The Escape of Lady Luck – Chapter One: Thursday

"Oh Mr. Black, what muscular shoulders you have. Would you like a massage to ease any tension you may have?" asked a very attractive flight attendant.

Turning his head slightly, Sirius Black appraised the alluring brunette, studying her buxom chest and long sensuous legs, mentally remembering her name from her nametag, before he finally met her eye and responded, "Why yes, I'm sure your delightful touch would do wonders to relieve my tension, Miss Rachel."

Giggling conspiratorially, Miss Rachel began her massage, slowly rubbing her dainty hands around a seriously happy Sirius.

"Appreciate the hospitality so far, Harry?" Sirius winked at his 24 year-old godson. "You better be enjoying this vacation I set up for you."

Silently closing the novel he had been reading, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Harry twisted his head up and gave Sirius an irritated glare before replying, "In your terms, 'enjoying', means having ladies swarming all over you. All I'm looking for is some peace and relaxation after my graduation from Auror Academy."

Sirius raised his eyebrows. Reading a book was not his definition of relaxation. The whole reason for setting up this vacation had been to get Harry to lighten up and he was not about to let his efforts go to waste. "Oh I get it now. You don't have the charm and charisma to attract les femmes," teased Sirius, waving his hands in a flourishing manner. "Don't tell me you bat for the other team now."

"Sirius!" Harry felt affronted beyond reason. Having his godfather think him to be a homosexual was the last thing he wanted because he knew that the old man would never let up once he had some blackmail material. "I'll have you know I have gone all the way with a couple of witches before."

Harry looked once more at Sirius's face and at seeing the arched eyebrows, he blushed. "Damn bitches just had to have the press go to their heads and tell Witch Weekly about our late night escapades," he finished tragically.

Sirius snorted. "Yeah I remember that," he said, "I can't believe they dubbed you 'Lord Funkemort'. Still, I think you've lost your touch when it comes to the fine art of attracting the female flesh."

Harry wrinkled his nose. "Is that a challenge, old man?"

"That's up to you to decide, Prongslet," Sirius retorted coolly.

"Fine, you old dog. Watch me utilize the famous Potter touch," Harry responded before standing up from his seat and stretching.

"Back your words with action, young grasshopper. After all, I've almost twenty years of womanizing experience compared to your two years of banging negative A-cup birds."

Ignoring Sirius, Harry searched around and caught the eye of an enticing blonde attendant. He beckoned for her assistance.

"How may I help you sir?" asked the attendant.

Harry paused to look at her nametag and in that time, he could see her eyeing him up and down in what she probably thought was a subtle manner. Harry rolled his eyes and interrupted her entertainment. "Miss Casey, would you mind getting me a bottle of vintage 1958 Bordeaux red wine please?"

She flushed at having been caught. "O - of course, sir! I'll be back with your wine soon," stammered Miss Casey.

"Bring back two wine glasses please," Harry requested suggestively, giving her a wink to cement his implication.

After noticing her biting her lower lip nervously as she walked away, Harry looked at Sirius and gave a sly smirk. "And that's how it's done, old-timer. She'll be mine for the rest of the flight."

"I'll give you a nine on execution," consented Sirius sourly, "However, you only get a six for intent. She probably just thought you wanted to drink with her, not to get some-"

"Shut up! She's coming back," interjected Harry. When Casey approached him, Harry could smell her perfume, which he had not been able to before. Harry glanced quickly at Sirius, who was watching him intently, and then took the wine and glasses from her.

Sitting down, Harry set up the drinks and commented, "Why Miss Casey, I would hate to selfishly enjoy this fine drink without an equally fine companion. Would you care to join me?"

Harry could see the conflict in her eyes. She obviously wanted to oblige to his request but had second thoughts about neglecting her duties as a flight attendant. "Uhhh, I guess one glass would be alright, sir. I wouldn't want to neglect my responsibilities," she responded hesitantly.

"Oh, I perfectly understand, Miss Casey. I would hate to be responsible for any negligence that you may be accused of. Please, have a seat," Harry soothed, pointing to a seat intimately close to him.

She quietly sat down where he had offered, very conscious of the fact that their hips were literally joined. An awkward silence settled over the area as they both sipped their wines, fetching for a topic to broach.

