It was nightfall now. The sun was gone, the temperature had toned down to a reasonable number and a faint breeze floated through the air. Oliver liked these times best. It was peaceful, it was calm and it gave him a way to escape and think.

He got home earlier that evening from his seventh year at Hogwarts and was yearning to go find Randy. His impatience grew when his mum forced him, nearly threatening to body-bind him to the chair if he didn't sit down and eat. Randy's not going anywhere, she'd said. He can wait. You've both been doing it since Christmas. Which was not even the point. This was part of their tradition, which they'd been doing since Oliver came back from his first year. That first time, his parents weren't thrilled that he ran out of the house to go see his friend like that but now they were used to it.

It sounded sappy and girlish, but getting together on Oliver's first night back was their thing. They would sit in the Taylor's backyard, catching up on anything and everything. Randy would tell Oliver all about school and his accomplishments, not to mention any new developments in his romantic life or anything else. And Oliver did the same, enthusiastically informing him all about quidditch.

This year was the first time he was late.

He hoped Randy didn't get tired of waiting for him.

Oliver lived down the street from the Taylor's ever since they moved to Britain from the states all those years ago. Despite now having an apparition license, he couldn't very well just apparate to the Taylor's backyard or else the Ministry would send him a nasty letter for trying to violate the Statute of Secrecy. Course, it would be funny if he managed to scare Randy so it might have almost been worth the risk.

Oliver had ultimately decided to sprint over there and now came to an abrupt stop, breathless and panting heavily for air. He was greatly relieved to find his friend sitting in one of the lounge chairs, glancing around like he was lost in his own thoughts. When he finally realized Oliver was there, he grinned and stood up. There was something different about him. Oliver felt it. It wasn't just that time had passed. Something was off.

"You're back," Randy made a motion with his hands, bringing them down to his sides, coming forward a few steps. "I wasn't sure if you were going to make it or not."

Oliver rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sorry about that. Me Mum made me eat supper before I came."

"Eh, no problem," Randy shrugged. He added teasingly under his breath, "Momma's boy."

Oliver glared playfully at him, shoving him lightly. "Git."

Randy chuckled.

"'Sides, you're worse."

"No way. Mark's worse."

"Really? Because I don't believe it."

"So?"

"My opinion counts more than yours."

"Ahh, right," Randy said with fake solemnity. "The Great Oliver Wood has spoken."

"It's about time you've recognized me as great."

Oh, you're great alright. A great prat."

"Very witty. Wonder who taught you that word?"

"A what?"

"A prat," Oliver said. "It's an insult."

"It sounds stupid."

"See, right now you're being a prat. It also means stupid."

"Riiiight," Randy said.

Oliver sat with his back against the tree. Randy was beside him as they tried to get under the shade and out of the harsh sun.

"British people are weird."

"You're weird," Oliver retorted. "You thought chips were crisps."

"It's not my fault you guys have a word for everything," Randy said, shoving him.

Oliver shoved him back.

There was a brief lapse of comfortable silence.

"How's Percy doing?" Randy had never met the red-head, but heard plenty of stories from Oliver. Most commonly were some of the schemes that Oliver had dragged Percy into. Honestly, the two of them were a lot alike, even though they didn't know it. Like Randy, Percy was Oliver's voice of reason. "Is he still going into the ministry?"

"Yeah," and then he deliberately lowered his voice, "he's going in as a spy for Dumbledore."

Randy seemed surprised like he usually did when Oliver told him about some of the things within the magical world. "A spy? What's he doing that for?"

"Didn't tell me a lot of details. Couldn't, I suppose. Dumbledore asked him to. Wants to find out if Fudge or anyone else is hiding something. Course, I feel for him."

"Why's that?" Randy frowned.

"He has to pretend to hate his family so no one suspect anything."

"That's rough," Randy remarked.

"Yeah. He doesn't have the best relationship with them anyway," Oliver said. "This won't help."

"You should bring him around sometime," Randy said suddenly. "Before summer's over."

Oliver put his hands in his pockets. "Suppose I could. He's wanted to meet you for some time now. "

"I'd like to meet him, too. Anyone that can handle you is a saint in my book," Randy teased.

"I could say the same about you," Oliver smirked.

"No you can't."

Oliver stuck his tongue out.

"Real mature, Wood."

"So," Oliver spotted Randy's two brothers in the living room, engaging in a wrestling match. "How's your Dad?" Oliver recalled how at Christmas, Randy told him the story of how his dad had fallen off the roof again whilst trying to put up the decorations for the neighborhood contest. He ended up breaking several bones and was put in the hospital for about a week and a half. Mrs. Taylor had been quite miffed about the whole thing and apparently lectured her husband while they rode in the ambulance. "He alright?"

"Oh, yeah," Randy waved it off dismissively. He was used to that thing by now. "He's fine. All healed up, but Brad and I are betting on when he's gonna land himself in the hospital again."

Oliver snorted.

"But enough about Dad," Randy sat back down and gestured for Oliver to do the same. He did. "Tell me about your year. Got a girlfriend yet?"

"You know I don't," Oliver said.

"Oh, right. Quidditch is your one true love."

"Shut up."

"I feel bad for the girl that has to come between you two," Randy said.

"Shut up, Randy."

"Poor Percy probably hears you talking plays in your sleep."

Oliver said nothing because it was true. Percy complained about that very thing; it'd be in the dead of night when Oliver would abruptly start yelling.

