Lucas had spent most of the day reviewing files and putting together terrorism puzzle pieces. There were no 'active' missions currently; instead they were just keeping track of all the available data.

The day still dragged, however. Looking outside at 3 o'clock, Lucas realized that he could walk to his meeting with Potter. The London sky, though gray, was quite dry, and the pub was less than two miles from Thames House. "Ruth? I'm off. Need to clear my head before this meeting."

Ruth barely glanced up at him, as papers were spread all over her desk. "Sounds good, Lucas. See you tomorrow, hopefully. Go home after your meet."

Lucas nodded but didn't reply as he quickly packed his bag. Malcolm and Tariq were staring at computer screens, Jo was with an asset, and Ros was nowhere to be seen. He sighed as he left the office.

He had been right to decide to walk, but rather than clearing his head the thoughts continued to swirl. Magic and Muggles and Squibs? And it seemed Harry Pearce really wasn't having him on.

As Lucas strode up the named street, making sure to get there right at 4, he saw a building that didn't fit. It looked squished next to 48 Charing Cross. This was his destination? The exterior looked grimy – even grimier than most of London, if he thought about it. The pub's sign, reading The Leaky Cauldron, swung ominously over the entrance, and waiting under it was a young man. To Lucas, he looked too young. "Auror Potter?" he asked. There was nothing to indicate Potter was magical or of some sort of intelligence service: he was dressed similarly to Lucas in dark jeans and a quality button down shirt. His only other accouterment was a small black messenger bag slung over one shoulder.

"Ah, Mister North. I wanted to be sure you could find the pub. I know you come from Squibs and should be able to see it, but..." he trailed off. "Well, obviously it wasn't a problem. Good. Shall we go in?" He didn't wait to see if Lucas followed him, just pushed the door open and went in. Lucas let his eyes adjust to the light in the dimly-lit pub as he saw Potter talking to the barman and pointing to a back booth.

After they settled into the booth, Potter spoke first, saying, "So Mister North…"

"Lucas."

Potter nodded. "I'm Harry."

"Nice to meet you," Lucas replied. While not quite the most awkward conversation with a fellow intelligence agent in Lucas's experience, this was quickly moving up the list. "I understand your people requested me for this assignment."

Potter nodded and began digging into his messenger bag. "Unlike your colleague Ms. Myers, you have a bit of magic in you. This is the dossier were prepared on your magical origins." He smirked triumphantly when he found the file and slid it across the table to Lucas. "And other items, of course."

"You're just giving this to me? Why?"

"An act of trust. I know that you don't know anything about the wizarding world, and, in fact, have not been in country during the past few…" he paused for a moment before saying, "well, larger than internal wizarding incidents."

Lucas averted his eyes slightly and his left hand reached for his right shirtsleeve to ensure his armband tattoo was covered. It was a nervous tick that he hadn't been able to eradicate from his behavior yet. "I see. You have some thorough researchers, then."

"Well, Sir Harry let us know about Adam, of course, and passed along your name as a potential liaison for us to vet. Apologies it has taken us so long to get back to you, but I understand you've had some issues with the Russians. We have our own issues with the Russians, on the wizarding side, of course, so I understand. But yes, we have some very good researchers."

"I'm afraid all I had to go on were the notes left by Adam, and he, from what I understand, was not in contact with you personally." Lucas sat back in the booth and tried to look calm and nonchalant.

"Yes, well, we had some housecleaning to do, you understand."

Lucas nodded. "So, tell me about yourself. Since I don't have a dossier on you."

Harry smirked again. "Let's see: I just turned 29. I'm an orphan and grew up in the Muggle world before going to school, Hogwarts, in the wizarding world at 11. I'm a bit of a figurehead, celebrity, and 'hero'" – here Potter actually made air quotes with his hands – "in the wizarding world. Did Adam's notes mention the War?"

"Only in general terms."

"Right. Quick overview, then. Voldemort originally rose to power In Britain in the late 1970s. He's a blood purist in his rhetoric: only pure-blooded wizards and witches should live, essentially. And some Muggles can stay as wizarding slaves. Think Nazis for wizards."

Lucas knew that his eyes had widened and he took a breath even as he tried to resist this impulse. And this had been going on while he had been sitting in a Russian prison? A new Hitler that only a certain population of the world would ever know about? It was all too similar to hearing about the attacks on 9/11 and not being able to do anything. "And is this war over?"

"Mostly. There are a few die-hard followers remaining, but most of the big players, including Voldemort himself, are gone, either dead or in the wizarding prison, Azkaban." Harry paused, and Lucas didn't feel the need to fill the silence while the younger man gathered his thoughts. "I'm not anticipating any spillovers into your world, but it is better if your group is prepared. I understand that your… Section - is that the right term? – is primarily concerned with counter intelligence on a domestic level. You aren't quite James Bond, then?" Harry's smile quirked again.

