Kevin fidgets nervously, raising his hand twice, then lowering it both times, wondering if it might just be better to spend the train ride in the corridor. Finally, he gets up the courage to knock on the door of the compartment, quietly.

Tony is sitting, book already open in front of him and his robes in a pile in the seat next to him. He looks up thru the glass of the compartment door and, seeing Kevin, smiles shyly and waves him in.

Kevin opens the door, standing in the doorway. He robes are slung over his arm, and he's wearing his backpack over both shoulders. "Um...can I...? Everywhere's...pretty full."

"Um. Sure." Tony nods and curls his legs under himself, giving you room to move into the seat across from him. "I got to the train early...I guess."

Kevin breathes a huge sigh of relief. "Thanks." He closes the door behind him, and puts his things on the seat opposite the one with your robes, then sits in the seat across from you, folding his legs up underneath him. "Thanks," he says again, smiling shyly back.

Tony blushes slightly and looks back down into his book, still smiling his small shy smile. "You don't. Um. You don't have to thank me for that..." He shrugs slightly. "I usually spend the whole train ride by myself. Anyway."

"Well...yeah." He seems to curl in on himself a bit. "I...normally do to. Unless...well, I can't help it." He blushes and looks away. "Not that...I feel like you wouldn't be good company, or anything. I didn't mean to make it sound like that...um...forget it."

"No. It's okay. I. Um. I understood what you meant." He shugs slightly again and looks back up at you from the book. "I usually just sit and read until we get to King's Cross, anyway. We. Um. We could... talk... or something."

He brightens a bit and looks back up at you, meeting your eyes briefly before looking away again. "I usually do to. Read, you know. Um...but...yeah. We could talk, or...something."

"Yeah. I guess we...Um. Fit the Ravenclaw stereotype, huh?" Tony chuckles softly, reddening just a bit and fidgeting the book in his hands. "What do you usually read? I. Um. I just bought this yesterday. I had it wrapped up as a gift for my brother. But. Um. I decided to read it first..."

"Oh?" He looks interested, leaning forward a bit. "What is it?"

"Um. Poetry. From this coffee bar in the States called the Nuyorican... " He moves the book in your direction, closing it to give you a better look at the cover. "It's pretty interesting...But I think I should get Matt something else."

"I've never heard of it, but... I guess I don't read too much poetry, so...um. Anyhow, I read a lot of fantasy. Kind of...dumb, hunh? Seeing as how...well, wizard, and all." He blushes fiercely as he examines the cover of the book, wondering how stupid he most sound.

"It's not dumb." Tony's eyes widen a bit and he blushes. "Um. I read fantasy too... Like Tolkein and Anthony...My. Um. My mum got me started on them."

"Oh. Yeah, I...liked Tolkien, but I like Jordan better..." He looks down. "You really don't think it's...dumb?"

"I've only read The Wheel of Time...but. Um." He stops for a moment, looking at you curiously. "I don't ever think reading's dumb..."

"It's not that...I didn't mean...well, what I meant was....being a wizard and reading fantasy...and all. I dunno. Odd, maybe. But...you do too..." He brightens a bit, and smiles again shyly.

"Oh. Um. Yeah... I guess it may... Eh. No I don't. I don't think it's odd at all. They get a lot of stuff right in those books, too..." He returns the smile, leaning back a bit in his seat.

He nods agreement. "And, well...even if they don't, they're still...fun to read."

Tony chuckles softly and nods, still smiling. "Exactly."

An awkward pause follows, and Kevin stares out the window, hand propped up on his chin. "Um..." He pulls his hair back away from his face, holding it at the base of his neck, something he always does when he's a bit nervous. "You...said you had a brother?"

Tony nods again, blond hair falling just into his eyes but he doesn't notice. "Matthew. He's about to turn 11."

"Oh?" He looks again at Tony. "So is he...I mean, is your family...do you think he'll be going to Hogwarts, next year?"

Tony shrugs slight and brushes the hair from his eyes with the back of his hand. "I think so. I mean... Um. We're. I'm a halfblood. But he's already shown more signs than I did before I got my letter."

"Oh. Well...cool. Um...I'm a halfblood too."

"Oh? I didn't... I mean. That's cool." He blushes a bit more and looks down into his lap again.

"Yeah..." he looks away as well. "My mum, she, uh...well, nevermind."

"She's?"

"She's....a muggle. And..." He blushes "She didn't like it, when she found about...Dad."

"Oh." Tony's eyes widen again and he bites his lip, looking back into his lap. "I didn't mean to... I'm sorry. I get nosy..."

He sits forward a bit, and says quickly. "No, no...um, it's all right. It was...a long time ago."

