[October 26, 2000]

"I said that I would be there at precisely 6:45, and there I was...at 6:45," Kevin insisted, leading the Ministry's finest attraction down a busy London street.  "You may have thought I said 6:30, but I assure you, it was 6:45."  He was wearing dark suit with a blue button-down underneath his jacket.  The weather was finally getting cool enough to comfortably wear a shirt and jacket without feeling suffocated.  Normally he would have shaved before going out on the town, but in his rush to not be more than fifteen minutes late, he had neglected to do so, leaving a fair amount of scruff upon his face.

Kevin and Analiza had worked together on a few cases over the last year, but this was the first time Kevin had taken her out.  Of course, this wasn't the first time he had tried to get her to go out with him.  She just always had something better to do...of course, Kevin reasoned that she never knew what she was missing; he hoped to prove just that.

'Of course,' he thought briefly to himself, 'It will really suck working with her if tonight doesn't quite go as planned.  Merlin, I hope she's not a prude.'

He had decided that he would spend a little money this evening--Merlin knew he had plenty to spend--and take her somewhere normally reserved for...well...no one.  Kevin had discovered long ago that you get more for your money is less-than-reputable places.  Nevertheless, Analiza had something about her, something different.  Kevin figured this difference earned her a night that was a cut above what he normally doled out.

"Y'know, I think if you wore that dress to work, they'd make you Minister on the spot and have a picture of you on every wall," He grinned and winked at her.  Her heels, though they looked ridiculously uncomfortable, were doing wonders for Kevin; his stomach turning backflips.  "Ah, we're here.  The best club and pub in the entire wizarding world."

He tossed a galleon to the man standing outside and reached for the door.  He pulled it open and stepped aside, ushering his trophy date friend inside.

Outfit

"I said that I would be there at precisely 6:45, and there I was...at 6:45, You may have thought I said 6:30, but I assure you, it was 6:45."

"Kevin, dear..." Ana started, sarcasm dripping off every syllable "... When the big hand AND the little hand are on the six, then you are on time. NOT when the little hand is on the nine... Seriously, didn't your mum teach you anything?" She was already approaching a bad mood. He had picked her up 15 minutes late, pretended it was her fault and was now walking way too fast for her to keep up in these wretched heels. She had been wearing heels for around five years now but still had issues, especially with new ones. Because of this, she had to cling to Kevin's arm while stumbling down the street, which just gave the smug prat a even more inflated ego. "When a girl has to wait on a guy, there is something fundamentally wrong..." She grumbled, wishing she could wipe the smug smile off of his handsome face.

The problem Ana was having was that it was a handsome face. An insufferably handsome face with a handsome body and even what could be considered a handsome personality, if you were drunk enough. Every time he made her mad, which was as often as him saying hello, he'd give her one of his charming smiles and she wouldn't be able to say anything. This infuriated her more then anything he could do. You didn't leave Analiza Snark speechless, it simply wasn't done.

But then, it was his annoying charm and the way his sarcastic wit could battle openly with her own that drew Analiza to him. Men... or just people in fact.... could normally only take her in small doses, but Kevin actually seemed to see her as some sort of 'catch'. As much as she resented being objectified like that, she couldn't help but feel a swell of joy when he smiled at her. It was why, after months of trying, he managed to get her to agree on a date.

"Y'know, I think if you wore that dress to work, they'd make you Minister on the spot and have a picture of you on every wall,"

"Maybe I should wear it to work then... It could be the new uniform for everyone..." She snickered and added with pointed emphasis "... and I do mean everyone." The image of him dressed in a matching minidress made her smile despite herself and for a moment she forgot all about being angry with him. She pondered what other things she could do to torture him and his overconfident sense of masculinity when he mentioned that they had arrived.

"Ah, we're here.  The best club and pub in the entire wizarding world."

"...Not bad..." She admitted, pleased to get away from the cold and uneven street. "Though, we should really go to Amsterdam next time... There's a club I went to there after graduating from Hogwarts that had this one room--" She cut herself off abruptly as she remembered what had exactly happened that night, in the room in question, and quickly changed the subject, "... Nevermind. Let's get drinks shall we?"

"Sure, let's get drinks," He said, ushering her in front of him (he had already noted that she walked unusually slow--he found himself walking slower than normal to keep her from falling too far behind.)  He glanced down and watched her take a few steps; his stomach still doing back-flips.  'Dear Merlin is she gorgeous,' he pondered smugly to himself.

As they approached the bar, Kevin bent forward, his lips close to her ear.  He whispered, "Oh, and while you're trying to match wit, you might want to know that if I had picked you up when the little hand was on the nine, I really would have been late...hours late.  But since I picked you up when the big hand was on the nine and the little hand on the six, I was perfectly on time.  But don't worry about it, everyone gets a little mixed up every now and then."

He smiled and gave her another rogue wink.  He then took a step past her and signaled one of the many bartenders over--this one happened to be a rather attractive woman.  "I'll take a scotch on the rocks and she will have a..."

