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Post by Bellatrix Black on Apr 19, 2008 14:04:54 GMT -5
It was nearing midnight when Bellatrix headed out to Knockturn Alley. She had been keeping to herself lately, taking the time to study, something she rarely did while she was in school. Her friends all thought she was acting odd, and in fact she was. Her latest escapades with the Dark Lord had shown her she had great potential, but still a lot to learn. It was in the hopes of pleasing her master that she had shut herself up in Rodolphus' study the last few months.
But now the boredom had set in and she opted for her old, care-free life for a short bit.
Bella opened the door to the pub, which was not nearly as empty as one would think for this time of night. She sat at the bar, an empty stool on either side of her. After a few moments the barkeep came over and Bella ordered a firewhiskey. The door opened again and Bella looked over her shoulder at the person who was coming in, just as her drink appeared on the bar in front of her. Turning back to the bar, Bella picked up her glass and took a sip. The liquid burned her throat and Bella smiled.
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Post by Edmund Fairfax on Apr 20, 2008 0:45:13 GMT -5
Edmund strolled into the dirty little pub in Knockturn Alley. He thought of it as a place to go and get good and drunk, away from the bright glare of Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley. Yes, the place was dim and dirty, and he'd once had a cockroach in his drink. But he'd taken great pleasure in watching the little bugger stagger drunkenly around the counter before he got bored and hit it with a killing curse.
And at least here, he was unlikely to run into either of the women who were plaguing his mind. Claire... damn Claire... she was always just out of his reach, even when she was in his arms. What was it with her? Why did she always come back, then run away again? And even more importantly, why in hell did he care? Edmund was not used to being rejected. And yet he couldn't stop himself from chasing her. Was it just because of the challenge? Or was it more than that?
And then there was Angelique. Beautiful, captivating, and crushingly honest. And she thought he was "deeply devastated" by his breakup with Claire. Worse, the only way to hold her attention was to pretend to cry on his shoulder. He was getting damn tired of working up the fake tears.
So here, in the Rusty Nail, he hoped to get good and drunk. And if he was lucky, he'd find someone to pass the time with. And, with the exception of those two women, he generally was very lucky.
Picking his way across the floor and stepping over what looked to be a pile of vomit, he approached the bar and stood next to a young brunette. "I'll have a glass of firewhiskey, my good man. And make it a strong one, if you don't mind."
Then he turned to the brunette and raised his eyebrows with interest. It looked like luck was on his side tonight. "Good evening," he greeted her, with a bow of his head.
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Post by Bellatrix Black on Apr 21, 2008 23:19:22 GMT -5
The man who had come in after her sounded as if he had had a very rough day. She recognized the sound of urgency in his voice, she had ordered many a drink in much the same way. She barely turned towards him when he addressed her. "Is it?" She smiled coyly at him before taking a drink.
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Post by Edmund Fairfax on Apr 24, 2008 14:43:18 GMT -5
Edmund turned and looked at the brunette. She was young, probably just out of Hogwarts, but she also seemed mature for her age. He cocked an eyebrow in interest. "It could be," he replied smoothly. "It hasn't been so far, but I'm not one to mope about or dwell on minor annoyances for long."
After the bartender had handed him his drink, Edmund leaned against the bar and took a long drink. "The name is Edmund Fairfax." He held out his hand to her in introduction.
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Post by Bellatrix Black on Apr 28, 2008 18:55:26 GMT -5
Clearly this Edmund was not going to be shooed away without a little more effort. She hated putting effort into things which she didn't care for, and sighed as she turned to look at the man. Ready to insult him, she paused shortly, then smiled again, this time more sincere. He was fairly good looking, therefore she might put up with him a bit longer than she would have, had he been unattractive. She responded in kind, taking the man's hand and saying "Bellatrix Black."
She took her hand back from him rather quickly and raised her glass to her lips. Before drinking she asked, "What brings you out here so late in the evening, Mr Fairfax? You know this isn't the nicest part of town. Shouldn't you be shut up in your home all safe and cozy?" He looked to be too much of a pretty boy to be in The Rusty Nail and yet he had a hard look about him as well. It was puzzling and intriguing. And enough to keep her attantion for a short while at least.
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Post by Edmund Fairfax on Apr 28, 2008 21:32:04 GMT -5
Edmund flashed her a devilish smile. "I confess, I've never really cared much for safe. Cozy... well, that depends on the company." He winked at her as he swirled the drink around in his glass. "In truth, I've always preferred the dark side of life. Everything else is so unbearably dull."
