My Wish (Eli/Kallie)

Kallie stood nervously at the designated spot. She looked good - she knew that. She had spent many of hours doing so. She was neat and presentable, as she always should be.

She was still having second guess about taking the day off. She had left the Dupty Minister in charge but... although the woman was quite a few years Kallie's senior it still felt like leaving her child in the hands of a youth.

What if something went wrong. What if- or-?

Maybe Eli wasn't coming... she wouldn't be surprised. She had been surprised he had bothered to ask to spend time with her again - that was a suprise, not showing up... that would be logical. Even if he didn't know what she did for a living - who she was, for her work truely did define herself - it was still obvious that she was a social anomoly. More comfortable doing-doing...

Well, doing anything but what she wanted.

Sighing, she straighted her skirt, dusted off her light jacket and contented her self to worrying and waiting.

Eli apparated a couple of blocks away from the address he gave to Kallie. He walked along the deserted muggle streets, wearing muggle clothes that he made sure were inconspicuous.

Eventually he found Kallie standing under a streetlamp. She looked breathtaking tonight, and Eli nearly turned around and went home. He knew that he probably wasn't worth her time. Several times as he was walking toward her, Eli considered turning around and leaving. He had never been this nervous before about a date.

Taking a deep breath, Eli walked up to her, trying to seem somewhat relaxed, "Kallie, you look beautiful," he gave her a warm smile, "Are you ready to go?"

Kallie looked up at the sound of footsteps, and there he was. Was it possible that he looked better now, than he had last time?

She blushed, and tucked her long curly hair behind her ear. She had let it go down for once, and it felt odd to her.

"Thank you," she gave him a soft smile, "You are not looking so bad yourself."

Once more she nervously fiddled with her neat jacket, "Yes I am. Where are we going?"

Eli rolled his eyes jokingly, "You really think I'm going to tell you?"

He laughed and held out his hand for her to hold, "You sure you didn't forget anything? I can't exactly turn around half way, now can I?"

"Not even a hint?" she said surprising herself as an easy little smile pulled at her lips. Was this Kallie that was speaking? She didn't usually...

She looked at the offered hand for a moment - feeling completely ridiculous as her mind irrational began to make a bigger deal out of the contact than logic should state - before she moved clasped it with her own. And again felt silly as she fet irrationally happy about such a thing.

It was just a hand... wasn't it?

She gave him a smile, "Do I look like the kind of woman who forgets things?"

Eli shook his head, "Just be patient."

"Just making sure. Okay, let's go. I'm going to apparate... if that's okay." Eli closed his eyes, visualizing the place he had been a couple of summers ago. Then, he took a deep breath, waited for Kallie to do the same, and felt the familiar squeezing sensation that came with apparation.

The feeling of being flattened by a truck disappeared, and Eli felt a gentle, warm breeze blowing against his face. Opening his eyes, he saw that he was standing on a little wooden bridge leading across a flat, silent river. The bridge was followed by a little dirt pathway that led up a hill.

Eli knew that behind the hill was one of the quaintest villages in Italy. He considered this may be a little overboard for a first date, but Eli liked to go all out on things. It always made it more enjoyable in the end.

Kallie fidgeted as she was told to be patient, smiling slightly she refrained from saying she wasn't good at it.

The woman nodded and instinctively held his arm tighter, preparing herself for a trip.

After the usually sensation of being turned into spegetti passed, the young Minister for magic was left to see where they were.

And where they were was...

"Eli," she breathed as she looked about her in wonder. She moved forward on the bridge, pulling Eli's arm along with her for she had completely forgotten to let go of his hand. "This is-is..." she did not have the words for what it was. "Perfect."

Eli broke into a grin as she pulled him along, he was relieved that she liked it.

"I hope not, this is only our first date, after all. If it were perfect there'd be no room for improvement."

He breathed in the clean country air, savoring it as if it were some fine food. It was so different than the smoggy mists of London

Kallie smiled and blushed slightly at the implication that there would be more dates. She thought she might like more dates very much.

"True, but you have set a high bar here," she finally said.

She sighed and leaned on the brige rail as she looked about her.

"Its so... peaceful here," she closed her eyes and enjoyed the way the breeze blew past her face, "How did you find it?"

He looked across the water, watching the way it gently rippled and reflected the stars, "I have a couple of friends that live close by. I spent my last summer vacation here before going off to train to be an Auror," he never got around to finishing his training, Eli had wanted to go back to London so he could take part in the war.

"This isn't even the best part," he gestured towards the path going up the hill, "Walk with me?"

"Oh you took Auror training?" she tilted her head in interest. She after all, knew many aurors. "What stopped you from becoming one?" She could only assume that a man who had time to run a bar did not in fact continue on to be an auror.

"There's more?" She asked with an eager smile and looking about her almost like a child with candy.

She nodded at the request and started up the hill, "Of course."

"Well, ever since all the violence started... I felt like fighting on the right side was more important than being an auror, so I moved out to London. Hopefully, I can finish my training sometime, once I get more people working down at the Cauldron," hoping to get his mind off of politics, he started up the trail as well.

Eli smiled, "And you? What's your occupation? It seems to keep you pretty busy."

"Well that sounds very noble of you Eli," she responded with a soft grin. "Fighting for the cause... and which cause would that be?" She had hesitated to ask such a question, meddling in politics could ruin any socail situation - she should know - however now that they were there...

"Oh me?" she responded hesitatly. She bit her lip, and nervously ran a hand through her hair. She did not wish to lie to Eli, not at all... but she also didn't want to say what she did. She knew the second he knew things would be different, she'd be treated different. It was the way it always went.