Randy started laughing hard. "It's true? I was just kidding."

"It might be."

"You really are obsessed," Randy was amused.

"I'm not obsessed."

"Oh, you're not?"

"No."

"I don't know. An obsessed person would say the same thing."

Oliver muttered something foul.

"Such harsh language. What would your mom think?"

Oliver snorted again, leaning back to glance up at the starry night sky. He exhaled, feeling content with life right.

And then, Randy shifted from beside. "I need to talk to you about something."

"Yeah?" Oliver didn't tear his eyes away. "What about?" It then occurred to him that he, too, had news to share. He'd almost forgotten about it. "Wait, hang on. I've got something to tell you as well!"

"Oh?" Randy said with a strange tone to his voice. "You can go first."

"You sure?"

"Yeah," Randy nodded. "Go on. What's up with you?"

"Gryffindor won the cup and I got recruited for Puddlemere!" Oliver beamed. It was a surreal experience. To think, he was on a professional team now.

Randy's eyes lit. He was genuinely thrilled for his friend. "Seriously? That's amazing!"

"Training starts soon. Merlin, Randy, I can't believe it! Wasn't sure they'd want me."

Randy rolled his eyes and gave that look to Oliver that he usually did when he thought he was being stupid. "How can you even say that? You eat, sleep and breathe quidditch. Who'd be better?"

Oliver rolled his eyes this time. "I'm not that good. You've never even seen me play."

Randy shrugged. "You know I've wanted to."

"I know," Oliver nodded. It was a fact that dismayed both of them. Knowing that Randy couldn't come to Hogwarts to see any of what he'd told him about. Like the quidditch games. "But perhaps I can bring you to my games now. Don't think there's any rule against it as long as you know someone."

"You think so?" A smile spread across Randy's face.

"Oh, yeah! Hope you haven't got any plans in November. Our first game's then."

Oliver was puzzled when Randy's smile waned.

"November? Oh. Right. Well-" he trailed off.

All of the happiness and excitement was sucked out of Oliver. "What?" He said immediately.

Randy rubbed his hands on his legs. "It's just... I can't go to your game."

Was that it? Oliver tilted his head. "Got plans already? That's alright. There'll be a ton of them and-"

"I can't go because I'll be busy," Randy got up and was facing away from Oliver. It left a funny feeling in his stomach.

"Okay," Oliver said slowly. "Busy, how? If you need a way to distract your folks so you can go, my parents can do it."

"It's...it's not that."

There was silence again. In the distance, there were cars driving by and the sound of children's laughter. Oliver felt the tension thickening.

"Then what is it?" Oliver got up, too. He exhaled, having an impending feeling that he wasn't going to like the answer.

Randy turned back around, his gaze lingering on Oliver for all of five seconds. "I'm leaving."

Oliver felt like the wind was knocked out of him. "Leaving," he repeated dumbly.

Randy nodded.

"You're leaving. Wha-where? You lot aren't moving are you?"

"No," Randy said quickly. "No, no. Definitely not. It's just me. Not that I'm moving. I'm just going on a trip. It's for school."

"Where?" Oliver said.

"Costa Rica. It's for an environmental study program."

"Oh," Oliver said when he felt like he could breathe again and his senses came back. "Oh. That's great. How long is it?"

Randy was giving him that look again. "A year," he eventually said.

"A year?"

"I know," Randy said quietly. "I know. It's far away."

A little over five thousand miles away. They had plans for this year. Now that Oliver wasn't going anyway, the two of them could get together much more often like they used to. They'd talked about it already and came up with a list of stuff to do.

Now they would have to wait.

"Oh," Oliver's eyes diverted to the ground.

"Look, if you're mad, I get it-"

"No," Oliver wasn't mad. He was greatly disappointed, for he'd been anticipating on the upcoming year but he couldn't bring himself to say any of what he was thinking without feeling like a giant git. This was something Randy wanted and after he'd listened to countless stories of Oliver's, encouraging him so many times, how could he not be supportive? He shook his head. "No. I'm not mad. I'm happy for you."

That wasn't what Randy expected. "Yeah?"

"Definitely," Oliver reassured him. The uncomfortableness slowly dissipated away. Randy's shoulders relaxed. "You'll have to tell me all about it when you write."

"In case it's escaped you, I don't have an owl," Randy said dryly.

"Which is why we can use mine," Oliver was serious. "Or I could come visit you."

"I don't think Costa Rica is prepared for that kind of thing," Randy cracked another smile.

Oliver bumped into his shoulder. The two of them stood in silence, just glancing around.

It was broken by Randy. "I know it's not what we planned for."

"It's okay," Oliver assured him. "I told you, I'm happy for you. 'Sides, you waited for me while I was at Hogwarts. I can wait for you."

Randy put hand on his shoulder. "Yeah maybe don't say it like that again, okay?"

They both laughed.

Oliver was really going to miss him. Just like he did when he had to leave for Hogwarts. But they would spend as much time together this summer and see what the world would bring them.

So technically I'm writing them as being the same age, however Oliver graduates sooner b/c they only have 7 years and randy doesn't graduate until the next year when he's 18

I'm gonna write more of these two b/c I love them. if you have any requests just comment!

i wrote this in like 2 hours so I'm sorry if it sucks lol Ive never written Randy before so I hope he doesnt sound too OOC