SS: Slytherin Along with Flora & Fauna

[FearlessLeader19]

Overview:
Drake and Ary hit it off from the moment they met in Diagon Alley during the summer of 2110. Since then, they began sharing adventures together. These adventures now continue as the boys are at Hogwarts together. Better yet, they were Sorted into the same House - Slytherin!

Main Characters:
Aryan Atreyu-Rehman (FearlessLeader19)
Mandrake Beery (Chelliephone)

Other Characters:
TBA

SPOILER!!: List of Scenes

Scene 1: September 2111: It's the boys' first week at Hogwarts and they both are struggling to adjust to their new routine, especially Ary. He's currently on a mirror call with his dad as he wanted to see his fathers and the hippogriffs and dragons of the Atreyu-Rehman Reserve.

[FearlessLeader19]

Ary felt one hundred percent miserable while on this mirror call. Don’t get him wrong, he was rather happy to see his fathers but it was the views of the Reserve that made him upset that he was not at home. He was homesick for the Reserve and it was for this reason that there had been such a challenge for him to settle in at Hogwarts. Ary brought himself around to Drake’s bed in their dorm and sat down heavily on it. Where was Drake? He wanted to show his friend the Reserve since his dad was currently holding the mirror over a paddock of Hippogriffs.

“They look happy,’’ Aryan remarked, which was more than he could say for himself right now. Squinting happened as the view shifted around the paddocks. “Baby griffs!’’ he exclaimed, slightly cheered by the smaller creatures ambling about a few larger ones; the latter was no doubt the mothers.

“Born a few weeks ago!’’ Adi replied.

Ary could hear the pride in his voice and made a face. How he wished he had been there. “Hey, Drake. Come see the baby hippogriffs.”

[Chelliephone]

It wasn't hard to tell that Aryan was feeling a little bit homesick, so when he'd mentioned his parents would be doing a mirror call with him he'd done his best to try to be scarce, giving him privacy. But it was also hard to do that 100% without going down into the Common Room or elsewhere and selfishly, the 11 year old was hoping for an invitation to peek at any of the reserve critters. So a shower was what he'd settled for, the door to the bath left ever so slightly open.

Which has been wise, because after some time the boy heard his name and poked his bow dripping head of curls out the door. He'd heard mentioned of baby hippogriffs, so at the invitation to come look the boy was already headed towards their joined beds and plopping down on an open side beside Aryan. "Baby hippogriffs! How old are they??" he asked, giving a shy wave to the adults on the call as well.

[FearlessLeader19]

It was awfully nice of Drake to give him privacy but it was Drake. He didn’t need to give Ary any privacy as Ary would much rather have him around. Ary also suspected that his friend would like to see the dragons and griffs of the Reserve. After all, how many times had the topic of his home come up? It was already on his list to ask Drake to come visit during one of the school breaks.

Oh, goody! Drake wasn’t too occupied with his shower to miss this. “About two weeks. Here.” Ary angled the mirror better so that the other boy could catch a proper view; the entire mirror was taken up with a clear view of the babies. “Wish I was theres,’’ he added glumly, resting his temple against Drake’s closest shoulder. It wasn’t an action he really thought of, nor would it have bothered him if any water from Drake’s hair tricked onto his face. He was much too busy eyeing the griffs. “Look at that cute grey one.’’ Ary pointed to it; the baby was furling and unfurling its wings. “Looks likes he’s testing his wings, doesn’t it?”

[Chelliephone]

As much as Aryan made it abundantly clear that he liked Drake's company, which he super appreciated because he still worried about being TOO annoying to his dorm mates at times, he still figured there was SOME times he'd not want the other boy around. Like maybe times when he and Bryony had something planned, or phone calls home, or just other times with other friends! Not that Drake himself ever felt like he needed any type of a break from Ary, which maybe should have been his clue it might have not been needed vice versa, but still... he just wanted to be respectful.