He gestured for her to speak up and give her order to the bartender, but instead of listening, he had turned to survey their surroundings.  It was still a little early for it to be too crowded, but there was enough to give it a nice atmosphere.  Many famous witches and wizards could be seen if you knew where to look; though, Kevin was not a frequent patron, but had had a few bachelor's parties within the place. 

'Wild times,' he thought, 'Thank Merlin you never got swept up in that.'  Only months ago he had discovered that he had two children, Christopher Kevin and Anabelle Sadie.  Of course, they lived with their mother, Sarah, which was good for Kevin because he wasn't the best with such a responsibility.  He did visit them every few weeks or so, much to Sarah's dismay (she had tried to get him to commit to a visitation schedule, but Kevin was lucky to make it into work on time.) 

Kevin pushed the thought of his children out of his mind and turned back to the bar.  He picked up his drink  and took a sip.  Curiously, he looked at the fancy looking glass that held the colorful drink she had ordered.  "Would you like to take a table?"  He gave her another one of his classic Hargrove smiles and found himself quite glad that he hadn't shaved; he had a feeling that tonight, it would play into his favor.

Taking a seat at one of the stools, Analiza crossed her slender legs and leaned on the bar, eyes raking over the variety of jewel colored bottles lining the walls. Just as she was about to summon the bartender, focusing more on the attractive male bartender a bit farther down than the closer, and too pretty for her own good, female bartender only a few feet away, Kevin cut her off by closing the space between them and whispering in her ear.

"Oh, and while you're trying to match wit, you might want to know that if I had picked you up when the little hand was on the nine, I really would have been late...hours late.  But since I picked you up when the big hand was on the nine and the little hand on the six, I was perfectly on time.  But don't worry about it, everyone gets a little mixed up every now and then."

The moment the warmth of his breath washed over her earlobe and the tickle of his scruff brushed against the sensitive curve of her neck, Analiza felt her breath catch and her eyes fell shut against her will. As though he were whispering sweet nothings in her ear, which was what the closeness indicated, she sucked in her bottom lip and bit down, her hips instinctively shifting ever so slightly. And then, his words dawned on her and instantly the spell was broken. Her eyes snapped open, the golden orbs wide with horror and her mouth fell open ever so slightly, also in abject horror. Oh Merlin... had she really made such a mistake? In front of HIM?

Dozen's of excuses flitted through her mind. She was a witch, not a muggle, how was she supposed to remember how their bloody contraptions worked?... She was in pain because of the shoes and not thinking clearly.... She was dazzled by his good looks and the wonderful way he smelled... As gagworthy as that last one was, she figured it was the one he would most likely believe. Arrogant prat, why had she agreed to go out with him anyway?

Oh yeah... because he had good looks and smelled wonderful. Dammit.

She was about to lay on her excuses when he suddenly shifted gears and started ordering their drinks. Now she was pissed. How dare he not give her a chance to present her excuses case! "Sex on the beach..." She managed, through gritted teeth as she clenched and unclenched her hands. His comment alone was enough to make her furious, but then the way he ushered over that attractive female bartender... that was simply too much for the hot tempered redhead to handle.

"Would you like to take a table?"

"Yes, of course..." She said, a strange calm washing over her. A forboding smile, at least for Kevin, spread playfully across her face. "... But first, I need to fix this... this thing..." She ushered to her drink, of which she had not taken a single sip from. Snapping in the air at the cute bartender she had intended on getting a drink from, Analiza summoned him over. "Hey..." She breathed, sliding the cherry into her mouth and holding it between her teeth as she coyly played with the stem. "... This Sex on the Beach really needs something... more. It's not rough enough..." Glancing at Kevin with a smug smirk, she said in a loud whisper "...I like it rough."

"Yes, of course..."

He watched her curiously as a new smile--almost a smirk, but not--appeared upon her face; he had not yet seen an expression quite like it upon her face.  Was she annoyed with him already?  Or, was it something else?  Kevin wondered what she was thinking as she turned around to "fix her drink."  ('Whatever the bloody hell that means,' he though, rolling his eyes, 'Women...')

He watched as she called over a different bartender and Kevin had to consciously keep himself cool, calm, and collected as he watched the scene unfold in front of him. 

"Hey..." She breathed, sliding the cherry into her mouth and holding it between her teeth as she coyly played with the stem. "... This Sex on the Beach really needs something... more. It's not rough enough..." Glancing at Kevin with a smug smirk, she said in a loud whisper "...I like it rough."

Part of him was dying on the inside; he felt bottled up and wouldn't have had many qualms taking her right then and there.  But... he was a respectable member of the community with a more-respected family name, thus taking such an option out of the running.  On the other hand, part of him was annoyed and angry that she had shared such a... detail... with this petty bartender and his pretty little face.  Kevin could have forsaken his wand and punched the man.

"Yeah, she's right.  Everything needs to be a little rough now and then," He sat at the stool next to her and put his arm around her shoulder.  Tilting his head back, he downed what was left of his drink and placed the glass back on the bar.  He spoke to the man in a tone that was polite, but held an air of being talked down to. "How about you fix up m'lady's drink and give us a round of shots...of tequila?  Oh, and I could use a refill...scotch, on the rocks."

