--- WITH EYES WIDE OPEN, tag: len with ares <3

[EURA BELBY]

winter winds,

Eura simply could not believe the ignorance and nerve her parents were displaying with their latest endeavour to bring her and her jerk of a future husband "closer". Future husband - ha! Not if Eura had something to say about it (which she unfortunately did not at present). It did not help her situation much that he was acting more than accordingly toward her parents, was especially tentative to her mother and did not fail to act as a perfect gentleman in front of her father, who, Eura was certain, wanted nothing more than to see her in a good match with a decent boy. Oh, how brilliantly decieved they were! Indeed, Eura had learnt over time that if anything, Ares was the god of manipulation. Thankfully, he had shown his true colours to her on several occasions, and so she considered herself one of the very few, who had managed to peer into the boy's soul, into his true nature. The sight definitely wasn't one to behold.

Holding the small box in her equally petite, slender hands, Eura sighed, deciding that the faster she would get it over with - the better. Ares was a complete enigma at times, while at others, he was as shallow as can be in her eyes. He never failed to change his colours and his whole persona was at times too confusing for Eura to handle. The fact that he also happened to be rather good looking did not help Eura in the slightest. Of course, she had a good grip on her initial attraction mainly because she was quite innocent for her age and because she did not know the guy well enough in the beginning. Now she did, and a vast amount of said attraction had deminished since the day the two of them first met.

She made her way to the parlors. She had already sent an owl to notify Ares that she wished for them to meet, a request, which he would not usually simply dismiss, because of his duties to her as a.... fiance.... however, Eura couldn't help but hope that the message had not reached him in time or that he had simply not been in his dorm when the owl had arrived. A small, frail hope, yet hope nonetheless. Eura disliked Ares with great intensity. On several occasions, she could have sworn that she would have cast a Kadavra his way, had it not been for the far too many bystanders. He was perhaps the only person, who could flare up her anger with his mere presence. The boy simply frustrated her for no appearent reason.

Of course, there was a reason behind her distaste for Ares and that was the fact that he was as fake as they got. Eura, always been the sappy lover of truth and justice she was, could not take someone being judged by merits wrongly attributed to him. Because once you would strip Ares of all the adoration the public gave him simply because of his politeness and perfect demeanor, he had nothing left, nothing worthwhile at least. And the only thing Eura wished to see within a life long partner for herself, was substance. No, not as in potions. She wanted to know that the person next to her would be reliable and stoic, would not bend under the pressure of society, like her own father did! And what could she expect of a common liar? Of someone, who needed to pretend to be someone other than himself every single day of his life? Noting.... absolutely nothing...

She walked in and immediately located Ares, once more surrounded by people. She took a few steps forward, just enough to barely reach him. Seeing the look of determinaton of the girl's face and the sheer annoyance that was written all over it, the people around Ares stepped aside, giving the two the few moments of privacy Eura needed to hand him the small parcel and be on her way. " My mother sent this for you. I am told I am to give it to you in a "nice" way. So there. " she said with a fake, over-exagerrated smile, as she nearly pushed the parcel in his hands.

[ARES MULCIBER]

"Then I told her to cast Riddikulus!"

The punchline of the joke was rewarded with another round of laughter from the students surrounding him. A mix of some students who knew him moderately well (not at all) and Beauxbatons girls. Mostly girls. There was a boy in the mix, and he had noted the young man looking at Ares with bedroom eyes, but largely ignored the subtle advances in a polite way. Which only seemed to interest the boy even more. And the girls. He may have considered himself a master manipulator, but even he was surprised at their reactions. It goes to show that you never can truly tell what will work for whom. He made a mental note to remember to utilize his sex appeal on the right men as well. Whatever worked. He didn't really care, as long as he didn't have to sleep with one.

"My mother sent this for you. I am told I am to give it to you in a "nice" way. So there."

The arrival of his bride-to-be looking not-so delectable with that scowl mussing her pretty face and the aggressive posture in her shoulders. A few of the Beauxbatons girls stared her up and down, shooting daggers at her familiar interaction with Ares. He would have smiled, if her over behavior hadn't been embarrassing. Instead, he hid a frown. Lucky for her, he already knew how to handle damage control. If the young man didn't become a politician in his own right, then he would be the CEO of his own public relations firm. He knew what people wanted to see and how to spin it. He did smile eventually, but Eura would be able to see the frustration in his eyes. She knew him well enough. Fortunately, everyone else just saw a handsome student with a polite demeanor even when others were so rude. He nodded to the group and firmly shook hands with the boy and a few of the girls. One average-looking young woman he kissed on the hand in a gallant, old-world gesture that he knew would melt the hearts of all those in his current social circle. Always choose the average-looking girls for such extravagant gestures. It let everyone else know you weren't swayed by physical appearance, but by merit.

"Ladies. Gentleman. Would you excuse me a moment? I hope we all become better friends throughout our stay here."