Settling in quickly, Drake excitedly devoured the sight of the reserve through the mirror, giving audible oohs and aahs as the baby hippogriffs took up his focus. "They're so CUTE!" He gushed, his head resting on top of Aryan's for best comfort. They could try to figure out a drying charm later for their heads of hair. "I imagine missing things there is really hard." He offered, a bit quieter so as not to worry Aryan's Dad on the call as well. "I like the one over there too with the specks of brown to his feathers. He looks so regal!" Even as it was clumsily still trying to gain proper control of it's limbs. "How long does it usually take them to fly?"

[FearlessLeader19]

IThe thought of Drake being annoying was a hoot.

Aryan respected that his friend wanted to be respectful but the idea that Drake could ever be annoying was ridiculous. Clearly having the other Slytherin was one of the comforts and perks Ary enjoyed while adjusting to Hogwarts.

Ary couldn’t help but grin at the appreciative reactions Drake was having. This left him to imagine how excited Drake would be to actually see all the griffs and dragons in person. Maybe he’d want to visit the Reserve sometimes? Ary’s fathers always encouraged Ary and his siblings to have their friends over, after all. “They ares,’’ Ary mused, feeling droplets of water oozing along his scalp. This did not bother him though. “As cute as baby mooncalves.” He eyed the griff Drake had taken a fancy to. “That’s an elegant one.’’ Yes, he was in agreement. “Within seven days, can you believes it?! But they can do very longs trips until after a fews months.” Ary paused then asked, “Dad, does the ones with the brown specks on the feathers has a name? Can Drake name it?”

"HAVE a name, Ary." Somehow he always lost the battle when he tried correcting his youngest son's grammar. Adi’s face came into view on the mirror once again. His reply to the question briefly stalled on his tongue as he took in the closeness of Ary and Drake with some degree of surprise. His eyes questioningly fixed on Ary for a moment as he wondered. However, he gave Drake his attention shortly after, a smile on his face. "Of course he can! Got any name in mind, Drake?”

[Chelliephone]

Seeing all the creatures in person would be like a DREAM for the young Beery. So if an invitation was extended, he would absolutely figure out how to be there. He'd beg and plead and do ALL the housework to get his mum to agree, if he needed to. Though that probably wouldn't have been necessary to begin with. But STILL.

It was hard to not wiggle around in his excitement, but with Ary's head on him he certainly didn't want to disturb. Which was why it'd also been easier to just rest his head too - a reminder to not let the need for movement disrupt. "Wait, have you had baby mooncalves too?!" That was even more exciting! He wondered what the smol versions of that creature looked like as well. Did they have a big difference between the grown up version? "They learn to fly so quickly!" Long trips made sense to take awhile to try though. Everyone had to have some type of a learning journey, right? "What's a hippogriff's lifespan like? Do they live for a long time or is everything also quick for them because it's shorter. Like.. a dog or a cat or something." If he remembered correctly, like best case scenario for those pets was 20 years.

He'd been so excited about the creatures he'd nearly forgotten that of course one of Aryan's fathers was still there holding the mirror too. The face appearing gave him a bit of a surprise, but he recovered quickly and smiled widely at the man. He recognized him from Diagon Alley, the first time he and Ary had really talked. "Hi sir!" He chirped first, remembering the manners his mama taught him. "Really? I can name one?" Eyes were wide, with both surprise and excitement. But immediately he was also running through ideas. He liked the idea of something that spoke to the first words he'd associated with the hippogriff. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

[FearlessLeader19]

Maybe it was Ary’s imagination but he thought that Drake was positively vibrating with excitement. He grinned to himself; if that was the case, then he had made the best decision to let Drake in on the call. “Nope. Mooncalves are at Scamander’s Zoo. We could visit theres sometimes if you want.” Ary was very familiar with the place since he and Bry visited there often, and because Aunty Hady had worked there. “Hippogriffs are brilliants and learn fasts. That’s why they values manners.” Hippogriffs were extremely sophisticated in his opinion. “They can live for twenty-five to thirty years! That’s a long time, isn’t it?” Maybe not as long as witches and wizards but still… “Dad still has somes of the griffs the Reserve started out with.” That was a fact!

