She was surprised to hear how agreeable he sounded about his misfortune, but found herself smiling at the thought anyway, infected by his good cheer in spite of it. She had always aspired to be the same - see the bright side.

(A laughable expression, in this dark.)

"Yes, I do, indeed," Sarah answered, meaning to mention yes, with my husband, down in the slums, but finding neither fact particularly thrilling or impressive, neither quite so interesting as newspapers. Instead she perked up at the mention of London, and added instead, "but I work in London, in fact. At the Ministry." She ought to have said as a welcome witch, before she was thought to be bragging, but - "Although, well, you know - there's no way to get to work in the fog, so... not at the moment." She laughed lightly. Only the important people got passes out of the fog on the train.      

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“Do you?” Asha was quick to follow up. Wondering just who he might have stumbled into. “Yes, that is an issue.” One that had stranded him here in Hogsmeade instead of London and his home. “At least you weren’t stuck at work though.” He was quick to add, a half smile on his lips. He realized too late she couldn’t see such a thing and instead gave her hand a gentle squeeze as if that could make up for it.

“And when you aren’t stranded here by the fog, what is it you do at the ministry?” He inquired to keep the dark from seeming to press in on them - or anyone pressing in on them in this fathomless dark.

  

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Amazing Elaine set!

No, as entertaining as the idea was to her here and now, Sarah thought with a sigh, it would have been no better to be stuck at work, away from home like this poor man was. She ought to count her blessings. (She began to, a little, when the stranger - Asha, he had said - gave her hand a brief bolstering squeeze. Sometimes touch was rather more convincing than words.)

The easy manner of conversation did keep her from panicking too much about stumbling around towards the Broomsticks in the dark, too, and she kept up the facade with gusto. Even if that meant admitting the truth of it. How easy it would have been, how tempting, to invent some grand story about the great life she led, some woman who did important things with her life, who had something to show for it. (What a ridiculous idea.) "Oh, I'm a welcome witch," Sarah said, with an abashed little laugh, "so they'll be doing splendidly without me. But perhaps if you ever visit the Ministry for a story," she added, a little fancifully, "I'll see you again at the front desk!"

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“I’m sure the Ministry is quite a bit less welcoming with its welcome witches.” Asha assured her. Not that the few times he had been sent to report on a story in the Ministry he had found it in any way welcoming. But the welcome witches were nice, always with an easy smile and directions. “I’m sure they miss you.” He told her, at least he would have had he had to go to the Ministry at this point. “I do hope if I find myself there again our paths cross again.” He told her cheerfully.

Was that a light up ahead? It was gone so quickly that Asha wasn’t sure he imagined it. But it had almost looked like light spilling from a doorway. They must be getting close now. Although to be honest he had no idea why he might believe that. “Did you see that?” A hint of excitement slipped into his tone at the prospect of safely guiding her to a safer location than the middle of high street.

  

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Amazing Elaine set!

"I'd like that very much," Sarah admitted, at the thought she might one day see him again there. (A foolish thought, that she should be happy to see a stranger again! And a stranger she had not even seen, for all the darkness of the day.) Still, his company had been more of a comfort than she might have hoped, and even his assurances about her position at the Ministry - well-intentioned white lies, as she knew they were - were cheerfully warming.

It had made the blind journey less of a trial, to be sure, and she found herself chuckling lightly - until there was a glimmer of light, and an excited exclamation from her side. "Hurry," she answered, tugging him into a brisker pace to make a beeline for it, conscious that even though the light had dimmed again - perhaps the closing of a door - and haste might cause more trouble, it would be worse to lose their bearings that had been so briefly ignited. "Here!" She said, stretching out a tentative hand and feeling for the door handle to safety.

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The light offered hope and with it the woman began to move quickly toward it, Asha hurried alongside her. He would feel much safer once they were both inside the building. His hands reached out as the sliver of light disappeared, her own fingers tangling with his as they turned the knob of a door.

The light flooded the two of them as they opened a door into a shop, filled with more people than expected. Apparently they weren’t the only ones to seek salvation with the first sign of light. “Perhaps we should stay here until light has broken again?” It wasn’t their destination but it was better than nothing. “I should worry if you tried to continue on your own.” He smiled at her, for the first time noting her appearance. She was pretty that was one thing, but she had been kind, and despite the briefness of their acquaintanceship he felt a fondness and protectiveness for her that was surprising. Perhaps one day, after all this, they might find another once again under better circumstances.

  

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Amazing Elaine set!

Sarah had been going to insist on forging onwards from here - as long as the cut on his hand was not more severe in the light than it had previously appeared - but she took in his suggestion and drank him in hesitantly at the same time, blinking back the intensity of the light after the pitch dark.

He was tall, though she had known that from being beside him in the dark. His hair was dark too, his skin tanned and his eyes pure liquid warmth; but it was his smile, of all things, that convinced her to agree. She felt a prickle of guilt that he should feel any need to worry about her, when she had broken his camera and no doubt ruined his day, but she had also enjoyed his company enough that, selfishly, she would not mind if it stretched out a little longer. “Alright,” she replied, suppressing a smile of her own, “but only because I would worry about you too.” It sounded downright odd, to say to a stranger - Sarah tried not to flush, and remembered the logic of it. It was a practical plan. They would settle comfortably enough in the shop here, and wait it out instead. (Besides, Sarah thought, looking furtively at him again, perhaps one day she could repay him for his kindness by feeding him a good square meal. He looked like he could use it.)

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