---

Mid-Saturday morning, Johann made a point of passing 277b and hammering on the door. One of his new years' resolutions was to catch each other no less than once a fortnight, which was manageable he hoped around work and Balfour. Arcturus came to open the front door, and after shutting it behind himself, Johann bounded up the steep steps from the street, catching him up by the time Arcturus reached the coats.

"What's occurring?" Johann demanded in a rather upbeat tone. Arcturus glanced over his shoulder, heading back to his armchair.

"Reading?" His friend made a gesture as if to say "what else?"

"Oh."

This was the activity Arcturus indulged in with his free time, fair enough, but Johann was rather more in the mood to go for a long walk. If he sat still for long he'd fidget. He had an appointment towards lunchtime where he'd almost certainly have to stay put and sit still for at least an hour and a half with a client, and that night, a dinner invite he needed to build an appetite for.

"But, I'm fine for talking! It's...been a bit boring just reading, with Rustle, you know," Arcturus explained on seeing Johann's disappointment and hearing it in the short word. The ginger kneazle was nearby, hopping up onto the arm of Arc's armchair in readiness for him to sit down in it again so the feline could resume his favourite lap.

"Rustle, you're boring. You best pack your furry suitcase," Johann addressed the kneazle.

"Heh." Moment of amusement over, Arcturus shrugged and sat down. "I don't know...I guess it's starting to get a little boring overall for me, I think I'm just a boring person I guess." Rustle was circling to sit down and Arc's book fell open though he wasn't reading.

"You? Boring! Never. Not unless you're left to your own devices with too many books in reach." Johann assured him, and then looked up to gesture to the bookcases, "… in which case, farewell..."

"…wait, what? I...no, please don't leave." Arc scrambled to keep up with him as Johann walked two steps backwards across the living room floor, still dressed in a coat, a grin across his face. He stopped and paced forward again.

"I'm not." The visitor added in a kinder tone, and reached for Arc's book to close it, stood before the armchair. "You're bored then? Then we'll go somewhere?"

"Yes."

Johann drew himself up properly, glad that he'd managed to broker a deal to get Arc out of the flat for an hour or so. Walking was better with company when he was in this sort of mood. He wanted to talk about anything, stretch his legs and feel the cold. "Where do you fancy? Indoors or out?"

"Mm…good question." Arcturus appeared to give it some serious thought! "Outdoors, I feel confined of late. I mean...I'd prefer outdoors," the healer clarified. Johann grinned, clasping his hands together and rubbing them.

"I got it the first time. Walk? London, or shall we go elsewhere? Apparating is handy."

"I would have  no idea where to go, honestly, just somewhere in the open where it's just...not that many people." Undeniably Arc there. Perhaps one day, if he and Balfour were all at ease eventually, they might do things like traipse over moors with Whiskey in tow, and see not a soul all day apart from their little group.

"Hmmmm," Johann mused aloud, "Hampstead Heath? You can bring your book if you want." He gestured to whatever Arc was reading with one hand.

"No. I'm done with reading for now. I'd like to stop thinking for a bit."

Johann laughed cheekily. "I think you need Lix for that!" He winked, continued to laugh and patted Arc on the shoulder. Perhaps Arc could stop thinking when walking, but Johann had his own preferred methods and they all involved Balfour.

"Heh," Arc replied, smiling a little. At least he hadn't blushed and hidden for it, Johann thought to himself. "No, I am not in the mood for that. Just to stop thinking, spend time with someone, anyone." He sighed.

"Right! Well let's go then. We can have a long walk. Talk about crap, or nothing." Johann declared, turning on the spot as if he was leaving. Arcturus heaved himself out of the armchair, Rustle dropping to the floor, whiskers twitching as he watched both wizards. Johann waited patiently two steps down to the front door as he watched his friend assemble a scarf, shoes and coat from the line of hooks at the top.

"Ready? We'll get out, you grab my arm and we'll go."

