"Nooooonaaaaaa!"

Elixa stopped in the middle of the cobbled alley, and bent over giggling, bracing herself on her legs. Nona had burst on ahead and was somewhere in the dark alley. They'd just both staggered out the back of the Leaky Cauldron like two giggling teenagers, and she'd streaked ahead into the shadows.

It had started off all so innocently, a gentle drink between two friends at the end of an unseasonably warm October day, which had grown to three, six, nine friends, three games of darts (the fourth had been called to a halt with the confiscation of said darts for safety), and half a dozen raucous, rude songs on the piano in the corner of the heaving pub. When the piano had started to try and eat the hands of those who hammered on it, the suggestion was it was probably time to disperse, given the hour.

"I can heeear you, you silly witch!" Elixa cried to the empty alley, still laughing. Had she been sober it would still have been a little funny, but as they were both a bit giddy, it was hilarious.

"I'm gonna catch your pretty backside, just give me a second." She raised a hand to the air, a finger raised, and sorted out her stocking which had come loose. Elixa had a lack of inhibitions at the best of times, but hitching the bottom of her dress up in the middle of Diagon Alley at two in the morning to pull a stocking up her thigh was definitely made easier by the presence of alcohol and a very pretty lithe witch somewhere in the alley watching her.

"Wherrrrree aaaare you?" She called a little more softly, trotting forward to try and see where the next burst of giggles would come from.

Nona was drunk. There were no two spells about it, and everyone in the world could tell because not only was she giggling like a twelve year old and running away from her friend, she was doing it in stocking feet with fly away ginger curls falling around her rosy cheeks, top buttons of her starched dress shirt undone so she could breathe. She was a sight far removed from the well pressed and impecably dressed Jr. Liaison who demanded respect despite her fresh face and being a tinderfoot in her department.

"You can heeeeear meee, but you can't seeee me," she was "hiding" behind a lamp post (read: leaning against because things were spinny), peeking around it as she watched Elixa stop mid street to catch her breath and make adjustments.  What a sight too! Momentarily distracted by the sliver of pale flesh, Nona gasp loudly then covered her mouth, then sing-song'd in response, "I see London, I see France, I see Lixy's underpants," before dissolving into another fit of giggles.

"Hiding. I am hiding. Silly Lix," she sounded almost incredulous, because clearly she was being a master of disguise and had turned herself into a lamppost! As the other witched inched closer she let out a delighted squeal before darting a little further up the alley, stopping to pirouette in the warm orange light, or at least as close an approximation as she could muster in stocking feet, on cobblestones, after several pints.

"I might let you catch me, if you concede I kicked your pretty behind at darts before they were confis, cornfis," she paused, screwing her face up, "before they took the darts away," obviously Nona didn't like to lose but she might like to get caught. It could prove very interesting, if history were any indication.

"Hiding. I am hiding. Silly Lix," came the call up ahead as she made her way down the alley. Elixa squinted in the dark, and patted herself and her little handbag down for where her wand was. It was never far, but evaded her for the moment.

"I might let you catch me, if you concede I kicked your pretty behind at darts before they were confis, cornfis, before they took the darts away,"

"Nevaaaaaaaaar!" Lix called into the night like a battle cry, only attempted by someone trying not to wake the neighbours. "There will be no kicking of my pretty behind!" She turned on the spot and patted the aforementioned with both hands, cackling as she turned back.

"Nooooonnaaaaaaaaa!" She called again in the same tone. "I've got, I've got something reeeeeally important to tell you. But I'm not going to shout it in the street for all to hear!"

Up above and to her left a curtain twitched angrily two storeys above a shop.
"I have to whiiiiisper it in your - in your ear!" She trotted onwards, looking left and right for her elusive drinking partner. She had plans for that fine figure once she got it home.

Nona pouted. Though she remained unseen she hoped it permiated toward Elixa, as if the other woman could simply sense the way her bottom lip protruded ever so slightly. That was drunk logic for you, it didn't even dawn on Nona they might be less than safe or that they might be disturbing people.

"I already kicked it! I just don't have any proof because we had to call the game," she had tucked herself behind a building corner, waiting for the other woman to pass. It was taking her forever, and now she was trying to tempt the giggling Ginger out with the promise of secrets.

"Oh I know all your trick Ms. Mordent! I shant be fooled so easily," she stuck her tongue out to the shadows, "at least not again"! She almost snickered as Lix walked right by her, but bit her tongue to stifle the sound. Now was her chance!

Without warning she leapt out and flung her arms around the other woman's neck, "I caught you! Now you're miiiiiine," she snickered into Elixa's mass of hair, nipping at the base of her neck playfully, "I demand piggy-packs. My feets hurt".

