Hogsmeade, not far from the school he had learned from, but much further away from London and his desk at the Ministry of Magic.  Not to say he was here dodging work, but he was here for buisness.  That had already been taken care of, and now it was down time.  Which to Alex meant, time for a drink.  The Hogshead was just as good of place as any, so it was a rather easy decision to make.  Sitting at the bar he took a drink of firewhiskey.  He had been drinking so much of it lately that he was wondering if this was developing into some sort of habit?

Either way after he had his meeting there was no rush to apparate immediately back to London.  It wasn't like it was unusual for Alex to be gone for long periods during the day.  But then again probably not a fact to be proud of.

Alex was just different than most people.  He was a lot more active in running his department, and he was more than able and did stay on top of his department and his work.  Its just he worked on his own pace and time, just like he had been his whole life.  No one ever had much telling him what to do unless he respected them.  And there was a very few that he did.  Jason MacDonell and Marcus Annwyl were the only two that came to mind.  And they both had been his superiors and continue to be.  Good thing for the Ministry.  If it wasn't being led by Marcus they probably would have asked for Alex resignation by now.

Peace time made things harder somehow.  At least in his mind.  He perferred  the chaos over the order.  But that was just the mind of a war veteran soldier.  Perhaps he should have gone the same route as MacDonell?  No he would have been more bored with that life.  He took another drink of his firewhiskey and sighed.

It had been a long day. Saturday was her only true day off, her only time to run errands. Her only time to be free from others. She had put off going to the apothecary for too long. She was running low on all her essential and basic ingredients. She didn’t like being such a hindrance for the Potion’s Master. She disliked taking hand outs from anyone – potions ingredients included.

She had to figure out how to deal with Belle in a sufficient way. The girl was getting out of hand. Jamie simply didn’t have enough hours in her day to deal with the troublesome child. Growing up without a father and a mother who was often absent was probably not the best thing for the young girl, but there was nothing Jamie could do about it. The child would simply have to suck it up, and stop crying for attention that she couldn’t give her.

Sometimes she just wanted to give up and go back to her old life – one without expectations or rules. Times of chaos would be great. This orderly manner in which she lived her live was growing tiresome. She felt like she was wearing masks. The mask of a teacher, the mask of a mother, the mask of a good witch; she didn’t feel like she fit any of these roles.

But perhaps it was just today she felt that way. Tomorrow would be another day, possibly filled with something more – a greater purpose. She needed to find that purpose. She needed a drink.

With her purchases in tow she made her way to The Hogshead. An establishment she much preferred to frequent rather than The Three Broomsticks which tended to be filled with colleagues and students that she saw enough of at school.

Entering she saw it was quite empty, just the way she liked it. Except for a man sitting at the bar who seemed quite familiar to her – his name was at the tip of her tongue, but it must have been years. She sat down next to him, “Hi, I definitely know you.”

“Hi, I definitely know you.”

The voice, he knew it somewhere and turned seeing the woman.  He looked at her curiously for a long moment.  A smile grew on his face, "Oh my, its been a bloody long time.  Jamie, right?"

She had certainly grown, but then again he had to.  They hadn't seen each other since they graduated Hogwarts.  Hell, that was like another lifetime ago.  Which begged the question, how did he remember her so quickly?  Well he did have an easy time with that kind of thing, simply because of the nature of his job.

"I hope you remember me somewhat.  Though we weren't really that close..." he said taking another drink.  "Can I buy you a drink perhaps?"

It was just like him to do so.  It was the courteous thing to do.  Aside Alex was rich enough to probably by every witch and wizard a drink and continue until they were all drunk.  Now that would be amusing.  Perhaps he could throw a bash for his department.  Wouldn't that be funny to see in the Daily Prophet?  Head of DoMLE gets all his employee's drunk...  Scratch that idea...

"Oh my, its been a bloody long time.  Jamie, right?"

She beamed at the man, “Yeah, Jasmine-Lori Black. I thought I recognized you. You were in Slytherin right? Same house, same year? How crazy, I haven’t seen you since we were 18!” She laughed, feeling quite at ease – even though she was with a complete stranger.

He had an air about him too, he was clearly someone important – although Jamie really hadn’t a clue who he was. She still wasn’t coming up with a name.

"I hope you remember me somewhat.  Though we weren't really that close..." he said taking another drink.  "Can I buy you a drink perhaps?"

“Only if you tell me your name,” she laughed at that. Whatever there was between them seemed natural and comfortable – but certainly not in an intimate way. It was strange, something she had never quite experienced before. She had never felt this way around anyone, except perhaps her daughter. She felt a sense of loyalty and understanding. She had no idea where it was coming from either – because she was far from the mushy, gushy types who normally took to people. No she kept alone for the most part. 

