Erik laughed and shook his head as he leaned closer to the table, "No I didn't mean I'M a bad guy. I was talkin' about the people I catch. I'm one o' the good guys or try ta be anyway. Been in Law Enforcement, muggle and wizard, since I graduated seventeen years ago." He smiled and picked up his glass of water to take a sip.

"America eh? How was that? I've never been there. Did ye like it there?" He asked with a smile and sipped at his water. He did the quick math of her age and realized he was 7 years older than her. Hmm. Wonder if that would be an issue? Well she should know his age now if she did the math and they'd find out.

As she asked about his family he swallowed and set his glass down. "An accident." He fidgeted in his seat and looked toward the direction the waiter went in. "A bit more of a second date revelation," he said with a smirk turning the touchy subject into something lighter. He looked at her and sighed, "It happened mah fifth year at Hogwarts. There was an accident at the estate. A fire broke out in the middle of the night and no one was aware until...it was too late."

Rinatta walked into the little cafe in anticipation. She was meeting with Torio today as she had decided to buy him lunch for a job well done. He helped her a great deal on her first day as Division Head and boy had that been a little doozy. At least all is well that ends well. There was no sign of him yet , so she picked a quiet table in the corner; one with no neighbors and a window beside it. She took a seat and gazed out the window for moment as she waited.

Wanting to be alone, and where better then a quiet muggle cafe. Still feeling weak, she walks in the door. Her eyes showing what she had just been through, showing signs of tears.

Walking toward the back of the cafe, she sees the one person she had wanted sooo badly earlier, in the department of mysteries. Not even really noticing the woman he was with, she heads directly over to him.

Having been afraid they wouldn't have gotten the help in time, before someone died, she was feeling very vulnerable. But yet...she also felt she needed Erik, to finally know how she felt.

She knew that the last few hours had been some of the most difficult she'd had to endure, and the only thing that had kept her going was Erik...

Coming up behind him, she leans over and kisses him on the cheek. "Hi." she says softly.

Oh, ...yeah. He did work for Law Enforcement, so it would make sense that he'd be catching the bad guys. Allie just laughed softly. "I was starting to wonder... I sort of hoped I wasn't...you know...sitting across from a most wanted criminal or something like that," she joked. Erik just seemed like the kind of guy a person could always joke around with. He didn't take too many things seriously, which Allie guessed was a good thing.

You know, unless it concerned his job or something. Then she'd hope he was serious. He seemed to be, though. Even she had to admit asking the Senior Undersecretary out on a date was a smooth move on this guy's part. Even if they didn't even know one another. "Have you really? That's a pretty long time, although, I guess I could say the same with me being a Ministry employee in general. I started working at the American Ministry of Magic six months after graduation," she continued.

She smiled and nodded when he asked about America. "Oh, yeah, I loved it there. I just love home---Great Britain---a lot more. Lexi and I were waiting...for a while...for the right time to move back. I'm just happy she was able to find a job here, too," she replied. How would she describe America to someone who'd never been there, though? Hmm... "Well, America wasn't too different from Great Britain....not really. A few of their customs are different, but it's really just another big place. Oh, there's a lot less witches and wizards there, though. At least, I didn't see very many."

She listened to his story about the fire at his estate. It saddened her to hear it, and she was about to reply to him when...some woman walked up. The first thing Allie noticed was that it looked like she'd been crying. When she kissed Erik on the cheek, Allie tried to just look in another direction. She felt like she in the middle of some personal issue, and...yeah, she was thinking now might be a good time to see her way to the ladies room or something like that.

Erik laughed and gave a shake of his head, "Nah, but ye never can be too careful eh? Though being good all the time can be a bit borin' have to have a bit o' fun every now and again." He smirked and took another sip of his water. Let her think on that.

As she spoke about America he looked at her and smiled. It sounded wonderful and he did like to travel. "I'll have ta go there mahself sometime. Take in the sites and the like. I've been ta France and Italy but that's about it."

He looked up at her after he explained what had happened to his family to see her reaction but what really happened surprised him. As a set of lips met his cheek he nearly jumped out of his seat and turned around to find Mackenzie. "Bloody hell! What are ye tryin' ta do give me a heart attack? And why did ye just kiss my cheek?" Had he missed something recently? Last he checked they were friends and still hadn't been anything more than that. He turned back around not noticing anything about Mackenzie except her hi and looked apologetically at Allie. "Allie this is an old friend o' mine, Mackenzie. Mackenzie this is Allie...my date." Hint hint. Now was not the best time for whatever this was. Looking back at Mackenzie he finally noticed she'd been crying and the annoyed look feel from his face. "Kenzie...is everythin' alright?" He didn't want to be rude to Allie but Mackenzie was a good friend of his. Hopefully it wasn't anything too crucial and they could discuss it later.

Her face pink went pink when she realized that Erik wasn't alone. "I...of course." she replies giving Allie a pained expression. "I didn't mean to...I apologize."

Looking like she was about to cry again, she decides maybe, this wasn't a very good idea. "It's just ummm, well been a very bad scary day. And well I was thinking about you...A LOT"

Backing away she decides she better take her leave, before the tears fell. "Umm, I'll see you around..."

Slipping into the small cafe, Torio gave the clerk a forced smile as he brushed off the rain droplets from his jacket. He was late. He hated being late. But one thing tended to lead to another and there was no exception today. Folding the collar of his jacket down, he cast his eyes about the room as he let his frustrations fall away; there was no place or time for them here. He could laugh about it later.

It took a moment before he spotted Rinatta, and a small smile touched his lips as he moved over to the table she occupied. "Sorry for being late, Rinatta." He still wasn't sure on exactly what he should be addressing her by, and it was obvious in the tone of his voice.

