about to respond he opened his mouth to speak but just as quickly clamped lips shut as he thought on the question yet again, wanting to make sure he understood it to the best of his ability. still he softly chuckles as he shakes his head, face rather apologetic as he spoke, "listen, mate, i'm in no way a bloody fashionista but uh..." licking over lips he looked to the dark red berry robes, nodding at the thought, "yeah, you can definitely pull these robes off bloody well in my opinion.. i don't know what spring an' winter have ta do with it though but... it's definitely thick enough ya could wear it in the winter... might need another layer depending on how much it snows."

dolores takes the last drink from the porcelain mug , humming to herself as she reads the second page of the daily prophet . the headlines were almost always the same since the samhain victory - and even with dolores' insistent bickerings about the need for more white noise to preoccupy the wixen , there was simply nothing as exciting happening around these parts . with a wave of her hand , the paper folds itself and disintegrates before she stands from her wooden chair . the witch had set her mind to leave the three broomsticks before her attention is stolen from another . she would have believed it would be pleasant company until he spoke . ❝ you could be correct , and without the proper clarification , i would have surely been left guessing . ❞ she says with an easy roll of her eyes . how typical it was for wixen like him to assume she was impressionable . ❝ should i then grow concerned of who you are keeping company with then , rosier ? after all , you do seem to concern yourself with who i speak to and where i am . ❞

watching her as seriously as he could for a beat, he quickly chuckles with a shake of his head, sending a hand into his beard as he shrugs. "alright, jokin' aside.... for now." it was really the best he could do. couldn't promise forever, but he'd try the longest he could. noticing the paper he takes a sip of his drink and nods in the direction, "bloody mess tha' was... hope it isn't causin' too many problems back at the ye oldde headquarters... though i can't imagine anyones excited about it." well, some people were - he imagined there was a split within the ministry, then again, unless you were in the know clearly you had to play along with everyone else to keep up some semblance of wizarding world normality – boring.

there's a noise as the door opens and a man slinks in - the necromancer, she thinks, from a few shops down. rosier. not an area of magic she's ever had any personal interest in, but a fascinating one nonetheless. at least he's likely to take care of himself, find whatever it is he's looking for. she drags her wand across the small clock in front of her, shaping out another rune. the rune glows silver, then red, then fades. "fucking thing." no sign of magic at all, so far. she'd hoped to find it was an older, larger version of a time-turner. no such luck. her father was prone to this, being sucked in by promises rather than proof. at best, the clock was going to be charmed to update itself for daylight savings. completely uninteresting. more wall dressing, she supposes, to appease the aurors. she's about to cast another, to check for minor enchantments, when there's a shout from across the room. she looks up at the necromancer. one eyebrow raises. a soft, dangerous kind of smile grows with it. "i am." it comes out saccharine, the kind of kindness that can only hide a barb behind it. she punctuates her words with a quick crack of her neck. "my name is artemis. and in my store, we do not shout, and we certainly don't address ladies, least of all those on our staff, with oi. rosier, i presume? anything i can help you with today?"

yet time was subjective in the way her mind would wander, wanting to know how his hands fell on her skin, how thumb pressed against outline of lips ⎯ no, she had to stop it. stop herself from prying into the depths of a woman who had clearly been single for far too long. starved of touch for even longer.

unfortunately for her, all of that went out the window the moment his fingers traipsed over unruly curl, her body stiffening, spine tingling with possibilities all over again and she almost forgot about the head dizzying effect he somehow had over her. ⎯ almost.

eyes slam shut at a feeble attempt at steadying herself, shoulders squaring as free hand moves to guide acrylic lacquered finger against the inside of his wrist as he draws back, as if a spark of her could drop into the pulse of him ⎯ as if it could mark him, branding him with her forever. it took a long moment to realize he had spoken as her brain grasps for shards of the conversation she was present for but clearly was not a party to.