Tony shakes his head, still staring into his lap. "No. I shouldn't have pushed. I'm sorry."

Kevin leans forward, reaching his hand out just barely before he stops himself, looking a bit shocked, and sits back in his seat. "Please...don't worry about it. I don't...mind."

Tony looks up at you sheepishly from under the short curtain of his hair and offers a tentative smile. "I'm still sorry, but. Um. I'm glad you're not mad..."

"No, I...I'm not. You couldn't have known..." He returns the smile with a small one of his own. "So...don't worry 'bout it."

Tony looks up fully and brushes his hair away again, shrugging. "Okay."

Kevin smiles more genuinely at you, then looks away again, blushing. 'So...yeah."

Tony fidgets with the cover of the book and looks down for a few moments, searching for something to say. "So. Um. What are you doing over summer hols?"

"I usually just...stay at home. Both my...parents work, so...we don't get to go anywhere. I just...usually sit in my room...and read or play on my computer..." He shakes his head. "Lame, hunh?"

"Not any more than what I do." Tony rolls his eyes slightly - feigning exasperation. "If I don't have to watch Matthew I just...um... go to the Library. Or to the bookshop in Diagon Alley..."

"Oh?" He perks up a bit. "Um...you live close enough? That's....really cool," he says, with a touch of admiration to his voice. "I...there aren't any really good book...places like that by me."

Tony nods, smiling shyly again. "I live right outside London. Not. Um. Not really in London. But I can take a bus and then make my way there. It's nice..."

"That does sound nice...I'm a bit...jealous. There's really nothing to do, where I live. Like I said. Lame."

"Where do you live?" Tony looks curious, and raises an eyebrow slightly.

"Up North. Just outside of Manchester."

"Oh. I've. Um... I've never been." He shrugs, then looks down at his lap again.

"You...you're really not missing much. I promise. But...London...I find fascinating."

"Um. Maybe you could come and visit. If you. Um. If you wanted." He blushes as he says it, and doesn't look up.

"I...I...I....really?" His heart gives a little leap, and he blushes as well.

Tony looks up, bright red, but nodding slightly. "Sure. I mean. I could ask my mum. She's always saying I should have friends over..."

"I...would, uh, like to." He nods. "And I don't think my dads would really..." He blushes darkly and looks away. "My...dad. Dad. Would...have a problem with me visiting."

"Dads? Um... " His brow furrows in question, but then he shrugs. "Um. That would be really cool. If you came, I mean..."

"Yeah, I...um....yeah." He bites his lip, hard enough that he can taste blood. "Yeah..." He takes a deep breath, and looks down at his hands. "My dads. As in...two."

The edges of Tony's eyes wrinkle. "Um. Why do you have two dads?" The question not mocking at all - just very curious.

"Cause, um...well...Dad, he...fancies....other men."

"Oh!" Tony nods and then shrugs. "That explains it."

"Yeah..." Kevin closes his eyes, seemingly waiting for the mocking or worse to begin.

"Well, that's cool then." Tony shrugs again and leans back into his seat, fidgeting with the cover of his book.

Kevin opens his eyes, looking over at you in amazement. "I...you...that's...um...you don't...find that...."

Tony blinks, biting his lip. "No. I mean... why would I?"

"I, um...well...Dad...he said...you know. That not everybody.. .and...you're the first person that...I've ever told."

"Oh. Well... yeah. I guess... some people might... But. Um. Not me. " He blushes brightly and looks down at his lap again.

"I'm...glad," Kevin says quietly.

Tony looks up at you from under his hair again, and smiles weakly. "Yeah. Well. I. Um. I couldn't think it was wierd."

"Hunh?" He stares blankly for a moment, then his eyes go a bit wider in understanding. "You mean...Oh. Right, um, well. Yeah."

Tony shrugs slightly and his eyes drop back to his book, blushing more brightly.

"It's...am...I the only...person you've told?"

Tony nods, but doesn't look up. "I. Um. I don't know why I told you. Really. You just seemed so worried that I would think you were a freak or something...."

"Well....really, it's...my parents, but...I guess...I kinda am, too...." He blushes. "And...I won't tell anyone. Not if you...don't want me to. Cause...yeah."

Tony nods again, looking up thru his hair one more time before brushing it out of his eyes. "Yeah. Could you not... And. I. Um. I won't tell anyone either."

"Okay...it's...a deal, then? Um..." He holds out his hand, which is actually trembling slightly. "Shake on it?"

Tony chuckles softly at that and grins slightly, taking your hand and shaking it. "Deal."

He smiles, and releases your hand quickly, looking a bit embarrassed.

