Not with a ten foot poll

Myrtle's entire body was tingling, but how couldn't it be, so close to him. She couldn't remember a single second in her entire moaning life that someone, outside her immediate family, of course, had held her so close; the experience was intoxicating. The tingling, however, did little to quiet the whispering as he and she entered the teashop.

"Look at those two, as cozy as could be."

"It makes me want to puke."

"He said no to me, and then goes out with her?"

Myrtle caught a flash of blond in her peripheral vision, as Diane tossed back her hair agitatedly as she made the sideways comment to the fawning boy beside her; a nervous shiver ran up her back, and Myrtle quickly relocked her gaze ahead just in time to sit down without falling all over her own feet.

Then, there he was, sitting across from her; looking curiously around, anywhere but at her. Myrtle glanced quickly down at the table, her fingers fiddling with the napkin; sending the spoon clattering to the floor.

"Sorry." Myrtle mumbled as she bent down under the table; sitting back up, under his somewhat annoyed look, she sighed. It was so hard to hold onto her tenuous bravado in a situation like this. What was she supposed to be doing anyway?

"What'll it be?" Myrtle looked up, startled, to see a buxom young waitress beaming down at them welcomingly.

"Two… Regular teas." Myrtle's voice started vaguely, but gained strength as Bakura nodded, for him, almost encouragingly. Perhaps he was even a little bit more lost then she was.

"Cream and sugar?"

Myrtle paused, glancing over at the ever-silent boy across from her, as he remained, silent. Well, if he wasn't going to say anything. "Cream and sugar for both of us please." The words fought to remain in her head, but she managed, in the end, to force them out rather normally.

A single questioning look at Bakura, and the waitress was gone; Bakura offered her a slight smile.

"Pryor, taking the lead?"

"Too full of herself."

"I agree." There was that flash of blond again; Myrtle looked quickly away, to stare at Riddle and Drusilla.

There wasn't much to see; a fairly attractive young man, his very posture emanating cocky self-confidence, and power, and a sparkling, simpering, and poisons looking women of seductive proportions, smiling at each other through gritted teeth.

"Here you go."

Myrtle jerked from her stare at the words, and a light touch on her arm. Only to find two steaming cups of tea between her, and Bakura's left hand curled back, as if he had just flinched back from a hot flame.

"Thank-you." Myrtle offered the women a shy smile, as she reached for the comforting warmth of the mug of hot tea.

Sipping delicately at her own drink, Myrtle watched with interest as Bakura took one shy sip, and then downed the liquid in what could only be described as a few short, uncharacteristic, gulps.

"That was very good." He commented after a few silent moments.

"I'm glad you liked it, though you could have ordered anything you liked." Myrtle looked at him questioningly, his curious silence brought back to the forefront of her mind.

"I was only letting you be more confident." His answer was very smooth, but Myrtle thought it a very calculated dodge. He wasn't stupid, though all evidence pointed to the contrary, what with him hanging out with her so much…

She wasn't going to think about that! She was only going to enjoy whatever time he gave her; not wonder aimlessly about the future.

"I wouldn't get that close to Pryor for a million galleons, imagine the stink."

Myrtle noted, as her breaths shortened, that she had leaned perceptively closer to her companion, and quickly jerked her body back from the abyss.

"Look at the time." Myrtle barely managed the words without a stutter as she glanced around hurriedly for a clock. "I should really be getting back to the castle. Do you mind if I go? Do you want to come?"

"Sure." He looked, almost, confused, though that was not a state that she often attributed to him, but agreed with a curt nod. He probably didn't hear everything everyone said about them, or maybe it just didn't grate on him like it did her.

Standing, flustered, she walked sharply out of the teashop, and out into the cold. She felt so cold; so empty.