"Grab your arm? You're being oddly courteous." Arcturus remarked as they trotted down the stairs one behind the other. "I'm not complaining."

"Side along, Arc, side along... " Johann replied with amusement, hauling open the front door, and waiting on the cobbles outside for Arc to turn back and lock the door.

"Oh well, take me on a journey I guess." He shrugged, and took hold of Joh's arm.


They reappeared not far from the ice house keeper's hut in East Heath of Hampstead Heath. On first arrival it was nothing too spectacular, and they were under enough tree cover not to startle a muggle. Arcturus looked about himself with surprise. This was not somewhere they'd ever been together.

"Oh, this is…different."

"Walk up Parliament Hill? See how far we can see?" Johann suggested, heading out of the trees to find the path.

"Which one is Parliament Hill?" Although they couldn't see very far from where they were amongst the trees, Johann took the question to mean a more general description of the hill as he led the way.

"It's the one with the view, above the swimming lakes. You'll remember when you see it." He gestured which direction they were going to take on the path, and set a brisk pace with Arc beside him.

"I've been here?" the healer queried, looking confused.

"I'd assume so...? You've lived in London all your life and haven't?" Johann asked, surprised at that thought. He'd been in Britain two years now, spent the majority in and around the city with work and where he lived, and had gone out of his way to roam and see as much of it as possible.

"Yes, but I stick to places I'm familiar with," Arcturus admitted. "London is a big place, I don't think I've even visited half of it." Johann shrugged, more than used to his more introverted friends being less adventurous on going places than he was. There was no point getting too bothered by it, just in investing in the time to encourage them out with someone more confident - namely, himself.

"Hah, well, it's a good view over London. Worth the climb. Take your mind off things." Johann explained, picturing the view in his head from the 95m rise over London. He reached his hand back to Arc to take without thinking, and after a glance down to the offered hand, Arcturus took it up.

"You come here often, I guess?"

"I have in the past. Big open spaces, lots of people to watch some days, others, just dog walkers, cyclists..."

"Is it when you can't sleep? Or need some time away from your brain? Insofar as that's possible, I know." Johann tilted his head to one side a little as they walked, considering.

"Bit of both. Sometimes I try to walk until I feel I might fall over. But other times, it's just to get out of wherever I'm staying and a little distance from the city. I've tried the opposite, busiest, noisiest places, but it becomes overwhelming." He gestured with his free hand, "This way." They negotiated the junction of paths and he continued. "It gets popular in summer, lots of people sit up on the hill watching the sun go down."

"Fair enough on the noisy places. White noise becomes just noise after a while… I'm surprised if the sun ever makes an appearance."

"I saw it more as noise to drown out the noise inside." He tapped his head with his other hand. "Why are you surprised?"

"It doesn't come up that much in summer sometimes. But, well, I can't say much owing to staying inside almost constantly…"

"Sun's always there, just stuff in front of it."

"Yeah well, depends on whether that stuff wants to move aside or not," Arc countered, and Johann shrugged. They walked five or ten paces in silence, looking up and around themselves.

"We're both cursed with noisy heads, huh."

"Yes... though would you really enjoy a completely quiet one? I think I'd almost be more worried." He glanced to Arcturus who was giving him an odd look in reaction to what he'd just said, "Well, only if it was sudden I mean. yes I would like a quieter head."

"I'd like a head where...the noise only comes when you ask for it, or when you've got nothing else to do. Things just keep going too long sometimes, until I sleep. Maybe not even for you."

"I'd go back to them being friendly, as a compromise." Johann shrugged, and squeezed Arc's hand with his cold one. "So much else to listen to, London, distantly, but birds, the trees, feet on the path... I try and focus on those, and my breathing. Muggles listen to music with those things they wear on their heads, I found out." He lifted his fingertips to the ear nearest the other wizard and gestured with them to illustrate earphones.

