Absolutely (NC-17)

No...I would not accept his invitation...no.

That is why I am standing near the Diagon alley entrance to the Leaky Cauldron, because I have no intention of accepting his invitation. That is why I do not want to go inside to see whether or not he is there. I walk up to the entrance and stand on tip-toe, looking inside as the door swings open and then closed once more. I do not know what I had hoped to see. Perhaps I would catch a glimpse of this strange man and then decide to flee.

“Hello Fleur Delacour.”

“Mon Dieu! Why is it zat you always scare me so!?!?”

“I’m sorry,” Paddy says as he smiles. “But it’s kind of like waiting until the cat’s right in front of you and going ‘psssst!’ just to watch it jump. I simply can’t resist. I hope you can forgive me. I promise I won’t do it anymore, really, I promise.”

“I will theenk about it,” I reply as he opens the door for me and ushers me inside. We take a table for two in an isolated corner. Paddy helps me with my jacket and I have to admit, I miss the formalness that comes with meeting someone new...the uncertainty of not knowing much about one another, the awkwardness that comes from total newness. It has been a very long time since I have done anything like this.

“I must admit, your owl was a surprise...and very funny,” I tell him after the waiter takes our order.

“Well I was going for humor with it, figuring on the fact that might intrigue you enough to say ‘yes’. But truthfully, when you were standing outside just now, you were considering not coming inside, weren’t you?” at his question I look down at the center of the table. “Ha, ha...I knew it.” He taps the side of his head and smiles at me.

“Well, it is not why you would theenk,” I reply, not looking up yet.

“Why then, I mean, if you don’t mind me asking?” Paddy takes a sip of his water.

“It is not you, I like to spend time with you...well we ‘ave only spent one afternoon togezzer and then a few moments in ze ‘ospital waiting room...well, it is because...well, let’s just say it ‘as been a very long time since I was involved with a man,” I finally look up to him.

“That’s hard to believe, a woman as beautiful as yourself must have men pining away for you and begging to spend time with you.” Paddy’s words are not a pick-up line, his face and tone are sincere.

“Well, I ‘ave not been involved with someone new in quite a while...and in a very strange way I just ended a relationship zat also ended years ago.”

“It must be terribly confusing for you, your contrary love life, that is,” he cocks his head to the side. He does that a lot. “But we don’t have to talk about that if you don’t want to.”

“Maybe later,” I say, “For now let us talk about ‘appier things.”

“Let’s ask each other questions, get to know one another better?”

“Zat is a very good idea...”

He insists we start with me, so I tell him about my family...my mère and soeur, how I have recently reunited with my mère after a longstanding disagreement and how my soeur is visiting me while our mother is traveling on business. Paddy laughs his rich mischievous laugh when I tell him about my sister and her boyfriend and how they are in love and spending so much time together.

“I am a Healer as you could probably figure out from my outrageously wealthy attire,” he laughs after I tire of talking about myself. I do not know why I am hesitant to tell him about my failed marriage. Maybe it is shame or maybe I just want to spend one night without the specter of Bill Weasley hovering over me.

“I went to school at Hogwarts, then did my internship at St. Mungo’s in Children’s Maladies and Irreversible Diseases. After that, divine inspiration hit me and I went to Calcutta to work with the poorer villages there before I returned last year,” he continues and I find myself intrigued by this man. As our meal arrives I reflect that he seems tender...kind...so different than anyone I have known, but still, he is a man with a man’s faults.

But as he tells me about his life, his friendships...with Charlie Weasley I might add...I find myself leaning forward, just listening to him. He does not fall for my womanly charms the way other men have in the past, nor does it seem that his only motive is to find his way between my legs. Often I have felt that men desired me for nothing more than sex, but this is different...I feel safe.

After we have finished eating and pay, Paddy looks at me, a twinkle in his eyes while he says in a very bad French accent, “Mon Dieu, I ‘ave spent ze entire time talking about me.”

I giggle and wonder if I sound that awful and he smiles, “I’m sorry, Fleur. I don’t normally carry on like that. You should have told me to shut it. Now please tell me more about you.”

“I don’t theenk so, Paddy. We must ‘ave something to talk about when we meet again,” I dismiss him, not because I do not want to tell him everything, but because it feels nice to have a man not use a line to try to impress me. Instead, I find that I like this Paddy Meager.

“So, you are saying that you might want to see me again?” He chuckles and for the first time, he actually shows that he might find me a bit more than intriguing. I like it, it is innocent, childish, and it makes me feel wanted.

“I ‘ave enjoyed tonight very much, thank you.” Standing, I gather myself and feel somewhat reluctant to leave. The time with Paddy has flown by and I want to hear more about him.