Adi, too, recognised young Drake. He remembered thinking that Ary had not taken to another individual {other than his immediate family and other than Bryony} as quickly as he had to the other boy. It was possibly why they had their heads resting against each other’s? But Adi couldn’t help reminiscing that he and Benny had been like this despite them only being best friends at the time. This latest development regarding Ary was certainly making Adi curious about certain things now, curiosities which will be shared with the husband the moment he came off of this call. “Hey, Drake! It’s a girl.” He grinned. “Lay your suggestions on me!”

[Chelliephone]

It was certainly not just his friend's imagination, though he really was trying to not actually physically move TO much. "Okay! Mama took Gilly and I once but the place felt SO massive we didn't really get a chance to see everything." Though they had certainly tried their best and there had been promises of future attempts. Going with Aryan would be a ton of fun! "That makes sense! I hadn't ever really thought about why they valued politeness so much. I like that they do though! A hippogriff would certainly be an excellent judge of character!" Twenty five to thirty five years WAS a long time! They'd live longer than his father had, it seemed. "Oooh you do?" He questioned, directing that one towards Adi. "How long has your reserve been in existence?" This one directed to both Atreyu-Rehman's.

At the confirmation the regal Hippogriff was a girl, Drake went quiet for a moment while he considered what names he knew. "How about Khari?" It might have meant 'kingly' even if it was a feminine name but… he liked the way it sounded.

[FearlessLeader19]

As it actually sank into Ary that indeed Drake was all twitchy with excitement, he chuckled inwardly. Drake was reminding him of Bryony at this moment. As talk continued about Scamander’s Zoo, Ary nodded as best as he could without making Drake uncomfortable as their heads were still resting together. The thought about him liking this bit of shared position briefly crossed his mind but disappeared as the conversation went on. “It is huge!’’ Ary agreed. “Needs days and days to explore it.” Oh yes, a hippogriff was an excellent judge of character. “If griffs don’t like you, thens you may nots be nice.” Creatures were usually more perceptive than humans. “They’d likes you though, Drake.” This was a sentiment Ary felt very strongly about.

It was Adi who answered Drake’s question. “About twenty years. Of course, the planning started well before that. Then there was the entire hurdle of finding the right place, away from Muggles’ eyes. But it all worked out well.’’ This was something Adi was very happy about as it had always been his teenage dream to work with hippogriffs. As Drake brainstormed the perfect name, his thoughts strayed to the boys’ closeness again. Maybe he was just overthinking because of his own similar experiences with his husband, who had been {and still was} his best friend at Hogwarts. Anyway… “Khari is perfect! You two should say hi to her again, now that she’s officially named.” Once more, his end of the mirror was trained on the young griff.

[Chelliephone]

He could feel Aryan’s head moving from under his, and Drake lifted his head just the smaaallest fraction to give his friend an easier time to do so, before resting it back on his again. It didn’t even occur to him to move or straighten fully. Why would he need to? “Trying to do it in one day just means you aren’t giving the creatures the awe they individually deserve!” He commented, a giant grin stretching across his face. He felt a tingly happiness at Aryan’s comment about Hippogriffs liking him, feeling a bit proud at the faith of his friend. “And I’m sure they love you!”

Starting a reserve had to be a TON of work, he realized, as Aryan’s dad mentioned the planning that had had to go into it prior to actually starting the place. “That’s really cool! How old were you when you decided opening a reserve was what you wanted to do?” The idea sounded exciting, though Drake’s own interest primarily lay with Herbology he still had a great respect for creatures as well. As the mirror swiveled to the hippogriff again, Drake’s grin just grew even wider. “Hi Khari!” She was perfect and he was so excited they’d let him select the name.

