24Here we go...
~Knockturn Alley 1946
With outright reluctance and feeling somewhat self-conscious, Albus Dumbledore made up the rear end of a bizarre group of people ranging from the sour face of one ministry employee Gregory McKinnon to the smiling, laughing figure of his old friend Elphias Doge. He watched the other people in the group roar in a cacophony of cheer and intoxication. Even McKinnon joined the sudden round of which witches jokes that a red-faced, merry Horace Slughorn initiated. Albus winced when he heard the start of the joke slip from Horace's mouth for he had heard the exactly same joke countless times already, and he did not find it a particular favorite. Feeling slightly inebriated himself Albus followed after the group as they entered the designated night-club of the evening, the bright fluorescent colors on the sign above declaring the popular haunting as 'The Orchid Lounge'. He sighed as he paid for entry and wardrobe, the sound of loud music marking the entrance into the club. But despite his misgivings he obligingly followed the group into the dark place; he had promised after all. He glanced around the large establishment hardly able to distinguish anything in the dim-litted area, where a waitress in sheer clothing directed the group to their table. He looked at the girl, and wondered what would make her work in such a place and more importantly; why she would agree so wear almost nothing as her working uniform. It was degrading, as far as he was concerned and he leaned over to whisper to Elphias;
"We need to be surrounded by subjugated women in order to celebrate Elphias?" he spoke in a low voice, heavy with sarcasm, "Why, that's remotely more sexist than I had imagined you to be!"
Elphias gave a roar of laughter, not really concerned with the apparent disapproval.
"No need to worry old friend, there's a cluster of subjugated men for you as well," Elphias told Albus in a voice on the edge of glee as he pointed to the sudden nude glistening torsos of waiters leisurely walking around the area.
Albus blushed a colorful shade of crimson at the barely concealed innuendo from his friend's comment and when he turned around and looked at the barely clothed boys. Sometimes a friend who knew you from the tender age of ten were not in your favor, Albus concluded as he regarded Elphias with embarrassment.
"Elphias that was a long time ago. I do not find your insinuations particular amusing" he whispered. He however resigned his protests altogether when he found a laughing Elphias who merely responded by ordering one of the half-nude boys to bring them a good bucket of whisky.
One youthful mistake and he would never hear the end of it! Albus leaned back in the recliner and wondered when he could tell the others goodnight with a good conscience.
A good half-hour later the group had grown even more rowdy and Albus found he was becoming more and more smashed. The wonderful thing though was that in step with his intoxication he found the club to be gaining more and more appeal. And so he found himself a mere half-hour later appearing just as raucous as the others, barely pausing when he told them a few obscene jokes he had heard from his brother Aberforth. Looking at the empty goblets at their table, Albus waved his hand merrily in the air trying to attract the attention of the staff. And from the darkness a figure stepped forth; a tall dark-haired witch with an almost entrancing sway to her hips as she stopped in front of their table. Her pale skin was cloaked in the shadows, the light from their table casting a ghostly hue upon her. The play of contrasting light and dark upon her exposed skin was fascinating to behold. Her uniform consisted of a skimpy, black dress that shimmered sparkly in the dim room, sleeveless and tightly hugging her curves. Albus couldn't help but fasten his line of sight unto the top swell of pearly white breasts.
"What can I do for you gentlemen?" she asked in a familiar velvety voice, and Albus found his gaze glued to her in shock. She was taller, curvier and older but there was no mistaking those dark eyes and the lilt to her voice.
"Miss McGonagall!" he stuttered.
She gave him a slight dark smile in acknowledgement but otherwise remained rather impassive. Before he found his voice again or his shocked mind for that matter, the others spoke up.
"Another round darlin'," Elphias spoke while he tried to somehow scoot closer to a tipsy Galatea. Galatea however seemed rather inconspicuous of his advances and was in the process of explaining the outlay of Strip Quidditch to a dark stranger.
