The Knight at Night

Established Pureblood families were almost always different. In many ways, of course. But one of the significant difference was how men and women were segregated. Typically, the women were subjected to what were still extremely traditional spheres of feminine location. With the exceptions of some, the men always did the job, the men always commanded. The women were relegated to serve his interest. It was all a little too sad, the lack of progress in this area of the lives of these families, as if the establishment of their names meant they were as confined to history as the stories of their becoming. While women everywhere else enjoyed progressive freedom, women from these families could only live within the system that puts them lower than their men. Even if one should desire to break free of it, one could only face shame, loss, and dislocation. It was a tough fight that many, almost all, did not want to take on. This certainly worked well for the men.

Kendall was a product of this ideology, so was almost every Slytherin boy. He had, however, thought that it has made Slytherin girls look a little too boring. They were brought up to be like one-dimensional creatures, for sole purposes, and this had made many give up on trying to assert their individuality. It was a pity. He had glimpses of the tiny sparks in some Slytherin girls that wanted to manifest, especially when they have become enamoured by him, and decided to reveal some hidden side of them. Kendall had enjoyed them, knowing he was privy to what was all lying underneath the surface. On the contrary, then, what was appealing about Slytherin girls was how they could appear to be one-dimensional, but turn into quite something else once they decide you were worth the show. It was thrilling to Kendall, to watch them. Even so, no one had managed to impress him like Athena. This girl, whose one-dimensional mask was exactly the opposite of the conventional ones, but who still wore a one-faced mask, was a kaleidoscope.

Kendall licked his lips again and stared at histhis kaleidoscope. The wait for her, the suspense and the distance of her from me, especially with the help of this game, was exactly what he wanted --- an agonising pleasure, a deliberate torture with only the pot of gold at the end. And the end was far. Interrupted from his leering by Athena coming over to coo at him, Kendall scowled and made a wave, as if wanted her cooing away and off him. He did not frown for long though. She seemed to have enjoy cooing at him, but he was going to make her pay for that. At least, he believed so. At Athena's question, Kendall feigned shock. He put his right palm lightly against his chest. "But of course I will be the winner. Is that so hard to believed?" And then a thrill ran up his spine, when Athena ran her gaze down his body.

Kendall chuckled, amused at Athena's offer. And then he shook his head. "I have always been a gentleman. I believe, then, that ladies should go first. Especially you, Mademoiselle." He winked, before beginning to slowly take steps towards her. "But if you so choose, then I will grant you your wish." He stood right in front of her now. The fact that the both of them were starkers made the whole thing a lot more painful. This was challenging his need for instant gratification, and he was intent on not losing this challenge that, in a way, he had brought upon himself. It was a test of the mind. Too bad he did not remember, at this time, how Athena's mind was actually stronger than his. Kendall was much better at duelling than with the magic of the mind, just like his father.

Kendall brought his hands up again, took a step back, raised them up in front of him, palms facing the girl, before he brought it down slowly, only half an inch away from her body, as if if he loses his balance, it would have touched the parts that he wanted to wait before touching. The boy smirked in amusement, feeling every nerve in his hands wanted to lunge forward for the softness of her chest, but holding them back, as if he had the commanding power over them, which was good. Even he needed assurance that his body was still his to empower. And then Kendall brought both of his hands behind him, holding them back as if they were now bound together by an invisible rope. Kendall took a step in front again, returning to closeness with the girl's body.

Leaning forward, Kendall brought his lips near Athena's left ear. He breathed warm air against it, doing the same as he trailed the air down from there to her neck, and then back up again. The heat from the jacuzzi had made his body very warm. It seemed, too, that the girl's body was emitting heat too, whether internally from the effect of the water, he did not know. And so, the heat that came out from his breath was even warmer than usual. Kendall brushed his lips across Athena's left ear, and whispered, "what ... a lovely way ... to burn". Every word, extended in the way they were said, deliberate. And he parted his lips and caught the earlobe between them, lightly. He parted them again, this time, leaning forward to allow himself access to the back of her ear, before placing light kisses there, from there, down her neck. His torso was now pressed against Athena's, which made his chest wish they had hands, to touch hers. But no, they could only enjoy pressing against her. Already, Kendall had to grab his own hand with the other, while they were at the back of him. He was getting too carried away in his head from whatever he was doing to Athena, it almost made him forget his rule. After all, he uses his hands a lot. By not having them do what only came natural to them, to him, it was already suggesting how difficult this game was going to be, for him.