[FearlessLeader19]

Drake was awfully considerate, wasn’t he? This was Ary’s little mental observation, and he appreciated the consideration so much. But for one sad moment, he thought that his friend was about to remove his head from his and Ary was quite preparing himself to drown in disappointment. But then Drake resumed the comforting position and all was right in Ary’s little world. Oh, yes. Ary could agree with that: each creature deserves their own attention from humans. Lots and lots of attention! Though he couldn’t see Drake’s face, Ary knew him well enough by now to tell he was smiling. It also helped that there was all that excitement and enthusiasm from the other boy. “They likes me well enoughs,’’ he admitted modestly. “Sures they’d like yous more.” Ary continued staring at the mirror, quite liking that his dad and Drake were getting along so nicely.

“Since I was a young and carefree Hogwartian like you are, little Mandrake. It’s never too early to start thinking about what you want to do for the rest of your life.” It was always better to choose something that one enjoyed; that way you’d never have to work a day in your life. Khari the young Hippogriff seemed to deduce there was a lot of attention on her. She stared directly towards the mirror and gave a soft squawk. Half a minute later, Adi’s face flashed back on. “You’ll be able to meet her when you visit, Drake. Ary will officially introduce you.’’ Even if this happens from afar since Adi was always cautious about letting the young children in his life too close to the creatures. “I have to go now. Another time soon we can have a look at the dragons.” He was looking at Ary as he said this because this was Adi’s way of letting his son know that he’d be checking in regularly. “Bye, Drake. Love you, Ary. Remember Aunty Hady is there when you miss your papa and I.” Adi gave both boys a wave then he was gone.

Ary nodded and waved back at his dad before setting the mirror aside. “I really hopes you’ll comes to visit the Reserve, Drake. If your mom lets yous, you can evens stay a few days, you and Gilly.” Already he was thinking about how much he’d miss Drake during the holidays. It was a time when he wouldn’t be seeing much of his two closest friends.

[Chelliephone]

The curly haired boy probably wouldn’t have thought he was - even though he knew he did TRY to be. There was always room to improve on one’s self, right? Creatures and plants both often needed a lot of attention, and he was more than happy to provide it to all of them. Plants were still his bread and butter, but Ary’s excitement for creatures and their general cuteness made them a close second for the boy - and he was learning to appreciate and care for more and more while he frequented down to the barns and pastures with Aryan. “I doubt that! I bet they’d like us both equally!”

It was never too early to think about the future? Drake’s eyes were wide as Adi said it, and confirmed that he’d already had an idea of what to do when he was their age. That was so young! But also it sounded really nice to have a direction and just.. KNOW what each year would be leading closer to! He looked at the hippogriff a bit more before giving an excited giggle when Khari turned her attention towards the mirror and seemed to be greeting them. He gave a slight nod of his head towards her, unsure if she’d see it but still wanting to be respectful, and then Aryan’s dad was back on the screen. “Good bye sir! Thank you for showing me the hippogriffs.” He waved at the man too, but was also still caught up on the excitement of maybe seeing dragons later AND an informal invitation to actually go TO the reserve.

Attention turned back to Ary when the mirror was gone, though he still couldn’t see him since he hadn’t lifted his head yet. “I’m sure my mom will say yes to it! Even if she didn’t, Gil and I have pretty good powers of persuasion.” Well… his sister did, he just tended to badger if he really really wanted something. “Seeing where you live would be nice! And getting to spend time together over the summer. It’ll be so weird not sharing a room.” he was looking forward to seeing Mama and having some homework free days, but he’d sure miss Aryan a lot.

[FearlessLeader19]

One of the things Ary liked about this friendship {which he had not gotten around to telling Drake as yet} was that both boys devoted so much time and energy to the other’s passions: plants and creatures. It just meant a lot to him that Drake would take so much interest in creatures. Which was why he gave into his friend’s words with a light laugh. “You justs might be right.”