Harry glanced at Sirius. Upon seeing Harry's attention, Sirius raised right eyebrow in inquiry and exaggerated a silent yawn. The younger man hastily looked away and looked into the eyes of his blonde companion who sat watching his face, as if memorizing his structure. He cleared his throat loudly and broke her concentration.

"So… uh, what university do you hail from?" Harry asked.

Broken out of her reverie, she took a moment to compose herself before responding. "Oh, I – um, I actually attended this boarding school, you see. It – it was really nice. The school's name is Beauxbatons."

Harry saw Sirius coughing from the corner of his eye and struggled to hide his own surprise. "Really? Tell me more."

After some small talk about her job and her life, Harry decided enough was enough when Sirius began attempting to distract the duo from their conversation. He moved in closer until his face was inches from hers and sensually whispered, "Now that I know all about your life, why don't I tell you all about mine?"

Feeling Harry's warm breath so close to her face, Miss Casey couldn't help but shiver. A fierce battle between her duties and her lust occurred inside her brain, creating a huge inner dilemma.

Seeing that she was being very reluctant, Harry decided to raise the heat. He latched his right hand onto the side of her face and carefully caressed her cheek. Making eye contact, all Harry detected in Miss Casey's eyes was barely restrained, unadulterated lust, but most importantly, a burning desire for him to claim her luscious ruby-red lips.

Slowly moving his face towards the sexy woman until their lips were almost touching, Harry decided to wait until she was at the brink of her patience. He wanted her to make the first move.

Surely enough, the floodgates crashed open and lust invaded her mind as she mashed her lips to Harry's, hungrily claiming those lips. Making her way smoothly into Harry's lap, she threw her arms around his neck as his went around her waist.

Witnessing the recent development, a tear leaked out of the corner of Sirius's eye as he finally decided that Harry was worthy to be his successor at being a womanizer. Not bothering to wipe the tear, Sirius turned his head to Miss Rachel, making sure she noticed the teardrop. After all, all ladies loved sensitive men.


"This is the Captain speaking. We have just landed in Monaco. The local time is currently 2:28 PM and the weather is clear daylight. On behalf of Camelot Airlines, I would like to thank you for choosing us. We hope this flight met and exceeded all of your expectations. Once again, thank you for choosing Camelot Airlines."

Jarred into the land of the awake by that announcement, Harry opened his eyes to a blurry world. A quick recollection of events indicated that his impaired vision was caused by a mass of blonde hair, belonging to a certain Miss Casey. All the memories floated back into his mind, most of which were naughty, causing his face to gain a cheeky grin. Checking to see if all his body parts were still intact, he noticed that his hands were in some very inappropriate places, still groping Miss Casey. Moving his eyes towards Sirius, he noticed his godfather in a similar compromising position, only with Miss Rachel as his lovely partner.

As quietly as possible, with some help from his wandless magic ability, Harry managed to detach himself from the blonde flight attendant. He then proceeded to wake Sirius up, which was generally never an easy task. Waving his hand, he induced a tickling sensation in Sirius's nose and watched on amused as the older man attempted to swat away what he thought was a fly.

"Sirius!" whispered Harry urgently. Other first-class passengers had already vacated their seats.

After a moment of futile scratching, an annoyed Sirius finally opened his eyes and sent a glare towards his godson. He attempted to move but found himself unable to do so.

"Don't," advised Harry. "I don't think you want to wake Miss Rachel up."

Still half asleep, Sirius smartly said, "Whaazat?"

Sighing to himself, Harry checked to make sure no witnesses were around before he wandlessly levitated Miss Casey and Miss Rachel to different seats.

"Let's get out of here. Take care not to wake the ladies, yeah?" commanded Harry.

"Alright alright, keep your knickers on, prongslet. Just because you got, 'some', doesn't mean you can act all big man now," replied Sirius, getting up and grabbing his carry-ons.

Ignoring Sirius, Harry grabbed his luggage and looked back at Miss Casey lying in his previously vacated seat. Giving her one last searing kiss, he waved a hand over her before he turned and headed towards the exit with Sirius closely behind.


After going through customs and collecting their luggage wherein Sirius attempted to woo more women but instead was almost arrested for sexual assault, the duo finally exited the airport and was greeted with blaring sunlight and tropical heat smashing against them.

