Illiano's Italian Cuisine

Amanda apparated into the alley behind Illiano's, dodging a few rats and askew trashcans as she made her way to the front of the restaurant. With the help of her cat, Amanda strayed away from her original plan of an over the top, slinky dress. She settled on a short, white lace dress with a Peter Pan collar and a pleated skirt matched with a black bomber jacket and simple black flats.

After a (miserably) failed attempted to sweet talk the acne covered host into giving her a table without a twenty minute wait, Amanda found herself waiting for Wallace at a table by the window. As if the incident with Mr. Jail Bait wasn't enough, the chair she had sat down had one short leg and was subsequently wobbly.

Awkwardly enough, Wallace was already there, watching from a perfectly decent table by the front window. He had tried to get Amanda's attention with a few quiet coughs and "ehm"'s and "um"'s, but alas. He gestured to a passing waitress and explained the situation, and asked her to forward the message to Amanda.

Amanda made her way to Wallace's table, her face redder than the 'tomato sauce freshly made by Mama Illiano's own hands'.

"Not off to a spectacular spot, but hey stranger."

Wallace pursed his lips into something resembling a smile and handed her the second menu he'd received upon entering. He didn't look much different aside from the new shadows beneath his eyes and in the hollows of his cheeks, which could have easily been blamed on the dim lighting. The collective light from the decorative gas lamps throughout the restaurant mingled with the streetlight reflecting in from the other windows lining the street. He had a bit of scruff on his chin, as well, and his eyes still retained a hint of that strange, milky glow they had the last time they'd met. "I've never been in here before, just a warning. I don't know what there is that might be good, but..." he trailed off.

Amanda took note of the shadows and hollows, but chose to push it away with the thought of the lovely plate of cannolis covered in powered sugar with chocolate dripped down the sides and cream gushing out that a waiter just rushed by with. Perhaps if this went well enough she and Wallace could split that together? Mmm...

She waved his comment away with a smile, "Mm mum used to take me to one of their other locations. It always was delicious. The Penne all'arrabbiata is to die for. What have you been up to lately?"

Wallace drew the menus from behind the serviette dispenser against the window. He passed one to Amanda. "Hiding out, mostly. Really nothing worth talking about." He spoke differently than the Wallace she knew. He was wary, very conscious of pauses, as though he was taking his sweet time thinking of exactly the right words to spit out next.

Amanda took note of that, frowning ever so slightly. Was he finally thinking more before he spoke, or was he a wreck after the Battle? A handful of her friends were suffering from extreme paranoia or stress, which made sense, but she could never see Wallace being so effected by it.

"I'm heading out to start university next week."

He flipped the menu over to read the drink list. "Oh, where are you going?"

Amanda raised a glass of the complimentary water to her lips, taking a slow sip in order to have a second to put together some conversations for later. As she set the glass down, she responded, "Pendragon University. It's actually for wizards and muggles, so it'll be a decent way to transition from Hogwarts."

"Oh, I see." He looked out the window, eyes reflecting the headlights of a passing car like those of a cat. "I didn't think many people would wind up following the wizarding thing... I mean, there's not THAT much specialization out there, and all..."

Amanda ran her fingers through her hair, "Birds of a feather, I suppose. Do you have any idea what you'd like to order? I think I see our waiter."

"No," He gave a single breath of a laugh and looked back at the menu. "Frankly, I'm at a loss."

Amanda smiled for the first time since she walked into the restaurant. "Want to just order a larger plate of what I'm getting? The portions here are ridiculous, so we could just split one." She was already seeing stars as she envisioned their lips meeting similar to two infamous pups in that children's movie everyone who is everyone parodies.

"Ah, I guess, sure," Wallace nodded. "Can we get the sauce on the side, though?"

Amanda nodded, and after a quick exchange with the waitress, their food was set to come out.

"So do you plan on heading to school?"

"Yes," he answered shortly, holding his breath an instant before letting it out as a sigh. "It's a muggle school. Nothing worth bragging about..."

Amanda absentmindedly pushed back her hair, and if one looked hard enough they could now spot two precise, circular scars right above the collar of her dress. "Going to school and getting an education for yourself is something to boast about in itself! Don't down play it, you goon."

Wallace could feel his palms begin to sweat. "Oh," he answered again with a slight nod. "I guess." He took a tentative sip from his glass of water, wishing he'd ordered something with a bit more of a kick. "You've got a little... spot, there."

Amanda's hand flew up where he was motioning towards, and almost instinctively she flicked her hair over it. "Just a little eh... bug bite." Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly, he knew what it was, he had to have.

Wallace wanted to make a comment about the recent cold snap and how most of the biting insects were no more for the season, but he held his tongue and took another drink. "Itchy?"

"Only if I think about it." She reached her hand out, gripping her glass tightly. Almost kills me and the tool forgets!?

Wallace stared at her.

"Wallace you're the bug."

"I know."

"Then why even mention-"

"Bella food per la bella girl and her non così bella boyfriend!" An older man came around the corner, his apron stained here and there with red sauce. He set the steaming plates down , smiling widely as his handlebar mustache quivered, "Anything else?"

"I'd appreciate the check."

The man's smile shrank and with a shrug he walked off.

"So why even mention it?"