Having never been in one place too long, Landon didn't realize just how completely exhausting furniture shopping could be. Of course, he'd left Mag make all the decisions over an online catalog (that Landon didn't even know the first thing about navigating it), but he was still left with some modicum of decisions and still had to go pick all of it up, because you couldn't very well deliver anything to a building that technically didn't exist... For muggles at least.

So once the long day of shopping was done and over it, without even passing by home, Landon revved his bike with a definitive purpose in mind: first pub on Diagon. The parking was a bitch to deal with and having to leave his baby outside of the Leaky Cauldron some sort of foul. But he needed something to drink stat. He'd liked the Rover the last time he'd been here. But he supposed he'd like it even more now that it was a weekend evening and company should be more... enticing to the eyes.

"Jack, neat, will you?" he said  with a lovely smile, taking his seat at the bar as he dropped his helmet on the empty stool next to him. As soon as it was in front of him, he grabbed the glass and poured it down its throat letting out a pleased sigh with a grimace. "Top it, please" he grinned brightly and shook his body playfully, feeling the burn of the whiskey straight down to his guts.

"Damned if it ain't a sweet night, isn't it love?" he said absently to the woman next to him, now taking the time to properly look at her. And mhm, some sort of sugar she was. He smiled roguishly and lifted his glass to her.

---

Title from Everything I Want by Jace Everett

It was starting to become obscene how many evenings she was actually in Rover’s Fancy on nights she was actually in London.  She spent many evenings at a dragon sanctuary watching over eggs, but when she was in London, she could usually be found at some pub and Rover’s was quickly becoming her favorite because of its relative proximity to her own flat. 

This time she’d started drinking alone – sitting at the bar without a real care in the world.  Well, that wasn’t true.  She had lots of cares, mostly to do with her job – but nights off were for precisely what she intended to do: forget about problems.  Taking the shot in front of her in one quick, happy swill, Margo sighed and rested her elbows against the bar. 

She hardly noticed when another patron sat down near her, more focused on getting the bartenders attention to get her another firewhiskey.  She’d hardly had more than two shots: the night was still young and she imagined it’d be much longer.  Not that the bartender was pouring to make sure she remembered much of it. 

Watching him hand over the little glass with the swirling liquid, Margo absently thought she should have ordered a double and smiled at the man who was growing familiar with her presence.  He nodded and walked away, cleaning a glass.  Margo turned her eyes down to the glass before lifting them to look around – surprised when she caught the sight of the lopsided smile of another patron who was clearly speaking to her about how sweet the night was in an accent Margo could only place as American. 

“Sweeter with company,” she smirked and raised her glass expectantly. “Cheers?”

"Sure is" he chuckled softly, lifting a curious eyebrow at her glass. With a toothy grin, he knew could win him sympathy and a more conversation inclined mood, he clinked his glass to hers. "Cheers, darling" he added, sly smile and a subtle appreciative jolt of his eyebrows, as he obviously checked her out. Once he'd taken a swig of his glass he placed it back on the counter and took his helmet from the stool between them. Smoothly moving to the now empty stool, he placed his helmet on the spot he'd just liberated and turned to the woman. "Hope you don't mind, sugar. I'm all alone in a foreign country" he explained dramatically, sighing long, only to follow with a teasing chuckle.

"Landon" he offered with a cryptic smile and an extended hand. "Charmed" he added, smile growing into a grin to show just how evidently charmed he was to make her acquaintance. "What could such a sweet belle like yourself be doing alone at a bar?" he inquired, eyebrow arching in question. Which was to say... was she inclined to be less alone? Possibly for the night, if he had his way. He also had the vague impression that she was indeed sweet, but with a sure mighty sting. Just like he liked them.

Margo wasn't the type of girl who fawned over a lonely foreigner. She wasn't going to offer a tour of the city or anything like that either.  People got paid for that and she wasn't one of them.  But, she was perfectly happy entertaining an exaggerated elevator stare, sitting up just a little taller at the prospect of being checked out.  She tilted her glass back and downed half the contents in one neat and uninterrupted gulp.  It burned a little, but she was so familiar with the feeling it didn't even seen to matter at all. 

Putting the glass back on the counter, lazy grin on her face, Margo leaned into the bar and rested her elbows on the edge.  She laughed at his question, dropping her head with a gentle shake, her dark and shaggy mane flicking with each movement of her head.  "I guess that answer depends," she smirked.  Margo enjoyed flirting, and this was most assuredly flirting with the (for all appearances suggested) a very fit American.  "What's an American doing alone in London?" She raised her dark eyebrows, returning the gratuitous ogling he'd bestowed upon her earlier. No complaints, of course, he was a sight for sure, and Margo drummed her fingers on the side of the glass before she picked it up and tried to take a smaller sip. 