"Where to, Sirius?" asked Harry.

"WE, Prongslet, are going to the magical side of Monaco. Take in some sights, pick up some girls, go to the beach, pick up some girls, gamble a bit, pick up some girls, and watch a Quidditch match. Oh, did I mention picking up girls?"

"Well then, why don't you get us to this place so we can begin our fraternization with the opposite sex, yes?" Sirius's jaw dropped at Harry's uncharacteristic response. Seeing his godson's smirk however, he quickly recovered.

"Alright, alright. Kids these days… don't know how to enjoy life!" Sirius muttered quietly as he beckoned to a limousine.

"I'm 24!" Harry cried indignantly.


Arriving at the Monte Carlo Hotel, Harry was greeted by an ancient building of immense stature, standing tall in all its graceful architectural elegance. It was made out of a fine sand-colored material with magnificent towers sprouting out at the perfect areas. Three stories in height with Victorian era windows all along the side of the building, this was a hotel only for the influential and wealthy.

The garden held an intricate design filled with lush, green scenery that ensured the bedazzlement of any spectator and Harry silently absorbed the beauty of the entire complex with his lips slightly parted. Beside him, Sirius watched his godson's reaction to the casino palace with slight amusement. He had been hoping for a reaction of this kind and knew that this was exactly the type of place where Harry could finally have peace of mind.

Auror Academy, while having always been Harry's dream destination, did not allow its trainees the daily pleasures and luxuries of life that other employment opportunities provided. Those who put in the extra effort were rewarded with less pain during training and those who slacked off by trying to obtain the time to enjoy life were punished with scars that tended to last for an entire lifetime. Harry, thankfully, had been one of the former, a very talented individual with a special affinity towards Defence Against the Dark Arts.

Sirius's proud thoughts about his precious godson were interrupted when Harry finally regained his ability to vocalize thoughts.

"Sirius, I've got to hand it to you. You surely know how to pick the right places to stay. Talk about a wealthy and uptight demographic," commented Harry as they walked through the garden path leading up to the magnificent entrance of the hotel.

When the duo reached the revolving door that was decorated with gold and silver lining, they were greeted by a graceful tuxedo-donned valet. "Welcome to L'Hotel de Monte Carlo, Monsieur! Right through here, please," the valet welcomed as he pointed out the revolving door.

Nodding their thanks to the valet, the duo went straight to the receptionists. Unknowingly, Harry caught the attention of the people in the hotel lobby. Whisperings about the famous 'Boy-Who-Lived' filled the lobby with a dull murmur, serving only to irritate him at once. His fame, it seemed, extended far beyond simply Britain.

"Hello there. I believe I have reservations for a penthouse suite with two rooms under the name of Black?" Harry asked the receptionist, a rather charming young woman who looked to be of oriental descent.

"Y-yes, Mr. Potter. W-we do indeed have your suite ready for you," stuttered the female receptionist as she fidgeted in her seat, looking for the correct keycard.

Finally finding the keycard, the receptionist gave it to Harry with another personal piece of paper hidden behind it, making sure to brush his hand during the transaction. Harry sighed inwardly as he caught her giving him a veiled wink. When would the women stop throwing themselves at his feet?

"I-I do hope you enjoy your stay here Mr. Potter. P-please don't hesitate to call down for any services," she leaned forward slightly and licked her lips suggestively, giving Harry a full view of her assets.

Winking at the pretty receptionist, Harry replied, "Of course, I can't ever deny a pretty face like yours."

Leaving the giddy receptionist with her eyes glazed over as she began to fantasize about various raunchy situations, Harry rolled his eyes and dragged a sour Sirius away.

"And that is how it's done, Sirius. A bit of fame, a dash of charm and you've got yourself one pretty lady at your will. Face it, I'm the hottest piece of meat in the world right now," Harry said smugly and setting a trap for his godfather.

Not able to deny the truth and knowing his pride as a womanizer was on the line, Sirius knew immediate action was needed to reclaim his title as the self-proclaimed, number one irresistible bachelor. Scanning his surroundings, his eyes landed on the back of a ravishing redhead that was certainly fit enough to be a Victoria's Secret model. Smirking suavely, he rounded on Harry, "You've got nothing on me, brat. See that redhead standing by the elevators? Yeah, the one with her back turned to us? Watch me pick her up."

