Usually, the store was his little hideaway from the real world. A place where he could enter the realm of the book he chose and just ignore the fact that there were things happening right outside the door.  But when Liam woke that day, in the early afternoon, he looked out his window and saw that the sun was shining brightly.  Now, most days, he wouldn't mind. But he had been told by a couple old friends that he needed to enjoy the fresh air more, and so he decided to do something he almost never did - close the store.

He got dressed and smiled as he spotted the compass on the bookshelf by the door that led downstairs.  He'd found it, the namesake of his store.  The yelling compass.  He'd had a slow day and he went searching for it, finally finding behind a pair of ear-muffs that made no sense at all because they were covered in holes.  The rest of the day had been spent trying it out.  Liam couldn't help but laugh at some of the things it would say. "You're going the wrong way!" and "Not that way you mangy git."

Making his way downstairs, he sat the compass on the counter, hearing it's complaint, "I'm not a quaffle you know." and headed out the door into the street.  He locked the door and then set his security ward.  Just a low level shock if someone tried to break in, he didn't want to hurt people. After making sure his wand was secure, he meandered off down the Alley, not looking for anyone or anything in particular.  Just out enjoying the day.

Lexus had the day off. Or rather she was told to go home. She  apparently wasn't allowed to work sixteen days in a row - especially when most of those days were 12+ hours. She wasn't exactly happy about it but she did suppose she should use the time to get some shopping done. Her apartment was modestly furnished and not at all decorated. Her waredrobe consisted of a single carry on suitcase full of clothes - since she was rarely out of her Healer's robes - and her fridge was bare. For someone that had been in the country for nearly seven months you'd think she had only arrived yesterday.

Laden down with shopping bags Lexus was on the lookout for somewhere to eat. When she wasn't spending all her time on her feet treating patients, pesky things like an appetite tended to rear it's ugly head. She supposed she could make her way down to Death & Co. but she'd most certainly end up with a liquid lunch rather than anything substantial. Unfortunately the rumbling in her stomach made her even more aware of just how little she actually knew about her new home.

She bit her lower lip, sparkling emerald eyes scanning the crowd amoungst the store fronts. Most of those about seemed to be busy going about their regular day to day business but there was one man, a little older looking than herself, who wasn't moving with the pace of someone with a purpose.

"Excuse me?" She called out before coming to his side, "Sorry to bother you but do you know a good place to eat around here?" Her stomach decided to rumble loudly at that exact moment to accent her point. It caused a small bit of colour to rise to her cheeks. She wasn't exactly easily embarrassed but she also wasn't the best with social interaction lately.

Liam heard someone ask a question, but being himself and completely out of the loop on proper social interaction, he said, "Who me?" He turned to see a woman standing there laden with shopping bags and then he heard her stomach make an interesting noise.  "Oh, um..." he began in true Liam fashion, "I suppose there is, but I am afraid you have walked up to the only person in the Alley today that genuinely can't help you."

It was then that Liam realized that he probably should head to eat something as well, considering he hadn't eaten anything since he woke up. "I would normally be of much more help, but my field of expertise is hard to find books, not places to eat." He looked from one end of the Alley to the other, well, as far as he could see anyway, "We could walk til we find something?" he suggested. [1]

1.	I am sorry it's short.

Lexus let out a soft wry chuckle. Of course, it was just her luck that the one person she had approached was the least likely to be able to help. At least he was honest and polite about it. Would have made the situation go from awkward to possibly hostile had he been rude about it. Lexus didn't take kindly to those that were rude to her. Something she had picked up over the years as a bartender and then a Healer. She had very little patience for it and it made it easier to give into the wolf when giving an equally rude response. Polite awkwardness however, she had no idea how to react to.

"I'm rarely out of the hospital so I hardly know the area." She could relate at least a little bit to him. She hadn't spent much time socializing and familiarizing herself with the area. At least her accent was an instant tip off that she wasn't from the area. Made her lack of knowledge a little easier to understand.