Taking a sip from his drink, he glanced at her through heavy-lidded eyes. "Bellatrix. Lovely name. It suits you."
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Post by Bellatrix Black on Apr 28, 2008 21:52:42 GMT -5
"I'm so glad you approve," Bella said sarcastically. "It's Ms Black to you," she said, wanting to make sure he knew his place. She took another small drink from her glass and set it softly down on the bar. She swiveled on the barstool so that she was now completely facing Edmund. "I've been shut in for a while now, never you mind the reason. But tell me, what is it you do to beat the dull drums?" She was honestly curious. It wouldn't do to sit at a bar everytime she wanted to go out. And her friends weren't being much of friends, upset with her period of isolation.
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Post by Edmund Fairfax on Apr 28, 2008 22:54:03 GMT -5
Edmund caught the polite, but firm comment, clearly intended to warn him to keep his distance. Was he losing his touch, or was he just developing a knack for approaching difficult women? He shook his head very slightly. Surely it was not the former.
He took another sip of his drink and listened as she spoke. She was definitely intriguing, and perhaps even dangerous, despite her youth. "Well," he answered slowly. "I find that the best way to avoid boredom is to not do the same thing every night. As they say, variety is the spice of life. You don't want to fall into a routine. I prefer to go to a different place every night, see different people, spend my time with different women."
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Post by Bellatrix Black on Apr 28, 2008 23:03:10 GMT -5
Bellatrix chuckled softly to herself as Edmund spoke. "A different woman every night, aye? So you haven't got a girlfriend then? Handsome thing like you, I would think some bird would have gotten her claws in you by now. You must be getting up there in age. Too old to be running about with pretty little women all the time. How old are you anyway?" She raised an eyebrow at him.
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Post by Edmund Fairfax on Apr 28, 2008 23:20:06 GMT -5
Edmund narrowed his eyes very slightly. She was a cheeky one, that was for sure. He couldn't pretend he didn't like it, just a little bit. "A girlfriend?" he replied with a chuckle. "To have a girlfriend would be implying that I am looking for love or companionship, or other such nonsense. As a matter of fact, I believe in neither of those things. I've no desire to be saddled with a wife, or, gods forbid, a child. My age," he added, taking a sip from his drink, "is of no consequence. You, on the other hand, seem quite young. Just out of Hogwarts, I suppose?"
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Post by Bellatrix Black on Apr 28, 2008 23:58:11 GMT -5
Unconsciously Bellatrix nodded and sighed. She had recently had to deal with an infant and was displeased greatly with having to interact with such a vile creature. She completely understood why Edmund would not want to father a child. "Children," she muttered, "terrible, filthy beasts..."
She realized that she was connecting with this man and she certainly would not have that. She shook her head slightly and straightened her posture. Her demeanor was that of arrogance and annoyance. How dare he not answer her. Side-stepping her question about his age, it was unheard of. "Yes, I graduated last year actually. But I'm clearly far too young for you to pursue. Since you are so old that you will not say..." She cocked her head slightly and evaluated him. "You look to be near my father's age. Perhaps you went to school with him. Cygnus Black." She smiled sweetly at him. He clearly was no where near her father's age, but messing with him was easier than cursing Edmund and dealing with the barkeep's nagging later.
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Post by Edmund Fairfax on Apr 29, 2008 22:55:22 GMT -5
Edmund frowned, becoming a bit annoyed. Perhaps he really was losing his touch. He blamed Claire. It seemed like, ever since he'd met her, every other woman he met was becoming increasingly challenging and outspoken. Still, he was not about to give up that easily. Instead, he covered his frown with a smile. "Very amusing, Miss Black," he said smoothly. "I can't say I am acquainted with your father. But he must be quite young if you are comparing me to him. If you must know my age, I am not yet 5 and 30."
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Post by Bellatrix Black on Apr 29, 2008 23:04:19 GMT -5
Bellatrix laughed and leaned her body forward towards the bar. She rubbed one of Edmund's hands with her own in a comforting manner. "Was that so hard? Next time just answer me and you won't have to make that pathetic little face," she snickered, mocking his quick but noticeable frown. She laughed again as she removed her hand from his, replacing it on her glass which was nearing empty. She waved at the barkeep to get his attention, but he seemed to not notice her.
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Post by Edmund Fairfax on May 4, 2008 22:36:15 GMT -5
Pathetic? Perhaps he really was losing his touch. But he didn't let his annoyance show this time as he took another sip from his drink. "You know, I've always understood it to be considered rude for a man to ask a woman about her age, yet it is acceptable to ask a man? It's not that I'm insecure about it or anything, but I do sometimes wonder why things are acceptable in some cases but not others," he said casually.
