Common Good

Dinner For Two

"Percival, where are you taking me?" Anastasia laughed as he covered her eyes. 

"You'll know it by the smell. Well I hope you will." He smiled, gazing at the stunning woman in front of him. Yes he knew she was the sister of Gellert Grindelwald. And at the moment he was a threat. But that wasn't about to stop Percival, who only wanted to see Anastasia happy. 

"Stasia?" 

"Mmm?" Anastasia decided to say nothing about the nickname. Traditionally only Gellert ever called her that, but she found herself making an exception. "Are you going to let me see?" 

"Only after you know it by the scent." He tapped her nose, "You don't usually like surprises do you?" 

"Is it that obvious?" This made Percival bark with laughter, "All right, I'll let you see." 

"Wait, I know that scent, that's..." She stopped, home. It was the smell of home. Her mother was dancing around the kitchen preparing dinner. Anastasia raced after Gellert, chasing him to get her book back. Their father would walk in the door now from the Deutsches Ministerium für Magie. He would take her book from Gellert and give it back, Gellert would smile mischievously. They would sit down together as a...

Anastasia came out of her trance, "That's the most delicious thing you could ever taste! Königsberger klopse, Schnitzel, and is that Maultaschen? Must be." She faked a smile, that Percival seemed to buy. 

"I don't have any idea what you just said." Percival said to her. "Actually, really what did you say?"

"They're common German dishes. Königsberger klopse is meatballs in a creamy white sauce with capers. Schnitzel is breaded and fried meat cutlets. Sometimes veal or turkey, maybe pork. And Maultaschen is... Well think  ravioli but with  fillings that run the gamut from savory to sweet and meaty to vegetarian." 

"German? Wait, you're German?" Percival didn't actually think about this, he had thought he would reveal it as a surprise with her having no idea. 

"What, you thought I lived in England? German, pure and proud. And leave the accent alone, I only seem to have one when I speak German." Anastasia smiled confidently, "I can I look now?" 

Percival removed his hands revealing the sign for the Heidelberg Restaurant. "I guess it's good you know German. I tried learning some before coming here but I could barely get past the basics." 

"I'll teach you, if you'd like." Anastasia breathed in the heavy aroma of sweet and savory with a hint of spice and the scent of beer. 

"I just might take you up on that." Percival offered her his arm, "By the way dinner is on me, no discussion." 

Anastasia took his arm, "Deal." 

Deutsches Ministerium für Magie - German Ministry of Magic