[lost and alone] sinking like a stone, JR!

[Pippa Fitzpatrick]

It was simple really; Pippa needed distraction and JR was perfect at distracting. Why make things more complicated then they needed to be? The witch needed something to keep her mind busy and boost her confidence and JR was only too willing to fill both those roles. It was precisely why she had snuck out of the castle and apparated out of the area for the second time this month; the first with Aiden and now tonight with him. She couldn’t help but admire the décor the restaurant. Paris was a city that the seventh year truly enjoyed. If they didn’t return tonight, she wouldn’t even care. Nothing beat being able to stroll along the Seine, hand in hand with a handsome young man. Perhaps, if she played her cards right she might even get a kiss in the moonlight, the light reflecting off the water, bouncing off his eyes and for a moment she could pretend she was in love. The young woman had never been sentimental before, but lately had been falling to more and more bouts of it. Shaking her head, the daydreams pushed from her eyes and she focused in on the menu in front of her, smiling coyly over it at her date for the evening.

“Thanks for bringing me here, JR. You’ve been talking about it forever and I’m glad we’re finally doing it.” The laugh that followed was easy and flirtatious; happy and pleased. Nothing could get under the witch’s skin tonight, nobody could get inside her head and mess up her happy mood. Christopher Whitley himself could stride in through the front door, that mousey little Hufflepuff on his arm and dip her down, planting a kiss and not even that – well, perhaps she shouldn’t push it that far. She was feeling good, but not quite that good. Still, she smiled across the table, reaching for JR’s hand, hoping to have him capture her rather small fingers beneath his manly ones. “So, what’s good? And shall we have a bit of wine?” They might as well celebrate; every day she didn’t feel like crying was a victory. She hated being weak and every day she spent with her friends: Bailey, Aiden, Prose, JR… she became stronger. And that was worth celebrating.

[JR Zerner]

JR smiled across the table at the young woman. They shared an interesting relationship, one that circled around the fact that they were there for each other when the other needed a pick-me-up boast to their systems. Never had their relationship become serious, but rather friends that they each knew they could count on one another when they needed something, even if it did mean some kind of benefits. The Slytherin looked around the restaurant and was once again reminded that even though it was his restaurant, one of three to be exact, the seventh year had yet to really do anything with this one. The one in Madrid was Marissa's to handle, he didn't mind how she decorated it or whatever, and the one in England the Slytherin had put his foot down and said it wasn't being redecorated ever, no matter what. That was the one that meant the most to him, the one that hadn't changed since he was a small boy, when his father had opened it when he was five years old. A fleeting thought, a fleeting emotion of hurt came in and flooded the Slytherin before he he had the chance to grasp it, sealing and silencing it. Not that Pippa would have noticed, the other seventh year was obviously too busy with her own thoughts as she looked around the restaurant. His hand reached across the table to hers, his fingers settling over hers.

They were here to enjoy the night together, to enjoy one another's company. "Of course. It should have happened ages ago. In fact, I'm not sure how I've kept you from not badgering me into coming sooner." His eyes met hers and for a second his breath was gone. Although they each knew each other was here for nothing more than a good night, before they went on their separate ways like they always did, JR couldn't help but to note the beauty that Pippa had. Maybe if he was lucky they wouldn't return to Hogwarts that night, instead finding a hotel or a place with a bed, and be able to slide between the sheets together, to get lost in each other for the night, to forget what was going on in their lives. A distraction, of sorts. Pippa certainly seemed to need it lately, anyways, judging by the dirty looks that kept getting thrown at Christopher.

"Anything special you'd like to do tonight, babe?"

[Pippa Fitzpatrick]

Pippa couldn’t help but smile down at their hands as hers was cupped beneath his. It would be a delicate picture; a symbolic representation of love – if it were the case. But instead, it was symbolizing something completely different. The witch was using JR – and Aiden too – as shields from her real problems. But in the moment, she was okay with that. What did it matter if she were hiding from the world? Hiding what was true and real from the world? It shouldn’t matter if the redhead wasn’t honest with the world for when was the last time anyone on the whole damn planet had been completely honest with her? As a Slytherin she knew that even the most kind of gestures had a hidden intent. Just as she was using JR as a distraction from what else was going on in her life, he was using her for a bit of physical release. And it didn’t bother her one bit. She needed it too. No one wanted to say it or talk about it, but it was there. The young woman had been rather horny lately. There was no other way to say it.