“Yeah, Jasmine-Lori Black. I thought I recognized you. You were in Slytherin right? Same house, same year? How crazy, I haven’t seen you since we were 18!”

It certainly was surprising.  That after all this time, this kind of encounter could happen.  After all the things that had happened in his life, it seemed funny for anything like this to be possible.  But he lived in a world of impossibilities come to life.

"Amazing that we haven't seen each other on some level.  Especially with how crazy things have been over the years," Alex sighed as he took another drink.  He felt a lot more comfortable than he had in a while.  Well actually he had been a lot more relaxed than usual as of late.  And he was certainly running into a lot of people as of late.  He was being a lot more sociable as well, so that might be part of it.

“Only if you tell me your name,”

"Alexander Belisario, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcment and the occasional over bloated ego," he laughed and waved down the bar keep.  "Another drink for my friend please.  Firewhiskey okay with you or something else?"

"I hope you've been doing well over the years, despite the madness.  Though its quite calm now," he smiled hoping to start small in the conversation.

"Amazing that we haven't seen each other on some level.  Especially with how crazy things have been over the years,"

Jamie hummed in agreement, the years had certainly been crazy. Drug addictions, death, murder, pregnancy… all of that had been pretty crazy, but she couldn’t deny that she enjoyed those times in her life. Not knowing where her next meal would come from, not knowing where her next hit would come from.  It was just a constant state of chaos, something she hadn’t experienced since the second rise of the Dark Lord.

"Alexander Belisario, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcment and the occasional over bloated ego,"

“Of course,” Jamie said – the puzzle coming together slowly, “Of course you’re Alex, the only boy who didn’t torture me in Slytherin. I always appreciated that you know. I never thanked you … but really, you were always so nice to me.” She continued to smile, which was very strange – since when was she just a overly upbeat human being she was normally much more subdue than this. “Well I’m sure your ego can occasionally over bloated with a title such as that. Congratulations! Lots of responsibility though, I couldn’t handle it."

"Another drink for my friend please.  Firewhiskey okay with you or something else?"

“Um, that’s too strong for me. I’ll have a martini, shaken but stirred!” She laughed at that, oh muggle references!

"I hope you've been doing well over the years, despite the madness.  Though its quite calm now,"

“I’m actually the Astronomy professor at Hogwarts now. Although I did do a few stints of work at the Ministry doing research. It’s unfortunate that I never bumped into you. Although I’m guessing you don’t head towards the labs often,”  she smiled at him knowingly. “The field guys probably don’t think highly of us lab rats, huh?” She was teasing him, testing the waters.

“Of course you’re Alex, the only boy who didn’t torture me in Slytherin. I always appreciated that you know. I never thanked you … but really, you were always so nice to me.”

The fact of that being that he and Jamie both received torture from fellow Slytherin's but for completely different reasons.  He had been best friends and eventually dated and married a Gryffindor.  A basic cardinal sin from when they had been in Hogwarts.  Though he didn't know why they would torture Jamie to begin with.  Since they had barely spoken to each other at all when they were in Hogwarts.  Still no better time to change that then the present.

“Well I’m sure your ego can occasionally over bloated with a title such as that. Congratulations! Lots of responsibility though, I couldn’t handle it."

"Yes more like upon taking the job your signature becomes just as valuable , if not more than your money.  Its like nothing can get done with out something signed, looked over and signed again," he muttered unimpressed with his job.  "Not nearly as glamorous as being a field agent for sure."

“I’m actually the Astronomy professor at Hogwarts now. Although I did do a few stints of work at the Ministry doing research. It’s unfortunate that I never bumped into you. Although I’m guessing you don’t head towards the labs often,”  she smiled at him knowingly. “The field guys probably don’t think highly of us lab rats, huh?”

"Oh I'm positive some of them looked in envy when it came to some of those assignments, but yeah I was barely ever at the Ministry for the longest time anyway.  So running into anyone only happened on the days that I was at the Ministry for me to do a bloody report and then it was back at it.  Then again I suppose those would be the glory days.  Things are peaceful now.  People are happy, pulling their lives together and me...I get bored and start drinking," he laughed and downed the rest of his firewhiskey.  "Another if you would bar keep."

"Yes more like upon taking the job your signature becomes just as valuable , if not more than your money.  Its like nothing can get done with out something signed, looked over and signed again," he muttered unimpressed with his job.  "Not nearly as glamorous as being a field agent for sure."

