Love Bites and So Do I [[Gavin]]

Sura stretched her feet out in front of her, sighing audibly as she flexed her feet to stretch her calves. No matter how in-shape she was, nor no matter how comfortable the pair of heels, her calves were her ultimate enemy when it came to dressing up nice. Even though she wore high heels almost religiously, her lower legs never ceased to demand attention at least once during the session. Her feet never ached, her back never got sore or compressed, and in more than one pair. she was sure she could successfully complete a hundred metre dash. Her only problem was with her damned calves. She leaned forward to massage the muscles for a moment, her fingers working out the knots deftly. At least she was used to doing this. It bothered her much less now than it had used to. In fact, it was often the reason for her to take a break from being social to collect herself. Her friends always noticed when she took time out of her night to rub her seized muscles, and they often inquired why she didn’t just buy a lower pair of heels. And each and every time, she could not help but scoff. Sometimes, beauty was pain. She didn’t spend hours of her life working out to showcase her legs in a pair of flats.

When she sat back up, Sura sat up, rather surprised. A look of mild revulsion appeared on her face as she looked around at the sudden onslaught of groping and spit-swapping that now surrounded her. Not five feet away from her, an astoundingly intoxicated girl was sitting on a man’s lap, facing him. She was grinding her hips into his, occasionally grasping blindly for the couch when she lost her balance. It was a sad, yet disturbing sight. The other couples that were within her range of vision were similar in nature, clearly taking advantage of the dimmed lighting of the area, away from most eyes. It was like she had suddenly walked into an orgy that was heavily peppered with beer and tequila. She had never minded seeing people getting into it at a bar or club, as long as her space wasn’t being intruded on. Such couples came with the territory, and you either had to put up with it or find another place to go at night. The latter had never been an option for her, and she wasn’t about to start now. She stood up and moved toward the closest couple before planting a sharp kick on the male’s shin. He jumped, obviously shocked that he was suddenly feeling pain instead of pleasure, but too heavily intoxicated to be in a fighting mood at this point. “Hey,” she said, her voice slightly raised so that they could hear her over the music. “I’m really sorry to interrupt your, um, whatever this is,” she shrugged and gestured to the two of them with her free hand. “But I got a message from her girlfriend, and she said to go fuck yourself.” A smirk of satisfaction slid onto her lips as the girl on top of him squealed indignantly, planting a slap across his cheek. Sura walked back to her couch as the girl shoved through the crowd and stomped down the stairs, her companion in hot pursuit. That didn’t always work, but it was extremely effective when it did. Pushing the couch farther into the corner, looking around her to see if she could perhaps find a little relief from the sloppy mess around her in this position. Relatively pleased with her new position, she drained her glass and handed it to a waitress who was walking past. “Let’s class it up, a martini please, no olive.” The waitress smiled and nodded, heading off to the bar to grab her drink.

Before she even had time to pull her compact mirror and lip gloss from her clutch, two items that she always kept there, the young witch was back with her drink. Smiling and thanking the waitress, she accepted the drink and handed her a Sickle. She sat back and swirled the drink before sipping it. It was wonderfully cold and overall refreshing. She stretched her legs out again, intending to give her calves another once-over. In the same instant, she snapped them back, narrowly missing being walked into by a set of dresspant-clad legs. Sura’s eyes slid upwards slowly, taking in the impressive physique that she had almost potentially demolished via tripping. It was a pleasant surprise when her eyes were met with those of Gavin Dewhurst, and her eyebrows rose as a contented smirk made its way onto her lips. “Hey there, legs." His voice floated over the music, and she cocked her head as she sipped her drink, her eyes never leaving his. “Mister Dewhurst, what a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect to see you here tonight,” she replied playfully. He nudged her leg, and she slid over to make room for him on the couch. It was rather strange seeing him without his posse of Slytherin buddies or the flock of fawning girls who seemed to absolutely worship the ground he walked on. They had never interacted one on one in public, save for the occasional pleasantries in the hallways at school or occasional snarky jabs at each other in class. Their interactions alone, however, were much more...involved.

