Sweet Indulgences (Dorian and Aria)

Dorian wandered down the worn cobblestone lane aimlessly, sipping at his spiced butterbeer. He hated today. It always came with complications. He either had too many damned women with expectations, or he was in a funk, hating the world. This year was no different, except for the added dimension of thoughts of a mysterious brunette he'd only known one evening.

He sighed. He'd heard nothing from her, nor seen her since that night. Not that he expected to. He was pretty damned sure that he'd scared her off from the pub scene for quite some time. Nonetheless, it didn't make her any less prominent in his thoughts. There was hardly a day that went by when he didn't think of her. Even if it was to wonder at the fact that he was thinking of one women so much. It was a vicious cycle.

As he pulled himself out of his melancholy, he found himself standing in front of the sweets shop. Would Aria have a sweet tooth? Did the elusive, oblivious vixen prefer the sickeningly sweet sugar quills, or the bitter bite of dark chocolate. He rolled the idea around in his mind, eying the displays in the window.

Her heels clicked as she walked down Hogsmeade, the case took longer than she even expected. Her father was happy at the fact that she looked like a trophy daughter, sharing false smiles, keeping in the comments of the sleazeballs, the idiots, and the easily manipulated. Funny what a color can do to old men. Red; red lips, red dress, red pumps and she looked like the daughter that Mycroft Song was hiding for a reason.

But now that she was done with her assignment (Julius Strauss was the one who had stolen the potion that her father needed and was now imprisoned) she managed to escape with a check in her purse, and an empty stomach. She needed to eat, after all she'd gone three days without eating and now she was craving something that could still give her a rush without feeling guilty.

Pushing the door for Honeydukes' Sweetshop, she heard the bell ring at the top, making her a bit nostalgic. She rarely came here, not since her graduation. Slipping off her sunglasses she walked towards the cashier, oblivious to the people and even the date. All she knew was that she wanted a lot of sweets.

Dorian noticed the heels first. Wicked thoughts passed though his mind, heating his blood. Finally! This was exactly what he needed to get over... He mentally shook himself to not think of her. He moved through the open door to get a better look, assuring himself it was only good for his health. Mental health.

As he walked quietly through the isles he spotted her. She was facing away, so he got a good look at her flowing locks. Turning the corner, he peaked around to get a better look.

Holy Shit! His heart felt like it was a lead weight in his chest. It figured that he'd see her today, of all days. He swallowed hard and warred with himself. He could leave without a word and try to move past this unforgettable woman, or move forward and put himself through more insanity.

He steeled his resolve and took a few steps forward to stand a foot behind her. In a low voice, trying not to startle her, he let out a little smirk at fate. "Come here often, love?"

Aria was looking through the aisles and was not looking forward to what she was seeing. It was swamped, she couldn't fathom why anyone would want Sugar Quils at this time, nor the chocolate frogs, nor the cotton candy clouds, at this month. She only craved them after depriving herself of actual nourishments.

She went to the truffle section, her weakness and was happy to see that the most expensive candies were still there. She looked around wondering what to choose as she heard someone call her out.

Her body tensed and she turned around, a glare already imputed, that is until she saw who it was. Her gaze softened but in her mind, she calculated what were the chances that she'd ever see him again. It was slim.

"Sometimes" she replied.

Dorian's gaze flicked to the treats behind Aria. His smirk morphed into a fully wicked grin. Of course it would be the truffles. Calming, fulfilling, mouth watering. His eyes flickered back to her face to still on her full, red lips.

Damn... He clenched he jaw, trying to reign in his emotions. He couldn't let her affect him like this. Not again.

Trying to play it cool, he stuck his hands in his pockets, trying to look more relaxed than he felt. "How have you been, Aria?" He loved her name.

Aria was surprised that he remembered her name; it was uncommon that much was true,but for some reason it was something that she was relieved about. He remembered her.

"Good as I can be" she replied softly.

That wasn't answering his question, she realized this as he kept staring at her. He looked distracted was there something behind her? She turned to look casually only to see no one there. Forcing herself to talk more she continued.

"Just came back from a job I had to do for my father. And since I haven't eaten for a few days...here I am" she added showing the white chocolate truffles she was holding. "And you?"

Usually she said this to be polite, (she wasn't that socially stunted), but she said this because she was curious. What was he doing here? Was he with someone?

