Let us Run through the fields of friendship (Ivy)

Adrastos sat at the courtyard, for once, being at peace. He wasn't pranking or running around, he was simply resting. He didn't even know how he was so calm that day, maybe it was because his father had sent him a letter, in which he said what he expected Adrastos to one day be again. Those letters made the youngest Moody think for a bit, and that was why he was suddenly so quiet.

Ivy was sitting in the Courtyard, thinking to herself. She had been oddly quiet those days, mostly because she hadn't made many friends since school had started. She was usually confident and bubbly, but something had changed. She spotted a familiar Gryffindor sitting across the courtyard, and she became curious. She didn't know him well, but she did know him as the kind of boy who was always causing trouble. It seemed odd for him to just be sitting around.

She stood up and walked to him. "Sitting quietly and not causing trouble?" she said. "That seems awfully out of character." Her confidence started to shine through a bit.

"Ah, Ivy Crouch," he whispered looking up and smiled, "Was about to think you weren't coming to say hey," he teased but actually, he had no idea she was in the courtyard. Just now was he understanding the courtyard had a bit more people than what he expected. He pulled himself up, and smirked, "Adrastos Moody is a hyper boy, but even he gets tired sometimes," he admitted and chuckled afterwards.

Ivy raised an eyebrow at him, smiling a bit. "You can't blame me for finding it somewhat suspicious," she said, laughing after she said it. She sat down next to him, crossing her legs in front of her. "So, what has the infamous Adastros Moody so worn out?" she asked curiously

Adrastos walked around the girl, smiling. She was perhaps the only Hufflepuff he had actually interacted with outside of pranking, and it had been a good interaction up until now. He was glad for that. "I really can't," he admitted honestly. "Aaaaand my father sent me an howler...It was devastating...probably 'cause I cost my house ten points...again," he said and smirked. It was only a half truth, but it explained enough.

Ivy nodded. "I see," she said. "Your father works in the ministry, right?" Her own father worked in the ministry, so she knew what that was like. Ivy usually did a pretty good job at living up to her father's expectations though. Her mother worked in the ministry too, but she had never really met her. All she knew about her mother was that she hated the fact the Ivy existed. Ivy was just a constant reminder of her father's affair, but she tried not to think like that. She didn't want to be thought of as a mistake.

"Yup," he nodded, "He's been the head auror for like thirtheen years or so," he drawled and then grinned. "He once worked under your father, but not anymore since Barty Sr was moved to another department when we were kids. I know a lot of stuff about the Ministry by the way...I just don't usually show my knowledge," he said with a quick shrug afterwards.

Ivy raised her eyebrows when he started spouting out information about the ministry. she was slightly impressed. She knew that her father worked for the ministry, and she could vaguely remember a few other names of her father's coworkers, but that was about it. It wasn't something that she was extremely interested in. "I can tell," she said. "I'm not too informed on the Ministry, but I suppose that's my own fault. It gets rather boring when it's all my father ever talks about. I've learned to tune most of it out."

"Yeah, my dad doesn't stop talking about security and things like that. Says the Ministry is still too weak and blah, blah, blah...kinda annoying, but if you hear the things that actually make sense, you'll learn a lot," he stated, and unknowingly described his father completely. He was a man obsessed with security that made little sense, but at the same time, was right most of the times and people around him didn't even notice it.

Ivy laughed, understanding completely. "Yeah, I suppose. So, is that what you want to do once you finish school, then? Go into the Ministry?" she asked curiously. It seemed so far away, but it was never too soon to start thinking about it. Ivy had no idea what she wanted to do after school, but she hadn't found anything that really interested her.

"Maybe," Adrastos said as he held his chin, and stopped walking around the girl, "I never really thought about it...but why not. Being an auror would probably be quite exciting. Be out on the field, hunting people like your brother," he said and then covered his mouth with his hands, "I'm...sorry I said that," he didn't know to what point did the mention of Barty Jr. affect Ivy so Adrastos wanted to be careful.

