Duncan rolled over on his back, staring at the ceiling. "Megan. We need to talk."

"Sure." Megan shrugged, wondering why he sounded so gloomy.

You'd think sex would put him in a better mood. But Duncan had been quiet and morose all week, no matter how hard she'd tried to cheer him up. Twice, he had postponed their trysts at the last minute, claiming he was too busy. And yesterday, he'd missed the first ten minutes of his class, and the students had to remind him which spell they were supposed to be working on. It wasn't like him to be so absent-minded. Even their love-making had been kind of subdued today, as if something was weighing on his mind. Still hot, of course. Megan wasn't about to complain, considering he'd just made her come twice and she was still tingling all over.

"This…" Duncan's gesture took in the hotel room in its entirety, the two of them stretched out on the rumpled bedsheets, the bottle of red wine and the two glasses on the table, the clothes strewn all over the floor. "This is our last time together, Meg. I'm leaving on Friday."

"What do you mean, you're leaving?" Megan had a hard time taking him seriously. Our last time together. Could he be any more melodramatic? "Where? Why?"

"I've got a new job. A lecturing position at the Academy of Advanced Magic and Sorcery in California." He turned to face her. "It's the real thing, you see. A proper university, plenty of government grants, the latest in wizarding equipment. I'll be assistant professor of wandless magic, working with-" He broke off at the sight of her expression. "You don't care, do you?"

"It's because of me, isn't it?" Megan felt a cold lump in her stomach. "You think you have to leave because we-" She couldn't go on.

Duncan sighed deeply. "No. Well, yes. It's complicated." He ran a gentle hand along her jaw, but she shook him off angrily. "You're part of the reason. This whole thing… us… it's never been a good idea, and you know it, Meg."

"Why?" Megan glared at him. Some small part of her knew her behaviour wasn't rational, but she didn't care. She was too mad at him. "We've been careful. No one knows about us. No one suspects a thing."

"Don't be too sure." Duncan looked grim. "A few of the other teachers have been giving me odd looks lately. But that's not what I mean. It's just-"

"I've told you a million times, I don't mind that you're older." Megan knew she sounded desperate, but she couldn't just give up. "We have fun together. Don't we?"

"We do." Duncan smiled, and in a way, that was worse. It was so fucking obvious he'd already made up his mind. "But, Megan… You deserve more than a secret affair. You should be going out with someone your age, someone you can fall in love with. You should be in a relationship that actually has a future."

"But I'm not interested in the future, or in falling in love." She snorted contemptuously. "And none of the guys my age are half as hot as you."

"Well, that's flattering." His smile widened, but then he turned serious again. "It's not just the age difference, though. Soon there'll be exams to be graded, reports to be written. I can't in good conscience-" He broke off, when he realised she wasn't listening. "Look, I told you right from the start-"

"Yeah, you did." She laughed mirthlessly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have seduced you. My mistake."

"Stop it." Duncan shook his head. "I'm a grown man, and you didn't force me to do anything against my will. I'm the one who should have known better, and if anyone should apologise, it's me. But, Megan…" His voice grew softer, more pleading. "Look, for all that I've told you, I can't bring myself to regret being with you. I loved it, every single moment of it. And I'm sad to see it end."

"Then why do you want to end it?" Megan tossed her hair back in a gesture of sheer defiance. "I'm not asking you to. And I'm an adult, too. I'm not a child!"

"I never said you were. There are a million good reasons to end it, and you know them all. You just don't want to hear them." Duncan sighed again. "But quite apart from all that, Meg, I probably would have accepted the offer anyway. It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance. I'm not getting any younger, and this is what I've always dreamed of. You'll get over me, I know you will."

"I guess." All of a sudden, Megan felt very tired. So that's it. At the end of the day, his career comes first. She told herself she shouldn't be surprised. Duncan had made it clear from the start that his outlook on life was a lot more serious than hers. Still… "I'm going to miss you, you know." She swallowed hard.

"I'm going to miss you, too." He reached out again to stroke her cheek, and this time she let him. "Kiss me?"

She nodded, allowing him to pull her close, and when his lips found hers, she closed her eyes, pretending for a moment that this whole conversation hadn't happened. Duncan kissed her slowly, thoroughly, as if he wanted to commit her taste to memory. When he let go, there was regret in his eyes, but he looked determined.

And she wasn't going to be outdone by him. "All right." Megan raised her chin, taking a deep breath. "Let's get dressed. Time to go."

The teachers' table was empty when he arrived for dinner, and Duncan was glad. He wasn't in the mood for polite conversation. Picking listlessly at his food, he replayed last night's conversation with Megan in his head, over and over. He'd done his best to explain himself, and all things considered, she'd taken it well. So why did he still feel guilty?

It didn't help matters when Megan herself walked into the room, surrounded by a group of her friends – Daveth, Morrigan, Alistair, Leliana – and the lot of them sat down at a table right in his line of sight. Involuntarily, he searched her face for clues as to how she was doing. She was smiling at Daveth, but wasn't she a little paler than usual? And when she laughed, it seemed forced to him, as if she was going through the motions without-

"Don't worry. She'll be fine." Riordan dropped into the chair next to him, reaching for his goblet.

