Disclaimer... Not mine. Nothing Harry Potter related it mine. And nothing Linenverse related is mine. I am making no profit out of any of them. Ishmael is mine though. Because he's pretty flushes when he's nervous and aroused. He's going in my adult toy cupboard...

Dedication... To Sarah (Bally). For creating the Linenverse which is gifted in its complexity and glory. And to the "fairwelloclaire" person who reviewed on her site, talking about how great this fic is and begging the person to continue. I've been very, very busy over the last few months, moving and all, but your review made me make time to sit and carry on. Thanks!

Random... Sorry about the wait folks. So much has been happening. Enjoy though!

~ Chapter 3 ~

I slipped into the Vent via a side door, 5 minutes late. I had deliberately stalled for longer than necessary on my way, hoping that I would find him waiting, and watching the main door. I was in luck. With it being early evening the bar was just clearing of the after-work crowd and had not yet attracted the night-crowd. Ishmael had managed to claim a tall table, with metal stools and foot rests. I always preferred those to the standard tables. At the taller tables you could still see over the crowd.

I had no idea why I had wanted to make Ishmael wait slightly, and so come up on him without notice. I had supposed it was to make up for all the times Marcus had done it to me. I had made a conscious decision never to be the one waiting again. Marcus was the last time I would let anyone else control me to the point where I even dressed as they wanted.

"Hi." Ishmael's head swung round and again I saw his skin flush slightly. I grinned.

"Hi. I – though you'd be coming in the main door." He was looking up at me slightly, lips parted with a pulse beating rapidly in his neck. His nervousness along with the surprise I had given him made an appealing sight. No wonder Marcus had liked this so much.

"I was coming from the other direction. Can I get you another one?" I pointed at the mostly-finished drink on front of him. He nodded. I grinned at him again. Oh this was so much fun. This man was clearly attracted to me, and the more I took control, the more he seemed to like it. As I paid for two pints at the bar I suppressed a knowing smirk. I would definitely get my way with him tonight. No doubt about it.

*

"I never asked about your interview. How did it go?" We had been sitting, drinking and talking, for at least a few hours. The Vent had filled with men and a few women talking loudly over pounding music. I had never understood the reasoning behind loud music in a bar. If you wanted music that loud, you went to a club. A bar was for talking, but with the music – and crowd trying to be heard over it – conversations had to be shouted. The only good thing was that to be heard I had to lean right up in Ishmael, and he to me.

"Not too bad. She was a little pissed off about me arriving late, but I used the old Weasley Charm and she's put me forward for the next level." Ishmael smiled at me, rolling his drink in the glass.

"So do you often use the Weasley Charm to get what you want?" The question was clearly flirtatious. It was accompanied by a raise of his eyebrow. I threw back my head and laughed.

"Only on special occasions." Ishmael laughed with me. We grinned at each other.

"So what's the job for?" He lifted his drink to his lips, licking a small amount of escaping amber liquid from his lips. I was distracted by his tongue for a moment. He noticed and again there was the slight flush to his skin. I felt my trousers tighten. For some reason I found his slight discomfiture incredibly arousing. His skin was dark enough that even a full blush would only darken it slightly, but when it did he looked so beautiful. I couldn't help but imagine how he would look naked with that look on his face.

I deliberately looked pointedly over his shoulder to hide my momentary lapse and when his head turned to see what I was looking at I told him I thought I'd seen someone I knew. He seemed to accept it readily enough.

"It's work for a bank abroad. HSBC. Working for their foreign department in Cairo." I answered his previous question.

"Cairo?" Ishmael's eyes widened and I smiled at his shock. He really was too pretty. It should be illegal. "When would you be going?" I was flattered by the slight distress in his tone as he realised that I might be leaving the country. I laughed.

"Oh not for months. It's to fill the place of someone who's retiring anywhere between six months and a year from now. They're recruiting early to make sure they get the right person. And I fully intend that person to be me." As I said the words I realised the truth in them. My claims to Miss Sheliac had been dissembling, but that didn't stop the fact that I really felt I would enjoy treasure hunting. Wasn't it everyone's dream?

Ishmael smiled at me again. "Well that's ok then." We shared a Look before we both laughed slightly and took a drink. It was almost time for another round, but I had decided that enough small talk was enough.

"It's too loud in here. This is just stupid. I'm fed up of shouting. Shall we find somewhere a bit quieter?" Ishmael nodded his agreement and polished off the last of his drink. I did the same, watching him over the rim of my glass. He stood up and reached round to the back of the stool to pick up a jacket he didn't have with him. He grinned wryly at himself when there was nothing there and shook his head. As he turned back to me I turned to place my empty glass on the table, pretending I hadn't just seen the whole thing. Members of the crowd nearby were eyeing us openly and I knew as soon as we left there would be a rush to see who would claim the table first. I smiled and gestured Ishmael to precede me before following him with a not-to-subtle look at his compact body as he weaved through the crowd in front of me.

As we left the bar onto the fairly busy street outside the music dropped to a more acceptable level as the door drifted closed behind us. Ishmael turned to me.

"So where do you live anyway?" I suppressed a grin. This was exactly what I had been hoping for. An opening.

"I live out in the country at the moment. I was going to invade a friend's house tonight and crash on her sofa." I had in fact planned to aparate to The Burrows, but I could hardly tell him that. Either way it made it clear that I could not take him anywhere to be alone.

I watched as Ishmael worried his bottom lip slightly and nodded at my explanation. He seemed to be working up courage and I hopÛÛÛÝÝÝÞÝÝßßàäâããáäââãäæææççæääèçèçèëåèéäåããââäåâæäãäääâåçææåèêèêìíìêêèééæçëæååäåäãäâãæããääæåçççêæçèåæèçèéêççíìììëèsome great drinks there." He paused again before adding in a rush – "It would save some money on drinks out and get away from the crowd."

I knew I shouldn't have, but I was so pleased at my plan having worked that I stood looking thoughtful for a moment, appearing to ponder, making him squirm, before allowing my grin to spread. "Sounds like a plan." Ishmael's grin was part relief and part anticipation. I couldn't stop myself leaning in closer to kiss his curving lips and was pleased when my advance was enthusiastically received. After a moment we pulled back with identical dopey grins. I laughed and reached down for his hand.

"Shall we?" He nodded and we walked in the direction Ishmael indicated.

*

I aparated into The Burrows just after breakfast. Ishmael had needed to get to work and I had claimed an early train. I had his number tucked into a pocket and I fully intended to see him again. It had been the most amazing night. My imagination had done no justice to the wanton look Ishmael got when naked and flushed with arousal. I grinned again, remembering. I walked into the kitchen where my mother was clearing the table and Charlie was finishing off a cup of coffee.

"And exactly where were you last night?" My mother stood with her hands on her hips, apron ties draping slðïïòðíîëëðíîííëêòìëôïïîëïñêíïîóïñïëííëìïîëìííïîìíììíííîíííîíïðïøûûuxuw~þûýóòùñôõñôïööóøôýûøxõû~üúv|õþôõõòïññïïïairs to my room two at a time. This was going to be fun.