Dorian was glad to see a part of Aria relax. It was infinitesimal, but it was a start. His eyebrow twitched as she returned to her soft spoken tone. It always made him curious about the reasoning behind that voice. When they'd met in the bar, she had practically given him a tongue lashing on the spot. A small part of him hoped she was feeling something between them, so he wasn't the only one.

He was genuinely surprised she was talking as much as she was, since most of her conversation last time was in short answer form. The fact that she was willingly offering insight into her life to him made him hope. As much as he loved it, he was terrified to hope too much.

White chocolate? Not what he was expecting, but he stored it away for later usage. He chuckled a bit, "So you came to the most nutritious shop on the block, I see." Not that he was judging, it was just...well, cute.

His smile faded a little at her question. "I've been staying busy at work. Since the holiday season ended, the crazies have been coming out again." There, that was general enough. It wasn't that he wanted to lie to her, but she didn't need to know how much he thought about her, and was hoping to see her again.

Aria shrugged at his little jibe at her choice of food. To be honest she didn't think she had any food at home...did she? She doubted it considering that usually Rhian was on the look out for jobs and she herself never really bought anything useful.

"Sugar helps me think" she replied simply.

It was childish, but she had nothing else and was in no mood to cook, or go to a place with terrible service. She tilted her head wondering just how crazy it was?

"So your Auror job is all that's been going on? Interesting...considering last time I saw you, you were looking for another person to copulate with" she replied curiously.

Dorian tried not to laugh at her reasoning. While she was curvy in all the right places, he worried about her not eating. Sure, sugar could stimulate the mind, but not in the most healthy of ways. He preferred good old fashioned home cooking. Something he'd forced himself to become rather good at.

His eyes widened. If he'd been drinking his beverage would have completely ruined her delicious dress. As it was, he had to swallow his anxiety at her bluntness.

Meeting her eye to eye, he tried not to scare her off. "That's...not important." He really didn't know what else to say about it without plunging too far down the rabbit hole.

Aria let a slow smirk appear on her face; she made him uncomfortable. Was it the subject that sex that made him uncomfortable? She didn't really understand why.

"How is it not important? If it was your mission to have sex," she explained casually as she opened the box of truffles, "and you smelled of a cologne you specifically use for that" she could tell from the different scent coming off of him now "then why is sex not an important issue?"

She was oblivious to what her point was and even now she kept talking.

"After all sex is natural, healthy, helps your pulmonary system, spreads endorphin everywhere and creates a psuedo-bond"

She waved if off not realizing how improper it was to talk. She simply bit into another one of her truffles looking at him innocently.

"Want some?"

Aria's smirk wasn't helping matters. It only made it harder for Dorian to breathe. She talked so casually about sex. Yet...not casually enough. It was distant and...cold. His ears pricked up though, at the fact that she noticed his cologne.

He inwardly sighed, knowing this was going to end badly, but bloody hell he was in too far anyway. Stepping closer, he tilted his head down to look at her. "Which do you prefer?" He was curious what her expert sense of smell was more drawn to, since she was a potioneer.

Trying to avoid the question, he swallowed thickly at her question. Hell yes! He clenched his fists to keep from grabbing her and snogging the life out of her in the chocolate aisle of a public shop. He tried to read her soul in her eyes.

Nodding slowly, he whispered, "Sure."

Why did his pupils just dilate? Aria tilted her head in curiosity.

Chocolate, definitely chocolate considering they were surrounded by the finest around. Grabbing three boxes she stopped as she heard his question. She closed her eyes and thought about both smells, both were memorable.

She remembered the smell from the night, it was spicy and woodsy and as he got close it engulfed her in almost a predatory manner. This scent on him, it was different, it was calmer safer and didn't make herself freeze.

"This one" she murmured.

Because despite the fact the other one was definitely more appealing, this one wasn't for sex, this one was casual. She felt comforted with this one.

"Are you going to get anything? If not, well, if you don't mind accompanying me to some lunch? I'm starving and I can't handle the amount of people buying candy."

Dorian nodded slightly at her assessment. He had quite a few colognes at his flat, noting that different women were attracted to different scents. But this one was his favorite. It was more subtle. A small part of him delighted in her approval.

He let out a small smile at her dislike of crowds. It was charming. "I'll pass for now." But he made mental notes of the kind she bought, it could come in handy later.