If Drake asked Ary, Ary would say he expected Drake to dive into something along the line of Herbology. True, Drake’s interests may change as he got older but for now, Ary thought Herbology suited the other boy; he was such a natural around plants. Not to mention Drake’s knowledge about the subject was already vast. Sitting there, Ary was quite content to leave both their heads like this. Or at least until one of them got tired and their neck started to hurt. He laughed, knowing all too well what Drake was saying about being persuasive; there was some level of experience on his own part when it came to this. “I bets you guys do. Thens I won’t worry about you not being able to visits. You’ll likes it at the Reserve.” His little mind was at ease because he believed in Drake. “It’ll be weird nots seeing you everyday.’’ And suddenly he felt dejected at that realisation. “You can camps in my room if you wants to,” he continued, not understanding how difficult it would be for him to sleep without Drake close by. Ary was in for a rude awakening when he went home for the holidays.

[Chelliephone]

Creatures had always been a secondary interest for Drake, but with Aryan liking it as much as he did, it was true the curly haired boy devoted a lot more time to it than he had previously. And while he also didn't say it, he did just as much appreciate all the of the time Aryan was willing to give up from the barns and pastures in order to spend time with him too in the greenhouses. Of course they hung out other places too, but those were the most commonly split between their hang out time.

It was true Drake already had a pretty good idea he'd do something in Herbology, but what was really the question he had to figure out. The few jobs that he did know of that had to do with Herbology didn't really sound like what he wanted to go into. And he didn't REALLY see himself ending up a ministry worker one day, but he supposed it was far too early to say that for certain. He was only 11, after all. "Yep! We'll be there!" He was assuming Gil would be just as interested as he was too in order to see all of the different creatures. "I'm sure I will! The reserve sounds awesome!" And there was now a hippogriff in particular he was especially excited to get to meet. "... Maybe we can get mirrors so we can still talk daily? The first week we're back in Diagon Alley?" It wouldn't be exactly the same, but it was better than nothing right? "Okay! And I bet Mama would be fine with you coming and visiting us at some point too!" It might not have been nearly as fun, but at least they could still see each other then too!

[FearlessLeader19]

And plants were becoming Ary’s secondary interest! Truthfully, he had never set foot in a Greenhouse more in recent weeks than he had all his life before. He may not be great with his knowledge of plants but he was willing to bet that this was going to change before he and Drake completed their first year. There was just something wonderful about Drake’s company that he enjoyed. Or it was perhaps the way Drake could chatter on and Ary wouldn’t get bored of listening to him. Either way, the other boy already meant a lot to him.

Helping Drake figure out what exactly he wanted to get into later on in life was something Ary was willing to help out with, even if they both had to spend a great deal of time poring over those career pamphlets. Ary smiled happily. “And Bry cans come over too ands we’ll have a great times!” It’ll be like a mini sleepover with all the food and games included. With regard to the mirrors, Ary knew all too well about them not being the same as being right next to the other persons nor as comforting as it was to rest one’s head on the other’s shoulder. But it was better than not seeing Drake at all. “We shoulds do that. Then we cans talk and talk untils we get yelled at.” Ary chuckled at his own words, even if he was joking. “Anytimes you want, I’ll be there.” Since his fathers already knew Drake, it wouldn’t be an issue for Ary to spend time at his house.

“Ums…Drake? My neck’s starting to feel weird.” It was definitely a side effect of him sitting like this for a while, clearly.

[Chelliephone]

Drake was more than happy to have been able to share his interests with Aryan the way the other boy had shared his with him. While he was certain it was nice to connect with someone on something both parties already were really into, Drake also was partial to the fact that the boys' friendship was so important to each other that their interests were shared together even if it hadn't been something they'd already gravitated towards naturally. The fact they both enjoyed both things, Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology, was just a cherry on top of the sundae. Drake felt really lucky to have ended up making a friend like Ary - and the fact they'd been dormed together was truly a DREAM.