Jamie understood, at least partly. The past few years of sitting on the sidelines - watching her life go on around her and lead her in whatever which way was boring and unfullingly. She loved her daughters and her research but there was something that she missed about the war. The excitement, the rush.

"Oh I'm positive some of them looked in envy when it came to some of those assignments, but yeah I was barely ever at the Ministry for the longest time anyway.  So running into anyone only happened on the days that I was at the Ministry for me to do a bloody report and then it was back at it.  Then again I suppose those would be the glory days.  Things are peaceful now.  People are happy, pulling their lives together and me...I get bored and start drinking,"

She knew exactly how Alex felt. They hadn't been brought up in a time that sat well with peace. Their generation was restless, hungry for something more. Some days she wished another Dark Lord would rise just to create some kind of conflict in the world. She would never admit that though, that's not the answer a loving mother and teacher would give. "Well I'm sorry you feel that way, but you must feel some relief not worrying about your life. I'm sure you've had more time to focus on family and such. That's the most important thing after all."

"Another if you would bar keep."

She gave him a look, she didn't like to be around people when they drank too much. It always tends  to create awkward situtations. "Calm down, why don't you. I can hardly keep up."

"Well I'm sorry you feel that way, but you must feel some relief not worrying about your life. I'm sure you've had more time to focus on family and such. That's the most important thing after all."

"Family..." he wanted to laugh at this, but instead he just shook his head.  Alex couldn't argue with Jamie about it.  He felt the same way, but Alex had screwed up on so many levels with his family.  With Ciarra.  What kind of Father doesn't raise his own daughter?  Just pays for someone else to do it?  Well he had.  With that he was more afraid of what Ciarra thought of him than anything else.  Funny in a way.  He had spent his life hunting dark wizards and had brought in more than most Aurors would ever wish to encounter in their career.  Yet he was afraid of his daughter.  It was his own fault that she had gone down the same path he had.  If only Ariella was still around.  "I can't argue with that, nothing more important than family."

"Calm down, why don't you. I can hardly keep up."

He took a deep breath and looked at her for a moment.  "Yeah, aside I suppose I do have to get back to work at some point today."  Though really it didn't matter to Alex considering he did most of his work at night when the rest of the wizarding world were sitting down to dinner with their families.  "So how is the job as a teacher?  Your students aren't the ones driving you to alcohol at this time in the afternoon are they?"  He laughed slightly.

Then again if he was a Professor he would probably be the same way.  There was only so much one person could do before you needed to relieve the stress in some form of another.  And Alex only had his work.  So often alcohol took that task as a stress reliever.  Not really a good thing but was certainly better than other habits.

"I can't argue with that, nothing more important than family."

She nodded, although she could sense some tension from Alex. Apparently something had or was going on with his own family. He didn’t have to say so for her to know. She wasn’t going to press the subject though, this was the first time they were seeing each other after what had been more than two decades of not seeing each other. Jamie had no right to be nosey.

"So how is the job as a teacher?  Your students aren't the ones driving you to alcohol at this time in the afternoon are they?"

“No, it’s not my students exactly. More like my daughter. She never quite stepped out of the trouble twos stage. I’ve been teaching for 4 years now and I’ve never come across a student with as much attitude and blatant disregard for the rules. She’s driving me crazy, I have no control over her,” Jamie frowned; she knew she was being the best mother she could possibly be to her daughter. Maybe Belle somehow inherited Jamie’s messed up view of the world – perhaps she was thirsting for chaos just as much as Jamie was.

Jamie still hadn't touched her drink, she was never really much of a drinker in the first place. She rarely had the opportunity to let loose, there was too much riding on her being mentally capable at all times. She didn't enjoy letting her inhabitations get ahold of her.

“No, it’s not my students exactly. More like my daughter. She never quite stepped out of the trouble twos stage. I’ve been teaching for 4 years now and I’ve never come across a student with as much attitude and blatant disregard for the rules. She’s driving me crazy, I have no control over her,”

Any normal father probably could have related to Jamie's story but honestly his problems with Ciarra were so different.  She had never broken any rules, cut any corners.  She worked hard for every thing she did.  Ciarra had certainly been a lot more responsible than Alex had when he was at school.  It wasn't until his last three years at Hogwarts did he really start to study intensely.  Though the last three years were all that really mattered technically speaking.  Alex was so proud of the work ethic and quality of the work his daughter did.  He just was incapable of ever saying it out loud.

"I can imagine it being a bloody pain," he gave her a comforting smile.  "At the same time though, there are a lot of lessons that a growing girl needs to learn.  I guess the real question is what is the best way of teaching it?  Punishing her or letting it slide?  Its like the old saying, 'Something has to go wrong in order to go right.'  It was something close to that I believe."