A Nona flew out of the shadows and hung herself around Elixa's neck. She was only a slight thing but they still skittered in the street as they collided.
"I caught you! Now you're miiiiiine! I demand piggy-packs. My feets hurt."

"Oooh you," Elixa laughed, kissing Nona's soft arms before bending her knees a little and allowing the other witch to hop aboard. "One, two - " Neither of them were at all co-ordinated so the carry wasn't very ladylike and the two of them headed down the alley giggling like naughty school girls.

"Wait until I get you home…" Elixa told her, gripping Nona's legs with her arms enjoying the feel of the other girl's body against hers, even if it was something as ridiculous as a piggyback!

Up ahead was the Divination shop, lights out, and above it the flat had no lights on. Excellent, nobody home.

She set off at a quicker pace, stumbling towards the door, Nona draped around her neck, giving a whoop.

In the dark of the flat above, Johann's ears picked up the sound of voices outside the windows to the street. He was laid on his back on the sofa, feet propped up on the arm nearest the kitchen as his limbs were a little long for the furniture to accommodate.

The flat was quiet, one occupant in Malaysia with kneazle, and the other out on the town. Some nights she didn't come back, so he had the place to himself, it did depend who she bumped into, and whose bed they ended up in. He never commented on Elixa's habits (unless she forgot a silencing charm).

It was yet another night of lying there unable to sleep. He'd not been able to source any strong enough sleeping potion to settle his head, and he felt too mentally exhausted to work the night through. Tomorrow he had promised to visit his mother up at Hogwarts to finalise funeral arrangements and start to consolidate his father's finances, so it would be better if he could sleep.

The voices came again from outside. Giggling. There was something familiar about the tone that caught his ears, as if he knew who it was, plastered in the street outside.

There was a bump at the front door at street level and his eyes came open in the gloom. The door unlocked and the giggling was suddenly identified as the door swung open at the bottom of the stairs. Definitely Elixa and… he narrowed his eyes in thought, trying to identify the other party. Female…, was that a Scottish accent?

Oh dear. Perhaps if he lay very still in the dark they might not realise and go straight upstairs.

… and if he was very lucky, they might remember to charm the bedroom door.

"Oh me, what? The light and joy of your life, yes I know," she giggled again, nuzzling her nose against Lix's shoulder, hugging her tightly. The piggyback was probably a terrible idea, but it was far too late to consider all that now!

"Promises, promises," she almost purred as they stumbled up the street, tone quickly changing as she wrapped her legs a little tighter around the other woman's hips, "so help me Merlin, if you drop us Lixy," she couldn't really sound stern though, she was too busy giggling.

Just outside the door, Nona untangled herself from around the other woman, stocking feet touching down silently as she ran her fingers through Elixa's hair, capturing her mouth in a fleeting kiss while the other fumbled with the door. She was greatly pleased she proved to be so distracting (and refused to acknolwedge it might have something to do with the down'd pints earlier).

Once inside her dulled senses perked considerably, brown eyes going wide as she looked first up at Elixa then at the shadowy lump located on her couch, vaguely outlined from the light outside. Well, this was going to be a party, wasn't it! Dropping her voice to a stage whisper she tilted her head toward the lump, "Someone has company"!

Peering into the dark, she momentarily forgot about the fact she had intended to kiss Lixy senseless and do about twelve dozen other scandalous things to her. She needed to investigate! As she crept closer, eyes adjusting to the dimness, steps careful and quiet, "Maybe we should feed him to a Hippogriff," another giggle escaped her lips as she jumped in the middle of the slumbering man, "WAKE UP SLEEPY HEAD, GET YOURSELF OUT OF BED, I forget how the rest of the poem's saaaaid"! Corr she could be obnoxious when she wanted to be (and sometimes even when she didn't!).

Nona's lips on hers made opening the front door rather tricky! Despite what they'd had to drink it didn't dull what she felt for Nona, and how much every inch of her wanted to get that girl upstairs.

The front door gave way and they stumbled into the staircase, giggling. None of the lamps were on in the flat, so it made negotiating the stairs up from the alley to the living room a little harder. Even Elixa's feet which knew the stairs well for eight months of climbing them found them strange that night.

Living above the divination shop meant these stairs must be negotiated so up they they went, Elixa pushing her companion's backside up them with a cheeky grope until they burst out at the top. Although it was dark to see - ahead of them were the stairs with the turn in the middle to reach upstairs were Nona would know Elixa's bedroom lay at the top of the final flight of stairs.

But to their left, in the living room, there was a feeling of a presence, and as Elixa's eyes grew used to the gloom, there were two feet sticking off the right end of the sofa, the rest of the six foot odd wizard obscured. She had been hoping he might not be in - just so she could have her way with Nona wherever they pleased, but well, never mind.

