On the Dinner Table(Dorian)

[Christine Montgomery]

Dorian Humbert

She kept busy after he left, afraid that if she stopped she’d start to think. There was too much to think about and she was avoiding it all.

She wrote a convincing letter explaining that she needed to get away for a little while as well as a gentle reminder that she was of age. She was going to study for the NEWTs privately and that with everything happening at the school she couldn’t do so there. Her mother wrote back rather quickly with the stipulations that she check in now and again – for her father’s sake of course. Christine promised to do so.

She sent another letter to the school, along with a letter with her mother’s approval so they wouldn’t sound the alarm at another missing student.

She drew herself a bath, realizing she hadn’t showered since the day before, usually she showered off after her run, in any case the bath did wonders to relax her. She also ordered an in-room massage which took away any left-over tension. Not feeling up to her usual “dressing” routine, she conjured a large sweater that swallowed her and some knit socks, then put up her hair.

She had the table prepared, candle-light of course, and used a spell to keep their meal warm. Afterward she poured herself a glass of wine and waited occupying herself with a book.

She wondered when Dorian would return for dinner, and as the hour grew later she became more nervous. There was less and less to occupy her mind so the thoughts she had been avoiding began to hit her like physical blows. Her fear at what she had seen this morning, fear at what she was hiding from Dorian, fear of the war that was starting – there was so much fear, and Christine hated being afraid, it was a foreign feeling for her.

[Dorian Humbert]

His duties required more time than he had anticipated, and he left the auror headquarters with much to think on. But as he apparated into the hallway just outside Christine's suite, he pushed the investigation to the back of his mind. He would not be speaking of this to Christine, sans one minor inconvenience, so there was no reason to think on it now that he had returned to her. His arrival was announced by a gentle but insistent siren - the enchantment he had placed around the suite before leaving earlier in the day.

[Christine Montgomery]

Her nerves, her thoughts, and finally the siren was enough to push her over the edge as she was startled to awareness and wine spilled over her and the couch she had been sitting on.

She cursed beautifully in a foreign language before waving the stain away and setting the glass down. She momentarily forgot about the enchantments that Dorian had placed on the room so she wasn't sure what was going on, when she recalled his earlier concern, she realized that someone had apparated in the hallway.

She chewed her bottom lip and grabbed her wand while approaching the door. She was not helpless, and she would not give into fear. She silenced the alarm and cast a spell to see who was on the other side. She sighed in relief as she recognized Dorian's well known figure.

Keeping her guard up however she unlocked the door using her wand and announced that he could come in, while she kneeled on the couch wine glass in one hand, wand clenched and hidden in the other.

[Dorian Humbert]

Dorian had just drawn his wand in preparation of silencing the siren, when the hallway went quiet. Christine's voice carried through the door, and he smiled, relieved that she had not left as he secretly suspected she would. He turned the handle to the door using his wand hand, a small box of chocolates clutched in his left. After the moans of pleasure that escaped her mouth while eating her chocolate dessert at lunch, Dorian had ascertained that she had a sweet tooth. He had originally considered bringing her flowers, but no matter the enchantments placed on them, flowers always ended up wilting. She had seen enough death for one day, he would save her having to throw out dead flowers as well.

Walking slowly into the room, he took in the scene. The table was set; candlelight, wine, the works. The bed, which could be seen through the open door at the far end of the room, remained in much the same rumpled manner as they had left if earlier. Christine was kneeling on the couch, a glass of wine in hand. A book was upturned on the floor near the couch, as if it had fallen off her lap without her noticing. "Good evening," he crooned.

[Christine Montgomery]

She relaxed. An impostor might have used polyjuice potion (even that was far-fetched in Christine's mind) to conceal their appearance, but Christine was convinced that no one could enter a room the way Dorian entered a room.

She brought the wine to her mouth, drank deep, then traced the remaining liquid on her lips with her tongue in a teasing fashion before replying, "It is now."

She approached the dining table setting her glass down to be filled again while filling one for him then turned with both in hand.

[Dorian Humbert]

He happily watched her saunter from the couch to the table, wearing very little while still remaining completely covered. It was alluring in a way a naked body could never be. She turned with a glass of wine for him, and he pocketed his wand before taking it. "Thank you. And in return..." He presented the box of chocolates. 

[Christine Montgomery]

As expected her features lit up almost childishly with excitement. She reached for the box but covered his hand with hers while shaking her head, "It isn't fair, you've discovered my weakness, but I have yet to discover yours."

[Dorian Humbert]

"Is that so? I would have thought it would be obvious." He smiled from behind his wine glass before taking a sip and a lingering gaze at her figure. He would need to change the topic, as they had some things to discuss before anything further could happen.

"I have a few things to go over with you, but nothing that should distract too much from our evening." I hope. "Shall we eat?"

[Christine Montgomery]

Heat rose to her cheeks as she realized he was referring to her being his weakness. Heat went throughout her body as he gazed at her figure, and when he mentioned eating her mind was far away and on a completely different subject. She realized that her hunger for this man had never left her. She had been starving for him for a year and grown accustomed to the feeling, but now with him within grasp the idea of letting him go, of not being in his arms, it was maddening.

Still she nodded, "Of course." and moved toward one end of the table to sit down.

[Dorian Humbert]

Dorian pulled out a chair for Christine and once she was seated he took his place across from her. He had Ministry business to attend to, and instead of springing it on her later, Dorian felt the best plan of approach was to get it out of the way first, so that they could enjoy the rest of their evening. 

