Scars and Bruises

Apology

NOAH.

Alex stood by big filing cabinet and flipped through some ministry file. Noah stood in the doors and watched her; Alex had not noticed yet his presence.

"Hi!" he greeted in quiet voice, but loud enough for Alex to hear him.

Noah saw how her body tensed; she had recognized his voice. She slowly lifted her head but did not turned around to look at him. He waited for something to happen, because he had not seen her for almost a year, and the last time they met was not very nice.

Alex slowly turned around and looked him straight in the eyes; Noah did everything he could not to look away. He felt that he needed to endure her stare, which was full of surprise and blame. Alex slowly lifted one of her eyebrows, still looking at Noah.

"Hello," she replied politely.

Silence. Noah realized that he did not knew what to say, he was ashamed and lost for words. He perfectly knew that he had acted like blithering idiot, and Sirius was right – Alex deserved an apology. But he was almost sure that he didn't possessed the power to say those words of apology, especially now when he saw those honey brown eyes where, oh how much, resentment and anger played.

"What are you doing in England? Because I remember very clearly what you said to me, that you are not planning on coming back here," Alex said simply.

"I needed to see Moody," Noah answered with relief that Alex has stopped this silence.

"He is not here, I think he is at the Order's headquarters," Alex stated, turned around and closed the filing cabinet.

"I know, I have already met him," Noah ran his hand through his light brown hair.

"Then what are you doing here?" Alex asked a little annoyed, she grabbed her coat, she was preparing to leave.

"I wanted to see you, I think I owe you an apology," Noah confessed.

Alex truly looked surprised, she slightly moved her head to one side and continued to look at Noah, but she said nothing. Noah felt how with every passing second he got even more and more nervous. He wanted her to say something, react somehow, but she did nothing – just stood and watched him.

"Can I buy you a firewhiskey at Leaky Cauldron?" Noah suggested, hoping that Alex would agree.

She slightly bit her lip, trying to figure out what to answer to his proposal.

"Fine," she agreed.

Noah smiled a bit, fact that Alex agreed to talk to him made him feel a little easier, and made him think that maybe this evening would not be a tragedy.

*

Noah got out of the fireplace in Leaky Cauldron, just for a split second he doubted if even Alex had followed him, but moment later she, surrounded by green flames, stepped out of the fireplace.

"I'll get the drinks," Noah said and went to the bar, while Alex sat by the table in far corner of the pub.

While bartender prepared their drinks, Noah turned around and looked at Alex. She sat by the table and looked at her hands, which she had rested on the table. And suddenly Noah didn't understood how he could leave her a year ago.

Tom handed the drinks to Noah, and he went to Alex. He put the drinks down and sat across from her. Silence. Again this damned silence, this silence did not resemble even in the slightest that silence which was so familiar when they were still together.

"How are you?" Noah could not stand this silence; he needed to say something, anything. "I mean your injury on your side?" he added a little quieter.