Early that morning, Poppy rose to make breakfast for herself before she went to her work at St. Mungo's. After several minutes of deciding, she realized she really wasn't hungry. With that knowledge in mind, she settled for having a slice of coffee cake followed up with a bottle of butterbeer to wake her up. Drinking long and deeply of the drink, she slowly felt some warmth spreading around inside her.

Sighing a little, she set down the bottle just as there was a knock at the door. She paused a moment before she went to the window, peering out of the gauzy curtains to find Aurelius standing just outside in her yard. He smiled that slick smile of his and waved at her in a mock genial manner. Poppy stared back, her heartbeat quick. She knew she couldn't risk staying inside and ignoring him. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and slipped outside.

She moved towards him, all the while wishing she could run far away. Aurelius bowed and took her hand in his, pulling her into his arms when he stood upright once more. "Morning, my dear," he spoke quietly, his lips grazing her cheek. "Did you miss me?" He taunted, kissing her intensely, sliding his hand up and down her back.

She closed her eyes, hoping to block out his face from her mind and instead suffuse it with an image of Alastor. It worked well enough for the moment. She didn't quiver or cringe, for which she was glad of. She needed to be able to combat him in his game.

Pulling away a moment later, he looked down at her with an unreadable expression. He paused, his fingers tracing her jawline. "I noticed big brother visited you the other night," he commented, glancing behind her at her cottage. His eyes flickered back to hers, bright with malice. "Worried for his little sister, is he?" Aurelius inquired, nonchalantly.

How did he know that Stewart visited me? She remained quiet. As if reading her thoughts, Aurelius smiled widely. "I have my own network of spies, you know." He laughed coldly and mirthlessly. "Can't leave little baby bird unwatched now can I?" Aurelius went on to ask rhetorically, fingering the buttons on the collar of her robes, his fingers fluttering over the base of her throat. She remained standing still, determined to undermine him somehow, but not knowing how quite yet. Instead she focused her eyes on his own, determined not to flinch or blink no matter what he did.

"I also know that one Minerva McGonagall visited you yesterday morning," he remarked airily, kissing her throat. "It's a pity I didn't pay my respects to her. As I understand it, her brother was killed, was he not?" Aurelius inquired lazily, his hand on her hip, pulling her a little closer. "By the Fatali, am I correct?" He asked, his eyes coldly intense.

Poppy gazed back steadily, refusing to say a word. He was just toying with her. He was saving the real bite for later, of that much she knew. He merely smirked at her, apparently happy with her response. She suddenly wondered then if that was how she could psyche him out, how she could defeat him. Perhaps if she fed his ego enough, maybe she might be able to turn the tables on him...

He stepped away from her then, gazing around at her cottage and the grounds. "Well, my lovely, it's time I left. You'd best be getting yourself to work or someone might think there is something amiss." He declared, letting his eyes rove back to her. "Can't have that now, can we?" He tilted her chin up with his fingers a little, his eyes staring straight into hers. "No, we can't." She responded automatically, keeping her eyes from wavering or blinking. He smiled a cruel smile, leaning in to kiss her once again, his hands traveling up her frame and just barely grazing her bosom as they went to nestle in her long ashy tawny hair.

Closing her eyes once more she focused deeply on the image of her love in her minds eye, and kissed him back a little, hoping to achieve two things in doing this; one, to catch him off guard and two, mainly to pretend for one moment that this was not happening to her and that she was safe with Alastor, warm in his embrace. However, it was more the first intention, as she figured she might as well play his game.

Aurelius didn't respond at once, being more slick and subtle than she could ever want to be. He slowly wound his hands from her hair, bringing them to rest atop her shoulders. Even more slowly, he pulled away to glance down at her, staring at her intently and giving nothing away in his expression. He removed his hands from her shoulders, but let his fingers barely trace her lips. She barely felt a tremor in her heart, but otherwise managed to stay perfectly still and aloof. He smiled. "Well, it's time I left. Good day, Poppy." He murmured and kissed her hand before turning with a swish of his cloak and vanishing before her eyes.

She stood there a moment and then turned to go back inside, carefully glancing everywhere as she did so, hoping in vain to spot anything out of the ordinary that would indicate how he was able to watch her home and have knowledge of who came and went.

You will get your comeuppance. Rest assured, you will.