His eyebrows at the middle, but a smile still tugged at his lips as she chose not to offer her name in return, but it was all forgotten as he'd gotten to see her laugh, and his lips couldn't help join in with a puzzled smile. He was always of the opinion that one's laugh said a lot about a person and the woman did have quite a beautiful one. Her words, however...

Landon arched an innocent eyebrow at her smirk, awaiting further explanation. And when said further explanation came, he chuckled and shook his head. "I'm on something of a sabbatical" he explained with a small smile. "Only just arrived a few days ago and I haven't been around for a few years. I mean... I know you know this handsome face couldn't be all by my lonesome for a long time, but, in my defense, I was busy furniture shopping" he offered teasingly with a shit-eating grin, noticing her checking him out and rolled his eyes dramatically for good measure.

"So... what's your excuse, sugar?" he continued after a while, with a little smirk and a jolt of his eyebrows, leaning further into her space, taking advantage of the new angle to give her body an intense, but highly appreciative look.

Margo raised her eyebrows. Sabbatical? Wasn't that something for teachers. He didn't look like one that was for certain.  Hogwarts would have been a much more interesting seven years of her life.  At least her post-graduation life was picking up.  "Lucky thing that furniture kept you busy until you found me, Landon," she grinned raising her glass in another salute. 

Lucky for him, anyway.  Margo wasn't really hurting for male attention, she hadn't been actively seeking it recently (today was no exception), but she thought his accent was charming and his smile looked like trouble, which was automatically enough to pique her interest.  She'd have asked what kind of furniture he was looking for but she could have guessed his answer. Generous looks between them would suggest the answer. 

As he moved into the seat next to her, Margo grinned.  That was a good sign.  At the very least, her glass was getting empty and she could use another, not that Margo couldn't pay for her own but she liked to get treated.  "My excuse?" She repeated drumming her fingers on the glass in front of her.

"I don't really have one.  I'm in from the reserve - dragons," she commented off handedly, as though it were no big deal, "and my flat is down the street so I stopped in for a drink or two."  It was a little boring, but it was true. 

She angled her body so she could look at him while she finished her drink, pushing it back toward the behind bar area.  "Lucky for me," she grinned easily referencing before, "it looks like I won't be in short supply of company. My name's Margo, by the way." Seemed like a good time to introduce herself, then ask another question.  "Where, exactly, are you on sabbatical from, Landon? I'm guessing it's not Yorkshire..."

   
"Lucky indeed"  he agreed with a pensive gaze, tilting both his head and glass to respond to her salute. He certainly wouldn't mind testing his new furniture with her. After all, the lady from the shop might've vouched for the sturdiness of his desk and bed, but then again, who knew what she'd had in mind when Landon has asked? He would've thought subtlety wasn't one of his best features, but the shop assistant had looked particularly not worried about his questions. 
 
Noticing her glass was running low he gestured for the bartender and asked him to be on standby with a refill, attention only momentarily switched from the woman and her answer. As the word dragons reached his ears, Landon raised a surprised, but rather intrigued gaze to her. My, my... a woman after his own tastes. "Dragons you say?"  he mused with a rather sly smirk. "Like to play with fire, do you?" he grinned, rather pleased with his choice of words. 
 
As mention of company came, he tilted his head as if in a bow and smiled languidly. "Margo... Such a pretty name" he noted with a little wink, because it sounded like the sort of thing that rolled perfectly off the tongue in a decidedly heated moment. "I am Louisiana born and bred" he declared, pride in his tone and bright grin on his face. "But my job - security consultant - takes me all over the world. I just returned from Brasil"  he finished, taking a sip of his glass, grimacing at the way it burned his insides pleasingly.
 
"You'd make quite a sight on a beach in São Paulo" he added, gaze flickering over her face. After a few moments of silence, in which he'd engaged the bartender for two shots of his strongest liquor, he touched his glass with hers and downed the shot. "So you live close by?" he said, looking away, but turning to her at the last moment to throw her a look full of teasing meaning.

Dragons always got the attention of strangers.  They were dangerous and exotic, why shouldn't they?  Most reactions usually fell in two camps: horror or intrigue.  She'd definitely classify this as intrigue.  He thought he was so clever, as if she hadn't heard that line before!  Fire was pretty serious (occupational hazard), but... "I am fairly fond of heat," she smirked in return, happy to see that her glass had been refilled and he was getting more flirty by the moment.  It was making things far more interesting.  "I find that most can't tolerate how hot I like it." 