The relationship between Sura and Gavin had always been simple. His distain for anyone who wasn’t a Pureblood or a Slytherin would be apparent to even a blind and deaf mute. She filled one of those criteria, and apparently it had been enough for him. Even before they had begun to get personal, he had treated her cordially, the politeness that a Pureblood man afforded to a Pureblood woman, regardless of her house. The first time they had really spoken to one another had been in a Potions class during the past year. The professor had paired them together for an in-class project, and the niceties they exchanged quickly turned to smart remarks and sideways glances as they worked. The potion had turned out well, and they took a moment to exchange the expected pleasantries when it was finally over a few weeks later. The next thing either of them knew, they were walking briskly out of the castle, casting fevered sideways glances. The moment they stopped, they collided, hands clawing at the clothing that they so desperately needed out of their way. Though that was the first time it happened, it certainly had not been the last. It left her with some curiosity about the boy she was sneaking out with at all hours, especially because she had never heard of Gavin sleeping with a Ravenclaw more than once. Perhaps the fact that she kept him on his toes and didn’t mind telling him when he was being a gigantic jerk kept him interested. She couldn't be bothered to be as complacent as so many of the girls she went to school with; it seemed...boring. Whatever it was, he wasn’t the only one that had been interested in keeping their arrangement intact; she enjoyed it just as much as he did. The unspoken agreement of “no strings attached” functioned gloriously for them in the months that they slept together. No questions, no attachments, no promises. Simple, neat, effective. No one's feelings ever got hurt when they heard rumours about new conquests, because they never let those feelings develop in the first place.

When his hand found her bare knee, Sura raised an eyebrow momentarily, her lips parted as she glanced sideways. The warmth from his hand radiated up her leg and send a small shiver of pleasure down her spine. Her free hand floated over to his, her nails raking lightly, playfully, over the top of this hand before she used it to fix the hem of her dress. Gavin had never been possessive of her, as per their agreement, and she had always treated him the same. They were not dating, they were not suddenly best friends who had Sunday brunch, shared secrets, and painted each others toes. They were just two people who found themselves attracted to another gorgeous person, and wanted to do something physical about it. When they were together, it was intense and focused; a frenzy of heavy breathing and hands and explicatives. Bruises, scratches, and soreness in the days following their "playtimes" became standard. She hated the feeling of being smothered by overattentive boys, which is why she figured she enjoyed Gavin’s company. His cool and collected attitude about the entire thing was kind of hot. This was the first time he had ever done anything remotely similar to marking her off-limits in public. He was the kind of person that no one wanted to take a girl from anyways, but the hand on her knee gave would give anyone who was considering ignoring Gavin's presence cause for second thoughts. The impression she had of him was that he got what he wanted, when he wanted it, and he didn’t like anyone else playing with his toys while he was around.

She crossed the leg his hand was on over the other as she sipped from her glass. The orgy din around them had begun to diminish, and she couldn’t say that she was sorry for it. Couples had either retreated to the dance floor, couches in darker corners, or other more private places. Gavin’s voice cut through the music, although his head never turned to look at her, “So then, how’s your holiday?”

The tone of his voice was almost comical. Such a formal and cordial question of her. The exact kind a Pureblooded gentleman would ask of a Pureblooded woman. It seemed foreign in such a setting, where only moments before they had been surrounded by couples positively dying to be void of clothing. She sipped her drink again before licking her lips slowly. “Standard. Nothing really all so exciting so far. I’ve been out flying a few times, but otherwise I’ve been laying low. Shopping some. You might recall my penchant for silk and lace?” Her voice was nonchalant, though the last sentence was peppered with a little more of a suggestive tone. Sura turned her head slightly, looking up at Gavin from beneath thick lashes. “And yours?”

The wolfish grin that appeared on Gavin’s face before disappearing into the depths of his glass for a drink when she touched his hand caused her chin to rise a little, a smirk resting on her lips. Now there was the all too familiar smile she had come to know from Gavin. The charming but oh-so-mischievous look that she had received in the past when they toyed with one another in Potions before one of their rendezvous, knocking elbows over the cauldron, making curt references with double meanings that no one else paid mind to. It was also the same look she received when she took her sweet time undoing his shirt or belt before one of their sessions. She could tease him, he could tease her back, and both of them were entirely alright with it.