While he suggested they go for a walk Lexus nodded with a smile. No harm in searching together, kept her from looking out of place. Walking alone looking lost drew attention, walking with a partner looking lost more or less just looked like most couples nowadays, neither being able to decide which direction they wanted to go. A small smile touched her lips as she remembered wandering the streets of Muggle Toronto, trying to convince Hunter he needed to experience her world. In a sense wandering the little Wizarding alley made her feel more lost than if she had been wandering the muggle streets just blocks away.

"I think I saw an ice cream shop and I know of a few pubs but neither really offer 'Lunch'"

He looked at her, hands full of shopping bags and looking a little unsure of what to do.  He said, "Well, there are two options, we could just wander around the Alley until we find somewhere suitable, or you could shrink your shopping and we can hit muggle London.  They've always got some good stuff there."

As soon as Liam said it, he realized she may not want to go into muggle London, it wasn't for every wizard, but Liam didn't mind.  He found some pretty cool books and odd trinkets at something called a thrift store and he really couldn't get enough of their restaurants. He began to babble, "That is, if you want to, I mean, you don't have to.  If you want to, you could put your bags in my shop and ..." he stopped... he didn't want to make decisions if she wasn't going to be comfortable with suggestions. 

And he didn't really know her anyway.

To say that Lexus leaped at his suggestion would be an overstatement but there was a rather noticeable wave of relief that washed over her. It wasn't that she didn't like the little wizarding alley but she was always more comfortable in muggle locations. Even though she had spent most of her teenage life and all of her adult life fully submersed in the Wizarding World there was still a certain amount of comfort to be found amoungst muggles.

She gave him a brief nod and retrieved her wand. With a few flicks her shopping bags seemed to collapse into themselves and turned into one singular over the shoulder styled messenger bag. She hefted the strap over her head and allowed the bag to sit comfortably over her shoulder, coming to rest against her hip. Even if she hadn't been planning on going out for lunch she should have done this earlier. It made shopping so much easier. She had become so accustomed to wand less magic and potions she often forgot just how much she actually could do with her wand.

"I think that's a great suggestion." She chewed on her lip a moment. She didn't know this guy from any other stranger in London but she needed to socialize outside the Hospital and this was certainly affording her the opportunity to do so, "My name's Dale, uh Lexus, my name's Lexus." She felt colour on her cheeks again, "Sorry I'm used to everyone calling me by my last name." Between all the Aurors and Healers in her life Lexus rarely heard anyone call her by her first name, except for family.

"If you're interested, I'd like the company." There had been a sort of unspoken agreement between the two that they'd be searching for food together but she felt she should let it be known that she wouldn't be against him sharing that meal with her once they had found somewhere. She supposed it was weird to be approached by a complete stranger and invited out for a meal but weird was sort of her specialty.

Liam watched as she used her wand to shrink her bags and then heard her ask if he'd like to join her.  He hadn't been to lunch anywhere in such a long time, he wasn't sure if he even remembered manners.  He liked the solitude of his flat above his shop and well, just being outside of it was enough to make him start to panic.  But he had come outside, the weather was beautiful and here was a young woman talking to him and he might as well make the most of it.

"Sure, why not." he said, "I know there are several things to choose from in the muggle world." He had quite a fondness for cheeseburgers, but he kept that little tidbit to himself.  "Well, shall we?" he asked, his upbringing coming out in him as he offered her his arm.

Lexus hesitated as he offered his arm but only briefly, barely noticeable. He was being a gentlemen. She had almost forgotten what that was like. It wasn't that Hunter had never been a Gentlemen, she was just so used to be feared, ostracized or even flat out ignored. It was refreshing. It was also rather needed. With her patients she could be distant, disconnected and Professional, emotions were how Healers made mistakes. With her colleagues it was pretty much the same and she hadn't really gone out of her way to make friends. Becoming a workaholic had been a coping mechanism and it had worked, it was still working. However, cutting herself off from the world wasn't going to help her grieve.

