Wanderer

Robert felt a smile tug at his lips when Isidora accepted. It broke up his day nicely. He needed to get most of the Christmas shopping done and he felt just slightly awkward in Muggle London. As nice as it was he preferred Diagon Alley simply because it was magical there. Sure, Muggle things like laptops and CD-players were fun to tinker around with as well as their cars but he couldn't ignore his heritage.

The bar overlooked the main plaza of some shops parallel to each other. A large fountain was situated in the middle and the bar was right at the end. An off-licence was next door which seemed a little bizarre in Robert's opinion but he understood the reason for it. When the final call bell was rung the drunks needed somewhere to fill up at about 1am. The Off-licence was a great place to go.

Robert fell into step with Isidora and they made it to the bar in a few minutes. Robert opened the door for her just as the first few flecks of snow started to fall from the sky. Robert smiled and ducked inside. He brushed some stray bits of snow out of his hair and gestured to a round table to the right and about two meters from the door. It had been pushed against the windows and two chairs sat either side.

"What would you like to drink?" he asked, feeling a little more relaxed now he was inside and in the warmth.”

As they walked, Isidora vaguely wondered what had gotten into her lately. She had been going against all the norms of her family. She shrugged it off. It was unusual yes, but it was also exciting in a way so she would go with it. She followed Robert, walking with him, silently until they came to the bar. As soon as she stepped inside, she felt the warmth wash over her and a she wore a small smile because of it.

Isidora settled herself in a chair as he asked her about her drink. "Scotch, please," she replied as she pulled off her black gloves, exposing her slender fingers and crimson nails. She crossed her legs as a lady of class was apt to do.

Robert nodded and wandered over to the bar. It was in the middle of the pub and was circular so it fit more stools around the sides and there was more room for beer on tap. The barmaids were busy flirting with the guys at the bar so that left Rob with one option which he would gladly do. Robert put his hands on top of the mahogany and threw himself over the wood. One of the barmaid's gasped before blinking and smiling at him - obviously recognising him. "Thirsty Rob?" she asked, winking.
"You know it. Now, you got any scotch and a glass of my usual?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow at the girl.

The girl disappeared behind a few bottles of Vodka and two stacks of six-packs of Coca Cola. The girl appeared again holding a small glass of scotch poured expertly and Robert's glass of red wine which he tended to go for over beer which he found a lot more... common perhaps?

"Cheers, love. Put it on my tab." Rob kissed her on the cheek and took the glasses from her. He kicked the hinged piece of the bar and it fell open, nearly spilling over someone's drink. Rob smirked to himself and walked out of the bar area that he shouldn't have entered in the first place. He enjoyed Muggle bartending which was a lot more fun that doing it the wizarding way. You could do tricks with the bottles without using your wand - a feat shocking for most wizards and witches.

Robert walked back over to the table where Isidora was sat and set the glass of scotch down with his own. Robert slipped his leather jacket off and wondered what possessed him to buy the thing. It was at least five years old and he remembered restoring a motorbike at the time so maybe that was it then. Rob slid into his seat and sat back in the chair before picking up the glass of wine he'd ordered.

"I don't usually drink scotch so I'm not sure what it'll be like to be honest but this bar hasn't failed me before. It has yet to." Robert smiled and winked at Isidora before drinking some of the wine from his glass. It was good, as usual and he didn’t expect anything less.

As Robert went to get the drinks, Isidora looked around the pub. Her eyes traveled over the patrons. Well, one thing was for sure, no matter if it was the muggle or the wizarding world, pubs and pub-goers were all the same. The number of bodies in the, already warm, pub made Isidora's frock more of a burden than a source of warmth. She shrugged it off and hung it on the back of her chair. As she waited, she turned her attention to the bar, absently tugging at the cuff of her quarter sleeved shirt, which she knew would get her a bit of attention.

She watched Robert with interest as he kissed the barmaid on the cheek and come out from behind the bar. "Thank you," she said politely as he set her drink down. She smiled slightly, "Scotch is scotch no matter where you go," she replied, shifting in her chair slightly as she picked up the amber liquid. She swirled it slightly, as one would with wine, before she sipped it, watching Robert.

She put it down and then spoke. "I'm curious, why did you invite me to drink with you?"

Robert raised an eyebrow in interest and put his glass of wine down. He heard something - most probably his alcoholic side - protesting it the back of his mind but he pushed that away easily.

Rob looked at Isidora interestedly, trying to keep his expression calm and indifferent instead of confused or whatever else his features felt like moulding into. He didn't really know what to say to her. Why had he invited her to have a drink with him? A better question was why did she accept with him being a Half-Blood and all.

Rob glanced over at one of the tables where two men were sat discussing god knows what. It was most likely football but whatever they were engrossed in distracted them long enough for him to click his fingers, keeping his eyes focused on the small pot of peanuts sat beside a pint of larger. The little pot rose and floated across the room, seemingly unnoticed by everyone but the barmaid he had spoken to who was shaking her head at him in disbelief and amusement.