"I beg your pardon?" Duncan felt a shiver of apprehension race down his spine.

"She'll be fine," Riordan repeated, his eyes wrinkling in a smile. "Megan is not the type to mope for long. And you can relax, you know. Nobody will hear it from me."

"I-" For a moment, Duncan was lost for words. Quickly, he glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one was close enough to hear them. "How long have you known?"

"A while." Riordan shrugged. "Come on, Duncan. I've known you forever. I probably know you better than you know yourself. And I certainly know what you look like when you're head over heels for a girl."

"I'm not head over heels for her," Duncan protested weakly. "It was just-"

"Hey, you don't need to explain things to me." Riordan raised an expressive eyebrow. "You know I've never been one for following the rules. Not like you. It's quite a relief, in a way. Makes you more human."

"That's one way of looking at it." Duncan shook his head. "Doesn't change the fact that it's time to end it before things get out of hand."

"Probably." Riordan sighed. "And so you're leaving us. Headed for new shores, and all that. I have to say I envy you a little bit."

"Well, maybe you could join me over there." The idea sounded pretty appealing, as a matter of fact. "I'll keep an eye open, see if there are any positions that might suit you. Maybe something will come up."

"You think?" Riordan's brief smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "I don't know. I'm afraid I'm stuck here for life. But hey, I don't blame you. It's just… The place won't be the same without you."

Duncan nodded. He was going to miss Riordan, more than he cared to admit. "Let's hope for the best, shall we?" he said aloud. "I'm sure you haven't seen the last of me."

"Are you coming or not?" Morrigan sounded impatient. And an impatient Morrigan wasn't someone you could ignore, no matter how hard you tried.

"Coming where?" Megan raised her head from the book she'd been immersed in for the past three hours. It was a rather boring treatise on obliviation spells, but right now, forgetting sounded like a very attractive concept.

"To. The. Village." Leliana spoke slowly, in a tone normally reserved for small children or slow learners. "You know, going out. To have fun."

"Ah. Sorry." Megan yawned. "No, I'm not in the mood. Tomorrow maybe."

"You've been saying that every night for the past three weeks." In one swift motion, Morrigan pulled the comfy blanket off her feet. "You need to get out of this room before you grow roots."

"Hey!" Megan tried in vain to snatch the blanket back from her hands. "It's nice and cozy in here, and I've got a book to finish. You go without me. I'm fine."

"Nope." Morrigan shook her head. "You're not fine. You're mopey. And it's been going on for too long."

"Come on, ma chère." Leliana gave her a playful nudge. "I get being lovesick, but really, it's not the end of the world. You'll get over him."

Megan almost dropped her book. "What do you mean? Get over whom?"

"Oh please, my dear." Morrigan rolled her eyes at her. "Give us a little more credit, will you? The whole thing was so obvious."

"And so ill-advised. Sleeping with a teacher." Leliana shook her head. "But what can you do? C'est l'amour, eh?"

Morrigan snorted. "Lust rather than love, if you ask me. Unless I'm wrong and it was the real thing?" She glanced at Megan, raising a questioning eyebrow.

Megan decided to ignore the question. She was beginning to feel decidedly irritated. "So… does everybody know about me and him then? Have you all been discussing my love life all this time?"

"No, of course not." Leliana laughed her high, tinkling laugh. "The guys don't have a clue, obviously. Really, they are so blind sometimes."

Morrigan nodded. "Well, it's not surprising Alistair didn't notice, but I had expected more of Daveth. And yet he seems completely oblivious. As for the teachers… I don't think any of them realized what was going on."

"That's a relief." Megan sighed. "Ah, well. Nothing to be done. Thanks for keeping mum about it."

"No need to thank us, ma chère. It was quite entertaining to watch." Leliana's smile reminded Megan of a large predator. "But now it's all in the past and you're a free woman again. A free woman in need of something to cheer you up. So, come on. Get dressed, put on some make-up. You've got ten minutes."

A free woman. Ha! Still, Megan knew when she had lost. With a sigh, she got to her feet and started digging through her closet. She found a pair of jeans and a slinky top. Nothing fancy, but it would have to do. Quickly she ran a brush through her hair and applied some lipstick. "All right. Let's go. Though I fail to see how a trip to the village is going to cheer me up."

"Ah, just you wait." Leliana rolled her eyes in an exaggerated fashion. "There's this new bar, you see. Recently opened, and it's quite risqué."

"Well, what passes for risqué around here." Morrigan chuckled dryly. "It's called the Siren's Call, and the owner is… interesting."

"Interesting?" Megan was getting curious. "What do you mean, interesting?"

"Wait and see." Morrigan's smile was smug. "All I'm saying is, poor Alistair went bright red when I asked him if he wanted to come."

The bar turned out to be pirate-themed, with a Jolly Roger flying above the entrance and two bare-bosomed figureheads framing the carved wooden door. A neon sign on the wall promised various rum-based cocktails and the music blaring from the speakers was a weird mix of shanties and Caribbean rhythms. Combined with the dim, reddish light and the chains hung from the ceiling, it lent a surreal quality to the whole scene. Megan wasn't sure she liked it, but she had to admit it was fascinating.