He really did wish he could offer much more solid advice.  But parenting wasn't his strong suit since he had always sat on the sideline in that regard.  Alex was an expert at retrieving and capturing criminals, and had begun to be able to manage the political side of his job as well.  Appearances were always at the top of the list.  Luckily he had a lot of pull with other departments, and to a lesser extent the Minister of Magic.

"At the same time though, there are a lot of lessons that a growing girl needs to learn.  I guess the real question is what is the best way of teaching it?  Punishing her or letting it slide?  Its like the old saying, 'Something has to go wrong in order to go right.'  It was something close to that I believe."

She nodded her head, yes teaching lessons. Wasn’t that something she was supposed to be good at? Maybe she just wasn’t cut out for motherhood. She had been raising this child for more than 10 years now, and she still felt as clueless as she did when she first discovered she was pregnant. Being a single parent also had its issues. She was just too tired, too uninterested. She loved her daughter dearly, but she loved herself more – that was the problem she dealt with on a daily basis. “I don’t know what I should. But she’s stealing now, which is even worse than the lying.”

She didn’t want to think about Isabelle now. She had gone to Hogsmeade to give herself a break from the evil urchin. It was too bad that she hadn’t gotten rid of the thing when she had the chance. She shook her head; she shouldn’t be thinking these things. She loved her daughter, really. She had to keep telling herself that, “Anyway…” it was obvious that she was distracted.

She was annoyed at herself at this point, why was she opening up to this person she barely knew? It didn’t make sense and didn’t quite fit into her normal set of rules. She never gave up personal information about herself to anyone. She had to stop.     

“I don’t know what I should. But she’s stealing now, which is even worse than the lying.”

"Stealing huh?"  Alex shook his head.  He never had that problem, Ciarra had always been the example child.  Doing as she was told and never stepping out of line.  There was never a problem until she went into Hogwarts.  She got into trouble, usually because she was helping a friend or something similar.  That wasn't too surprising, she was too much like him.  Something that increasingly worried him.

“Anyway…”

She was switching the topic then, probably didn't care to be thinking about  her kid.  He certainly didn't feel like continuing to think about his.  There was just a lot to that situation that he didn't know how to approach. 

"Yeah, aside you came here to relax a bit right?" he smiled as he took a drink.  "Its nice seeing you again.  I don't see many people from Hogwarts anymore.  Maybe I'll see Aurora from time to time but not that often." 

Alex didn't really spend much time with people anyway, but something about his time with Jamie felt a lot different.  It was a strange feeling that he always had when around her and had never been able to quite make sense of it.  To the point that he had mostly ignored it.  It wasn't something that could really be explained.  But now, he had some free time to be curious about it.

"Its nice seeing you again.  I don't see many people from Hogwarts anymore.  Maybe I'll see Aurora from time to time but not that often." 

“It’s funny, since leaving Hogwarts I haven’t missed anyone really. If I remember correctly though, I wasn’t really much for making friends back then. The mixture of shyness and Slytherin just didn’t work out well for me,” she finally drank some of her drink. She knew if she started she wouldn’t stop, but she couldn’t think of enough reasons to stop herself.

“It’s much different though, being back as a professor. I thought it would feel like going home in a way, and it didn’t. I was rather disappointed. Some days I really miss working at the ministry. My work had more purpose there, here – no one cares for research. Not my students anyway. Most of them are lazy, and the professors – well I just can’t find the energy most days to leave my tower and deal with them,” She sighed, almost in fake amusement. She ran to Hogwarts for freedom, but now she just felt trapped. 

"The mixture of shyness and Slytherin just didn’t work out well for me,”

"Things weren't exactly peaceful for most of our days at Hogwarts anyway.  Most of us got lost in that shuffle.  Aside, I had your problem in a way back then too.  I only made a handful of friends.  One became my wife, one is you...and the only other one I can remember is Aurora.  I suppose our dear Minister was one, but I was only a 3rd year when he graduated from Hogwarts, and we only talked a few times then," Alex said remembering out loud.  He usually wasn't one for remembering anything about the old days.  But lately that had changed.

Most of them are lazy, and the professors – well I just can’t find the energy most days to leave my tower and deal with them,”

"I wouldn't know where to begin to deal with lazy students.  As for your fellow Professors, I have a feeling you wouldn't really enjoy dealing with most of them anyway," Alex laughed a bit.  "It really is good to see you.  Life was always seemed to be more interesting when you were around.  I distinctly remember the two of us getting into trouble on a couple of occasions.  And we got thrown together on more than a few occasions..."