"But It's Better If You Do"


Now I'm of consenting age to be forgetting you in a cabaret.
Somewhere downtown where a burlesque queen may even ask my name
As she sheds her skin on stage
I'm seated and sweating to a dance song on the club's P.A.
The strip joint veteran sits two away
Smirking between dignified sips of his dignified peach and lime daiquiri

Harry walked into the club, feeling a little nervous about actually coming. He and Ginny had just had a fight and he just couldn't stand talking to her anymore. He knew he should have stayed and worked it out with her, but he was just too upset to even try.

He sat down in a little booth by himself, not too far off from the stage where a spunky brunette was dancing with a pole. She spun around, with her tiny hot pink skirt flitting around her hips just slightly hitting her thighs every now and again, and a little top to match that just barely covered her up. Her sparkling brown curls flipped around her pretty face, while her light hazel eyes glittered with the sweet game of flirting as she caught Harry's eyes. She flipped back her head with a smirk and sent her curls flying.

A patron was sitting not too far a way glared at Harry and flicked his wand, leaning forward, his chin not too far from the stage. His spell ripped the dancers skirt up to the hem. The girl strutted forward, her stilettos clicking on the glass floor of the stage, and lights under them sprung to life and flashed. She used the toe of her shoe to kick the patron out of her way, and stalked down the materializing steps.


And isn't this exactly where you'd like me
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety
Oh, isn't this exactly where you'd like me
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety

The brunette smirked again as she walked over to the booth Harry was sitting at. She tapped the table with her silk clad finger, and it disappeared into the floor, she smiled again, the flirty glint back in her eyes.

She flipped one leg over Harry's and put her knees on the bench, one on each side. The patron was still glaring at Harry when he dared a glance over. The brunette put her hand on his cheek and guided his eyes back to her, before running her hand down his chest. She put both her hands on the back of the bench and swung her head around so her curls passed softly across his face. He watched as she moved in time with beat, she smiled as he did, swaying a little more.

Her hair hung around her face, and her body glistened with sweat. He couldn't resist anymore. He gently brushed her hair back, running his hands down her shoulders and the sides of her body. She grinned and giggled a little at his touch, encouraging him to keep hold of her, by putting her hands around his neck and dancing a little closer.


But, but I'm afraid that I
Well, I may have faked it
And I wouldn't be caught dead in this place

Well, I'm afraid that I
Well, that's right, well I may have faked it
And I wouldn't be caught dead in this place

No, he didn't want to be there, with another girl. Ginny was probably back at their little apartment, crying over the fight. Her pulled his hands away and turned his head away from the lovely brunette.

"C'mon, baby," she whispered in his ear, her voice velvety and sultry. "You know you want more."

"No, I can't," he replied, reaching into his pocket to get money to pay her with. "But thanks for the dance, you were…er…very good."


And isn't this exactly where you'd like me
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety
Oh, isn't this exactly where you'd like me
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety

"It's your girlfriend, isn't it?" she refused the money, sitting beside him.

"My fiancé, actually," he shrugged return the money to his pocket.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, raising the table back from the floor, and summoning drinks from the bar. "I'm not only a good dancer; I'm a good listener, too. I see guys like you in here all the time, all they need is to do is talk it out."

"I guess, but I'd feel kinda bizarre talking about her here."

"Well, we could use one of the rooms in the back," she sipped her drink, untying the ribbon from her neck and putting her hair up with it. "If that'd make you feel more comfortable."


Well, I'm afraid that I
Well, I may have faked it
And I wouldn't be caught dead in this place


Well, I'm afraid that I
Well, that's right, well I may have faked it
And I wouldn't be caught dead in this place

The girl lead Harry to one of the back rooms, but was intercepted by the patron that had glared at him so many times.

"I thought I told you, Lizzi," the patron hiding his scowl with a smile as fake as his cheeriness. "You're my girl, and I don't want to see you running around with other guys."

"It'd be a little hard to keep my job here then, wouldn't it?" the girl, Lizzi, replied, pushing past and tossing her hair teasingly at him.

"Hey," the patron grabbed Lizzi's arm, his fake smile dissolved into an angry glare once more. "I don't care what you do for a living, just come back to me and I can help you make things right. That or you and your sister will get what's coming to you."


And isn't this exactly where you'd like me
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety
Oh, isn't this exactly where you'd like me
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety

Lizzi and Harry were soon rid of the crazy patron by a burly security guard. The guy went by the name of Andrew and as it turned out, he was an old boyfriend of Lizzi's and he never really caught the concept of the break-up.

In turn for Lizzi's bad-relationship story, Harry reluctantly told her about his problems with Ginny. Lizzi was more than happy to give Harry some advice and help him out even though he was slightly uneasy about telling someone like her about his problems.

"You know you really don't have to feel all that uncomfortable around me," she told him. "I'm just a normal girl..."

"A normal girl," he chuckled. "I don't think she'll take that as an excuse when I get back home."

"Yeah, well, I am…" she trailed off and shrugged. "A normal girl with an unusual job… or so I've been told."

"Well, thanks a lot for the advice, I'll try to figure out how to explain this to Ginny."

"Good luck, and come back any time, I'm here all the time," she grinned at his confusion and explained. "A few of us girls live here. This is my room, a few of the rooms were going to be remodeled, and the owner just thought we'd like them… since before we moved in here it was five of us in a tiny little flat."

They laughed a little more before Harry left to face Ginny, and hopefully make things right.


Praying for love and paying in naivety
Praying for love and paying in naivety, oh

Ginny was waiting for Harry when he got back. She had been crying, and felt horrible about what she said and what happened. They made up and a week later got married. Lizzi was invited to the wedding and soon became close friends with Ginny as well as Harry; despite the fact of Lizzi working where she did, and Harry running there after a fight.


A/N: Thanks for bearing with me for my first lyrical fic, I hope you liked it. For those of you who don't know the song, it's But It's Better If You Do by Panic! At the Disco, my new favorite band. Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: Okay as I have stated above, I do not own the song, and nor do I own anything in this besides the plot, Lizzi, Andrew, and the security guard. Everything else (besides the song) belongs to J. K. Rowling.