The last time she had seen Gavin had been two months before. They had met around midnight in the Room of Requirement, an obvious option if one really didn't want to be found. Though they were never dependent on one another, it was safe to say that each had developed a taste for the other, per se. It had been a little over two weeks since they had last met, so their greetings were less formal and more, in a word, fervent. She’d had bruises for a week and a half after that night. Once they’d had their fill, she could recall examining a particularly raised set of scratches she had left on his shoulder. They discussed and agreed on meeting a few days later at their usual spot, but not much past that. Not that it was uncommon for them, though; they had never carried an actual, complete conversation out that didn’t centre around the next place they planned to tear each other’s clothes off. At least, not that she could remember. It just wasn’t something that they'd ever really done. She showed up the next night that they were supposed to meet and waited for what must have been the better part of an hour. When he didn’t show up, she was admittedly put off. Getting stood up was not something that Sura liked or appreciated when it came to men. By the next morning, she had essentially pushed it from her mind and moved on with her life. It didn’t do well for anyone to dwell on this kind of thing.

She had thought it peculiar that they had stopped seeing one another so abruptly, when she thought about it later on. In the days that followed, he never mentioned it to her, nor did she to him. Life just went on. Realistically, he didn’t owe her an explanation. She wasn’t his girlfriend. Neither of them owed anything to the other. Still, she wouldn’t have said no to even the tiniest of apologies for leaving her high and dry that night. That was the part that irked her the most about the entire thing.

The world snapped back into sudden focus as she felt Gavin’s hand travel higher up her thigh. The slight friction of his skin against hers was was absolutely delicious. Then again, that was probably because she associated the feeling of his fingers on her skin as being a precursor of more explicit and unspeakable things that he did with them later. She was, of course, well aware of the fact that he’d had other companions, but if that’s where he learned how to do exactly what those unspeakable things were, then she was fully prepared to shake each and every one of those girl’s hands. The boy could damn near make her purr when he wanted to. In this particular situation, he was just being a tease, and he knew it. Her chest rose and fell as she inhaled deeply, settling into the couch more comfortably. It seemed that, before anything else, they were actually going to have a conversation. Peculiar, but refreshing.

Gavin’s eyes were set on her face (or more specifically, her lips) as she spoke. That was, until she mentioned her shopping excursion. His eyes dropped and roved over her body almost immediately, taking the image in silently. There was something more...dignified about the way he looked over a girl. She never felt uncomfortable or like she needed to bathe in rubbing alcohol after he did it, unlike the practices of other men. That was something else she really did like about Gavin; he had been raised a gentlemen, and, until he was between the proverbial sheets, he acted as such. The corner of his lips curled up into a dark but mischievous smirk, and she retuned it in kind. “Oh,” she said as she sipped her drink, her eyes trained on his face. “I guess you do remember...” She kept the same innocent tone of voice that she had used when she had asked her question. If he was going to be a tease, then she was going to be one right back. Two could play at that game.

He finished his drink and she watched him flag the waitress down for another. His fingertips pressed into her skin as she slid them up another inch before releasing her. Tease, tease, tease, she thought, looking down into her drink with a smile as she shook her head. That was Gavin for you. She leaned to one side to allow him enough space to become comfortable. By the end of it, she was wedged between his body and the side of the couch. It was mildly uncomfortable. She scoffed, smiling as she looked up at him. “Oh, so I make room for you on my couch, and now there’s no room left for me? Where do you propose I sit now, hmm?” Sura’s voice was playful, and he would know it. There had rarely ever been malice between the two of them, and when there had been, it had been extremely obvious. She watched as he sipped his new drink, changing the crossing of her legs so that she wouldn’t get pins and needles.

