The taxi ride to King's Cross felt longer than it ever had before for Archie. His head was propped against the cold glass window as rain drops fell down the outside of the car. He was anxious to arrive at school so he could ignore the inevitable decisions he would have to make about his future.

FP allowed Jughead to go into the city early so he and Archie could catch up and spend a few days together before the start of term. The boys were finally old enough to be responsible on their own. Since they rarely went out looking for trouble anymore the two kept it fairly lowkey for their last weekend of freedom.

Friday was spent sightseeing for Archie, therefore he agreed to a walking tour of Jug's favorite parks the following day. An agreement the taller boy soon regretted considering after skipping breakfast to watch the sunrise, and getting lost in the ZSL Zoo, Jughead spent nearly four hours of the last Saturday in August, lying on the ground in Holland Park at "Kyoto Garden". All because he needed to get the "perfect shot" of a waterfall located in the park.

Archie humored Jug and his obsession with "The way it just, falls so beautifully…" but after an hour of watching the clouds roll past in the sky above him, he had had enough. Archie then left Jug to go and explore on his own.

...

Almost 2 hours later, Archie comes back to find the dark-haired boy in the same spot on the ground but slightly more twisted in position. During his solo-adventure, Archie acquired three things.

The redhead had worked up such an appetite sitting on the grass waiting for his friend, that he decided to follow his nose and growling stomach. They led him nearly four blocks to a Korean sausage cart. The woman working the small stand wore a magenta colored visor and pale-yellow button down. She stood over a small grill turning over a row of, particularly pale looking links. Archie had tried living the past summer in a "try new things!" approach. This whole thing started because Fred had poked fun at him for being scared to try a piece of roast duck one night during a dinner out in town.

The memory of his dad's voice flashed through his head again. "I'll take this one please," he said pointing the third one down from the top row. The woman nodded and without looking up responded, "Two pounds." Archie retrieved the small collection of coins from his pocket taking two pound-coins in his left hand and placing the rest back where they had been. The woman's small hand was already stretched out waiting to receive the money. He dumped the coins in her palm, and she turned to face the adjacent table and placed the money in a small drawer. She then retrieved a small wooden skewer and a red-checkered paper bowl from a bag underneath the table.

The woman picked up the sausage with a pair of tongs in one hand and stabbed it through the bottom with the other. The imagery was enough to make the red-haired boy quiver slightly. Archie thanked the woman and made his way down the rest of the block.

Taking in all the sights of the street before him. It felt like the end of summer, the end of another refreshing three months away from the usually stuffy castle halls. Archie loved his school, and the way the landscape that surrounded the grounds reflected the change in season. The way the mountains and rolling hills slowly shed their verdant hue for a shade of apricot. The way the leaves fell from their branches and gathered on the ground below. The crunch under his feet as he went for his daily morning jogs, was one of his favorite sounds. The way the mid-autumn air was crisp and wet on his skin.

But he really loved summer. It was a chance for him to take Vegas for walks through Fox Forrest, work on rebuilding the old junk car with his dad and pretend he doesn't have magical abilities and secretly attends a super prestigious invisible boarding school with other magical kids to hone their magical skills for possible careers and lives in the magic world.

Archie stopped at the thought racing through his mind. Sometimes it all swirled around in his head a little too fast and it scared him. Having to live a double life didn't used to bother him so much. But the fewer and fewer years he had left at Hogwarts meant he had to face reality sooner than he would like.

He had already been approached by scouts for professional quidditch teams, and nothing would make Archie happier than getting to go pro in the sport he so dearly loves. But his dad, is counting on him coming home to the states for college and ending up back in Riverdale after that. Archie was truly split. Fred has given up so much and gotten used to so much for Archie to attend Hogwarts, mainly his marriage.

Fred has to deal with the divorce all in his own, because just before Archie was to begin his first year of school abroad, his mom left for Chicago. Leaving only a note behind to say goodbye and that "It will be easier this way, for all of us."

Mary Andrews could never come to terms with the fact that her son was not your average young American boy. He had very prominent abilities from a young age and she just could never wrap her head around it all. Well in Archie's opinion she never even tried to accept it. There were sometimes when Archie was really young, he felt like his mom was scared of him, which made him scared of himself.

"Geez," Archie thought. "How long have I been standing here?" His mind had started to race after stopping staring into a shop window wherein he saw London themed knick-knacks and souvenirs. He also realized he had yet to bite into what could truly only be described as a white colored sausage.

Archie made eye contact with one end of the link and repeated his father's words to himself, in an attempt to psych himself up. "C'mon son, just try it!" Archie exhaled and bit down. Instant regret took over as the red-haired boy darted to the nearest trash can at the end of the street.

Having to stop himself from fully heaving into the bin he spit out what was in his mouth and threw the rest away. "What the fuck." He said and he stood up straight and spit once more into the garbage. Wiping his mouth, he started back towards shop doors and entered.

Inside the small souvenir store the walls were lined with shelves and shelves full of novelty glasses, t-shirts and trinkets. The particular section that caught Archie's eye were the big-Ben figurines. Fred still had never been out to London to send Archie off, but promised to make the trip before he graduates. He and Archie have a running shared note on their phones where they add activities to do together when he makes his eventual visit. At the very top of the list sits "BIG BEN! :D".

Archie searched through the whole three-foot-long shelf until he found one he deemed the most realistic looking. He sung himself on a dime and made his way to the counter in the back of the store. Only a few feet from his destination did something so bright and absurd catch his eye. A bright yellow, nearly highlighter shade t-shirt that said "God Save OUR Queen" with a picture of Elton John's head surrounded by a red glitter sun. "Oh absolutely," he thought to himself. "The perfect back-to-school present for Jug." The boys had a running joke about gag-gifts and finding the most absurd things to gift to each other. Archie finally left the store plastic bag in hand, and new Union Jack sunglasses to cover his eyes.

…

Archie stood behind Jughead as he clicked the shutter on his camera for the last time. "Jug it's getting late; did you get the shot yet?" Archie asked impatiently. "Well if you must know," Jug began. "In fact, I did, just as you came back too." He pressed the scroll buttons on his camera and turned the screen around to show his friend what he had captured.

"Oh…Wow." Archie replied. Jug's smile grew, "I know right!" He said. The boys left the park as Jughead began filling his best friend in on all the things he missed while wandering the city. Including the couple that passed by and almost got engaged in front of the fountain. "Dude, he got down on one knee, pulled the box out and everything!" Jug said excitedly. "And she completely flipped out and ran off!" He said. Archie's eyes were wide, "Poor guy, that had to fucking hurt." He replied.

Jughead continued, "AND I got a photo right as her face dropped and a bunch as she was running away!" He handed the camera to Archie to let him see for himself. The boys laughed and traded a few more stories and comments from their few hours apart. Finally arriving back at their hotel, the boys ascended to their fifth-floor double room. They decided to relax after their long day of seeing what London had to offer, opting to take naps and then find somewhere for late dinner.

For tomorrow morning, they would pack their things and make the journey to King's Cross Station ending the day back in their dorms at Hogwarts.