[dec mp] keep my secrets [hefin]

Justin tried his hardest to keep in touch with the people he'd known from Hogwarts. He really did, with varying success. Of course he saw Ernie and Hannah whenever he could, pretty much at least a couple times a month. They'd all get together for drinks or a quick bite someplace. They had been exceptionally close at school, anyway, and it wasn't hard to keep things going between them. They were their own dynamic trio and he loved them both dearly. There were the people he had known in school and was only now trying to reestablish that connection with, like Dean. Then there were the people who probably had no idea he even existed and he was still working up the courage to try and contact them. It just felt so very important to him that his year didn't lose each other. They had all gone through things no one else could understand, could even fathom. Things like that had a way of changing people, marking them out, making bonds that shouldn't be lost to time and distance.

But, then again, Justin was a bit of a romantic with a soft and tender heart. He wanted to be able to see the people who'd known him when he was younger, when he was different. Okay, not really that different. He'd come through the war relatively unscathed. He'd lost very few people he was close to, and he'd made it through with his boundless optimism and faith in humanity intact. He was still happy, trusting, warm. He had faced war, battles, prejudice, and it hadn't tainted him but it seemed to purify him in way. He was just as good, if not better, of a person now than he had been in school. Justin was still innocent and joyous.

Which might explain why he was a grown man with no children, going to the zoo. It had only recently reopened and Justin loved going to the zoo so he'd wanted to come as soon as he could. He had also managed to get his dear friend Hefin to join him as well. Hefin, being a super-famous Quidditch star, rarely had free time to spend outside of all of his obligations both work and social, but Justin imagined that Heffie tried extra hard to meet up with Justin when he could. They had been close since school, with the two of them instantly finding in the other a sweet and warm companion. They'd often sneak into each other's beds to sleep together in a little puppy pile. After school, he'd stayed in touch with Hefin, mostly through letter and the occasional meeting.

Now, Justin was especially excited to see his friend. He wanted to gush to Heffie about the new best thing in his life, namely his sort-of-relationship with Ryan. He also wanted Heffie's advice. Hefin was a wiz with ladies and while Ryan was most definitely not a lady, Justin figured that with all the relationships Hefin had been in, he must have some kind of deep wisdom on the subject. The former Hufflepuff bounced excitedly on the balls of his feet, standing at the gates to the zoo. He scanned the crowd, looking for the other man. When he spotted him, Justin bounded over. He threw himself at Hefin, a bright grin on his lips.

"Heffie!" He chirruped happily, wrapping his arms around his friend. Justin was dressed warmly in a navy blue pea coat, dark khaki pants, and a deep green polo over a cream-colored long-sleeved undershirt. He had a coffee brown muffler on, and the tip of his nose was red from the cold. "It's been too long! I've missed you!"

@Hefin Howell

Having attended the charity quidditch match the previous weekend, Hefin decided to stay one more day in London before heading back to Melbourne, to celebrate the New Year’s with his family. However, that did not mean that this extra day would be only to relax just before the young wizard would have to switch three port keys before going back home; no, definitely not. Today had a full schedule.

Firstly, Hefin had spent his late morning having brunch with nobody else than Mary Parker, catching up with his favourite Auntie, whom he hadn’t seen in quite some time, much to his displeasure. Honestly, Mary was one of his favourite people, a female figure in his life whom he sometimes appreciated more than his own mother. She was simply the best and, therefore, catching up with her was a mandatory gesture for Hef to do, particularly when he was in London and he could see Mary face to face. Of course, he did not forget to mention that her beloved son, Zacharias, had voluntarily participated in charity quidditch match, being quite the star. In addition, he had pulled off the furry pink uniform quite well. Being the best friend that he is, Hefin also got Mary some pictures of her son as well, so she could be completely proud of her darling boy. Naturally, Hefin did feel Mary’s joy, however, a little part of him was getting his revenge on Zach for refusing to attend the game with him. With that in mind, he brought some copies of the pictures for Justin as well.

