Part 1

I know she is a lightning rod for trouble, however the sheer speed with which Poppy has become lost amazes me. There she stands at a crossroads, looking each way in obvious confusion.

"Oi gorgeous," a drunk calls out to her. I stay put, although I'm half worried she will ask him for directions. She doesn't, instead she ignores him and, having decided on the worst possible direction to take, continues on her way; allowing him to grab her arm.

How lovely earth must be for her to behave so. I decide not to intervene yet, I wish her to know that this world can be a dangerous place, outside of the academy and the headmaster's protection.

True to form she says, "Please, unhand me, sir." Ha, 'sir' to the likes of him, obviously he refuses.

She twists herself out of his grip and before I can stop him, he's backhanded her across the cheek, leaving a red mark. Furious, I move forward. However, her knee is slamming into his groin and I decide to change tactics. As she hammers her hands down on his neck, I use magic to floor him, hard. Once I have helped her incapacitate his friends too, I'm glad to see she makes a hasty retreat. Perhaps earth is not quite what I imagined after all.

Having tucked that thought away, I return to our present trouble. Who knows how long it will take her to find her way out of this warren without my help, and what other mishaps will she encounter. I call out to her, "Impressive."

She looks at me, the initial fear on her face turning to relief as she says, "Thank you for your help back there." She sounds sarcastic, surely, she doesn't think she took them out by herself, does she?

I flash her a Sirius smile. "You're welcome, love. These backstreets are no place for a pretty lady like yourself." I pause, usually I call a woman pretty to flatter, however with Miss Poppy, I mean it, I not only find her pretty but beautiful.

"Pretty, love," she snorts, narrowing her eyes. "I'm not some silly woman who's easily impressed by such banal pleasantries."

However, she is silly enough to engage in conversation with a seemingly disreputable character. Deciding to have some fun, I press that advantage by draping an arm around her shoulders. To my surprise instead of twisting away from me she goes up on tippy toes to kiss my lips. I've opened my mouth in surprise as she bites me, and passionately kissed her back, before my mind catches up and panting I hold her away.

I've heard that during the war, soldier's thoughts turned to carnal activities to celebrate surviving a battle. Perhaps, unconsciously, Poppy too feels that need after her frightening encounter, and knows not what she was doing or its effect on me. Teasing is in order. "What's that for, sweetheart?"

She jokes that she thought kisses the currency traded around here if someone wished to be released. However, the ordeal must still be disturbing her, because her hand is soon in mine, holding me tight. It bothers me, how quickly she trusts and feels safe with me.

Part 2

I lead her to the perfume shop she wished to visit. As we are still in the back streets, I decide to remain with her. Besides, I have never created a scent before and rather fancy learning how to do so myself.

The shop keeper isn't particularly helpful, and Poppy looks disappointed staring at the array of bottles; she is so easy to read. I step in to help. She's told me that she wishes to create a scent for Princess Sherry, however although we have read the labels for the various notes, she insists on trying out more masculine aromas, asking for my opinion.

Princess Sherry was not the only one to help Poppy with my master's task, I helped her too. Perhaps she feels embarrassed, after kissing Sirius, to let on that she wishes to create a male scent. I chuckle to myself as having made up an excuse of a left item, she hurries back into the shop. I've enjoyed our time together; she is so cute when she's excited about something.

I replay our time in the woods, she was excited then too. The look on her face when she saw the mushrooms glowing in the moonlight was so adorable, I barely restrained myself from kissing her. However, I knew it was far too soon. Up until then I'd barely had the time to engage in anything more than pleasantries on meeting, and it had always been in public. To have her all to myself for such a long walk was a pleasure in itself, seeing her heart warm towards me as we chatted, the admiration for my knowledge in her eyes and hearing her laughter at my jokes. I smile to myself, her happiness at my company by the time we returned to the academy was so noticeable, as was mine with hers, that my master teased me incessantly about it.

I deserved the teasing too, for although it had been obvious to me, since our first encounter, that we found each other attractive, it was a while before I realized the extent that she had grown on me, and by then I was too deeply in love to escape. I'd just rescued her from yet another calamity, brought on by her continuing to irritate Prince Guy's fan club, before heading off to retrieve some information for my master. I stood in a certain room, the woman in front of me, coquettishly sat waiting on a bed we'd shared several times before. Yet all I could see was Poppy looking at me as if I were her hero. I'd feigned sickness. My informant called me a liar and refused my coin. The information would have been lost, if I hadn't prudently pressed a listening spell on her and equally, she hadn't sold it on so quickly.

If I were to create a perfume for Poppy, what words would I choose, charming, diligent, kind, clever, genuine….

