The music vibrated through the floor as they moved down the darkened staircase carrying their drinks. Purple spotlights and blue filters filled the undulating smoky darkness, distorting features and creating illusions in the shadows.
The deeper they travelled, the more disorienting the air became, as though the magic was too thick to breathe through. The beat seemed to awaken things deep and forgotten, almost forbidden as they were shown to their booth.
Luna had never been abroad before, although she had longed to travel since she was a young child. This was just a taster, a long weekend to see how she enjoyed it. A trip to the dragon sanctuary, a tour of the local sights and also Pansy's hen party.
This was the third club they'd been to, and they were all hoping that this one would meet Ginny's exacting standards. The redhead was determined to give Pansy the complete bachelorette experience. That they had yet to find something that would impress the Slytherin was hardly surprising to Luna. She and Neville were like Mooncalves, weaving a complicated mating dance around each other, and now that it was complete, they were mated for life.
Luna knew that Pansy would smile and nod at whatever delights were brought before her, but wouldn't indulge in anything vulgar. Her unfailing dedication to Neville would see to that, her pureblood mask remaining firmly in place regardless of her feelings beneath.
The rest of the party, however, could enjoy the sights. Especially as the majority of them were single. Hermione, Lily and Millicent made up the rest of their party, along with Daphne and her sister, Astoria. It had been their idea to come here, and knowing the number of creatures that could be found here, Luna was only too eager to accompany them.
The music switched to something slower with a hypnotic beat as they slid into the wide booth. There was an oval stage that took up the centre of the room, which also had floor-to-ceiling poles. The other clubs hadn't been anywhere near as elaborate, believing that women would see a naked man and swoon, without needing or wanting the full show.
One of the previous hunks had Hermione swooning, but Luna put that down to the alcohol she had consumed. Lily and Millie were giggly drunk as they stumbled into the booth together. Pansy seemed to be abstaining from alcohol, sticking to water.
The light dimmed even lower as they all huddled close together. They waited for the show to start, eagerly. The stage lit up with fuchsia light as someone on a broom zoomed in. There was a squeal of excitement as all the girls in the room turned to watch. The man landed carefully, and it was obvious to all that the brunette was naked except for a tiny thong.
Once firmly down, the man started to dance provocatively, using the broom to his advantage. The man was good looking and far better proportioned than some of the other men they had seen elsewhere. Some had so many muscles that they had seemed comical, like an exaggerated cartoon.
This man was toned and lithe like a swimmer. His short hair, cropped close to his scalp caused no distraction to the Venetian mask covering his face. Muscles rippled under his skin as he moved. Luna watched on with mild interest, before glancing at her friends. They all watched eagerly, their eyes solely for the stage before them.
She tugged at her short dress, it was one of Pansy's, and it fit her perfectly. However, it was so much shorter and tighter than anything she had ever worn before. She missed her dungarees and trainers and the comfort they offered. Taking a sip of her drink, she was surprised by the flavour. Lily had picked it for her, and the tang of peach and alcohol stung her taste buds. She was already feeling lightheaded from the couple of drinks she had tried at the last few clubs. Not drunk exactly, but hyper-aware of her surroundings.
Jerked from her thoughts, she watched as Ginny and the others moved to the music as though dancing on stage. Pansy sat smirking as she watched. But still no closer to joining in.
The room erupted in red sparks as an army of half-naked, masked men appeared, much to the appreciation of the audience. Women only outnumbering them two to one.
Luna sighed to herself. There had been many times in her life where she felt that maybe men just weren't that special, and this time seemed no different. She had certainly never experienced the sexual pull of them that she had read about in so many books. That same pull that all the women in the room seemed to feel, going by their rapturous expressions and shrieks of delight.
Even now, looking at the parade of gorgeous, near-naked men, she felt almost apathetic about the whole thing. She remembered the brief relationship she'd had with Neville. Their intimacy had not extended beyond kissing, their relationship was more intellectual and innocent than the passionate affairs their peers had thrown themselves into. They hadn't lasted long, her wanderlust fought the deep roots he tried to put down. Eventually, they drifted apart, fortunately, able to remain friends.
Luna's eyes rushed over chest after glistening chest dispassionately, as they danced and swayed in time with the music. Most were like dolls on a shelf, all the same, with the same short dark hair and high cheekbones. A few blonds joined the line up with slightly longer hair and unnaturally tanned skin. There was one who stood out. Her eyes lingered on him as her heartbeat quickened.
It was his long hair and beard that caught her eye first, followed by the dark tattoo that hung from his collarbone like a tribal neckpiece. The brunette posed, his dark eyes shining behind his mask even in the dim light. He was slightly shorter than some of the other men, some of whom probably had the blood of Giants running through their veins from some distant ancestor. He was muscled all over, not just his arms and chest, as though they were hard-earned. They were the muscles of someone who worked with their body day in and day out. Not just a couple of hours here and there at the gym.