Which was why he was at the London Zoo, to meet up with nobody else than his former dormitory mate, Justin Finch-Fletchley. Hefin hadn’t found the right time for them to meet in person for quite a while, as his schedule was more disorganised in comparison with Justin’s fixed and stable one at the Ministry. When he was free, Justin was working, and viceversa. However, today, they had enough luck to both find some time, and decided on meeting up at the zoo. Apparently, the London Zoo had been closed during the Snuggles protests – an event which he knew everything about as it had been all over the media during the past few months – and was now having its grand reopening. Activists weren’t around anymore, however some signs which were meant for freeing the Snuggles still laid down on the pavement, in front of the entrance.

Hefin arrived a bit earlier than Justin, mostly because he came there directly after his meeting with Mary. Now that their reunion was quickly approaching, this former Hufflepuff was getting more and more excited of his upcoming get-together with Justin. Out of all his former dormitory mates, Hefin had first best clicked with him, as Zacharias had been a bit difficult to deal with until their fifth year, and, of course, Ernie had never been Hef’s favourite person. Never. However, now that he was thinking of a certain Hufflepuff trio, the part Australian made a mental note to write more often to Hannah, maybe schedule a meeting with her as well next time he would be in London.

But today was going to be all about Justin. Hef hadn’t met his good friend in quite some time and was eager to hear everything he’s been up to lately. Justin was always that warm, kind person that continuously made one feel as if they were drinking warm tea, giving away to the interlocutor that sensation of being all warm and calm inside. It was something which Hefin enjoyed since first meeting the fellow former Hufflepuff, during their first day at Hogwarts as eleven year olds. In addition, Justin was also one of the few people Hefin was always comfortably warm and open with, no matter the circumstances. Justin was that friend he didn’t mind being ridiculously sincere around, regardless of the situation.

Placing his umbrella over his shoulder, Hefin wanted to take off his coat, as he felt a bit too hot for the surprisingly warm London weather. Not that it was actually warm, for it was actually quite cold, but the quidditch player just had too many layers on. But before he could do anything about that, Hef heard a familiar voice, which instantly got him turn around on his heel, with a wide smile on his face. “Justie!” He said cheerfully, before being taken by surprise by his friend, who had literally jumped on him. Thankfully enough, Hefin was strong enough to keep his balance despite being taken a bit aback by the gesture.

He was quick to return the hug, immediately noticing that Justin definitely started working out more since their last meeting. “Merlin’s beard, let me feel up those muscles!” Hef said, placing both his hands on Justin’s abdominal area. Even above the coat and the extra layers one could feel that Justin wasn’t joking around. “At this rate you’ll outdo me.” He laughed, genuinely complimenting his friend. In the end, his other friend, the best one, had started to get soft around the belly, much to Hefin’s disappointment. So knowing Justin still worked out on a regular basis could only bring joy to this health enthusiast.

“But yes, I’ve missed you too!” Hef cheerfully remarked, before placing his arm around Justin’s back, as they made their way in the zoo. “How is everything with you? Even if we’ve been writing, I feel like I need to hear everything again from you directly.” As he was talking, Hefin also pulled up Justin’s muffler just a tiny bit, to make sure he was warm enough. That red nose was definitely not a good sign, and Justie was not going to catch a cold on Hef’s watch. “Maybe we should get some warm tea first?” He inquired, a bit worried that, compared to him, Justin might be a bit cold.

A delighted peal of laughter bubbled up from Justin's throat. He and Hefin had a special relationship ever since they'd met as first years. Besides Ernie, there was no one that Justin was closer to. And no one else used that particular nickname with Justin besides Hefin, just as no one else called the Quidditch player "Heffie." Despite how physical they were with one another, it was a purely platonic affection. They were like two puppies, always cuddling and giving each other unconditional love.

"Heffie, don't tickle me!" Justin giggled as his friend explored his abs. "I've started doing mixed martial arts in addition to the boxing I always did." He grinned, proud of his new hobby. "If you have time later, I can take you by my gym and you can watch me spar if you'd like!" It was rare that his friends got a chance to see him in action. Seeing the sweet and gentle Justin attempting to kick the snot out of another human being was a sight to behold.

