Birds of a feather must read together [dante]

England had been a wonderful idea! The small Russian woman was pleased that she had made the choice to dedicate her summer to coming to the small country to study the history of magic in this region. She'd met wonderful people during her travels. Some had responded to an add she sent out and allowed her to stay with them ranging from the span of a couple days to a couple weeks. Some were more generous than others and she'd made some rather good friends that way. Others she'd met in shops or on the streets and would ask for their help as she tried to navigate her way through the winding streets in such a foreign land. More often than not, she found herself crossing from the wizarding community to the muggle one unknowingly. Maryana was usually able to learn this had happened when she stopped someone and asked for directions and the reaction she got was of utter confusion. Luckily enough, she'd never made it as far as to try to explain she was looking for the wizarding bank, or a place that sold books on the wizarding history of England, or a museum about the magical community's history.

Through all of her travels, she finally made it to Diagon Alley. There were so many shops, she wanted to stop in all of them. Anya knew better though. She needed to budget her money wisely to get her through her trip and back home. While she did want to get some sight-seeing in, she hoped to be able to find some important locations that were significant to the Battle of Hogwarts she had read so much about. Today wasn't a day for her to get some research done or for her to try and have some fun. Instead, with it being her first day here, she planned to familiarize herself with her surroundings and take the day to rest a little bit so she'd have the energy to go and explore the places she wanted to visit.

Late at night, she'd managed to find a low-priced but well cared for inn to stay at. She checked in, dropped her luggage off in the room, and decided to sleep for a few hours while the city outside her window was still quiet. When she woke later that morning, the sun was shuffling into her room through the open curtains. The brightness stirred her from her slumber, encouraging her to get up and ready for the day before she went out to get her bearings and find the locations of some sites she wanted to see so she could plan the rest of her time here in England accordingly.

During her day, she had seen such wonderful foods, she decided she'd buy herself a cookbook to take home and learn a couole of the recipes. One of the downsides to getting this book though was that she wasn't very good at cooking. Even when she followed a recipe step-by-step, she somehow always managed to botch it up. Another aspect of this book was that it was in English. Her abilities to speak it were not exceptionally good. She had learned how to ask for the nearest restroom, 'thank you', and if hotels had room for her to stay in a room. Her skill in reading the English language was even worse. Along with the purchase of the cookbook, she had bought herself an English-to-Russian dictionary. As she'd learn some of the terms in the book of recipes, she'd make notes around the pages with a pencil she'd found buried deep in her purse from the muggle world.

She sat at a small table just outside of a small cafe. Her pantos-styled glasses sat delicately on her nose as her attention was focused on the cookbook that rested in her perfectly manicured hands and the dictionary being kept open my magic. The page she was currently skimming over in the dictionary had two brightly colored poat-it notes, yet another muggle invention she wouldn't go anywhere without, with the English alphabet and the sounds the letters made scribbled on them. She'd forgotten all about the cup of the wizard's equivalent to lemonade and her slice of cake that sat on the table. Her legs were crossed one over the other at the knee. Her left foot bounced subconciously lightly in the air as she made an attempt to sound out a couple of ingredients outloud. "One tahb-le-sp-oon of cr-oo-sh-ed," her Russian accent was thick and heavy. She turned her dictionary to find what the russian word was for 'crushed' so she could understand the meaning of the word. This was a process for her. Referencing her notes, orally sounding out the English letters, referring to her dictionary for the Russian word, then making notes in her cookbook. The dedication and focus she had was so intense, she'd become oblivious to everything around her. The people, the sights, the smells, the loud noises, it'd all blurred into one that she wasn't aware of the sound of feet approaching her.

@Dante Boscono

Where had time gone? Years had passed and Dante was living each day in a routine. He would wake in the morning and prepare for work. Then he would sit in his office and read up on his patients and how they were recovering and check up on them when needed. Sometimes he would get a new patient with a new dragon bite or sting from some creature that needed to be treated urgently, but overall his days were very uneventful. After work he would get some groceries and prepare some food for himself that night with a nice home cooked meal. After eating he would relax a bit and the head to bed and everything would repeat itself the next day. It was both nice to have a routine, but claustrophobic from not having anything change for so long. Was it so much to ask for a little change in someone’s life? It’s not like his dreams of having a family before thirty ever came true so now he was just hoping to enjoy his life instead of being stuck in a rut.

Maybe that’s why he decided to change things up. He had some leftovers to eat at home from the previous day’s meal so he would use today to head to Diagon Alley for a change of pace. He needed to figure out new ways to change up his life and he decided it would be to change up his cooking with new recipes. He was so used to making food from the English isles and from his Italian descent that he needed to expand his culinary prowess. Dante decided he would try cuisine from other countries. Upon leaving a few bookstores he carried a few books in his hands. Each book contained recipes for meals from different countries. The main two he was most interested in was the one on Russian cuisine and the other on Asian cuisine. Each would prove their own issues, but he knew the Russian one would be the hardest as it wasn’t in English so deciphering it would be difficult. He would have bought a dictionary on the language, but he found they didn’t have one. It was weird for the bookstores to be out of dictionaries or translators though, but he knew he could just come back another day and pick up when they restocked.

Since his day was going over quite slow despite having the time to do things he decided to head to a nearby café to relax and maybe drink some tea while pouring over his books. It would be a casual setting for him and a nice change of pace to his life. He would watch the people walk by shopping with their children along the busy streets preparing for the new school year and the hustle and bustle of a society in peace. It would be a nice setting, but he noticed all the tables outside were taken. It was during the café’s rush hour so it made sense so he would either have to share a table or stand. He noticed a girl pouring over a book with notes sticking out of them and smiled. She was quite lovely looking and from his vantage point she seemed passionate about what she was reading if she was taking notes from it. Even if they would never see each other again it would be nice to talk to someone in a polite relaxed setting again. So he approached her and asked in English, “Is this seat taken?” He gently gestured to the seat open near her with his free hand and gave her a courteous smile.