”I’ve just returned from Denmark actually,” he said as nonchalantly as she had described her own summer so far. Knowing his reputation and the fact that his family was absolutely loaded, Sura had a feeling that the trip had not been as nonchalant as he made it seem. But, knowing better than to pry, she held her tongue and simply nodded in reply. ”Lives of the rich and famous and all that nonsense.” Sura chuckled and nodded her head slowly. “Yes, I suppose so.” Gavin slid down the couch, nearly slouching. He looked back up at her with those fantastically gorgeous eyes of his before speaking again, ”What drags you out here? I cannot imagine that you are alone.” Sura straightened up and tucked her knees underneath her body onto the couch cushion. She leaned carefully over the arm of the couch, surveying the crowd below them. She had shown up with six other girls, and now she could only find one of them. And even that one was currently glued by the lips to a young man on the dance floor. Sura looked over her shoulder to Gavin and shrugged. Sliding back down onto her bottom, she took the last sip of her drink, draining the glass. “Well, I showed up with six other girls to dance and drink, but it seems now that I have been essentially abandoned.” She chuckled darkly and waved to the waitress as Gavin remarked, ”People might get the wrong idea.” She turned her head in his direction, dropping her chin to her chest as she looked down. “Oh? And what might that idea be?” The waitress was already back with her drink, and Sura pulled the money out of her clutch and handed it to her. She swirled her drink and frowned, noticing the olive in the bottom of the glass. Her nose wrinkled as she looked at it, lips forming a delicate pout. “I’m not a particular fan of olives,” she said, sipping the drink carefully, trying to avoid it.

Sura looked back over at Gavin, batting her eyelashes. “But enough about me. What brings you to Halcyon this fine evening?”

As Gavin’s eyes roved over her body, he seemed to drift away a little, lost somewhere in his own mind, amongst his thoughts. Part of her wished that she could listen in on his thoughts, hear what he was thinking about. Gavin just made her so damn curious. Save for some select moments when she caught him off guard with some choice words or showing of skin, the man had a poker face that was as good as, if not better than, her own. Some people were so very easy to read, but not him; he was about as easy to guess about as taking an Ancient Runes exam without studying. As long as she had known him, he had been very private about himself. Well, not all things about himself..., she thought to herself, the corners of her lips turning up into a small smirk. Sura knew, in great detail no less, all the ways to make him press his fingertips into her skin, to make him knot his hands in the sheets. She knew his first and last name, his house, that his family was insanely wealthy, that he enjoyed pub music, and the fact that he adored Quidditch more than anyone she had ever met. It dawned on her that really, she didn’t know him well at all, save for the physical, nor did he know much about her. Mind you, that had been the agreement, hadn’t it? Just sex, no strings attached. Getting to know one another too well could present dangers to such an arrangement. It would be impossible for it to last too long before one of them started to feel something. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder, cocking her head to one side as she looked at him. Did he have brothers or sisters? Did he get along with his family? What was his favourite colour? Food? Song? Gavin was just an interesting man. Her would wouldn’t stop spinning if she never learned the answers to these questions, but the curiosity still burned.

His eyes finally made their way back to her face. His voice was low, almost teasing, ”How could I forget?” Sura couldn’t help but let a small smile slip onto her lips at the admission. She looked up at him from under her lashes, biting her lower lip for a moment before releasing it. “Mister Dewhurst, you flatter me,” she purred, her accent soft. That was another thing she knew he liked about her. “I’m glad to know that you think me so memorable.” Her eyes widened a fraction at his comment regarding her new found lack of space and she chuckled darkly as she followed his eyes to his lap. “Oh Gavin,” she said softly, shaking her head. “You’re bad.” She paused, quirking one of her eyebrows. He was every bit as mischievous and teasing as she remembered him to be. It certainly was a pleasant thing to know.

Gavin challenged her to take her space back, but before she had the chance, he shifted on the couch, allowing her more space. It was not entirely surprising. In her experience, unless he had acted otherwise on purpose or they had both been lost in the moment, Gavin had always been mindful of her comfort. Sura settled in, wiggling sideways towards him to claim more of the space. The couch was no more than a love seat, so there wasn’t much space to claim the the first place. It was really for the best though, considering the volume of the music. Close quarters were necessary to talk here. Once she was comfortable, she crossed her ankles, and took a sip of her drink. She snorted, tilting her glass slightly to the side as he commented, ”At least you seem to have the drinking part down.” Sura shrugged, sipping the drink again. “All part of the night I guess. You just need to know what to drink, I suppose. I stick to what I like, know my limits, and my night doesn’t bomb out. It’s a wonderful system, really,” she giggled, licking her lips. She had never wanted to be one of those girls who was a slop show by midnight. Even if you were in a short dress and six inch heels, with big hair and night-out make-up, a girl should still maintain her class. And what wasn’t anywhere near the definition of class was crawling to a stall to vomit. So, she paid close attention to her limits and avoided those types of nights. Simple as that.

