Spiderwebs in a Bed of Roses

Alexa hadn't visit Hogsmead in a while. She remembered how she enjoyed being out in the small village when she was at Hogwarts. One of her best places was the gardens, which was always peacefull and quiet. She came across a rose bed, covered in spiderwebs. She sat on the bench next to it, looking at, wondering how a black widow has made it's home here. It was breeding.

She heard foot steps behind her, she turned her head slighty, her blonde hair going to the side. Her green eye's looked up at the man coming closer. "I Might stay a bit back, seems a black widow is making her home in this bed of roses." Alexa said as she smirked.

Mavrik smirked confidently at the woman's back, and deliberately caught her eye when she turned around- a playful glimmer shining in his own. She was attractive, he registered, smirking.

"Oh, I know, sweetheart." he said, moving in front of her and taking out his wand from his pocket. "I saw her earlier." he murmured, casting a quick incantation and lifting the spider into the air.

"I just need..." he frowned, pulling out a glass jar from his jacket and dropping the spider into it. "...to borrow something from her." he finished, now focussing on the spider more than the woman beside him.

Alexa raised a eyebrow at his confident smirk, her green eyes lock with is as she returned a smirk back. "You saw her earlier, did you?" She asked, now watching the black widow float in the air, putting the spider into a glass jar and dropping her in.

"Well, you can share her then. My potion just needs a drop of her venom." Alexa purred, getting up from the bench. With a click of her fingers, the jar landed in her right palm. Her smirk turned to a playfull one. "I wonder which dunderhead let you escape your tank." Alexa said with a shake of her head, examining the creature. She looked at the man, pouting her lips.

"Why wait to get her then, you could of had her by now?" A;exa laighed slightly, watching in amusement.

"Yesterday evening, around these gardens." he confirmed. His sly smile grew as she continued talking. This one had a brain, it seemed- he hadn't had one of those in a while. His grin widened at the thought, but faltered slightly. It was odd- he realised he hadn't spoken to an intelligent woman who wasn't Lila in a while.

Mavrik allowed the jar to be lifted from his hand, and crossed his arms over his torso.

"Ladies first, then." he said, his head tilted to the side.

"Ah," he grinned. "I was occupied." The man's thoughts flickered to the brunette that had distracted him.

Alexa rolled her eyes as she heard a hiss coming from one of the bushes. Her smirk turned into a smile as her cobra slithered her way to her, slithering up her leather pants and jacket, making her way around her neck.

The pheromone level on this one is very high, master. Her cobra hissed in amusment, Alexa's green eyes widened.

Really, Should I be that really surprised Fade? His mind is open too. Alexa hissed back softly, looking at the man with a small smirk. Her eyes turned to the spider.

"Your name?" Alexa asked, opening the jar and mottering a spell under her breeth. She transfiguered a leaf into a vile, letting the spell make the spider drip some of the drops of venom into said vile. She let the black widow back into the jar, walking towards the man and giving back the spider. She placed the vile into her pocket. Her cobra watching the man.

Mav watched the snake mildly, not in the least alarmed by the witch's familiar. After all, his wolf could easily take care of the little reptile.

"Parseltongue, are we?" he raised an eyebrow at the stranger. "You lot tend to cause more harm than good." he remarked, smirking.

"Names are over rated." he winked, taking the spider and pushing its container into his coat pocket. "But if you're willing to give me yours, please do go on."

Alexa's eye'd went wild, her smile turned into a wicked one. She moved closer. Going around him, slowly. "You mind is amussing, so dearly funny. Your wolf would have a fair fight with my Cobra, Fade." Alexa hissed into the mans ear, playfully.

"Parseltongue, indeed. Slytherin blood running through my veins, Yes. Harm? really? You really need to get to know me then. My name though, Is Alexa Rozalie Thorpe. Head of Hitrost House and the Transfigurative Arts Professor at the Durmstrang institute. Pleasure to make you aqaintence." Alexa said with a wink and a bow of her head.