"Oh, and make it," He paused slightly and looked Analiza in the eye, giving her a grin that involved only the slight curl in the corners of his lips, and finished, "Rough."

He looked away from her to watch the man fix their drinks, rather like a servant... or a house elf.

"Yeah, she's right.  Everything needs to be a little rough now and then,"

Analiza's teeth came crushing down on the cherry and and she ground the sweet fruit into nothingness in irritation as Kevin took a seat next to her, wrapping his arm around her. Arrogant prick! She thought to herself, alternating between shrugging his arm off and curling under it. He apparently thought he could ignore her to flirt with some barscag and then cut in on her little dalliance, acting like she was his. Ana belonged to no man, they belonged to her, like a pair of expensive Italian shoes. Kevin was like the Louboutins gracing her feet: Edgy but with a touch of class, extremely attractive and a bitch to walk in. She both wanted to break him in so she could wear him comfortably and throw him out with the rubbish for being such a dick. Watching as the handsome bartender was chased off by Kevin's possessiveness, Analiza sighed. This pair was going to give her a lot of bruises and blisters before she was done.

"Oh, and make it, Rough."

"Heh. Cute." She gave him a sarcastic laugh before sighing and resting her face on her hand. When the drinks were put down in front of them she toyed with the shotglass, running her finger around the brim, before turning back to him. Picking up the first shot, she downed it, winced and then leered up at him. Reaching up, she tugged at his tie and grinned deviously. "Tell you what, luv, let's play a little game shall we?" She leaned against him, running her fingers down his chest before reaching down and picking up another shot. Bringing it towards her lips, she made like she was going to drink it before she paused. "A drinking game... Every time I can get a guy here to flirt with me, you have to take a drink. And vice versa..." Glancing at the pretty barmaid, who was eying Kevin and Ana almost enviously, Analiza added cruelly "... and bartenders don't  count... they just want a bigger tip."

Holding up her shot, she cocked her brown and curled her lips into a coy sneer "Shall we drink on it, or are you too scared that I will win?"

(sorry, not as good as I had hoped. :S)

Kevin knew he had touched a nerve; he could feel her tense up briefly beneath his arm.  However, she played it off well as she picked up a shot no sooner than it had hit the bar and downed it.  Only briefly, so quick it would have been missed had he been blinking, she winced--presumably from the fact that she had downed it sans salt or anything to follow it up with.

"Tell you what, luv, let's play a little game shall we?"

The moment she reached for his chest--her fingertips lightly pressing his shirt against his skin--his stomach turned yet another backflip.  He took a small taste of scotch for an excuse to look away from her.  She drew a line down his chest, teasing him, as she began to describe this new 'game.'

"A drinking game... Every time I can get a guy here to flirt with me, you have to take a drink. And vice versa... and bartenders don't count... they just want a bigger tip." She paused for a moment as Kevin pondered how much he wouldn't like this game.  He had no problems flirting with other women and getting them to return the favor, however, he wasn't looking forward to having to see any guy so much as look at Analiza.  He brought his mind back to the present in time to barely hear her last comment.

"Oh, yeah, off course I'll drink on it."  Kevin picked up one of the small glasses between his thumb and forefinger, holding it up to hers, he clinked it against the one she held and took it in one quick motion.  "Though, I must insist that when you become quite inebriated, you cannot forget the game and hit me with your shoe for flirting with another woman.  I have one scar already and do not need another." 

Kevin remembered that night like it had occurred mere hours ago...he was on a third date with a girl--which was a record, at the time--when he had given a rather large tip to a particularly nice looking cocktail waitress.  All he heard was, "You're a pig-headed bloody twat, Kevin Hargrove!" before the heel of her shoe crashed down upon his head.  By the time he looked up, he saw the tail end of her short skirt as she walked out the door.

The sound of laughter led Kevin's eyes from Analiza to the door.  Two young blokes--no more than twenty-five years old--stumbled in.  They made their way up to the bar and ordered firewhiskeys before Kevin took his eyes off of them.  Taking a large gulp of his scotch, he looked back to Analiza.  Grudgingly, but with a steady voice, he spoke, "Well, I guess it's your turn to go first, then, eh?"

"Oh, yeah, off course I'll drink on it. Though, I must insist that when you become quite inebriated, you cannot forget the game and hit me with your shoe for flirting with another woman.  I have one scar already and do not need another."

"Oh you poor thing..." Analiza gave him a sympathetic pat on the arm "What a horrible woman... hitting you just because you are such a hunk that woman line up to be hit on. Didn't she know that woman just LOVE being objectified by handsome men such as yourself..." She rolled her eyes dramatically before smirking "Tell you what... I will make sure to hit you in the exact same spot... So there is no new scarring." Winking, she picked up the Sex on the Beach her bartended returned and took a sip. Luckily for her, Kevin was distracted by some laughter and, hopefully, didn't see the sour face she made. It tasted like shit. Dammit, why had she asked him to make a fruity drink more 'rough'?