She tried, and it was suitable, but she was convinced if she was a little smarter and a little less under the influence, it probably would have been better.  Ah well.  She took another sip, attempts to wash away the thought and sighed.  She hated her name, her proper name anyway.  Marguerite was terrible: it meant Daisy.  Complete opposite of her personality, but her parents couldn't have known that. 

Rather than spill the beans on her unfortunate actual name (including her terrible middle name), Margo smirked.  Security.  She liked that.  It sounded dangerous.   Margo nodded appreciatively and shifted in her seat, maybe lifting her chest a little as he suggested she'd be something on the beach.  She grinned at the compliment, "I'm sure," she looked him over again, "I could say the same for you." 

Underneath the leather jacket and shirt, she could guess by the way his cheeks and chin were defined it was an all over, blessedly genetic trait.  She wouldn't mind seeing him without a shirt on.  She figured the feeling was probably mutual, especially at the question he asked.  Taking a generous drink, Margo waited a beat to answer, trying not to grin too wide.  "Just around the corner," she said in a sing-songy way that was equal parts teasing and potential invitation. 

"What about you?" She raised her eyebrows, "where's the flat you bought all thar new furniture for?"  She dragged her finger along the edge of the glass, feigning vague disinterest by gazing back around the bar and into the area where the bartender was standing.  "Since, you know, it's probably not safe to apparate after a couple of those..." She gestured to the glass, another smirk coloring her face as her eyes slowly moved up from the cup to his face.  "Wouldn't want you to splinch when I could have helped, after all."

"Oh, really?" he asked, eyebrows raised and a chuckle on the tip of his tongue. "I'm quite sure I could handle it. There's nothing quite like Louisiana summers" he smirked and let out a breathy woo, pretending to fan himself. "Hot and sunny all year long, yes m'am" he said faux-seriously, nodding gravely, but ending on a bright toothy smile. "I find I can't blame you, however" he narrowed his eyes and grimaced slightly. "Y'all have nasty weather here."

Her nod seemed approving and his smile grew bigger, only to turn into a full beaming grin to rival her own at having the compliment returned. "Tell you what-- I think we'd make a spectacular picture together" he concluded, teasing grin, tip of his tongue caught between his teeth. He chuckled lowly and turned to take another sip, keeping her in his sight out of the corners of his eyes and smirking around the rim of the glass.

"Is that so?" he mused an eyebrow lifted high and a smirk tugging at his lips. "How... convenient" and as he said it he once again gave her a very obvious and appreciative one-over, biting into his lift and letting out a soft hum. "I'm in Knightsbridge. Quite a way from here. Not safe indeed" he practically drawled eyes following the lazy movements of her finger on the rim of the glass. "And quite so, I intend to have at least a few more of these. I appreciate your concern for the well being of my... body" he said smoothly, chuckling a bit.

And just as he was about to order again some rather old and ugly fellow took the stool on her other side and leaned with one elbow across the bar, giving her a glazed sleazy look and Landon arches a curious eyebrow, lips parted. "Is 'e botherin' ye, doll?" he said, and Landon could tell he was obviously drunk as a skunk. He let out a little snort and knew better than to presume to--protect her honor or something, so he merely raised his eyebrows in question, gaze stuck on the man before it moved to Margo, hint of amusement on his face. "I dunno, am I?"

Margo wasn’t really familiar with the climate of the United States.  It had never been of interest to her – and though she liked to hang around hot things, most of her career had been spent in mountain ranges that were more known for snow into May than their (natural) heat.  You could always add it though, as many dragon researchers did.  The weather in England wasn’t exactly hot and sunny… unlike what he was used to. 

“I think I’d like to visit there one day,” Margo smirked.  “Get away from all the fog and maybe collect a few more freckles,” she winked and rolled her shoulder- showing off the collection of delightful brown spots that she got from being in the sunlight.  “ I bet you’re hiding loads of them,” she bit her bottom lip and laughed before taking another sip of her drink. 

She hadn’t flirted with anyone in such a long time.  It felt so good to get some attention that didn’t start with a fight.  Hopefully it wouldn’t end in one either.  That wasn’t exactly what Margo was looking for.  Of course, he caught onto what she had been saying about the distance and Margo shook her head.  “Knightsbridge?  Now it would be… positively irresponsible of me to let you go all the way back there after a couple more of these,” she agreed. “I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen.”  Or maybe she did.  The look on her face might have suggested so much.   