"Certainly. Anywhere you like." He gestured for her to lead the way to make her purchase. Trying to keep the topic light, and keep his mind off...feelings, he asked, "What are you in the mood for?"

Aria's eyes brightened at him agreeing to go out to lunch for her. She did care that he was willing to eat with her, another thing that she hated more than anything was being alone in public. She'd had enough of that as a child.

Walking to the register she paid for her things and turned to face him. And at his question she simply bit her bottom lip thinking.

"Anything that isn't too full is perfectly fine for me. Three days without food makes you less picky about exactly what that is" she commenting shrugging.

Dorian's heart did that flipping thing again that he still hadn't gotten used to. Her eyes were dazzling to begin with, but when they looked at him like that...he felt like he could do anything.

Bad, Dorian. His brain was shouting at him to run. Runaway and find some little minx to help get Aria out of his system. Anything to keep his sanity in place. But did he listen?

Hell no. He lead her out of the shop and looked down the path. Since it was Valentines Day, people were out en masse. He frowned at the limited possibilities. Turning towards her, tried not to appear too tense.

"I don't know that we're going to be able to avoid the crowds here. Maybe in another country or simply a home cooked meal is the only way to avoid them." He knew he was stretching with the last comment. But like they said: in for a penny...

Aria followed him and at the mention of the places being full, she couldn't help but wonder if she was missing something. What day was it? Sunday had she lost a day or two? No, that wasn't possible.

She had no idea it was Valentine's Day, that is until she saw the most gaudy heart across the building, and her eyes widened. It all made sense now; her father making her wear red everywhere, the colors at the dinner ranged from the deepest reds to the lightest pinks. Oh damn.

"I don't know how to cook" she mumbled with a frown. "Are you suggesting I cook because...it's hazardous if I do it."

She fiddled with her thumbs a bit before looking up at him. He seemed to be very quiet and so she took a breath. Maybe she had misunderstood, repeating the phrase over.

In for a penny...

"Are you suggesting you cook for me?" she looked up at him wide-eyed.

in for a pound

Dorian watched the confusion play across her face. She really had no idea. But he knew the moment she did. It was a mix between fear and disbelief that she could have missed it. But he really wasn't surprised. He couldn't imagine her ever taking time out of her life for trivial holidays like this.

At her admission of being a horrid cook, he laughed heartily. Again, he wasn't surprised. She practically radiated intelligence. The kind that bent to no basic need. That, paired with the fact that it was obviously not the first time she'd gone days without food, solidified her words as fact

His laugh settled into a gentle smile when he saw her fidgeting. He'd never seen her fidget. Lifting her chin to meet his gaze, he closed some of the space. "Would you let me cook for you?"

Aria wrinkled her nose at him laughing at her. To her it was trivial, something she'd deleted in her memories. Her mother never lifted a finger, nor did her father, so she had no one to teach her. She had no need to ask Alfred for lessons after all it was all chemistry, too bad she hated chemistry.

She tensed as she felt his hand on her face once again. Looking up at him, she was surprised how she had forgotten just how close they had gotten the previous time they'd met. In fact if she remembered correctly, she'd tensed up, and he'd nearly Oh Merlin. She ignored her cheeks reddening and she nodded looking at his eyes.

"If you wouldn't mind, I'm not picky" she murmured.

For some reason, it was important to be quiet, more intimate and she didn't care that they were surrounded by strangers walking by. She didn't mind the invasion of space by him, but the moment someone bump into her with a bag, her heels wobbled and it ruined the magic as she tried to regain her balance without falling.

Dorian bulked slightly. She looked like a doe in headlights again. An enchanting, innocent doe. He was never prepared for a woman like her. She blindsided him in every way.

He let his thumb run across her cheeks as she flushed, happy that he got some kind of reaction out of her. Realizing he'd been holding his breath, he let it out slowly. "Anything for you."

The crowd thickened and he felt the pressure as she tensed in his arms as someone got too close. Swiftly, he snaked his free hand around her waist to get a good grip, letting his other hand fall securely behind her neck. Without breaking eye contact, he side-Apparated them to his door step.

His house wasn't impressive, as far as pureblood standards. He'd moved out of his parent's manor when he'd graduated, having enough funds to do so. After stealing a few minutes to just take in her beauty, he relaxed away from her, opting to simply hold her hand. He gestured to his house.