After learning that Christine's hotel key was not located at the crime scene, Dorian began to worry more about Christine's sense of being watched that morning. She would need to be protected, and by more than simply some enchantments around her hotel suite. If someone had been there, watching her, that person likely had her hotel key. This caused a problem. "I don't believe you are in any danger," he started, not revealing that this was a lie. "But my superiors believe, and I agree, that some extra security is never a bad thing. They would like you to consider staying somewhere else, until your room key can be located." A safehouse was not nearly as luxurious as the penthouse they now dined in, and if Christine refused he still had another option available to her.

[Christine Montgomery]

She was becoming accustomed to his formal mannerisms. Of course she was accustomed to it at home and most places she went because of who she was, but it was different with someone who had crossed every physical line of intimacy she had. It might have made her feel stiff, but for the tenderness in each action, especially the warmth in his eyes as he looked at her.

She was lost in that very warmth when he began speaking, until his words became clear in her mind.

"Somewhere else? Where?" she asked uneasy with the idea. Christine valued her freedom, additionally she knew that there was no hotel key to begin with, which meant that there was no concern that the serial killer would be after her.

[Dorian Humbert]

He could sense the uneasiness in her voice. Dorian knew that she would not go for this option, as it afforded her less control. Christine liked to do as she pleased, at least that was the impression he had from their brief history together, and being locked away in a safe house would hardly give her the freedom she desired.

"That information would be 'need to know'. I can assure you, it would be quite safe. Although it would lack in the comforts you have here. There is another alternative, if leaving makes you uncomfortable." He paused, watching her face to gauge her reaction.

[Christine Montgomery]

Almost anything was preferable to being locked away in a safehouse, that idea was completely impossible to Christine, not just because of the lack of control, but she had NEWTs coming up, and her family would need to know, there was just too many variables.

"What?" she asked in a hurry to take the other offer off the table.

[Dorian Humbert]

He chuckled at the speed with which she pushed for more information. He had not been expecting such a rushed and eager response, but then, Dorian didn't really know Christine all that well yet. He hoped tonight would change that, at least a bit.

"The other option is for you to stay here at the Avalon," he paused a minute, teasing her. "With a security detail." He had volunteered to watch Christine were she to stay in her current residence, but he would be working with a partner as well. They'd take shifts keeping an eye on her and any strange happenings around the hotel. 

[Christine Montgomery]

She sat back in her chair a bit deflated, "So you're saying I either move into a safe house surrounded by guards, or I stay here surrounded by guards." her tone left much to be desired.

Already she was planning on how to escape her guards, she had plenty of practice in doing so with her father's guards.

"Sorry, I know the situation, and I'm grateful for your concern. I just don't do well with cages."

[Dorian Humbert]

Dorian smiled. "I would hardly call this place a cage, and I certainly wouldn't consider myself a guard." He reached across the table and picked up her hand. "Do you really think I wouldn't snatch up the opportunity to be with you?" He would tell her of his partner after she relaxed a little. There was no need to pile it on all at once.

[Christine Montgomery]

"You're the guard?" she asked incredulously, then laughed, " You should have led with that."

She lifted her hand to his cheek and admired his handsome face, before rolling her eyes and reaching for her wine. Clearly she did not mind his company at all. Though it hit her suddenly that meant that he'd be with her for as long as he could be certain that the serial killer wouldn't be after her.

Christine was torn, as she had been all morning, but at least before she knew their time together would have probably been limited, now the risk of him finding out the truth about her was so much higher. How had she gotten into this mess?

[Dorian Humbert]

Dorian watched the gears turn in her head, thinking she was simply considering her options. He could not have known that Christine was secretly concerned that he would discover the truth about who she really was. And she should have been concerned. Dorian liked the straight and narrow. Christine was anything but.

"Of course, when I'm not available someone else from the office will be around. But it shouldn't be anything of real concern. So long as we accompany you, you're free to come and go as you please. Within reason. No running off in the middle of the night again." He hadn't meant for his words to sound like an accusation, but they came out as such. Christine had disappeared without a trace when they were in Egypt. The situation was still unresolved, although they had played out the last several hours as if it hadn't occurred at all.

[Christine Montgomery]

Christine hated lying to him. One day those lies were going to crash on her head and he'd never look at her the same way. The thought broke her heart, so did his accusation.

She pulled back from him and averted her eyes. She was ashamed and defensive all at once.

"It wasn't the middle of the night." she said, but it was a weak defense, "I didn't leave you to wake up alone if you recall." she said stronger. He had been the one to leave her in the middle of the night. She had woken up alone, and in the minute it took her to find his note asking her to meet him for dinner, she had enough time to imagine a thousand horrible scenarios the least of which involving him discarding her after using her and the worst of them involving him being captured again. It gave her pause to let the reality of their situation level her thinking and she had left knowing it couldn't work out, but here she was and she couldn't leave this time.

[Dorian Humbert]

He had done it now, she was angry. But it didn't matter, as he had been questioning his sanity in rekindling this affair since he first sat with her in the hotel bar. Yes, she was forced to awake alone that long ago next morning, as he was called in to handle a sudden emergency with his case. The case she had fumbled more than once in less than a week's time. But he had left her a note explaining where he was, and inviting her to dinner that night.

"No, you simply left me alone in that restaurant, thinking the worst had happened to you. I looked for you for months. I hunted down every man ever connected to Vlad," the dark wizard he had been tracking when he met Christine. "I was certain you'd gotten yourself captured again, and when I found no trace of you..." He trailed off. His heart was racing and his blood was boiling. He had spent the better part of the past year thinking that his inappropriate actions had caused Christine to lose her life, her body left hidden somewhere he couldn't discover. And now for her to simply appear, calling out for him to save her after all this time, as if it had never happened. A mixture of rage and concern flashed in his eyes.