Tony chuckles again, blushing ever further, but grins at you a bit wider before he looks down to his book again.

Kevin's not sure what else to say for the moment, so he rests his chin on his hand again, and goes back to staring out the window.

Tony looks up at you thru his hair and smiles to himself, then looks back down.

Kevin looks over briefly, decides he imagined it, and goes back to staring out the window.

Tony straightens and looks over at you. "So. Um. I'll ask my mum when I see her tonight. She.. um. Won't be at the station."

He looks over. "Um...who's picking you up? At the station?

Tony shrugs. "No one. I can take a bus from the station to right by my house."

"Oh, I..." He frowns slightly. "I'm sorry. I mean...I wish...but, um...are you connected to the Floo? At home?"

"Yeah. Drives mum barmy, but..Um.. my father put his foot down about it." He chuckles at that.

"Is...your mum...well, I mean. Dad...usually brings extra, you know? So, if you wanted..."

Tony looks at you, brow furrowing again. "Brings extra... If I wanted.. Um. What?"

"Sorry!" He blushes fiercely. "Extra floo powder. So...if you wanted to go home that way...instead of the bus."

"Oh!" Tony chuckles again and shrugs, smiling at you a bit more easily than before. "No. It's okay. I like the busses, really. You can watch people..."

Kevin returns the smile and laughs along, just a little bit. "I do a lot of that. You know...watching everyone sort of go by, while..." He's looking at Tony, but not really looking at him. "While you seem to stand still. I know what you mean."

Tony nods a bit, biting his lip and looking at you. "Um. Yeah."

His eyes seem to come back into focus, and he drops his gaze, blushing furiously all over again. "Sorry..."

"No. No. It's okay..." He blushes slightly too and shrugs. "I. Just. Um... we've never really talked like this before. You know... And we've been dormmates for so long. It's. Um. It's nice."

"It...really is," He says, sounding thoughtful and surprised at the same time. "Wish we'd thought of it before..." He chuckles softly, more a giggle than anything. "We seem to have a lot in common."

Tony nods. "Yeah. We. Um. We do..." He smiles, then chuckles softly and drops his gaze.

Kevin looks a bit apologetic, suddenly. "Well, I...shouldn't keep you from your book...."

Tony looks at the book as if he had forgotten it was there for a moment, and then grins and looks back up to you. "Nah. I'll finish it in an hour anyway. Fast reader. " He lets his eyes slide to the window. "How much longer do you think we have?"

Kevin follows his gaze out the window. "Looks like a few hours, still..."

Tony nods and continues staring out the window. "You know. Um. This is probably the best ride home I've had so far..."

Kevin blushes fiercely. "Really?" He's absolutely beside himself.

Tony smiles wider than he has and turns to look at you. "Yeah. Um. Yeah, it is."

Kevin blushes more and covers his eyes with his hand. "Me...too, you know?"

Tony chuckles and blushes too.. "Good. Why are you doing that?"

" I just...'m not used to...uh...this. Making someone's...train ride nice."

"Oh." Tony blushes further and looks back at his lap, smiling, but not knowing what to say to that.

"So...it's all right. Cause...you've made it a nice ride, too, and...well...I think...we're going to have fun....this summer."

Tony looks up again and nods, his smile increasing. "Yeah. I think we are too. It'll... it'll be nice to have a friend around..."

"Friend? I...well..." He nods, decisively, though he's blushing all the same. "Yeah. A friend. That'll be nice."

"I mean. If you don't want... I just thought." Tony bites his lip and blushes brightly again, eyes worried.

"Tony, I..." Surprising himself, he leans forward to touch your wrist. "It's fine. I'd...like to think of you as a friend."

"Um." Tony takes in a breath at the touch but then shyly reaches to pat your hand with his, before leaning away into his seat. "Good. I mean... it's sad that we haven't been friends all along."

Kevin pulls his hand back, his elbows on his knees, and head resting in his hands. "I know."

Tony flashes another bright smile, then looks back down. "So it's good that we are now."

"Yeah." He laughs, a bit self-depreciatively. "Only took me five years, not bad..."

"Yeah." Tony snorts. "Me too. This will be a record."

Kevin chuckles softly, giving Tony what he hopes is a reassuring smile. "Well, at least from now on...we've...got one another." He blushes. "As a friend," he adds quickly.

Tony smiles again, nodding and looking very pleased. "Yeah. Very cool."

"Yeah. Cool." He smiles, without really blushing for once.

Tony nods again, not knowing what to say now, and then lets his eyes drop to his book again.

Kevin decides, again, to let him read, and goes back to staring out the window.

[Fin.]