Tawny. Ruby. Pale Cream.

Swallowing a mouthful of too-hot coffee, Elijah Krum returned to his book. The retreat of a good novel was a welcome reprieve from the nonsense of politics whose attentions commanded the majority of his waking hours.

He had taken a rare day for himself, clocking out just a little after eleven o’clock that morning, having missed his children’s bedtime to work through the night in order to make sure legislature was ready for the chamber meetings that would take place in the afternoon. Groundwork set, Elijah bowed out of proceedings to enjoy his day in the drizzly sunshine of the capital. Short of a major disaster, he could relax undisturbed, too.

So, after popping into a bookshop and purchasing whatever thriller was at the top of the bestseller list, Elijah traipsed the familiar path through London to the Leaky Cauldron and then onto Diagon Alley.

He had taken solace from the shower that was falling over the cobblestone high street in his own restaurant which was slowly opening up for the lunch rush. He didn’t bother going into the dining room, heading straight for the bar where he set up camp on the end. A cup of espresso had been set down by the bartender and he was allowed the pleasure of absorbing his senses into a narrative that was not his own.

No one of note really came to Eli’s at that time of day. All of the more intriguing deals were made by candlelight in the dead of night. Still, there were some bankers trooping dutifully in and out. Couples had entered for a treat. Then there were the regulars, the spinsters who ordered the same thing every day and the elderly who had a similar penchant for certain favourites.

Elijah? Not long after receiving the coffee, a sandwich was set down by his elbow without a word being uttered and he was left to his own devices … or, indeed, he was … that is, until someone sat down on the barstool next to his. Ignoring the burn in his throat from the drink, he lifted his head and raised an eyebrow.

"Can I help you?"

Aneta is not really the person for just hanging around and doing nothing. She was the leader, and her father taught her she needs to work really hard, always and that the free time is for those who are convicted of failing. So, when her new boss, Claire, gave her a free day, redhead Russian felt like she will go insane. She was almost ready to beg to stay at the work but she thought it won't be really good idea.

She woke up at the nine o'clock in the morning and she was sure she feels anxiety. Everything was too small, even flat she shared with her, now former lover, Adrian. That's why she didn't want to stay inside. She can see him, and he will be pathetic as always and that means she will become upset and... Well, it won't be the best free day ever.

She will go to the city, maybe she can go to shopping? After that, she can eat somewhere and then... Well, if she is lucky enough, when she come back, she won't see Adrian.
Aneta went to several difference places and buy too many clothes, as always but she didn't care. She grew up used to have money, so material things mean nothing to her.

Finally, Aneta came to the Leaky Cauldron and find her way to the Diagon Alley as fast as she can. She hates this place, there is always smoke and it's hard to breathe. But the worst part is that this is their mask, way to hide their world from muggles, but actually, Muggles should be the ones hiding. Wizards can do the great thing, just if they are not afraid of those pathetic people who think magic exist only in fairy tales.

She tried to make her path through always crowded main wizard's street in London, when she saw a sigh for, restaurant, maybe? It's called Eli's and she came in, tired as hell.
Without even thinking she went to sit on the barstool.

Redhead looked curiously at the Elijah Klum who was speaking to who? Her?
"How could Deputy Minister of Magic help me here?" She asked trying to sound polite but her voice sounded colder than she wanted.
She smiled, but anyone who knows basic things about facial expressions could see it's the fake smile which didn't come to her face.
Well, at least he is good looking.

His eyes flicked across the creature before him, absorbing the creamy skin and long waves of orange hair and committing them to memory. Later, he would wonder to himself why it always had to be a redhead who walked into his life and disrupted him so resolutely and, at the same time, so wonderfully. In truth, it couldn’t be any other sort of woman, could it?

A smirk slowly worked its way across the Bulgarian man’s features as he shifted in his seat, orientating his body towards hers. He had deduced the insincerity of her smile but, undeterred, he was determined to draw a real one from her – or, better, a laugh. So, inclining his head as the smirk morphed into a cheeky half-grin, he said:

“No, I suppose there are better locations where the Deputy Ministry can be of help.”