Gently grasping Eura by the elbow in a move that appeared more like a gentleman's way of taking a lady's arm and not his somewhat bossier form of dragging her away, he led her out of hearing range, his grip somewhat tight. Not painful, but tight. The smile stayed on his face, especially since he could hear the excited chattering of the girls behind him. He loved it when people thought they loved him. It was so rewarding for all his hard work. Pulling her into a more private niche, he finally let go of her and dropped the smile now that no one could see them. Casually he leaned against the wall and raised an eyebrow at Eura.

"Nice, Eura. Way to impress. Are you naturally so socially inept or is it hours of practice?"

He lifted the package and shook it a little, just to annoy Eura. He knew it bothered her that his family seemed to like him so much. But he liked her family as well. Nice people, even if their daughter was annoying as hell. She was attractive enough.

"How much does it annoy you that your mum adores me? I think I'll send her a gift in return. She'll like something French, eh?"

just gonna stand there and watch me burn.

well that's alright because i like the way it hurts.

the way you lie ,

[EURA BELBY]

winter winds,

Eura scoffed and simply returned the nasty looks, folding her arms on her chest, once Ares had taken hold of the boxed present. She even managed to mouth a quick "Sod off!" to one blond, who was giving her a particularly intense death glare as Ares decided to "discipline" her and drag her away like a spoilt child. The brunette tried to ease her way out of her grasp, then started outright pulling her whole self forward, so as to get away from the boy, who only released her once they had finally reached the rather secluded corner. As he let go of her hand, Eura's own palm immediately flew to the spot, rubbing it in a circular motion with the knowledge that it would be sore in only a couple of hours. It was actually quite peculiar, how, despite her skin being dark, it still managed to be horribly sensitive and bruise at the slightest of pressure.

" Yes, well, you are a real stimulation to be pleasant. " she replied, cocking her head to the site with the same, obviously frustrated smile. " And whom exactly do you want me to be social with? Your little fanclub? " she asked, her irritation now quite visible in her voice as she watched the Slytherin give the little box a shake. She folded her hands across her chest again, a defensive stance, which she had taken a liking to when around Ares. She felt safer as it put a bit of distance between him and her, or at least that was how she felt.

" You know, I have an idea for the perfect present for my mother actually " Eura said as she waved her hand in front of his face, the engagement ring flashing on her ring finger with all the beautiful colours of its precious gemstone. " just help me figure out how to take it off and I will wrap it extra nicely for her. " she added, glancing once more at the little group of admirers, which still stood at the very same spot, obviously hoping for Ares' quick return. " Don't you have people waiting for you though? " she added, nodding toward the small crowd of people. " After all, I wouldn't like to be wasting your precious time. " she said, flashing him a cheeky grin. The sooner he turned around and started to walk in the opposite direction - the better. The only thing Eura actually enjoyed seeing from Ares was his back... as he walked away.

" Oh, and just for the sake of argument, as you are obviously allowed to converse freely with quite a few girls I do not know, I believe you will stop throwing a bitch fit every time I want to speak to Saffron's bandmates? " she said, intending on that being the final couple of sentences in their whole conversation. She liked her conversations with her "fiance" nice and short, otherwise, there was a high chance that she would not take his irritating self pestering her for too long and would resort to violence. Eura was quite an emotional person and Ares knew full well that she would not hesitate to slap that pretty decieving face of his. She was only hoping he would give her a reason to.

[ARES MULCIBER]

"How interesting. Is my golden girl judging others based on appearance or association? Isn't that rather low according to your morals? Choosing to immediately dislike others simply because they like me? Yes, you should be polite to everyone you meet instead of leaping to assumptions, as always. I appreciate your intelligence, Eura, but you need to connect that brain to your mouth more often. If you can't learn how to play nice, then you'd be better off staying silent, don't you think?"

Eura was arguably his very favorite person to tease. She was like an unbreakable toy. He could wind her up and then wind he up again and she would go on and on for hours. Her anger with him seemed to know no bounds, and he found her fascinating. Fascinating and frustrating. As fun as it was to push and prod her temper, it was a bit of a nuisance in public. Like her most recent demonstration. The girl was capable of manners (he'd seen her treat her friends and other young men tolerably well), but for some reason refused to employ them.

When she waved her hand, the light caught the many-faceted, large diamond in the center of a gorgeously set engagement ring. He caught her hand in both of his and held it delicately, studying the ring. Unlike most older jewelry, it was neither clunky nor out-of-style. Instead, it was classically beautiful with a vintage chic that would last through the ages. One of the few items that his father hadn't sold to pay off his debts. Despite the fact that he loathed his own family history, he appreciated his grandmother's gesture in loyally offering the ring that had traditionally gone to the bride of the Mulciber heir. Though it came on the condition that he marry Eura Belby, and it came with a curse only his grandmother would think to place on the ring. She had spelled it so Eura could never remove it. Of course, there is a way to break any spell. All it required was hard work and patience. He gently stroked her ring finger and looked at her with an amused, "oh-you-silly-girl smile.

