Alicia stared at the amount of food she'd made. She would never eat that much in one sitting. Never. And that was saying something, as she was not exactly known for her delicate appetite. Who on earth could help me eat some of this? She decided to pack up the food and just Apparate to one place after another until she found someone willing to share Beer and Brown Sugar Chicken, rice, and grilled vegetables with her. Might as well see if C is home. He probably eats take-away all the time. He'd surely appreciate some home-cooked fare. And maybe for dessert... Smiling to herself, she packed up the food and ran to her room. If she was going to maybe see Cormac, she was going to look somewhat nice. She grabbed a clean top and her favorite denims and changed. Returning to the kitchen, she set her wards, grabbed the food, and concentrated. With a soft *pop* she found herself outside Cormac's flat. Knocking softly, she waited. And waited. Maybe he's not home... She did a quick poke to see if his wards were armed, and finding them not so, she decided to let herself in. She used her wand to open the door and walked into his sitting room. "Hi, me." She grinned at her portrait. "Are you behaving?"

The portrait winked at her and flashed a cheeky grin, smoothing down the blanket that was draped across her legs. "Don't we always behave?" The portrait asked in response.

"Now, now, I hope you haven't been taunting him overmuch... Is he very easy to tease?"

The portrait shot her that grin again and blew a kiss, saying, "What do you think?". Alicia laughed. Her portrait's antics were actually a pretty good representation of her behavior when she was fully comfortable. Her portrait seemed to be having fun, as well.

"Is he here and... is he alone?" She asked the questions warily, not wanting to interrupt his evening if he had... company.

"I saw him pass by not long ago. He went down that hall, all by his lonesome," the portrait said, while pointing.

Cormac lay in his bed, miserable. He was feeling a bit better after taking the strongest headache potion available, but still weak and shaky. Of course, after the week he'd just had, he was grateful all he had was a terrible migraine. Stripped down to his boxers with the blankets pulled over him and the curtains drawn, he wished he had performed a darkening spell on his already mostly-dark room. Merlin, take me now. Put me out of my misery.

Alicia set her food down on the counter of the kitchen and wandered towards Cormac's room. The door was shut, but Ali could hear no sounds of sex, so she assumed it would be alright if she went on in. She opened the door a crack and peeked in. The room was dark, and she could hear his breathing. "Cormac?" Her voice was soft, in case he was asleep. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she could make out his outline on the bed. I should go and let him sleep. But what if he's sick? I should go check. Casting a darkening charm, and closing the door quietly behind her, she made her way to his bedside and sat beside the lump. Laying her hand gently on him, she spoke again, softly. "Cormac? It's Alicia. Are you alright?"

"Alicia?" he mumbled, trying to sit up and failing.

"Yes, love, it's me. Are you alright? Can I get you something?" It wasn't in her to leave him in pain, even if he was kind of a prat.

"Water, if you wouldn't mind," he mumbled.

Alicia smiled and stroked his hair, going to the kitchen and bringing back a glass with cold water in it. "Here, C. Drink up," she said, sitting beside him on the bed and helping prop him up.

Cormac took a drink of the water. "Thanks, love." He tried to smile but it came out more of a grimace. He shook his head, suddenly looking at Alicia as if he were really aware she was there. "Alicia. Welcome back to my flat." He grinned. "I see you let yourself in. But, if you tell me you're here to cater to my every whim, I might forgive you," he said cheekily.

"I'll cater to your every whim, alright," she shot back. "As long as they match up with my own." She stroked his hair unconsciously, speaking again. "I made enough food for two and thought you might want some. I knocked, and when there was no answer and the wards weren't set, I thought I'd let myself in." She grinned at him. "If you want me to leave though..."

"Food? You made it? It's not take away?" He pushed up on his arms and didn't like the way it made his head throb and had to lay back down. "I'm afraid I'm feeling a bit, er, delicate. Would you mind...." he hinted.

"If I minded, I wouldn't have brought it over, you prat. But I don't know, C. In your delicate state, perhaps homemade beer and brown sugar chicken with grilled vegetables and wild rice isn't good for you. How about I make you some nice gruel instead?" Seeing the flash of horror cross his face, Alicia laughed softly. "I'm kidding, C. Do you want it like I made it, or should I turn it into a soup? I can do that easily. Won't take five minutes, if that's what you would prefer."

"I'd love it the way you prepared it, thanks." A girl who can take a hint... What a wonderful thing.

"Be right back," Alicia smiled, pressing a kiss to his forehead without thinking about it, and heading off to the kitchen. She bustled about, arranging two plates. She loved cooking, nearly as much as her Yoga and Quidditch, but on a different level. There was something inherently satisfying about cooking a meal for a bloke. Her granny had always said "Fill a bloke's stomach till his heart's full too." Well, she wasn't trying to fill his heart, but she still enjoyed sharing food. Alicia smiled fondly at the memories of her granny and returned to Cormac's bedroom with the two plates piled high.

"Here you are, Master Cormac," Alicia said, feigning a stuffy accent. "Might I take my meal here as well, or shall I be relegated to sit out with the portrait that teases and looks nearly inappropriate?" She grinned, settling his plate on his knees, and standing with her own plate in hand, waiting for an invitation.