She loved being the Minister - in many ways it was the job she was built to do. She could sacrifice her life for the job, and had for quite some time now but now that she had spent just a little bit of time just being Kallie, not the Minister...

She didn't want to give it up.

"I work in the ministry, Russian obviously," she gave a little grin.

Eli rubbed his hand on the back of his neck, not eager to get into politics, "Well, I'm with Protectores Mundi. I just don't like how innocent people are being targeted by the other groups." He looked beside him to see Kallie's reaction. Eli didn't want his political opinions to ruin this.

He snapped his fingers triumphantly, "You work for the government! I knew it!" They were reaching the top of the hill, "I hope you don't mind having to walk just a little bit more."

They had gotten to the top, and Eli could see the many foothills surrounding the small valley through which the river wound. At the center was a little village. All the buildings were made of light brown stone, and the roads were made of deep red brick, all giving it a very warm feel.

Eli knew that it was sort of cliche, but he liked it that way.

Kallie nodded, her face neutral even though inside she was approving a fair bit. As a minister she sympathized with the Mundi merely for the fact that they seemed to hold the largest chance for peace.

As a person, she sympathized with them because she thought they were right.

A small smile slipped onto her face, "That's a very noble cause indeed then. Anyone can attempt to eliminate another race... it takes a lot more too keep two angry people away from each other."

"How could you tell?" She asked giving a small, almost teasing smile. She knew she oozed officalness. It was part of her job, but it was also just how she was. She'd always been a little.... Prim as her mother use to tell her (The other children had less kind names for it).

She looked down at the town and let out another small gasp.

"If that's what we're walking to, I think I can manage."

Eli let out a relieved sigh. His stance on the war had almost completely ruined his social life, and for a moment he had been terrified that Kallie would hate him because of it. Like so many others. Like Elaine, he shook his head. There was no way he was going to so much as think of his sister tonight.

He laughed, "You certainly seem like the administrative type. And you hold yourself as if you were a princess," he hesitated for a moment, "That isn't at all a bad thing, you're just very regal, but not in an arrogant way."

Eli smiled at her reaction. He loved throwing surprises at people.

"A Princess?" she raised her eyebrow. She hadn't heard that one before... well actually she had, but she did not think Eli was intending to use it the way others had.

"Well maybe I am?"

She gave a little teasing smile before slipping forward, and in a fit that was completely unlike her ran down the rest of the hill, laughing as she went.

Eli laughed and ran after her. So she did have an impulsive side after all. He staggered down the hill, not very nimble among all the loose stones in the old pathway. Of course, this only made him laugh harder.

"So," he said once he caught up to her, "Where would you like to go? We could head through the town, maybe get something to eat. Or we could continue along the river, or do you want to walk through the hills?"

Now that they had gotten there he wasn't completely sure what they should do. Eli was only good at planning the first five minutes or so of something. Now he was just winging it. He gave Kallie a bright smile.

"Watch step," she laughed, her accent suddenly coming out stronger through her amusement. "We would not wish for you to fall, no?"

After a moment, she sighed and straightened her dress. A blush coming over her cheeks as she realized what she'd done. She had acted like a child. She had acted without thinking - she could not remember the last time she had done that.

Not even as a child.

"So many choices," she said with a small smile, "We have all day, yes?"

She paused to think out a plan. She was good at plans.

"What do you say, we go get something to eat, and then come back to follow the river? Does that sound okay to you?"

Eli heard her accent glaze over her speech for a little bit. Russian was such a beautiful language, and even her mistakes made her speech seem elegant.

He nodded, excited at the thought of spending all day with her.

He smiled, impressed by her decisiveness, "That sounds perfect."

Kallie smiled and nodded. Plans, and decisions were her thing, there was nothing new for her, there - other than switching it from how to protect a country she was using it for what to do with her day.

She held out her arm with a smile, "Then care to escort a lady into town?"

"It would be an honor," he took her arm and started walking down the smooth stone street, "I apologize that there aren't any very fancy restaurants here, but the food itself is high quality."

He stopped in front of a small building with a sign over it reading, "La Caravella".

Eli opened the door, gesturing towards it with a flourish, "Shall we?"

Kallie laughed slightly and tilted her head, "I believe I will survive. And I did brave your establishment did I not?"

She flashed him a teasing grin before looking about her. The shops and streets wer so quaint.

"I grew up in a place like this you know," she said passingly. "In Finland."

She grinned as he opened the door, and nodded her head before twirling towards the door.

"I believe we shall."

Eli laughed, "True. But in my defense, it's like that to attract tourists. They think it makes it look more historical."

"Did you really?" he noticed her passive tone, "Now this I need to hear."

Eli laughed and followed her into the building, finding a table and pulling out a chair for her, then sitting down himself.

"I can't believe it!" he said, pretending to be shocked, "I'm on a date with a Finnish girl!"

"Excuses, Mr. Patterson," she gave him a headshake, and a teasing grin as she sat into the chair he pulled out for her. "I think you can do better than that."

Kallie shrugged, and leaned forward on the table as she thought about her home town.

"It was... nice," she said slowly, smiling slighlty, "you know, most of the time. You go to know everyone, it was kind of like a large family, sometime." She fiddled with the table and grimanced, "Of course, there was always a downside - small towns never let you have a secret."

She laughed a bit and smiled at him, feeling oddly confident, she leaned a little closer on the table, and almost smirking.

"Well," she went on in Finnish, quite confident he'd have no idea what she was saying, "I can't believe I'm on a date at all."