Nona was creeping towards the sofa, which faced away from them, towards the fireplace at the far side of the room. She looked ridiculous and Elixa stifled a laugh.

"Maybe we should feed him to a Hippogriff."
"He won't be as-."
"WAKE UP SLEEPY HEAD, GET YOURSELF OUT OF BED, I forget how the rest of the poem's saaaaid!"

The explosion of noise from such a slight person was terrific, especially with the accent. Despite herself, Elixa bent double laughing.
"Nonnie!!" She exclaimed, "Don't get distracted, you're miiiiine!"

The giggles and the stumbling footsteps made it up the stairs in the dark. Johann listened to them ascend, waiting quietly to see if they would pass straight by and go upstairs above him. But they got to the top of the first flight and looked into the living room. He could hear them both panting from running and clambering.

"Maybe we should feed him to a Hippogriff."

Eyes closed still, Johann's mouth curled into an amused smirk which well and truly gave away the fact he was awake, but in the dark it was hard to see.

Nona exploded with noise and landed right on top of him. His eyes flew open and his hands shot out to try and catch the rest of her weight so she didn't accidentally break him in half with her vault over the back of the sofa. With no time to consider where his hands went, his left ended up in a most unsuitable place on upper body and as he came face to face with a grinning Nona, it was hard to move it from her.

"Aaaahaaaa!" He replied, trying to match her cheeky cry. "I've been caught by a wild Spectre!" He chuckled. "Hello you."

Nona had spent most of her life learning to measure out her impulsive nature (despite her behavior some nights after several pints). When she didn't... well, things like her cousin's boyfriend catching a feel seemed to happen. For a moment she just looked down at him with wide eyes, lips still upturned with a playful grin, as though it had not yet registered this could be problematic later. Were he not Balfour's boyfriend the options of what might happen next were endless (and scandalously enjoyable). Of course, things being the way they were, she dropped a kiss on the tip of his nose before setting back on her haunches, "Well Hello to you too"!

Of course she didn't consider where exactly sitting back would place her on his body, with knees bent on either side of his narrow hips. She did have the forethought to wrap her fingers around his wrists, though to be fair she made no rush to remove his hands from her person, this was far too amusing and the wicked part of her wanted to see how he'd get himself out of it or awkwardly explain it away. "Lixy, I think you might have some competition for my affections," she looked over her shoulder, red hair bouncing as she grinned at the other witch. She was teasing of course. Clearly. Maybe.

Glancing back down at Johann, her tone was teasing, "Since you're not sleeping, I believe you're far too sober for all the things currently happening and I demand we remedy this immediately"!

There was the sound of limbs moving quickly in the dark and the familiar creak of the sofa followed by Johann's accented voice. At least he sounded amused rather than put out.

Elixa raised her wand once again, lighting each of the lamps in turn around them, illuminating at first Nona on the sofa as a silhouette ahead of her as she walked slowly towards the sofa.

By the time the other lamps came on and Lix could see clearly, Nona had sat up again.

"Lixy, I think you might have some competition for my affections,"

Elixa's eyes were wide and her eyebrows had shot up. Nona might have her hands round Johann's wrists, but his hands were most certainly to her waist and one of her boobs.

"Johann Storm!" She exclaimed, "Hands off my Nona!" In a less than fluid movement owing to the drink, she seized one of the little cushions off the sofa and socked him with it on the top of the forehead.

When Nona mentioned that they sort out his sobriety, Elixa snapped her fingers.
"I have just the thing, and headed for the pantry.

The kiss upon his nose was warm and soft, altogether different form the affection Balfour showed him. Nona's mouth was smaller but just as cheeky.

As she sat back, she landed right on Johann's hips, somewhere another witch or woman had ever found herself sat to Johann's memory (though other related memories of more recent times with Balfour did come to mind.) His eyes widened at the weight - Nona was very slight so it wasn't uncomfortable, but the view and the fact he had a handful of her right breast in his left hand and she was keeping his hand in place rather put a slant on things.

Despite himself, Johann's subconscious contemplated how warm she was and the weight of things in his hand, as his other hand held her waist. He didn't usually think of witches in any way - though there were a few exceptions - and certainly not the cousin of his partner.

The lights revealed all and he could only gape in surprise as Elixa brought a pillow down on the top of his head in retaliation for handling Nona.

"Sorry…" He managed to lower both hands to his waist as Elixa distracted her with an approach to the pantry.

"I think I am," He agreed, more to Nona, that he was too sober for this. Too sober for pretty Nona Spectre sat exactly where she was, skirt folding up around her and bare knees either side of him. He found his eyes lingering on the curves and the way Nona moved above him and her weight upon him shifted.