"Oh no, that would break your mother's heart. She's been dying for you to marry me since our mother's came up with the scheme. And why shouldn't she? With my good looks, bright future and solid family name, I'm a one hell of a catch. You're rather lucky, aren't you?"

Ares wasn't just vain (though yes, he did have a touch of the narcissist in him). A Mulciber wasn't all that bad of a choice for a future husband, especially one with his intelligence and drive to succeed in the ministry. And after that stunt with standing witness against his own father, he was fairly certain he was a shoe-in for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. That was the department in which he wanted to begin his career. Ever since the Second Wizarding War, the populace loved the righteous Auror heroes more than the man sitting behind the desk in nearly every other department. A successful career as an Auror would throw him into the center of the news spotlight and garner his own publicity for his future run for Minister. Yes, Ares Mulciber was a damned good catch for any woman.

"They can wait. And maybe I want to waste time?"

His mixture of flirtatious and insulting behavior usually was the perfect recipe for an infuriated, bemused Eura. Deep, deep, deep down, he found her very attractive with that flash of anger in her eyes and the indignant tossing of her dark hair. He wouldn't lie, even to himself; Eura had grown into a beautiful woman. She may be a foot shorter than him, but her figure and face was, in a word, delicious. When he had first been introduced to her, she'd been an awkward adolescent with wretched social skills. Now she was blossoming beauty with tolerable social skills. She mentioned Saffron's bandmembers, and his eyes narrowed as his jealousy and frustration flared. Of all the other young men in Hogwarts, Ares hated Rush Foster. He had made it his business, when he'd first heard of Eura flirting with that LLewellyn girl's bandmates, to know just who were these boys. He promptly lifted Eura onto a small step in the niche and backed her into the wall as he whispered in what would have been a very intimate way if it weren't for his words.

"I will converse with whomever I will. You, on the other hand, will stay away from Foster."

He held her hand up so she could better see the ring on her finger, and then leaned his face closer to her, caressing her hand with his fingers, "Do you know what this ring means, Eura? It means I own you. And no one touches what's mine."

just gonna stand there and watch me burn.

well that's alright because i like the way it hurts.

the way you lie ,

[EURA BELBY]

winter winds,

Eura kept glaring at Ares as he spoke. Why was the man so bloody attractive and such a sodding prick at the very same time. Oh, how she wished she did not possess the good manners she had and be able to simply sware at him for the rest of eternity. " No, I am not judging people by their appearance or the fact that they like you, I am judging by the fact that they obviously dislike me for whatever reason. " she announced, leaning her back against the wall. She wanted to put as much distance between the two of them as possible, simply because being close to Ares made her oddly uneasy. No, not disgusted or angry, simply uncomfortable. Every time he leaned forward her breath got caught in her throat and she was about to choke. She had never allowed any boy to come as close to her as Ares did at times and to think that he did it without even thinking of seeking her permission - well, that didn't exactly go well with Eura.

The brunette tried to pull her hand away from Ares' once he'd caught it but it was almost as useless as her previous attempt to get out of his iron grip. She snarled as he spoke of her mother and of how lucky she herself was to be betrothed to him and shook her head. " You know nothing about my mother. Or about me. If she knew what a manipulating, decieving creature you are, she would never allow this marriage to happen. " Eura announced, holding her head high. Her family adored her. Unlike Ares they did not see her as their last shot at glory and wealth. They had a bit of both and were quite satisfied with it. " And no, unfortunatelly I do not consider myself lucky. I would be lucky if this was a marriage of my choice. If you haven't figured that out yet, let me make it simple - I would never marry you, if I didn't respect my parents so much. " she said, turning her head away from him. The man frustrated her beyond belief.

Eura let out a small yelp as she got lifted and placed to sit down. At least now she was at Ares' eyelevel, which would at least mean that he would not miss any single flare of utter dislike in her olive eyes. " And here I was thinking you considered your time valuable. The same amount of it you will spent with me, you could spent on charming your next fanclub memeber. " moving back as far as she could. As Ares leaned closer, she put both of her hands on his chest, giving him a light push. Her eyes were still throwing daggers his way, but she was sure that from another perspective, this little conversation between them would have appeared completely different. He so freely invaded her personal space that she wanted to slap him. She could not stand his flirtatious tone, simply because it was meant to infuriate her. In addition, she found no reason for him to be so familiar with her, when they barely spoke unless it was a bicker of the current sort.

