Are you proud yet?

Rhysand wasn’t going to pretend like he wasn’t irritated at the boy was at his door, but this was his shop and he wasn’t about to kick someone out and give himself a rep for being an asshole to customers. He’d been close with Orion when they’d gone to Durmstrang, more than close, they’d practically been attached at the hip, holding hands, sneaking off to make out during free period and even going to holiday dances together. He’d been devastated when Ori graduated, and although they kept in touch, it didn’t last very long. He’d been angry for a long time about it- but years of focusing on his career had taken his mind away from it. Part of him wanted to remind the boy what he’d done- but now wasn’t the time. He’d grill him for it later.

He took his place behind the small cafe counter brewing a pot of tea and reaching for two mugs. He could feel his irritated facial expression as his back was turned and he quietly grumbled under his breath trying to convince himself to act unbothered by the boy’s sudden appearance again. When he heard the calming voice behind him he turned, glancing over his shoulder. “Ah yeah… I live here, above the shop,” he says pointing overhead, which he realized might look stupid. “I moved from Bulgaria when I was 19.. I had enough of my mum bothering me about finding someone to marry. I um play quidditch too, part of the Bulgarian National team. Surprise you didn’t hear.” he scratches the back of his neck. “I’m the seeker. Got scouted right out of Durmstrang.” he cleared his throat as the tea kettle whistled and he poured two steaming mugs. “Enough about me. What’s been going on with you.” 

     Rhysand had moved away from Bulgaria years ago and he had been right there, living so close to him for all these years. Orion used to spend some evenings by himself unable to stop thinking about how the city was too empty and too lonely because Rhys was somewhere out in the world, living his life without him. But now he knew he had been right there all along. They could have passed each other on the street without even recognizing each other.

    Even if Orion had already warmed himself up he could still feel the chill settle under his skin when he thought back to all the time they could have had together and the years while they were still young and foolish kids back in Durmstrang. “ I’ve been kind of travelling all over the place, so I haven’t really kept up with quidditch, believe it or not. ” Ori took the few steps that separated them until the cafe counter was the only thing between them. “ So, did you? I mean did you find anyone to marry? ” He didn’t particularly want to know the answer to his own question, even if the idea of him being with someone new shouldn’t bother him. It wasn’t as if the two of them had actually been dating. Sure, they had fooled around a lot and he was never able to contain the smile that would sneak its way on his lips whenever he would think back to the time when they would sneak around under the bleachers before his quidditch practice. “ I’m sure you’ve had a line of suitors waiting for you, am I right? ”

“ nothing says badass quite like a FLORAL PRINT , amirite ? “ fingers run through deep blue hair that matched the background color of their shirt. “ it’s fashionable ! “ teddy was known for dressing differently and having a lot of different types of clothes. including florals. they loved floral printed shirts. 

ian always found himself caught in situations like these where he accidentally walks in on something that he shouldn’t have heard. sometimes they were talking about him or something else but thank god it was something else this time. seeing the person that was talking about whatever it was a rather bit too loudly he draws his hand along his lips almost as a zipper as to indicate he wouldn’t tell a soul. “don’t worry. all i heard was something about a cow and whatnot.” he said mindlessly a thin (fake?) it was really hard to tell smile formed on his lips as he awkwardly let his hands dangle to his side. “though word of advice, maybe you shouldn’t talk so loud when you’re in public… or like talk about other people like that. dunno it’s just like a uh….. general rule of thumb i thought.” 

Rhysand was relieved to be home after the week-long tour in Georgia, doing camps and other little pop-up things with the rest of the Bulgaria Quidditch team. He’d given himself the day off to sleep in, and now on his first day back in his shop, Sandalwood Books located a few blocks away from Oxford Street in London he felt somewhat at peace. It was downpouring, both in Diagon Alley and London, and both shops had a few stragglers scanning the shelves and sipping coffee, his regulars lounging at tables reading old books. He’d just finished making another fresh pot of tea when he heard the faint twinkle in his ear, the indicator that someone had come into the London side of his shop. He stepped from the Kitchen toward what looked like an empty doorway and appeared in the doorway behind the register at the London shop. “Welcome to Sandalwood Books what can I help you find today? Can I interest you in some tea-” he hadn’t so much as paid attention to the figure before him before his ears registered that they’d called him by his name. 

After a moment it dawned him that Orion Strix was standing before, drenched to the bone and looking rather miserable. “Well well, Orion Strix fancy seeing you here. I didn’t know you lived in London now.” he crossed his arms over his chest. “Come with me, you look like a drowned dog,” he said with a click of his tongue and motioned for him to step into the bathroom located near the back of the small cafe that led into the heart of the London shop. Once inside the bathroom, he shut the door, turning the lock three times and then pulling the door open again, and stepping out into the Diagon Alley side of Sandalwood. “You can use a warming spell now. I’ll grab you a cup of tea and we can talk?”

     How long has it been since they’ve seen each other? Maybe six or seven years but it truly felt like a lifetime ago. When Ori graduated from Durmstrang he had every intention of keeping in touch with Rhys. He would write him letters as often as he could but then one thing led to another and soon enough he was traveling around the world for his job and his letters got fewer and fewer until one night while he was writing he simply didn’t have any more words or at least that’s what he told himself. He could have visited him, he should have but he didn’t. Maybe because he simply wanted to move on with his life, leave the past in the past and finally start a new and adventurous life, but he never meant to leave him behind. 

    He couldn’t help the years worth of guilt eating him up while he followed him into the bathroom and waited for a moment until the door opened and they were in a completely new world. It only took him a second to get himself dried again and better yet, warm. He gave himself a moment to glance at himself in the mirror of the bathroom to make sure he didn’t still look like a drenched rat. “ Just count to five and act as if everything is peachy. ” He whispered to himself under his breath before the corners of his lips turned upwards into his usual cheeky smile. “ You’re the last person I thought I would see here in London. I always guessed you had gone back to Bulgaria. Where have you been hiding all this time? ”

“ you ever think that something is a good idea – until it isn’t anymore ? that’s basically every decision i make in a nutshell. “ a laugh. a hand runs through dark hair. “ but more importantly – you ever done something that is just … PEAK DUMBASS ? i think i’ve outdone myself this time. “

      The rain poured down on the pavement, while muggles seemed desperate to escape from the rain, hurrying to get to their destination, too busy with their own lives to take a break and enjoy the rain. Everyone was seemingly rushing except for Orion. He had nowhere to be and nothing to do, so instead of getting out of the rain he simply walked down the street with slow steps until his eyes darted up from the ground to look into the window of a brightly lit bookstore. It felt so warm and inviting that it practically pulled him inside. It wasn’t until he was inside that he felt the slightest shiver run down his body from his cold and wet clothes. He knew he could get himself dry and warm again in seconds with the hot-air charm but he was surrounded by muggles so instead, he simply moved slowly and lazily deeper into the bookstore. Once in a while, he would pause to let his fingertips run down the spine of a book without actually picking it up. He was completely lost in his own world until he could hear footsteps approach him and there he was, just as if all these years that had separated them never happened  “ Rhys?... ”

「 richard harmon, twenty-five, trans man + he/him 」 ☆ is that ORION STRIX spotted in KNOCKTURN ALLEY ?! as they walk along the cobblestone ground they seem to be quite INDEPENDENT, but also CAUTIOUS, it makes sense given they are a CURSE BREAKER and their patronus is a RAVEN. the sound of thunder keeping you up at night, morning sun gently waking you up, dancing to old music as if no one is watching + IF I HAD A HEART by FEVER RAY makes me think of them.