Drunken Strolls Are The Best Strolls

Gabby was aware that the Poison Apple was not exactly a respectable temple, but he also knew that very few considered him respectable. Sure, he was defiantly against the Death Eaters and their cause, and stood strongly for the basic rights of every man, but he was also a known thief and womanizer. So, sue him. That actually wasn’t a joke – he was in the middle of several lawsuits, currently, and his lawyer, Scorpius Malfoy, was severely displeased with him about it. What could be done, though? Valuable items were meant to be stolen, and beautiful women were meant to be enjoyed. He was gentlemanly enough, only spurring the ones who seemed like they might develop a clingy type.

He had turned thirty recently. It was a horrible reminder that he was supposed to be acting responsible. His father had sent him nothing, as usual. His grandmother had sent a kind card, with a polite warning that his father was getting irritable, but that was no different than his usual state anyway. He had visited his mother and received home-baked goods and homemade scarves and socks. They all looked atrocious so, of course, he wore them with pride. His poor mother was losing her touch, but he paid that little mind. She was still sweet and loving and he would do almost anything for her. Probably anything.

But tonight, she did not need anything from him. So he drank. Quite a bit. Not enough to be incapacitated, but enough that a bemused smile settled upon his face as he left the club. The women who had been available had been a tad too uninteresting for him, so he decided he should show up at Layabout Lane and visit his favorite married couple, Mr and Mrs Queen of Fire and Ice. Jack and Max could only be pleased that he was arriving at midnight, right?

He paused outside, deciding a shortcut was necessary. He turned and began down an alley, enough sense in him to put a hand on his wand. He blinked a few times, attempting to sober up if he wanted to make sure he got there in one piece. He placed his wand to his temple and some of the effects of the alcohol wore off. The willingness to make stupid decision, however, would never leave. That was permanent.

Today Isabella was searching.
And for whom?
For on Gabriel J. Short III
And she was doing this under the command of the CNI.
Why?
Because he had snubbed the Princess of Spain.
You don't sleep with the ENGAGED Princess of Spain.
Let alone leave in the morning for no odd reason.
What a jerk!
Now in general she hated dark shady places. Which was ironic considering most of her assignments had taken place in just that. Dark shady places.
But she definitly disliked this place.
For a second Isabella then paused.
Sense of bearing was needed and was quite importan.
And she had no idea where the idiot was.
"Point me." Isabella said out loud the wand pointed too who knows where and she kept following it.
Until she bumped a man with dirty blond hair.
"Hey! Watch it!" She said. Looking up from where her wand wa pointing. "You should learn to watch your step!" She then shouted indignatdantly.
Narrowing her eyes Isabella then frowned.
He should at least apoligize. She thought. And what is someone looking like that doing here? Half drunk and loony. He looks like that Gabriel J. Short though.
Then she opened her eyes.
It was the idiot. Flippingb her wand so she was hold the end she composed her self and straightened her back.
"Sir." She then said. "Excuse me but by any chance are you Garbirel J. Short the third?"

The spell was setting in quickly and Gabby was beginning to sober up noticeably, but his mind horribly wanted to stay tipsy and was trying everthing to resist the effects of the spell. Drinking songs flashed through his mind, interwoven with the names and faces of his favorite women. Speaking of, he had not seen Trixie in some time. Even in his sobering state, he could think clearly enough of his good friend, and he made a mental note to contact her in the morning. He was typically horrid at remembering these sorts of things, but Trixie was the exception. She was always the exception it seemed.

He bumped into something and kept going. It took a few steps to realize that it had been a body that he had collided with. A body? Out here? At this time of night? This shortcut was not well known. He turned immediately and found himself face with a woman who looked posed for a fight. He grinned. It was a body alright. He wondered if she would hold it against him if he called it beautiful.

He smiled his charming, cheeky smile. "Sorry, love, didn't realize I was colliding with a bona fide human being just now. All the apologies in the world." His hand remained loosely on his own wand. He was confident enough in his own speed at the draw to be certain the first attack could be fought off if it came. He did not anticipate it though. Women did not kill him. His charm killed women.

"That's a bold statement," he mused. "But a correct one. I hadn't realized I had become so famous. In need of an autograph?"

Isabella gritted her teeth. She knew three things.
He was a over confident bastard. He thought he could take her. As if. And she hated him.
She had finally found Gabriel J. Short but he was drunk and boooring.
What to do, what to do . Isabella thought.
Then clearing her throught she then sadi.
"Do not call me love. I don't know you and it is quite direspectful I find. I'm so not your love. And I'm here to bring you back to Spain under the charges that you dissrespected the Princess of Spain. Which is considered a sentance of 5 years or more in your case."
Isabella then slightly flipped her hair and smiled.
See what he thinks to that.
Then she stopled smileing and tried to look dullish.
Darn Veela blood. She thought as she rolled her eyes.