Eura's lower lip quiverred in anger as he spoke of Rush. Of course, she enjoyed making him frustrated, however, she did not appreaciate his idea of her being a possession one single bit. " Rush is a friend. I actually have those. And I will continue speaking to him whether you like it or not. What is it to you anyway, darling? " she asked, emphasizing on the last word, just to remind him that they were actually not in a relationship of any sort. This marriage was arranged by their parents and that was how it was going to remain. He would have no control over her life whatsoever, not if she could help it. As he caught her hand in hers and leaned closer she gave him another light push, both hands on his chest, as she turned her head away. " Stop it! " she said quietly, her voice however, full of determination. She closed her eyes shut as he started to caress her hand, willing herself away from this whole situation, untill he mentioned the ring and what it meant for him. Eura's eyes shot open, glaring at the man, who was now that one inch too close. " No, this ring means nothing. Absolutely nothing. I am not an object. " she said as she tried to push past him and get onto the ground. That was her usual way of dealing with him - walking away. Pushing against him only managed to shorten the distance between the two. Which, unfortunatelly, was of no help whatsoever.

[ARES MULCIBER]

His grin came slowly, satisfied and reaffirmed, as though she had done exactly as he had expected. She just made it too easy. What made her so much fun was her determination to never back down. It was her determination and resilience that left him grudgingly admiring the sprite of a girl. That, and her curves. And her face. Impossibly cute when she was angry, but then insufferable whenever she opened his mouth. He wondered what she would sound like if she wasn't always thinly veiling her deep and abiding hatred for him. What would she sound like if she were one of those girls he woke up next to in the mornings (in their room, never his). Inwardly, he blanched at the traitorous thought and shoved it into a door marked 'Sexy!Eura' in the far, not forgotten corner of his mind.

"Wait. You are upset that they have chosen to dislike you when it was you that first interrupted a conversation with your sarcasm and lack of class? Your logic isn't sound. No, I think you chose to dislike them because of me. I guess that makes me important in your life. Without even realizing it, you act in reaction to me. I'm flattered, love."

Sultan of spin strikes again! He could bend and twist her words to suit any position, and it filled him with delight to know that she knew it too. Unfortunately, he knew he could never change her mind. The girl was damnably stubborn and solidly stood her ground. Even though he said it was so, doesn't mean that he could convince her of the same. Most likely she would angrily huff at him and roll her eyes, and then be comforted in the fact that at least in principle, she was right. Most often, he would even agree with her. In principle, she was a much better, ethical person than Ares. But he didn't so much care about all of that. If the end is right, it justifies the means. So who cares how he got to the finish line as long as he won? He smiled, not unlike predator, at her when she tried to tug away, and pulled her hand closer. To any onlookers, he would look more like a lover than a loathed enemy. His thumb traced little circles on the palm of her hand, just to anger her even more. That spark in her eyes was worth it.

"You think so, do you? Then why haven't you told her? Or does she not believe you? Oh, or do you quietly suffer the role of victim and martyr because you secretly want this? I'm right, aren't I?"

He liked the idea that she remained silent about his less-than-golden personality because she wanted him. Not that he could blame her. Who wouldn't want the bad boy and the Head Boy all rolled into one? And he would have been Head Boy, if it hadn't been for the Tri-Wizard Tournament. It was part of the 10 year plan he'd drafted back in fourth year. Unfortunately, he had not taken into consideration the quaint tradition that surprised them all. Oh, well, even if he didn't become the champion, he would steal use this opportunity to win friends and connections for the future. He would even prefer not to be the champion. It would be humiliating if he'd lost. Ares wasn't the type to gamble his career and reputation on a shot for glory, in that way. He liked having control over the situation, and the events in the tournament would be difficult to prepare.

"Oh, trust me, you're not a waste of time. Rather an investment. A very alluring investment."

What was wrong with him? The usual insults had far too much of the complimentary coloring the phrases. He'd often referred to her before as an 'investment' or objectified her in some similar way, but never with the appendage 'alluring.' Were his hormones just out of control or was there something else at work here? He knew it wasn't a love potion, or he'd be acting so ridiculously out of character even he would notice. And then no doubt decide he didn't care as he professed she was his sun, his moon, his starlit sky. Ridiculous. His sun was the impending career in the ministry and his moon the reinstatement of his family name in respectable society of high regard. Those were his only concerns, his goals. No bright eyed, practically-a-midget slip of a girl would distract him from that. Though he conveniently forgot his vehement decision to remain on course when he heard one word: Rush. Oh, so they were on first name basis now?

"Rush? What kind of a name is Rush? So are you going to become his little band shag? I won't take some mudblood's sloppy seconds." Ares was angry at the thought, and more than a little jealous. He perceived his own jealousy as mere anger at the idea of some wanker turning his future wife into a slag, and the way that would affect his career. He was so angry he even used a term he never cared about. It wasn't popular to hate muggleborn wizards and witches anymore, and he had never called someone of that background a mudblood. Even to someone else. But in this instance, Rush became the dirtiest mudblood in the Wizarding World. Especially if he touched someone that clearly had Mulciber written all over her. The young man was territorial and selfish. These were faults he had admitted and accepted long ago, but that he rarely allowed to shine through so clearly. Because she insisted on pushing against him, he kept moving closer, until her delicate hands on his chest were the only things separating the two of them. He reached up with one hand and wrapped a tendril of her hair around his fingers, the intimate affectionate gesture contrasting the angry disposition.