Her focus on the book in front of her had been so strong, she hadn't heard the voice that had addressed her. She heard the words, but didn't think much of them until she saw the shadow of a man out of the corner of her eye. When she looked up to see a stranger -albeit, a rather handsome stranger- she couldn't help but jump. A quick sudden rush of red raced to her cheeks as she instinctively pulled her cookbook close to her. She didn't mean to hide it from him, but it was in the similar movement one would do when resting their hand on their chest after being startled. Her heart was racing at his sudden appearance. Maryana hand't expected anyone to pick her out of a crowd and address her for any reason. Yet, here was this man. She hadn't registered his words immediately, but once she had time to analyze he was pointing at the seat in front of her, it was then that she understood. A nervous laugh escaped from her as she realized just how silly she must have looked. "I am sorry," she made an effort to sit up a little straighter in her seat. Her head nodded and she motioned to the vacant chair he was identifying. "No, please, feel free to sit." Immediately, she reached out for her belongings to bring them nearer to her so they weren't spread all over the tabletop. It was the courteous thing to do after all.

A smile made itself present as she eased herself back into her chair. Finding it helped calm her down a little bit more, she picked up her drink and took a small sip from it. She looked between the man and her book which now rested open in her lap. Was she to try and converse with him? The charm would certainly help. Or was she supposed to ignore him as if he weren't there? Her eyes rested on her book while her index finger anxiously played with the top left corners of the pages. Now she couldn't try to say the words out loud, not without looking like a fool. Before, she had been in her own little world with only her books and pencil to keep her company. With this new man sitting across from her, she found she was being much more aware of her surrounds than before he appeared. As helpful as the charm had been so far, there was a flaw to it. If she were to ask him for help with pronouncing a word and understanding what it meant, she'd only hear his words in Russian. To him, her words would come out in English. The foreign woman decided it best to not remove the charm should they find themselves talking with each other.

Her pencil bounced lightly between her fingers as she pondered what to do. It stopped and rested on her dictionary when she had come up with a solution moments later. "My name is Maryana," she politely informed him, the r in her name trilled as she said it. Introducing herself to someone who spoke another language was odd. She hadn't had need to do it very often except for when she had stayed with people for a couple days and when she checked into hotels and inns. "What is yours?" With her new companion at the table, she decided she might as well introduce herself and learn what his name is. The attempt was simply to make the situation feel a little less awkward on her behalf and not wanting to come off as rude or uninterested with him. Not to mention she always loved meeting new people. Ironically enough, she hadn't had many conversations with people here. There were so many, but they all kept to themselves and minded their on business. This was helpful when Maryana wanted to be left alone to her studying, but it made the summer much quieter and lonelier than she had hoped. Once he had introduced himself, she extended her hand out in front of her and gave him a firm handshake when he did the same. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

Instead of putting all of her attention on her book, her gaze was beginning to focus more on him. After her brief, flustered state, she was able to identify that he had some books. She couldn't identify what genre they were, but by the logo on the bag, the Russian recognized that they had gone to the same store. This realization sparked some excitement in her and very quickly, she became her much more animated self. "We went shopping at the same place," she told him as she picked up her own bag beside her. There were a few more items in there, nothing too noticeable or crazy, but they helped weigh her bag down so she didn't risk losing it in the wind or having it be easily toppled over. Had they been there at the same time? There was a likely chance they had. She'd been so focused though on finding the dictionary, and of the few trinkets she now had in her bag like a puzzle of the Hogwarts houses that moved once it was pieced together and some bookmarks that changed colors to light up your book depending on the time of day you were reading, that they could have been right next to each other and she wouldn't have known. "What books did you purchase?" Her hand had abandoned the corners of the pages and was now twisting the pencil with both hands between her thumbs and index fingers.

As the woman raised her head to notice his presence Dante got a good look at her face and she was quite lovely in appearance. Her sudden jump made him concerned that he may have overstepped his boundaries by asking her this question. He instinctively raised his hand up and apologized, “Sorry! I didn’t mean to surprise you.”  Dante didn’t mean to scare the poor girl as he was just being polite to her instead of just sitting there without asking. She recovered from the scare though a bit quickly and even apologized to him. This made Dante chuckle under his breath as he took the seat and gave her a smile in return for her generosity. Taking his seat he placed his own books to his side and watched as the girl herself pulled her own belongings closer to her.

He felt that would have made things worse and the fact she pushed her books back towards her made him feel even more concerned for her. Was she shy about her habits while reading? If so shouldn’t she be somewhere more secluded instead of the hustle and bustle of Diagon Alley?  Still he was here and maybe he could help her relax a bit more and feel more comfortable around him so she wouldn’t be as tense. First though he needed to get his own drink since he was here for a quite read originally himself. When a waiter came by he asked for a white tea and the man returned quickly and placed his order on the table for him. Dante then flipped over one of his books and began to read slightly letting the woman he was sitting with take her time on if she wished to talk to him or not.

She began by introducing herself and Dante gave a polite smile back and did the same. “Mine is Dante,” he said calmly as he extended his own hand to shake hers since she offered it to him. She said it was a pleasure to meet him and he responded back with, “No the pleasure is mine.” After retracting his hand from the greeting he began to flip through one of his books. The beginning was an introduction of the author of this particular book. Though everything was in Russian he knew very well at least the format of most cookbooks to know this was an introduction. Still he wasn’t exactly sure what the words meant and furrowed his brow slightly. This was going to be a difficult read that’s for sure.