”Oh, you know. Woman, dressed like that sitting alone on the humping couches...it’s tempting to some people.” Sura promptly choked on her drink as the words ‘humping couches’ passed from Gavin’s lips. She coughed several times, trying to clear the liquid from her windpipe, giggling the entire time. “H-humping couches?” she sputtered, still coughing. “I c-can’t believe you a-a-actually just said those words.” It was comical to hear such silly vulgarity come from a generally refined mouth. She coughed a few more times, the tickle in her throat and lungs finally disappearing. ”Of course, not all men are as perfectly contained as I am. You could wind up with any sort of man in a place like this, it’s lucky of you that you’ve wound up with me.” His sentence was punctuated with a wink, and she grinned, rolling her eyes. Oh Gavin, ever the picture of modesty. “Well,” she said, voice matter-of-fact. “In that case, I would have say that I am the luckiest woman in this nightclub to have found you to spend my evening with.” She leaned in close to him, tipping her head back to look at him from half-lidded eyes, lips parted. “Thank you for keeping those scoundrels at bay, Gavin,” she purred, her voice teasing and flirtatious. She glanced around the room before looking back at Gavin. “And while we’re on the topic, I’d have to say it’s lucky you ended up with me tonight.” She batted her eyelashes before she returned his wink in kind.

Sura chuckled at his comment about his boredom. She could scarcely imagine Gavin being bored. It was just such a foreign thought. “While I do agree, that I am the more attractive of the two of us, talking about you is easier.” Sura’s lips formed a pout, her eyes dancing. “Like I said, I’m a lucky lady tonight,” she teased. She took another small sip of her drink, gazing intently at him. Merlin, he was a handsome bastard. All strong jawed and gorgeous eyed. His voice brought her back from her admirations. ”Why did you abandon your drinking mates?” Sura put the pout back on her face, giving him the saddest eyes she could muster. “On the contrary, it was they who abandoned me.” She shrugged, the look of misery on her face vanishing and replacing itself with a smile. “I came upstairs to take a quick break from all the dancing. And at this point, it looks like all but one of them have disappeared with some unknown bloke.” She looked over her shoulder and scanned the crowd before looking back at Gavin. “Make that all six of them. Looks like I’m the last one left,” she chucked, shrugging.

All this movement had circulated the alcohol in her body, and she blinked a few times to clear the fuzziness from her eyes. Silently thanking her Irish heritage for the fact that she was not staggering around like a drunken slag or hanging over a toilet, as so many girls she knew would be had they drank this much, she waved the waitress over and requested an ice water. Time to slow the pace. She reached into her glass and pulled the olive out, wrinkling her nose at it. She gulped down the last mouthful just in time for her water to arrive. Relinquishing her empty glass and the olive, she swallowed several mouthfuls of the water before sighing. That was much needed. She eyed Gavin with a smile, her eyes mischevious as she pulled an ice cube from the glass. Sura raised an eyebrow, half inquisitive, half suggestive, as she held the ice cube up to Gavin’s mouth. “Ice, darling?”

Sura looked for specific qualities in men. She liked to be physically attracted to them, for one. They needed to be able to keep up with her, and had to be able to take it when she teased them. They had to be intelligent, as she had little patience for people that didn't know much about anything. Depending on the man and their preference, she had no problem getting to know them more personally. Gavin had just so happened to fall into the majority of the things she liked in men, though they had made it quite clear from the get-go that personal information was not something that they were going to venture into. It wasn't that Sura wouldn't do it if presented the opportunity, but the fact that they were from very different houses, had very different friends, and all together had a different kind of relationship from most other students at Hogwarts just never made it called for. Sure, she was curious about him, because what girl wouldn't be? A handsome, witty, mysterious man like Gavin practically begged more information. At this point, Sura didn't mind settling, though. It was just the way they worked, and she wasn't about to question it. A smile slipped onto her lips as she saw him grin into his glass. She knew that her accent drove him practically insane, and this was obviously a night for play, though she didn't know where it was going to lead to. In the meantime, she was going to enjoy it. “Rest assured, if you looked like a cow I would tell you so. Luckily for us, that is not the case.” A soft hum of approval rose from Sura's throat as she sipped her drink. "Mmm, why thank you, Gavin. Dually noted. I suppose I should look into investing in more dresses and shoes like these, if they're working for me."