"Muggles live with lots of distractions, according to my mum," Arcturus explained, keeping a firm grip on Joh's hand despite the other man's gesturing and twisting as they walked side-by-side. "I guess that's better than listening to your own head. I just want my head to stop trying to solve problems for a while."

"You need a holiday, and I know you can't take one, but get away for a weekend at least, take Lix, go somewhere."

"Not entirely sure where. It's not for the lack of trying, but I'm always worried about whether someone would like it, or…"

"Like it? What, spending time with you outside of the flat?"

"The place, not me."

"Hah!" Johann exclaimed loudly, "Right, yes. Well that's part of the adventure, and often the company makes the place. You'd only be there for what, two nights at most, or one."

"I…I guess that's true. I'll try." Arcturus resolved a lot more quietly and made a point of taking in their surroundings. "The fresh air is nice."

"Heh, didn't think I'd be giving you advice in that vein," Johann admitted, not meaning that Arc should take a holiday, more that he was advising Arc to take a holiday with Lix and perhaps be a little romantic. He shrugged, accepting the purposeful change of subject, "It is, and here's the viaduct…" Arcturus laughed.

"Johann, I'm not as socially capable as I sometimes seem to be." They shared a smile before pausing to look out at the pond from the viaduct. Johann released Arc's hand and leant over the side to look down at the water a little better.

"I must be your social enabler friend?" Johann asked, grinning cheekily.

"Maybe. You're the extrovert, you and Lix. You two know more about mingling with people than I do," Arcturus agreed, and took a deep breath of the fresh air now they'd stopped, his eyes almost closing. Johann watched, smiling to himself gently that his friend was enjoying getting out for a walk with him. Hopefully it was helping.

"We find it easier, agreed." He stepped back from the edge and tilted his head onwards, suggesting they continue on their way. "You'd probably just find it easier with less people, and a bit of common ground. Truth is, even I find it hard work sometimes." Their hands clasped again by their sides but they did not set off at quite the pace, Arc was still looking down at the water.

"At least you can sort of put up with it. After a while I get tired of people completely. Or I just don't talk and I feel that people might find it an insult. Introversion on its own is fine, but not with anxiety - oh hey, ducks."

"Sometimes it's better to keep your mouth closed and listen to someone prove themselves an idiot..." Johann grinned a little maliciously, and came closer to see what Arc had spotted, "Ducks indeed. Mallards. Mallards?" He wasn't entirely sure, but that felt right.

"I may be a little too....good for that." The two of them paused again to watch the ducks paddle.

"Honest, you mean. Admirable. If I don't like someone I'm happy to let them walk into a trap."

"Admirable." The healer gave a mirthless laugh. "Okay."

"You ARE!" Johann exclaimed, clapping his other hand to Arc's elbow in emphasis.

"From your point of view, I guess."

"Well, take it as a compliment, and I'll take a verbal fight with anyone who says otherwise. Not a fist fight, obviously, I'd lose."

"Why would you find me admirable for that?"

"For not letting someone walk into a trap? I more meant you were honest, and that was admirable."

"Really Don't you think it's also easy to exploit?"

"Your honesty? Anyone's easy to exploit if you know them, but being a good person is not doing it, or considering it." Arcturus laughed, but said nothing in return. The two stood in silence for a minute, Arcturus staring at the ducks, Johann staring at Arcturus, not sure of how to go on. He was meant to be enjoying this walk, what with the exercise, the company, the change of scenery, and now he was wandering down darker thoughts in his head.

Johann took a breath suddenly, not releasing he'd been holding his while he'd worried.

"All this deep thinking, I should have thought to bring something for the ducks. Shall we carry on?" He gave Arc's hand a squeeze and tugged.

"Sorry. That's basically my head."

"We're a couple of over-thinkers. Don't apologise. I know."

"Heh. Birds of a feather."

"Haha, flock together, mhm. I did joke to Lix once that you were my 'brother from another mother'." Johann admitted.

"Ha, really? Could be."

"Well, if it's not what we had, that's how I feel towards you. Like we can have our disagreements, but we'll still be alright, and such."

