An Apology is always an apology (PG-13)

Being lead by Harry to the courtyard, Axel got a slap to the back of the head as Harry pursed his lips and narrowed his eyebrows, "Now, remember what Archard told you Axel, apologize," Harry said with a slight annoyance in his tone, Axel was his friend but he would not allow him to be a dick to his adoptive sister. "I know I know..." he grunted and Harry pointed at the pillar Serena was standing against and Axel slowly walked to the girl. He knew that deep down he felt something for her, but in a way didn't want to admit it, because last time he felt something that strong for someone, he ended up ruining their friendship. He still didn't talk to Lethia and it had been months since their fight... "Serena... hey..." he greeted her as he scratched the back of his head.

Leaning against one of the pillars in the courtyard, Serena sighed and tucked her hands in the pocket of her wool pea-coat. Harry had asked her to meet him in the courtyard, but didn't say why. Nothing unusual there, really... Serena had no reason to worry. Harry had quickly become like a big brother to her, so if he asked her to meet him, she wasn't going to think twice. As a lock of her blonde hair blew into her face, she tucked it behind her ear and returned her hand to her pocket. Looking up as a familiar voice called to her, her heart sank. Axel Divine... Without smiling or looking at him, she replied, "What do you want, Axel?" She thought they could be friends, maybe more then friends, but then he had turned into a rather unpleasant fellow, and she had no idea why. Really, she had been trying to figure out just what she had done to bring the change about. William had told her not to worry and that it was likely nothing, and part of her believed him. The other... Well, the other just wanted to know what was going on.

Closing his eyes and inhaling deeply Axel growled slightly under his breath but it was not beneath him to apologize he had learned how to do it when he was younger, he had done it not once but twice in his life now, and a third time would not be that hard, "I'm sorry.." he simply said it and there was no change in his tone as usual it was the emotionless but slight teasing tone he used.

I'm sorry... Bringing her cold, blue eyes to the Wolfen, Serena's brow furrowed ever so slightly. Sure he said it, but from the sound of it, he was simply saying it to say it, not to mean it. "Are you now?" she said simply in return, her voice revealing nothing. Remembering back to the last time she spoke to him, he was cruel enough to actually drive her to tears. She had sat with Harry as she cried and told him all about it, and the resulting look on his face, in its own way, told her that it would be taken care of. "Sorry for what?" Serena asked, keeping her eyes trained on him. Even though he hurt her, and badly, she couldn't help but feel stirrings for him. Be that as it may, Serena did her best to push those thoughts from her mind in this moment. Now wasn't the time for them.

"Don't, okay, I'm not going to get on my knees and apologize, I said sorry, I owe you nothing anymore, take the apology or don't, just know that apologizing isn't exactly easy for me so lay off," Axel rolled his eyes not with annoyance more with anger that this couldn't be done with so he could just leave and return to his days of walking along the lake smoking a cigarette, and being miserable. And mentioning that in his thoughts, he reached into his pocket and took out his pack, slipping a huff'n'puff out of it, and propping it between his lips, lighting it up with his lighter with the symbol of cannabis carved onto it. "Want one?" he offered presenting the pack to Serena.

Serena's eyes grew a little wide at his retort. So... He did mean it when he said sorry. Maybe she had judged him too soon. Watching as he seemed to be seething with anger, whether it was with this situation or not she didn't know, Serena felt badly about acting as she had. When he offered her a cigarette after taking one himself, she looked from the pack to the boy who offered it to her. For a moment she thought about taking one, just to be nice, but then decided against it. "No, thank you. I don't smoke," she said, her voice returning to the more normal sweet tones that it generally carried. Looking down at her boots, Serena bit the inside of her cheek before saying, "I'm sorry, Axel. I didn't mean to..." Letting out a sigh, she brought her eyes up to his, losing herself in them for a brief moment. "I accept your apology," she said, offering him a true smile. Maybe they could start fresh... Maybe...

Taking a long drag from the cigarette he blew the smoke before it was taken away by a gust of wind. "Thanks..." he said with a sigh not knowing what else to do, he wanted to stay and talk and he wanted to walk away as well. He was at an impasse...

Watching the wind take the smoke away, Serena wondered what it was all about. Smoking... So many people she knew did it, but she just never saw the point. "Can you... Can you make those rings? With the smoke, I mean..." she asked, glancing back at him. She had seen it done before, but never close up, and found it interesting that some people could do it while others could not. Serena might not care for smoking, or understand the point, but she did like those. It was possibly the only...well, one of the one things that would entice her to give it a try.

Holding up his hand for her to wait Axel took another drag this one longer and then inhaled the smoke before letting it out, and blowing the smoke rings through the clouds of smoke, "Yes I can," he said as he continued blowing the rings out of his mouth.