"Well, I guess it's your turn to go first, then, eh?"

"Hm?" Analiza said, trying to stomach the godawful mess of a drink anyways. She didn't want to admit to Kevin she had made a very bad mistake. Glancing towards the laughter, where two decent looking wizards were joking and punching each other in the arms, Ana grimaced very slightly at their overtly macho antics before turning back to Kevin with a grin. "Of course... Could you hold my purse?" She gave him a simpering smile as she dropped her rather heavy clutch in his lap before picking up her drink and sauntering over to the young men.

Nearing them, Ana did a spectacular stumble and 'accidentally' poured a little of her drink on the blonde ones shirt. "Oh my merlin! I am sooooo sorry... Silly little me, one drink and I am already throwing myself at guys..." She slurred a little, giggling. Grabbing a bar napkin, she ran her hand down his chest slowly, her eyes not leaving his. "There... all better..." Picking up her drink, she drew the straw between her lips sensuously, and sipped the last bit of the drink through her straw. Leaning back on the bar she gave both guys a coy pout "Oh... It would appear that my drink is gone... Buy me another?"

"Um...*cough*... " The guy, struck speechless for a moment, regained his voice. Lowering it, he leaned towards her, a movement which Ana took fully to her advantage and for Kevin's entertainment by leaning closer herself, and murmured "Er... I hate to disappoint you... but... uh... we are... here, um, together..." She smiled "I can see tha-- ooooh... crap." It dawned on her and she couldn't help but blush. She hoped Kevin thought it was in pleasure. The other guy, who apparently wasn't as comfortable with this as he was, piped in "Dammit, Mikey, I thought we were trying to keep it... you know... secret. For a bit... My dad has friends here..."

Ana had a flash of an evil idea and smirked, leaning back against the bar she let out a bright laugh,  as though they had said something far more funny then anything Kevin ever said, and leaned in "Look... We can help each other. My date is being a dick and bet me that I wasn't attractive enough to get any guys attention but his..." "That bastard...." the blond one breathed in horror. He started to glance towards Kevin, but Ana grabbed his arm "Wait... don't look!... Ok look, but sneer at him like you won and he is a loser..." The guy followed suit and Ana couldn't help but mentally laugh hysterically before continuing, the laughter threatening to bubble over her lips "... Anyways, here's the deal. Flirt with me a little... buy me a cheap drink or something... and then I will leave. You two don't have to worry about your dad finding out... and I get my friend to eat his words... Deal?"

"Deal..." they both said, almost as gleefully as she did, before one ordered her a cosmo and the other pretended to whisper something in her ear. She laughed, too loudly, and then caught Kevin's eye. Picking up her drink, she sipped it with a smirk before flashing him two fingers and raising her glass 'Drink up' she mouthed before turning back to her partners in crime.

Kevin had his wand out, ready for a quick tripping jinx or perhaps a confundus on the unsuspecting men, when he snorted--she had tripped all on her own.  He leaned back, still laughing, as he waited for her to make a walk of shame back to him.  However, this was not to be the case.  Instead, she cleaned him up, they joked back and forth, and then they were buying her drinks!  'What the bloody hell does she think she's doing?' he thought, jealousy pumping through veins.

She finally looked back towards him and mouthed, "Drink up."  He held his composure and smiled back at her, drinking two shots back-to-back. 

"Ahh..." He said, turning his back to the bar and leaning up against it.  He peered around the place, looking for his next target.  There were two blonds drinking over in one corner of the bar... 'Nah...way too young.  They're closer to Allie's age than your own,' he thought to himself before continuing to scan the bar for other unknowing participants in their little game.  A brunette was sitting a short ways down the bar, she also seemed to be trolling for a man, 'Nah...too desperate.'  Finally, he laid eyes on a group of upper-twenty-something year olds, all fairly attractive, with on wearing a veil.  'What better way than to be with a woman and her entire bridal party.'

Kevin got up and sauntered over to the group of women; judging by the number of empty glasses on the table, they were already quite inebriated.  He took his drink with him, taking a large gulp of scotch before he placed the glass on the table in front of the soon-to-be bride.  "You know, it's quite a shame that some other bloke with have you, but could you spare the rest of us one dance?"

The bride-to-be looked up, shocked that Kevin was standing so close, but she simply giggled in response.  The two girls to either side of her giggled, too.  "You should do it!  You'll never be able to do it again!" said the girl to her right, egging on her friend.  Other girls in the group nodded and continued to egg her on.  Kevin was beginning to doubt she would agree when she finally nodded, giggling more. 

She went to stand up when she hesitated briefly and unceremoniously began to throw up all over the front of her shirt.  A lava flow of redish, extremely foul smelling vomit ran down the front of her shirt.  Kevin had hopped out of the way just in time to avoid getting any on him, but the smell was still too much for him to handle.  Leaving his drink on the table, he turned on his heel to walk back to the bar.  He made it half way back before someone tapped on his shoulder.  He turned and one of the prettier girls from the table had followed him back; she was nearly as tall as him, with long legs (most of which were quite exposed) and long red hair.