And yet, she kissed me in the backstreets. It occurs to me that there may be another reason Poppy wished to keep her purchase for Jasper a secret from Sirius. Miss Poppy fancies him too. I would be deluding myself, if I didn't accept that the fond way she looked at me in the woods, has it's match in the way she looked at me in the perfumery.

Part 3

We arrive safely back in the main shopping area, and I decide to take my leave. "You should be ok now, sweetheart," I say.

She offers me a drink for my help. She is a generous individual I know, although she wishes to save up for a particularly expensive dress, she has bought her friends presents. However, my misgivings of earlier and her kiss come back to mind. How open and honest is she really, is there more to her offer than merely wishing to repay me, from her eyes I'd say that yes there is, and yet isn't that equal proof that she is open and easy to read.

I think back to the woods, how obvious was it that I loved her. I'd flirted with her softly, as one would coax a wild animal, worried that coming on too strong would scare her away from me. In hindsight, I think she may not have even noticed. However, her eyes had lingered on a particular tree each time we passed it. And I hadn't answered her frankly, when she asked what my master meant. She'd appeared worried, her eyes pleading with me to set her mind at ease, which I failed to do. I believe she may have thought I'd been toying with her.

I should insist that I have work to do, however I hear myself say, "For all those hours of my time, I think you owe me three at least."

"That sounds fair. Come on." She laughs and smiles that warm sunshine smile of hers at me. Beguiled I let her lead me to a flight of steps heading into a basement. I've never been here before, although I know of its existence. All sorts of couples and friends chat over the soft background music, while others enjoy the vibe. I can tell immediately that this is her sort of place, a place where she could wear the dress she so admires, and no one would bat an eyelash; no one mistake her reason for wearing it.

To torment myself, I flirt with her. She happily responds in kind. She must consider herself a free woman and why wouldn't she, I have offered her no words to suggest she is dear to me. I need to rectify that quickly; I couldn't bear for anyone to steal her away. I will have to make a point to invite her out for a date in town, or for tea in the valet's quarters as soon as we are back at the academy. I imagine her blush when I do so will be most charming. Even more so than the one I am currently encouraging onto her cheeks.

Time flowed so quickly around us as we chatted, that the stars are already twinkling in the sky as we emerge onto the street; the curfew will already be in force. Luckily, I know of a back entrance into the academy, so I can still return Poppy safely to her room.

Part 4

However, that's not what I do, for some insane reason, I've booked us into a room far beyond Sirius's means. Merely because she asked to go home with me. But what now? I ask her the same question and she tells me to close my eyes.

Haha, she is shy for all her bravado and flirting. I dutifully keep my eyes tightly shut, waiting for her to get into bed. After that should I make as if to climb into bed with her, or behave and wish her goodnight, before curling up on the sofa?

I open my eyes surprised; Poppy has trapped my arms behind my back with my top. "Naughty," she says tapping her finger gently on my nose, "I haven't said you can open them yet." Her tone is teasing, she must be oblivious to the effect she's wrought, unaware of the lust blazing within me. Therefore, when she says "Sirius, close your eyes," I say "Ok, I'm calling your bluff," and obey her.

To start with her touch is light, her fingers and kisses, far away from where I wish them to be and yet each one lights another flame within me. How long does she expect me to stand this torment. I feel my belt loosen. I must tell her to stop, this game has gone far enough. Yet I don't, and she begins to bite a mark into my inner thigh. My fingers sink into her hair, and I pull her head against me. Still, she continues to tease, and with a skill I didn't expect. I realise there is another side to Poppy and I have played my cards all wrong. The thought makes my self-control shatter into jealousy. I hold her shoulders, and to her obvious surprise, lift her up and carry her to the bed.

She lies in my arms, the softest, happiest, sleepiest of smiles gracing her lips, as she rests in the afterglow, while I softly trace patterns over her shoulder. I'd wreaked by revenge seven-fold on her, until having called Sirius countless times, she became so witless that she called out a different name. So, what is she doing in bed with this alter ego of mine. She must have been drunker than I thought. I feel like I have triply failed her, I should have realized the effect the potions were having on her, I should have made my suit obvious as soon as I realized my feelings for her, and I should never have let things come to this without having revealed who I am. The way she moaned Jasper though, I must forget it if I'm to let her sleep tonight and yet I wish to remember it forever.

Poppy is walking along the corridor towards me, her eyes glistening her cheeks flushed and her mind far away with Sirius, I expect. I try and act natural, greeting her as I normally would, "Good afternoon, Miss Poppy."

She does not greet me back. Only surprise shows on her face, as I interrupt her erotic daydreams. I bow and continue on my way. I have no idea how I am ever going to make things right. How can I confess, to her, that the man she spent last night with, was me?