Who: Colin and Andrew
What: A little reassurance and a whole lot of sugar
When: After the students returned to school
Where: The Gryffindor Commonroom
Rating: PG



Andrew hadn't exactly been prepared for how much work being Head Boy really was. He'd sort of coasted through being a Prefect, as all he'd really had to do was follow orders. Being Head meant giving the orders, though, and that was something he just hadn't had time to prepare himself for. Why did they send those owls out so close to time for school to start up? They should at least be given time to think it over and plan ahead!

It didn't help that he was pretty certain one Kayla Bundy had it in for him. Sure, he was hyperactive and no, he wasn't always the most responsible person in the school. But was it necessary to be stodgy and irritating in order to be a proper Head? The students wanted to have fun. He felt it was his duty to make sure they had it but in a safe manner, instead of making attempts to blow up the school or drink themselves under the table in the Great Hall. But he wouldn't get anywhere with all of his plans for social activities and the like if Kayla was determined to make everyone feel like even budging would have them expelled.

But that didn't mean his own common room had to be boring, especially not the very first week of school. So he sat at one of the tables, leaning back with his chair on the back two legs while glancing around the room. When he'd banished Colin to the common room via journal punishment, he'd only sort of meant it, so he wasn't entirely sure if his friend would show up or not. But one thing was for certain; it was their seventh year, and things were bound to be anything but boring.

Colin had been promised marshmallows so naturally he showed up. Besides, it had been too long since he and Andy hung out in their Common Room. The Gryffindor loved his family, but summer did drag after awhile. It felt good to be back at Hogwarts for his final year and he meant what he said in the journals. He was going to make it the best year ever. And that started with aiding his silly best mate in that head thing. Colin might have joked around, but he was really proud to be best mates with the school's Head Boy. He also thought Andy really deserved it.

He entered the room wearing a bright grin. "If there are no marshmallows, I'm leaving."

As if in retaliation to the very idea that there might not be marshmallows, Andrew pulled the bag out of his school bag and tossed it directly at Colin's head. "Hey, I promise a marshmallow party, I aim to deliver!" Though he still had no idea what, exactly, a marshmallow party was, he was pretty sure it involved indulging in the sweets he'd brought from home long before he'd be able to replenish in Hogsmeade. There should definitely be some sort of Head Boy Sweets privileges. He pulled out a sack of chocolate drops, too, and the soft caramels his little sister was so fond of. Not his fault she wasn't there to share! "Mum would have a heart attack if she saw how much sugar I'm looking at right now."

Colin held up a arm to block the assault of the white stuff, but he failed as the bag smacked him in the face. "And here I thought this involved eating them." He smirked, plopping down on one of the couches. "If the Head Boy throws marshmallows around, who do we tell?"

In an exaggerated whisper, Andrew put a hand next to his mouth and hissed, "You have to tell McGonagall. And I don't think she'll be very considerate of the fact that you've been beaten with fluffy white puffs of sugary goodness."

"Ooooh, she scares me anyway." He sighed in the same exaggerated matter that Andy used in whispering. "I suppose I'm stuck getting beaten with..." He held the bag up. "That which should be eaten." He grinned, ripped the bag open, and plopped several in his mouth. Who need the chocolate and caramel Andy had with it?

"Y'know," Andrew began conspiratorially, "if we had graham crackers right now, we could start s'mores right there." He pointed to Gryffindor's roaring fireplace. "And I bet we'd get the entire common room to join us. Of course, we'd need sticks. Or," he added with a sly grin as if the thought had just occurred to him, "we could just charm them on over there. In fact..." Pulling out his wand, he levitated a marshmallow from the bag in Colin's hand and urged it to go over to the fireplace. He let it roast for a few seconds, then gave his wand another wave and brought it back over to himself. The smile he gave was completely and totally smug. "Ta-da! Roasted marshmallows, courtesy of Professor Flitwick's genius teaching. I love being a wizard sometimes."

"Except we're still the two losers sitting here with roasted marshmallows," Colin pointed out though it didn't stop him from eating the treat. "You should demand everyone join us."

Andrew heaved a pretend sigh. "And what if for once I just wanted some time with my best mate? Without Ginny around, that is, I mean, she's great and all, but she is a girl."

At that, Colin raised his eyebrows. "Does that mean you have some deep dark secret to tell me?" Despite the joke, Colin did worry about his friend and all the new responsibilities that had been placed on Andy's shoulders. Maybe he really did have something to confide.

But Andrew was anything but the secret keeping or telling sort. Mostly because few people ever actually told him any. Even his own family had learned not to! But still, he used his finger to urge Colin closer. "Okay, you can't tell anyone, alright? But Sailor and I? Totally getting married and I'm going to need you to be my best man, got it?"

Colin blinked at that. He didn't believe they were getting married, but he did find the lie circumspect. He was a little jealous at the thought. He didn't have any girls lining up at his doorstep, after all. "Like she'd have you, Kirke." He smiled jokingly, grabbing at one of the chocolates.

