Abe smiled slightly at James' restrained greeting and waved for them both to sit down in the booth opposite him. He eyed the girl shrewdly when she confirmed his suspicions and wondered briefly if she was more sensible in person than she was in the journals. People would often be different when writing, especially when anonymity was involved.
"Whatever pleases you," he said urbanely Once they had sat down, he gave an odd little flourish of his hand that produced the correct movements in the wand attached to his forearm to cast a privacy and Muggle-repelling charm around the booth. "There. That's much better."
His smile became far more genuine as he looked at James though there was an obvious element of sympathy and pain in his eyes. No pity though. He doubted James would want it and he would not offer it. "How are you, lad?" He shifted his gaze to the girl and arched an eyebrow. "So, you actually do want to get out of the life you've created for yourself."