Aurors Heart: A Regulus Black Romance

Chapter 11

"How about Urban Red?" He suggests. "It's a wine bar so it'll be quieter, plus their menu is delicious. I'm sure you'd love it."

"Should be perfect!" She agrees, playing off her part of the conversation well. "Will you be good to go by 5:00? I have one more report to write up then I'll be set."

"Uh, yeah, 5:00 works." He nods his head, looking over the woman's face for a few seconds longer than Grace would prefer. "Uhh I'll let you get back to work then." He gestures to the files on her desk.

Nodding her head, she opens up the random case she selected to 'pretend' finishing up as she writes out a quick note as he walks away. 'Going to Urban Red at 5:00.' Flicking her wand under her desk, the note vanishes as it heads toward the intended recipient.

Killing a bit more time by reviewing the old cases she has pulled, she keeps her ears tuned in as Erik works across the room, getting up periodically to pull files for other Aurors or greet witnesses who are swinging by.

"Ready?" His voice finally speaks as the end of the shift rolls around. "I can apparate us over since you haven't been before?"

"Great." Grace smiles, pulling her coat on and taking his arm without hesitation. Arriving with her stomach a bit twisted from the travel, she pulls her arm away quickly as looks around to spot a very small pub. "I thought we were going to a wine bar?" She quickly asks, seeing the beat up looking building with few wizards roaming the dark streets.

"Oh, silly me." He chuckles in a tone that makes Grace's gut clench. His sweet and awkward mannerisms from earlier seem to have disappeared. "I must have thought of the wrong location when we traveled. This is a small place I discovered a few years back. Hmmmm - since we're already here... might as well order a drink." Dammit. Grace curses at her carelessness. I didn't even consider he'd take me somewhere else.

"So where is this place?"

"Uh, not sure exactly. It's been so long since I first came upon it, I can't remember. I've always just apparated to the building directly." Bull shit. Walking cautiously into the old bar, they take two seats at a booth as Grace finally takes in how stupid this whole idea was. Potentially sitting with a killer who isn't afraid of using dark magic and I just let him apparate me away to Merlin knows where.

With an old barkeep walking over, Erik orders two drinks for them before looking across the table at Grace. "Sooo-" She attempts to make conversation. "Regulus told me you joined the department not long before I did. Did you not like being an Auror instructor? I thought you excelled in the role."

He stays silent watching her, as his eyes continue to fail to give off that same kindness they had shown just an hour prior.

The drinks arrive only a few seconds later, the silence from lack of patrons within the bar becomes painful as Erik continues to not speak and just watches her. Finally, taking a sip from his own glass he gestures to hers. Refusing to sip from her own for fear of who knows what being added into it, she attempts to converse once again. "Erik? Did you hear me? Did you not like being an Auror instructor?"

He takes another long sip of his drink before shaking his head. "Lord Regulus Back." He finally speaks in a whisper with his voice laced in malice. "What is it about Lord Black that you enjoy so much?"

Shit. "I don't feel comfortable talking about my partner with you." She quickly attempts to change the subject, wishing she had trusted Regulus' instincts and brought Erik in for questioning.

"Because he's your partner at work... or because he's your partner in the bedroom?"

Grace swallows, seeing his brown eyes grow darker and his grip on his glass tightens. "Regardless of the context, it isn't an appropriate topic to discuss about our co-worker."