Gavin mirrored her own hum of approval as he sipped his drink. “I'm not the only one," he said simply. Sura watched from under her lashes as Gavin's head tilted back to regard her. The alcohol that was now running through her veins was likely playing a serious role, but his gaze nearly set her skin on fire, sending chills through her spine. Leave it to Gavin to be able to make her damn near purr without even touching her. The boy was good. He knew it, too. She liked the fact that he wasn't so extremely cocky about it though. Just the right amount. “You know, I don't even like alcohol.” Sura snorted softly and sipped her drink. It didn't particularly surprise her, so she was impressed with how much she'd seen him drink so far. Gavin had always given her the impression of someone very focused who didn't have the time or see the need for alcohol. Then again, it never hurt to let loose once in a while... "Most people don't, I think. There are exceptions, of course, but in the end I think it just involves experimentation to find the least awful one." Wasn't that the truth. There had been many a time that she had been asked to share a pitcher of Guinness or a glass of whiskey, only to be left to finish it herself because the other party hated the taste so much. A low chuckle rose in her throat as Gavin mentioned having her teach him to drink. She wasn't entirely sure how serious he was at this point, although she knew that tonight was not the night for it. "It's hardly teachable. More trial and error than anything. But maybe another time we can have a drink, if you'd like." She looked over at him, her eyes roaming over him once. "Besides, I think you're doing just fine so far."

The sound of his laughter (or what she could hear over her own choking) was gorgeous, likely because she'd only ever heard him really laugh a few times before. He shrugged at her comment, simply draping his arm over the back of the couch behind her. Sura simply nodded at his comment of good fortune. Well, it certainly wasn't bad fortune that they'd run into one another, now was it? He leaned in closer when she purred her thank you, fully aware of how much he liked her voice like that. “That, doll, remains to be seen.” Sura's eyes narrowed slightly and her lips pursed ever so slightly. "You mean that within this nightclub of full of blatant slags, you would prefer to end up with one of them over me?" she asked, her tone teasing, but a challenge. No way could he end up with anyone better in this club, especially considering how many other girls were currently so very occupied with shoving their tongues down someone else's throat.

Gavin's expression was somewhere between shocked and disgusted as she mentioned that her friends had all disappeared off with someone. Sura thought for a moment about his friends, and wondered if they were not the same type. Then again, the girls she had arrived with weren't the ones that she usually hung out with on a regular basis. Generally, they were friends to go clubbing with. They had a system in place for everyone to signal that they were home safe if they got split up, and it had always suited them fine. Perhaps if she'd some with other people, her feelings might be a little more hurt about being abandoned. But, as it stood, her feelings were perfectly intact. "It's not all that bad. Usually only one or two of the group leave with someone else. Tonight just seems to be a special occasion, I guess. For the record, I keep more loyal company on a regular basis, so don't let tonight's situation reflect poorly on me." Sura chuckled at the end of her sentence. She wondered if that would sate this look of utter disgust. As she sipped her water, it seemed like his expression had softened. Sated.

Despite the water, which was utterly refreshing, she really was starting to feel the alcohol. Drunk definitely covered what she was at this very moment. Sura caught the corner of her lower lip between her teeth as Gavin returned her mischievous smile. She placed the ice cube between his lips and then settled back into the couch, the corners of her lips turned up into a smirk. “You're going to get us both in trouble.” Sura batted her lashes innocently, tilting her head up. "As I recall, you used to like my kind of trouble, Gavin." Well that was bold. She really had absolutely no idea what was in store for them this evening, but she was beginning to like the idea of trouble after all... She frowned for a moment when Gavin turned away and rose from his seat. She was going to be pissed if he picked up and left without saying anything to her again. The sudden burst of frustration in her chest quickly subsided as Gavin turned to her, if not a little wobbily while doing so, and nodded his head towards the stairs. Sura wasn't entirely sure where he wanted to go, but she was willing to follow. She placed her hands on the couch and pushed herself up, putting one hand on the back of the couch to steady herself on her heels. The alcohol had certainly been effective tonight, though she still felt relatively confident about walking. Sura took a step or two towards Gavin, tilting her head up to look at his face. "After you, Gavin."