The summer plans were bittersweet to make. He was really, really excited to get to see Aryan's home and everything, but he was also truly saddened about the fact they wouldn't be sharing the same room. And at the mention of Bryony coming too - which he of course didn't MIND considering he didn't have anything against their fellow snakette - also made him a bit nervous. He wondered if Aryan noticed the fact the pair didn't seem the thickest of thieves, or did they do a good enough job of getting on in his presence it went by unnoticed? He hoped that. He certainly didn't want to worry the boy, and he was sure Bryony would have been of the same mindset. Reaching forward for a book he'd left on the bed earlier, something Care of Magical Creatures, he opened it up, upside down at first and it took him a moment of scanning through the pages to realize it, before he flipped it again and shoved the page to his friend. Changing the subject was the best way to not show discomfort, right? "Can you show me what type of creatures are on the reserve?" He asked, pushing the book gently towards him again. "I like the mirror idea. Let's pick one out at the beginning of the summer!" He was sure he could convince his Mom on that. And maybe if Ary's dads were busy, they could take him along with too! "Okay! I'll let you know as soon as I confirm with Mum!"

At his name and the following comment, Drake gave a small "Oh!" before quickly lifting his head. "I'm sorry! You're all wet now too!" He replied, reaching for the towel he'd been using earlier in order to put it on Ary's head and fluff his hair a bit. "Sorry about that!"

[FearlessLeader19]

Yes, their friendship was indeed important. Ary had been able to sense the goodness in Drake and this was partially why he was able to bond so excellently with the other boy. Bonding with strangers was not one of his stronger traits so he had been quite taken aback when he had had an interesting and fun first conversation with Drake in Diagon Alley. He also loved that they had been Sorted into the same House, especially in the way of his presence helping Ary sleep restfully at nights.

As a matter of fact… Ary did notice a teeny amount of tension between the Drake and Bry; it didn’t emanate from Drake, this much he knew. The truth was, he knew Bry was insecure about his close friendship with the other Slytherin boy. The other truth was, Ary was not sure how to handle this situation other than trying to show Bry that she was still important to him. He was kind of hoping she would be reassured and be completely civil to Drake.

Ary was just about to point out that his friend was reading the book upside down when the mistake was realised. “We don’t haves much in the way of differents kinds of creatures. Dad and papa haves always been into hippogriffs and dragons.” He flipped the pages to the dragons. “We gots Romanian Longhorn, Antipodean Opaleye, Hebridean Black, Peruvian Vipertooth…” Ary checked off the list on his fingers as he went, did a quick double check and then continued. “Norwegian Ridgeback, Chinese Fireball… huh. Basically its alls of the types of dragons. You gets to see thems all for real soon. In the meanstimes, you get to learn about them for your books.” Ary was going to show Drake every bit of the Reserve when the time came! “We can do thats. I feel better now… knowings that I’ll get to… still see you oftens.” The sentence was broken because Ary was not good at words; actions were more his forte.

“It’s really okay!” Grinning, he lifted his head, rubbing his neck in the process. “Oh yeah, I ams.” Before he knew it, the towel was thrown over his head. His laughter sounded muffled from beneath as his hair got ruffled in the drying process. “Drake! Stop apologising!” And he blindly reached for Drake’s face so that he could clamp a hand over his friend's mouth.

[Chelliephone]

While he had connected very easily with Aryan, the ease with which he had talked to the other boy was not something that was typical for Drake either. He was generally so shy with strangers, but he had been trying to put on a show to his mom that he was FINE being left alone and the other boy had instantly been easy to speak with. Maybe because Ary was such a good listener? Or maybe it was just his own kindness was so abundantly obvious. Whatever it was, Drake was really really thankful for it since now he had a best friend.

Had it been something they spoke of, Drake would have assured him Bryony was definitely always civil! They both cared about Aryan, so even on the few instances when they'd found themselves alone in the common room they did sit and try to chat. It just... wasn't as easy as with others. And that probably wasn't entirely Bryony and whatever insecurity she had either - maybe it was just Drake's previously aforementioned discomfort around new people that had made it difficult for the two to really connect.

They still had time though.