"Oh, she will," Andrew replied, leaning back in his chair with a smirk. "We're going to get married and have the world's most energetic children. They'll be beautiful and brainy, if they can ever slow down enough to actually brew a potion."

"Huh, huh, and then you woke up and returned to reality." Snickering, Colin pulled out his wand, turning it over in his hand. "It's still weird to think I can use this outside."

Andrew grinned, running a loving finger over his own wand. "Isn't it brilliant, though? I mean, we can basically do anything we want now! We could even go into The Three Broomsticks and order a firewhiskey if we wanted!" His cheeks flushed slightly at the idea, though. "Pretty sure Bundy would have me slaughtered if she found I did, though, no matter how legal it was."

"Something about role modeling," Colin said, punching Andy in the shoulder. "Besides, come on, chocolate shakes are so much better anyway." He had only tasted alcohol a few times in his life and all at family functions, but thus far Colin wasn't impressed.

Sighing dramatically, Andrew rubbed his shoulder, but not until he'd licked off the gooey remnants of toasted marshmallow. Possibly the most amazing invention ever, by the way. "Well, you've seen me turn down chocolate what, once in my life? And that's when I'd been beaten to death with a bludger, I swear, so I think I'm forgiven. But you know, I bet you could mix firewhiskey with chocolate shake and make it into a genius concoction of delicious tasty goodness."

Colin considered that, stroking his chin in exaggerated mulling. "You might have something there, dear Andrew. We need to experiment."

Lowering his voice, Andrew added in a stage whisper, "But not where Bundy can find out! I swear she'd have me expelled if she thought she could." He shook his head but continued on in his normal tone. Despite being irritated by the idea, and a little hurt that she wasn't taking to him quite as easily as he'd have liked, he grinned. "Probably would've even want a replacement, either. Probably would rather run the entire school by herself."

Colin grimaced as he mentioned Kayla. "I don't know why she hates you so much," he responded. "You didn't do anything to her." He sighed, reaching a hand out for more marshmallows. "Don't worry about her though. She can't touch you. They picked you for a reason."

"I just wish she didn't have to be so down about everything," Andrew countered, popping a caramel into his mouth and making a huge production over chewing it. "She's going to make the other students scared to breathe. Including me!" After all, he couldn't exactly go getting detentions now, could he?

"Hey, close your mouth," Colin reprimanded, making a face at the grossness. "That's why those things are awful. It's a production to eat them!" He glanced around the common room again, wondering if anyone was listening in. Since it appeared everyone else had far better things to do, he leaned toward Andy. "Maybe that's why they needed you! You know, good cop, bad cop."

Andrew snickered at both Colin's scolding, and his good cop, bad cop comment. An image played in his head and he started laughing. "It'd be like one of those programs on the telly. Have some poor innocent third year blubbering away in a chair, Kayla's got a torch on him and I'm buttering him up with sweets and promises of a buddy for his first Hogsmeade weekend. Oh, that'd be a good idea! Though who'd want to give up their Hogsmeade weekend to guide around a third year newbie?" Sighing, he shrugged. "Ah, well, it's not too terribly big, it's not like anyone's ever gone permanently missing on a Hogsmeade visit."

"Or that we know of..." Colin smiled wickedly. "You are gonna lose a third yearrrrr."

Eyes flying open, Andrew threw one of the chewy brown sweets at his friend. "Don't even joke about that! You know if anyone's going to lose one it'll be me! Or else I'll find the one lying facedown outside The Three Broomsticks who Rosmerta actually believed was seventeen. Would never hear the end of it!"

"Oy, stop throwing things at me today!" Despite his words, Colin really wasn't annoyed. He saw that Andy was actually nervous and was just trying to help the poor kid. "Andy," he said seriously, "You are going to be brilliant at this."

Taking a deep breath, Andrew nodded, though he'd have been lying if he'd said he wasn't still insecure. He still had no idea why the staff had chosen him. Colin could've done just as good a job, or any of the Ravenclaws or Hufflepuffs. Why him, who'd had to fight for every ounce of respect he actually did have? "If I am, it's because the whole school went mad. I'm so not ready for this, Cols, you know that."

"No. I don't know that." Colin kicked his friend right in the shin. "I'll kick you every day if you keep this up."

"Ow!" Andrew whined, rubbing at the tender spot where Colin's toe had just made contact. "You git! I'll be maimed and unable to carry on my duties and then what'll Bundy have to say, hmm? Or old Professor McG?"

"They'll say you deserved it for acting stupid," Colin answered calmly.

An exaggerated pout crossed Andrew's face. "I could put you in detention for that, you know! Permanently disabling me and all."

Colin gasped and held a hand over his heart. "You would do that to your best mate? Think of my mum!"

Gnawing on his lower lip for a moment, Andrew shook his head. "Nah. Couldn't. It takes too long to break in a new best mate and by that time we'd be out of school and who would I get up to seventh year hijinks with? That's a fun word, don't you think? Hijinks?"