"Eura. You accepted what that ring meant the moment you put it on. No one forced you to. You could have said no, but you didn't. Now you have to suffer the consequences, love. There's not backing out. I won't let you, until I've finished with you. Do you understand me?"

((He is SUCH a bastard! So fun to write! ))

just gonna stand there and watch me burn.

well that's alright because i like the way it hurts.

the way you lie ,

[EURA BELBY]

winter winds,

Eura would explode any moment now. More so, she would have liked to do so, if she didn't know that was exactly what Ares was aiming at. He was like a little kid, pulling a cat's tail just to hear it hiss at him. Instead, Eura stopped the words begging to come out of her plush lips, an arrey of insults and well deserved arguments against Ares' completely invalid point and resolved to glaring at him in the nastiest way she could muster. " I suggest you stop dreaming, dear. " she said the last word with a sneer, just in case sarcasm couldn't get through his thick skull. " Also, I would think that those girlies over there think you belong to them, just as you think of me, which is why they are so unhappy with me for taking you away from them. A crime, which I would gladly redeem, with your permission. " she added with a sly smirk.

The first attack Eura had managed to wand off well, the second, however, came completely out of the blue for her and caused a faint pink tint to appear on both her cheeks and across her nose. Hopefully, Ares would see it as a sign of extreme anger and not what it really was - embarassement for being called out on not actually hating him. Eura knew she didn't hate Ares, that she probably was absolutely unable to hate him, however, she did detest everything about his behavior. And this new, flirtatious demeanor, which he had decided to undertake toward her, was not all that much better from the one he had before. Simply because she knew it was untrue. If he did find her attractive he wouldn't have taken his time to taunt her as much as he had. He would have at least made an effort to show her what little good she knew thought he possessed within him.

" Investment? Oh, darling, I am afraid your extreme effort in making all this work will not pay off. See, unfortunately we have a difference in opinion as I rather see myself as a person... " she said, leaning that last bit into the niche, her back resting against the cold, yet perfectly smooth marble wall. Her body shiverred from the cold touch of the stone, yet she made no attempt to push herself away from it. Anything was better than being forced to press herself against her imbecile of a fiance. Eura kept staring at him, nothing but fiery hate shinning in her dark eyes as her lower lip quiverred in frustration. Merlin, why wouldn't he just go?! It would be easier wonderful to not have him around for an extended period of time. She hated to think how good his rather muscular chest felt underneath her touch, so she simply focused on his more than appalling persona.

" Stop it! " Eura warned once more as he continued drawing ever closer to her. She felt uncomfortable, vulnerable and completely exposed trapped between the marble wall and Ares. She had to hand it to him - over he could elicit such unpleasurable emotions from her, all at the very same time. When he spoke of Rush, nothing but disrespect in his words, Eura thought for a moment, she might loose it. She swung to slap him but caught herself in mid-action and instead allowed her hand to drop to his shoulder and squeeze it as tight as she could. If she would leave him a nice bruse (even though she doubted it), so much the better. " Don't speak of him in such a demeaning way in my presence! " she whisper - screamed at him. " He is my friend and you will treat him accordingly if you wish me to be pleasant to your... companions. No, I do not sleep with him, I do not sleep with anybody and I believe you should be the last person to doubt my honor, when you yourself have slept with more women than I have fingers! " she announced angrily as she turned her head to look away from him.

" Until you finish with me? " Eura repeated with disgust as she squeezed her eyes shut for a couple of moments before turning to look at him once more, her eyes fixed on his in a glare, his chin tilted slightly upward, even though, she realised, there was barely space to breathe between the pair of them. " Then finish with me quickly and let us get this whole charade over with! " she said, meaning every word of it. She was ready to give him anything he wanted, even act pleasant to his horrid group of associates, as long as he would get of her case once and for all. Although, unfortunatelly, she was aware that it was unlikely to be as easy as that.

[ARES MULCIBER]

"Oh, you're right. They're probably all arguing over who has first claim on me. Unfortunately for them, I'm busy. They can wait."

He didn't try to deny the fact that he would probably connect with one or all of those girls on a purely physical plane. He never had tried to hide his philandering from Eura; he just hadn't made a point of telling her either. It was obvious that she knew. Ares even fully realized that he was holding her to a double standard, and part of him felt an honest regret at his actions. But Ares was in the habit of stuffing any regrets as far from his active consciousness as possible. Life was easier that way. Better to hold his family (the members of it that he actually loved) close and kick the rest of the world to the curb. Right now, that included his sort-of fiancée. He raised an eyebrow and chuckled at her reaction to his choice of words.