As strange as it was, Serena's eyes actually lit up slightly at seeing Axel produce the smoke rings she asked about. Holding up her hands, she caught one as it drifted away from the others. Smiling as the ring slowly vanished in her hands, she mused softly, "Intriguing..." Looking up at the others as he made more, she asked before looking back at the Wolfen, "How do you do it?" Maybe she was being silly, asking such things and being interested in something so simple, but it was as if her mind was grasping for anything to keep him there to talk to her.

Axel smiled at her question, he loved showing that there was something he was the master of and that was smoking, there was not one trick in the book he did not know how to do, since he started smoking at a very young age. Making an o shape with his lips he pulled his tongue back, and showed Serena before he took a drag and repeated, this time showing her how the smoke exited his lips and formed the ring perfectly. Exhaling the smoke, he grinned, "Easy, wanna try?" he asked holding the tip of the cigarette in case she wanted to take a drag.

Watching as Axel showed her just how these rings were made before showing her again, Serena couldn't help but smile. It seemed simple enough. Watching the last ring drift away from them, she brought her bright eyes back to him when he asked if she wanted a try. Seeing him hold the cigarette out for her to take her own drag, Serena lightly bit the corner of her lip as she thought about the offer. "Sure," she said simply. Lightly putting her lips around the butt of the cigarette he held, she brought her hand up and rested it against his wrist and drew a small amount of smoke into her mouth. Doing as she had seen him, and so many others do, including her father, Serena inhaled the smoke into her lungs. Immediately, her body rejected the smoke and sent her into a fit of hard coughs. Bringing her hand from his wrist to her mouth, fisted against her lips, her eyes watered as she coughed to rid her body of the contaminated air. Her cheeks red from both coughing so hard and complete embarrassment, she managed a choked, "Sorry..."

Smirking he took another drag and exhaled the smoke slowly and carefully showing that there was no need to cough if you did it the right way. You had to be calm and inhale the smoke slowly specially if you were just starting out, "It's okay, you're green in this, not your fault," he pointed out with a wink.

His words of encouragement coupled with his wink made Serena's heart quicken slightly and a small smile touch her features. Nodding, she took another small drag off his cigarette and, doing as he had just done, slowly and calmly drew the smoke into her lungs. The urge to cough was there, but she fought it and set her mind to think about how he had made the smoke-rings. Forming an O with her mouth and positioning her tongue much like Axel had, Serena let the smoke out. At first nothing happened and then, just as she was getting to the end of what she had inhaled, a very small ring appeared from her mouth and drifted away on the air. Giving a few light coughs, now that the smoke was gone, Serena smiled brightly. "I did it... I did it!" she said happily. Maybe it was silly to be so excited over something like this, but she was. Turning her happily lit up face to Axel, she smiled brightly, before a faint blush warmed her cheeks. "Thank you, Axel," she said, sweetly.

Leaning down Axel smirked and kissed her scarlet red colored cheek noding slowly before taking a drag from his cigarette and letting the smoke out through his nose, "It's okay," he assured her. "So do you have a pair for the ball?" he asked and in true wolfen manner, was bold to the core.

Lightly touching where his lips has placed a gentle kiss on her cheek, Serena felt her heart skip at the small gesture. His very straight forward question made her bring her bright eyes to his as she shook her head. "I don't. No one has asked yet," Serena answered simply. She had hoped that perhaps the two of them could have gone, but after the disastrous last encounter, she wasn't so sure. Slipping her hands into her coat pockets, she head tipped to the side slightly as if asking 'why'.

Chuckling at how no one had the balls to ask the daughter of Sirius Black out he shook his head deciding that he had to put his past experiences aside, "Soooo... wanna go with me?" he asked with a light laugh.

"Really?" Serena asked with a curious smile as she thought about her answer. Axel had apologized for what happened, which meant, according to her, all was fresh and water under the bridge and all that. Lightly biting her bottom lip, her eyes danced with happiness as she leaned in and playful nudged his arm. "I'd be happy to," she answered, with a shy smile.

"Awesome, I'll pick you up at half past seven," and with that Axel planted a kiss on her lips and vanished with the wind, mirroring the style of his familiars and those who were close to Thane.

"Alri-" Serena began to say when her words were cut off by a kiss that brushed against her lips. As quickly as it had begun Axel's kiss was over, and he simply vanished. Lightly touching her lips, it felt as if the kiss was still lingering there even though he was gone from sight. Turning on her heel, Serena headed back inside the castle with a small girlish giggle at the idea of the handsome blonde who was taking her to the ball...