"But I still want use of my legs, I've got work to do tomorrow!" Snapping out of his distraction, he called round Nona to Elixa who pulled open the door to the pantry to find her homebrew bubbling inside, and gave him an evil grin.

"You won't make it upstairs if you drink some of that stuff," he warned Nona, lying back again on the sofa. "We'll all be on the sofa." He gave her waist a squeeze, but did not wriggle to encourage her to get up.

"Awwuh," Nona made a soft sympathetic (though thoroughly amused) noise as Elixa bonked Johann on the head, fingers reaching out to smooth over the skin of his forehead as the other witch trotted off to the pantry. It didn't seem to dawn on her that moving might be the proper thing to do as Storm looked up at her in the warm lamp light. She was perfectly content where she sat, one hand braced against his chest as her eyes followed Elixa.

She nodded solomnly as the sheepish wizard agreed he was, indeed, too sober for his current predicament, "Oh! The private reserve. How delightful. I wonder how much trouble it'll get us in," she was giggling again as she looked down at Johann. He was so pretty, otherworldly almost. She thought she might tell him so too, but he distracted her with talking again, brown eyes focusing on the way his lips formed his words almost too much for her to register his meaning.

Blinking a slow cheeky grin formed itself on her lips as she brushed a curtain of red hair out of her face, "Oh you mean like a slumber party?! I haven't had one of those in ages," she bent down and brushed the tip of her nose against his, then whispered in his ear "we can talk about boys and tell dirty jokes, and then you have to let me braid your hair. Of course there will be kissing practice, should time permit," she snickered as she sat back up, peering into the direction Elixa had gone, "Liiiiixa, I'm thirsty. Come back a'fore we have to come looking for you"!

The distilling equipment in the pantry was bubbling as she reached past it for a blank labelled bottle of the results from a few weeks ago.

"But I still want use of my legs, I've got work to do tomorrow!" She heard Johann call from beneath Nona, she shot him an evil grin before swapping the bottle.

"Heh," Lix replied to herself. Perhaps he should have considered where he put his hands on Nona before he said that. No mercy now - she wasn't dragging him upstairs with Nona - she was open in that direction but never in Johann's direction.

As she grasped three glasses from the shelf in the kitchen, she heard Johann inform Nona that her home brewed alcohol would cause them to end up together on the sofa.

"Oh you mean like a slumber party?! I haven't had one of those in ages…" In the low light of the living room lamps, Nona's lean down to Johann made Elixa's eyebrows shoot up. She wasn't sober enough to think whether the pretty Spectre witch she wanted to drag upstairs and have her wicked way with was kissing the rather sober insomniac on the sofa.

"Liiiiixa, I'm thirsty. Come back a'fore we have to come looking for you!" Nona thought she was further away than Elixa now was, stood before the sofa, bottle in one hand and fingers in the top of three glasses in the other.

"Comfortable, Nona?" She asked, eyebrow raised. She shot Johann a jealous look and set the glasses down on the coffee table, pouring one and leaning over to Nona,
"Because I'm sure I can make you rather more comfortable…" She told the witch in a low voice, leaning in for a kiss, one eye open to glance to Johann below before she pulled away, handing over the glass with just an inch or so in the bottom of it.
"Steady how you go." She warned the lithe witch.

Nona was affectionate to say the least. Johann, usually at ease with his extensive list of female friends, blushed and minded how close she got because he worried for her. Hannah Bombay had once got very merry and planted one right on his lips. The morning after he'd tried to brush it off, and she had been so horrified they hadn't spoken a while and she'd left her shoes behind.

Nona was a dear friend, but inebriated and sat in a compromising place. Even with Lix glaring at him, when she reached in to give Nona a kiss, the red head still astride him, he had to grasp a cushion with one hand to hide his expression behind.

Not to give them privacy (quite the opposite, his blue eyes didn't leave them out of sheer nosey curiosity) but so he didn't have to keep a straight face. Well, because perhaps his hand on her waist had tightened ever so slightly and his heart had beat just a little faster there beneath Nona's hand on his chest until she lifted it to receive the glass.

The things he could tell Balfour… well, had it not been his cousin…

For the sake of all of them, though chiefly because he valued his life after Elixa's glare, Johann moved gently beneath Nona, propping himself up on his elbows to try and sit up.
"I er," He tried to form words, staring up at Nona. "Do you er, mind…" he half asked, flustered, mostly because he hadn't expected to get even the slightest kick out of all of that, and somehow he was.

"I'm tall, but I'm not long enough for Lix to sit on me too," he heard himself say by way of explanation.

Oh dear. There had to have been a better way to put that.