"Oh, trust me, Eura. I most definitely see you as a person. But you're an investment too. I understand you dislike my pragmatic approach to our future. You would. Despite your intelligence and capability, you prefer overdramatic and violently emotional. Yes, you are an investment. Accept the fact. And with how you're acting, a very risky one. "

Mixed messages and confusing signals were to be expected when dealing with Ares. Not only did it keep everyone else off-guard with his emotions, but the tactic worked equally well, if not better, on Ares himself. The boy was the poster child for self-deception, in some ways. While he knew he was not the wonderful young man he tried so hard to portray, he didn't always see how in many ways he would turn into the man he hated most if he didn't start changing. Deep down, he suspected the likelihood that he would become like his father when it came to marriage and family, and that was one of his primary fears about someday finding himself in that sort of relationship. But what he missed now was how he had been treating Eura with the same objectivity and disregard that his father had shown toward his own mother. The discovery, when he would realize the truth, would surely disturb the Slytherin student. As it was, he was yet unaware of the full meaning of his own wretched faults. Jealousy reared his ugly head when her anger ignited even more over the subject of her precious guitar-playing idiot.

"Oh, Rush is that important to you? What? Does he make you feel alive with his sentimental fluff and cheap tattoos? And you think he doesn't see you as a woman. He's probably thinking of shagging with you while he and his mates play at rockstar. The first chance he gets, he'll treat you like a slag and then leave you. Sorry to break it to you, muffin, but every guy thinks that way. All we care about is a good shag."

Only Ares could call her 'muffin' and sound so dangerous while doing it. The idea of his fiancée and that piece of band trash having it off together in some dark corner of Beauxbatons Academy made his blood boil. Like hell he would let that happen! If Rush Foster ever so much as touched Eura, he would beat him to a pulp. Muggle-style, just so the kid could feel at home. His breaths came heavy as his possessive anger and jealousy warped his control, and he glared right back at her, just as indignant and stubborn. And then he snapped. He did something he never thought he would do: he kissed her. Grabbing her shoulders, he roughly pressed his lips against hers. Apparently he had no intention of finishing with her.

just gonna stand there and watch me burn.

well that's alright because i like the way it hurts.

the way you lie ,

[EURA BELBY]

winter winds,

She wanted to slap him. Oh, Merlin, did she want to slap him, to shout her head off at him, to just.... just.... But why wasn't she able to do so?! Why wouldn't she just leave altogether??... Eura huffed angrily as she turned her gaze away from Ares and back to the little group of people that were still gazing in their direction curiously. As if she would let one of those sluts lay a hand on Ares!! Of course, there was the matter of nobody actually asking her whether or not she agreed with him bedding half of Beauxbatons. She could feel her pulse start to speed up rapidly and suddenly, she found herself imagining slapping one of those girls instead of Ares. Merlin, if she found out about any of them sleeping with her fiance, she would drag the girl across the whole castle by the hair.

" If you can't keep up with the game, honey, don't play. " Eura said with a snarl. Investment? Risky? Was he out of his bloody mind? No way was she accepting to be treated as some sort of glamorous future insurance! If she had grown up in any old pureblood family, where the husband and wife barely honored even the decensy of appearing in public together, than yes - she would have probably accepted Ares' behavior as something ordinary. However, she had been raised in a loving, caring family. Her mother and father truly loved each other and it was that small fact that set her expectations of her own future involvment soaring. Why couldn't he try to actually care for her, at least a tiny bit? Or at least pretend to do so, as it would seem that was what he did best?...

" Yes, Rush is important to me... as a friend! I don't see what's wrong with that! " she said while he was still talking, not wishing to hear what he was saying altogether. " Perhaps if you acted like you gave a centaur's arse about me, then I would consider you important... " she added, rather angry at herself that she had allowed something like that slip. No. He had to get used to the fact that she disliked him as much as she possibly could and that there would be no way for them to be together as a normal couple, except in her wildest fantasies. Which, shamefully enough, were connected to Ares in so many levels that she found it ridiculous. " No! He does not just want to shag me. Yes, he does, but that's not all he cares about. And how come I am not supposed to screw around with anyone while you have a go at anything with a skirt that is willing to jump in bed with you? " she finally exploded, her small fists starting to pound against Ares' chest.

Eura was taken completely aback when Ares pulled her roughly by the shoulders, their bodies pressing against one another at the same time as their lips. The Gryffindor tried to pull back, although admittedly not with as much force as she would have thought she would use if Ares would pull a stunt like that on her. His lips just... felt horribly right. It was an angry, possessive kiss fuelled by nothing more than his frustration and jealousy however, he could have done something else to vent it all off, nobody actually made him kiss her. Her hands pushed once more against his chest, the motion this time completely devote of energy, before simply resting on Ares's chest as she did something she would have never thought she would - she kissed him back.