Leaving the innuendo suspended in air, Elijah straightened and gestured for another two coffees. The bartender nodded and loped over to where the mugs were stacked behind the bar.

“Elijah Krum,” he held out his hand for hers. “At your every service, Miss…?”

The bartender set the coffees down along with a small jug of cream and a plate of assorted sugars and substitutes. Elijah took the jug and drizzled some of the cream over his coffee before picking up a spoon.

“What brings you to my noble establishment, then, love?”

Aneta kept looking at him with her view she was practicing for years now. It was the same look she used as the leader of Death Eather, look that was almost saying 'I can find out all your deepest secrets."
Redheaded Russian moved her head slightly and put the cheeky smile on her face before speaking.
"If I don't know better, I would dare to say that you stare at me, but I guess that is just my imagination?" she finished as a question and move one strand of hair from her face. She planned to have calm and quiet lunch, but things look to get way more interesting.

Aneta could put her hand in the fire and swear that his statement was anything but naive and polite. It sounded so ambiguous that she wasn't sure what to say. It was something that never happened to her and she couldn't but to admire the man who succeeds to leave her speechless.
"Oh really? And where you can help me, sir?" she looked at him trying to act live the naive little girl, but she was just better than that. Flirting and acting like this was game she made, and she won't let him to win her.

Finally Aneta stood up again to put off her coat, now she was really glad because she choose simply but skintight black dress and matching heels. Once she start, mister Deputy Minister wont have any chance. She decided it would be good to make connection with him, he can be really helpfull in the future.

"Aneta Markova" she put her petite palm on his and gave him her best smile. "If we are at the ministry at the moment, I would behave nicely because you are the boss of my boss, but we are here... So you need to deserve everything" she winked and sat again.

She kept her look at the bartender for couple of seconds. Why on the earth he listens this man? And then, after Elijah started speaking again, everything became more than clear.
"I would like to say I came here to see you, but unfortunately that is not the reason. I just came to eat something. And what are you doing here? Looking to see how your staff do their job?"

Elijah found himself in two minds about the woman before him. He could see down the rabbit hole and the trouble she could bring, as all redheads did. But he could also see the bright, white light of a studio, her soft curves on display, and paint on a canvas.

Ah, so that was what it came down to. Art. Of course it was art. It was always art. There was a warehouse in Paris filled with canvases that should have gone to a gallery years ago. Canvases he couldn't bring himself to let go of. Living images of Chase. Of Mira. Of everyone he'd lost. How could he part from them?

So he knew, of course he knew. He knew that this meeting could only end one way and it was down the rabbit hole. It was with the eventual series entitled 'Aneta' that his dealer would covet and beg him to display. It was a road that Elijah knew better than to traipse down all over again. And yet ...

There was something in him that wanted to test himself, to see if he could do it and come out without being scathed by the experience. But women dug deep, didn't they? Carving out bits of him to keep, so that they could always mark him in some way or another. And in a way, he sort of lived for it.

So here we go again, Elijah Krum.

"It would be remiss of me not to appreciate someone so beautiful, wouldn't it?" He waxed reflexively, circling his finger idly around the top of the spoon, urging it to stir his coffee.

He chuckled, the sound rumbling lowly within his chest and he looked at her unabashedly, his pupils gently expanding as desire lanced through him.

"Anywhere," he murmured, his lips lifting at the side.

There, a smile. Elijah mirrored it with an almost boyish grin. And that dress. His eyes dropped again of their own accord, raking their way down her legs before drawing lazily back up her form. Merlin. Yes, it really was all about the art, wasn't it?

"I'm not sure you should behave nicely in the Ministry either, Miss Markova. Everyone enjoys a bad girl, after all. Now is that ... that is Czech I hear, isn't it? Forgive me if I'm wrong. In fact," he squinted at her a bit. "I think I am wrong, but you're certainly not from London, are you?"

