Elixa's leg twitched rhythmically beneath the table as she forced a smile at Zeke, who sat beside her. It wasn't that she couldn't smile, and didn't want to, it was that she felt a fraud for her sudden request to see him when he was busy. It was only noon, but she had already drunk one firewhiskey before him at the table. She licked her lips, her throat dry. The Sword and Chant seemed too quiet, as if every word she spoke was with a sonorous spell.

"Busy day?" She asked quietly, thought the question was rhetorical. The aurors were always busy, and she'd decided not to go to the Ministry directly because she was almost scared of what she'd got herself accidentally mixed up in. Her eyes flitted over his appearance in his official robes. She had been so very glad to see him back in March when someone had tried to hold her at wandpoint in the dark store at the hospital apothecary. Since then, she'd made regular excuses to see him, buy him drinks, feeling that she owed him for a year or more to come.

"Sorry for the last minute owl - I erm, didn't know of anyone else I could trust." Her fingernails tapped against the empty glass before her. She pushed it away and swallowed audibly.
"There is a patient at the hospital, brought in overnight." She explained, expecting that Zeke was already fully appraised, "Werewolf bite, early sixties, wizard." She looked to him for recognition. "Distant, distant relative. Well, second cousin, once removed. He's not awake yet to talk, but I guess you've heard." Elixa brought her hands into her lap.
"It's stupid really, but I think I might have done something I shouldn't have - thinking I was helping a friend. I just needed to explain, I don't know, to make it right, if I can."

When Elixa invited him for drinks that after noon and the Sword and Chant, Zeke didn't think anything of it. They'd been meeting up for coffee or lunch here and there since March. He'd been developing feeling for her. Whether they were simply platonic or romantic, he couldn't decide just yet. He knew that he definitely had positive feelings towards her and he had no problem sitting and having a drink with her periodically. It took him a while into his first drink to realize their was something wrong. Well, not wrong, just, not right. Elixa's body language read anything but relaxed. She made quiet small talk.

"Busy day?"

"Very busy, everyone's rushing around the Ministry, trying to put together clues about the Werewolf Games, as they're being called." Zeke thoughtfully ran his ring finger along the edge of the glass, "That and I caught an illegal potions dealer in a foot chase. Three for three already this week." Zeke looked up from his drink, he knew what that face meant.

"He's not awake yet to talk, but I guess you've heard."

"Storm. Right." Zeke put his elbow on the table and rested is chin on his knuckles in a casual manner. "I didn't know. I'm sorry you're family has to go through this." He said sympathetically and put his hand down halfway across the table. He'd seen his fair share of trauma.

"It's stupid really, but I think I might have done something I shouldn't have - thinking I was helping a friend. I just needed to explain, I don't know, to make it right, if I can."

"Elixa?" Zeke raised his eyebrows, "What did you do exactly?" Zeke had the feeling he'd be filling out a lot of paperwork after this.

"I got a message, really early this morning, by owl. It was from Johann. You know him right?" She asked, reaching for Zeke's hand suddenly. "Speaks a hundred and two languages, level five at your place. He sent me a message from the hospital, saying he needed me." Elixa licked her lips, took a breath, "We're close - not like us-that - like, friends from when we went to school." She squeeze Zeke's hand without realising.

"So I went. He was sat on the edge of the roof. Thought he was going to jump off when I found him, scared me half to death, Zeke." Her eyes were fearful as she explained, "He wanted to get out of there, I mean, he didn't go into details, but I got that he'd had a horrible night. He was in a right state, so I took him home to Diagon Alley, where I live. You know, so he could rest." She reached a hand up and drew her black hair away from her face, blushing.

"He wasn't meant to leave the hospital - I found out later, but he's gone. I went back to find him and he'd vanished. I don't know what's going on, and if I've just mucked everything up. I mean, you've just called it the werewolf games - what's he done, Zeke?"

"Johann Storm, yes, we are antiquated." Zeke squeezed Elixa's hand back reassuringly, not even sure when her hand had gotten into his. He was immediately regretting his vague mention of werewolves. He rubbed the back of his neck where a myriad of scars had been for the past few months, when he'd first met Elixa. She was being bashful and trying not to allude to anything that may have done on with Johann Storm, but Zeke didn't mind at all, he was more concentrated on the young Storm's escape from the hospital.

Zeke didn't even know what to stay. He was still trying to register what Elixa was telling him. Johann Storm was missing from the hospital, he was missing from the investigation, he was missing period. Not only was Johann in an altered emotional state, but he was probably suffering from the worst kind of shock. "Joh has seen some terrible terrible things in the past few hours, " Zeke started to explain, put his other hand on top of Elixa.

"I'm not really sure if i can tell you this, but because he's family, and because it concerns both him and you, I'm going to tell you what's going on." He absently rubbed her fingers with his thumb, "Someone is running an underground werewolf fighting ring. They are finding werewolves that would normally be under Ministry protection during that time, and kidnapping them. They put them in a cage with a muggle during a full moon and place bets." Zeke closed his eyes, trying not to visualize it. "Wolfgang got in between the werewolf and the muggle and was bitten-"

Zeke exhaled sharply, "And Johann watched it happen. Now, I don't know how much he saw, but healers and aurors who saw him last night said that he was deeply shaken by what he saw, whatever it was." Zeke patted the witch's hand. "He's a key part of understanding what happened last night. We need to find him." He was going into auror mode.