Walking with a strut, Sirius simply oozed an air of superiority, as if announcing to the world, Look, but don't touch. Quickly approaching the redhead, Sirius quickly scoured his brain for a pickup line he could use in this situation.

As she was reaching for an elevator button, Sirius quickly captured her elegant hand and leaned over her shoulders to whisper into her ear, "If I told you that your body was beautiful, would you hold it against me?"

He mentally gave himself a pat on the back after seeing a notable shiver. Holding his breath, Sirius was eager to see the face of this beauty as he quickly imagined what her angelic face would look like.

Hoping to give her some encouragement, Sirius started, "I do believe in love at first sight and I'm sure that I'll fall in love with your fa- AHHHHHHHH!"

Sirius yelped in shock at seeing the face of what could have been the woman of his fantasies. Instead of the perfect supermodel face Sirius imagined, he was looking at a woman that could have, and probably would have, passed off as the world's ugliest woman.

Her eyes were extremely far apart, leaving an expanse of space between them, almost embellishing the size of her abnormally wide nose. Above the eerie eyes grew a massive centipede-like uni-brow. The woman's most hideously feature which temporarily shattered the sanity of Sirius's mind was her monstrosity of a mouth. Chewing on a piece of gum like a cow would chew cud, her top set of teeth did not match her bottom set, resulting in a visage that truly resembled a donkey.

Trying to recover from his mental breakdown, Sirius quickly turned back and ran towards Harry, who was pounding the floor with his fist, rolling and laughing at his godfather's state. Narrowing his eyes, Sirius roughly pulled Harry up, quickly grabbed their luggage and dragged him into the elevator farthest from that woman.

Holding a roaring Harry by the front of his shirt, Sirius swiftly pulled out his wand from the inner pocket of his leather jacket, pointed it at his godson's heart and threatened, "If you ever mention this to anyone, and I mean anyone, I am going to tell everyone about the first time you completed your animagus transformation and began to hump the other does in the area. Do I make myself clear?"

At hearing the threat, Harry paled dramatically and quickly agreed to his godfather's command. Obeying the rule of manly camaraderie, Harry and Sirius put this event behind them, never to utter a word about it again in their lives.

Stepping out of the elevator when it reached the penthouse, they both strolled to the end of a lavish hall and reached their suite. Opening the door, Harry and Sirius were greeted with a room fit to accommodate even a sultan of the golden era of Arabia. Rich velvet and leather sofas surrounded them in the living room and a fine, white carpet coated the floor. Thousands of dollars of technology lined the suite, varying from huge widescreen televisions to surround sound speakers. Perhaps the most eye-catching aspect of the suite was a vast window spanning across an entire wall of the living room, allowing the occupants a breathtaking view overlooking the white sand beaches of the French Riviera, and the bluish hue of the Mediterranean Sea.

"Merlin Sirius! If I ever embark on a vacation again, make sure that I find you to plan accommodations. This is... beyond amazing," remarked Harry as he sat down on an extremely plush recliner.

"Thanks Prongslet, I do try," Sirius responded modestly with a grin. Then he immediately pointed to his right. "I claim that room!"


After the two finished unpacking and taking care of their hygiene, they met in the living room where Harry posed a question. "What's the plan for the rest of the evening, Sirius?"

"A brilliant question, Harry. I shall respond with one of my own; what is Monaco known for?"

"The fact that it is an independent sovereign state but still needs France to help its defense?"

"Good gracious!" Sirius replied incredulously. "You need time away from Hermione, lad. You're becoming an uptight prude! I'll bet your father is turning over in his grave right now because of your blasphemy!" shouted Sirius.

Noting the slightly crazed look in Sirius' eye, Harry decided to stop humoring himself and finally answer, "Calm down, calm down. You're thinking of gambling right?"

"Bingo! Right on the ball as always Harry. Do you know the muggle saying, When in Rome, do as the Romans do? We're heading to the Monte Carlo casino right now."

"Wait! You're serious? But... I don't know how to gamble, it's completely irresponsible!" exclaimed Harry.

