Tonight, Jules had a mission. It was a mission any lady (and definitely any man) could respect. Anyone in Jules' situation could relate to her needs as a single woman. She'd spent her youth focused on her medical career and not so much on the 'love' department. Jules didn't believe in monogomy but did believe in orgasms, and lots of them. For a few days now she'd been in the mood and now it was time to go out and find what she wanted.

Such was not an uncommon activity for Jules. Living alone was how she preferred things, but of course she craved the company of someone who would touch her in all the right ways. So every once in a while, Jules would go out and bang the hottest person she could manage. That was the thing about being commitment free -- you did not have to descend to doing it with an ugly person because they had a 'nice personality.' Nope. In Jules' world, it was all about the experience. It didn't matter if it was a man or a woman, as long as they fulfilled her needs. She'd talk to this person for a few weeks, get bored, and call it quits.

Recently, though, it had come to Jules' attention that she had never done the one night stand thing. What was that about? It seemed to perfectly suit Jules' philosophy on love and relationships in that it was entirely commitment-free. Maybe tonight was the night for it. Was it weird to go out with the sole intention of getting laid? Possibly.

Of course good conversation was a key component of Jules' life as well. She was a medical professional, after all, and head of her department at that. She wasn't going to go hooking up with a quidditch player because he had nice muscles and could take her on a broom-ride. She'd had her fill of idiots and one-night stand or not, she needed someone who could carry a conversation. She went up to the bar and ordered herself a dirty martini with a twist, as it felt only appropriate.

Work had always been stressful, that was the life of an Auror. He had left the Corps for many years simply because he couldn't stand the constant drain it had on him, not to mention an injury in the field had caused him to be suited for little more than paperwork. He had his own tea shoppe in the mean time where he brewed teas he had grown in his own garden and life was simple but lacking. Everything had seemed simple but lacking since Hannah left. While the two of them had agreed that their relationship didn't work any longer (she was too hung up on him being a war hero and no longer being an Auror just didn't seem to cut it for her anymore) but he missed the constant company, the warmth in his bed at night. Even when he had achieved one of his greatest dreams by becoming a Hogwarts Professor it had been short lived and fate saw fit to throw him back into the crimson robes.

Tonight was about unwinding, about letting go and allowing himself to enjoy. He had cast off his regular haunts, be it the Leaky Cauldron or the Three Broomsticks and decided that Rover's Fancy would be a better venue. It was hard to go anywhere where people didn't know him, either from their years at Hogwarts, through his ascent through the Auror ranks and his years of commitment to the Corps or simply as a resident of Hogsmeade (the village was small enough nearly everyone knew each other and seemed to know each others business as well)

He had been leaned against the bar drinking a pint and watching a few ladies out on the town enjoy the dance floor (or what they had turned into the dance floor, Neville hadn't frequented the pub enough to know whether that was actually a thing or not) He glanced over at the beautiful woman that had ordered a martini and with a bit of sinking feeling in his stomach he realized he recognized her. With his parents and now his Gran in long term care at St Mungos he had met many Healers in his years but this one in particular was the Head of the Potions and Poisonings Department, Neville's own specialty within the Corps.

"Alright then Jules?"

As she sipped on her martini, Jules scoped out the bar discretely. She made eye contact with a few people but Jules wasn't about to go up to anyone and say hello. Tonight she'd be in control of the situation -- no need to face any rejection. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted one Neville Longbottom. She smirked at him in the most friendly way one can smirk, and he made his way over.

"Alright then Jules?"

Though she didn't know too much about Neville, she did know that he had family staying in St. Mungo's and he had a penchant for plants, just as Jules did. That ensured that the conversational part of the deal would be satisfied. Jules' eyes crinkled. When she wasn't intimidating, Jules could actually look quite approachable and down-to-earth. Even if nothing happened between them, Neville was a nice guy and Jules didn't think that he deserved her usual condescension.

