Rose woke up at 4 am, naked and in a strange bed. She rolled over to find that the man she fell asleep next to, Teddy Lupin, was gone. Sitting up in bed, Rose looked around the rather dingy hotel room to check for him and could see he wasn't anywhere to be found. The bathroom door was open so there wasn't a lingering chance he would reappear. Rose pulled her knees up to her chest and began to think back on the hours they spent together; she couldn't understand why he'd up and leave her alone in a strange place.
Teddy had been everything she hoped and a few things Rose didn't expect. He was flirtatious and funny, sensual and seductive. He was also more demanding than she was used to but made up for that with the pleasure an experienced lover could bring. Sex with Teddy was unlike any experience she had shared with Scorpius during their year and a half relationship.
Deciding that going home would be better than sleeping for a few extra hours in the uncomfortable bed, Rose gathered her clothes on the floor and carefully dressed. The black dress barely reached her knees and the high heels were a bit uncomfortable but not wearing shoes seemed like a bad choice. Her hair and makeup were in shambles, causing Rose to pause by the door to make herself a bit more representable. As she headed out the man at the check-in desk said, "Mr. Wolf said he had to go but the room is taken care of."
Not sure what to say to this, Rose smiled before darting out the door. Morning light was just making its way over the horizon when Rose's stomach growled. There was a diner where Rose decided to stop before going home.
"'ello," called a man, about her age, from the counter. "'have a seat anywhere."
The counter was good a place as any for Rose. She observed the other customers, most of whom appeared to be coping with various stages of hangovers or drunkenness. The server came and handed her a menu and a glass of water before going to another table to give the check.
"Just gettin' off work?" he asked opposite Rose.
"Excuse me?" she asked, unsure his meaning.
The server blushed scarlet before answering with, "I just thought… well, with the way you're dressed that you work for… a club or something."
Rose half laughed. "Nice save," she commented. "I'm just heading home after… a long night out."
"Bit o' food with do you good," he told her knowingly. "Try the quiche or flapjacks if you need something easy on the stomach."
After ordering the quiche, Rose watched the server work the other tables. He seemed to notice her lingering stare as he grinned after the third time he caught her watching. She wasn't sure what fascinated her so much about the muggle. He wore glasses and was generally tidy, which seemed out of place for a diner such as this.
When he brought her a plate of food, the server said, "The name is Rhys. What's your name?"
"My name is Rose," she replied automatically. Searching for something else to say, she asked, "Have you worked here long?"
It was a lame thing to ask but Rose really didn't know what muggles talked about. "It's my summer job – I go back to uni in the fall. Do you go to uni?"
Mind racing, Rose tried to recall what level school she'd be at. "Uh, just finished my A-levels," she said uncertainly.
"Guess no one knows until the marks come back," Rhys laughed. Looking around he went on, "I gotta take care of the other tables but…" he blushed again before going on, "I get off work in 20 minutes if you want to chat more then."
Rose ate her meal slowly and tried to work out what she was doing. Rhys was cute but… a complete stranger. 'He probably just wants to talk,' Rose told herself but knew that was unlikely. She'd already made one mistake for the day, what was one more?
Rhys sat at the stool next to Rose, causing her to start. Looking at her watch she commented, "That went by fast."
"Don't see many people who wear watches," he observed with a faint smile.
"Oh, I don't have a phone," Rose explained with a smile.
Furrowing his brow, Rhys commented, "You're a very unusual woman." The blush that Rose felt was involuntary and made her rethink spending time with this muggle. "I like that," he reassured her with a kind grin.
"What do I owe for breakfast?" Rose asked, looking around for the on-duty server to give her a check.
"I took care of it," Rhys said with a smile. "I didn't take my meal last night and rang yours out as mine."
Rose didn't quite follow what all this meant but nodded in appreciation that she didn't have to pretend to understand muggle money.
"What do you say to getting out of this mangy diner and going somewhere else?" the handsome muggle asked with a burst of gusto that told Rose he was not used to chatting up women.
"Where do you have in mind? Do you live close by?" Based on the way Rhys' eyebrows shot up into his black hair, Rose guessed he definitely hadn't expected that suggestion. "I could really go for tea," she added.
"I live pretty close, if you don't mind a short walk. And I have tea."
Wishing they could apparate, Rose agreed to walk and they set out in the early morning bustle. Rhys was a gentleman and offered Rose his arm as they strolled a couple of blocks to a student flat. "Do you have flatmates?" Rose asked, unsure of how housing for uni worked.
"I do but they should still be in bed," Rhys said as he fished keys from his pocket. "I also have a futon in my room." Noticing the way that Rose was taking in everything as if it was all new, Rhys went on, "I bet you'll have something similar at uni in the fall."
"I'm not sure if I will," Rose said honestly. "Mum wants me to stay at home."
"You'd definitely save on student loans that way," Rhys told her. "I'm from Wales so," he shrugged as if to say this was the way it had to be. Once they were in the lift, Rhys hit the number five and they started upwards. Lifts always made Rose uneasy but she tried to keep a steady face.