“Tonight? I don’t know. I’ve only been to Paris a few times. You probably know it better than me.” She paused, leaving her hand safely guarded beneath his and reached for her water glass with the other. “If this were a real date, what would we do? Where would you take me?” Pippa couldn’t help but look up at him at this point, her eyes dark. “I mean, we both know what this is and I’m okay with that. But if you weren’t so sure exactly what you’d get at the end of the night or if you’d even get it, where would we go? I’m rather in the mood to get wooed before we pretend to dance around the idea of whether or not we’re going back to the castle tonight.”

[JR Zerner]

It wasn't a secret to any girl that JR didn't commit to relationships. The young man made that clear as day that he didn't do that type of thing. However, JR's grin was easy and his mood light as the two Slytherin's watched each other across the table, their waitress still busy with something else for the time being. the Slytherin wanted nothing more than a fun night, and then tomorrow he and the other seventh year would go on their merry way. Pippa was using him as a distraction from Christopher, the young man knew, but at the present time, JR really didn't mind all that much. The wizard was happy with the fact that he was getting to spend the evening out of the castle with a fun girl, a friend, and then they would find their own little place for their own little party before heading back to castle in the morning. It had been a while since the Slytherin boy had enjoyed the company of a woman in his bed, and the seventh year was determined to enjoy said activities tonight. JR withdrew his hand at her request for a little bit of romance. Him? Romantic? When was the last time he had tried to woo a girl into his bed, using tactics other than what Pippa was used to? His last real date had been sometime back in fifth year, and shortly after the young man had told himself never again, ~ it had gone that badly.

Settling back in his seat, the Slytherin thought for a long moment about what to say. He didn't want to hurt Pippa, no, she was his friend. But the seventh year really wasn't all that interested in that type of game. Of course, he could try, show her the fountain in the middle of the city or something, kiss her under the moonlight, things the young man knew that most girl's dreamed and loved about on their dates. "I'll be honest, Pips, I haven't taken a girl out since fifth year ~ but I can try, if that's what you want." The young woman obviously needed this boast, this night to feel loved, even if it wasn't by the person or that way that she really desired. Either way, the Slytherin owed his friend that much, to try to fulfill her wishes. It was the least he could do, since after all, she was also doing him a favor that night.

[Pippa Fitzpatrick]

There were few things Pippa saw as favors; by all accounts she was getting just as much out of their encounter tonight as he was. Whoever said girls didn’t want – or didn’t need it – was either stuck in the past or had never talked to a sexually open woman before. And so, the witch could tell from the look on his face, there was uncertainty and something akin to confusion. He didn’t know why she was asking this or even if he could deliver. She was rather certain he would deliver with amazing results if only he were to try. The redhead had noticed JR’s potential a long time ago, but it had never occurred to her to try to make him her own. No, she was quite busy with her own game of late, but that didn’t mean that the seventh year didn’t want him now. There seemed to always be something the men in her life were hiding from her, with Christopher she hoped it was his affection for her. With Aiden, she assumed it was that he was trying to hide exactly how much he was hurting to. But with JR, Pippa couldn’t even begin to guess what it would possibly be. And she guessed tonight wouldn’t be the night to find out.

“Well, I don’t know who she was, but I’m sure you did a fine job, Mr. Zerner.” Grinning ear to ear, she leaned back reached for her wine glass, spinning it on its stem between her fingers. “And I don’t expect anything too special, but I haven’t been to Paris. And I’m sure you know it better than I do. Besides, I just want a little romance. Anything too much and it’s just stupid. I mean, we’re not really in love. You’re not really my boyfriend. I was just being frank with you. Why not pretend? I mean, we can pretend, right? I just… thought it might be fun. We both know why we’re here. We both know we’re not going back to Hogwarts tonight. So why not pretend?” Pippa’s green eyes were wide in earnest and longing. “Just pretend that we don’t know. Or there isn’t any mystery left. And I kinda like that mystery.” She couldn’t help but grin thinking about the many things she’d packed in her charmed handbag including a rather lacy negligee to wear over her lovely undergarments. “Besides, I just might have a surprise for you later.”