Written for the Journey Through Hogwarts Challenge (Flourish and Blotts - write something over 1000 words)

Of Narrow Streams and Holiday Romances

There was a stream at the side of his house that he liked to go to for some peace and quiet. His house was small, and his family wasn't big, but for some reason there always seemed to be a constant hum of noise wherever he went. His mother would sing to herself as she painted, or sewed. His father was constantly out in the yard, testing his magic against Muggle items. And then there was him, a sixteen-year-old boy, unsure of what to do with himself when he wasn't at Hogwarts.

With a depleted feeling inside of him, he sat himself by the edge of the stream, dipping his toes in the cool water. Fish of all shapes and sizes swam by, some tickling his feet. A Plimpy or two were even visible underneath the moss that floated along the surface.

The holidays were always so boring, and not for the first time did he wish he had at least one sibling to talk to during the summer months. His parents had always been happy with one child, though; that was what they always told him, anyway.

He was just contemplating taking a swim in the water when an unfamiliar owl settled down beside him. It had a longer-than-usual beak, and feathers of white and a light brown. A letter was attached to its leg, and when he removed it his heart stopped for a moment.

"You're not his usual owl," he murmured, stroking the feathers of the bird.

The owl gave a loud hoot in reply before nestling itself closely to him. Obviously friendly, he petted it again, tearing open the letter.

Alastor,

My apologies if the new owl startled you, but my parents were becoming suspicious and I swear they were starting to track her, so I used one from the post office instead. I know I haven't written in a while, but for the reasons I just mentioned, it's been difficult.

How are your holidays going? As boring as mine? My parents will be out for the day this coming Friday. There's a place near my house where they won't find us. Meet me there at midday.

Ambrosius

That was the best news Alastor had heard all holidays. Every day he had looked out the window in the hope of seeing the grey owl that belonged to Ambrosius. Last holidays they wrote every day, but this was the first time in four weeks he had even heard his name. There was no way he was missing this meeting.

Not wanting to go back into the house to search for a quill, he used the mud by the stream to write a big YES on the other side of Ambrosius' note and reattached it to the owl's leg.

"Tell him I'll see him soon," he muttered, stroking the bird's beak. "Two days."

The owl hooted then took off into the air, becoming a black speck in the vast sky.

Alastor sighed, but this time it was with pleasure. Only two more days, he thought to himself. He had to suffer only two more days.

…

"You'll be home before dinner, won't you, Alastor?" his mother asked.

"I'm not sure," Alastor responded indignantly. "I might be later." I will be later if I have my way, he added silently to himself.

"Make sure you're home for dinner."

"I'll try."

He left before his mother was able to insist he be home, exiting the small cottage the three Moodys lived in. Ambrosius didn't live too far from the little Scottish village below. The Flumes had a house just over the hill – the two of them had been playing with one another since they were little boys; exploring the Muggle village together and getting into mischief when they could. They had dreams of one day working together, but as they grew that seemed to be less and less likely. Alastor wanted nothing more than to become an Auror – one of the best – but Ambrosius preferred the quiet life. He wanted to settle down and marry and maybe have a few kids. It was one of the few things they couldn't agree on.

At sixteen, he was one year of being able to Apparate. He didn't mind the walk, but Apparating would obviously get him there faster. "One more year," he told himself. "Just one more year." One more year for everything.

Ambrosius was waiting for him by the path that led to his house. It was bigger than Alastor's, though still not fancy. Alastor's family had little to do with those who resided in the Muggle village, but it was the village Ambrosius' mother came from. He was often seen about.

"Alastor, finally!" Rather than the masculine greeting of shaking hands the two of them would do in front of their families, Ambrosius embraced his friend with a hug. "I've been waiting for an hour!"

"My mother was asking questions," Alastor told him plainly, then noticing the concerned look Ambrosius gave him, he continued with, "Not about anything important. She wanted to know when I'd be home for dinner. That's all."

"Mothers," Ambrosius laughed.

"Mothers," Alastor agreed, nodding.

"Come on, let's go. Before they come back!" Ambrosius grabbed Alastor's arm, diverting him to the left. "I often come here to get away from their nagging," he explained. "It's peaceful."

"I have a place like that," Alastor said, thinking of the stream he had been at when Ambrosius' letter had arrived. "It is nice."

"But…." Ambrosius stopped, grinning. "But, is it anything like this?" He waved his arm around at what was almost a park; but it wasn't. It was a clearing in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by trees. In the centre was – to Alastor's humour – a clear-flowing stream. It was almost a mirror image to the one by his own house, yet this one was better; it was made from magic.

Alastor laughed. "It is, actually," he said. "Very much so."

Ambrosius' smile faltered.

"But your one's better, Am," he assured his friend.

"You think?"

"Defintiely."

The two young men made their way into the clearing, Ambrosius leading Alastor to a log by the stream. They sat down, eyes staring into the clear water and at all the fish swimming past. Alastor laughed.

"What?" Ambrosius questioned.

Alastor shook his head. "Nothing," he said. "It's just… I was sitting in an almost exact spot as we are now, wishing you were beside me, when your letter arrived."

Ambrosius grinned. "You were thinking of me?" he asked.

"Always."

"I've missed you." Ambrosius slid a little closer to his friend, their arms touching. "We don't normally go so long without seeing each other."

"It's hard, though. With your parents and my… mother…." Alastor almost rolled his eyes at the thought.

"So hard," Ambrosius agreed, moving even closer so that just his presence caused Alastor to shiver. "But, I'm glad we're here now."

Alastor smiled, turning to meet his friend in the eye. "I'm always glad to be with you, Am."

Ambrosius finally closed the gap between their mouths, pressing his whole body against Alastor. It really was hard trying to be together, living in a world where people would not accept them. They couldn't hold hands like boys and girls in the corridors at school; they couldn't kiss each other goodbye on the train at the end of every school year; they could barely write letters to one another without Ambrosius' parents wanting to know why he was wasting his time with male friends when he should be finding a future wife. It was hard when Alastor's parents cared little one way or the other apart from wanting to know if he would be home in time for dinner. Everything was hard, and it hurt.

Finally breaking the kiss, Ambrosius rested his forehead against Alastor's, smiling. "Let's make the most of this one day we have together," he said.

Alastor smiled, pecking the boy's lips. "Do you have anything in mind, Am?"

Ambrosius turned red as a thought obviously crossed his mind, but he shook it off, shrugging. "Tell me what you want to do and we can do it."

Alastor smiled, kissing him once more. "You know what?" he said.

"What?"

"Just doing this –" he kissed him again, "– is nice."

Ambrosius nodded, his lips firmly against Alastor's. "This is nice," he agreed. "The best day I've had since I got off that bloody train."

Alastor's only response was to kiss him even harder.

One day it would be like this forever.

This is not the first time I have written this pairing... I've done it before and I love it. And my head canon fits into canon - the two of them still go on to live the lives they do in the books (Alastor as an Auror, Ambrosius as the owner of Honeydukes - Ambrosius' desire for children and a family got too much and he married his canon wife). Anyway, I hope you liked this! I had fun with it!