"Hm…yeah." A reminiscing look took over Hollingbury's face. Johann smiled at the look. It was at least a little more peaceful than the last.

"Where's that taken your head?"

"Siblings."

"Ah." He squeezed Arc's hand a little, and looked down to the path beneath their feet.

"It's been a while remembering all those experiences."

"With Allie?"

"Mm. I might have forgotten how it feels like to have a sibling."

"I've never known."

"Then we are in the same boat, for now."

"We're not going to gain one, either of us."

"No, but we treat each other as siblings," Arcturus noted with a smile.

"Well, perhaps when we're not meeting at St Mungo's and such." He shrugged.

"Mm, yes. Would make it easier."

The conversation fell flat a moment. The two sides to how they knew each other were always going to rub up against, though Johann hoped that the professional relationship of healer and patient would eventually fall away as he regained control of his addiction and sorted out his health. This time it would be fine - Spring was always the best time to recover as he had the previous year, and although it was January, he was convinced Spring was just around the corner.

Onwards and upwards they climbed. Their pace slowed a little for the incline, and their conversation took a pause once more.

"Excuse me if I'm not talking as much as you." Arcturus apologised quietly. Johann shook his head.

"We came for a walk, to get out of the house, remember?"

"Yes, but it makes me feel self-conscious that you're talking more than I am." Johann lifted his other hand to his mouth and mimicked zipping his lips together and shrugged.

"You don't have to stop talking…" The older wizard made a move of 'unzipping' before he replied.

"It was a way of making sure that I didn't say more than you," he grinned.

"Aargh. Look, it's just...anxiety, you don't have to listen to it... I don't have to listen to it, but it's rooted to other things so that's harder."

"I'll always listen to you, Arcturus." Johann let go of Arc's right hand with his left and grasped it with his right hand instead, pulling them gently together so he could put an arm around Arc's shoulders. The healer smiled and looked down, a little embarrassed to be so close. "Whether I heed your advice is a different story, but I'm always listening," Johann explained sincerely. He clapped his hand on Arc's shoulder once more and relinquished his grip, returning to clasping his left hand to Arc's right again so they could continue up the hill.

"Not far now."

"It's a good walk."

"It is, better to be awake for it."

Johann took in a deep breath of air and let it out slowly as the pair continued on their way. The cold air clouds his breath as they walk the last bit, reaching the brow of the hill where there is a good view out over London.

"There... worth it." He let Arcturus stand in silence and quietly take it in, slowly turning his head.

"It is." Johann chuckled, pleased to see Arc's admiration for the view, and let go of their hands. His bare hands were cold so he shoved them both into his coat pockets and decided to keep quiet a while so they could just enjoy being high up over London. Beside him, Arcturus tucked his hands behind his back, Johann noted.

"This is a first in a while." Johann commented at last, a smirk on his lips, not alluding to what he meant, should he tempt Arcturus to indulge in a smoke.

"Hm?" Arcturus replied, glancing to him. "What?" Johann pressed his lips together into a straight line. "First what?" Arcturus pursued.

"Nothing, I'll tell you later..."


He grinned and stepped behind Arc, extending his arm out to point to things. Arcturus gave him a curious look for the move, but decided not to ask. "Muggles call that the gherkin, you can just about see it. Then there's St Paul's Cathedral over there, there's the London Eye, so the Ministry's roughly there, and that odd thing is the 'Bee-Tee' Tower. Well, according to a muggle telling his son it is. I don't know what purpose it serves." Arcturus obliged to look in the direction of his pointing each time.

"That's quite a lot of London in one view. How did you find this place?"

Johann rested a hand on each of Arc's shoulders, squinting out to see if he could recognise any other landmarks. "When you're unable to sleep and you roam London you meet all sorts of people. Sometimes if you've got a foreign accent and don't look like a Londoner, people assume you're a tourist."