She linked her arm around his and nodded, "You know, I never thought to ask anyone, with the Leaky Cauldron still closed what's the best way to get to the muggle streets from here?" Lexus had only used the entrance once before the old pub had exploded but she had been given the whole history of the place the first night she arrived. Her Uncle had given her a cursory tour of Diagon to try and make her feel more comfortable about living in the Wizarding neighbourhood. She didn't have the heart to tell him she would have preferred a simple flat in Muggle London instead. Getting to and from work, she usually just used the Floo Network. She supposed having a hearth was one benefit of having a Wizard's Apartment.

She followed his lead as they began to walk, though she wasn't sure if he had any real destination in mind. She tried to think if she knew any places. She was pretty sure she had seen a McDonalds and a Burger King along Charing Cross Road but was also sure she had seen a few steak houses. She could certainly go for a nice rare steak over some over cooked processed burgers. She used to be such a fast food eater as a kid and teenager. She had found soon enough the wolf was not a fan of overcooked, heat lamped meats.

She gave Liam a cursory glance, "You don't strike me as the type that spends too much time amoungst muggles."

Concealing the flinch as she looped her arm through his and they set off down the alley, Liam had quite forgotten what it was like to be in civilized company.  He was so used to the characters in his books that real people just seemed so lackluster. 

"I thought the Cauldron was back open." he mentioned as they neared the mentioned establishment.  "Yes, I think it is. And as I know no other way to get to Muggle London other than Apparition, I am afraid that we shall have to do this the old-fashioned way." Liam thought to himself, 'That was more words than I've said to someone that wasn't a friend, or a customer.' "After you m'lady." he said as he held the door to the Cauldron open and followed her inside.

He paid no mind to who was or wasn't in the Cauldron, he just made his way to where the doorway was and opened it up, hoping he hadn't left Lexus behind, he wasn't too good at remembering everyone when he was attempting to socialize. "I don't necessarily spend my time amongst muggles, I tend to go for their thrift stores.  You can find such wonderful treasures there for next to nothing." He told her and then remembered something.

 "If I remember correctly there is a decent restaurant close by," he began looking around, "Ah yes, there it is.  What do you think?"

A light touch of colour came to her otherwise pale cheeks, "Oh really?" She gave a soft chuckle at her own expense, "I really do need to get out more often." To her credit the pub had only been opened again for less than a week. It could have been worse. Had the historic location been reopened for months she would have felt incredibly silly. Without another word on the subject she followed him into the pub. Smiling as he opened the door for her, again with all the gentlemen like behaviour. Was he a special case or was she just so detached from those around her that she had missed out on how men her age acted?

Stepping inside the restored pub she took her time walking through. It looked as though the place had never had a problem. The old pub was light and lively (well as lively as to be expected on a Friday afternoon) She gave an unsteady smile to the few patrons that were having their own lunches - many of which were of the liquid variety - but there was still a sense of unease in her. Perhaps it had all felt too recent for her. She could still smell the fire, feel the heat, hear the screams for help. She had been in the thick of it, had been sitting right at the bar when the explosions erupted. Her instincts had kicked in and she was helping the wounded before backup arrived.

Lexus picked up her step as she realizes Liam had already crossed through and was holding the door open for her. She gave him a small sheepish grin. She hadn't meant to linger and she wasn't about to draw attention to it if he wasn't. It was easy enough to say that she was a Healer and had helped when the pub was attacked. No need to go into detail about how she had been affected by the events.

Out on Charing Cross Road she took a deep breath and reveled in the copious amounts of smells it had to offer. She often suppressed her heightened senses (so much as one could through mental conditioning) but in certain circumstances, like trying to rid her thoughts of bad memories, it helped to take it all in. Embrace the wolf to distract herself.

She looked to the restaurant he had mentioned and her stomach responded accordingly. She smirked again, "Yeah that'll do just fine." She could smell the kitchen from where they stood, it was definitely acceptable.

"Shall we then?" he asked his companion for the moment and walked towards the door and held it open.  He really should stop being such a gentleman, but he was raised this way and it was so ingrained into his subconscious that he only forgot when he was completely smashed, and even then it was still present, just muted.