[ARES MULCIBER]

Ares was as surprised by the kiss as his fiancée. Never before had he kissed Eura, or even thought about it as a serious possibility. Oh, he had toyed with the idea, of course, but every time before he had dismissed it as a bat shit crazy idea and never to be done sober. Before, it was the stuff of daydreams or alternate universes or insanity. And now all of the sudden it was sweet lipgloss reality. He didn't know what it was exactly that she had swiped across her lips, but he did know that it was delicious. Odd that a gloss or lipstick or whatever the stuff was would taste so sweet. Even more odd that he liked it. Before, the only aspect he had liked about lip cosmetics was the way it would smear after an intense session of snogging, or when he found it later on the collar of his shirt. Tasting it on a girl's lips wasn't his normal preference during a dalliance. With Eura, it was nice and alluring frosted on a pair of perfect lips.

The kiss changed from bruising and punishing to something more pensive and passionate. HIs body remained pressed against her's, but no longer crushing. Something was happening here between the two of them that Ares knew he didn't fully understand. In the bedroom, he was a confident young man. It was the dance that he knew all the steps to. There was a science to sex, a practicality, that allowed him to emotionally distance himself from the girls he engaged. He could tell that this wasn't the same. Elements of the kiss were similar, but so startlingly different that he was left somewhat mystified. Later, he would very seriously review the conversation, Eura, and the state of affairs between them. Later, he would try to piece the puzzle of their relationship together. Later, when he wasn't thoroughly enjoying kissing his fiancée senseless, he would consider if and how this could change things. For right now, he preferred to not think, for once.

From her shoulders, his left hand slipped down her body until her reached her waist, and he snaked his arms around her, pulling her just slightly away from the wall and closer to him. His other hand caressed its way up the graceful line of her neck and gently cradled her cheek and head. He stroked his thumb against the soft skin between her cheekbone and jaw, the tip of the thumb nearly brushing against her ear. His unoccupied fingers clenched and twined through her soft, black hair. Ares had no idea if Eura had ever kissed before. He wasn't sure about her past experience with young men or how far she may have allowed her relationships with bumbling idiots, such a Foster, to go. But he would be damned if she didn't feel thoroughly kissed after he was through with her. He briefly interrupted his perusal of her lips to tell her with a hint of amusement and a twinkle of humor in his eyes,

"How is this for keeping up? Am I playing the game right?"

He leaned closer to her again, his lips barely brushing against her's for just a moment. He pressed his lips to the corner of her lips. Once, twice, before full-on kissing her again. Did he do it for pride? To show her who was boss? That was probably what he would tell himself later. That it was a show of strength and power. Or did he do it because he'd wanted to? Had her squared shoulders, ugly frown and fiery glare inspired in him a sudden passion? Or perhaps it was all on account of his jealousy for her imagined relationships with other boys? Or was it all of the proposed reasons for his sudden, uncharacteristic behavior? Whatever it was, at the moment, he didn't much care. What he really cared about was whether or not Eura was enjoying this as much as he.

just gonna stand there and watch me burn.

well that's alright because i like the way it hurts.

the way you lie ,

[EURA BELBY]

winter winds,

Eura couldn't even think of speaking a word of protest at the moment, as much as her sober mind would have wanted her, too. She would tell herself later that it had all been a major misunderstanding and that she hadn't truly enjoyed Ares' lips on hers as much as she did, that she did not feel a chill run down her spine as their bodies pressed against one another, that his arm around her waist did not painfully remind her of a lover's care and protection as much as it did at present. Eura shifted slightly, bringing herself closer to her fiance despite her whole conscious being screaming at her that now was the time to push him away. She needed to resist that devilish charm of his, needed to remind herself of the words he had spoken just a fraction of a moment earlier - that all guys were in it for the "good shag". Right now, however, even if that were his intentions, Eura could not say that she truly minded.

She knew that his lips shouldn't be this addictive and that having him close should have elicited only uneasiness within her, but the Gryffindor could feel that uprising warmth in the very pit of her stomach, telling her that she found it quite pleasant to have him, for once, be gentle instead of harsh toward her. It had been something she needed to admit she craved, at least to herself. Her own hands travelled slowly up Ares' arms, caressing their way up until they reached the back of his neck and she entwined her slender fingers in his own raven black locks. She did not dare break their kiss for a single moment and when he did, she only growled, in a half-playful, half-annoyed manner, before whispering " Do you ever shut up? ". The teasing question was followed by a brief smirk before his lips found hers once more.

Eura was certain that Solar would kill her when she would find out about all this (because Eura hardly thought she could keep any secret from her closest friend). Ares was definitely "the enemy" when Solar was concerned, exactly due to the way he treated Eura. And yet, here he was, being as intimate with her as only a lover would. Yes, the girl had been kissed before but never like this, never with the raw heat and passion, which emitted from Ares' lips. She knew that her dark purple lipstick would me smeared all across her lips later on but she could not care less. Her long eyelashes fluttered closed and before she knew it, she was completely lost in his kiss. It felt good, unusual, almost guilty, but horribly good.