He regarded her with a cool expression, as if he were bored. She was a lovely young thing, but her playful attitude seemed a cover for a darker side. Perhaps a need to be in control, or a hunger for power. He could identify with such things.
As she tried in vain to signal the bartender, he flashed her a quick grin. "I'll take care of it," he told her. "Winston! The lady needs a refill, if you please."
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Post by Bellatrix Black on May 4, 2008 22:54:27 GMT -5
Edmund was able to get the barkeep's attention and he quickly got Bella a new drink. This both annoyed and flattered her. On the one hand, she was unable to get the man's attention on her own...was she losing her touch? She was too young and beautiful for that to be the case. This must have been a one time thing. And then on the other hand, Edmund took enough notice of her to boss the barkeep around for her. Bellatrix smiled and softly said "thank you." After she took a sip of her new drink she again turned to face Edmund. "Well it's just that women have the disadvantage of getting old. And men, like yourself, seem to get more attractive as the age. It's all a matter of looks really. If you can't tell how old a woman is, it's better that way."
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Post by Edmund Fairfax on May 4, 2008 23:21:27 GMT -5
Edmund's expression warmed slightly at her comment about growing more attractive with age. He was just shallow enough to interpret that as a offhanded compliment to himself. After all, he could certainly remember a time, in the distant past, when his ears stuck out too far and his head seemed too large for his narrow frame and long, skinny legs. Thankfully, he had grown out of that atrocious awkward stage. "You are quite welcome," he said in reference to the drink. "The truth is, you can wave at Winston all you wish, but he'll hardly ever notice you. He's blind in one eye, and his sight is going in the other as well. He keeps the bottles in alphabetical order, so he can find them easily. If you want a drink, you've got to call him over directly."
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Post by Bellatrix Black on May 4, 2008 23:35:33 GMT -5
"Is that so?" She grinned at him then pulled her wand from the inside pocket of her silver robes. Edmund had given her insight that she didn't have before and while it was nothing note worthy, it was a chance for a little mischief. She took a large gulp of her drink then pointed her wand a bottle against the opposite wall. It levitated towards her and she grabbed it before it landed on the counter. "Want a refill?" Before he could even answer she was pouring firewhiskey into his glass, and then topped off her own.
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Post by Edmund Fairfax on May 5, 2008 22:26:28 GMT -5
Edmund threw his head back and laughed heartily. "Stealing whiskey from poor old Winston?" he said. "Shame on you... Or rather, shame on me for not thinking of it first." He took a healthy swig from his glass and gulped it down quickly. "You even found the good stuff, not the old watered down stuff," he remarked.
He leaned forward, putting his elbow on the bartop and resting his hand on his hand. "So tell me, Miss Bellatrix Black, what have you been doing with yourself since you graduated from Hogwarts? I make a habit of visiting all the regular hotspots, and I've never seen you before."
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Post by Bellatrix Black on May 5, 2008 23:57:39 GMT -5
Bellatrix restrained herself from making a comment about Edmund not thinking of such a simple thing, and simply took a drink from her glass. She was starting to not dislike him and she thought she ought to give him a chance. At least one. Wiping away a small amount of whiskey that had spilled onto the counter, she answered. "I've been laying low actually. Studying for...the real world. History and Astronomy lessons are all well and good whilst in school, but they rarely help you out later in life. Unless of course if you're into that sort of thing then..." Her voice trailed off and she took another sip of whiskey.
She set her glass down on the counter. "I prefer a more hands on approach to learning. Defense was my best subject and one I've been studying recently as well. I find it the most useful of all the courses offered at Hogwarts. I'm sure a man of your stature has had need of it once or twice."
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Post by Edmund Fairfax on May 10, 2008 23:19:49 GMT -5
Edmund took a generous swill from his newly-refilled glass as he listened to Bellatrix speak. Despite her young age, she seemed to have a good head on her shoulders. She had a natural understanding of what was important in their world, and didn't seem to get bogged down with trivialities. That was more than he could even say for himself, considering that he spent more of his time indulging his own vices than in attempting to actually accomplish anything of worth.
"I've long felt that the subjects with more practical applications are infinitely more useful in preparing for one's future," he agreed. "Hogwarts doesn't take that far enough, if you ask me. They waste time with stupid subjects and written essays, when the focus should always be on actually using the magic. The defense class is useful, but I would prefer to see the dark arts themselves receive more attention. Those of us who use it must often study it on our own. I'm glad to hear you're concentrating on furthering your studies."
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