Bella prided herself on her stubbornness and incredibly strong willpower, but it seemed Mr. Crouch was helping her learn many new things about herself, including that that supposed willpower was almost nonexistent. She'd came to be a rebel, and there was something incredibly enticing — almost paralyzing — about hearing the words come from his mouth. If she hadn't been staring him in the eyes and just watching him, she'd have almost been positive she'd been put under the Imperius Curse. Her cheeks tinted pink as his tone grew more bold and flirtatious, and she seemingly lost all control over her ability to not respond in a similar way.

"I guess it shouldn't," she responded in a soft, low voice. "But you never know what people will be like when they're alone. I guess I was taking my chances and got lucky," she teased. At this proximity, she swiftly coming to the realization that she could smell his breath. He smelled like beer, which in itself wasn't unpredictable; what was unpredictable was how inviting it was, even though she clearly remembered disliking the smell at one point or another.

"Not like other girls," she echoed in a soft breath. She leaned forward on her own elbows, though she didn't dare move her arms out of his reach. She wanted to see what he would do — if he would do anything. The game was reaching a point where she'd lost control over the mechanics, and now the controller was controlling her. Only she wasn't really fighting it; she was waiting to see where it would go and what it would lead to.