Kendall them withdrew his head from Athena's neck, wishing he could have another go at her ear, but stopped himself. He looked at her and smirked, the confidence was there on his lips, but his eyes had gone hazy, carried off to the pleasure that she offered him just by standing there, not even doing anything. Still, he managed words. "Your call, darlin'."

When playing a game it was ideal to try and ensure, before suggesting it, that you were going to win. Kendall’s stupidity was thinking that he could manage to tease her into submission without thinking of his own responses to what he was doing. The evidence was there that he found her attractive and, though Athena would never willingly admit it, the attraction was a mutual thing. She, however, had a lot more self-control than Kendall did. He acted on impulses and she barely did anything without sizing the situation up first. Pricilla was always coming down on her for doing that and her cousins were even worse. They were the house to Pricilla’s stack of bricks. It was always ‘Athena do this’ and ‘Athena do that’ despite knowing full well that she wouldn’t. What she didn’t have impulse, she made up for with the control she had over herself and that was why she was near positive she would win.

At Kendall’s words, Athena lazily brought her eyes back up to his, her lips twitching at the sides, threatening to widen her smirk even further. “Well I don’t know...” Athena took a step forward and raised a challenging eyebrow at Kendall. “I think I have more chance than you do, darling. I think it is awfully difficult to be believed because the odds are stacked against you. You’ll have to try incredibly hard.” Athena tipped her head to the side and laughed a little as Kendall drew ever closer towards her. Athena’s fingers twitched a little and she purposely pushed them below the surface of the water in order to distract the part of her mind that controlled her hands long enough to let him do his piece and stop herself from making herself look really rather stupid. She wasn’t prepared to lose and neither was she prepared to forfeit. It was awkward when two people of matching arrogance and ego both had intentions to win a game. And this game was most important.

“You can still give up you know...spare yourself the embarrassment...” Athena murmured, her eyes following his every movement. But of course...he wouldn’t dare.

The name of the game, though not said, was to tease and tease Kendall did. Athena’s traitorous body tingled with need. Athena bit her tongue and clenched her fists under the water before releasing the tension and flexing her fingers gently. She licked her lips impatiently as even her mind began to betray her and think longingly along the same lines her body was. Athena swallowed and exhaled shakily, her gaze pinned on Kendall in the hope that by watching him she wouldn’t be as aware of his hands that were so achingly close but so regrettably far away. It would have been so easy just to push her hip into his palm and make him lose, just to shake and hurry the whole process up. But as desiring as she now was, she could and would wait. Athena wanted to at least have her turn before her patience truly wore thin.

His breath was hot and teasing. The feel of it made Athena’s body act accordingly - with the need for more. She managed to curb the whimper but she involuntarily tipped her head back, giving him more access to her neck should he want it. The brush of his lips against her skin was ridiculously familiar, so much so that she seemed to react without the say-so from up top. It was as if her mind had been separated from her body completely and though she was trying furiously to return the power, the cloud of anticipation and of desire had blotted her mind away and now only her body’s reactions mattered. Something, though, had kept her hooked up to her hands and so they stayed firmly by her sides, however much she wanted to reach out for Kendall.

Her hand lifted from the water for a moment as his lips raked across her neck but once again, Athena curled her fingers and forced them back down into the water. She bit her lip as a gasp dipped passed them and her impatience began to build, along with her need for him. Kendall allowed for release, for her to drop the coil that was wound up so tightly within her and just indulge in what she wanted. For however long it took, she was his and he was hers and through each other they both found a little bit of solace. Athena was notoriously picky and more difficult than any of the other girls who just seemed to want because they knew that by making a nuisance of themselves they would get attention from their parents. Athena just wanted someone she at least trusted for a little while, someone she knew and at least liked a little bit. Kendall fulfilled that.