Cormac picked up his fork and surveyed the plate. "Looks delicious, love. Why don't you pull up a pillow?" He stuffed a rather large bite of chicken into his mouth. "Mmm..." He found he was suddenly ravenous and attacked his plate with enthusiasm. When he was finished, he set his plate on his bedside table and folded his arms up behind his head. "Of all the things I've ever done with a woman in my bed, I do believe that's the first time I've ever eaten dinner here," he said. "About the portrait-she certainly is very...amusing."

At Alicia's raised eyebrow, he said, "Let's just say I've seen lots of different sides to you, love. I never would have taken you for such an exhibitionist." He grinned.

"Only with Dean," Alicia responded glibly, eating her last bite of chicken and getting up to take their plates back to the kitchen. She smirked at him. "Do you want me to tell her to stop it? She must like you, if she's being so... revealing. I wonder what she sees in you, really." She tilted her head as if pondering this for a moment before smirking at him again.

"Well, now that she's in the sitting room, she sees a lot less of me, I assure you. I originally hung your portrait over the fireplace in here, but I had to move it. The blow by blow commentary of my getting undressed got to be a bit much," he said with a grin, his eyes twinkling. "She's a little cheeky."

"You hung a nude portrait of me in your bedroom?" Alicia's eyes filled with mirth. "Why?" She grinned at him, setting the plates back on the bedside table and crawling back onto his bed, moving to sit straddling his legs, facing him. "Wouldn't that have been incredibly awkward for the girls you brought here? Especially with a play-by-play commentary. I am quite gifted at those." She bit her lip a little and grinned again. "Oh, but I bet you're the type to go to the witch's home usually, and I'm just special."

"Well, where else would I hang it?" he asked. "You're correct; I don't normally invite people back to my flat, but even so, I didn't think you'd appreciate being on display in plain sight."

"How... considerate." Alicia's smile grew into a cunning one. "You actually care what I think do you?"

If it gets me want I want? Sure, he thought, grinning.

She leaned down and kissed him gently on the lips. "I think that deserves to be... acknowledged." She spoke softly, running her fingers through his hair. Merlin, he has nice hair. And he seems to be doing better after that meal. I think I'll tease him a little. "Anything in particular you can think of that would be a good enough reward for such courtesy?"

"I can think of a few things, however, in my current situation, you might have to go easy on me."

"Go easy on you, hmm? How about a massage? I picked up some basics for that while I was in India. It'd be gentle enough for your head."

"Sounds good, love," he said. "How do you want me?"

"On your tummy, sans shirt." Alicia moved to allow him to lay down on his stomach. She cast an oiling charm, and began kneading the tenseness from his back and shoulders. "You have a lot of stress going on here, C, your back is all knots. Bad week at work?" Her voice sounded soothing, but she knew better than anyone that she was not doing this as a girlfriend, but merely because they were... who knew what the heck they were? She saw him as a pleasant way to pass the time, and she found that she somewhat enjoyed his company. She'd give him this little massage, and go home to curl up with the newest Quidditch Magazine. Perhaps she'd indulge in chocolate and a bubble bath. That would be lovely. "Or perhaps it's this coming week that has you stressed. Big date for that Hogsmeade thing?" She teased, glad that she had decided to stay home from the Hogsmeade festival. "I'm assuming you have some adoring chit to take, who will look marvelous on your arm?" She pressed a kiss at the base of his neck and continued massaging him as she waited upon his reply.

Bad week at work? No, I use Unforgivables on a daily basis, doesn't everyone? "I did have a difficult week at work." He groaned. "Do that harder with your fingers, please. Thanks, that's better. Halloween? Yes, I do have plans to be in Hogsmeade for that. I will be there with a lady friend." He paused for a moment before saying, "Does that bother you?"

Alicia crawled off of him to lay beside him, so that her face was close to his. "It doesn't bother me a whit, Cormac McLaggen." She reached out and toyed with a piece of hair that had fallen into his face. "Would it bother you if I were to be involved with another man?" She smirked at him. "As far as I'm concerned, C, you and I, we are what we are, when we are. I'm not looking for more or less than that. Be honest about the fact that there's other girls and we have no problems. I know that many women have a complex code of ethics as far as relationships. Mine is simple. If it isn't hurting someone, go for it." She laughed. "Give the girl a good shag, yeah?" She grinned at him and clambered back to her perch on top of him. "I'm not planning on going to the Halloween bash, myself."

Er...okay. "Go. Have fun," he said with a yawn. "And thanks for the tip, but I think I've got that department more than covered. Or did you forget already?"

Alicia grinned. "No, C, I didn't forget. You're pretty much an orgasm on legs, you are." She continued massaging him, waiting for the result she knew would be coming soon.

He laid his head on his arms, trying to fight sleep, but feeling it overtake him. "Falling asleep..." he managed to get out before he promptly did just that.

Alicia smiled as she heard his breathing move to a steady pace, and she slowly stopped massaging him. Unsure of what to do, Alicia laid next to him for a moment, watching him sleep. Would he be upset to find me in his bed, come morning? Deciding she didn't much care, she changed into his discarded shirt and snuggled under the covers next to him. She was asleep soon after she closed her eyes.

{Summary: Alicia and Cormac in bed...again. No, not that way.}