"Welcome to my home. Feel free to inspect to your hearts desire," he added with a smirk.

Aria was surprised at the protective stance he immediately god. Auror she thought with a smirk. But she gripped tightly as they were apparated. She decided that she hated people during holidays.

As she felt her feet land on the ground she opened her eyes and looked to see the house that he lived it. It was habitable, surprising, considering she expected some flat of some kind. Yes, compared to her parent's home this was nothing compared to what she grew up around, but then again all that never really signified warmth of any kind.

She let him guide her, already used to him holding her hand. And when he commented about inspecting, she found herself letting out a hint of anger.

"If you don't mind" she said before using him to support herself as she took off her heels.

They were killing her and she instantly shrunk five inches as those shoes were put aside. Looking up at him she waited for him to lead her to the kitchen.

Dorian's smirk fell. He didn't expect the strange tone in Aria's voice. Did he say something wrong? Was she unimpressed by his home? Sure, it probably wasn't the grandiose life she was used to. But he kept it clean and it was spacious enough, with large living areas and a guest room, including a large study.

Trying to put aside his insecurities, he guided her through the living room and into his large kitchen. Motioning for her to take a seat on the one of the stools at the island, he moved around the the other side.

He slipped off his jacket and tie, and rolled his sleeves up to keep them out of the way. "So, are you in the mood for something specific, or should I just surprise you?" He figured he could get started, and she could have free reign of the house if she wanted to look around.

Aria didn't know exactly why her tone had changed. It was perhaps because she had taken inspect into terms that her parents used. Looking around, his flat was plain, nothing too upper class, and nothing too second hand, it was almost as if everything was hospitable in a good way. She didn't mean her anger, it was simply displaced, but obviously it had hurt him considering he was no longer smiling.

She hated to admit it but she liked it when he smiled, it was charming something that made something in her change. Sitting down on the seat near the counter she watched him take off his coat and roll up his sleeves. It was almost domestic and her lips twitched.

"I'll like anything you'll make" she replied softly.

She didn't want to be overbearing, and this tentativeness in her was new, something she wasn't used to, but something that was almost natural.

Moving around his kitchen with the ease of much practice, Dorian started gathering up the ingredients for one of his favorite meals. He knew this wasn't going to be much of a surprise, since she could see everything he was doing, but he figured he'd try anyways.

He grabbed the only wine he had, a dry red, and a couple glass. Pouring a modest amount in each, not intending for them to get wasted, he set one down for her and took a sip. "I always prefer wine with my dinner," he smiled at her.

As he started getting the base for a stew together, he asked over his shoulder, "How is the potioneering coming?"

Aria took the glass gratefully and looked down at it. Red. She hadn't had wine in a while, even at the party with her father, she had carried a glass of wine but never touched it; her father fearing she'd mar the glass with her lips. She took a small sip, not wanting to tempt anything and merely looked at him as he moved around.

Dorian was graceful she noticed. She placed her elbow on the counter and leaned against it, as she watched him move meticulously over the stove. She had no idea what he was doing, but it seemed appetizing...though at the moment even gruel would be delicious.

His question though surprised her. He remembered she did potions? She felt herself smile slightly returning his and looked down at her glass.

"Well I turned in a new potion today to father, for his dinner. He never told me it was a special occassion, but mother had bought me robes for it, made sense now why she chose red" she mumbled and sipped slightly. "But all in all good ,I got a five hundred galleons for a tiny ounce, and father is just happy I'm doing something productive. This time around he wasn't just complimenting my simpleton brothers."

She hadn't even noticed she'd open up so much until she finished her sentence.

Dorian secretly loved this. The simplicity of cooking. Having a woman in his home to cook for. But not any woman. One that sparked something inside of him.

He shook his head of his stupid day dreams. He was cooking her a meal, nothing else. The fact that it was Valentine's Day meant nothing to her, so why should it matter?

Focusing on the meal, he pulled out two small, round loaves of bread and started carving into them. He took a few seconds to really look at her again. Red looked good on her. It was bold and daring, something she didn't seemed accustomed to. "I think I like you in red," he smiled softly.

His brow furrowed at the way she talked about her family. As if her they didn't really see her as a real individual, just some on hand ornament who's soul purpose was to reflect well on them. He tried to push down his anger, focusing on the meal. "You have brothers?" He tried for a safe topic.