The first time had been testing the waters, his attempt of establishing some sort of power over her after she’d gone rifling through his things. They’d been on an even footing, her challenging him the entire way through the fun and games as she did not enjoy being dominated. She’d been unravelled just as she’d wanted though and she’d also gained some spoils from his trunk as an extra prize. The second occurrence had been after dessert. Apolline’s attempt at forcing Athena to pick someone hadn’t been a complete failure. It had ended well enough and it’ was familiar but still unexplored territory. This now was the fun, the third exploration in which the pair would enjoy unwinding each other, pushing each other to the limit.

Athena cocked her head to the side and stared at Kendall with a predatory glint in her eye. “My call?” Athena echoed. “Giving up already are you?” Athena smiled indulgently and brought her hands out of the water. She lifted her arms up and placed them on Kendall’s shoulders, clasping her hands together and being careful not to touch him. Athena brought herself against him and raised an eyebrow, her amusement showing in the way her lips twitched. “You’re a lost little kitten aren’t you?” She pretended to empathise with him and leaned forward, her lips parting. She brought her lips dangerously close to his. Her eyes were hooded and swirling with lust, swirling with her need for him.

But Athena’s actions did not mirror the look in her eyes. She parted her lips a little more and brought them to Kendall’s. She brushed her lips against his, her eyes fluttering shut, and let them slip to the side of his mouth. She trailed kisses along his jaw before coming to a stop. Then suddenly, Athena flicked her tongue out and licked Kendall’s cheek. Athena pulled her arms over his head and laughed without thinking about it as she lowered herself backwards into the water, allowing the warmth to lick her shoulders and neck. “I win!” She declared through her giggles. She didn’t know why she had one but she had decided in her infinite wisdom that she had. Simple enough wasn’t it? She got points for most creative...obviously.

The giggles. However uncharacteristic it was for her to laugh as she did, it meant something. It meant that in that hot tub, stark-bollock naked she couldn’t have gotten any more relaxed. She wasn’t in the mood for such serious, sexual games, as much as she half put on, half appeared to. Sure, she wanted him - desperately, her body reminded her - but there was a place for all of the serious body-language based communication that basically only meant one thing: I want you, now. Athena wanted to tease and she certainly wanted to bring out the more playful, fluffier part of Kendall. Then, to seal the deal, Athena rose up again, popped a kiss on Kendall’s nose and promptly dropped herself back under the water -- to hide she told herself, as if he wouldn’t notice. And in ruining the sexual air that had been swirling, Athena had changed the mood to something far more interesting.

Still, either way they were going to have a roll around in the sheets...regardless of the atmosphere.

Perhaps it was his overconfidence. Otherwise, it was his lack of total awareness. Whatever it was, Kendall often thought too highly of himself. Surely, he had talent that surpassed the average Wizard. Still, he was less aware of his own weaknesses than the fact that he, Kendall, was "always the winner". That blind spot of his was a weakness. Even then, he was blind to its existence. He had yet to learn about substantial failure. Growing up, he was given an unhealthy amount of praises. Underlying them all, though, was Augustus hidden motive of making his son work to meet with the picture he painted for him. Kendall was eager to allow his father's approval to perpetuate, but he was also full of himself. Some might perceive their impulses as weak, things that need to be controlled, for fear of opening oneself to the vulnerability of falling for an impulse. Kendall, on the other hand, thought that even his impulses were ingenious; that they would, like his person, be aptly productive, no matter how unconsidered they were.

"Give up? You wish." With that, Kendall merely treated Athena's response to his challenge, her words, as game rhetoric. He dismissed them, perceiving them to be weak attempts at threatening him, egging him to a loss. He regarded none of them, merely smirking at a knowing thought that he was going to be the winner. Talk was that Athena was someone no student at Hogwarts could contend with, what with her cunning mind and her influence. Kendall was ready to put her in her place -- second, below him (pun intended). When Athena tilted her head back to invite him, he felt a tinge of pleasure from the power of knowing that she wanted him, that even she pretended she could resist, her body told him undoubtedly that she wanted him there. Having the scent of her skin invite him, Kendall sunk into the familiar pleasure; familiar, yet impossible to quench. He was feeling dazed from effecting his lips on Athena, as if the arrow that he had purposefully shot, had turned into a boomerang, returning to strike him instead. This was possibly the first sign of a suggestion to Kendall, that he might not win after all.