While he was learning a lot more about creatures than he had known prior to their friendship, which was truly a perk of them sharing their interests, but even still all of the names of the dragons were foreign to him and he didn't know much about any of them. Drake's eyes had grown wide as Aryan listed them off, looking down to his book as he tried to flip through to dragons and looked at each names. "Wooooow! That is a lot of different types of dragons! I'll have to start reading about them now!" Because that was quite a few things it sounded like he'd need to catch up on. "Did you have a favorite type of dragon?" He knew his favorite creature was mooncalves, but maybe he had a favorite of the largest of the reptilians. A soft smile appeared at Aryan's words, before a small nod in agreement joined the expression. "Me too. I think I'll still miss you a bit though." But it was only a few months and then they'd be reunited again!

Drake was stiiiill trying to dry off Ary's head, apologizing as he went which... he definitely was doing too much of. He giggled a bit when Ary told him to stop, his next one having more of a cheeky tone to it. "I'm sorry!" He replied, before the hand reaching towards his face made him laugh again and drop the towel.

[FearlessLeader19]

If anyone had asked Ary about his first impression of Drake, he would not have listed shy as an adjective. Whatever the reason Drake had been talkative that day, it had worked out more than excellently since an important bond had been made that day. And it was going to be a bond that Ary held close to his heart all his life. He just hoped that Bry would understand this, and that the civil interactions between his two friends would continue. Maybe Drake’s shyness around Bry would be overcome as time went by? Maybe Bry would do a little more to help Drake with the shyness? Who knew? Aryan could hope for the best!

“It is,’’ Ary agreed, nodding vigorously. “But the way they haves to be taken cares of is mostly the sames. So it won’ts be difficult for yous to learns. Shoulds I leave you alone to reads then?” He didn’t want to make the other boy anxious about the creatures and decided that he’d always give him reassurances about creatures {and any other topic that he possibly could!}. “Nah, I likes them all equally.” Ary brightened up. “Hey, maybes you’ll have a favourite when you comes visit!” Wouldn’t that be something? This little guy would be so pleased if that happens! “Gotcha. Only a bits.” The sides of Ary’s lips twitched in humour.

Ooh! Drake was sassy! With his hand clamped over Drake’s mouth, he too threw some sass out there. “Too bads you can’t say it nows,’’ he joked, still very much hidden under the towel. If Drake did, all that would happen was that his words would be more than muffled against Ary’s palm. “You’re nots allowed to say the S words agains, Drake.”

[Chelliephone]

Scene II
Winter 2112. In which Mandrake gets to make a trip to visit Aryan at his family's reserve.

ASGJDOGLDS. LISTEN. MANDRAKE BEERY WAS THE MOST EXCITED.

And it wasn't even just because he was going to get to see the reserve that Aryan loved so much and talked about so often. But even more so, just because he was going to get to see Aryan. The curly haired boy had gotten so used to the shared space of their dormitory and the giant fort of a bed they'd concocted together, that going home to his own room and the quiet that waited him there had been... strange. It would be nice to be under one roof too for a night or so, since his Mom had agreed to let him stay as long as he promised to not be too much of a pain for Aryan's dads.

He'd promised he wouldn't. And now he just had to hope upon hope that he could fulfill that end of his bargain.

Apparating in to the Reserve with his mother, he bounced on his heels before shooing her away with a promise to Owl if he needed anything and to be on his very very bestest behavior. He gave her a wet kiss on the cheek, before he turned to the entrance and stood there waited, streeeeetching up on his tiptoes to see if he could spot Aryan or one of his family members anywhere.

[FearlessLeader19]

Drake would never, could never be a pain to anyone. He was such a sweet soul and Ary counted himself very lucky to have such a close friendship with him. The night before his friend was due to arrive at the Reserve, Ary took longer than usual to drift into sleep. He spent most of the time reminding himself that Drake’s presence was going to remedy that situation and thinking up fun things they could do.

