Like every other stroll (Serena, PG-13)

Following his pull on her hand, Serena took a seat across from her friend at the table indicated to them by the barman. "I guess that would help him to know lots of people. It's must be exciting to be an Auror," she said before her smile faded slightly. Aurors had been who had taken her father away before she was born. Thanks to them, she had never gotten to meet her father... But, they were doing their job, she supposed. Serena didn't know what to believe about the man that was the missing piece in her family puzzle. Some said he was this horrible person, while others, like Morgan, believed the complete opposite. Quickly snapping back to the conversation at had, her smile brightened back to how it was before. "How long has your dad been an Auror, Adrastos?" she asked, folding her hands and setting her arms on the table.

Calling the barman Adrastos nodded which meant he wanted the usual. A butterbeer. In this case, two, one for himself, the other for Serena. When she mentioned that his father's job must be exciting his attention was brought back to her, and Adrastos nodded, "Being an auror is dangerous, however, fun, and it pays out. I wanna be an auror when I grow up actually," he admitted with a shrug and at her other question his brows raised as he thought about it. His dad was about fifty years old, maybe older and he had been an auror ever since he graduated. "Thirty two years," he responded with a teasing grin on his face.

As he took care of ording drinks, Serena took another glance around the bar. She was highly impressed with it seeing as bar, to her, were often dark and mysterious places. The one was quite the opposite. Looking back to Adrastos as he talked about wanting to jois the Aurors when he grew up, she nodded. "I can see you as an Auror. I think you'd make a nice fit with them. I'm not really sure what I want to do when I'm all done with Hogwarts. There are so many options!" Serena explained. She had thought about being an Auror or Healer or something in the Ministry or not... The multiple different choices in all kinds of areas combined with her skills in several different areas made it a rather tricky choice. Unlike many who were skilled in only a few areas which narrowed things down, she had all kinds of options to pick from. "So exact," she teased when her friend gave a very deffinate answer about his father being with the Aurors. "And he still loves it, I take it?" Serena asked. That was always a signal that someone enjoyed their work, when they could stick it out for so long. She hoped whatever area she went into when she grew up, she could be so happy with it to stay there for so long.

The barman brought the two butter beers, and Adrastos flipped two galleons into his hand, plus an extra one as a tip. Nodding and winking at his father's friend, the man ruffled his hair before nodding courteously at Adrastos' blonde and petite friend. "The head auror's blood runs in my veins, it's normal I'm a perfect fit for the force, ya' know. And to be honest, I've always pictured you as an healer at St. Mungus. You're kindness is needed there," he gave his honest opinion. Serena as an auror could possibly work out, but Adrastos knew that so far she lacked the ability to be cold blooded. Adrastos had, and mastered that one - thanks to his father's training - although he kept it hidden deep within his personality, locked away, with seven different keys needing to be found to unlock it. "He yells how many years he has spent being an auror every time he starts yelling at mom - frequent - but she often laughs 'cause of how senile he is," he answered with a quick but firm shrug. In fact Adrastos often found himself thinking that maybe, his mother was sick of all the yells, shouts and growls, but at other times, he found himself wondering just why she married Alastor Moody. And that cleared his doubts. "He more than loves it, he needs it. Dad would go even more insane if he didn't have his precious job," Adrastos responded, and rolled his eyes afterwards because despite how much Adrastos loved his father - and he did - he was still pretty annoyed by the fact work sometimes was above family. Chuckling meekly, he began to sip at his butter beer.

Smiling and tipping her head, Serena thanks the barman for their drinks and wrapped her hands around the chilled bottle. His observation of her and where she might fit into the Wizarding World after school struck her. "A healer? Really?" she asked. If she became a healer, she's be just like Romulus, Ricky, and Chandra's mom. Her kindness was something that others often commented on with her, but she didn't have the natural skill that Mrs. Lupin seemed to have. At least, not that she had found. Then again, that didn't really mean anything... "Maybe you're right. Kindness knows no limits at a hospital. Maybe it's where I'm meant to be," she mused as she took a sip of her drink. Hearing about Adrastos' father and mother at home made her smile and giggle lightly. She had head stories about Alastor Moody, or Mad-Eye Moody as he was being called now by many. "Some people are like that. They need the thrill of things to keep them going. Guess your dad is no exception," Serena said lightly. She heard the slight hard tone he used when talking about his dad and his job, and it made her wonder if Adrastos resented his dad and his work from time to time. "Hey, at least you have your dad," she said before regretting even mentioning it. Taking a long draw on her drink, she mentally kicked herself for saying what she said. "Sorry, Adrastos. I don't know where that came from..." Serena apologized with a heavy sigh.

It suddenly hit Adrastos that, Serena's father had never been there for her, not for one birthday, not for one christmas. He didn't see her when she learned how to walk, nor when she learned how to talk, he wasn't with her, instead he was in Azkaban for a crime Alastor said he didn't commit. "Dad says Sirius isn't guilty," he muttered after a long period of silence.

The silence between them drew on and on thanks to what she had said. Keeping her eyes focused on the table and not her friend, she waited for him to say something.... Anything.... She didn't envy her friends that had their fathers there. She had a conflicted understanding of why hers wasn't with her, why he had been absent and missed so much in her life. But, deep down, she wished that she could have a father in her life, too. When Adrastos finally did speak, Serena raised her bright eyes to him and asked softly, "Really?"

Adrastos nodded in all honesty, "Yeah...he told me people just began asking for a head, and Barty Sr threw Sirius in jail without a trial," he lifted himself from the chair and walked to Serena, grabbing her hand tightly. Pulling her from her seat, he hugged her tightly, "Listen...want me to take you home? I don't want you to go home alone, dwelling on things," Adrastos offered with a small smile.

Hearing that her father had simply been a body to tag the blame on for what they say he did didnt' help how poorly Serena was feeling about the whole matter. Of all the people that she was hearing things from about her father, Adrastos was one that she trusted. She never felt the need to doubt the Head Auror, even if some believed him to be mad as a hatter. Looking up at her friend as he took her hand and pulled her into a tight hug, she sighed heavily, hugging him back. His question caught her a little by surprise, and managing a small smile she nodded. "I'd like that, Adrastos. Thank you," she said softly, her spirit lifted slightly at knowing she wasn't going to walk home alone. Saying bye to the barman, Serena and Adrastos walked out of the bar, his arm around her shoulders and headed towards her home. The converstation was light as they walked, and by the time the two reached the Black home, Serena was once again her bright and smiling self, thanks to her Housemate and friend...