Maintaining what he attempted to be a cool stare, Kendall smirked in disbelief when Athena ventured to suggest that he was caving in to his own challenge. He chuckled, attempting to dispel the nervous consideration of him losing. And then she brought herself against him, painfully, painfully melded her body against his. He watched her lips parting, trying to picture the ugliest things on earth that he could imagine, working hard not to fall for the confusion that it was beckoning him towards. But he could not close his eyes. A second of doing that made all of his nerves shoot to the place below his torso, burning with the need for her, burning like hell never even burnt before, because its bareness felt her bareness, and it screamed for her. Kendall quickly opened his eyes, for fear of letting the scream of his desire overpower his control. But no, there would be no time to let him stall. He saw and felt the girl's lips brush his lips, and then his jaw, and he pressed himself urgently against her. At that point, Kendall felt his hands push against each other, shooting over to grab the girl, only to stop himself just in time, just in time to feel a lick on his cheek.

That was an easy part to pause at. Kendall raised an eyebrow at Athena, in return, mildly amused at what she did. The feel of her tongue against his skin, though, made him think of so, so many other thoughts. So when the girl moved away and fell backwards into the water deliberately, Kendall made a sound of protest. He was left standing there, aching, without her body to press against. He was not very happy about that. But Kendall was distracted at Athena ... giggling? He continued to stare at her, surprised and amused. Running his fingers through his hair, the boy contemplated on the situation. The tension had dissipated, and he could not say that he did not like how it was gone. He did not want to lose. Now, at least, even if there was nothing to declare himself a winner at, there was also nothing to declare him a loser. Contented, he pulled himself underneath the surface of the water, and pushed himself towards Athena. And then, he brought the both of them up.

"You lost." Quickly though, Kendall realised that he was the one holding on to Athena's arm, having grabbed her up with him. Damn, he thought. He was the first one to use his hands. Not wanting her to have noticed that fact, Kendall released his hold quickly, but walked towards Athena, using his body as a force to edge her to the side. And then he returned a quick kiss to the girl's nose, too, before chuckling. He had now successfully managed to manoeuvre the both of them, so that he could put both of his hands to rest at the edge of the jacuzzi, with her locked between them, and his body being the hindrance that prevented her from walking anywhere else. And then he kissed her. Kendall leaned forward and kissed Athena, giving her proper one, one that suggested more of a need to unite with her, rather than the simple lust that he usually gave out.

The sexual tension between the two Slytherins had dissipated somewhat with Athena’s action that wasn’t as terribly sexy as perhaps Kendall would have wanted. Athena grinned wickedly at him through her giggles. Carried away with her laughter, Athena gasped when she was pulled up out of the water with Kendall. The water released her willingly and her laughter died in her throat as she looked up at him, her eyes searching his face curiously as her lips came together once more. Her eyebrows rose slowly from over her eyes and she pursed her lips as him, as if questioning more than just where he’d placed his hands but also what he planned on doing now that he had her.

Athena decided quickly that she would allow his ego to believe she had in fact lost. It was better to let him be extraordinarily pleased with himself than spited by her pointing out the obvious, that by touching her as he had done, he’d in fact been the one to lose. Athena smirked openly at Kendall as he quickly released his hold on her arm and attempted to distract her by advancing on her. She backed away as he wanted and inhaled shakily through her parted scarlet cupid’s bow when her back brushed the cool side of the jacuzzi. Athena brought her lips together and pursed them as she stared at Kendall and allowed them to spread into a cat-like grin when he popped a kiss on her nose.

“Oops.” She murmured lightly, her own laughter following.

Lustful though Athena was, she couldn’t help but mentally sigh a breath of relief when Kendall’s lips finally moulded themselves against hers. Her hands rose up out of the water and curled around his neck without much direction from Athena herself. Her body was ready to act of its own accord because it, whether she liked it or not, shared the same want she did - the only difference being it wanted it and couldn’t do without it as she could mentally. There was quite a gap between Athena’s mind and Athena’s body and both had disputes over what the other wanted. Now, for example -- she knew it was a bad idea but her body simply did not care; and truthfully, neither did she.

Athena pulled away after a few moments of basking in his kiss and tipped her head to the side as a smile curved her lips upwards. “Winner gets to do whatever he wants, eh?” She echoed his words from earlier. “I should try harder next time shouldn’t I? Having said that though...I don’t know what I’d do with you. What on earth are you going to do with me?”