Justin leaned into Hefin's arm, smiling brightly as they walked. He blushed faintly as his friend pulled up his muffler, covering his numb nose. "Something warm sounds good!" Justin agreed, walking them towards the cafe located near the zoo's entrance. As it was such a cold day, the heated interior was quite popular with visitors. Justin ordered a hot chocolate, and his eyes lit up when a steaming cup with a tower of whipped cream was handed to him. They managed to find a small table in the back, away from anyone who might recognize Hefin and mob him for an autograph. Justin didn't think they'd manage to make through the whole day without getting mobbed, but he could hope. The former Hufflepuff was always the optimistic one.

"Well, I'm going to law school and working at the Ministry. I'm in the Magical Accidents division, working mostly on instances of muggles interacting with magic." Justin smiled. "I really like my job, and all my coworkers are really nice! I even get to see Zacharias all the time at lunch."

Hefin laughed as Justin mentioned he was ticklish. It somehow felt that no matter how much time had passed by, they were still bits of their eleven year old selves around, and that always offered the quidditch player quite the comfort. The two of them still using those nicknames they had invented for each other as first years was also a sign of that pure and innocent friendship they still shared, and he was glad it had managed to remain that way, even after years and hard times. Still, nobody else would ever be able to call him ‘Heffie’, and now that he was hearing it from Justin too, it did feel slightly embarrassing. However, not embarrassing enough for Hefin not to enjoy it.

“Mixed martial arts?” The quidditch player repeated after his friend, a bit surprised by Justin’s choice of sport. Probably was safer than quidditch – anything was, truth be told – but Hefin couldn’t hide both his amazement and curiosity, not quite managing to understand how Justin got into that specific sport. “Isn’t that something they teach at Mahoutokoro? It’s pretty impressive.” He’s only heard some rumours from graduates he had met from the Japanese wizarding school, quidditch players mostly, yet Hefin was quite sure that while not completely dangerous, Justin was pretty much into quite the intense activity. He couldn’t help but wonder if maybe the job at the Ministry had gotten his friend to get such a… hobby.

He let Justin lead the way to a café, right next to the zoo’s entrance. It was a nice place, especially designed for witches and wizards, which was truly a pleasure, as they could talk openly, and not be worried they’d be overheard by muggles. Before he could mention anything about it though, Justin had anticipated Hefin’s request, and they went for a more secluded table, after they ordered their drinks – Justin a hot chocolate, and Hefin a chai tea latte, with extra ginger. It was better they’d sit in a more sheltered area of the café, as while Hef did enjoy taking pictures with his fans and signing autographs, his priority for that day was to catch up with Justin.

At the mention of law school, Hefin understood a bit why Justin had gone for practicing a sport like his chosen one. Perhaps the stress was indeed a tad too much, yet he was glad that his friend managed to unwind somehow. “I’m glad.” He replied, smiling, a bit relieved nobody had been upsetting Justin. Otherwise, Hefin himself wouldn’t be beneath going after the people making his friend uncomfortable, really. Nothing he couldn’t handle if it involved this ray of sunshine shining as bright as always.

“Ah, I’m so jealous of that.” Hef instantly replied at the mention of Zacharias. “You guys, including Ernie and Hannah whom I personally haven’t seen in forever, get to see each other so often.” He sighed, leaning against the back of his chair. “Meanwhile, I’m at the opposite side of the planet, and in a different hemisphere.” The former Hufflepuff nodded in disapproval, afterwards taking a sip from his cup. In addition to not being able to keep in proper and constant contact with his friends, Hefin was also a bit genuinely envious that Justin got to see Zacharias more often than he did. It was bit peeving that someone else got to see his best friend almost daily, when he couldn’t – even if that person was Justin himself.

“Anyway.” He sighed yet again, deciding not to dwell on the subject anymore. “What about the love life, mate? Got any updates on that?” Hefin inquired teasingly, yet still a bit hopeful that Justin had managed to find someone worthy of him. If anything, his friend there was among the top people Hefin wanted to see happy and fulfilled, in all aspects of his life. With any luck, Justin would give him some good news.

Justin nodded, having done some research on his new hobby. "They do, but I practice at a purely muggle gym," he replied. "I got into MMA because some blokes that I box with had suggested I try it. I've been at the same gym since I was a kid, long before I knew about Hogwarts. My step-dad, he wanted something to toughen me up or at least let me defend myself." The former Hufflepuff shrugged. "You remember how much I got picked on in school. It wasn't any different before Hogwarts." Despite the rather grim subject, Justin was still all smiles. That was in the past, and he had come through everything still as bright and happy as he'd ever been.