She was about to suggest that maybe they should make the party a private one when someone she could smell before she could see sat down beside her.  Now, Margo had been known to make some pretty poor choices, but given her options right now: someone who she could spend hours looking for every single little freckle on… or someone who had three missing teeth she could identify readily, Margo shook her head. 

“I’m definitely bothered,” Margo smirked, flicking her hair over her shoulder with a flashy grin.  “But, I actually think it’s something Landon can help me with…” she paused, her eyes flicking over to the bartender, motioning at their two glasses.  “If he wants to, that is…”

Landon was about to reply that he'd like that too, but the words were caught in his throat as his thoughts were redirected towards freckles, and suddenly he could see them; they were subtle, but they were there. And for a moment... Landon couldn't help wonder whether they ran down her body, and if they did whether he could map them all with his tongue. The slight sheen that covered his eyes, was easily shaken off as he chuckled his response. "I suppose you'll just have to find out for yourself, hmmm?" he replied cheekily with an almost wink, but a sure knock-you-dead smile.

"Rightly so" he replied with faux-seriousness. "You wouldn't want me on your conscience, eh, Margo?" he continued with a shit-eating grin and a slow wag of his eyebrows, shaking his head a little, ending with a heated side glance towards her. Oh he didn't know about bad. Necessarily. Because he certainly wanted to do bad things with her. And her expression seemed to return the feeling. How... fortunate.

Her reply to the tippler had Landon tucking his chin in to hide a chuckle. Biting slowly into his lip, he raised only his eyes, eyebrows drawn high as he followed her expression avidly. "It would be positively irresponsible of me to not want to" he eventually replied, mirth in his tone, but voice low and heated. The drunkard mumbled something about yer loss and turned to leave, before Landon heard a muttered hussy. His easy-going flirty expression momentarily disappeared to be overtaken by a poker face as he nimbly and subtly extracted his wand and flicked it at the man who proceeded to faceplant into a table. His wand was just as quickly returned to its place, as if nothing had happened and his gaze was back on her face.

"Karma, really" he commented with an innocent shrug, as he took a swig of his newly refilled glass. "Now... Where were we?" he smirked placing his elbow on the till and leaning his head against his hand to look her over heatedly.

Margo hardly let idiots get to her.  Whatever some drunk said wasn’t relevant, especially when the prospect of taking someone much more appealing home was on the horizon.  He could think he was at a loss all he wanted – didn’t make it true.  Margo tossed her hair over her shoulder and was about to make a snarky comment to Landon, but his smile had faded and he looked… intense. 

Her eyes widened a little as he flicked his wand and the man’s head met a table – and she could hear it from her seat.  Cringing, Margo tried to hold back her grimace.  He’d feel that tomorrow.  Landon seemed completely unapologetic, however, and the brunette was a little impressed.  A show of force on her behalf had never been lost on her.  Seemed like it happened more often than she’d have liked to admit. 

For him though, it seemed like nothing at all.  Margo scooted to the edge of her seat and dragged her fingers along the rim of her glass as the hand closest to him wandered under the bar and up to his knee.  “I believe we were somewhere around here,” she teased inching her hand up just a little further at the same time as she leaned her head in. 

She would have actually let it happen if a rather large wizard wasn’t coming toward them – and he looked displeased.  “I um…” Margo licked her lips, eyes scanning his face, “think we should head out,” she grinned.  “Looks like someone’s not too happy with a show of force…” she directed her eyes back toward the wizard who was still making his way through the crowd.  Margo grabbed her glass and tilted her head back, shooting it down with hardly a grimace. 

“Come on.  Party's over here,” she slid off the stool and threw a couple of galleons (more than the whole evening was worth, for sure) onto the countertop with abandon.  “I have some of this at home,” she added with another squeeze on his leg. 

The little jolt of something that hit him as her fingers came into contact with his leg had him momentarily lift his eyebrows in a pleased sort of surprise, but an amused little smirk played at the corners of his lips at the same time. It seemed like the fates were surely smiling at him tonight. "Oh? Is that where we were?" he said playfully, gaze flitting between her face, closer to his now, and her hand, coyly but intently making its way up his leg.

His eyes were set on her lips, breath hitching in anticipation of his own touching hers, when some overly large dolt pissed all over over his parade. Landon was not pleased. His glare at the man said so. And his returning glare only had him squinting his eyes dangerously even more so, when Margo, sweet Margo, talked and quickly pulled him back from what could've been yet another bar brawl. They always seemed to find him somehow... "Looks like someone has a death wish" he muttered in response to Margo's assessment, barely more than a whisper.