"Wha abouta lil' lap-dance huh sweetie," the drunk voice of Edgar Bones asked to the horror of Albus. Minerva McGonagall however leaned forward quite unfazed, exposing even more bosom and replied in a taunting voice; "Really Minister! You no longer married?" much to the amusement of the table who erupted in laughter.
"I'll get you gents your alcohol," she told them as she walked away gracefully, her dark eyes giving seeming to linger longer on Albus who once again colored. The others did not notice and went back to whatever it was they had been discussing. Albus on the other hand felt as if he'd been drenched in a cold, freezing bucket of water. He had all but forgotten the incident a few years back, in Minerva McGonagall's last year at Hogwarts, but it all came flashing back instantly and he was assaulted by an ambiguous feeling of lust and shame. He could not decide whether he had the right to feel slightly excited or if he should just disappear immediately and dig a dark hole for him to rot in. Before he could get any sense back however, the beautiful girl returned with their drinks.
He watched her as she joked with the table while balancing a large tray of colorful drinks, telling them it was on the house. The statement sent Horace on a rambling about the wondrous kindness of former students with a few remarks about former students curves thrown in as well while the rest of the table burst out with thanks going as far as shaking her hands.
And then she was gone again. Albus sitting quietly not daring to utter a word as she slowly walked away from their table, even though she obviously looked in his direction more than once. But he might as well have been petrified. Mentally he was berating himself whether it was for not acting or for wanting to act, he had no clue.
The others continued their carousing while Albus sat lost in thought, nursing a shiny golden goblet with some green poison in it. He gently took a sip and his taste buds were assaulted by the bitter taste of lemon and vodka. A quite stimulating blend, he thought to himself and took another mouthful of the alcohol. He had purposefully buried the incident with the girl after it had happened, resolutely hidden the memory away along with the many conflicting feelings he had been attacked by that night and the many nights since. He had quite firmly ignored her for the rest of the school year, he remembered, distancing himself with a decisively mind to forget that he had almost – … ... He let the thought linger feeling both the warmth from the alcohol and from remembrance travel throughout his body, his face flushing. After she had graduated things had slowly gotten back to normal, and he had almost forgotten.
Albus quickly looked at the group and sighed with relief when he saw no one was looking at him. He downed his drink and with a determined mind to set his mind at ease, he left the table wandering out into the darkness of the club, searching out his guilty desire.
After traipsing through the entire two floors of the night club however, Albus was near frustration and was on the brink of considering asking after her. But the image of the young eyes of waiters regarding him with silent disdain when an old lecherous wizard asked after one of their girls stopped him short in his track. He could not bear that – he was more than able to be ashamed all by himself. In the end he opted for a bit of fresh air – his head was throbbing and he felt dizzy – and walked through an almost deserted hallway that lead to a balcony.
The stars were out and shining brightly in concur with the silver hue of the heavy moon hanging low in the horizon. He drew a breath and silently enjoyed the chill wind breezing through him. The balcony overlooked a garden, and he guiltily watched dark silhouettes of people congregating in the shadows of the trees.
Entranced with the shadowy display of salacious undertakings taking place beneath him he did not notice when someone joined him and thus jumped with fright when she spoke;
"They have places around here for those seeking to observe; La' Voyeurism is just down the street from us," she told him, her voice silkily smooth and dark as chocolate. He spun around surprised to see her and found his gaze locked upon her. Once again captivated by her and feeling an overwhelming power of lascivious and inappropriate thoughts. He watched as her ruby-colored lips moved aside and revealed a playful smile.
"I was merely coming out to clear my mind and ascertain a bit of fresh air, Miss McGonagall," he told her, his voice slightly rougher than he had intended.
"Oh, I meant no offense. I do come out here now and again – it is rather entertaining," she told him in a conspiratorial voice, leaning on the rail of the balcony looking up at him with another smile as she continued, "Why some nights I am even able pinpoint names unto the poor lust-starved souls in the dark below."
"Anyone of interest?"
"I daresay quite a few!"