"Well too bad, I've signed us up for the upcoming poker tournament this weekend," said Sirius with a wide smile as he awaited Harry's predictable reaction.

Harry's reply could be heard by all over the hotel as he screamed, "YOU WHAT!?"


Walking into the hallowed Monte Carlo casino, both Harry and Sirius were awestruck at the magnificent sight before them. Blaring bells indicating jackpot winners, screams of joy from winners and the juxtaposed screams from the losers surrounded the two men, jarring them into the casino atmosphere. A rainbow of flashing colors assaulted their eyes, diverting their sight from the slot machines to the more elegant poker tables and the multitude of bars containing countless bottles of alcohol.

Shaking themselves out of their shocked stupor, Sirius rubbed his hands in anticipation and eagerly began to pull a reluctant Harry towards the poker tables, disregarding the younger man's discomfort at the thought of gambling. A man decked with a black and white tuxedo walked up to the duo and asked politely yet firmly, "Good evening, sirs. May I take your coats?"

Elegantly pulling their coats off, the two gave their article of clothing to the man and proceeded towards the poker tables, one excited and the other hesitant.

"Now Harry, poker is a subtle art that requires immense self-control and involves plenty of skill. Don't be dejected if you fail at first. After all, no one is better than I, Sirius Black, poker champion extraordinaire!" announced Sirius with a cocky grin.

Tuning out the overdramatic monologue happening to the left of him, Harry noticed a scantily-clad woman walking in their direction. Hoping to attract another woman to further reduce Sirius' ego, Harry let out a deep breath, attempted to fix his bird's nest, and smoothly nodded to the woman, signaling her over.

Sashaying her hips, the attractive blonde woman made her way over to Harry and said in a very sultry French accent, "Good evening, sir. Comment ça-va?"

"Oh? Je vais très bien, ma chère. I was thinking of having a drink, but decided to pass and wait for the company of a lovely woman like you," replied Harry in a moderated husky tone.

Noticing his godson's lack of attention, Sirius turned towards Harry only to find him in the middle of seducing a very fine woman. Lucky lad, he thought, irritated in knowing that Harry was clearly winning in their 'Who can catch the most women competition', Sirius knew he had to make an executive decision.

Sneaking around Harry, Sirius watched him go about the process of putting his arm around the lovely woman's dainty waist. Seizing his opportunity, Sirius swatted Harry's hand away and secured his own arm around the woman.

"Hey beautiful," said Sirius in a cheery voice, directing the woman away from Harry. "I'm sure that I can make your time worthwhile, not like that young brat back there."

Sirius, being the typical epitome of masculine stupidity, failed to notice the woman's stiff posture and was oblivious to all the developments, still reveling in his victory over his current competitor. He was jerked back with force and when he turned around and finally realized the lady's upcoming action, it was too late. The beautiful French woman swung her arm back and firmly slapped Sirius on the side of his face, leaving a deep red imprint on the side of his face.

Feeling the full force of the blow, Sirius reeled back and stumbled around, stunned at what had just occurred. The woman, looking considerably satisfied yet still angry, stalked up close to Sirius's face and snarled out, "Je ne suis pas un jouet que tu peux utiliser quand tu veux!"

Blinking abashedly, Sirius scowled as the lady he had disastrously failed to win marched over to his astonished but smug godson and whispered something into his ear. Obviously delighted, Harry whispered back and she gave him a little peck on the cheek and winked at him before walking away.

Sauntering over to his thoroughly defeated godfather, Harry tried to console him. "It's alright Sirius. You win some and you lose some, yeah? Just because I'm heading up to her suite later tonight and do who-knows-what with her doesn't mean that you're a loser," finished Harry, patting Sirius's shoulder.

"Shut up, just shut up, Harry," Sirius responded sullenly. "Let's finally get to a table where I can rid of my woes." After all, a man could only take so many unfortunate events before calling a break in order to recuperate.

Harry and Sirius ended up at a table with a very smart-dressed dealer. "Bonjour, gentlemen. I am Jean-Phillipe, your dealer for tonight. The buy-in is one thousand. How many chips would you two like?" asked the dealer.

"Here, give us five-thousand in chips each for myself and my friend," Sirius said handing over his Gringotts-issued credit card.

