Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter, not me, unfortunately.
Mara
"What can I get for you?" The bubbly Chinese witch chattered. She whisked a large pot off the table and spun it through the air, landing it soundly in front of Aurora and James. Aurora flushed, recalling their morning tryst.
"This is fine."
"Thanks, Mara." James wrapped an arm around Aurora's chair and the pink-haired witch practically simpered.
"Anything, James, at all." With that, she left the room, throwing flirtatious glances behind her as she went.
"She likes you," Aurora murmured dryly. She reached for the butter knife.
"Does she?" Aurora rolled her eyes. "Shame that the only girl I'm devoted to-"
"Yes?"
"-Is a petulant witch who rolls her eyes too much." James finally lifted his arm off the back of his chair and reached for the pot. Aurora scowled.
"Who else is here?"
"D'no." James shoveled food into his mouth, ignoring Aurora's disapproving nudge. "Snow's s'pposed t'let up in a few days."
"In a few days?" Aurora stood up, her uneaten dish falling to the table unceremoniously. James, feeling the concern radiating off of her, stopped eating.
"I know it seems scary, Aurora, but there's nothing we can do." Aurora's frown eased slightly. "Come on, let's go watch a movie or something."
Aurora stared at James for a minute before shrugging and padding off to the bedroom. Idly, she wondered where his bedroom was. As if sensing her thoughts, he pointed to the bed.
"Don't worry, I don't bite." James tore his shirt off and sank into the bed. After a beat, he patted his knee expectantly. "Unless you want me to."
Aurora rolled her eyes. Two could play that game. Aurora rid herself of his sweater, standing unabashedly in her red bikini.
"Does the housekeeper have any clothes?" James gasped.
"I don't-I think-in the box," he finally muttered, hoarse. Aurora turned around, sifting through the box. Finally, after finding a satin bra with overlapping straps and matching panties, Aurora turned around.
"Close your eyes, Mr. Potter."
"Call me that again, and I don't think I'll be able to do anything." Still, he closed his eyes, a pained smile lifting his lips. Aurora quickly stripped herself of her bikini and changed. She took a second to admire her figure before climbing into bed with James, surrendering for the second time that day. He opened his eyes and grinned boyishly.
"What do you want to watch?"
"Sleeping Beauty." Aurora looked up at him, and he kissed her forehead, amusement dancing across his face. As they watched the movie, Aurora drifted to sleep, and James drank her in. She breathed lightly, her eyelashes fluttering slightly as she dreamt, perhaps of a fairytale similar to one of the sleeping Aurora. After ten more minutes, James too fell asleep, cradling Aurora in his arms. The snow didn't stop.
"A ball?" Aurora glowered. She had woken up from her nap too soon and now Ms. Simpering, I-Love-James-Potter witch was dragging her out of bed while James slept under the covers.
"Yes, you simply must attend, we host it every year!" And who attends, Aurora thought sourly, brushing past the witch. As if hearing her thoughts, Mara elaborated: "Locals gather from the nearby village to an evening of sweets and tricks!"
"Tricks?"
Mara looked puzzled.
"Every year, each eligible witch must dance with the best of suitors. If a suitor declares her…" She looked around the room for a minute, as if for inspiration. "...desirable, he will court her and take her home."
Aurora scoffed. She didn't need another old ritual to determine who she would go home with.
"I'm afraid that Mr. Potter and I will be gone by then." Even as Aurora said the words, she knew they were untrue. The snow hadn't stopped falling since they arrived, and Aurora placed their arrival at one day ago, maybe two. And by the looks of it, the fierce blizzard wasn't going to ease up any time soon.
"You must."
"How will villagers arrive?"
"They are familiar with these parts, miss." Mara eyed her up skeptically before lightening. "I bet you will find a good-looking suitor!"
Suddenly, Aurora felt a warm presence behind her, and James snaked his arm around her waist, hugging her close to him.
"She already has one, Mara." Mara flushed an unflattering shade of red. Aurora scowled, shrugging James' arm off of her. Now that she had gathered her wits, she held some resentment towards James for dragging her to motels with flirty witches and ocean wallpapers.
