"Late? That's certainly rare."
Scrimgeour moved his gaze from his pocket watch and turned to look at the mist pressed against the windowpane. A rare hint of worry appeared on his young face. Ever since the Dementors had sided with Lord Voldemort, those damned creatures had been drifting all over Britain, brazenly feeding on Muggles' happy memories and multiplying without end, eventually creating these strange mists. Yet the Ministry of Magic could do nothing about it.
Even the Muggles had noticed something was wrong. It was late June, yet the sky was filled with cold mist... No matter how one looked at it, it was abnormal.
Scrimgeour lifted his black tea and took a sip when he heard faint footsteps beside him. He slowly turned around and looked at the stranger seated opposite him, quickly realizing who the other person was.
To ensure the meeting's safety, both of them had used Polyjuice Potion to disguise themselves as Muggles.
Two young people meeting in a drink shop for tea and conversation was clearly the most ordinary thing in the world. No wizard would waste their limited time and energy on Muggles.
"I hope I haven't kept you waiting too long." Albert gave Scrimgeour an apologetic smile.
"About five minutes." Scrimgeour did not care about his lateness. He suspected Albert had only come after repeatedly confirming that the surroundings were safe.
In fact, Scrimgeour had guessed correctly. Albert had arrived even earlier than Scrimgeour, but for safety's sake, he had not shown himself right away. He had first made sure the area was safe before meeting Scrimgeour.
"To apologize for being late, it's on me today." Albert turned to the waitress. "One cappuccino."
Only after the girl had walked away did Scrimgeour shift his attention back to the unfamiliar young man before