I Want My Dad PV Simon Kincaid Finished

Interacting with @Simon Kincaid
Astra speaking: #136323
Thoughts: Italics
Others: Bold

Astra gladly took the offered lemon drop, unwrapping it carefully and popping it into her mouth. The sour and sweet combination was nice. She listened to Simon, resting her cheek on her knees as she looked at him.

She had a few friends back home. Nico, a few people from church. Renelle.

How could she be so homesick when big pieces of home were present daily? When she spent any moment she could with them? Because something is wrong with both of them. And one of them is your fault.

"I never thought a prefect would be offering to help me sneak into Hogsmeade," she said with a small smile. She thought for a second, all of those things seemed like fun Rod and Asa activities. "I want to explore something with him. The castle, the grounds, the forest. Maybe practice some Quidditch stuff. Just do what we usually do."

The lemon drop was nearly completely melted in her mouth. "Thank you for the candy," she said. "And thank you for talking with me." Astra smiled shyly. Talking about first her homesickness and now venting about the problem with Rod had helped her clear her mind. And Simon's offers to someone he'd just met, well, it was like he had known what she needed before she herself even knew.

Simon could tell she just wanted to spend time with her brother and for things to feel a little more put-together than they were, and not necessarily ready for ventures with a new friend and that was okay. The offer was made if she should ever want to take him up on it.

"No problem," he said to her, not really sure if he had been much help. Simon folded up the cellophane bag that his lemon drops were in and placed them back into his enchanted satchel. "I hope your year goes well, Astra," he said to her genuinely as he stood and positioned the strap upon his shoulder.

He'd leave her back to her thoughts and not go all prefect on her by stating that it was nearing curfew. She was a smart girl and knew that herself and he was pretty sure she wouldn't stay out too long. Maybe she just needed a bit more time to tend to her thoughts.

Sometimes Simon wondered if he wasn't lucky in some weird way not to have a mother or father or siblings - it was just more people to miss. He knew in time that Astra would settle into Hogwarts, create a balance between her former life and this, and soon feel as if Hogwarts was home and her classmates were family. That seemed to happen there at the castle no matter who you were or what social group you fell into.

"Good night." And he headed back toward the castle. He'd come out to check in a little while when darkness would fall over the Scottish Highlands just to ensure that she had gotten inside, but otherwise he'd leave her to her thoughts.