Mavrik's eyes watched her amusedly as she came closer to circle him, his body remaining perfectly relaxed. He did not feel threatened by her in the least- he was a hunter, and part of the Brotherhood.

"I'm sure Fenris could take your reptile, miss." he said easily.

"You've been snooping, have you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow again. Making a note to keep a tab on his occlumency when he encountered intelligent strangers, he summoned his mental shields with ease, blocking the witch out.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you it's rude to intrude?" he teased. Mavrik took her hand and kissed the back of it softly, "The pleasure's all mine, Miss Thorpe." he murmured, catching her eye before dropping her hand.

"I couldn't help it, I apologise, but I catch thoughts easily. You are talking to a master in Occlumency and Legilimency. Mr Mafters." She said as her hand was kissed. Her green eyes locked onto his eyes, she smiled letting a small blush cover her cheeks.

"My Mother, is running with Aspen Salvator. She is a famous killer, I'm definatly nothing like her. Trust me on that one." Alexa said sadly. "I reconize you though, Hogwarts member of staff right" Alexa asked, with a warm smile.

"Well," he began softly, and moved to sit on the bench. "I would never expect a woman to apologize for having such an exceptional gift." he remarked. The man waved one hand to the space next to him, offering the seat next to him.

"I hardly expect you to be taking lessons from her, then." he said, his brow creasing slightly. Everybody deserved a good mother. "I'm sorry for bringing her up." he said, his voice carrying a real genuine tone that it had not for the rest of the conversation.

He chuckled and nodded. " Professor Mavrik Mafters. Just a substitute, for now. I don't expect I'll be staying there much longer."

Alexa let Fade slither down to the floor, off hunting again. She smile slightly and waved him of as she sat next to him. "Don't Worry, I have a Vampire as a great grand mother so many times over who is over 650 years old. She is my mother figure." Alexa said with a chuckle.

"Well Professor Mafters, There is a couple of Jobs open at Durmstrang. Why not staying any longer at Hogwarts? I presume you went to school at Hogwarts? My schooling was there. I have only taught though at Durmstrang for two and a half years." Alexa admitted looking slightly over her shoulder at Mavrik.

"Good to know someone's taking care of you." he winked, pulling out a bottle of water from his coat and taking a swig from it.

"As much as I'd love to revel in your lovely company, Professor Thorpe- I have certain friends at Hogwarts that I wish to torment for a while longer." he grinned devilishly, thinking of Asric, Lila and Stark.

"Yes, I went to Hogwarts." he nodded, raking a hand through his blond hair. "Perhaps it is time I visited Durmstrang." he mused outloud. "I've already found myself a gorgeous tour guide." he winked at her again.

"Oh well then Professor Mafters, you better not make your torment wait any longer as it may explode. My visit to Hogsmead comes to a end as I have visited some old friends. Oh I look after myself, No one else does, I have for a very long Time Mavrik. She just checked on me now and then." Alexa said with a small laugh, shaking her head.

"Of course you do now, send me a owl. I am interested in your reply. Looks like flattery is your thing." Alexa said as she wiggled her eyebrows, watching him run a hand through his blonde locks.

"You could always stay with some new friends." he grinned childishly. "Independent? I like it." Mav nodded, crossing his arms over his chest again. "Although, it's still nice to have a solid figure in your life, no?" he questioned her.

"Flattery's the key to every heart." he murmured, rolling his shoulders, trying to get a pain out of his neck. "That, and boyish charm." he added cheekily, giving her a quick smile.

"My solid Figure is my Dad, Head of The Furmage, well known Healer. Shame that my wand hates healing spells." Alexa said with a small snort. "I'm a looked upon figure myself, I took into my care the Whelan children. The oldest is nearly 17 and the youngest is nearly starting his magical schooling." Alexa smiled truely, flicking her hair to the side.

