Yeah, it's okay to stare.

Jamie liked mornings, she really did. They just didn't seem to like her that much. Every day she woke with the most sunny attitude she would hold all day but then with one look in the mirror everything would change. Hair? Afro. Eyes? The baggiest of the baggy. Smile? Now it's gone. But this morning things were different. When she had glanced into her looking glass she had not found a monster, but rather.. pretty. What crazy, upside-down world was this? Understandably, her unexpected hotness put Jamie in an instant incredible mood. So with extra zest she slipped on her most comfy sweatpants and shirt and headed down to the staff room. The world was a brighter place today.

Kids making out in a dark corner? Good for them!
Have to grade papers later? Awesome!
Just stepped in some smoking potion? Hey, no one needs both feet!
No coffee left in the pot in the teachers lounge? Tea is super delicious!

Jamie smiled to herself as she snuggled down with her hot cup of orange-pomegranate flavored tea. It smelled like heaven and the caffeine that the drink contained was already working its wonders. So with a happy sigh she threw her feet up onto the table that she was seated at. The room was empty so far but Jamie had noticed that not everyone came down here in the morning. Jamie like it here. A nice quiet place to wake up before you actually had to deal with all of the screaming, biting, spitting kiddies.

Teaching teenagers? What an exciting challenge! Who was she kidding, it was hell. But nothing could bring Jamie off her cloud today. She looked hot, dammit. Don't rain on her parade.

OUTFIT

It was early.

Milo didn't do early.

The worst part of early was waking up from beautiful sleep.

Good thing Milo hadn't slept.

Now, Milo had slept for about two days straight during the weekend, so when the night before had urged him to come to bed, he had asked for a rain check. He went out, had some fun at a club in London, had visited a friend and a cousin or two, before heading back in. He had taken a quick ten minute power nap, a shower, and he felt ready to rumble.

He started by announcing his good mood in a way that would surely ruin the mood of the other staff members, by going and rigorously knocking on each door before running off. He didn't know many of the other staff members because he was never where he was supposed to be. He skipped staff meetings, ate at odd hours, and certainly never answered their owls.

He hadn't even seen Alistair, and they were half brothers.

Milo sidled into the staff lounge, sure he was the only one there and would not be too big a bother. When he entered, however, he spotted one of the most stunning creatures he had ever seen. "Whoa!" he barked sharply. "Missy, you'd better get class. Student/teacher relationships are forbidden, and you are tempting me far too much!"

With the entrance of Milo, Jamie couldn't help but smile. She had seen the substitute teacher around the school this year and had always hoped there would be a reason for them to talk. He always seemed to be perfectly insane (in the best possible way) and Jamie was pleasantly intrigued by him. Plus he was hot. So you could imagine her happiness that the day the two of them would finally be introduced happened to be the very day that she found herself looking sexy at her favorite hour of the day. And as if confirmation of her feelings, Milo's words brought a great bubble of laughter up within her.

But the brunette simply shrugged, biting her lip and giving him the sweetest eyes she could muster. "Well I don't know about you Professor, but I've never been a big fan of the rules." She gave him a little wink and a cheeky smile. "But since you're really that worried I'm happy to tell you you've got nothing to fear from old Kingsley." she extended her hand in greeting. "I'm Professor Jamie Prophet. At your service." Jamie hadn't thought about her age in awhile. Since her last year of school had been spent at home, taking care of a roguish youngster the nineteen-year-old had felt much older for much longer. But here, surrounded by people who happened to be only a little younger than her, she suddenly felt like she was a child again.

So far, Jamie had been failing at making new friends. She hadn't really spoken to the fellow staff and she had been avoiding the kids she had gotten along with in her own school days. It was just too strange to talk to them again after her pretty public slutty disgrace. Plus, like Milo had touched on, student/teacher relationships (of any sort) were constantly looked down upon. Teachers were simply not supposed to talk to the youngsters. It was 'unprofessional'. Maybe she should have gone to Durmstrang to teach. She could imagine the comfy fur coats and sexy Russian boys. Yes, hopefully next year.

Milo's eyes sparkled and his mouth opened a little bit in joy, biting his bottom lip to keep a boyish laugh of excitement from escaping his lips as he rocked on his heels. A girl who could play along! How long it had been since he had the pleasure of actually meeting a girl with any considerable amount of knowledge. The girls he spent his time on were sweet, good-hearted, and beautiful (body and soul.) But they were rarely smart enough to keep up any sort of banter. He missed that, honestly. Every now and then, he met a smart girl, but they usually were too busy and too serious to bother with him.

She extended a hand and he allowed himself to practically trip over himself in his excitement in reaching her. Even though Milo seemed to have more notches in his headboard than anyone, he still looked overexcited whenever he met a beautiful woman. The reason was simple too- beautiful women were exciting. Men never tired of them, never got used to them, and any man who claimed otherwise was lying or overcompensating. And Milo loved seeing the effect his flattery had. The sparkle, the flushed cheeks, the self conscious glance at themselves when they realized they were as pretty as he claimed they were- it made Milo legitimately happy.