Yet he didn’t get to try and read much of it as the woman began to speak again this time about where he got his books from. Apparently the two of them had gone to the same bookstore. “Oh?” Dante said in surprise becoming intrigued at the woman. Had they maybe just missed each other in the store or had they even ran into each other there. Honestly since Dante was just doing his own thing he hadn’t paid much attention to anyone there so if they did he wouldn’t have remembered it. She then continued on asking him what kind of books he had bought. The woman was quite energetic and it put a smile on Dante’s face. It was nice to have a casual conversation with someone again. Did he really not hang out with anyone for so long that he missed these social interactions? Dante then showed off his two books he bought to the woman adding, “I have been meaning to try some new recipes and I picked up these two for some ideas.” He then placed the one on Asian cuisine away back into his bag before continuing, “Though it seems that I might have some issues with this one as I don’t know any Russian.” He chuckled slightly at his own ineptitude, “Should have paid more attention when shopping I guess.”

Dante. It had a nice ring to it. Maryana appreciated that it was a simple name too, easy to pronounce. She wasn't sure if it was an English name or not. It could have been, but she wouldn't have known the difference. Things had started off kind of rocky. She wasn't too pleased at how awkward it had all been. At least from her perspective it had been. The more she talked, Maryana couldn't help but feel bad for interrupting his reading. She just couldn't help herself. His reaction was much better than she had expected, which aided her in not feeling too awkward and uncomfortable with him here.

While she was glad to have the company, she grew rather excited when she saw the the Russian cookbook. Anya sat upright in her chair with her cookbook brought close to her face to hide to growing smile. Upon first seeing it, she assumed that he too spoke Russian. He certainly didn't have the accent of a Russian man, but even if he knew the language, it was a chance for her to undo the charm. She was careful not to cut him off as he spoke. Though she was ecstatic at seeing he had the Russian book, she grew even giddier when he kept it out but put the Asian cuisine book back. There were the words, as clear as day on the cover. Easy to Make Russian Recipes. Then he continued and she wasn't sure if she was disappointed, or slightly amused at the fact that she had the opportunity to teach him what the book said. He ended with a laugh. It wasn't loud or super obnoxious, but she liked it. It'd been awhile since she'd heard someone else laugh besides herself.

"You should have purchased one of these then," she slipped her dictionary over to him before she helped herself to another sip of her drink. The pages of the book had numerous colored markings and sticky notes scattered throughout the pages. Even in some of the margins were a few extra meaningless doodles she'd done when she was trying to concentrate earlier. Maryana had only had the books for a few hours, but she'd already gone through and left her presence on many of the pages. She knew coming to London was going to be good for her. Even just seeing his book helped her not feel as homesick as she had started to become a few days previous to her arrival. That had been while she was in Scotland. "I have found myself in a similar situation as you. See?" She raised up her cookbook to show him. "I am unable to read a word of English, but I purchased it. I have been learning what some words are with some help from that book, but I do not fully understand what the instructions are telling me I must do. If I did not have that dictionary, I would not be able to know what 'crushed pepper' is."

She bit her bottom lip as she leaned forward eagerly, pointing at the word 'перец' in the dictionary. Beside it was the English translation of 'pepper'. As excited as she was to see the irony in their situations and to see that he owned a Russian cookbook he couldn't read, she managed to keep herself mostly composed. Mostly. Her ankles were crossed now and tucked beneath her chair. Her hands remained in her lap. She now bounced the pencil in her hand instead of twisting it, but she couldn't hide the amusement that shone in her eyes. "I am afraid to say that I am not a good cook. I was hoping it might help me, but even when I read Russian recipes," she motioned to the book in his hands. "They always turn out wrong. Are you a good cook?" Of course he was. It was a silly question and she felt she'd spoken enough. He had recipe books from two different regions. He had to have been bold and talented if he were to try his hand at a variety of different cuisines. "I apologize. I speak too much," she sat back once again. She wasn't disappointed, but she definitely continued to maintain the composure she had. "I just find this whole situation to be rather funny. You don't know Russian, but you bought a Russian cookbook. I don't know English, but I bought an English cookbook. It is all very amusing to me."
 

Dante gave a smile and small chuckle when she held up her dictionary. “Would have but someone must have bought the last one,” he said before taking a sip of his tea giving her a small wink in the process. Looking at the dictionary and its many colored notes he smiled even more. So she was the studious type this would certainly have been someone he would have hung out in school at Beauxbatons had they both attended it. He didn’t know if she was a recluse or someone whom preferred clouds, but if she was truly someone who stuck to her studies he figured they would make for good a friend which was a nice thought.

Now this was quite funny indeed. They were in fact in a similar situation though a bit reversed in situation, she not being able to read English and him not being able to read Russian. It was like fate had decided to force them into each other’s presence. It felt almost unreal that something like this could happen so much so that Dante couldn’t help but give a nice good laugh at their predicament. “I’m sorry,” Dante apologized as he shook his head thinking about this. “It’s just quite funny don’t you think?” he questioned the woman across from him. Dante brushed his hair back with her hand sighing with a smile on his face. “You will have to excuse me for laughing so much. Haven’t had this much enjoyment of a situation in a long time,” Dante said with a bright smile. He leaned forward on to his hand and gazed deeply into the woman’s caramel brown eyes and gave his full undivided attention to her.

