The Astor/Rosensteel Household

Rachel reached over and patted her on the shoulder comfortingly. "It's okay... I understand. I always think I'm a bad mum... but Serenity, what do you think you are doing?"

"What do I think I'm doing? Everything wrong! I try to be sweet and wonderful to everyone in the house and it just doesn't work. Elroy's so distant, I think he hates me, and Adam and Dianna are so hard to understand!"

"Elroy? What's going on?" Rachel thought over that conversation she had the other night ago with Elroy. He DID seem different.

"He's sweet. And gracious. And I still love him very much and I don't think I've ever done anything rude or stand-offish to him, but.. He's just distant. I realized the other day I don't even know his favorite color. I don't think he's in love with me." Serenity started to cry, just little tears, but it was clear she was distraught.

Rachel gazed out the window, and looked back. "Serenity, you better talk to Elroy." she urged. "It might be the best thing to do before anything gets worse."

Serenity dabbed her eyes with a napkin. "Alright. I will. Let's talk about your life. How are things with you?"

"Things are going smoothly! I'm a little sad that summer is going to be over soon, but there's always vacations, and I make sure that they write to me, but... when Adam goes, he'll know." he said, but she then lowered her voice. "But, Nick says that there's some sort of trouble going on at the Ministry... riots and that kind of thing... you might have heard."

"A little. It's awfully hush-hush. I don't understand what's happening, though, it's awfully vague."

"Wait, you don't understand what?" Rachel asked, sounding slightly confused.

"Why exactly they're rioting. I know it's happening, but.. Gosh."

Rachel shrugged. "No one really knows but," Rachel had now completely lowered her voice to a whisper. "I think it has to do with Muggle-borns and You-Know-Who."

"Oh, no.. Not this. Not again.." Serenity groaned. "I can't handle all this. I'm sorry, but I think I need to go talk to Dianna. See you tomorrow?"

"Of course! Bye!" And Rachel got up and began the walk home.

After thirty minutes, Dianna was feeling significantly better, and Serenity was back downstairs, making a nice dinner.

~

And then, at around the time Elroy came home every day, the kids were upstairs preoccupied with some fun game. She was holding a casserole and didn't look very happy.

But he didn't arrive.

Serenity kept standing there. Where the hell was he? Eventually, she slammed the casserole down on the table and called his work office. "Hello? This is Serenity Astor. Has Elroy left work yet?"

The voice of an elderly lady returned over the phone: "No, he's here."

"Can I talk to him, please?!" Serenity sounded nearly hysterical.

"Hold on."

The call was fowarded.

"Hello," said Elroy. He sounded breathless.

"Where are you? You're late!" Serenity said shrilly. "Come home now. NOW! I don't care if you get fired. Get your ass home now!"

He cut her off mid-reprimand. "Few more pages, be home in a half hour tops, love you." The line went dead.

Serenity threw the phone at the wall- it broke. She sat at the kitchen counter for thirty minutes- Dianna came down during that period.
"Mum, could I stay up late tonight? I'm not tired."
"NO! Go to bed now, Dianna. Just go to bed!" Dianna, looking shocked, went up to her room.

Adam had fallen asleep a while ago-- napping, no less, as it had been only 5:00 at the time.

Thirty minutes later, Serenity was still sitting there at the table, looking absolutely furious. Dianna was upstairs, not asleep, listening at the door.

And as he'd promised, Elroy walked through the front door, right on queue. "Home," he called.