And he had been certain that Fate had been against him, dealing him a whole handful of Queens of Spades, Clubs, and Diamonds, when he was looking for the Queen of Hearts. Just, you know, in the meantime. But here was a beautiful woman with fire in his soul – which often translated into a feisty bedside manner. Gabby kept these less than respectable thoughts to himself as he regarded the woman’s incensed words and quick-to-anger demeanor. It was borderline wrath, really. Surely the petname was not the sole cause of this.

Oh boy. Was he dealing with a past lover? Crap, he didn’t remember her. He was in trouble.

She, however, revealed her hand and all was made clear. Oh, so the Princess was finally reeking her vengeance. Or perhaps her vengeance had just been a bit slow on the uptake. He smiled a bit. “Well, friend, I would typically offer no resistance, but I don’t remember what law I broke when I rocked her world.” He smiled a cheeky smile. He was going to get himself in trouble – it was what he lived for.

Isabella grittied her teeth.
What kind of pompus stuck up idiot is he? She wondered to her self.
She then sighed.
He was going to be easy she knew it.
So why'd they give her him? She was the best at this. And they gave her the idiot who thought he was better than her? That was so unfair.
And to think Grace would actually sleep with a guy like this! She must have been drunk.
The bit her lip.
"You actually broke laws here in england too for your information. It is against the law for you to sleep with a engaged persona. And the fact that she's Spain's princess made them angrier than normal." And in response to his smile she smiled one back for a moment.
Just long enough to let her veela charm start working.
After all. Why not play around a bit before you take him in?

She was spending a lot of time thinking and reacting to her own thoughts. Oh, Gabby could work with an overthinker, for sure. It was easy - just throw them a bunch of vague little curveballs for them to think through. If they conflicted with the prior thoughts in the mind, the overthinker would trip over themselves trying to reason through it. He felt comfortable. The sobering spell was almost fully complete, but if he kept up the illusion of being at least minorly intoxicated, it could be played to his advantage.

Gabby might be a goof, but he wasn't a stupid goof.

"She didn't tell me she was engaged," Gabby quipped. He could not remember what was true, exactly, so he would just lay out every excuse. Put some doubt in this woman's mind. "And, wouldn't she be breaking her vows? I never made any committments. Not to mention that I've been in America for awhile - I can't be expected to know this change in policy. AND! How can I be held accountable for breaking an English law in Spain? If you're acting under Spanish rule, you can't extract me from the country." He smiled widely. On that last point, he was right.

He was dégrisement. Before his last comentario she hadn't been entirely sure about this. But afterwards?
No one else ivre as heavely as he had been a momment ago could have formed a semi intelligent thought as he had just now.
And oh god. He was such a gilipollas. And not the sharpest crayon either.
She rolled her eyes the said.

"No. I can arrest you. I'm an Aurour. I have a permit for this specific arrest under the orders of Spain and England. Furthermore that so called "change in policy". The rules been around since the 1300's. And she's the bloody princess. We can't exactyl go and arrest her. It's like arresting Queen of the British Isles! Are you sangriento out of your mind?!

And again she smiled with the sun. Letting the Veela magic work.
Oh how she hated those 3/4's of Veela blood. She was barely human. But it did work if she wanted to force something.
So she stoped the smile and widened her eyes.
Oh how she hated doing this part of the job.

"So darling?" She asked getting a bit closer.
Why couldn't it have been a sieral killer? She thought then pushed the thought away.
"Love if you could please. Come along with me I would adore it. It would keep my boss from getting angry at me. So please?" She begged.

Then dropping the charm a bit she stepped back.
She knew it would work.
It worked for girls who were a quarter Veela.
But a girl who was practically full Veela?
It had people begging to help her.

Her quick words caused an idea to spark in devious little Gabby's mind. "So, I'm being punished in her stead? What rule states that royalty are allowed to break the rules and get away with it? Miss, if you're a true agent of justice, you will turn arround and arrest that treasonous woman. I'd like to point out, before you hex me to kingdom come, that it's not treason to call her such because I've never been a Spanish citizen." He smiled - the man knew his laws fairly well, considering he was so oft to break them.

And suddenly, charm oozed out of this woman. Gabby felt an instinct rise within him and he looked down to adjust his watch. Immediately, his feelings towards the woman became less fond. He glanced back up and found it hard to concentrate. Something within him reminded him of his watch and it was not until he had torn his gaze back down to the small appliance on his wrist that he remembered these shifting feelings towards the woman.

Something wasn't right. He could hear her speak as he reset his watch, setting it to Spain's time just for fun, and the cogs in his mind worked. He could see her feet, and any movement would be revealed through them. Even if she reached for her wand, her weight would shift. Gabby had been in too many fights in his time to not be clever enough for this one.

"Does your boss approve of you using... is it a love spell? Or are you veela? It's one of the two." He was well travelled, and he knew symptoms of both. These sudden shifts of emotion were not common to him. He was a lustful man, but he was in control of his desires.