He reached her and grasped her hand, his thumbs traveling back and forth as though clearing away any dust particles rude enough to defile her skin, and he squeezed her hand. "It's very nice to meet you. I'm Milo- I'd say professor but, to tell you the truth, I have no credentials. I'm taking over Potter's class while he's dead, or whatever he's busy doing." He released her hand and stepped back, glancing over her. "Really, though. You do realize that you're not supposed to be a professor, as well as gorgeous, right?" He looked up at her, smiling broadly. "You're going to get yourself in trouble one of these days, Professor."

Milo was fun. The adorable, boyish expressions that his face formed as they spoke only enhanced her already bubbly mood. This man was exactly what Jamie needed right now. His flattery suited her feeling of pompous pride nicely and she couldn't help but attempt to dig for more. Plus it was just a relief to finally play this game again. She shook his hand firmly, his skin warm to the touch. She laughed in genuine amusement at his words. "I really do hope so, Milo." she offered, testing out how his name felt on her lips. "Life would be boring otherwise."

Is that what you call it? Jamie's subconscious chimed in. It sent images of bloody Felix her way, reminding her of the last time she had accidentally added a little too much excitement to her life. But Jamie shushed her brain, instead focusing on the lines of Milo's face. Yes, he was definitely lovely. But Felix had been too. Shush she scolded herself again, unwilling to let her angry love take away all handsome men from her. Taking away her pride was a forgivable offense. But taking away her ability to have meaningless sex with hot men? Unacceptable.

"But really, would you rather I was old and grumpy?" Jamie mused to him. "I think it would give me an air of intelligence, don't you? I'd be sure to be respected at least." She shrugged. "But is that really the most important thing?" No, youth and beauty were far more valuable than intelligence in this world. If Jamie had a knut for every time a correctly placed wink had gotten her out of a tricky situation she would be able to buy herself a nicer apartment. So Jamie sat back and gave her companion an easygoing smile, hoping that he didn't have anywhere he needed to be. She was enjoying herself far too much.

She spoke of trouble, shaking his hand. He felt her hands carefully, always enjoying the feature in women. A woman's hands were a telltale sign of her character. Miss Jamie before him had the softness of a lady, obviously feminine and delicate in ways she herself might not enough know, but the firmness of her hand must also reflect some sort of fortitude, be it emotional or mental- with women it was rarely both. The woman with a handle on her emotions, left her mind to weaken. The one with the strength of mind, never learned to handle her emotions when it was most necessary.

He grinned, remembering the topic of trouble and releasing her hand. "Trouble leads to life's best lessons, don't you think? And as professors, we must make our life about lessons, right?" A grin began to stretch upwards over his mouth. "Therefore, in our line of work, a certain amount of trouble is required. Don't you agree?" And, boy, was he hoping she would volunteer to get in some trouble with him.

"Youth and intelligence can go hand in hand," he argued. "Look at me. Dashing, handsome, spry, youthful- all in all, way too sexy for my own good." He smirked widely. "And yet, through my own maneuvering in this conversation, I may have proved myself a tad distracted, I assume, but nevertheless intelligent." He grinned. "The old and ugly have wisdom. The young have the choice between intelligence and laziness of mind."

She spoke of respect. "People respect you," he responded. "You're a foxy lady, and a professor. You've covered all areas anyone will ever seek to judge you on. You've met males standards by being beautiful, and women can't hate you because you have the brains to back the beauty. You're more respected than you think." He grinned.

Jamie bit her lip to keep from smiling too much as Milo spoke. His voice was manly without being too deep - somehow managing to hit the perfect cord on her heartstrings. Of course, his constant delicious flattery helped with this matter.  When he finished his little inspiring speech Jamie paused for a few seconds, as if to consider his words. At last, she raised her eyebrows and her mouth curved into a sultry smile. "Well, with logic as sound as that how could I possibly doubt you?" She shrugged absentmindedly. "You speak the truth. I would never claim to really have the brains that you speak of but I have no problem confessing to the beauty. I hope that doesn't sound terribly un-modest." 

Jamie wasn't as confident as she sounded. Like many girls the brunette felt insecure about herself more often then not. Problems with skipping meals and extensive exercise had reached their peak after Prim's birth, when an already ill Jamie had fallen into depression. But things were for the most part fixed now. Jamie had fallen back in love with food and drink, leaving only her evening runs as a reminder of the period when she would have killed to drop a dress size. Unlike many of his other victims, Felix's scars didn't really bother Jamie. They crisscrossed across her stomach and upper thighs, easily hidden but obvious when the fabric of her shirt was lifted. It was the branded FB on her breast that still caused her pain to look at. Because that was Felix's true method of torture. She had submitted.. And she would never forget it. 