But in a flurry of movement, the woman was emptying her glass, paying a lot more than what their entire bill would've accounted for and Landon huffed in amusement, perhaps the first time a women other than his twin sister had paid for his drink. He'd make sure to pay her back... Some other way. In triple. His shit-eating grin at the woman's assertive nature was not in the least subtle. Sometimes he thought he had a target on his back saying  this one's okay with bossy women. He got up, stretching a little, shirt hiking up just a bit before he placed his hand on the small of her back, simply resting it there, while with the other he made a large gesture, inviting her to go first.

"By all means, lead the way" he said with a wicked smile, a glint of something mischievous and expectant in his eyes.

Margo wasn’t much for the whole boy pays for thing lifestyle and girl just accepts it.  She hardly did that with anyone – after all, she had a vault full of family gold that was just beginning to be spent.  Why have someone else spend their money when she could just throw it away?  Sometimes it was a wonder she lived the way she did – if anyone really comprehended what she was sitting on… they’d probably never live in her apartment or have her furniture – or her clothes.  Charlotte certainly didn’t.  Most of her cousins didn’t, actually, if she went down the list. 

As he put his hand on the small of her back, Margo stood up a little straighter, smirking at him.  Reaching behind her, Margo grabbed his hand and started walking out to tug his hand.  “Try and keep up,” she said with a dramatic and smoldering look over her shoulder. 

The wizard who could only be described as security stopped moving toward them as soon as they started to move toward the door, though his eyes did not leave them.  Probably make sure they got out.  No need to let Margo know in a more obvious way (today).  Usually, she was pretty hard pressed to take a hint, but this was one she wanted to take. 

When they got out of the busy and crowded bar into the street, Margo was surprised that there were some puddles in the street – must have rained or something of the sort.  Her boot sloshed in a puddle and Margo quickly turned on her heel, swinging his arm out as she did.  “Right around the corner,” she informed him, tipping forward to throw her other arm around his neck. 

She leaned up, resuming a very familiar position from before they’d left the bar and she smiled right up close enough that she could feel his breath on her face.  “Let’s go,” she leaned forward to peck his lips – making an attempt at being coy and playful, but decided it was better to just go for it full force and arch her back a little into a really good kiss, which she intended to give him.  Margo took control and tried to tease his mouth open with her tongue while she rolled her hips forward, just to check if those tight jeans weren’t being deceiving. 

It was only at the last moment that he remembered to grab his helmet, frowning and unsure as to whether his cycle would be okay, all by itself, parked just outside of the Leaky Cauldron... But one more look at Margo and he deemed the matter forgotten and unimportant. Priorities.

Landon's hand was barely a moment politely situated on the small of her back, before Margo grabbed it and used it as a means to pull him after her. He couldn't help chuckle. Trying to be a gentleman was apparently not necessary with the woman. He very much liked it. "I'll do my very best" he replied with mirth in his voice, catching his lower lip between his teeth to contain his laughter.

Following diligently in her footsteps, his face kept an amused expression as he could only think of Axel, his Aussie Shepherd, and the striking resemblances they seemed to be sharing at the moment. He let himself be easily maneuvered by Margo, his arm coming to rest on her waist just as hers curled around his neck. Her face was suddenly very close and he raised his eyebrows in amusement as he caught her playful smile. He barely had time to catch his breath in expectation, before her lips were upon him.

He responded immediately, and just as the kiss got more heated, he placed his other arm just at the edge of her pants, waiting to see where the kiss went. A hungry sort of sound caught at the back of his throat as he opened his mouth willingly, getting the first taste of her and his hand, palm open on her back, pushed her rolling hips even closer to himself, showing her just how... interested he was. He was going to give as good as he got, so the hand on her waist climbed to the back of her neck, fingers curling around her soft hair, as he used the grip to move her head just so to tease and bite softly at her lips.

He was about to walk them forward until they hit a wall, or--something when the insulted gasp of woman followed by a clearing of her throat interrupted his plans. Leaning his head back a little, he looked at the elderly woman and her tight pursed lips and judgmental gaze. Without even having the intention to untangle himself from Margo, he raised his eyebrows expectantly and blinked once. "Yes? How may we help you m'am?" he drawled with a shit-eating grin, just as the woman gave another shocked gasp and started muttering something about common sense and youngsters these days.

He rolled his eyes and moved his face in the crook of Margo's neck to give a soft snort and a barely there shake of his head. "I do believe our audience isn't prepared for this sort of show" he said around a chuckle, moving his head so he could look at Margo with a dramatically disappointed expression.