Elijah stretched back in his chair and reached over with his left arm to pluck a menu off of the bar. Although they liked most people to eat in the dining rooms, at lunchtime the bar was also a good place to sit and it was not often a place many thought to come. Nevertheless, servers were winding their way through, attending to those who had retreated to this quarter of the establishment. The smell of good food was high in the air.

Elijah held the menu out to her. "Everything's on the house. Pick whatever your heart desires." He smiled, reaching for his cup once she had taken the menu. "I am here to get away from the Ministry for a bit. My secretary and I have spent the last forty-eight hours drafting legislation to put to one of the committees this afternoon. I left her asleep in my office and I came here. We're both seeking our own repose, you see. Plus, it never hurts to check up on my staff, you're right. Don't want them getting comfortable and complacent, do I?"

Elijah seemed to be occupied with his own thoughts. Anela found herself wondering how hard would be to make him speak.
She is the woman who grown up faster than it should be, she learned that everyone has their little secrets, own bad stories trapped in their mind like the deathly disease.
And discovering those diseases was her favorite hobby.
Once you get to know people they become vulnerable, and that is what makes her raised above them.

It's not like Aneta doesn't have secrets on her own. She has probably more than others and each is worse than previous one. Her past secured the special place in the hell for her, and damn it, it's throne.
"Coin for your thoughts" she looked at him once again, determined to find out which secrets lies on Elijah Krum's soul.

This is what she does, it was always on this way. She is manipulative, worst nightmare of every man, perfect disaster. Once, she was thinking that hurricane should be named after her. Because that it is what she was; destroyer, once she start, nothing will leave behind.
And that wasn't even her own fault. That is the only way she knows. The way that would make her father finally proud of her, if he was still alive.

His comment was so pathetic it made her smile, honestly for the first time she met him here. She get used to that, people always see her pretty face, and that is all that matters to them, but if they know better, they would stay away from demon that's waiting behind.
And now here she is, looking at another man, probably fascinated by her look, and she enjoyed in that. She spent hours caring about herself, because beauty is really only good thing she has.

"Oh dear, that is just pretty face. But don't let that fool you, behind this look is real demon" she smiled once again and bit her full lip, happy to see she has the same effect on men even after so many years. She wanted to believe that she is like wine, better with years. And of course, she decided to ignore the fact that is probably insecurity what makes her feel that way.

"Anywhere?" Aneta raised her eyebrow with smirk playing on her face.

"And where is that anywhere? You need to be a little more specific or my minds will create own ideas of anywhere."

He was actually looking at her. Without shame, he didn't even try to hide the fact that his eyes looked at every inch of her body. It was annoying and excating at the same moment. Usually men are not that directly.
"You saw something nice?" her lips formed another grin while looking at him.

"I need to, you know, Deputy Minister is really strick, he could fire me if I'm not good enough" Aneta was shocked by the fact someone noticed she is not from London. She really tried to speak like people from London, but sometimes it was impossible.
"No, Russia actually. We will say you were close, even if you didn't really. I'm suprised you noticed that" she put her palm on the table like if she wants to clean something from it.
"I traveled a lot, so you can say I'm from everywhere."

Aneta raised her eyebrow and took the menu from his hand.
"You know, on the first date man usually buy only drink."
She took a sip of her coffee, she liked to drink it without any accessories.
Once when the bartender came she ordered chicken salat and looked at him with amused face expression.
"Oh, so you spent a lot of time with your secretary? I'm sure you had a lot of fun since she is sleeping now." The smile was on her face again but she wasn't sure she can make this guy feel embarrassing, he looks like he really feels comfort in his own skin.

"Of course not," Aneta said seriously thinking about the way she used to lead in past.
"You should always be sure people are doing their job great, and if they don't, then just replace them" she shrugged.