URBAN CONFESSIONS
Chapter One: Cole Bantering
"Harper Urban, I presume?" someone asked with amusement, the Russian accent almost unbearably thick.
I shivered before looking up...
And up...
And into a pair of gold-green eyes. Talk about exotic.
And very attractive.
"Yes?" I replied with raised brows as I mentally shook myself of my surprise. The man had to be taller than Bill Weasley who I knew was an even 6'3".
Yes, I asked. Wouldn't you?
"Casino Cole-Zonerowich," he introduced lightly, his eyes highly amused, "at your service."
I blushed furiously when I stood and practically felt his eyes take me in. I stood at 5'1" and probably looked like a baby in a cradle compared to him. Not to say he was fat; he wasn't. In fact, he was (at least I suspected) lean with muscle and certainly very, very tall. I had to tilt my head all the way back to look up at him. I think this made him far more amused because his eyes glittered more so than before.
"Is dis all you haff?" he asked with a skeptical look as he finished examining me before glancing down at my trunk and Hedwig in her cage, now wide awake and practically glaring at the man.
For a second, I couldn't help but feel I should know him. Then I shook myself mentally. This wasn't the time for deep thinking.
"Yes, Mr. Cole, it is," I replied evenly, meeting his eyes once more.
"Are ve ready den?" he asked as I gathered Hedwig's cage as she ruffled her feathers to appear larger than normal.
"Yes, I should think so," I replied softly, nerves getting the better half of me.
Something about him told me that he'd just as soon rip my throat out then smile at me. I couldn't help but feel sort of drawn though. I always found playing with fire nicer than anything else. Metaphorically speaking, of course.
And the man was extremely alluring, generally speaking. If his nose didn't look so mangled from what appeared to be numerous breakings, he'd actually be quite the catch. Not to say he wasn't attractive in the first place, but had he a normal nose, he'd look something akin to a swimsuit model that my Aunt Petunia seemed to love to look at whenever we went shopping and she found a magazine to page through. It's still a wonder to me how she could stay with that man she calls a husband. He was gross on so many levels, but to each their own.
The man picked up my trunk effortlessly and told me to follow him. We made it to a decent sized car and he opened the trunk, putting my trunk in it before closing it. I waited for further instruction. Front, back, it didn't matter, but I wouldn't sit where he didn't want me.
"Sit vherever," he stated, as though reading my thoughts.
I took the seat behind the drivers, not wanting my back partially turned to him in any way. Just because my Great Aunt trusted him, didn't mean I should. You should always be wary of new acquaintances. Gosh, I sounded like a rendition of my recent Defense teacher.
Constant vigilance!
There was an awkward silence that followed as he gracefully slipped into the driver's seat, started the car, and took off. I looked out the window into the dark London night and wondered if I had done the right thing. Then I mentally reprimanded myself. Of course I did the right thing. Right now, wizards were on an all time no-trusting high.
I looked up to see exotic eyes peering briefly at me through the rearview mirror. Those eyes were saying something. What they were saying, well I'm sure it wasn't expected. We kept locking eyes for the next few minutes before he spoke.
"You know you'd be attractive if you rid yourself of dose nerdy glasses," Casino Cole commented, his eyes meeting mine in the rearview mirror.
"Gee, thanks," I replied sarcastically. "I forgot being a nerd went out of fashion since the nineties came around. I'll be sure to rectify my current situation immediately come morning."
He started laughing. "I'll be sure to inform your Aunt."
"And I'll be sure to tell her you were making fun of me," I replied, my lips lifting up in a half smile.
"I believe she'd side vith me," he told me with a low chuckle. "She might even take you up on dat morning trip."
"Then I'll be sure to tell her it's not needed," I replied with a frown. "I'm quite all right with the way I look."
"I assume you haven't looked in a mirror recently," he chuckled with a lower voice that was almost a purr.
"I'm not sure whether I should be comfortable with a man twice my age talking about me being attractive or not," I stated calmly.
"Vhy vould dat make you uncomfortable?" he chuckled.
"I think it's against the Laws of nature and God," I replied with a raised brow.
I could hear the smirk in his voice. "Laws vere made to be broken."
"And God just wants us to be happy?" I asked rhetorically.
"I can't see him vanting anything less," he replied with a laugh.
"I can see your reason," I noted.
"I'm glad you grasp the concept," he chuckled in a decibel above bedroom.
"However I'm not some brainless yuppie," I stated with a smirk.
"Of course not," he chuckled. "Dat vould take all the fun out of it."
I rolled my eyes. "Of course it would."
We fell silent for a time. I looked out the window, trying to make out shapes in the night as we drove past. My eyes wandered and again met his own in the rearview mirror. I could tell he had been eyeing me for some time between the times he looked around as he drove.
"It would be inevitably tacky to be seen in an interpersonal relationship with my Great Aunt's driver," I stated matter-of-factly.
"I promise you'll haff fun," he chuckled wickedly.
"And I promise you that it'll be considered statutory rape," I replied with a small smile.
"How old are you?" he asked with a mock faltering tone.
"Almost fifteen, Mr. Cole," I answered with amusement.
He sighed heavily. "Bummer."
I started laughing. "Perhaps you'll soon find another to chase after?"
"Not bloody likely," he muttered darkly.
"Aw, yes, your approach was a bit too becoming and rabid, Mr. Hound Dog," I teased.
"I am not a dog," he hissed.
"Forgive me," I laughed. "Did you want to be compared to a bunny rabbit with sexual prowess?"
"---"
"I see," I noted with pursed lips, trying to suppress the grin that threatened to split my face. "Is cat in heat more to your liking?"
"Da, it vould be," he growled.
"Now, now Tiger," I eased with a small smile. "There is no need to turn your stripes into spots."
"I can't talk to you anymore," he stated grumpily.
I leaned back into the seat and smirked as I met his eyes in the rearview mirror again. "Good. I'm proud that you can take the time to learn Silence."
He paused and I could almost see the smirk he gave in result. "You are very mean-spirited. Has anyone told you dat?"
"Not lately," I replied thoughtfully. "Besides, I wasn't being mean in the least. I was actually being quite playful. I rarely ever get to spar verbally with anyone these days."
"I see," he chuckled. "You are easily bored."
"You'd think not considering how much trouble I'm likely to get into," I replied, turning my gaze to the night. I sighed. "Perhaps that is why I was abandoned? I'm too much trouble."
He growled. "I've only met the people you lived vith once, but to say you're the bad one of the lot is pushing it."
"Then you are the driver I briefly saw that one day," I noted with a look of comprehension. "For a moment, I thought you seemed passingly familiar."
"Da, I vas the one to point out to your Aunt your living situation," he stated with a rough and angry tone. "It is shameful dat ve could not gain guardianship of you. Do not say you're the bad one, Harper. Dose people vere quite vile."
I fell silent as I looked out the window. Maybe he was right? It wasn't my fault.
But after years of hearing that it was, it's hard to say who's right and who's wrong anymore.
Notes:
To answer that one reviewer about why he's carrying the number about... Well don't you carry odd ball things about with you when you go to places? Harry's always needed to keep things on him otherwise the Dursleys or someone will take it. It's like a safety precaution. I myself carry a pen and small notebook everywhere I go. I hook the pen to my knee-high boot and slide the notebook in my back or coat pocket. It's just a silly precaution. You know, always be prepared.
And, yes, I'm going to try and continue this one. I wrote the rest of this as I needed to take a break from the other and think over what I was writing. This is along the lines of free-writing here, funnily enough. Thank you for the reviews. You'll be meeting the Aunt in the next chapter.
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