"Merci, sir. Here are your chips," passing the chips to Harry and Sirius. "If there are no more participants, this game shall begin."


"I call two-thousand," announced Harry tensely, lightly scratching the back of his head. An old Asian man wearing a neat black tuxedo had arrived at the table a few rounds prior to their current game. Every round since the man's arrival had resulted in Harry's loss at the final stage. His announcement now indicated that he was going to challenge the old Asian's hand. He needed a jack to complete his straight and secure a potential victory.

The dealer placed the stake chips into a rather large pile, worth more than €10,000 in value. Anticipation grew amidst both the players as the dealer burned the top card. Sirius looked on rather worriedly with deep wrinkles creasing his forehead, not for himself, but for a very unlucky Harry, who just could not seem to catch a break tonight. Having all his chips whittled down to the meager amount Harry now possessed, Sirius knew that if his godson lost this hand, the next would be his last.

Both players placed their hands on the table. The Asian held a pair of aces while Harry had the queen of hearts and the ten of clubs. Smiling politely at them both, the dealer then proceeded to place the first three cards, none of which assisted either player. Harry's tension grew as he anticipated the dealer's next card. The card flipped and with it grew Harry's hope. If the river card now held either the ten of diamonds or the ten of spades, he could win.

"The river card is," the dealer said mysteriously, then paused for dramatic effect as he flipped the card over and spoke softly, "Queen of Spades."

"Fuckinell!" breathed Harry loudly, banging his hands on the table. This caused the people around their table to turn around at the cause of the disturbance and stare.

"Harry!" Sirius cried, trying to pacify his younger companion's frustration, "Harry, calm down, damn it! Listen to me. This is just a game. Remember earlier? You win some, you lose some. Besides, I've tons more back in the bank and so do you. Don't worry about it, this one's on me."

Heaving and taking a few deep breaths, Harry finally managed to regain some semblance of his temper and sat down, awaiting his last hand. Sirius offered him a glass of water which he gladly took and gulped down swiftly. He loosened the tie on his neck and undid the top button of his shirt to let the accumulating heat out.

Glancing to his left, he briefly glimpsed a gorgeous blonde woman wearing a shimmering silk dress that accentuated her in all the correct places watching on, perhaps amused at having witnessed his temper flare. Giving no more thought to how heavenly she seemed, Harry closed his eyes, picturing the dealer distributing the cards. However, a moment later, a person leant over Harry's shoulder and asked in a sensual French accent, "Bad luck tonight, oui?"

Half-turning in irritation to tell Sirius off for trying to distract him, Harry froze as his eyes came in contact with the blonde woman's face, whom he had glimpsed earlier. Composing himself, he blinked thrice, then turned back to his cards and grunted, "What do you think, genius?"

Not even slightly affronted, she took a look at Harry's cards and told him sweetly, "Place all of your chips in this hand."

Turning his head, Harry took a moment to study her and was instantly entranced by the prettiest eyes he has ever seen. Her eyes were a shade of bright blue that held a sparkle which could have lit up the darkest of places. Glancing around the rest of her face, Harry was sure he had encountered a goddess as her face was of the utmost perfection. Elegant eyebrows accompanied her beautiful eyes, only enhanced by her long eyelashes. Her fair nose and exquisite red lips were proportioned faultlessly, complimenting her pale-white skin to complete an impeccable visage fit for the heavens. A strand of golden hair streaked the length of her face, making her seem even prettier.

Captured by her beauty, Harry somehow knew that she could not lead him wrong and strongly declared, "All in."

The wealthy Asian, looking quite bemused at his competitor's sudden change in mood, decided to put all his chips in as well, stating that he was tired and wanted to end this game.

Both men stood up and placed their hands in the middle of a table. The Asian's hand held yet another pair of aces while Harry's consisted of a rather miserable nine of hearts and seven of diamonds.

Silently bemoaning his stupid decision to trust a pretty face, Harry knew he had no chance against a pair of aces. Glancing across the table, the Asian gave him a slight mocking salute with his hand, as if saying, You tried your best but it just wasn't enough.