"How're you, Neville?" Jules asked, casually sipping on her martini. "Haven't been seeing you around St. Mungo's much lately." He used to be there quite often, not just visiting his family but working with the government. St. Mungo's and the Ministry worked together for a variety of reasons. His specialty being Herbology, Jules had seen his face around her department many times.

"I'm well enough." He gave her his best charming smile, there was a part of him that still had a hard time shedding that awkward goofiness he had portrayed as a teenager. Especially around beautiful women. He had only had one real relationship as an adult and Hannah had been the one to come to him. Since she left him he hadn't really had the time to pursue anything else. He, however, was unaware of just how kind puberty and adulthood had been to him.

He took a long drag of his beer looking out into the crowd again for a moment before focusing back on Jules. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable and while he was willing to give her his undivided attention he was worried he'd end up just staring at her which would likely achieve just that, "Been busy. Lame excuse, I know but the paperwork at the office has been abominable lately. I haven't even been able to find time to visit Gran." His Gran had been admitted to St Mungos just after Christmas, the attack that had put her in a coma was the spark that had gotten Neville to don the crimson robes and return to duty.

"Sadly there hasn't been any cases lately that have required my certain expertise." He squinched up his nose for a moment realizing how that may have come across, "I mean, I'm happy that the plant crime has come down some but it's sad for me that I'm not using my skills like I should." He took a gulp of beer again and smirked, "I totally buggered that up, didn't I?"

Although Jules had her head buried in a book during most of her stay at Hogwarts, it was hard not to know who Neville Longbottom and his band of Gryffindor mates were. Jules was older than the boy and remembered hearing his name several times once he'd started attending Hogwarts, but back in those days Slytherins and Gryffindors were mortal enemies so it's not as if they would have ever been pals in a million years. He'd been pretty gawky, too, from what she remembered. That didn't seem to be true anymore, though he did have a charming awkwardness still about him. That was the thing about late bloomers, of which Jules was too -- they weren't so confident as those who had been beautiful all their lives.

She watched as Neville looked away, admiring his strong jawline. He looked back and explained that he'd been behind on paperwork, something Jules could relate to. She nodded sympathetically and wished she'd checked up on Longbottom's grandmother more often. "How's she doing?" Jules asked. She'd taken care of many of the Longbottoms throughout her years interning and working at St. Mungo's. Though Neville's grandmother had only been admitted recently, she'd been a visitor for quite some time.

"Sadly there hasn't been any cases lately that have required my certain expertise...., I mean, I'm happy that the plant crime has come down some but it's sad for me that I'm not using my skills like I should... I totally buggered that up, didn't I?"

Jules sipped on her drink and gestured to the bartender that she'd need another soon. She used the toothpick and olives to stir her drink around a little. She smirked as Neville stumbled through his sentences. There was a deranged part of Jules that enjoyed watching people struggle. At least he could admit to his awkwardness -- that was admirable. "You're fine," she reassured him. "What're youre plans for the evening?" she asked him as another martini arrived.

Neville looked sombre for a moment when she inquired about his grandmother. Most of his life he had lived in the shadow of his demented parents. They were great heroes, tortured into madness by one of Lord Voldermort's minions and he should have been proud of them but as a child all he was ever able to see was the little boy who couldn't even tell his friends why his parents weren't around. He remembered once or twice, thinking that Harry had it easier. He knew it was horrible to think but he couldn't help it, being dead may have just been better than not being able to recognize their own son. Now however, he was no longer a teenager and a sort of vengeance had taken a hold of him where his family was concerned, "She's a fighter. No real change but at least she's not getting worse. The maddening part is not having leads on who did it to her."

He was perfectly happy when the topic changed. He didn't need to muddle her night with his own brooding issues. Most of which he rarely if ever touched on. Talking about his feelings was never really something Gran encouraged him to do. So instead he gave her a smile that felt better to wear than a scowl and a shrug of the shoulders, "I really just wanted a change of scenery. The Leaky Cauldron and Three Broomsticks are great but I feel like I've been going there all my life." He glanced back out at the crowd the smile still lazily dancing on his lips, "I doubt I'd be much of a dancer. I can waltz like nobody's business but casual, not for me. I'm better at drinking when it comes down to it."