"Hee...sorry about her, she's not very good at holding her own," She said, placing a hand onto his shoulder and toying with the collar of his shirt.  "But..." She looked into his eyes, "If you're still interested...I might be persuaded into a dance."

"Okay, let me treat you," He ordered a bertie-bott-tini for her and another scotch on the rocks for himself.  It had only taken a few moments to get their drinks and before he knew it, two songs had gone by and his legs were aching from the non-stop movement.  Kevin was quite a good dancer--it was one of his many natural talents.

"Okay...I really must get back, maybe we'll get together again later!" She winked and gave him a kiss on the cheek.  Kevin nodded, smiling smugly, and gave her a small pop on the arse as she turned to walk back to her table.  He turned and winked at Analiza.  As he walked from the dance floor, he mouthed, "Your turn."

"...And so he was wearing these atrocious lime green loafers..." "... They were more of a olive, Mikey..." "... No, definitely a lime... I remember because my eyes were begging me to let them jump out and run off before they shriveled up and died..."

Ana sighed, a fake smile plastered onto her face as the two men talked towards her. She wasn't really part of the conversation as much as she was a pretty plant they were using as a buffer lest anyone listen in. It was part of the deal afterall, she was there so they could spend time together without drawing undue attention to the fact. Unfortunately, she hadn't realized that this meant standing there and listening to them bicker about shoes between telling them their life stories. She had already learned that their names were Mike and Drew, Mike being the blond one and Drew the one with the homophobic father, they worked together for the DoMT and that their first date was at a Falmouth Falcons game (She couldn't wait to tell Auggie about that, including Mikes comment about how fit the new beater was). They then started talking about politics at their office and Ana phased out, sipping her Cosmo as she looked to see where Kevin had gone.

She found him pretty quickly, considering he was in a gaggle of bridesmaids whose giggles were reaching earsplitting proportions. She felt a knot form in her stomach, though she was unsure if it was jealousy or the fact that if he got all of them to flirt with him then she would pretty much have to forfeit. This was quickly dispelled when the one who seemed to be the bride vomited all over herself. Ana barely was able to keep in the urge to laugh as Kevin quickly exited the group. How classic! She couldn't have done better if she planned it herself. Her mental gloating died down quickly, however, when one of the prettier bridesmaids broke off from the group. Ana's gilded gaze followed her as she sashayed over to Kevin and proceeded to not only get a drink out of him, but two dances. The entire time, Ana glared at the pair, her hand clenching her drink so hard that the glass was beginning to give way. She didn't even notice that Drew and Mike had stopped talking and were staring at her.

"Um honey, are you... okay?" Mike murmured, touching her shoulder lightly. Ana's spell was broken and she snapped back to reality. "Yeah, I'm fine..." She muttered, still watching the pair. Kevin was just breaking away from the redhead and his little slap on her ass didn't escape Analiza. Her eyes narrowed. "Excuse me, but I have a little bug to squash..." She hissed, shoving the remains of her third Cosmo into Mike's hands. "Um... okay! You... uh... have fun!" Drew called, obviously a little relieved that she was leaving. Stomping over to Kevin, who was looking smug, Ana grabbed a shot, downed it and slammed the glass back on the table without a word. She almost didn't even feel it go down. "Excuse me, I have to use the little girls room..." She said coldly, having recalled seeing the redhead's bridal posse headed that way.

Barely able to keep her stomping in a straight line, Ana pushed her way into the bathroom area where the girls were giggling and reapplying their make up (And the bride was vomiting in the nearest stall). The little bitch was mercifully off to the side, enjoying the drink Kevin bought her, though Ana would have gladly clawed out all her little friends eyes if it had come down to a brawl. Walking up to her, Ana took the drink right out of her hand, took a sip and then tossed it into her face. Before the bewildered girl could utter a single word, Ana grabbed a chunk of her hair and yanked it hard, pulling her so close that their faces were only a few inches apart. "Listen up and listen good, you scuzzy little barrag, if you even think of coming near my man again, I will tear out every meticulously dyed follicle of your hair, one by one, and make sure that it never grows back, no matter how many potions or spells you use..." She shoved the girl into the wall and added "That's not a warning, that's a promise. Don't let me see you or your... your knock off Jimmy Choos... near Kevin again." With that, she turned and stomped away, ignoring the girls attempt at comebacks.

Attempting to get through the swaying crowd and back to the bar, where a smug faced Kevin more then likely was waiting, Analiza found her trek back was far more harrowing then it was going in. The song playing was apparently a popular one because most of the club was dancing and Analiza found herself being shoved, prodded and generally manhandled this way and that as she fought her way through. She could just see the bar and was about to break free from the gyrating masses when someone tripped her. In the second, as she fell, Ana felt her eyes screw shut so that she didn't have to see the sneer on Kevin's face when he watched her make a fool out of herself. However, she was surprised to find that not only did she not hit the ground, but the arm that stopped her was quite well formed and smelled quite expensive. Opening her eyes, she stared up at a rather attractive man in his mid twenties. "Hi." He said, smiling down at her. "uh... hi..." She managed to reply, still a bit shocked.

