His nose wrinkled slightly as the smell of cider reached him, and he sipped his champagne again to ward away the odour. The habitual half-smile, half-smirk still graced his lips, however, and his dark, somewhat plaintive eyes continued to take in her appearance. She was pretty, of course, but very different to women he would ordinarily consider so. Reddish, auburn hair, and the hint of where freckles had once been when she was younger, and a beautiful body all covered up by her dress.

Melody felt his stare on her face, down her neck, and up onto her face again. he was so strange- pale, white skin, raven black hair, darkened eyes. He was so slim and graceful- yet dangerously mysterious, and somehow alluring. Nick and.... him, they were very different. He was not the kind of man she usually found so, attractive. She doubted she was his stereotype either. yet, here she was, staring at those hypnotic eyes. She felt her heart pound in her chest. Why did he make her so nervous?

Nicholas knew well the familiar look on her face. He touched her arm lightly and led her away a few paces from the others. She would not want to speak freely in front of them, and he would very much like to hear what she had to say in answer to his questions. "Who are you thinking of?" he asked directly, yet his voice was strangely detached and surprisingly sad - as if he was actually upset that she wasn't thinking only of him. His long fingers remained on her arm, progressing upwards to her shoulder, up her neck, twisting curls of her thick hair between them as if she was a doll.

Melody's eyes ran in shock up to his face, her mouth twisting into a half grimace. She felt chills run along her skin where he touched her, then the gentile tug on her scalp where he played with her hair. "Why do you need to know?" She asked, her voice laced with disdain. Who did he think he was? besides one of the most sinfully handsome men in all of history, he had no right to know- so why did he want to? Might he like her? That was jumping ahead. Melody couldn't help but wonder. She was a little reluctant to jump into this again, but she hadn't been really happy in so long. Except of course the occasional laugh with Blair or that moment when your owl makes a face at you and you giggle to yourself. Not really happy- maybe he could make her that way? She didn't know. She also wasn't sure if she was quite willing to find out.

"I do not need to know," he corrected, still looking at his fingers entwined with her hair rather than at her eyes. "I simply want to know. You interest me greatly, Miss Rouge. Do I not interest you?" By 'interest' he meant purely 'intrigue' - no euphemism, no innuendo. He took no notice of her tone; if he had ever paid attention to a woman's disgust he would have never got as far as he had. Finally he let his hand drop from her hair, slowly letting the fingers brush her cheek, her neck, her collar bone as it fell.

"I...." Melody flushed- she hated it when she stuttered. "Yes." She
answered plainly. "Of course you do. If you didn't believe me- you
would know." She glared up at him for a moment. She couldn't resist
asking. "Why on Earth does a girl like me interest someone like you?"

"Because, contrary to popular belief, I have wide and varied tastes. And you, Miss Rouge, appeal to many of my tastes." He raised his eyebrows, causing his words to become more ambiguous - had he been joking or was he being deadly serious? It was difficult to tell at the best of times. He finished his champagne and pulled out his wand from the hidden pocket inside his waistcoat, and filled his glass with a golden stream of the bubbly liquid. "Now, pray tell, who was on your mind? I know perfectly well what you were thinking. You were comparing me to another. I would very much like to know who, and how I rated against him..."

Melody sighed. "I do wish you wouldn't ask me." She said- trying a more polite approach. "But you know- you're right." Melody looked down at the ground. "I don't think I would give you the answer if I knew it anyway." She said, somewhat quietly. "If this helps- I like you very much." Melody said, saying it so flatly it could have meant anything.

"I don't want to make you do anything you don't want to," she said hastily, trailing her hand down and bringing it to rest somewhere on his chest. "You look so handsome all dressed up - I bet there were lots of girls talking to you before I got here..." She glanced up and looked around the room, and yes, there were a few people looking in their direction, though more of them were looking at Cullen and Faith. Esmé scowled at them, then turned away and buried her head in Trace's shoulder.

Faith was silent whilst Edward was speaking to Alice, flashing her an adoring smile, she did get on well with her, much like her own sister. Before licking her lips to get off the remaining drink she then sighed but still kept hold of Edward's hand as she looked to Alex, "Do you think they will have a disco or something later on?" She mused, rolling her eyes since the Ministry wouldn't be the best people to hold parties even if it was considered a 'gathering'. Faith moved her shoulders lightly as she looked round to catch a glimpse of Trace and Esmé, she hadn't spoken to Trace that much but had got an brief encounter of her and she wasn't that pleasant to say the least.

Faith nodded as she then looked towards the distracted Edward and of course she could heard the growl building up inside his chest with a small smirk on her lips, "Ed, calm down, what is wrong with you?" She added as she then placed her hand on his back. Feeling him grip herself tightly around her, she knew something was up as she then felt herself stop breathing for a moment from Edward's tight grip, "Ed, loose, please?" She asked as she then pressed her hand on his leg to calm him down, her lips to under his jaw, with a small delicate kiss.

"It's ok, just calm down. What's up? You're so tense and your never like that," She added before she ten rested her lips onto his neck as she tried to get his mind off whatever was bugging him, "Were here to have a good time not to have not to glare at others," She whispered before she then slipped her drink down her mother before she then ran her hand slowly over his chest as she felt his tight grip, "Tell me what's wrong my darling," Faith added before she then looked over to Trace with a small scowl.

Edward looked up to Faith and felt the sudden lips on his neck, He lightly stopped her, he could not afford to be distracted "Nothing, I don't like the way Trace is looking at you, he'd another Vampire and a blood lusted one at that." he muttered before he brushed a kiss to Faiths' cheek, then glanced over his shoulder to Trace once again, Catching the motion Edward grimanced. If it continued, he would have to leave and take Faith with him. Edward eventually then turned back to Faith, "Your right, we are here to have a good time." He said with forced enthusiasum, he would no doubt remain tense throughout the gathering but, he would indeed try and have a good time.

(ohh deja Vu lol it's like Vuctoria and James all over again )

Faith simply sighed as she looked back towards Trace, was he enjoy ruining their time at the gathering? "Don't let him get to you because he's enjoying it, don't let him think it's bothering you otherwise he will want to do what ever he wants more," Faith said simply with a blunt tone to her voice, trying to make Edward listen to her. Before looking straight ahead and pursing her lips as she finished her drink and ran her finger over the bottle's rim humming a soft tune to the faint music playing in the background whilst she then shifted her dress to make the top hang right before she then looked on Alex, to cheek up on him, he too was being awfully quiet along with Alice.