Luna licked her lips as she gazed at him, feeling an unfamiliar tingle low in her stomach. Was this what sexual attraction felt like? It felt sweet and dangerous all in a single moment. She remembered her crush on Ronald Weasley in her younger days, but that had been nothing in comparison to this.
She felt him look at her, as though his gaze moved fingers across her skin. Her hands trembled, and she gripped the seat on either side of her, as though to tether herself to reality. The brunette flashed a smile, his straight, white teeth flashing in the smoke.
"Are you alright?" Someone asked, jerking her gaze away from the man. "Luna?" Astoria asked again. Luna nodded vaguely.
"It's getting a bit hot in here, don't you think?" she said distractedly
"I'd say so! Looks like things are about to get interesting!" She smirked, her eyes drawn back to the stage.
The men started their elaborate dance, and Luna found it almost impossible to follow her brunette with her eyes. As their bodies contorted and writhed around each other in time with the music, their grace and liquidity reminded her of a freshly hatched Occamy she had once seen. She knew that they were displaying their agility and prowess, like the great male Griffin when attracting a mate. Puffing up its chest and doing spectacular aerial acrobatics to prove its suitability as a potential partner.
These thoughts flitted through her mind as her eyes watched the brunette run his hand down his toned chest and into his dark jeans. She swallowed as his hand disappeared. He gripped himself and bit his lip, his eyes once again connecting with her. The other women screamed and cheered as the men started to peel out towards the ladies. The movement pulled Luna out of her trance once again.
She looked around in a slight panic, unfamiliar with the sensations running through her. She wondered whether there was something in the air as he stalked towards her, his muscles rippling beneath his skin. She noticed the faint traces of old scars as he reached her. He stopped and looked down at her before offering his hand. Glancing at the others, She realised she was on her own as the others were all preoccupied with their own men. It appeared that the other men hadn't been anywhere near as polite, judging by the expression of disgust on Pansy's face.
She turned back to the man before her, feeling an unfamiliar throb between her legs. His smile widened, and she wondered whether he could tell the effect he was having on her. She looked at his hand, as she weighed up her options, her own hands still gripping the seat.
"I don't bite. Well, not unless you want me to," He grinned, and Luna was surprised to hear an English accent. She took his hand without consciously deciding to. The thought of biting made her shiver as he pulled her from the booth.
His hand felt warm against her skin and seemed so large and strong as he pulled her flush against him. Her breath left her as he ran his hands down her sides, bringing their faces within kissing distance. This close, she could see the freckles that blessed his skin and the golden chocolate of his eyes which reminded her of someone else. They seemed to bore into her soul with the same strength and surety of tree roots.
He smiled as their eyes met, before beginning his dance routine, claiming her in the same intricate mating dance as the mooncalf. She remained motionless as her hypersensitive nerves thrummed with the energy that he seemed to be stoking inside her. By the time he straightened up, another sigh had escaped her lips.
"Turn around," he ordered, his voice barely above a whisper as he pressed his face to hers, his lips stroking her earlobe. He took her hand as he gently twirled her to face the booth again, bending her over. A thrill rushed through her veins and her breath caught in her throat as she felt him grind against her backside, her dress dangerously close to riding up. His hands held her hips and kept her from embarrassing herself, not that anyone was paying the slightest attention to them.
His large hands pulled her back hard, and she closed her eyes as she imagined what it would feel like if it were real. He straightened her and held her steady before pulling her to his broad chest. She closed her eyes as she fell headlong into the sensations. One hand released her hip to cup her stomach before the other joined it. Slowly they worked their way up her body, the tension escalating as they reached her breasts, but he released her before he could do anything inappropriate.
She mourned their loss as his left hand returned to her hip. His right hooking into her hair, arching her head back and baring her throat. All the while, he moved and swayed to the music against her back. She felt hypnotised into submission as he kissed her neck, sending lightning to her throbbing core. She moaned as he grazed her skin with his teeth.
"Do you want me to stop?" He breathed against her skin. He sounded almost as affected as she was. It took all her concentration to shake her head. But he released her after a brief kiss to her skin. She felt bereft of his touch as his hand gripped hers and pulled her around again. "Meet me outside later?" He begged desperately as he ran his hands down her sides, surreptitiously smoothing down her dress.
She looked at his face. In the violet strobe lighting, he looked eerie and ethereal like one of the Irish faeries of old. Maybe that's what this was, faery magic, like a siren calling her so that she could crash upon the rocks.
Siren's call or not, she knew she would brave the rocks to feel like this again. She nodded. His answering smile caused her heart to stutter before he kissed her hand and returned to the stage.