He watched as Jules' second martini arrived and he found himself drawn to her lightly coloured lips as she enjoyed a drink, "So what's a beautiful woman like yourself doing on a night like this?" Once again another lamely delivered line. No wonder he didn't try the dating scene too often.

If there was one thing she could agree with Neville upon it was the redundancy of the Leaky Cauldron and the Three Broomsticks. Those places were so overdone; Jules was so thankful that more places were popping up. She was a grown woman with lavender hair -- she liked a little something different, at least every once in a while. She took a big drink from her martini and made a mental note to check on Neville's gran when she returned to work.

As he talked about dancing his words buzzed into a fade and she became entranced by the crooked smile he'd put on. Well, that was nice, wasn't it? Studying them a bit obviously, almost as if she was analyzing how nice they'd be to kiss, she took yet another drink. Jules was a slender woman who didn't normally drink heavily, so she was already feeling a tad buzzed.

"So,w hat's a beautiful woman like yourself doing on a night like this?"


Jules didn't flinch at the compliment but took it smoothly. She smirked at him and said "Looking for company."

"Oh." Neville said simply and rather a bit lamely. For a moment he was worried that he was bothering her and keeping her from the company she had been looking for. On the other hand she hadn't excused herself and she seemed to be staring at him. He found himself feeling a little self conscious at that and gave her another crooked smile, unsure of what else he should do. He took another long pull of his pint, surprising himself at how quickly he was actually going through it.

Part of him wanted to say that he hoped he wasn't keeping her from more interesting company, another part wanted to apologize for being such lame company and a third, one that he wasn't even sure he had in him (awakened by long hours, stress, loneliness and alcohol) wanted to pull her out on the dance floor to show her just what good company he could be. Instead he spoke softly with that charming smile still on his lips, "Hope I'm satisfactory enough for you." He gave her a reflexive wink and downed more of his beer before he lost his courage.

He turned to the side and waved at the bartender for another. He was a large man, not nearly as pudgy and awkward as he had been in his youth (many years as an Auror had chiseled him into great shape) and so the alcohol wasn't hitting him as fast as it was hitting Jules but the exhaustion he had been feeling since returning to the Corps. was definitely helping to amplify the alcohol's effect.

Judging by his flat response, perhaps Neville hadn't been as intrigued by her beauty as Jules had initially thought. That really didn't bother Jules, he could leave if he wanted to, and so could she. As she glanced around the bar, there didn't seem to be too many other prospects, so she'd stay here until something better came along, if that was the way Neville felt.

Neville's response, however, revealed to Jules that it was not disinterest but nerves. "Hope I'm satisfactory." Rather a good response, Jules thought, since it left the control in her hands. Jules had a hunger for power and control. "As do I," she responded curtly, throwing in a wink to lighten the mood. She sipped on her cocktail and admired Neville's figure. He was a lot more fit than he had been in his Hogwarts days, even in the days since she'd been seeing him at the hospital. Perhaps she'd just never noticed before. Or maybe she was just getting a tipsy. Either way, things could be worse.

"What was your plan for the night?" Jules asked curiously, wondering if he'd been getting at the same thing she was after. That would be rather convenient, wouldn't it?

If her response and returned wink was any indicator Neville had made the right choice in words for once. Perhaps he should try to relax and speak his mind more often. Might lead to better, or perhaps more interesting, experiences. There was only so long he could feel sorry for himself. Only so long he could throw himself at his work determined to solve a case that was getting colder by the day before he completely lost himself or his mind. Jules didn't care how many hours he worked at the office, she didn't care that his bad knee was acting up more often these days and she didn't care that Hannah had left him because she didn't find him interesting anymore. And even if she didn't he wasn't about to lay all that on her. She didn't need it and he didn't need to dwell on it either.