"career change? ⎯ what would you prefer to do, instead?" offering up as chin tipped into her shoulder to look him over. smiling briefly at the house elf in thank you as she took her drink, taking a sip and her gaze rolled over him. "⎯ i wish i had become an author when i wanted to be..." opening the floor for a conversation that she only had half a heart in ⎯ if not only because she couldn't bloody well fucking focus with him.

suddenly, every feeling she'd had while they were growing up bubbled to the surface, threatening to overflow with a longing that she hadn't even known carried. embers of some forgotten great story of passion and love somehow stoked by the happenstance of them meeting. then, as if he could read her mind, he commented on said meeting and she tips nose down into sleeve of black lace and cotton with a short not before eyes flicker up to watch him over brow. "⎯ i was just thinkin' something of the same, av."

though as leo brings up being an author he couldn't help but grin, "blimey, leo... i'm surprised ya didn't. you bloody well have the best way with words – always have an' i bet that hasn't changed one damn bit." grin pulls further across his features as he watches her for a long moment, "who knows, yeah? maybe we'll both get our dreams jobs an' all that jazz before we know it."

avan was having the hardest time taking his eyes off her, even as he sipped his firewhiskey, he couldn't stop watching her. watching the way she moved and carried herself – just as enchanting as he always remembered her being. if he was being honest with himself, it was clear that what he'd felt for leo all those years ago hadn't just left him – at least not entirely and there was still that glimmer of potential, that hope, that yearning to figure out if there could be more. hell there might always be if he didn't at least try – even if it ended in him returning to his own life and she went her own way. he could at least say he had tried – but now just didn't seem like the right time. how could he bombard her not only with his presence but with a flood of age old information and even the new curiosities if she let him get that far.

"moment i saw yas at that bloody meeting i knew i had ta say somethin' t'yas, love... couldn't let you walk away... without at least trying to catch up with yas an' all." well he had toed the line but he still felt like a coward for not just saying it. tipping back the rest of his firewhiskey he motioned to the bartender for a refill. "what kind of books would ya write if you dove inta it professionally?"

eyes roll at his exclamation despite herself and fingers splay across her jaw as she leaned in a little closer to him. "⎯ alright, easy there casanova, don't brag too much. your ego in this tiny pub may just suffocate me if you aren't careful." it's a complete joke on her part, just to keep giving him a hard time and when he dials it back a bit and compliments her instead, she shrugs a shoulder, nose scrunching with her grin. ⎯ "i know."

when he continues on, chosen adjective tumbling out of his mouth, she feels a spark go up her spine, jaw slackening just a tad as she attempted to come up with some kind of comeback but her ears rang in an excitement she was desperately trying to ignore and her head a right mess of static and less than graceful thoughts.

waiting for the elf to disappear with the drink order, she slides her chair a bit closer to him, voice dropping again as she leaned forward, invading his space while trying her hardest not to be entirely overwhelmed as he flooded her senses. the space between them grew thick and a hitch of breath threatened to choke her as she reached out, fingers delicate and they traipsed over his beard, ghosting her touch with a barely audible gasp of breath.

"oh, come off it ⎯ the only gorgeous thing here is this prized possession right here." ⎯ okay so perhaps leona was completely weak for a beard, but when it was laid so impressively over an absolutely immaculate face? well...how was she ever to resist?

his question has her roaming gaze over him, fingers dropping slowly from his jawline and back to herself, voice still delicate, almost hushed and far more breathy than she had warranted it to be. "⎯ busy, mostly. lately been feelin' too busy to be a real person anymore...it's sleep, eat, work, chat ⎯ mostly about work....rinse...and repeat..." her words were raw, torn open and strewn out between them like ribbons of contention from her chest. she hadn't meant to get so personal but here she was, leaving it bare for him without much of a second thought to the contrary.

"it really has..." voice barely above a whisper, as if confirming it with herself and she leaned back out of his space a bit as she let out a sigh despite herself. arms crossing and resting on the lacquered oak of table top. "⎯ and you? how have you been getting on, then?"

letting out a shaky breath as she leaned back, he shifted, suddenly feeling cooler and more uncomfortable. like he was missing something that so wholly felt like it had been apart of him. when she was near that had been some clear semblance of peace and enjoyment that his body now craved. realizing he hadn't taken a breath since she moved away from him he allows his lungs to fill and lets it out slow. hand moving to run over his beard, over where she had touched as if he were trying to search for any lingering sensation of her presence.

capturing her gaze in his again, finding him smiling wide at her even with that little ounce of connection as is. "'ve been alright... mostly working, research, debating with myself about a career change... an' if i fancy a run in tha woods, i might blow off a little steam that way..." head tilts to watch her for a moment before he brings a hand up to gently brush raven locks from her face, feeling that little jolt of electricity dancing through his body at the action. one that pulls at the corner of his smile, "lather, rinse, repeat really..." voice soft as he gently twirls his finger around a curl before letting it spring from his grasp.