He'd been here several times before and the owner knew him well. Even gave him the best table most times because Liam had found a book he'd been wanting to get for his daughter, but couldn't find it anywhere.  Liam had dug for two months in muggle shops and wizard ones alike until he'd found the book.  He was rewarded by having the owner know him by name.

"Liam, good to see you." came the owner's voice from behind the bar[1] where he stood. Liam waved and walked over to have a chat with him, forgetting momentarily that he'd left his companion behind.  When Liam came back he looked at her, "I apologize, I haven't been here in a few months and the owner was about to set a search party for me."

"My table's over here." he said and began walking to a table towards the window.

1.	I assume there is one

As she walked into the restaurant Lexus took in a deep breath. She closed her eyes and savoured the overwhelming smell of grilled and raws meats. Oh yes, this would do just fine. She hadn't tried the restaurant before but she made a mental note of where it was located. If it turned out to be as good as it smelled she would definitely be back. It was surprisingly hard to find a place that didn't mind serving their steaks on the more rare side. She tended to stick more to the smaller, self owned pubs. Ones where befriending the owners, meant a little extra special treatment, or even a few off the menu items.

She gave an appreciative smile to the man behind the bar. Up until that point she didn't actually know her companion's name. She hadn't complained about it, she certainly would have said something if it bothered her but it was nice to know all the same. As he spoke with the man, she occupied herself but taking in the atmosphere. The hanging overhead lights, the long wooden tables and stools. It wasn't too busy having been a little later than your typical lunch rush. Lexus never really adhered to a proper eating schedule and found eating out at off hours was much more preferable to eating in large crowds.   

She waved off his apology, "No problem, I used to be a Bartender, I know what it's like."

She took a seat at his pre-assigned table, smirking at the creature of habit in front of her. She had a few regulars like that back in her day. They always sat at the same table, or the same stool. She found more people were like that than they liked to admit. It was one of the first things she had noticed when meeting Hunter. He always sat at the same stool, ordered the same drink and on the few occasions he actually ordered food, it was always the same.

Lexus smiled as the vintage clad waitress brought them water and a bowl of popcorn to munch on. She ordered her steak as rare as they allowed her to and let Liam order to his own preference, "so if you're on such good terms with the staff, what's kept you away so long?"

As he made himself comfortable at the table, Liam heard her question.  He thought about his reason for staying away and now that he thought about it, it really seemed silly.  He ordered his steak medium well and then turned to Lexus, "I'm not usually a social person, I come here when I'm out searching for new books for my shop.  Lately I've kind of holed up in my shop as I just didn't have a good reason for leaving the store."  He fidgeted with his napkin and moved the fork a little.  "I do that alot."

"So, since we've not really spoken since we ran into each other.  I'm Liam as you may have heard, I run the Yelling Compass, just a quaint little book/oddities shop. I don't believe I caught your name."  He smiled at her, here he was, socializing. His friends would be so proud.

She took a drink of her water and nodded along with his explanation. She could actually relate, more than most she supposed. She didn't exactly consider going to work socializing. She got along well enough with the other Healers but it wasn't as if she went out with any of them afterwards. Even when she was out at the pubs after a shift she was really just there to drink enough to fall asleep. Somehow drinking out in public to forget the nightmares seemed more acceptable than drowning her sorrows by herself back in her flat.

"I can get that. I'm pretty much the same. It's mostly just work for me."

Lexus gave him a smile as he finally introduced himself. She had a fleeting thought of how this chance encounter reminded her of a blind date her friends had set her up on during her senior year. It hadn't been a completely disaster per se but there certainly hadn't been a second date. Not that this was a date. Just two rather socially awkward people having lunch together. Nothing to see here, move along.

"Dale." She offered, "well at least that's what everyone calls me." So much of her days were spent at the Hospital and so many before that were spent with Auror friends she had become accustomed to people calling her by her surname, "I'm a Healer at St Mungo's, so I don't really get out much myself. I also just moved here from Canada, so I'm also not too familiar with the place either." She munched on some more popcorn, "So rare books eh? I might have to check that out. I have a soft spot for potion books."