She pointed towards the word that would translate to pepper in English. To which Dante looked at the word in slight confusion as he didn’t even know how to pronounce the word written out in front of him. He looked back up at the woman and let her speak. She couldn’t cook which honestly wasn’t a bad thing as it just meant she had the potential to learn. Dante wondered if maybe he could teach her how to cook since he was able to make quite a few items. That could be all she needed was some helpful guidance and maybe Dante could help her. It would give him time to spend with someone once again back at his place instead of just sitting alone at home doing nothing. “I would say I’m decent enough at following a recipe.” He said this looking back down at his own cookbook with a slight frown thinking this one might be a bit of an obstacle to overcome before continuing, “Though when it comes to making something from nothing I’m not able to achieve that.” It wasn’t a dream of his to become a famous chief or cook nor did he want to make a career out of his artwork. No he was happy with his current profession and having multiple hobbies he called his own.

“If you want though I can try and teach you,” Dante said with a small shrug. If he could teach her how to cook it might be an idea to help him start his own culinary school. It wouldn’t be a dream, but it would be nice to have more options in his life instead of being stuck in his job in the creature induced injuries ward. She could be his experiment on his ability to teach and maybe just maybe he could prove to be a decent teacher to her. “That is if you want,” he said quietly.

Had they truly only missed each other by a few minutes in the bookstore? Her dictionary had been the last copy on the shelf. Of course, Maryana would have told someone if she knew that that was the last one, but it seemed to not be a very popular item. In her opinion, every store should always have at least one extra copy in the back to replace the vacant spots on the shelves.

She nodded at his apology. He had nothing to apologize for. He had a contagious laugh, one that made her chuckle softly from her seat as she gave him a nod in reply to his question. When their eyes met, she held her gaze just a little longer than what she would normally do if she were to accidentally make eye contact with someone. She felt a small tinge of blush settle in on her cheeks. Then he looked at the Russian word and she couldn't help but laugh in amusement at the face he made. "You do not know a single letter of Russian, do you?" She laughed more as her perfectly manicured nails pushed some stray strands of hair behind her ear. It was as if some great divine power had brought them here together. Why was their situation so ironic? Surely, she couldn't have met anyone else under these same circumstances. There was something about Dante.... Was it fate? Destiny? She believed in both of those things though they were quite similar.

Should she tempt it? Should she investigate and see what else lay in store should she travel down this road to learn more of Dante and who he is?

She sat back in her chair as she listened to his offer. Anya found him to be rather forward. Not quite sure if he was merely interested in her, wanted to teach her, or was a crazed serial killer, she raised an eyebrow and decided to hear him out. He didn't say much, rather it was said kind of timidly. The latter on her list could be crossed off then. The bouncing pencil stopped moving and was instead placed inside the cookbook to hold her place. She lifted her large round glassed off the bridge of her nose and rested them on her head with a flattered smile. Her cheeks were tinged a little more pink, but she kept her cool. "You would teach me?" She felt her stomach do flips as the question ricocheted around the inside of her mind over and over again. "I would like that. If I am taught by a decent cook such as yourself, I am sure I could prepare at least one meal one day."

She looked down at the closed recipe book in her hand. Her glasses managed to slip of her head and back onto her nose when she did. The words quickly changed from blurry smudges to clear text. "The day is still young. We should pick a food to cook and go buy ingredients." Her head tilted to the side as she looked back up at him. Her left hand reached up and pushed her glasses up higher. "There is only one problem. I am in a hotel and do not have a stove to prepare food on. I do not want to invite myself over to yours rudely either. I could come to your house and you could teach me there." Immediately Anya wanted to take back what she had said. It wasn't that she had changed her mind. She would love nothing more than to be taught how to cook and to get to know Dante, but the way the words came from her mouth made her sound a little too forward. Maryana hated the idea of inviting herself over to his place to cook too, she'd only just met the man! Maryana figured she might as well come out with it that she didn't have a way to prepare food though if they were to prepare a meal together. Maybe it was just the language barrier she felt. If she didn't have her charm in place, nothing would sound right. Rather than apologize, she decided to hold her tongue and wait for him to answer before she jumped to outlandish conclusions. If he was as interested in her as she thought he was, then there was a chance that things would go over well. The worst that could happen is that Dante felt too uncomfortable and changed his mind. She would understand. "Russian? Or English," she asked in regards as to what sort of cuisine they would make.

Yes, this was true for Dante he had no full grasp of the Russian language. It was too foreign as it wasn't like Italian or French and despite English being the issue it was something about the obscure lettering of the Russian language confused him. "What can I say? Always preferred diving into a new language head first. Its how I learned English anyways." He placed his hand behind his head and gave a hearty smile at the woman. His eyes closed with jovial intentions thinking about his careless and somewhat reckless approach to a new language.

She accepted his offer of teaching and he couldn't be any happier at this turn of events. He would teach her some basic English and in exchange, he could learn some Russian himself. It was going to be a nice deal and even if she lacked the skill to even make a perfect meal just getting her foot into the objectivity of cooking would be enough for her in his mind. The idea of leaving St. Mungo's became a strong idea especially if teaching her the inner workings of cooking proved fruitful. He wouldn't put all his eggs in this basket though as he knew one pupil's learning ability didn't mean the same as another so he would have to find another person to teach if this ended up being a success.

Dante got up quite quickly and a tad eagerly when she suggested they go shopping for ingredients. He blushed slightly at this as he quickly placed his palm to his face. "I apologize for my eagerness," he said with his face still covered as the blush began to fade from his cheeks. He took a quick deep breath and responded, "Yes let's shop for some ingredients." He extended his hand to her as an offer to help her out of her chair as a courtesy before continuing, "Is there anything, in particular, you would like to learn first?"

When she brought up the location of where they would be doing said cooking though Dante realized this meeting was going quite fast really. He hadn't had anyone over to his apartment in quite some time so he wasn't sure if it was suitable for someone especially a woman as brilliant at this one. If anything though he might have to pick up a few things when he got home, but hopefully the slightly messy abode wouldn't be too much of a bother for her.