"so, nothin' too exciting really..." though he could do with some excitement in his life, on second thought, the impending war would probably fill that criteria for most people anyway. spotting the house else he gives a little nod in acknowledgement as he watches his drink float down to the table. taking a swig he shifts a little closer, not even bothering to move from her space at this rate, "i can bloody well add bumping into you a welcome and much needed surprise."

"interested in the dying art of necromancy?" another little chuckle leaves him with an amused shake of his head, "literally and figuratively – bit of necromancer humor there for yas, rodolphus." there was something he couldn't quite pinpoint. sure there were prospective familial ties beginning to weave their way together between them, but he'd always held a fair share of standoffishness with anyone new. it took time, but he thought his trust was well worth it. then again, he didn't think a look about the shop was something that required trust at this rate considering he had people in an out at will. still the question had his lips pulling into somewhat of an amused smirk as eyes glanced from one wall to the next – his shop was roughly the size of ollivander's at best and a tour wasn't something that he felt would take long at all.

"well uh...." clearing his throat he sweeps a hand to one side, "to your right we've got books on necromancy," his hand moves to sweep to the next, "an' to your left we've got artifacts an' talismans that help with necromancy...." clasping hands in front of him he clears his throat a little. "look, its uh... like i said... dyin' art. the only other thing really is tha upstairs – just use it for sorting really on prospective items... it's not much..." avan was coming to the realization that his job wasn't nearly as impressive as other wizards when he considered just how little was left of the practice.

lost in thought, she's only roused back to the surface with his question, mouth falling open to respond but slamming it shut again the moment he appears to answer his own question ⎯ correctly, to boot. slightly impressed with something so small was so vastly unlike her she almost hated herself for being so easily swayed, her emotions a bit of a rollercoaster ride that she had been forced into and strapped on against her very will.

an emotional rise that she should have taken into account for herself, leo seemed to never be holding a ticket that gained her proper access or understanding to her emotions, and was all too often such a backseat driver ⎯ so why then, did it feel like avan had the capability to blow every single one of her blood vessels right open and bleed with a ⎯ wanting? as she did. hell, she wasn't even sure wanting was the proper term for what was happening here on this occasion.

"⎯ and you're going to get something with firewhiskey and a bit of sour mix, am i right?" testing her own memory, which on many occasion had failed her utterly and completely, she surprised herself at the confidence. the ambition to play the game just as he was. hands fall down to the table, elbows making a mockery of manners on the wood and she drops chin into open palm, gaze back to trailing over him and before she could stop herself, the next words flooded from her mouth without a second thought. ⎯ "you look good, rosier."

eyes capture emerald hues and lips pull even further up his face with a shocked little laugh, "fucking bloody surprised you remember that." licking over his lips, he adjusts in the seat he had taken, and sends hand running over the front of his vest absently – wanting to make sure he didn't look like a total git and at least somewhat put together. it wasn't like he had some glorious job or did anything even mildly impressive – in fact, he was in a dying art that fewer were getting into anymore. it was a rather depressing topic to think on for too long because he knew he'd need to make an adjustment less he just ran through the entirety of his inheritance.

the compliment pulled him from his rambling thoughts and caused his grin to grow, "i look damn good and i know it..." softly chuckling, he licks over his lower lip as he shifts, "but i look like a bloody damn potato next t'yas, love." avan hoped like hell his beard was brilliantly bushy today so it could hide the flush he felt creeping on his face, "what i mean ta say is you look fuckin' stunning, love... really and truly, gorgeous..." nodding now he clears his throat as eyes dart to the bartender and back to leo a couple of times, wanting to gauge her reaction to his comment.

ordering up their drinks he gives a bit of a nod to the house elf before turning his attention back to her, feeling his heart give a little jump in his chest. blimey, did she have him feeling some sort of way right now and he was suddenly blanking on what he should say next – how could he follow that up? "lets start with somethin' simple, yeah?" chuckle leaves his lips as he watches her, "how have ya been? its been too bloody long, leo..." voice softens with that second comment, he hadn't entirely expected to put his heart on his sleeve – but it was genuine none the less.