"Drink," He said almost instantly with a smirk as the Bartender returned with another pint, "Find someone to talk to I suppose. Enjoy myself really. I haven't been getting out as much as I should." He took a swig of his fresh pint and sighed as the flavour washed through him, "Gonna end up an old man without realizing it at this rate."

He leaned back against the bar and looked her over perhaps a little more than cursory. He wasn't quite tipsy at just one pint in but he was certainly more relaxed than he had been earlier in the evening and with the way she had been responding to him perhaps he was just warming up a little quicker than he would have otherwise, "I think I got luckier than I was expecting to being able to talk to someone as beautiful as you Jules." Okay, now he was laying it on a little thick but it was go broke or go home. She didn't seem to be interested in leaving so he might as well make the best of this for as long as she let him. All things considered she was completely in control in the situation.

One of Jules most prominent traits was her bluntness. It was both a blessing and a curse, as her straightforward honesty didn't please everyone. Some people were turned off by how brutal she could be. It was all fair, however, because Jules could be twice as critical of the people who judged her for being so harsh. She could reduce a person to purely aesthetics, shame them for a silly comment, outsmart the pants off of an especially fit bloke.

"I know the feeling," Jules answered coolly. Like Neville, she had a busy schedule and rarely found the time to go out and feel young again. "That's why we need nights like these -- can't grow old before our time," Jules pointed out. "It's important to do reckless things before you can't anymore." Though she was nearing her mid-thirties, Jules still felt a bit of the naive indestructibility that came along with your teens and twenties.

Sipping on her drink, she analyzed Neville. He was nervous, but that just meant that she could take control. Dominance was a trait that Jules most certainly possessed and did not mind utilizing. It was always possible that Neville would surprise her, though. She wondered who would make the first move. He commented on her beauty and Jules refrained from pointing out that aesthetics had nothing to do with good conversation. Instead, she smirked coyly and sipped at her drink. "So how should we exert our pent-up impulsivity?" Jules asked, downing the rest of her martini.

"Reckless things." Neville repeated with a soft chuckle to himself. Ten years ago if you had said that Neville Longbottom went hand in hand with Reckless Things, you would have been laughed at. Now though, well the life of an Auror was never risk free, while it wasn't exactly reckless either, it was a far cry from the quiet life he had been raised into. Fighting at Hogwarts had been reckless, standing up against the Dark Lord had been reckless, going up against a dark wizard without back up had been reckless but spending time with a woman like Jules, was that truly reckless? He had no idea but there was a part of him that was curious to find out.

Suddenly though, the ball was in his court and she was asking what they should do. How should they spend their pent up impulsiveness? For a moment Neville wondered if he even had pent up impulsiveness. He knew he needed to relax, he knew he needed to enjoy life a little bit more and he knew he needed to move on from Hannah and indulge in some other female company but did that translate into impulsiveness? He wasn't sure and a bit of self doubt was creeping in. He swiftly washed it back with another series of gulps from his pint.

"Well," he started though found himself at a loss for how to finish. He took another swig, "Nope, I got nothing." He gave her a sheepish smirk. He had either just won her over with his awkwardness or completely blew it but she had guzzled a little too quickly and was a little less concerned than he would have been sans alcohol.

It was easier than expected to let the bravery Neville Longbottom had displayed in the past float into the background. After hearing the tales of his heroism traveled through the wizarding masses, Jules had imagined someone with more brawn and brass. Longbottom was quieter than she pictured, much more of a gentle soul than Jules had initially assumed.

Beneath that gawky armor, however, Jules could sense a streak of brawn and intensity. That secret danger under the facade was what she was after. Jules wanted to see that primal instinct she'd heard so much about. Thinking about it brought a curl to the corner of her lips.

"I can think of something," Jules responded with a powerful gaze. Drinking enhanced Jules' confidence, which she already had in spades. She wasn't cocky; there were many things she was unsure of. There were some things, though, that Jules knew for certain- and it was that perhaps it was Neville she'd been after tonight. What a twist.