When they got in the flat, Rose was surprised at its size before she remembered it was shared. Rhys started on the kettle and pulled out tea. "Feel up for black tea?" he asked. Rose nodded and he smiled. "Well, that's lucky. I'm all out of other types."
Walking around the sitting room, Rose noticed the obviously muggle posters. "Bit of a football fan?" she asked pointing one out.
Rhys stood next to Rose so he could look at the same poster. "You could say so. I go to pub to watch the matches when Wales is on. Are you a fan?" he asked with a raised brow.
"I played at school," Rose lied, substituting quidditch for football. "But Mum wanted me to focus on grades so I gave it up a few years back. I don't really watch anymore."
Catching the hint of sadness in her voice, Rhys turned to face Rose. "You could try out at uni," he suggested brightly. Looking at her deep red hair it was easy for Rhys to imagine Rose going full speed down the field as a blur. "Bet you'd do great."
"Oh I'm very rusty by now. I get a game in with my cousins a few times each summer but that's not enough to make a proper team," Rose said in a wistful tone. She often imagined trying out for the Holyhead Harpies like Aunt Ginny but she didn't want to let Mum down by wasting her academic talent.
"Never know unless you try," Rhys pushed on. He had his hand almost to Rose's back, attempting to make a reassuring pat on her back when the kettle whistled. "Oh! Tea." As he poured out the hot water and added a teabag to each mug. "Do you want milk or sugar?"
"Just a sugar," Rose replied, not sure if she could trust dairy products kept in a bachelor flat. Rhys handed her a steaming cup of tea minutes later and invited her to sit on the futon in his room. "So, what is a futon? Some sort of sports couch?" Rose asked after a few sips of tea.
The hearty laugh from Rhys told Rose she was very mistaken about a futon. "It's a couch that folds out into a bed," he explained, still chuckling. Rhys was starting to guess that Rose was from a well-off family if she hadn't heard of cheap furniture made for students.
"That's quite clever," she said brightly. "I guess you could say I don't get out that much," Rose explained as she set down the partially empty mug.
"Which makes it all the more mysterious that you ended up in this part of town," Rhys commented, also setting down his cup.
"I just needed some air after my graduation party," Rose explained as she looked into Rhys' green eyes. "There was too much pressure there and I needed to get out for a few hours… to think."
"Your family just wants what's best for you," Rhys said as his heart began to race. "Not that it's easy to fall in line with everyone's expectations," he added.
Turning so that her face was close to Rhys, she shook her head just slightly. "No, it's not." Feeling a sweeping sense of recklessness, Rose leaned in and kissed the cute man next to her. It wasn't an entirely smooth kiss, her forehead bumped his glasses which caused a nervous laugh from the pair.
"Let me try that again," she said with another burst of bravado. Swinging her leg over Rhys' lap, Rose was centered on his lap before laying on another kiss. This time she tilted her head slightly to avoid the thick frames of Rhys' stylish glasses and felt his hands come to rest on her hips.
Somewhere under the excitement of having a beautiful woman in his room, kissing him deeply, Rhys guessed that Rose venting a need for rebellion rather than an interest in him as a person. Usually this was the sort of thing Rhys would want to figure out before intimacy with someone but this morning he didn't care. Perfectly content to snog with Rose, it was a pleasant surprise when she tugged on the straps of her dress to reveal perky breasts.
Taking the unspoken invitation, Rhys reached up to squeeze a handful of the lush breasts. Rose moaned as he fondled her and ground down against his crotch. It wasn't long before she managed a throaty, "I want you, Rhys."
Caught up in the heat and friction of the moment, passion drove Rhys to undo his trousers and let Rose reach in with her soft but not inexperienced hands. She was warm and welcoming as she slid down on his hardness. It was an altogether new feeling for Rose, both the position and partner but that day was one for new although misguided experiences.
It all ended too soon for Rose but Rhys' exclamation and shuddering breath told her he had finished. He kissed her deeply with a warm tenderness. "That was…" he breathed heavily. "You're amazing."
Rose grinned and pressed her forehead into his. "You're pretty amazing yourself," she said with fluttering in her stomach. With an ache in her knees, Rose moved back to the seat she had occupied earlier and stretched out her legs.
"I definitely think you'd have a fair shot at football with those legs," Rhys told Rose vehemently. "Stamina and all."
"I'll mention that on my application," Rose assured him with a note a derision in her voice. Catching the time on the wall, a bit of color left Rose's face. "Oh balls. I'm going to be late if I don't get a move on."
Watching Rose dress in a hurry, Rhys jotted down his mobile number. "Take my number," he insisted with a smile. "Give me a call if you want to go catch a film or dinner." Rose took the number before leaving and said she'd give him a ring. As she left his flat, Rhys felt a hollowness in his stomach that came with having been used but not appreciated by the other. Ever the optimist, he hoped to see the stunning redhead again.