"I'd be interested to see some of them." James bristled and walked over to Mara, brushing her arm as he searched for a glass. Mara tittered, evidently recovered from her distress.
"Here, James, let me help you with that." Mara reached up, all thumbs as she searched through the cabinets. James listened with apparent interest as Mara blathered on about imported glass. Aurora rolled her eyes with annoyance. Mara turned to James, handing him the cup and letting her hand linger on his.
Before James could even blink, Aurora flicked her wand and the glass shattering into the cabinet, earning a yelp from Mara.
"That cup just wouldn't do," she hissed before storming out of the room. Mara looked positively mortified, running out of the room soon after, leaving James to repair the glass. He resisted the urge to laugh - Aurora Knight was jealous!
He just couldn't wait to make it up to her later. As he amended the scattered pieces, he wondered what he would do. No doubt, she would be searching for another place to sleep, and he didn't want his rash decisions to push her into the arms of another man. Suddenly, James had an idea. He just couldn't wait for the night.
Aurora was fuming, mad enough to shred James' shirt and send it in perpetual flurries around the room. In a fiery resolve, she promised to find the host and claim another room. Nevermind the fact that she didn't have money, anything was better than living with James and his feather kisses and sweatpants and his teasing and-
Aurora shredded James's shirt and sent it in perpetual flurries around the room. It didn't make her feel better, which was disconcerting. And now James had another reason to saunter around half-naked. Unfortunately for Aurora, there were no vacancies, as Mara regretfully informed her.
Aurora concocted a plan. She would make his life a living hell, drive him into another room, let it be Mara's! Still, it left a sour taste in her mouth, imagining him kissing her like he kissed Aurora. Aurora shook these thoughts from her head, reminding herself that he was her arrogant and rude boss. For the time being, Aurora could convince herself that she was attracted to his kisses, to the swoon-worthy nights with him. The worst part was that they hadn't even had sex yet. For that - she was glad, it might further damage her resolve to give in.
Aurora was too caught up in her thoughts to remain in the stifling room. She wandered the hallways of the small hotel until she stumbled upon their bedroom again. It had turned to night, and Aurora was hungry and angry.
Turning on the light, Aurora gasped.
Draped on the bed was an evening gown. Champagne-colored and sparkling with diamonds, the gown was resplendent. The sleeves were glimmering lace. Tulle gathered under the dress, giving it the illusion of fullness. It was slim until the waist, where it swelled elegantly. Aurora fingered the fabric, her breath caught in her throat. She carefully lifted the dress up, admiring the way the gown simply flowed. It was low cut in a V, with the entire back exposed. Aurora quickly slid out of her overalls and plucked up the lingerie that accompanied the dress, which was a simple blush bra and black lace pinned over it.
The gown pooled around her feet as Aurora stepped into the dress. The lingerie and dress fit immaculately, and as Aurora slid her arms into the sleeves, she wondered how James knew her size. Suddenly, she felt it. His presence, the tension in the room that came with it.
"Will you zip me up, please?" Her voice sounded breathy and high, and she cursed herself for it.
She felt his breath on her neck, his fingertips sending shooting electricity through her body and scattered her wits.
"You're glowing," he whispered. He teased her, nipping her earlobe with his teeth. Aurora leaned her head back and let out an involuntary moan, desire settling hot and thick. She was disappointed when James stepped back.
"You don't look bad yourself." Understatement of the century, Aurora thought, as she smoothed down his lapel shakily, finding it impossible to keep her hands to herself.
"That's good to hear." James grabbed her wrists, the heat in her eyes driving him crazy. He was dressed impeccably in a dark suit, a white dress shirt with the top two buttons undone. His hair was ruffled, almost as if done intentionally. Aurora felt breathless, as if she'd been climbing a mountain and the air was thinning.
Aurora knew it had to end that night.
What? Two updates in two days? I know, it's crazy. Have a good night, all, and don't forget to leave a review!
Talie