Vince didn’t need to worry about getting caught in his blush or his looks. Cassian wasn’t nearly as observant as his friend, in part because he never had to be. Everything he’d ever wanted or needed was put right in front of him, or otherwise sat within reach. If anything, Vince was the first to teach him that this wasn’t the case for everyone - and the fact infuriated Cass to no end. If he had it his way, every kid coming to Hogwarts should receive a bag of candy and the same standard set of supplies and robes, no questions asked. It evened the playing field, and took unfair advantages out of the equation - the same kind of logic applied to why they wore uniforms in the first place. And look how well that turns out?

Trying to not scowl - more from his train of thought than anything the other was doing - the blonde glanced over to Vince. “Tch,” he clicked his tongue at the gentle tap of the toe on his forearm, though his expression softened ever so slightly. He didn’t want to give Vince the wrong idea, since the broken plans had nothing to do with him.  “Sure, but we could’ve been lazy outside. Or at least seen an Erumpent or something,” he grumbled, trying to repress a sigh as he turned his forlorn look out the window. “We won’t get to enjoy summer like this until next year. Any by then we’ll be going into our seventh year, and we’ll be more preoccupied with… other things…” What those other things were, he actually had no idea. Careers and girls, he supposed. Cass hadn’t given it all that much thought, though it certainly contributed to pent-up anxiety that things were soon going to change in big ways for the both of them.

The Gryffindor ran his hand absently through his hair before plucking two beans from Vince’s palm, popping both into his mouth without much thought. “Hmm, apple and cinnamon,” he surmised as the brunette moved to settle in beside him. Even if it felt like his day’s gone to shit, having Vince here at least brought some level of comfort. It’s not like the Slytherin needed his protection or anything, but it was reassuring to know he was alright because Cass could see that with his own two eyes. “It’s not a bad combination. The bright red and the speckled one I think.”

At Vince’s proclamation that this was a relief, however, Cass let out a loud laugh. “Are you kidding? So you’re telling me I’ve been dragging you every which way for my own jollies?” His face scrunched up in mock-admonishment, and he gave Vince a light punch on the arm. “And who are you calling a bighead? Ingenious, are we?” Leave it up to him to pull out the fancy vocabulary words.

“Fine then, since all my plans are so exhausting,” he wasn’t actually offended of course, that could be observed by the grin that never left Cassian’s lips, “What’s your idea of having fun indoors? Don’t you dare say reading.”

---

---