"Whatever you're doing- this magic-" Melody realized it as soon as she said it, that's what it was. He was working some sort of magic on her- and she didn't like it. "You want to do something for me?" She started again. "Stop it" she attempted to shove him away, but didn't get very far. He was much stronger than she was. "Stop doing that."

"I'm not touching you. I'm touching them." However, he drew it in a little, and several bystanders turned away, looking confused. "But if it upsets you so, I think it would be best if I left you. Good night, Miss Rouge." He bowed his head to her respectfully, turned on his heel, and disappeared into the crowd. Indeed, within moments he was nowhere to be seen; not even his head was visible over the others - he had completely vanished.

You can drink from me if you like, she thought, but was wise enough not to say it aloud. Perhaps she would hint at it, until he needed to ask. Although it was impossible to stop him, there was something she didn't like about him drinking from other people - other women in particular. Why this was, she didn't know. Maybe it was because she felt like she wanted to provide everything for him, and to be able to care for him and satisfy him completely, and if he was feeding from others that meant it was something less that she was doing for him. Instead of thinking about it, she danced with him, and put her thought into her footwork rather than the dilemma in her head.

Shae, who had been busy eating from a bowl of hot stew had let her eyes wander occasionally towards the Professor whom she had noticed was working his magic on another girl. She rolled her eyes, and went back to her soup plotting to ruin the moment the two of them were having before it could go any further - Shae always did like to spoil the professor's fun if it wasn't being had with her.

The next moment she looked the girl seemed to be rejecting him, pushing him away. Shae gave a frown and turned her attention fully to the scene. With a few last words he left, and vanished completely in the crowd. Shae put down her spoon, got up, and walked to the girl. "Where'd you scare the professor off to, you? seemed like a somewhat of a rude display you just out on!"

[[sorry I disappeared AGAIN. I promise I won't this time!]]

Melody looked at this strange girl before her. "In point of fact, Professor Flitwick questioned me too close to a sore spot in my memory. I did not wish to discuss it any further, and left it at that." Melody said, twisting the ring on her left hand ring finger. She always did when she got a little bored or nervous. it was a string of silver and gold ivy leaves, given to her before she came to teach at Hogwarts by a certain someone. "Why do you ask? Who are you by the way?"

"questioned you on a sore spot?" she inquired rhetorically with a slight air of amusement in her voice "ah, fantastic. He's finally growing up - learning how to push the buttons of your kind and all. Wonderful.. wonderful.." she said, going on to mumble the world 'wonderful' 'till the girl spoke again.

'why do you ask? who are you by the way?' she inquired, and Shae coudln't help but feel that there was an air of rudeness in her voice. Shae was quite good at being secretly rude disguising it as being openly kind - of course, she found no need to do this in this company, but nevertheless, she simply waved her hand at the girl and said "my business, none of yours, I'm sure. You might want to adjust that tone of yours, however. I was simply asking as I needed him for something.. and quite frankly, you did catch my attention in a less than.. good.. way."

Melody raised her eyebrow at this girl. "Well aren't we just a ray of sunshine?" She questioned, putting her hands on her hips. "You asked me for an answer, and I gave it to you. I have every right to talk to you just how I'd like. you could stand to be a little nicer." Melody looked this girl right in her eye, they seemed to be near polar opposites. Melody in red, her in green. She had black hair, Melody had copper. Melody brown eyes, she had blue. Melody was wearing gold jewellery, she was wearing silver. Polar freakin' opposites- Melody could see they were not about to get along.

"You really think I could stand being nicer? You're right.. I probably could. Doesn't mean I want to, though," she said with a light shrug, and after a small pause, raised her eyebrows "see.. I don't like sharing.. and when I don't actually do anything about other people playing with my things, I'd like to think they should treat them with respect and you failed to do so, so do forgive me for not being all chipper."

To be honest, Shae didn't care one way or the other - she didn't even consider the professor 'hers', but she found it rather amusing to start rivalries with people who didn't know Shae was just playing a game - no one ever knew, she just did it for her own amusement, and not because something actually mattered to her. It seemed this girl woudl be fun to play with, getting all hot and bothered by a simple comment Shae said. Easily rattled. Those were the most fun.

Melody glared at Shae. She severely hoped Nick wasn't hers. That would be devastating. Why? You don't like him like that. melody's brain tried to remind her. "Well- let's start this over." Melody tried, holding out her hand "Melody Rouge, Professor of Muggle Studies at Hogwarts. And you?"

Melody folded her arms across her chest, glancing at Edward. "I'm always perfectly civilized." Melody smiled. "Freelance potions distributor huh?" Melody kept her eyes on Shae. She probably kept some creepy office in Knocturn Alley- potions by day, whorehouse by night. She looked her up and down, it was probably something to that effect. melody noticed Shae looking around- hopefully not for Nick. She would be ready to throw herself off a cliff if something like this happened again.

Shae raised an eyebrow at Melody, "I know what you're thinking.. you probably think that the word 'freelance' refers to a fishy kind of business. I should have you know that it's perfectly legit," she said, reading her expression carefully. Shae's business wasn't legit, but anything she did that was either illegal or frowned upon she did under disguise of her unregistered metamorphmagus ability, and therefore would never be caught either way, so she never much worried.

She turned to Edward, again, a smile on her face. "You of all people know my entire heritage is rooted in manners. I'm quite well off with them, actually.. I just don't see the point in having manners toward someone who doesn't have any themselves, you see? it's not like the entire party is influenced by how I conduct myself," she said quite curtly.

"I've been doing alright since we last saw one another, been keeping busy, you might say," she paused with a shifty look around the room, then whispered so only the few people around them could hear "went to Bulgaria, see," she paused for dramatic effect - at the moment, the Bulgarian political status was wobbly, to say the least.

Melody turned on her heel, picked up her bag, and hiked it out of there. She walked over, put her chocolate strawberries in a small napkin and took floo powder with her other hand.She swallowed a strawberry and clearly told the fireplace to send her to Hogwarts Castle and she disappeared in a column of angry green flames.