Dante decided to make the situation of going to his place as comfortable as he possibly could for the woman and gave a small laugh before stating, "If you don't mind a tad mess when you arrive I don't mind hosting my doors to a stranger in need of a stove." He turned his head in the direction of the street and wondered if this was ok to let someone enter his home after just meeting them? Normally he would be more cautious around people especially since the war happened, but something about this woman had charmed him. Maybe it was her gentle way of talking or the way she responded to his awkward tendencies. Whatever it was it felt nice and Dante felt happy. In fact happier than he had been in years and it was all thanks to this Russian woman.

A hearty laugh erupted from her as Dante seemed to jump for joy that she was interested in preparing a meal at this moment with him. His light blush that appeared, his shy manner, the way he hid himself when he was embarrassed, Maryana found she was encaptured by it. She hadn't meant to love, but truly, this sort of excitement had been missing from her life for much longer than she wanted to admit. Of course she always had fun, and made a point to enjoy life in the moment, but this small interaction with the two of them sparked something in her. It was small, but even the tiniest of light exposed a want she had buried away years ago. It gave warmth to her once cold heart.

She'd been hurt and broken by those she had dated in the past. One of them was rather serious and she thought things would evolve more in her favor. Anya was a fool and only built her hopes up to have them shattered. Truth be told, she should have seen they would never have worked out. He had been the one chasing her for so long. That was years ago, but it still hurt her to see they'd drifted apart. She wasn't even sure if she could consider herself friends with him. Maybe just friendly acquaintances, colleagues, since they taught at the same school. There were others who played with her heart. Some abused her-more mentally and verbally than physically. She hadn't dated again since then. Though she was young, she promised to lock up her heart and protect it from any more hurt. She had to protect herself.

This small ignition deep within her made her heart race quickly like it hadn't for any man in a long time. She could have ignored it. She could have kept her promise to protect herself. Instead, she took his hand after having gathered her books in her arm and her bags were slung over her shoulder. Like a small child, she was willing to risk the vulnerability, at least a portion of it, for this man and she couldn't figure out why. If this endeavor of theirs didn't work out too well, then it would only serve as evidence that there was no need for her to chase after romantic feelings and emotional urges in regards to men..... boys really. All were immature and idiotic. Deep down, she hoped that Dante was different. Perhaps he'd be the one to change her mind and teach her to open herself up to a romance once again.

Maryana was relieved he was kind enough to let her come to his home to learn to cook. He was quite a generous man and she was putting a lot of faith, perhaps a little more than she was comfortable admitting in this stranger. Was she a fly walking right into the unrelenting jaws of a Venus Fly trap? Or was she simply going to walk through the door of new opportunity? The Russian couldn't decide, but it was a chance she was somehow willing to take.

"I'm sure it is not that bad. A messy home is a loved home. I should know, I grew up with four siblings," she said nonchalantly as she hugged her books to her chest. Dante was much taller than she had imagined him, and was shocked to see that he towered over her. Such a discovery shouldn't have come to her as a shock, naturally being a woman of shorter height, but even her heels proved to not be of much help in getting her just a little taller. "I suppose an English recipe would be a good start. I am being selfish though in wanting to learn the language." She grinned foolishly as she opened the English cookbook to find a dictionary. As she looked over the different images of food in the book, she bit her lower lip in though. The time it was taking her to find one she wanted to make, a difficult feat since they all looked so appetizing, made her face grow redder than before. She hated feeling anxious and pressured. There was the usual tendency to feel as if she was causing an inconvenience to those around her when she took her time. In a slightly flustered and panicked way, she flipped the pages and stopped it, placing her finger on one. It read Sheperd's Pie but even then, she didn't know what she had picked.

"Yes, we should make this," she took a moment to breathe as she looked over the picture of it. "It looks simple enough. Some meat and vegetables, really." Anya passed the book towards him. Once her hands were free, she was quickly digging through her purse to find money to pay for not only her uneaten cake and wizardy lemonade, but his tea as well. "Do not pay. I will do that." It was the least she could do to say thank you for teaching her to cook and being so open and kind towards her. "What do we need to buy? Is it a hard recipe?" Her money was tucked away as she peered over his arm at the book. The words and letters made no sense to her, but the more she looked at the picture, the hungrier she grew.

She was enjoying his company he could tell that. This interaction was proving quite fortuitous for both parties involved. If he had to be honest with himself Dante felt a warmth in his heart he hadn't felt in quite so long. One that he had originally felt when he dated Ruari. Now that flame had died and was on the verge of extinguishing forever. He had almost about given up on finding someone to love and consent to a life of isolation and solitude. Now it seemed the universe was giving him a second chance in the form of this Russian woman. Sure they were leagues apart on distance and frankly most long distance relationships never worked, but maybe it would be different for the two of them. Dante just had to take the leap and try. What's the worse that could happen?

She made a comment on him apologizing about his possibly messed abode with a statement saying she had for siblings. Dante grew even more excited at this as he exclaimed, "I have four siblings also!" He then remembered that his youngest brother had graduated from Beuxbatons a few years back and he forgot to send him a gift or an owl congratulating him. Was he really that out of touch with his family? He would have to remember to end his apologizes later, but for now, he was interested in knowing more about this woman. "I have three brothers and a sister what about you," he asked inquisitively.

When she stood up with him he was in for a surprise she was a bit shorter than him. He couldn't help and smile as her claiming to be selfish for learning a new language and starting with an English recipe. "It's fine besides it would be better to start with something the teacher knows anyways right?" Dante said calmly to the woman to ease any negative thoughts she may have had about him teaching her. She wanted her first recipe to be Sheppard's pie. An interesting choice to say the least, but Dante was honestly hoping for something more pasta-based as he figured it would be a bit easier on her, but that's what she wanted to make so he would relent to that. 

