn that her being spiked up in anticipation when James took her glass from her hand and placed it on the cabinet. She happily and all too willingly laced her fingers with his and let him brush her hair aside as she closed her eyes for a bit to enjoy the moment. "I've missed you too," she whispered as she let her free hand caress his cheek lovingly. Yep, this was a night she will enjoy and always remember.

 

[James Woodlock]

James couldn't remember a moment when he was happier than when he felt the warmth of Margarette's hand on his cheek. He briefly closed his eyes as he brushed his cheek. James cupped his hand on her face and stroked her cheek, he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to hers. James could feel his hear beating out of his chest, he suddenly felt himself getting hotter, that could have been a result of the alcohol but he was sure that it was all Margarette's doing. As he pulled away from the kiss, the only thing he could hear was the sound of rain beating on his windows and of Margarette breathing.

 

[Margarette Woodlock]

Terra had never found herself in a relationship and even this kind of contact and level of physicality. She could only thank the alcohol for giving her boldness right now, though she was pretty sure that if it were not for that she would have had less confidence in going with James to his flat. And so when he pressed his lips to hers, she had next to no idea what to do but close her eyes, though she managed to kiss him back. Her kiss was filled with uncertainty because of her lack of knowledge and experience, and yet, she kissed him back with desire and passion as the hand that was previously on James' face was now on the back of his head, stroking his hair. After a kiss that she knew not how long lasted, he pulled away and she panted as she tried to regain the oxygen she lacked moments ago though her eyes opened and remained fixated on his. The whole place was silent saved for the raindrops and their labored breathing as the caught their oxygen back. "That was great for a first kiss," the model grinned and it was true. Though she had been a model, she hadn't had any projects that required from her a great deal of boldness and confidence and even when in parties, she always held her alcohol well enough to assure that she didn't do stupid things. And so, this was the first time that she had actually agreed to go to someone's place.