Part of Jamie hoped that she would see Felix again before he was caught and put to death. She had violent fantasies of blood and pain, tearing at the man who had torn at her until she was just a shell. She hated everything about Felix Barker. Everything but his eyes. Those eyes that had stared down at her with such a genuine affection that Jamie had forgotten for a second who was keeping her prisoner there. She didn't miss him.. She just hoped that he would escape without a dementors kiss. A shame to lose all that life out of those perfectly innocent eyes. Jamie felt her FB brand tingle, as if recognizing her thoughts. 

Turning her attention to Milo again she realized that she was still holding his hand. Releasing it with the slightest tinge of embarrassment, she reached for her tea, which she took a sip of. Jamie glanced up at her companion and met his eyes. "And you. Your dashing is obvious.. I wouldn't dare question it. But I'm afraid I can't really sign off on your spryness until I've seen it myself." She kept her expression of light amusement at the situation but a soft pink blush threatened to appear on her cheeks as she envisioned a particularly graphic method of his proof. 

Milo was always immensely proud when it was obvious a woman was taken aback by his compliments and had no room left to downgrade themselves before him. Milo knew that his success with the ladies had nothing to do with luck, and his handsome features could be as detrimental as they were helpful- women were always more guarded with a handsome face because the stakes were higher.

No, Milo knew he was successful because, somehow, he had figured women out. He saw through their facades of talking themselves down as pleas for affection. He knew that the truest way to please a woman was to reassure her of her value before she had to ask for him to do so. He knew that sincerity and a persistent reassurance won their heart. He also knew it did not just secure him a date- it actually raised their confidence so she was a better woman for whoever ended up securing her lifelong. From what Milo could see, he was bettering the world, one pick up line at a time.

It always made him feel better though. Perhaps it was the closeness he had with his female cousins or the extended time periods he had been away from women on the sea- but to see them flushed with pleasure at his approval was one of the best sights on a woman. It made her look her most beautiful, and this was where his pleasure derived. This pleasure looked especially becoming on Jamie Prophet's face, and he felt pleased at the entire situation.

She released his hand and he kept his hand midair a moment before dropping it to his side, as though longing to hold her hand there a second or two more. She continued to speak and he waved a hand, putting on an air of obviously-fake humility. "Oh, sheesh, you're embarrassing me." Her comment about his spryness caught his attention and he glanced back at her, fixing his eyes on hers. He put his elbows on the table between them, bending down to place his chin atop his hands, swaying his hips back and forth. "Yeah?" he said, looking up at her with a playful gleam in his eyes. "And what must I do to prove that?" He grinned widely. "Are you proposing some sort of adventure?"

Jamie laughed and the corners of her mouth crinkled with her wide smile. It had been awhile since she had felt this confident and happy. Lately, most of her laughter had been sarcastic and she hadn't realized how tired of being tired she had become. If anyone but Milo had asked her to go on an adventure she probably would have dragon kicked them into the next room. But she had a good feeling about this man and didn't want to leave his side.. at least not for awhile. Anyone who made her finally feel free must be worth something. 

So the brunette smiled at him, her eyes gleaming with life as she asked, "I love adventure. What do you have in mind?" She mimicked his pose, leaning forward and resting her chin on her hands. Their eyes met across the table they shared and for a moment the whole scene looked very picturesque. "I'm free to noon today and London calls. I know a place that has the best coffee and if I have a little extra time I was thinking of getting a tattoo." Jamie shrugged, trying to give the impression of nonchalance. "But maybe you've got other plans?" 

The plans she had listed actually had been her agenda for the day but Jamie was more and more willing to set them aside to spend time with this stranger. 

Genuine laughter. The heartiness and almost surprised quality of the laugh itself indicated to Milo that Jamie did not seem to be one to laugh often, though the way her face naturally moved did not indicate a disapproval of laughter. In fact, the expression was so becoming of her, Milo fancied to believe that she liked to laugh- he hoped she did. The quickest way for him to be attracted to a woman was to know she liked to laugh, or that she liked to sing. He was hoping for the former in Miss Professor.

She agreed to an adventure and a smile formed on his face. She followed his cue, bringing her face closer to hers, forcing her gaze straight onto his. He took the opportunity to caress her features with her eyes. High, defined cheekbones; beautifully arched eyebrows; quirked, plump lips; a straight nose; a set, graceful jaw; dark, deep, mischievous eyes; smooth, white skin. A desire bucked within him, furthering his excitement to become further acquainted with the woman.

She elaborated on adventure and he smiled at the mention of the tattoo. "Want to know a secret?" He leaned forward, placing his lips dangerously close to her ear, a strand of her hair resting against his forehead. After a pregnant pause he whispered, "I have been dying... for someone to... get a matching ass tattoo with me."

((The second paragraph may have revealed me to be a bit of Knightley fangirl. I fell in love with her all over again when I watched Pride and Prejudice))