Ivy's smile dropped at the mention of her brother. She looked to the floor and fell silent. "Ummm yeah," she said. She didn't really like talking about her brother. Her stepmother died because of him, and now he was in her home under the imperious curse. She pushed the thoughts out of her mind most of the time, but she couldn't stop other people from knowing about it, even if she wanted to. He was the black sheep of the family, and she was always going to be living in his shadow, forced to prove that she was better than him.

Adrastos sat in front of Ivy, and held her chin with his fingers, "Hey, no need to be looking down," he said pulling her chin up slightly, "You're better than him. Just by being in hufflepuff you've proven you're different," he explained with an apologetic tone.

Ivy nodded. "I guess," she said. She wasn't sure what else to say. The conversation had become awkward for her, but she tried to smile through it. "I'm afraid of ending up like him. I want to make my parents proud, but my mother hates me and my father is always busy. It makes things difficult." Ivy didn't know why she was even saying it to him, but she couldn't stop the words from coming out of her mouth.

Adrastos smiled as he saw her try to battle the awkwardness that had invaded all their words. "Look, Ivy, look at me," he smirked, and then continued, "I'm sure your father loves you and he doesn't ignore you does he? When he's out of work, I'm sure he spends as much time with you as possible. I'm sure he wouldn't want another version of his first born child. And your mother doesn't matter. She'll learn to stop hating you once you turn into a successful woman. And that's what's gonna happen," he assured her, caressing her chin softly.

Ivy listened to him, and she believed him. Then she laughed a little. "You've spoken to me, what? Three times? Four, at most. How would you know what type of future I'm going to have?" she asked, slipping back into her normal self. She smiled an actual smile this time, pushing thoughts of her brother away once more.

"I kept an eye on your grades last year," he winked, and wasn't really sure why he had actually told her that. It was true, whenever professors graded assignments, Adrastos was always trying to hear her name. He didn't know if it was just some sort of familiarity he had with her, both of them being 'Ministry kids' and all, or if he actually had a crush on her. That was possible, they were kids after all, he could be crushing on the whole school even. But his attention was now on Ivy.

Ivy gave him a slightly confused look. "Because that's not creepy at all," she said sarcastically. Her grades had been good last year, but why did Adastros know that? They were friends, sure, but not good enough friends that he should know her grades. It made her curious, but she wasn't going to jump to any conclusions. She had learned from experience that that wasn't a good idea.

"Well, sorryyyyyy, but the professors usually say grades out loud, I couldn't help it," he joked as he carefully and playfully punched her arm.

Ivy laughed a little. "So, do you make it a habit of listening to your friends grades then?" she asked, somewhat sarcastically. Ivy was starting to feel like her old self again. Confident and happy, and almost comfortable.

"Well," he began with a drawl, and then he winked, "When they're cute, yup," he finished and chuckled lightly.

Ivy blushed slightly. "You think I'm cute?" she asked. She didn't know why she asked, he had just said it. But she didn't really believe it. She wasn't self-conscious, she just didn't think that boys really noticed her. She didn't think that anyone noticed her. It seemed odd for someone to be paying that much attention to her.

Adrastos nodded slowly, trying to look as serious as possible, "I do. 'Cause you are," he admitted, and smiled warmly. He wanted to chuckle, as he was kinda embarrassed, but he wanted to keep a serious demeanor, so Ivy understood he wasn't joking.

Ivy smiled. "Oh...well...thanks," she said. She tried not to be awkward, but she couldn't help it sometimes. Adastros wasn't hard to look at either, and it wasn't the first time that she had noticed it. She looked up at him, smiling shyly. Just as she was starting to seem confident.

"You should say I'm cute now," he teased, as he pushed her lightly. Of course he was joking, he didn't need nor want to hear that. He much preferred leaving his compliment in the air and not hear one directed at himself. It'd just increase his pride.