Dante was handed the cookbook she was holding and he perused the recipe to see if it was anything different than what he was used to and it was indeed a simple enough recipe. When he looked up from the book he noticed her paying for his tea and her own meal and saying this was on her. He gave a nice smile and said, "Well then next time it shall be on me." He didn't realize that meant they would for sure be seeing each other again after this interaction, but he certainly hoped they would. When she asked him about the ingredients he looked over the recipe once more before closing the book. "We won't need much just some potatoes and vegetables as I have the rest of the items back at my place," he gestured back towards the leaky cauldron without thinking about it. This would make the shopping trip easy as it meant they didn't need to get much and could do this quite quickly before it got too dark. He didn't want to keep her out too late if she was staying somewhere else. Even if the war was over it wasn't a bad idea to practice safety still. He placed his hand out for her own and asked, "Would you like to lead the way?"

"I'll be sure to hold you to it next time." Maryana groaned internally after she said that. It was her lame attempt at flirting and she wasn't quite sure if she should keep it up. She was only going to be here for a couple more weeks. That didn't mean the pair had to stop talking. She knew there were owls they could send back and forth and they could visit each other when money and time permitted. This was all so far ahead in the future. She wasn't even sure if they'd keep in touch. Anya was hesitant though to open herself to this stranger. She was eager for a night of fun and was thrilled to be talking to someone her own age for once, but there were lots of 'what-if's.

Every single doubt and fear suddenly came to mind as she looked down at his outstretched hand. What if they became serious? What if he only led her own because it was all a game to him? What if she went for it and he broke her heart and her trust like what had happened before? What if she allowed herself to keep falling for this guy but in the end he proved to be no good? What if...

Then she looked up at him with her tender eyes. Her eyebrows had furrowed together while a3he allowed her thoughts to captivate her. But when she looked up at him and noticed his kind smile and calm gestures, she immediately felt all the doubt be washed away with a wave of excited relief. What if they were to become good friends and they kept in touch that they drew closer and found trust and comfort in each other? What if destiny had placed them here together for reasons she knew not why? What if a strong relationship could come of this and they became best friends? She took a deep breath. Her mind was made up. She sowed it as she put her hand in his and took ahold of it.

"I suppose I could. I'm still gaining my sense of direction here in London so I do not know where the store is for sure. If I start taking us down the wrong path, you must tell me." She pushed her hair behind her ear before leading them out onto the street. Her heels clicked and clacked along the way.

"I have two older siblings and two younger ones. I'm the middle child," she continued their earlier conversation about their families. "It's a girl-boy-girl-boy-girl pattern. One of them even as a few children! My elder sister, Tatiana. And my brother, Gennadiy won't say anything, but we can all see the signs. His own wife might be expecting. I do not know why he insists on keeping it a secret, but he does. He has always been the quiet one, but when we ask, he smiles in his bashful way and shrugs." She was rambling now, but she caught herself before she could say anything more about her family. There were a few people in London who reacted poorly when they learned she was a muggleborn. In addition, she knew nothing about this man. Yet- there was something about him. Anya couldn't place it. The best way she could describe it was his aura is what made her want to open up and tell him everything about herself. Baby steps. They would get to know each other with time.

"What of your family? What are they like?" Was this odd to ask? It shouldn't have been. She couldn't place the last time someone had asked her about her family and how her parents were doing, or how her weekend with her nieces and nephew had been. No one ever really asked about her and her life. She liked talking about them, but being so far from home made her a little homesick. Surely, Dante wouldn't mind if she asked about his family. They would ask questions about each other soon enough. The ice was still being broken between them and slowly, she was growing more comfortable in his presence.

Dante gave a small chuckle at her accepting his offer to pay next time. This meant there would be a next time for sure even if it would be a brief little exchange of hellos or her just stopping by every now and then. That alone was enough to keep him going and keep his spirits up. No dark clouds of past love and broken hearts. No memories of drunken nights alone and helpless. No longer would he feel lost in the sea of the world just carelessly glossing across his timeline till his death. Dante now had a purpose and drive and it was given to him by this woman, but he knew he had to take this slow. He couldn't bear the idea of returning to his darkened state and restarting his life once more.  This woman would be the light to his heart and even if it didn't go anywhere outside of a simple friendship it would prove at the very least a comfort to his life.

So he would be taking this chance and keep this woman as close as he could. Yet at the same time, he didn't want to drive her off by being too forward or scaring her off. No this would require a gentle touch. So despite wanting to pull her forward into a gentle peck on the cheek as his customs normally pertained he decided to let her hand rest in his as they made their way to the market. He smiled when she commented about her sense of direction. "That's alright I shall direct you when needed, " Dante said politely before adding, "I'm sure you won't need it though." Smiling more so than before Dante listened intently to Anya talk about her family. It was nice to hear that she came from what sounded like a good family. At the very least he figured they all got along with each other.

Then she talked about her sister having children and a lump appeared in Dante's throat. He wanted children and he still did, but he was too old now wasn't he? He was thirty-one already and if he did have a child this second he would almost be thirty-two. Then when that child would be of schooling age he would be almost forty-four he would be one of if not the oldest father of the students going to school. Could he handle caring for a child that late in his life? Dante honestly wasn't sure. He could ask his parents for help if needed, but even then they would be in their elderly years plus they would probably stay in Italy for their retirement. Dante shook his head in an attempt to push these ideas out of his mind. It was too early to think of starting a family with this woman. He wasn't even sure they the two of them would be able to stay in contact over the months anyways with them being from different countries. Besides if he really did want children he could always adopt a child if needed. There had to be some children who needed a home anyways and with his current career, he was certain he could provide for them.