"Stay with some new friends you say?" Alexa bit her lip, watching that grin come upon his face. "Cheeky, are we aswell?" Alexa noticed the pain in his face. She leaned in with a evil smile. She whispered into his ear.

"I give a excellent massage, Professor Mafters." Alexa purred, winking in thw process ar him. Her green eyes glowing with playfulness.

"I get the impression that he's a good man." he nodded approvingly. "You took in some children?" he asked, quite surprised with the stranger that sat next to him. His first impression of her would not have lead him to believe that she was a motherly kind of woman. "Are you fond of them?"

"Mm." he hummed in confirmation, smiling impishly. "You can never have too many friends now, can you Professor Thorpe?"

Mavrik's devilish grin tugged at his lips. "Care to demonstrate, love?"

"My Father, Thadeus, Is a really good man. Shame about his wife," Alexa muttered. "I am really fond of them. They have brought light back into mu life again. Even with my status of Head of House, I help alot of students who come from abused homes. I took Ciar and Zephan, because There life was the same as mine and they had no one after there parents died. There alot more happy too," Alexa admitted with a sad smile.

"Never have to many friends, mine are just plotted all over the world." Alexa said with a giggle. "Turn around then, Professor. Your back facing me please. You can wipe that evil grin of those lips too," She said as her hands went to his shoulders, her fingers tracing over the back of his neck, pressinf the pressure points on the neck gentally.

"Seems that your trapezius muscle is the problem," Alexa said quietly. She began at the base of the neck, kneading the muscles in a rhythmic action, moving out toward the arm in increments. The pressure she used could tell that it was making a difference. She heard the mans noises and felt his shudder.

Mavrik frowned inwardly. His first impression was wrong of this woman- he had, admittedly, misjudged her. "It sounds like you've helped them a lot." he said softly.

Smirking, the man followed Alexa's instructions and turned away from her. "I can't." he called back to her. "My evil grin is a permanent thing." he shrugged.

"Ah." Mavrik moaned quietly, as he felt pressure applied to a certain knot of stress in his muscle. "You can definitely stay with me, Professor Thorpe." he chuckled lowly, enjoying the massage.

"Hmmm, I think my hands like you neck and shoulders." Alexa said with a light chuckle as he fingers found the side of his neck and her thumbs at the top, near the hair, making small circles into the skin. She smiled as she knew he was enjoying it, as much as she was.

"So this evil grin is a permanent feature then? I may have to wipe it of your face, but then again, one thinks it suits you." She said, finishing at the top of the neck. Her impressions of him was that he was a cheeky, evil smirking man, who was also a good listener and has a heart. She smiled at the thought.

"Well, Professor," Alexa said with a pause, bringing her hands down and leaning in to whisper into his ear again. "I am a free woman," Alexa said with a purr, laughing afterwards as she watched him turn around.

"A lot of hands do." Mavrik replied cheekily. He let out a sigh as the massage continued, and his head rolled backwards slightly in bliss. "Keep massaging me this well and I'll have to pay you." he chuckled.

"So many have tried to wipe it off, love. Slap it off, scare it off, kiss it off." he laughed heartily at the last one. "None have succeeded. Ever."

Mavrik smirked as he swivelled back round to face her. "And I'm a free man." he winked.

"And with that," he said, standing up from the bench. "I bid you farewell." he bowed teasingly. Mavrik's blue eyes glimmered with mischief, and he bent forward and kissed her softly on the cheek.

"Take care, Professor Thorpe." he gave her a quick wink, before turning on his heel and walking away.

Alexa kissed his cheek in return, standing up. "Also take care, Professor Mafters." Alexa said as she bowed her head to him, watching him go with a shake of her head, amused. Her snake came back again, slithering up her body to wrap herself around Alexa's neck. Back to Durmstrang now, my dear Fade. Alexa hissed softly, watching the man walk in the distance.

Home. Fade hissed tiredly. Alexa smirked and apparated on the spot with a pop.