TWIN FLAMES. . . theseus scamander

six.

CHAPTER SIX
A Painful Touch
November 1907.

     "If it isn't my favourite assistant!" Torquil cheered, perceiving Elska walking out of the lift. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and said. "You are a bit late, darling."

"I always come at this hour, Torquil," Elska argued with a frown. "You've got a meeting at nine, what are you doing here?"

Torquil sighed, "Well, I was looking for you, dear Elska. You are supposed to be with me," he muttered, leading her to the meeting room. "Now, come," he added, pushing the doors as he apologised for his delay and sat down.

Elska had no choice but to mimic him. She didn't even have the chance to take off her coat or put her lunch box in the office. Now, she looked like a fool who was late at work. There were some men she recognised around the table; she had grown accustomed with over the past few weeks. Besides, Torquil had taken the time to introduce her to every special person at dinners.

Another surprising thing, Torquil was very gentle with her. He behaved like a father and a superior when needed, but Elska had somehow glued an etiquette on his forehead with 'father figure' written on it. If Elska had the chance to have a mother figure in her life after the death of her parents, she would not have been very lucky in the father figure department considering Newt and Theseus' father had died when they were very young. But Torquil filled the position perfectly.

"Who are we seeing today?" Torquil asked his colleagues as one of them perched himself above his list, smacked his lips and answered a name that Elska wished she had forgotten by now. "Mr. Scamander? Surprising. Why is that?"

"He wishes to see us," the man replied with a shrug.

"Right, send him in then," Torquil told him as he nodded. Torquil then leaned closer to Elska, "How about we have lunch at the Hopping Pot, Elska?"

Elska breathed out, humming, "Why not, eh?"

Shaking her head, she tried to hide her shaky hands by putting them under the table but all she could was stare at the double doors waiting for Theseus to walk in. Elska had been lucky enough to not see him since she had started–he was busy as an Auror and she was thankful for that. It was somehow bound to happen.

All of a sudden, Theseus stepped in the room and apparently, he didn't expect Elska to be there because he frowned as soon as his eyes settled on her. Torquil was whispering something in her ear that she couldn't even hear, it was immediately translated as a buzz. Elska watched as Theseus dragged the chair in front of her and sat down. His blue eyes stared right into hers and she was not able to look away.

"Theseus, what a pleasure to see you," Torquil cheered with a smile. One that he had mastered over the years, it didn't seem even genuine. "What is bringing you here?"

"Concerning Cassius Rakepick, we believe he is hiding somewhere in Germany–do we tell the German Ministry of Magic or do we go there ourselves?"

"Well, I assume your superior will know how to deal with this," Torquil said.

Elska leaned closer and whispered, "He can't. He's on a sick leave, sir."

"Sick leave?" He exclaimed as Theseus shrugged, his lips forming a thin line. "Oh well, I reckon you can go there if you are sure of yourself, Mr. Scamander. Take a few men with you, will you?"

"Am I allowed to choose any man in the Auror office?"

"Surely," Torquil replied, laying a hand on Elska's shoulder. "Go with him and do a list, will you?"

Elska opened her mouth to argue but she suddenly remembered that there were in a room full of people, "Of course, sir," she muttered, rising to her feet and saying goodbye to everyone with a nod of head and a smile. "Mr. Scamander, please," Elska added, noticing Theseus was still on his chair.