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Not quite. The Home Secretary isn't quite as indulgent." He recognized the joke as trying to get the topic away from the war; there was something that haunted Harry Potter about the experience. "Like your group, we handle issues that are expected to occur on or impact British soil. While we do go abroad, it is usually not quite as glamorous as Mister Bond."

"Yes, I can't imagine James Bond being in a Russian prison for eight years," Potter said, almost reluctantly. Lucas frowned at him as he continued, "I told you our researchers are good."

"Yes. Well." Lucas paused. "I try not to think about it."

"You aren't the only one, you know. For any of it. There are reasons our superiors put us both together for this liaison position."

Lucas took a breath but wouldn't take the bait. "Well, I admit I had been wondering why Harry Pearce tried to convince me I could deal better with wizards than with the Home Secretary."

Potter laughed. "Oh yes, I'd much rather deal with Muggles that politicians." Pausing in thought again, but for only a few moments, Lucas could tell by Harry's eyes the second when he made a decision and began digging into his bag again. "I don't like talking about it either." He pulled a small notebook out of the bag and, like the file, slid it along the table to Lucas. "I don't have a dossier on me, but that will give you an idea of what you're dealing with when being with me. I should have brought a general wizarding history: a friend of mine is writing one aimed to Muggle and 'new-to-the-wizarding-world' populations."

Eager to leave this subject entirely, Lucas said, "How long have you been in the Aurors?"

"This is my fourth year. After Hogwarts, the wizarding school in Scotland, I did an undergraduate degree in the Muggle world before going back to the wizarding world. Two years of training and four years as an official Auror."

Lucas noticed the missing years, but wasn't able to ask a question before their conversation was interrupted by a blonde woman bringing bowls of what looked like stew to the table. "Bless me, you two are looking very intense. Thought I'd bring you and your friend some supper, Harry."

"Hannah!" At this Potter slid smoothly out of the booth and embraced the young woman, whom Lucas assumed was a witch. "You're too kind! And looking lovely as ever."

Hannah took Harry's embrace in stride, but shook her head in indulgence. "You know I won't let you out of here without eating, Harry. Hermione would tell me off if I did, and I'd prefer to avoid that. And your friend is too thin, too." Lucas opened his mouth to protest, but Hannah cut him off, saying, "Can I get you something in particular to drink?"

Harry finally let go of her and said, "Hannah, I'll just have whatever ale you have on tap. And my friend will have the same." He paused for a brief moment before saying, "Hannah, this is my friend Sam. Sam, Hannah and I went to Hogwarts together."

Lucas nodded in reply, said, "Very nice to meet you, Miss Hannah," and winked at her.

She shook her hand at them both and said, "Alright, I'll be back with the ale, but eat up!"

After she walked away, Harry said, "I'll wait until she comes back to reapply it, but I've had us under a modified privacy ward while we have been speaking. Keeps all but the most earnest eavesdroppers out and I would have noticed anyone else. Apologies for giving you a silly name, but I didn't think you'd appreciate me bandying yours about to strangers. Especially as I know that you go undercover and stuff."

"My thanks."

Harry waved his thanks away and proceeded to stuff his face with the stew. "It's good."

Lucas nodded. "It is." They proceeded in silence for the next while, broken only by the arrival of the ale with Hannah and her subsequent swift departure. Both of them drank in the peace and quiet of the pub along with their ale and dinner.

When they finished, Lucas sat back in the booth again. "So Harry, Ros – Ms. Myers – has a great saying for spooks like us. 'Lovers leave, friends annoy you, families mess with your head. Colleagues are okay.' I'd like us to be colleagues."

At that Lucas witnessed Harry's first genuine smile. "I'd like that. Like I said, I'm a bit of a figurehead in the wizarding world and I hate it. I'd like to have someone who knows me as a regular person." At that, Harry thrust his hand out across the table at Lucas. It took less than a heartbeat for Lucas to reciprocate.

"You have my mobile, Harry. Let me know if you need anything," Lucas said as he began to slide out of the booth.

"Would you like to come through to our High Street, Diagon Alley? You need a wand to get into it, so you'll have to be with a witch or wizard if you want to enter."

Lucas turned on his heel after rising out of the booth. "I think I'd like to look through the documents you provided me, first. I appreciate the offer, though, and I'll take you up on it later."

"Lucas, just in case." Harry began digging through his bag again. "I can always contact someone at Thames House to get you a message, but if you need to get in touch with me and can't, here's the mobile number of my researcher friend, Hermione." He handed Lucas a business card. "She doesn't go out into the field."

"Thank you. I'll contact you soon."

"Good to meet you, Lucas."