"Are you using me to lever yourself even taller to see things? Really?" Arc looked up at him. "I can put on a Greek accent, but honestly I wouldn't be able to hold it for long. You really get around, huh. And I don't mean that as innuendo."

"No, I'm not going to lean on you!" Johann protested, "It was that or put my arms round you, it's cold up here! And you've only known me a year...."

"But you've been here for longer."

"Almost two years. Yep. I get bored."

"So, get around much, yes? Yes."

"Yes."

Arcturus nodded as Johann agreed that he did indeed roam about a lot in comparison to Arcturus. It wasn't exactly a revelation. "I've been in London for all my life and you probably know about the city more than I do."

"I'm a tourist, that's normal," Johann countered easily. "I grew up in Frankfurt, it's famous in our world for finance, and has a very long shopping street, the longest in Germany. It's got a cathedral.... But if you came to visit, you'd be telling me more about it, I guarantee."

"I doubt just a visit would do. You live here as well, you had to get used to this place... you're working and living here, even if you're just a tourist. To some people that's what you are, but to others you can't be one. There's a bit of a difference," Arcturus explained, and Johann nodded.

"I'm not one, no, I moved here. I'll be here a while longer." He rested his chin gently on Arc's right shoulder, sharing heat between them. "I'm fond of it." Arcturus glanced at his friend as he got close.

"Well, I'm glad you find my home likeable enough."

"Definitely. I missed it, when I was living out in the West Country for Spring. Country's fine, but bit quiet for me. And it's about the people here too. I've more friends here, and family here now."

"Mm, I can see why you'd stay here a while longer. Right?"

"I guess I will," Johann offered. "No plans to move in the short term. Too much going on here. But I always did. And no, if you mean, Hanover where I was before, a few friends, though they don't miss me all that much. A lot happens in two years. Children, marriages." He shrugged, thinking about letter he'd exchanged periodically. "Would you ever move from London?" Arcturus shrugged beneath Johann's chin.

"I don't know. Right now London seems to be right for me - a place to go out and see things, and not the same things over and over, but most of the time just hide and no one will come knocking on your door trying to drag you out. There's a level of energy here that I haven't been able to feel elsewhere, not York, not Greece...it's energy that somehow makes me feel I'm part of a bigger world, a world that lives, and I live with it." He paused to contemplate. "Sometimes the country feels too...'dead' for me. And I don't like feeling dead."

"You need the hustle and bustle…! Most of the time, no, people don't come to your door trying to drag you out..." Johann squeezed Arc's shoulders and let them go, coming to stand beside Arc again instead.

"Haha, you're not one of those people."

"I'd never forcibly drag you out anywhere you didn't want to go. Unless it was for the good of your health or if you life was in danger."

"I'd be disappointed if you didn't drag me out for those things."

"Out over my shoulder, kicking and screaming..." He grinned cheekily and Arcturus laughed. "What a sight."

"No photos."

"I don't think it would be that sort of time." He agreed. "We should go out more often. Increase your number of haunts."

"Okay, I'll be up for it. I hope."

"I'll hold your hand." Johann offered. Arcturus looked down at his hand, and then looked back up at Johann. "Ok, so I'm not at the moment, but I was pointing things out. And there's still plenty of tea to be drunk in that flat. Oh, and cooking. Lix won't know who she wants to marry if we ever cooked. Odds on you though," he winked.

"Oh, really?" Arcturus asked, perking up. "Is that a challenge?"

"I meant a collaboration, oh master. I have heard of your cooking. Daresay I have tasted your cooking. Well, breakfasts, under duress."

"Yes, you still need to eat at a regular pace."

"Yes sir." Johann mock saluted the return of Healer Hollingbury. "You've cooked her dinner already though, I heard."

"Yes, I have. Already spreading like wildfire, I see."

"I talk a lot, but I'm not wildfire." He elbowed Arc gently, "Lix wasn't quite able to use vocabulary to describe it, was mostly exclamations of what and noises. We didn't have long to speak admittedly, but it was great from what I could gather. Enough to forget what she needed to say and just talk about it for five minutes when we ran into each other at Gringotts."