She would allow him to display all the horrid jealousy he wanted to, as long as it all amounted to something like this. Perhaps Eura did not like Ares' personality, but she certainly wanted him, more so now, after she had tasted his lips and felt his muscular body against her own petite form. Eura broke away from his kiss only to gasp for air after she realised they had both remained without it for far too long. Her eyes once more opened, and she looked up at him, taking in those handsome features he had always possessed, but which had never seemed quite so soft and alluring. She needed to stop herself, pull herself back from kissing him again. Her hands slowly travelled back down his arms and then onto his chest until their reached his tie. She undid it only just, loosening it up a little bit, her eyes focused on the tie as if it was the most important thing in the world. She bit her lip for a second in contemplation before pulling him forward by his tie, until their lips crashed into each other once more. It was useless to resist the urge of kissing him when she knew that would be all she would want to do everytime she would see him from this moment on.

[ARES MULCIBER]

---- Ares felt a sort of tingling in his body when her slender fingers ran through his hair, and grinned to himself. Here she had been set to scream at him in the hallway, and now she was obviously enjoying herself. Was he surprised? No, part of him really wasn't, even though he should be completely blown away by the unexpected show of affection. The Eura he knew hated him to his core and would never so passionately return his kisses. But the kiss felt… right. As though this had always been between them and was patiently waiting on the sidelines for them to realize it. Well, the burgeoning relationship between the two would have to continue waiting. Ares would not allow himself just yet to delve into the uncomfortable mysteries of 'feelings'. He had successfully avoided truly analyzing his own personality and psyche for seventeen years now, and he wasn't about to change only on the stupefying knowledge that his fiancée was a fantastic kisser.

"Do you ever shut up?"

His already inflated ego loved the fact that Eura looooved kissing him, and he only had time to respond with his own roguish smile and a short "No" before she launched her lips at him. Not that he much minded. This was an infinitely more pleasurable way for her to tell him to shut up than her usual fall-back, which was to whisper-yell at him. Though they'd had their fair share of extreme yelling matches, for the most part, they washed their dirty laundry in private, thank you. Mostly because Ares insisted on it. To be caught in a quarrel with his intended in public was an embarrassment that he felt keenly. He didn't want people to know more than they already did that his life wasn't perfect. He would have preferred to keep his dad's criminal record a secret entirely, but once he'd been set for trial, Ares spun it to his best advantage. Which was exactly the way he dealt with every other factor in his life. The only one that constantly annoyed, eluded, baited, intrigued and frustrated him on an all too regular basis was his sweetheart here. The one currently doing her best to kiss him into oblivion. And damn if it wasn't working.

Though Ares had initiated their little snogging session, he wasn't too sure if anyone was in control now. He didn't much care. Funny that all his anger and frustration with her could discover an altogether new outlet of expression? He was seriously considering always beginning and ending an argument by kissing her as if there were no tomorrow. At the time, it seemed like an excellent idea. The added bonus being that he wouldn't have to hear her yell at him. But then... wasn't that what he found attractive in her anyway? She never backed down, always saw right through his schemes and wasn't afraid to tell him off. She was refreshing. No one else dealt so honestly with him as Eura. No other girl, certainly. Oh there were girls aplenty with spunk and attitude, but Eura had a sort of grace and class that left the rest to shame. He leaned into the kiss, the force of their lips pressed against one another a bruising intensity.

Suddenly, she withdrew from him. He stood, standing and staring at her like a dazed idiot. For once, he had nothing to say. No, that wasn't true. He had a million things to say, but every word failed before it reached his lips, retreating into forgotten corners of his mind and hoping later to be said. His breathing came a little shallow and heavy, his heart beating faster than flight. A shudder ran through him as her hands drifted down his arms and found their place on his chest, rising and falling with every breath. He in turn studied her face, his eyes focusing on her swollen, kissable lips and the smearing of dark purple. Why did he find that smear of face paint so attractive? He wanted to lick it right off her face. He nearly groaned when she delicately bit at her lower lip, and he held his breath for that moment. And then, just as sudden, she dove back on him again.

He slipped an arm down her back until his hand spanned the soft flesh of her rear. He lifted her just enough off the ground to bring her even closer to him. That recent memory of her purple, smeared lips gnawed at him until he nibbled at her bottom lip, holding it lightly between his teeth. His tongue swiped against it before urgently pressing to change the intensity of their kiss. A knee slipped in between her legs, providing a place for her to perch so he didn't have to hold her up the whole time.

just gonna stand there and watch me burn.

well that's alright because i like the way it hurts.

the way you lie ,