She then asked about his family to which Dante both gave a pained and relieved face. He still had some tension overall with his father as old wounds don't heal easily, but at the same time, they had made amends a few years back. Dante sighed slightly and decided to answer as honestly as he could without making things too awkward. "Well, Madre is very caring to us kids and practically spoiled us while Padre has strict goals and ambitions for us." Dante laughed slightly as he put his hand behind his head to scratch the nape of his neck. "He really wanted me to become a quidditch player and pushed it hard on me even after failing quidditch tryouts as a child." Dante closed his eyes thinking about how embarrassing that situation was before continuing, "He eventually accepted my talent in being a healer though by that time I had basically run away from home." He remembered having to work hard to learn his English and being able to find a place to live during that time after graduating from the academy. It was a stressful time that's for sure, but he found a place he enjoyed working at so he wouldn't have changed it for the world back then.

"As for my siblings, I hadn't had much contact with them since living on my own." Dante gave a shrug as he said this. "I'm sure they are doing fine as one works for the French Ministry, another is a quidditch player, another is an Auror, as for Valentino he recently graduated from Beuxbatons so I'm not sure how he is doing." Dante looked up at the sky and imagined the clouds as his family calling for him to visit again one day. He sighed slightly before saying, "I guess I should go home and visit them one day though." He turned to Anya and asked, "What do you think?" He didn't know if she would give an answer or not or if she even listened to his story. He was only getting off his chest some of his woes and thoughts and maybe Anya could help provide an insight to them as an outsider. That certainly would be nice, but he didn't want to lay all this heavy burden on her. So if she felt uncomfortable about discussing his family drama or troubles he would change the subject quickly.

By the way he reacted when she had inquired of his family, she could tell family was a touchy subject. She'd have to tread carefully if the topic came up again in conversation. Quidditch? A simple look-over proved that he had the physique to play the sport. It saddened her to think that Dante continued to be pressured, even after, as she assumed would be natural to a young child when failing, he would have wanted to give up and become a little rebellious against his father's persistence. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze and offered him a smile in hopes to comfort him in her own way when she heard he had run away from home. Was his life then really that bad? Had he left to pursue his own journey? She wasn't sure and she wouldn't be asking that. Not now anyways.

When they had introduced themselves earlier, she thought she had heard an accent different to that of many of the native Londoners she had overheard and made small talk with. It was especially emphasized when he said 'madre' and 'padre'. Immediately she guessed he was Spanish. But listening and looking over at him, that Nationality didn't seem to fit as well. She tried to think of other countries that would address their parents in that way. Perhaps it was Mediterranean? Which ever accent it was, she found herself secretly swooning over it.

Frankly, she was stunned to hear him ask of her opinion. As someone who came from a loving and supporting family, even though she was the black sheep out of the seven of them, she believed that family should always come first, no matter the situation. "I believe you're right. You should go home and visit your family. If things seem to be a little rocky and uneasy that make you hesitate to go home, why not phone-um.. Owl home?" She smiled bashfully. An insight into her muggle background peeked through. She was relieved she caught herself, but was certain he'd heard it. Hopefully, he didn't mind her status. When it had come out in conversation before or she mistakenly began to talk about muggle items and activities, not everyone reacted quite as well as she had hoped. Some were not ashamed to openly degrade her without even know who she was.

"I'm sure they must miss you," she quickly continued, hoping to avoid drawing too much attention to herself. "I told my mother about coming to England and she worried so much, she tried to make a packing list with me insisting I bring the most ludicrous of things. I did have to remind her that I'm twenty-eight years old and have been taking care of myself for a few years now. She made me swear to write her as soon as I made it and then again when I found a hotel. If your parents haven't heard from you in awhile, I'm sure they must be worried, if not, a little curious as to what you've been up to."

Anya found herself coming up to a fork in the road. She paused as she contemplated which way she should go. Admittedly, she had gotten into the habit of carrying around a map with her. Today, she made the mistake of leaving it on the nightstand by her bed in her rush to get out the door. Rather than slowing down to take a moment and look it over, she decided to turn left, pulling him along with her. In a moment of panic, she looked down at his hand and then remembered they had started walking like this. Hand-in-hand. She smiled and a little red came to her cheeks, but she quickly looked ahead of her to hide the slight embarrassment she felt. When was the last time she held hands with someone? It had been a couple of years since the last occurrence she could remember.

A large grin plastered her face at the brief thought of them being together. She had barely known him for more than 20 minutes, but there was something about him. He was different in the way that she could instantly trust him. There was a connection of sorts when they introduced themselves. Sparks? Fireworks? Lightning strikes? She wasn't quite sure, but she knew she liked being with him. His bigger hands wrapped around her tiny dainty ones. It was new. This whole situation was new. Of course, she'd have to be careful not to get any more intimate with him than she already was. This was unusual behavior for her, but he was different.

"Your brother who graduated from Beauxbatons," she had to keep the conversation going to keep herself distracted from thinking too much about how she was holding hands with Dante and to keep her mind off the fact that she and him were walking around together just like the other couples they passed on the street. Truth be told, if she and Dante were to become something else, something a little more, the thought of it wasn't all the bad. "Do you know what he is up to now? Has he decided to play quidditch like your brother? Or the ministry perhaps?" Then she thought for a moment. The Russian had no idea what he did for his own career, only that he was a healer of sorts. "You said you were a healer. Are you at St. Mungo's? I have heard about it. Do you specialize in any branch?"