"Look! That's Isabela. The proud owner of this quaint establishment." Morrigan pointed at a woman, who was sitting on a chaise in the corner, surrounded by a bevy of admirers. "Quite something, isn't she?"

Isabela was indeed a sight to see. Her hair, held back by a scarf, was long and black and luscious, and her skin dark and smooth. And there was plenty of it on display, since her white tunic only just managed to contain her luscious curves. She was wearing heavy gold jewelry, and thigh-high boots that Megan immediately coveted. They looked supple and soft, and insanely sexy, too, which was clearly the effect she was going for.

"Amazing outfit." Megan grinned at her friends. "No wonder poor Ali got all hot and bothered."

"He was mortified." Morrigan smiled maliciously. "Didn't know where to look, poor lamb. And she made a point of greeting him in person. She hugged him so tightly I was worried he'd suffocate."

"Well, I thought that was inappropriate." Leliana seemed less amused. "Anyway, have fun, ma chère. I think I see some old friends over there." And she disappeared into the darkness, headed for a corner table filled with a crowd of former Beauxbatons students.

Morrigan hung around a little longer, but soon she excused herself, too, having spotted two of their classmates in the crowd. Megan wandered across the room. She saw a few familiar faces, too, but she wasn't in the mood for idle chit-chat. And she was beginning to get thirsty. A drink, then. She headed for the bar.

The guy behind it was busy serving a couple of scantily clad witches who were giving their orders in rapid Spanish. Not an unusual thing to hear, so close to the border, but Megan was still fascinated by it. It seemed impossible that anyone could talk so fast and still convey information. She added 'learning Spanish' to her list of things to do once she found the time for it.

To keep herself busy while she was waiting, she took a closer look at the barman. He looked pretty exotic, too, with long, blond hair, tied back in a ponytail to keep it out of his face – an interesting contrast to his golden brown skin. The black muscle shirt he was wearing showed off the tattoos on his arms, and his tight jeans nicely emphasized his other assets. He was really well built, she thought idly, with long, lean muscles and a slim waist.

And when he turned around and she got a good look at his face, she found it just as attractive. High cheekbones, full lips, and another tattoo, two curved lines on his cheek. An odd choice, but on him, it looked stunning. He had beautiful eyes, too, heavy-lidded and soulful. No wonder the Spanish ladies had been so enthusiastic.

"How can I be of service?" He was favouring her with the full force of his smile now, and Megan felt her heart speed up involuntarily. His voice was heavily accented, but warm and smooth.

"I…" She had to swallow briefly. "A Cuba Libre, please."

He gave her a speculative look. "Are you of age?"

"I'm almost twenty!" Megan straightened herself up to her full height, staring indignantly into his eyes. He wasn't much taller than her, and not that much older, probably. Though it was hard to tell.

He smiled at her words. "No offense, querida. You're young and you're beautiful, and there's nothing wrong with either of that, no?"

From anyone else, the compliment would have sounded cheesy, but the look that accompanied his words carried enough heat to make it convincing. Besides, Megan had to admit that it felt nice to be appreciated. "You're right. I'm sorry." Tentatively, she smiled back.

"No need to apologize." Reaching behind him for the rum bottle, he quickly mixed her drink and handed it over to her. "Here you are. I'm Zevran, by the way, but you can call me Zev."

"I'm Megan." She took a careful sip. "This is good."

"Thank you." He seemed about to say more, but just then, another customer called him away and for the next half hour, he was busy mixing drinks and chatting about trivialities.

Megan quietly finished her drink, watching him from the corner of her eye. Zevran seemed to be quite the flirt, aiming his seductive smile generously at all the patrons, both male and female. And quite a few of them happily played along. Not that she blamed them – the guy was pretty much a walking, talking amortentia potion. He did keep it professional, from what she could see. Having someone like him around is probably good for business.

Megan was about to leave, when he returned, taking her empty glass from her and giving her an unexpectedly perspicacious look. "You seem sad. And lonely."

"Why would you care?" The bitterness in her tone took her by surprise.

But he didn't seem offended. "I just wonder why." He shrugged gracefully. "A girl like you, clever and charming and well spoken… And utterly gorgeous, if you don't mind me saying so."

"I bet you say that to all the girls." Megan shook her head. She wasn't going to be taken in by his routine.

"I do." He flashed her a smile. "But in your case, I actually mean it. Would you like another drink?"

Megan glanced at her watch. "I'm afraid I need to be off. It's getting late."

"But you will be back, yes?" He caught her gaze, and Merlin, his eyes were really lovely. A light shade of brown, like amber, and somehow sad behind the smile, as if he'd seen things he'd rather forget. "Promise?"

Megan found it impossible to say no, without quite knowing why. With a last quick smile at him, she got to her feet. "I… yes, I think I will."

And maybe she would. After all, she was free to do as she pleased.

And that's it, guys. Final chapter. Apologies for the delays in posting - RL has been a pain lately. And thank you all so much for reading and reviewing. Extra special hugs to my wonderful and amazing beta suilven.