As he raised her back to her feet with a smile, she couldn't help but forget her previous anger and smile back at him. "It would seem, miss, that you have fallen just for me..." He chuckled and Ana followed suit, although she had to admit that the cheesy pick up line made her roll her eyes internally. Glancing at Kevin, who she figured was watching the whole scene, Ana decided that she would just have to use this to her advantage. Smiling playfully, she reached up and grasped his bicep with admiration "Well it's kinda hard not to when there is such strong arms to catch you with..." She purred back. It was equally corny, but he seemed to appreciate it because he nodded towards the dancefloor and said "... I know we both just escaped this mess, but... would you care to dance?"

Thinking of the way that the little redheaded minx had wrapped her body around Kevin only minutes before, Analiza couldn't help but smirk evilly "Of course, though... can we do it here? I don't want to brave that crowd again..." When he nodded complacently, Analiza wrapped her arms around his neck and, maneuvering him so that his back was to the bar, mouthed 'your turn' at Kevin with an almost sadistic smile.

Kevin could practically see the flames and fumes pouring from all of Analiza's orifices.  Flames shot out of her nose like dragon who's been put on a vegetarian diet and steam poured out of her ears like a tea kettle left on the stove for too long.  Kevin winced slightly as she slammed the empty shot glass back on the table, but he knew that it was only because he had found someone as attractive as herself to dance with.  He watched her stomp her way to the bathroom as he began scoping out his next target.  She was still up by one.

Two new patrons had entered the bar since while he had been dancing.  They were dressed in odd-looking clothes--the pretty blonde wore denim shorts that were far to short to be remotely appropriate and the other, a brunette whose back was turned to him was wearing denim pants and an oddly-patterned green shirt.  Despite her odd dress, Kevin found the brunette's hair to be quite attractive; it seemed to glow and reflect the various lights around the club as it waved down her back.  She also quite an attractive figure. 

Kevin turned back around just in time to see Analiza making her way back from the restroom.  He pulled out his wand, but kept it low so as to not draw any attention.  'Wait for it...wait for,' Kevin thought to himself--at the precise moment, he flicked it and shoved it back into his pocket.  Speaking softly to himself, he said, "If you timed it right..." 

He watched as the drink he aimed the spell at shattered in a poor unsuspecting man's hand.  As a result,  the man jumped back so as to not get his liquor all over him.  His sudden jump backwards caused him to bump into another man, who was dancing rather vigorously.  This man, whose legs and arms were flying all which way as he twisted and turned on the floor, missed a beat due to the disruption which caused him to completely stop dancing while he turned to curse at the lady.  As he cursed at her, his legs remained sprawled on the floor, in precisely the perfect spot to--

"Score." Kevin cheered to himself and took a swig of victory from his glass.

--trip the unsuspecting Analiza.

"What the bloody hell, Merlin!"  Kevin's feeling of victory flew from him like air from a popped balloon.  Some (quite attractive) prat had caught Analiza as she fell to the floor.  "What on earth does he want to do with a klutz that trips over him?"  He muttered to himself.  He raised his glass and took another sip of scotch.  He watched them as they proceeded to dance to the music, hardly realizing that he was grinding his teeth.  Kevin mustered a smile as she looked at him and stared straight into her eyes as he downed another shot of tequila; he could feel a small moment of light-headedness, the alcohol finally beginning to affect him.

He placed the shot glass back on the table and turned away from Analiza and her new mate.  "Oi, over here," he called the nearest bartender.  "Can you send something down to that brunette down there...a cocktail of some sort.  A Bertie Bottini." Kevin pointed down the bar to the brunette he had been admiring earlier. 

"Are you sure you want to send one of those down to h..." The bartender began before Kevin cut him off.

"Of course I am sure, or else I wouldn't have just told you to do so.  Merlin, what do you care who I send drinks to?" Kevin took another sip, casting a sideways glance at Analiza, who was dancing away with prick.  The bartender shrugged as he went to fulfill Kevin's request and Kevin took another swig, finishing his glass of scotch.  "And I need a refill!"

Gales of laughter bubbled from the redheads vicinity as she listened intently to her dance partner. Surprisingly, not all of the laughter was for Kevin's entertainment. In fact, she had almost forgotten why she was dancing with the charming and handsome young man in the first place, that is, aside from the fact that he was a charming and handsome young man. He was in the middle of telling her about a rather exciting adventure he had in Istanbul when her eyes fell back on her actual date and reminded her that it had been two dances already. Nodding along with feigned interest, Analiza made sure to lock him in place there so that she could stare over his shoulder at Kevin. It was his turn and she was interested to see what he would dare to do to top it.