He stood waiting for his friend with dad Adi; both males were bouncing on the soles of their feet. Ary, because he was super excited, and Adi because… well, the man was always full of energy. “There he is!” Ary shouted a few minutes later and took off. By the time he got to where Drake was, winded and all, Drake’s mum was gone. It was okay though, he’d send her a note or talk with her whenever his friend was doing either. It was Ary’s duty to let her know that Drake was being a proper guest, after all.

“Drake!’’ Excuse Ary while he threw himself at the other guy in a hug. “Hi!”

[Chelliephone]

While he would have argued that idea with Aryan if it had been voiced (and miiiight have even been able to come up with examples!), Drake was just as pleased to not have to. As for Aryan considering himself lucky? Drake was really the one who had been blessed by the universe. His dorm mate was perhaps, actually definitely, one of the nicest, patient, joyful souls he’d gotten to meet. Between him and Gilly, Drake had won the friend lottery (even if one was also his sister, it STILL COUNTED).

His goodbyes to his Mum were hurried, but Drake was certain she understood. As soon as she was gone gone, he could see Aryan running his direction and the curly haired boy excitedly jumped up and down, his bag bouncing on his shoulder, as he enthusiastically waved back. He would have took off at a run too to meet Ary halfway, but he was worried between the pair of them they wouldn’t stop in time to not collide and hurt each other, which was not a good start to the overnight. “Aryaaaaaaaan!” he called when the other started to get closer, before catching him and the hug when he launched. “Hi hi hi!! I’ve missed you!!”

[FearlessLeader19]

Ary didn’t usually get into arguments but there were a few instances where he was more than willing to make an exception. One of those was this scenario that was in his head; regardless of Drake’s examples, he would have been quite confident that he would have shot them down. #SorryNotSorry, DuckyDrake! Awh, wasn’t the other second year the sweetest?! Ary was happy to be so appreciated. And yes, it totally counted to have a sister who was a close friend.

Aryan certainly appreciated the thoughtfulness as well. No doubt his lack of athleticism would have been detrimental if the pair collided. Heck, he probably would have bounced right off Drake and fall flat on his butt. There was no time for dwelling on if he was doing things right or not though because clearly Drake was thrilled to see him. Ary gave his friend a squish - or as squishy as it could get with his skinny arms. “Missed you too!” And now they didn’t have to miss each other! Wasn’t this spectacular?!

“Come on, come on!” Grinning, Ary released Drake and grabbing his hand instead. “There’s so much to show you!’’

“But first, show him to your room, Ary, so he can get settled,” Ad piped up. He had been observing the reunion silently and in all smiles. “Hi, Drake. Want me to take your bag?”

[Chelliephone]

Well, another point Drake might have been willing to argue was that would have been a waste of Aryan's own energy - which he knew his introverted friend only had a certain amount of. So that was yet another reason to just be thankful neither of them had really felt any need to argue their perspective sides of whether Drake was annoying or not! He also was not the sweetest, since that was his friend's title, but he would have appreciated Ar thinking so! And he was very, very appreciated! As one of his first real friends, and now someone he just couldn't imagine not having in his life at all, Drake was the biggest fan of one Aryan Atreyu-Rehman.

Ary's squish was perfect and Drake returned it with enthusiasm, before he also let the other boy go and happily took his hand - ready for him to drag him wherever he was most excited to show him first on the reserve. Drake wanted to see ALL of it, so he was happy to jump straight in. He beamed at the returned sentiment he'd spoken earlier, pleased to also be important enough to be missed, before he swung their conjoined hands happily. "I've been looking forward to this since I got your invite! Which thank you again by the way!" He chirped happily, a bounce in his step. "What are we going to look at first?" He asked, before hearing Ary's dad who he now turned his attention to.

"Hi Mr. Atreyu-Rehman! Thank you for having me!" He remembered his manners, even though that had been supposed to be the FIRST thing he said per his mother's instructions. "It's okay, it's not heavy so I can take it. Thank you though!" He didn't want to burden his host and it WAS light bag, but it was awfully kind of the man to ask. Wasn't hard to see where Ary got it from!