They were both silent then, the girl looking at the garden below her eyes contemplative. Albus stayed quiet, shamelessly enjoying merely observing the silver shine playing on her pale skin, a luminous contrast to her dark eyes and hair. He longed to touch her.
"And you?" he blatantly asked sometime later just as surprised by the words as the girl was.
She turned her head and her eyes narrowed as she gave him a slight frown. Half her face was enveloped in shadows and her slightly pouted lips took on the color of dark-stained blood and in that moment he felt an almost unbearable desire to taste her lips and smear the red color. He swallowed and tried to steer his thoughts away.
"Your insinuations are badly disguised, professor."
"I do apologize, I did not mean for it come out like that," he quickly retreated but was once again stunned when he saw her eyes light up in amusement.
He watched mesmerized as she drew closer, drawing a fingernail slowly across the wood on the banister, her dark eyes observing him from behind thick long lashes. She leaned even closer until he could feel her hot breath upon his face. Albus stopped breathing, anxious and somewhat frantic with anticipation.
She had grown he realized when she stared into his eyes, her eyes almost level with his. Enthralled he watched her fingers latch onto the collar of his robes and proceed to trail patterns underneath his chin.
She leaned closer and whispered; "I never kiss and tell."
He felt his legs tremble at the timbre of her voice and when her words finally registered he felt a strange warmth settle into his groin, images of pale, naked flesh and parted red lips assaulting him. And tentatively he reached out and gently touched a finger to her cheek, wondering what in Circe's name he was doing. But she smiled encouragingly and leaned into his touch. His thumb strode past the tip of her nose and settled on her lower lips, slightly prying it from the upper. He felt the warmth from her breath quickening and it filled him with some sort of absurd satisfaction.
"I am no deadbeat" he felt the words reverberate against the skin on his thumb, "nor am I selling my body. This is merely a secondary job to earn a little extra cash."
"I never said –" he started to apologize again, absently caressing her lower lip in a soft display of fascination.
"No – but you looked rather awkward for a moment when you clearly thought I was" she replied as she arched an eyebrow.
"I was not comfortable with the thought", he admitted to her in a low voice, finding himself drawn closer to her, taking small timid steps toward her.
"Indeed" she breathed as she watched him edge closer to her.
"I am sorry – " he told her again. Whether it was for his rather vaguely veiled insinuation or for having trapped her against the banister on the balcony, he couldn't say. But he felt he was inclined to make apology for his actions either way.
"No need – I was enjoying your discomfort… immensely", she disclosed her tone one of merriment, a small half chuckle following the sentence. He had managed to fence her in with his hands on her waist and had her pressed firmly against the balcony rail. Where he had acquired the courage was a puzzle in itself but he partly blamed the alcohol and the dark atmosphere of the dingy night club. The loud, tawdry music sent a rhythm of euphony through the walls and the soft hum of people, music and laughter made it through the hallway and out to the balcony in a distorted sound. A sound of something dark and taunting, slithering into his soul unnoticed and setting his skin on fire with longing.
"Well, Miss McGona–" his voice had turned into something unrecognizable as well, a baritone of velvety flirtation but he no longer cared.
"I am hardly your student anymore. You are more than welcome to call me by my given name – unless you like to pretend. You know the 'Dark Mage' is known for its select potpourri of fetishes and role-playing, professor, and it's just around the bend" her dark eyes danced with delight as she gave him a smug smile, her taunts delivered with a syrupy connotation that left him once again with forbidden images in his head.
"Why, Minerva," he caressed the syllables of her name in a deliberately slow fashion and took a hold of her wrists as he continued his voice slipping beyond dalliance "I do believe you only graduated two years ago."
"Actually it was three years ago, sir" she told him as she in futility tried to wriggle her arms out of his tight grip on her wrists. He however tightened his fingers and trapped her arms behind her back, enjoying the feel of her perturbed breath against his chest and the sudden look of surprise in her dark eyes.