Was that blush he spotted upon her face? That's cute he thought to himself smiling a bit more about their situation. Not that there was anything wrong about them walking along the street to get some ingredients for a dish. Though it didn't take Dante long to realize why she had blushed. They were holding hands walking down a busy street where others were doing the same. Some with families while some were obvious couples. Dante wondered what others thought of them as they walked hand in hand together down the street? Maybe he should let go of her hand and follow by her side with his hands in his pockets? Would that make her more comfortable maybe? He didn't want to come off as pushy or anything he just wanted to enjoy his time with his newfound friend.

His thoughts were soon interrupted though when she continued the conversation about his family. She wanted to know more about his brother Valentino whom he had the least contact of all his siblings. "Hmmm," he pondered for a bit thinking about what he knew about his brother. "If I had to guess he would most likely have joined a band or something. If I remember correctly he had a knack for music, but I'm not positive if he ever really got that far into it." Dante looked up at the sky and wondered about how his youngest brother was doing and how his parents were feeling now that all their children were out of school. Did his older brother have children of his own now? What about his sister? Did she have a family yet? Maybe keeping little to no contact with his family was a bad idea. Yet would they accept him back if he decided to return and visit? Dante shook his head to push these thoughts out of his head.

Anya had another question for him and this time it was about his career. Dante gave a nice smile and responded, "Yes I do work at St. Mungo's the creature induced injuries ward to be specific. Though if another ward gets a tad overfilled some of us get borrowed to help out." He remembered the few outbreaks that have happened in the past and the time during the battle of Hogwarts where they had to heal people constantly. Even the fires that happened at Hogwarts a few years back caused them to be painfully busy. He learned a lot whenever he got borrowed though so he wasn't too angry about having to pull longer shifts and it wasn't like he didn't get paid during these times so it was worth it in the end.

They had turned left and he didn't hint that they may have been going the wrong way. She felt a little better. Immediately, she found herself relaxing in his hold. Her grip loosened, but not to let go. Maryana adjusted her hand to sit in his a little better and then gave it a gentle squeeze. Was it unusual for her to be so friendly with this man? This stranger? Her mother had warned her about the dangers of visiting another land. "There are some men you need to be wary of!" Her mother's voice echoed in her head. "The SECOND you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation or you start to get the idea that maybe a guy you're talking to is a complete creep, you need to get out of there. Owl me, use a portkey, apparate, I don't care. Just get yourself out of that situation. I've heard too many reports of young women like you disappearing in foreign lands!" Except, she wasn't young. At least, she didn't think she was. She wasn't old and achy, but she also wasn't a teen full of spirit and undying hope. Anya had been struck with reality and found herself being an adult who felt much older than she really was.

She wasn't a helpless little girl, either. For some reason, she found that Dante didn't give off any creepy vibes. Yes, it was unusual for her to hold hands with a stranger. Maryana didn't act that way at home- reckless and throwing herself at men. Did he think that? He was the one to take her hand first. Not the other way around. They had been flirting, right? She was reading the signals correctly? From what she remembered about the last date she had been on a couple of years ago, she was doing it right. Though, that didn't stop her from second-guessing herself. Besides, when she was with Dante, for the whole 20 minutes she had come to know him, her instincts never told her that this guy was bad news, nor did he present a reason for her to assume such horrible things of him. Instead, she was giving him a chance. Perhaps this was the start of a friendship. An actual friendship with someone she could talk to, visit, relax with, and go on adventures. Cooking together and him teaching her English was certainly an adventure. Secretly, she hoped it would be the first of many.

Maryana listened as he answered his questions and told her of his brother and then of him. His brother was in a band. Possibly. Hmmm.. She wondered if any of her students had ever heard of the band he could have been in. They were much more involved in the musical bands and pop culture than Maryana was. At one time, she remembered knowing everything that was popular and hip. Did these kids even say hip anymore? Sometimes when they talked about the newest celebrity or used the freshest slang, she found herself confused and left out. What happened to the good ol' days? There was a whole new generation coming in. With that, Maryana was only reminded of just how old she was.

"Well, if I find myself getting bit by a murtlap or attacked by a swooping evil, I'll be sure to come find you." Nailed it! That was definitely a flirty statement. Wasn't it? She found herself stepping rather close to him as a large wooden cart was pushed past her. Her hand tightened in his, but only for a brief moment. His towering height and -handsomely- sturdy build became an immediate shield between her and anything that could crush her flat within seconds. "Oh! I apologize!" She seemed to shrill a little when she had to dodge out of the way. "I've been dodging wagons, families, and big burly men with unruly beards all day trying not to be trampled. It was instinct. I don't usually have someone else here beside me." She had used this stranger as a human shield! How embarrassing! Anya felt herself groan internally at the event. Flirting: 0. Humiliation: 1. She was a clutz, this was true. Never had she imagined to try such a stunt with another person. Of course, she remembered doing it as a child, but that was a habit she had thought she grew out of in her early teen years. She was unfortunately proven wrong.

"Ahem... um," she cleared her throat and used her free hand to push her hair behind her ear. The bags on her arm slid to her elbow when she did, only to return to her hand once she lowered it. "I am sorry. Tell me some more things about yourself? What is your favorite animal? Your favorite color?" She was trying to recover and keep things going smoothly. Hopefully he wasn't suddenly uninterested in her. Maryana found herself drawn to him and wanted to learn more about him. If she had blown her chance at making friends because she jumped behind him, then perhaps she was destined to be alone for the rest of her life. Always the black sheep. Instead of letting her emotions show, she bit the inside of her cheek and grinned as she continued to ask him a coupe more questions about himself. But did he want to know more about her? She wouldn't tell unless he asked her directly.