Paddy is immediately behind me, my jacket in his hand and when he puts it on my shoulder, I am shocked to hear myself gasp. He leans forward and whispers in my ear, “I wish that this night didn’t have to end, Fleur. I’ve had a wonderful time ever and I’d love nothing more than to stay up until dawn talking to you.”

Closing my eyes, I know I should pull away. Is this his line, the one he will use to try to bed me? When I turn around, he has that impish grin on his face as he backs away from me, “Good night, Fleur Delacour, I have enjoyed our time together immensely.”

I am shocked. He leaves me here in this restaurant? He leaves me when we could have had more? He...is not like the others.

As he makes his way out, I run after him. When we are at the door, I tap him on the shoulder and he spins around. Smiling, he remarks, “Well, Fleur, this is much too soon for a second date, young lady.”

Swallowing deeply, I hesitate for a moment. After all, he is not tall and handsome. He is poor and unkempt. What attraction does he hold for me? But then I see the twinkle in his eyes and I know...he makes me happy. Casting my eyes to the ground, I whisper, “I was just wondering if zis first date ‘ad to end so soon?”





His soft hands grasp my shoulders as he gently covers my body with his own. I slowly turn my face to meet his...he feels like a warm blanket as I lie here on the bed facing the mattress. Paddy’s slow thrusts are deliberate and controlled. He wants this to last. I can feel his breath catch at the back of my neck as his tongue slides across my skin, causing goose flesh to appear. He does not nip, nor does he bite, only worships and caresses as his hands glide from my bare shoulders down my arms and back once more.

“Fleur,” he whispers. It has been a long time since a different man whispered my name in the throes of his passion. This newness is remarkable.

His purposeful hands move across my body, sliding along the skin on the sides of my torso to my bottom as he lifts and pushes, lifts and pushes. His cock buries itself over and over into me and in desperation I lift my arse to meet his plunges. He grips my hips and pulls me against him as the tip of his cock strikes a place deep inside and a pulse radiates through me.

“Kiss me,” I moan as I turn my head to reach his lips and at once his mouth is over mine. Ever so tenderly he gives me the softest kisses I have known, reverent and worshipful. So soft, so new.

Suddenly he lifts himself from me and out of me.

“Roll over. We need to be face-to-face,” he sighs as I immediately comply with his request. I wrap my legs around his waist as he rolls on top of my body. Our eyes so close that our lashes intertwine.

“You have ze longest eyelashes I have ever seen on a man.”

“Zat is what all ze girls tell me,” he replies in his terrible French accent and I find it endearing. He lifts me (for such a small man he is very strong) and enfolds me in his arms, all the while showering me with kisses. “You are ze most beautiful girl in ze whole world. Did you know?” I know why I like him so much, why I found my way to his bed so quickly...he makes me laugh and feel good about myself. He makes me laugh...

A moment later he has filed me again and I gasp at the pleasure that courses through my body. I like this slow style to love-making very much. He focuses on me as if he is possessed and I find that when I bend and kiss his throat he makes the most adorable squeak of delight.

“Oh dear Merlin, that feels so good,” he groans as my tongue laves the base of his neck. It feels good to be close to a man like this, especially such a generous and loving man as him. He slips a hand between us and searches until he finds my clit with his fingers before he begins to work in a circular motion as waves of delight begin to glow within my being. “Now Miss, don’t worry. I am a Healer, after all, and I think I know what I’m doing.” Yes, it does feel good to laugh like this again...

He clenches his eyes shut before he speaks, “Wow, I could feel your muscles tighten when you laughed. Gods, it felt good.” And then he is kissing me again as his fingers stroke my clit in a rhythmic motion that builds quickly, unbelievably quickly.

“Oh Goddess, Paddy...I’m...,” I open my mouth to speak but my orgasm reduces me to a keening moan as Paddy’s fingers work faster and he pumps into me with more force than before. Once my height has been reached, I take his hand away and help him brace his body over mine.

I look up to him and wipe the fringe of his hair back before I tell him, “It is your turn now, mon Guérisseur.” He bites his lower lip in concentration as his pace quickens and his eyes stare into me. I feel him thrust once, twice, a third time as his mouth opens and a ragged breath escapes him as his body stills over mine and he whispers my name again.

After the shocks of our love-making end we smile and laugh at the awkwardness and absurdity of our situation.

“We don’t have to stay if you don’t want to. I don’t want you to do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable,” he tells me as he kisses my cheeks. He does not jump off of me, but stays in my body. “If you give me a few minutes, I might even be up to another go.”

“Zat would be nice, Paddy. And it would be a shame to waste ze room...why do we not stay ze night? We could get up early and ‘ave breakfast downstairs at ze same table where we ‘ad dinner tonight.”

“You sure? You absolutely sure?” How sweet...

“Absolument!”