"It feels like it's been forever since we all got to hang out," Justin sighed. "I miss you all. Ernie and Hannah are usually too busy but sometimes we'll be able to grab a pint together after work. Zacharias I see more, but he's never been super social with me." He and Zach were friends, but possessed very different personalities. Justin got the impression that sometimes Zacharias would rather be somewhere else at lunch, but he still showed up in the same place at the same time every day so that had to mean something? The Ministry was a big place and if he wanted to run, he could find someplace to hole up for the hour.

At the sudden mention of his love life, Justin swallowed his hot chocolate wrong and it nearly came out his nose. He coughed, red faced, and looked sheepishly at Hefin. "Well, the thing is, it's kind of, well, complicated?" He stammered, trying to work out how best to describe his relationship with Ryan. "There's this guy I'm, well, not officially seeing." Justin gave a soft sigh. "We're not exclusive. He doesn't do boyfriends, or relationships. But, Heffie, I've got it bad for him." Justin let his head hit the table with a thump. "I want to ask for more but I also don't want to ruin what I have. He's so good to me, and we spend almost every night together and we have a dog too." The love-struck Puff looked up at Hefin with pleading eyes. "I don't know what to do, Heffie..."

Hefin nodded back at Justin, listening with quite the amount of interest. His friend always broadened his horizon regarding the muggle side of the world, and he couldn’t but always listen in silence, completely fascinated. However, he couldn’t but feel anger upon Justin mentioning the days from school, when he’d been picked on. “People are just shit.” Hefin mumbled, taking another sip out of his chai tea latte. He didn’t want to dwell on the subject any longer, hoping that it wouldn’t affect Justin anymore. His friend was smiling, but Hefin wondered how genuine it was; perhaps Justin was merely polite.

He felt satisfaction knowing that his best friend wasn’t closer to Justin than to him. Despite not revealing it openly, Hefin was quite possessive of his friendship of Zacharias; he wanted to know and needed to know he would always be the one closest to the certain former Hufflepuff. “He’ll warm up to you, don’t worry.” Hefin tried to reassure Justin, nonetheless, he wasn’t sure of the validity of the fact. Zacharias was more complex than he let off, and he was unsure whether or not Justin noticed it. “It just takes time.” He added, taking another sip out of his drink. However, thinking of Ernie and Hannah did make him nostalgic; he really wanted to grab a pint after work with them all too. But, alas, he was working on the opposite side of the planet. His entire life was elsewhere now, unfortunately.

Placing his chai tea latte back on the table, Hefin arched an eyebrow at Justin’s reaction. So there was someone. “A guy, that’s good.” Hefin nodded once, excited that Justin was opening up to him. It irked him that he wasn’t up-to-date with his friends’ lives anymore, and he lived for moments like this one, where it felt like, even if they met rarely, they resumed their friendship as if not a day went by. Hefin did not understand the need to mention the ‘official’ bit, but after a moment’s thought he realised it was Justin in front of him, and not one of his regular pals from the Quidditch industry. Of course that his friend would want a proper, meaningful relationship, something which could be deemed as ‘official’.

Hefin sighed as Justin confessed he had no idea what to do, and placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder, gently tapping it twice. Truth be told, he understood what he meant that his boyfriend didn’t do relationships; Hefin was that type of man as well. Nonetheless, this was Justin; how could anyone not want to be exclusive with him? It was clear to anyone that Justin there wasn’t the type of person who’d be especially keen on casual endeavours. “Well, I guess you do have some sort of stability. Owning a dog together means something.” Hefin remarked, giving his former dormitory mate a reassuring smile. “Maybe you can make him start the discussion though.”

The Quidditch player paused, shifting in his seat as he picked up his cup once more. “Have you ever thought of giving him a taste of his own medicine?” He took a sip and then continued. “If he’s with you every night, then he must like you, even if he probably won’t admit the extent of his feelings.” Well, they were pretty much exclusive, but they just lacked the label, from what he understood. It was a matter of knowing how to play the game. And there, he could definitely help Justin, more so than actually giving relationship advice.