She watched him order a drink and point down the bar at someone. Quickly, she angled Raoul (Her dance partner) so that she could see where the drink was headed. At first she thought that it was aimed for the buxom blond at the end of the bar, but after a moment she realized that Kevin couldn't see the blond from his angle. Meaning the drink had to be heading too... Analiza tripped over her own feet in surprise and fell into Raoul's chest. "Why... if you wanted to get closer you could have just said so..." He chuckled. "Uh... yes... Yes I could have... Silly me..." Analiza responded in a hasty titter, far more interested in the proceedings at the bar.

See, from Kevin's angle (and through his scotch soaked 'beer goggles'), the jean and green shirt clad brunette had a full head of shiny hair and a nice figure. From Ana's angle, the guy in the jeans and green shirt had a full head of shiny hair and a face that you could crack mirrors with. A face that, if her eyes were discerning it correctly, had been through more then its share of bar fights and was always up for another round. Her golden eyes widened and she stifled a giggle in her partners collar when she watched the froufrou drink that Kevin ordered be presented to the man, who, as expected, did not appreciate the implications that came with it.

The scene unfolded in slow motion. The long haired man, obviously already having drunk too much that evening (How else could you explain that outfit in this nightclub), demanded to know who was insulting him and, when Kevin was pointed out, stalked over to him. "Who the 'ell do ya think ye are?" The man hollered, catching Kevin off guard as he grabbed him by the shirt and threw him off the stool, spilling his entire scotch on the rocks down the front of his shirt. Grabbing a bottle off the table, the furious drunk shattered the top against the edge of the bar and pointed the broken bottle at Kevin angrily "Well come on ye bloody pansy, let's see what ya got. Ye wanted a fight, ye got one.." He slurred aggressively.

"What is going on...?" Raoul pulled away from Ana to see what the ruckus was and she said distantly "Looks like a bar brawl..." Inwardly, she was trying to decide what to do. On one hand, she wanted to go and help him. They were friends and partners after all and she was possibly even a little to blame for this fight. On the other hand, the man's reaction was so typically muggle that she had to believe he was either a squib or a muggle escorting a witch. If that was the case, Kevin would have no issue fighting him off and would probably be upset if she interfered with his 'man talk' That was how men talked wasn't it? By overly aggressive displays of dominance like sports and punching each other? That's what she always assumed.

"Come on... let's get closer..." She murmured, gripping Raoul's arm as the crowds started to obstruct her view. She figured if she got close enough, she might be able to send off a few unseen spells just to help Kevin out of a tough spot... if he needed it. It wasn't until she was in full view of the fight that she realized that she had given him her bag with her wand still in it. Dammit, she muttered to herself. Now all she could do was watch the fight helplessly, genuinely worrying and hoping that he made it out alive if only because she could mock him about it for years to come.

Kevin got his refill and was sipping gratefully on the scotch; he had momentarily forgotten about the brunette he had sent drinks to.  He glanced to Analiza who was still dancing with the man she had literally fallen for.  The angry pulse that went through his veins caused him to begin muttering to himself.  "Whose idea was it to play this stupid game?  We'd be halfway back to someone's place if she had spent half an hour with me before she went flaunting herself to half the club.  This game is stupid.  And I hate it.  Stupid game.  Stupid.  Stupid.  Stupid."

His thoughts and mumblings put a sort of shield between Kevin and the rest of his surroundings.  His mutterings were a release for him and took his mind off the fact that he girl he had brought here was dancing with some other bloke in a cheap suit.  For the moment, Kevin was enjoying his scotch and in his own little world, but the next thing he knew, he was being jerked off of his seat, a cold sensation running down his chest.  He heard the crashing of glass and loud yelling and cursing. 

In his inebriated state, he was a bit slow on the uptake.  First, he glanced at his hand, noticing that his glass of scotch was no longer in it.  Then, looking down at his shirt, he noticed that the color had gone from the light blue it once was to a putrid greenish color.  Taking off his coat, he placed it on the nearest chair before carefully unbuttoning his shirt.  Once he was down to his also-stained undershirt, he shed it, revealing his bare chest--and a rather chiseled chest, one might add.  He held up his shirt, looking sadly at the large stain--a consequence of half a bottle of scotch being poured upon it.

After an agonizing minute of the bar holding its breath, Kevin took notice to the man who was fuming in rage and spoke,  "Do you realize that you've just ruined an imported Italian cotton Armani shirt?  And likely my suit as well?"  Despite his eyes lit like fire on a Christmas tree, Kevin spoke calmly.  "Of course, judging by your tastes in fashion, you may not know what Armani is.  But I suppose they do have thrift stores across the ocean, you damn yank?"

Kevin had always been a decent duelist, though, he often decided to portray a much more diplomatic demeanor.  Not dueling at every opportunity meant that no one really knew how well Kevin could duel--it gave him an air of mystery.  However, too drunk to contemplate the art of diplomacy, Kevin pulled his wand out of his pocket.  Without a word, he fired off a spell, but it did not appear to have done anything. 