"Good. But I'll never live up to my grandmother. Maternal," Arcturus clarified.

"That makes sense, what with your mum's cooking. Merlin, a man could live a week off one of those Sunday lunches."

"I love her cooking, it's one thing I always miss when I'm back here and not in Greece. Well, she might cook something for Christmas, but we'll see."

"Just her cooking?"

"I said 'one thing', Joh," Arc retorted with a smile. "She's a lovely person, friendly, hospitable, always willing to show me Greek remedies and tell me about Muggle life."

"I am no longer worried that you love your family also through your stomach. She sounds lovely."

"She's great. Alas, she was only here for a few days with my grandfather...they're getting too old to travel, but since I won't be going to Greece next summer…"

"Forever working too hard," Johann elbowed him properly this time and frowned.

"Ow, hey!" Arcturus protested, Johann's elbows were sharp!

"Sorry," Johann apologised and rubbed his friend's arm where his bony elbow had made contact. "You do though."

"So do you."

"Two sides of a coin! If I decide to take up healing and dye my hair, punch me."

"Will do," Arcturus replied without hesitation. There came another natural lapse in the conversation, assisted by a passing jogger and their iPod. The music from which could be heard leaking from the earbuds. Both wizards tried not to stare too much as the bloke passed, trainers rhythmically beating out a tempo over the footpath.

"I hope you had a great Christmas." Johann spoke at least as the bob of the man's head retreated over the top of the hill. Arcturus glanced over at him, as if making sure that wasn't a joke. He gave an ugly laugh in the most exaggerated way possible and then went back to being absolutely straight-faced. Johann's eyebrow's shot up in surprise at this display. "That wasn't a joke..."

"I know," Arcturus replied with an edge to his tone.

"Family… personalities… aside," Johann suggested, remembering that Arcturus had not been looking forward to spending time with his extended family.

"No luck with that." Johann frowned at the swift reply.

"Are you suggesting you'd rather have worked through Christmas than seen any of your family? Even your parents?"

"I don't mind seeing my parents," Arc clarified, "but quite frankly I also had to ignore the one dampener to the celebration. And he was too big to ignore."

"Did you not have fun imagining the twenty different methods of killing him using only the domestic items to hand?" Johann asked. He delivered the suggestion absolutely deadpan in voice and expression. Arcturus exchanged it with a look. "Just me who imagines that at family gatherings?" the German asked. "Crap."

"To be fair I can understand why, but it doesn't make the suffering any easier," Arcturus admitted. Johann inclined a little towards his friend.

"Next time, just find an excuse to have to go to a shop for something. You know, cranberry sauce missing ... even if you have to hide the damned thing, and take centuries. I did that once and didn't come back the Christmas before I moved to England." Arcturus shook his head at the silly notion, he was as ever too polite to do such things.

"Joh, my grandparents are not as blessed as he is to have magical blood. They know it, and we know it, he's going to outlive them. I'd rather just try to ignore him and hang out with them more."

"I lost who exactly came to Christmas. Both sets of grandparents?"

"Yes, except Grandma Hollingbury passed a long time ago. I guess she's still with us in spirit, somewhat." Johann checked the time as inconspicuously as he could.

"So the old fart will be around for more Christmasses. Can't he wait his turn?" He knew this wasn't going to help, but the thought of anyone ruining Arc's Christmas was frustrating.

"He lives alone, and we really don't like to celebrate with one family member alone, even if he's a bit of a killjoy. I just...need to, you know, ignore him."

"Harder than I'm sure it sounds." He agreed sincerely and looped his arm through Arc's. "I've got to be heading off mate, sorry."

"Ah." Arcturus sighed, sounding genuinely dismayed their conversation was being cut short. "Well, all good things come to an end. Let's go."

"Another time, soon."

"Soon," Arcturus agreed.