Well. He had not had this much on his mind, in quite a few days. Leonardo Bristol crumpled up the parchment in his hand, looked down at the shrunk photograph he held in the other, and then pocketed it.

Then he stepped in and sat down.

Life.

Drago made his way into the little cafe, thinking it would be a good place to get away from the hazards of the wizarding world. Not paying attention to anyone, really, he got a coffee and made his way to the nearest empty table.

Glancing up, Leo saw the man. That man. Leonardo Bristol had had a score to settle with this man, until recently. When he had decided that there was something else the two of them needed to straighten out, before he thought of revenge.

Rising to his feet, he went over to the man's table.

"Mr. Carracio." He had asked her for the name. Too fancy, he had thought personally. "There's something the two of us need to straighten out, I believe."

Drago raised a brow. He had nothing to straigten out, but whatever. "And that would be...?"

"This."

Leo threw the photo he had pocketed earlier, at Drago. If the man had some sense, he would catch it. If he didn't, it would fall on the table he was at. At any rate, Leo was not so sure if it was a good idea to practically hand the photo over to Drago. If he told Marina that Leo had it, Leo was dead. She had yet to realize someone had stolen a picture of hers. It had been in her private drawer in her office, too. It was a personal photo. Or perhaps one from the days when she had modelled. Either way he knew he ought not to have taken it.

But he had wanted it. He had originally intended to duplicate it but then there hadn't been time.

He easily caught the photo and looked at it, then raised a brow at Leo. Stalker much? "I don't see how you having untorward pictures of Marina are any of my business... but I shall be glad to let her know."

Leo snatched the photo away. "You're not supposed to let her know," he hissed. "Don't fret, either. I'm going to return it, anyway." He was going to put it right back in the drawer, after making a duplicate. Marina was never going to know that he had taken it in the first place. "My point," he continued. "Is that I want you to stay out of her life. If I see you around her again, you can rest assured I will not take it lightly."

He glared at the man.

"Strangely, the last person who said something like that to me was someone named Leo as well. He didn't stop me either." He demurely took a drink of his coffee, as if the man didn't matter. "I have been hunted, attacked, had attempts on my life... by seers, werewolves, mafia, vampires, and other assortments of nasties the likes of which would make your stomach churn. You, my dear sir, do not matter."

Leo glared. "This is not about you," he said. You prat, he wanted to add. He paused for a moment and then sat down, at Drago's table. "Listen." His tones had an edge of patient impatience to them. "You." He paused. "She likes you." Not that Marina had ever said that to him. "I'm not a fool, I love her, I can tell as much." He paused again.

"Which is exactly why," his tones grew colder. Plain icy. "You are going to stay away from her. I don't expect she knows you have a girlfriend." He reflected on the whole scene from Florean Fortescue's. "And much as I would love to tell her, your personal life is none of my business. Her life however, is. It would be better, not for me but for her if you stay away from her, Mr. Carracio. Surely you've realized you're ruining her life?"

He knew he was assuming she liked Drago but there had been something in her eyes when he had been around. He had never seen that something there, when someone else was around and he hated to think that someone like Drago might actually have her heart. He's a prat.

"Darkness attracts darkness, and she thinks me cruel. Believe it or not, we fight as much as we get along, if not more. However she thinks of me is moot, and her attraction is not likely deep." He took another drink then set his cup down. "And outside of those matters, I do not have a girlfriend. I have not been in a relationship for several years now."

Leo glared. "You," he hissed, through narrowed eyes. "Do not get it. Marina is, in many ways, an extremist. She does not take life lightly. She either hates, or loves." He took a deep breath. "I do not care if you say you do not have a girlfriend, Mr. Carracio. What I saw, I saw."

He pocketed the photo again. "I want you to stay out of her life. Consider that a request, if you would prefer that."

He raised a brow. "What you saw? You can't possibly be talking about Florean Fortescue's... Goodness, I'd only met them. I didn't even move that quickly with my wife, and she and I were married in less than a school term." He shook his head. "She dislikes those who believe they know her as well, and that much she has said. Either way, I have no intention of removing myself from her life, either by threat or request. She's a big girl and can handle herself. I have no intention of purposefully pursuing her, at least not at this point, and as far as I'm concerned, as I have ever been concerned, what happens will happen."

Blair walked into the cafe. She walked over to a table and set down and pulled out a book and started to read it. She just got off work and wanted to go somewhere and read a book and maybe meet people. She had on a long white white summer dress and sandles to match. Her hair was down and a few strans fell in the front of her face. She read her book for a mintue and looked up at all the people in the cafe. She started to bite down her her bottom lip thinking if this was a good ideal coming here.

Drago noted a young woman who seemed to be a little unsure for some reason. She had little interested in the book she had, and seemed to be more nervously looking about at everything. When she looked his way, he offered her a warm and reassuring smile, hoping it would help her relax some.

Blair smiled back at the man who smiled at her with that she started to blush a little bit. She qickly picked up her book and trying to hid her blushing with it. She was starting to act like a school girl again. She wasn't really read the book at this time. She looked over at the man again from the top of her book. She couldn't help it. She just couldn't stop blushing so much.

He glanced at Leo a moment, then decided to just shrug him aside for a moment and looked back to the young woman, who was looking at him. "Rather than just looking, my dear, why don't you come over here and speak? I promise, I won't bite this time," he said with a wink.

Blair blushed again and put the book down on the table and got up and walked over. "I'm Blair."She said holding her hand out to him. As she just looked at the man. She started to bite her bottom lip. "Sorry for staring but I couldn't help it."She said softly so only the man caould hear her.

"It is fine." He took her hand and kissed her knuckles lightly. "I am Drago Carracio. Please, have a seat."