"Yet you still call me professor," he whispered wickedly in her ear, his lips leaving a trail from her jaw to the soft point behind her ear. Their bodies were pressed against each other and he felt her shiver at his words, her breasts brushing against him and her hips protruding into his lower abdomen. Exhilarated he pinned her harder and used his body weight to press her upper body further over the banister. She gasped, struggling unsuccessfully and fixed him with a look caught between pleasure and distress. The ground lay a good thirty feet below them and Albus had the girl halfway on the way over the banister, precariously on the edge. In half fright, half retribution, the girl anchored herself to him with a bent leg, her leg twisting itself around one of his legs bringing them even closer. In response he let go of her wrists and took hold of her waist with one hand and the other he trailed up along her stomach in a painfully slow rate, his fingertips tingling from the contact.
"You like tainting me," he whispered, the words more a statement than a question. In response she slowly twisted her hips sideways and she gave him a playful smile when she felt his member reacting.
"You like control," she told him her lips merely inches away from his own. And before he could answer she captured his lips. His hands tangled in her hair out of their own accord and his pelvis grounded unconsciously into hers. He took no notice however, rendered completely devoid of any thoughts not pertaining to the feel of her lips as they molded themselves to his, pliable one moment and rough the next. He slid he tongue along the edges of her sharp teeth, one of his hands slipping from the dark tresses downwards in the direction of one of her breasts. His thumb found a hardened nipple through her cloth and was in the process of gently rubbing a slow pattern on it when their intimacy was interrupted by the sudden arrival of a drunken, albeit quite perceptible Elphias Doge.
"Aalbuus – you out here?" he shouted energetically as he stumbled onto the balcony, stopping immediately when he noticed his friend abruptly leaping away from the arms of a beautiful witch.
"Err – sorry," Elphias garbled, momentarily stunned speechless by his shock.
"Elphias," Albus greeted finding himself blushing at having been caught under such circumstances, "We were just – Miss McGonagall here was – I mean" he stuttered and blushed an even deeper red. Elphias on the contrary returned to his former self, his eyes taking on a devious glint as he looked between the couple.
"You were inspecting her lips?" Elphias supplied as he grinned, "Checking for cancerous lumps in her breast?"
"I-I'm" Albus felt the blood rush to his head, his cheeks warming and cast a fleeting look at the girl beside him. Minerva was still flush up against the banister, her hair ruffled and messy, her lips swollen and the lipstick smeared. Her clothes looked rumpled and she was still breathing rather quickly. Not really the image of innocence. Before he could make eye contact with her he averted his eyes back to Elphias who was grinning from ear to ear.
"Why, hello there Minerva McGonagall," Elphias greeted the witch his eyes gleaming, "fancy meeting you here. I was under the impression you were working?"
"Elphias," Albus warned but it fell on deaf ears.
"Will you be so kind and give your father my greetings – I do believe I owe him a bottle of Talisker!" Elphias told the still silent witch who at the mention of her father turned a nice shade of scarlet.
At this point Albus feared the situation would only deteriorate and in a desperate act to somehow rectify it, he leapt towards Elphias and started shoving him back through the door. Looking back over his shoulder, he watched as Minerva stood, her face cast in shadows.
"Minerva, dear – I'm afraid we'll have to reschedule that talk about inanimate to animate transfiguration," he told her with a smile while giving a struggling Elphias a kick in his shins.
For a moment he was afraid she would not respond and he had a sinking feeling in his stomach. But then to his utter delight, he saw the silver shine of the moon reflect her white teeth and the radiant smile she delivered to him.
"It was a pleasure talking with you, professor," she called her voice sultrily caressing the words and his title but placing extra attention on 'pleasure'. He thought it would be impossible to turn redder but her next words surprised him and resulted in him turning the color of red wine and Elphias looking at him with a significant, pointed look.
"Oh before I forgot – The Dark Mage is just down on 42'"
Hope you enjoyed
Next: Ministry of Magic 1949
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