Intoxicating

“Geordo!”

It had been a long time since anyone sounded that delighted to see him, at least here at the school where his status was no longer a novelty.

He turned to find Maria. She was holding an empty champagne flute and smiling like he was the person she most wanted to see in the world.

Instinctively he glanced around for Keith, but he was still on the floor, dancing with Katarina.

“Are you alright, Miss Campbell?”

“Wooonderful. You’re very pretty, did you know that? Just… very very pretty.”

Oh stars, she was drunk. “You’re very pretty as well, Miss Campbell. Have you seen Mary at all?” On second thoughts, maybe that wasn’t such a good idea if he didn’t want the night to end in scandal. “Or Sophia?”

Maria gestured vaguely to the open French windows with her champagne flute. “They went to look at the shooting stars.”

Thinking about it, he hadn’t seen Nicol or Alan for a while either. The thought of the four of them sharing a romantic moment under the stars made him smile. It was hard to imagine any couple less inclined to romantic gestures than Nicol and Mary, although he knew from previous balls that Sophia looked particularly exquisite in the moonlight. It was a shame Alan wouldn’t appreciate it.

He considered interrupting Keith and Katarina’s dance to demand that one of them walk Maria back to her room, but that was unlikely to ingratiate him with either of them, and besides, he was feeling generous tonight. Keith had made all sorts of interesting promises when he dragged him away earlier, and he’d quite like the chance to collect on them sooner rather than later, which he wouldn’t get if he pissed him off.

“I think it’s time you went to bed, Miss Campbell.”

She gave him the single most lascivious look he had ever had the privilege of being on the receiving end of. “It’s time you went to bed, Mr Stuart.”

Biting back a snort of laughter, he took her arm. “Come on, I’ll walk you back. Then you can finally take off those heels. Doesn’t that sound good?”

She leant into his side, far too familiarly for an audience of this size, and he really ought to find a chaperone but he knew he wasn’t actually going to.

It was only a short walk, and with the ball beginning to wind down it was unlikely anyone would notice his absence.

It was strange seeing the school so empty. After the light and noise of the ball, the corridors were almost jarringly quiet.

“It’s entirely possible Keith will feel the need to duel me for your honour if he finds out about this,” he said, thoughtfully. He was fairly sure Keith didn’t actually know how to fight without magic, but the image of him with a sword was not without merit. “And that’s leaving aside what Katarina’s going to say!”

“Honour’s stupid,” Maria said, with the certainty of the deeply inebriated. “S’all just made up to stop girls having any fun.” She tipped her head up to grin at him. “Want to do something dishonourable with me?”

Impulsively, Geordo ducked to press a quick kiss to her golden hair. “You are a delight. You are also far to drunk for anything of the sort.” He gave her his very best wicked grin, the one that made even Nicol look a little shellshocked, and added, “When I dishonour you, I want to be sure you’ll remember the whole experience.”

To his surprise, Maria just sighed happily. “I do like you, Geordo. You’re so fun when you think no one’s looking. And I think it’s going to be me dishonouring you.”

“Is that so?”

“I saw what you did to my Keith. I think it’s only fair.”

“And you’re still not jealous?”

“Don’t be stupid sweetheart, it doesn’t suit you.”

That had been a little too coherent. “How drunk are you, really?”

“Drunk enough that I was going to leave soon, anyway. You just provided me with some pleasant company.”

“I’m still not going to deflower you.”

They’d reached the door to the girls’ dorm. Maria let go of his arm and turned to face him.

“Dear Geordo,” she said fondly, and wrapped her hand around the back of his neck, pulling him down into a quick kiss. Their first. “What on earth makes you think I’m a virgin?”

She pulled away before he can catch her, slipping through the door and leaving him standing in the hallway feeling distinctly shellshocked.

Maria Campbell really was unlike anyone he’d ever met before.