The dealer unveiled the first three cards, and much to Harry's dismay, they were the ace of diamonds, ten of spades, and three of clubs. Knowing that his chances were slim now and that his opponent held three aces, Harry was about to walk away from the table when an elegant, slender hand approached his shoulder, stopping him. He shivered slightly at the contact. Looking up, he gazed into the face of the mystifying blonde again and listened with rapt attention as she softly said, "Believe in yourself, Monsieur Potter."

Full of resolve once again, Harry ignored Sirius's inquisitive look and turned back to the table as an eight of clubs appeared, raising his chances and hopes. Looking back to the beauty, he smiled warmly as she nodded at him and grasped his hand in her own. Together, they looked on as the final card was about to be turned over.

"The river card is," said the dealer once again and paused, causing everyone to hold their breaths, "Six of hearts."

"Yes!" shouted Harry as he jumped up, swiveled around, and captured the ethereal blonde into an emphatic embrace beside him. The elderly Asian looked on, stunned, as the large sum of money in the middle of the table shifted to Harry's side, courtesy of the dealer.

Harry pulled back from his hug and set his gaze once again upon the beauty in his arms. In the spur of the moment, he quickly leaned in and captured her delicious looking lips with his own. He felt sparks flying all around his body, a sensation no other woman had ever induced upon him before. However, before Harry could deepen the kiss, the blonde pulled back and turned away, set to leave.

"Wait! What's your name?" Harry cried out, desperate to learn the identity of the woman who had made him feel as though he was the luckiest man on Earth.

The beautiful blonde replied, "Just call me your own personal Lady Luck. Au revoir, Harry Potter. We shall meet again soon!" With that, she blew him another kiss and slipped away into the crowd, not to be seen again for the night. Stunned, Harry touched his lips where she had set fire upon him.

Sirius looked at Harry's face and saw a look that he had last seen on his late best friend's face. James Potter had been in a similar stupor when Lily Evans had finally kissed him. Chuckling to himself, Sirius cashed in both his and Harry's chips from the dealer, then put his arm around Harry's shoulders to remind the latter of his presence.

Finally re-entering the realm of reality, Harry looked around wildly before finally staring at his godfather.

"W-who was that?" asked Harry with glazed eyes. Rounding on Sirius, he continued excitedly, "You have to know, Sirius! Why would she say something like that – that she is my own personal Lady Luck? I mean, I've never even seen her before."

Inhaling deeply, he finished, "Was that a goddess from the skies or just part of my imagination?"

Chuckling, Sirius put a reassuring arm around Harry's shoulders and leaned into him before responding, "Why pup, I'm not too sure but she is a damn fine looker."

Deciding to tease his godson a little, Sirius gave Harry a mock stern stare and added, "You sure she's over eighteen?"

"Oh Merlin! Oh Merlin, I could have just kissed a minor," whispered Harry, paling in horror.

"Hold your hippogriffs, Harry, innocent until proven guilty. Besides, minors aren't allowed inside any casino complexes. You didn't do anything wrong. As your godfather, I must commend you on your superb choice in woman. She is really a knockout."

Still in a state of shock, Harry absent-mindedly said, "Yeah, yeah she really is pretty isn't she."

Then, thinking Sirius could not hear him, he added, "Damn fine arse too."


Arriving back at the hotel lobby, Harry was immediately ushered in by the valet. Exhausted by the day's events, he and Sirius made a beeline for the elevator but were intercepted by a female voice as they passed the reception counter.

"Mr. Potter!" called the receptionist with whom Harry had earlier flirted.

Without turning around, Harry leaned into an attentive Sirius's ear and whispered, "I don't think I can handle some tonight. Please, distract her, will you?"

He clapped Sirius lightly on the back and ignoring the call, continued towards the elevator, leaving the older man to clean up the mess.

Entering his room, Harry immediately dropped onto the bed. Replaying the day's events in his mind, Harry fell asleep with a true smile on his face, dreaming of a certain mysterious blonde bombshell.


A/N: Hey all, this story is written in cooperation with a close friend of mine. We came up with this idea one night when we were chatting about the lack of unique pairings the HP fanfics, so we decided to write one.

With school starting up again and the fact that both of us are in Grade 12, we'll be quite busy throughout the year. Hopefully, we'll have a chapter up every second week.

As always, please read and review. Your reviews mean the world to us!