Robert took the pot out of the air and set it down on the table. He picked a few of the peanuts up out of the pot and chucked them in his mouth, wondering what he should and could say. He knew she was probably suspicious of his motives. Besides, who sat down with a Lestrange and had a drink these days? Quite a few when they spoke with Matt but Robert couldn't speak for himself there.

He didn't judge people on their heritage if he could help it and tended to base what he thought of people on their actions instead of their family's past discretions. Perhaps it was an odd thing in this day and age but Robert didn't care whom he was talking to - Death Eater, Vampire, Whatever - as long as he wasn't in any life or death situation that he couldn't talk himself out of then he didn't care.

"I just thought maybe you'd like to seeing as Muggle London isn't exactly a place you'd usually venture into. I mean, how many random people have you sat down and had a drink with lately?" he smirked and picked his wine up again. "Besides with my charm and cat preference how could you possibly refuse, Isidora?"

Isidora watched Robert fairly intently. He seemed to be searching for an answer, at least, that was what she assumed since he didn't answer her right away. She knew he was probably wondering why she had agreed to go with him. Indeed, she had been asking herself the same question since the words came out of her mouth. But she had already decided to attribute this whole situation to her new found interest in shaking things up. Actually, if she were to be honest with herself, which she wouldn't, she would see that she was trying to spite certain people.

She smiled in amusement as he levitated the bowl of peanuts from the bar over to their table. She sipped her drink, watching him. Setting the glass down again, she reached over and plucked a peanut from the pot and popped it into her mouth. Finally, Robert answered her question. When he asked her house she could resist his charms, she let out a light chuckle. "You're very full of yourself, aren't you," she said, a mixture of seriousness and teasing in her voice as a smile played on her lips.

"Over-Confidence I'd rather describe it as." He smiled, popping a few more peanuts into his mouth.

Robert hadn't really given much thought to being full of himself. He was confident and didn't like people beating around the bush too much and he had no self-preservation yet that didn't scare him. Anyone in their right mind that got into as much trouble as he usually found himself in they would loose their right mind and probably become crazed loonies. However, Rob didn't doubt his abilities in being absolutely charming.

"Anyway, you didn't mention why you accepted to have a drink with me. A lowly half-blood with so many relatives that one might mistake us for the Weasleys. However, the women have yet to produce a redhead." he smirked.

It was true in a way. No redheads had been produced by the Whitlock women and Robert’s mother was adamant that it would stay that way. The Whitlock women had extraordinary luck which didn’t amount to much. They would live a long time and earn as much money as the Minister of Magic but any man they married and produced children with would disappear and/or die depending on whom it was.

Robert was the only male for goodness knows how long and he could never quite get his head around why all of his cousins, second cousins, aunts and every other distant or close relative lived in the Whitlock manor. It was just too creepy for him to even think about which was why he was grateful for his little London apartment.

Isidora chuckled again as he re-termed the phrase she had used. "Well, whatever terms you put it in, it amounts to the same thing." She sipped her scotch again.

She had been expected his question so she had the answer ready. "Why indeed," she mused. "If a pureblood like me, a Lestrange woman, were to be seen with Robert Dent, half-blood, it would surely be quite the scandal." She ran a finger around the rim of her glass. "Perhaps that is why. The idea of causing such a stir is...exciting. Or...I'm going mad." She shrugged and gave him a teasing smile.

Robert chuckled and sat back in his seat, waving his hand so the wine followed him. Rob curled his hand around the glass and glanced outside, smiling at the flurries of snow coming down and laying thick on the cobbled street. He took a sip from the glass and his eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"I'm sure they'll all be please." Robert smirked. "But is life truly that mundane for you to accept a drink from a half-blood that could have had the drink laced with Veritaserum to get answers from you? It is curious, I myself never really passed potions - only just if I remember rightly but Veritaserum is not something I'd be able to brew. But you aren't going mad. You married into the Lestrange family so you don't have the blood of Bellatrix Black. If you did you'd have cause to be mad considering the inbreeding."

Rob raised an eyebrow at Isidora and smiled charmingly at her. He was really turning on his charm despite everything and he wasn't too sure why but then again he wasn't complaining and neither was Isidora.

"Veritaserum," she muttered. The thought had never crossed her mind. She frowned slightly, turning her eyes to the streets. Was she a fool to blindly trust this half-blood man? For all she knew, he could have an ulterior motive. But then, he had just admitted that he had no intention to slip the truth potion to her. She laughed outright at the inbreeding comment.

"The potion idea never crossed my mind, that you would do such a thing. Who walks around with Veritaserum in their pockets? And, plus, as you said, no one would expect a Lestrange to be wandering around muggle London."

She sipped her drink. "And, yes, actually, life is truly that mundane." As she spoke, she fiddled with her wedding ring. "My children are all at school and my husband..." she gave a wry laugh. "Well, it would more suffice to say 'what husband?'"