Berkeley had the day off, though if you asked her she'd say the whole mess had been forced upon her. The diligent little Auror had been working ten to sixteen hours straight every day, pounding the pavement during the day and writing reports at night. She hadn't had a day off since she didn't know when. The higher ups (not to name name's) felt that she needed to take a personal day. She thought it was a load of crock but didn't feel like she was in any position to argue. After all it wasn't really like Auror's went off duty. If she was lucky something big would come up and she'd be called back to the office. She was sure there was a part of her (a very very small and greatly guarded and hidden part of her) that knew she was being rather neurotic, she believed the muggles called it being a 'workaholic' she called it being an Auror.

She had already visited her father. He was doing well enough having just returned from the closest safe house. He looked a little worse for wear but Berkeley had to remind herself that he always looked like that the day after the full moon. She was well aware of the toll the affliction had on him and he certainly wasn't getting any younger. The last ten years had him looking much older than he rightfully should and it was starting to make it tough for her to bear. She knew she would never abandon him but it was hard to see the constant reminder of what their work did. There was no real retirement as an Auror, most of the Corps ended up dead, missing or afflicted by some curse or another. She knew it was just another another statistic one that was dwindling after the Second War but there was always room for another uprising that would put the new ranks of Aurors in jeopardy all over again.

After she left her father's house she had written to her brother and sister asking them about their first week back to school. Kyson was in his fourth year and Briar would be sitting her NEWTS this year. She wasn't incredibly close to her siblings, at least not as close as one might like to be but she got along with them well enough and tried to write as often as she could.

She finally found herself in Diagon Alley trying to ease her nerves, or was that boredom? She wandered into the Menagerie. She had always like animals when she was younger. Hopefully visiting the creatures would help her feel  . .  normal? Or maybe she was hoping for another explosion like there had been a few months back simply so she had something to do.

Samia's four-year-old son was itching for a pet. Little Aidan was hanging on Lewis' every word, and so now he was also adamant they needed a pet. Samia had said no over and over again, but after a discussion with Jason, they had decided that perhaps starting with something small might actually be productive. Perhaps the boys would learn the importance of looking after others. Plus there was the added bonus of being able to use the pet as a bargaining chip whenever the boys wouldn't do as they were told.

But what kind of animal? Well, this was something they hadn't really decided on, and Sam had thought it best to go the the Menagerie in Diagon Alley and have a browse to see what would be suitable. Upon entering the Menagerie, Samia was immediately targeted by owl droppings from up above. She gave out a yelp and jumped to the side, a natural reflex that unfortunately sent her in the path of another young woman.

Berkeley regretted her decision to go into the Menagerie almost as soon as she stepped through the door. Her entrance was announced with a simple hanging bell over the door that clanged whenever someone opened it. The ageing wizard that owned the shop was wide eyed with a smile from ear to ear when he came to see who had walked in. Berkeley mentally groaned but gave the man what passed for a smile in her books.

"Little Berkeley Cavanaugh, I haven't seen you in years. How have you been my dear?"

"I'm fine Mr. Steward."

"All grown up, look at you. You in the family business now?"

While Berkeley wanted to answer yes, she knew that when Mr Steward spoke of the family business he didn't mean the Cavanaugh's long line of proud and dedicated Aurors. He was speaking of the Wentworth family business, the one that had been passed down from generation to generation of Wentworths, all involved in the menageries that were now a billion galleon empire all across the wizarding world, "My grandfather tried when I was younger but the badge calls to me more than animals."

"Shame that, you were always very good with creatures. You know time and time again your Grandfather has tried to get me to sell this place to him. He-" Whatever Mr Steward was about to say to her got cut off by the clanging of the bell announcing another customer who then swiftly bumped into Berkeley trying to avoid getting messed on by a swooping owl. On any other given day Berkeley would have been furious but she was more than thankful for the interruption.

"Are you alright? Did it get you?" She asked the other witch making sure all of her attention was on Samia so Mr. Steward wasn't inclined to keep engaging her.