The man laughed, "Is that the best you've got?  I always knew being a wizard was some sort of crock!"  He made to throw the broken bottle, but his shock stopped him.  In his sudden movement, all of his hair had fallen to the floor leaving him a shiny bald.  He pulled his arm back and threw the bottle at Kevin.

Kevin, too inebriated to react fast enough, was hit in the chest with the bottle, leaving two small cuts.  After a few more minutes of back-and-forth fighting (Kevin firing off half-arsed spells, and the man throwing everything from bottles to chairs to tables at Kevin) the damage to the two men was minimal, at best.  Kevin had a few bruises and scratches that barely secreted any blood at all on his chest and the man's mustache had grown to nearly a meter.  However, due to the many drinks both men had apparently consumed, the damage to the club was much more pronounced.  Dozens and dozens of bottles of liquor had been shattered, tables had been upturned, glass littered the floor, and more than one chair had missing legs.

Kevin lifted his arm to fire another spell when he was abruptly tackled to the floor, shards of glass cutting his bare side.  "What the bloody f..." 

"Shut up you lot!" Shouted the man as he picked himself up off the floor before jerking Kevin up with him.  The man was over 2 meters tall and nearly as wide; a similarly structured man was holding Kevin's new friend as well.  "My club!  Look what you have done!"  A short man approached Kevin and the bald yank.  "You have completely destroyed half the place!  I ought to call the hitwizards to come sort you lot out...I ought to.."

In his drunken stupor, Kevin interrupted the man, "But, sir, my Armani.."

"I DON'T GIVE AN ABERFORTH'S GOAT ABOUT YOUR SUIT!  I CARE ABOUT MY CLUB!"  The man erupted like a volcano long-overdue for its eruption.  "THERE IS EASILY OVER ONE HUNDRED GALLEONS WORTH OF DAMAGES!"  He took a deep breath and lowered his voice.  With an icy chill in his tone, he spoke further, "And I swear, you will pay or you won't leave."

From her perch on the sidelines, Analiza waffled between being fearful and enjoying herself, one minute cheering as Kevin removed his shirt and pulled out his wand and the next watching in horror as the man threw the bottle at him. Though one-sided, the fight proved quite entertaining for the crowd. Dodging flying stools and bottles, they cheered and jeered as the two contenders swung and cursed at each other. In their inebriated state, neither man had the aim to really do any damage. At least, to each other. The bar area, on the other hand, was quickly being reduced to shambles and the crowds violent entertainment was quickly quelled when the hefty bouncer intervened. The crowd groaned at the end of the fight and Raoul put his hand on her lower back and tried to usher her back to the dancefloor. "Come'on luv, let's go back to dancing. This is not the sort of thing a lady should witness..."

"No.. no... I need--" Ana started, trying to brush him off so that she could get closer. She needed to see how Kevin was doing.

"Forget about him...You're with me now..." Raoul's voice took on a harsher tone as he reached up and grasped her arm firmly, pulling her away from the crowd.

A shiver went through Ana's spine when his hand gripped her upper arm. Unbeknown to Raoul, the exact spot he chose to grab had a heavy layer of concealing spells hiding a rather hideous curse scar. The wave of pain that shot through her arm caused her to see red and without warning, she whirled on him and shoved the spiked heel of her Louboutins into the top of his foot, following with a knee to the groin. As he doubled over in pain, Analiza grasped his collar and hissed in ear "You know what I do for a living, luv? I work for the Department of Mysteries. You know what I do there?" He shook his head weakly, still reeling from the groin blow.

Analiza smirked and her hiss turned from angry to cruel "I dissect and create some of the most deadly magic known to wizardkind. That means I know more ways to separate you from your precious organs then you know shitty pick up lines. So if you ever touch me like that again, I will give you a first hand demonstration why they call us Unspeakables." With that, she pushed him roughly back into the crowd, which was now milling back to the dancefloor and made her way over to her fallen date.

Unfortunately, by the time she had dispatched her clingy dance partner, Kevin was no longer laid out. In fact, he was the exact opposite of horizontal. He was currently being held quite vertically by a huge bouncer, while the club owner announced that Kevin was going to be the one to pay the damages. The low whisper threat was not lost on Analiza and she quickly begin to reevaluate whether Kevin needed her help or not. Attempting to sneak past them, she tried to retrieve her clutch so that she could get out of there before things got ugly. Unfortunately for Analiza, the moment she turned around after having retrieved it from under the bar, things got a helluva lot more ugly. Ugly being another hulking bouncer standing behind her, arms crossed. "Uh... Hi..." Analiza said weakly.

Moments later, the three of them were being 'escorted' towards the front. Mullet man, or perhaps Baldie was a better moniker now, was cursing loudly about Wizard on Squib abuse before being tossed unceremoniously outside. Expecting to be thrown out herself, Analiza screwed her eyes shut and waited for the impact of the cold hard cement outside. It never came. Instead, the door closed behind him and Analiza opened one eye to see the owner still standing there, looking most pleased with himself. "Now." He said, "Let's talk about payment..."