"When was the last time you saw him, and is there anywhere that he'd go to get away? A family lodge in the country? A close friend's house? Anything. He's scared, that much we know, and he's alone."

"I'm not really sure if I can tell you this…" Zeke began and Elixa's gaze intensified, her dark eyes widening as he explained. She almost pulled her hand from his at his words, but put her other hand to her face with shock.

"I thought, I thought they'd just been in the wrong place. Oh Merlin, how horrible! I don't know what to think, why on earth was he and his father at such a thing? I don't understand, Johann's got friends who are werewolves!" Her free hand pressed against her cheek, her eyes wide, startled by this revelation.

"When was the last time you saw him, and is there anywhere that he'd go to get away? A family lodge in the country? A close friend's house? Anything. He's scared, that much we know, and he's alone." Zeke's tone had changed a little, he was asking her proper questions. Elixa looked back to him properly, trying to focus on what he was asking.

"At my house, Diagon Alley, about six this morning. I took him from the hospital, side-along apparated to Diagon, let him in. Told him to wash, get some sleep and I'd come back and check on him when I got a chance to get lunch. But I went back there, at about nine, and he'd gone. His cousin, Ignan, the Hogwarts Professor - he was looking for him too. It didn't look he'd even used the bathroom or anything. Like he'd just taken off again after I left for work." She pressed a hand to her forehead. "I suppose he just wanted my help to get out of the hospital. Oh I'm such an idiot, I shouldn't have done that. He's in so much trouble." The apothecary shook her head, feeling such a fool and very used by her old friend.

"He could be anywhere. He knows such a lot of people, Zeke. Not just in this country either. He's good at running away. He could be out of the country by now - he'd know how to. But, I don't know, he barely spoke to me. There's Hannah Bombay, she's a healer, Creature Injuries, though she wouldn't be on duty, full moon you see, and Colin Downer, Johann lived with him for a long time - he's an unspeakable, but he'd have been in a safe house all night too. And he can't be at his cousin Ignan's, otherwise he wouldn't be looking for him - unless he's gone to the place his parents were renting in Knockturn? See, there's a hundred places he could go." She threw her hands up. "I'm a bloody idiot! I'm so sorry Zeke."

"...Johann's got friends who are werewolves!"

Zeke's gaze focused, this case was getting more complicated by the minute. He listened intently and tried not to think too badly of Elixa. After all, she was just trying to help out a friend, an innocent mistake, but a mistake big enough to blow the case until Wolfgang woke up and could give them any information. Zeke made a mental checklist to talk to Professor Storm, how the name still chilled him to the bone. Zeke patted her hand, "It's not your fault, you couldn't have known he was going to bolt like a bat out of hell." Zeke released Elixa's hand and started to tap the table with his fingerpads.

"Trouble? Maybe. It depends on why he's running." Zeke could hate to have to use legilimens on such a knowledgeable mind such as Johann's, every person was different, some came out of sessions like normal, some came out like vegetables. Zeke didn't want to see Johann's brilliant mind be confined to a fruitcake body, and hoped that when they found him, if they found him, he would be cooperative and tell the truth.

"He's good at running away. He could be out of the country by now - he'd know how to."

Zeke was ready to kick himself. "We'll contact his relatives and close friends, not so close friends, former schoolmates, and coworkers, and we'll be sure to get to that place in Knockturn."

"There's Hannah Bombay, she's a healer, Creature Injuries, though she wouldn't be on duty, full moon you see, and Colin Downer..."

Zeke pulled a pad of paper from his pocket and jotted down the Names and quickly stuffed it back into his jacket.

"I'm a bloody idiot! I'm so sorry Zeke."

"Hey, don't beat yourself up about this, like I said, you couldn't have known. We can go looking for him as soon as I get this new information to MLE."

"Sure, they'll both have been in safe houses last night, oh Merlin I'm not sure who else he'd feel ok to turn to if he wanted to hide." She knotted her fingers together.

"I hope you find him soon, I've got to get back to work, but I'll see what I can find out from people. Will you let me know when you find him? I mean, even if you - you know - arrest him - just so I know he's safe?"

Her features were tense and despite his words, she continued to internally blame herself for being stupid that morning.

"Zeke," she added tentatively, "I'm sorry that we had to meet for this reason, I had hoped the next time I'd see you it was for a drink, you know, rather than more work stuff for you." Elixa sighed and pushed her black hair back from her face, the hair beginning to wriggle out of the bun it was tied in for work.

"I've got to get back to work, but I'll see what I can find out from people."

"Thank, you're a peach." Zeke stood from his seat and paid for their drinks with a few sickles on the table.

"Will you let me know when you find him? I mean, even if you - you know - arrest him - just so I know he's safe?"

"Absolutely, I'll tell you as soon as I can, try not to worry." Zeke himself was worried. He pulled his cloak of the back of the chair and clipped it around his neck.

"I'm sorry that we had to meet for this reason"

"I'm glad you told me, he would probably be in a lot more trouble if you didn't. Thanks for being honest Lix." Zeke held the door open for Elixa and gave a small wave to the barkeep as they stepped out onto Diagon Alley.

End