Complimentary Colours

While the Heads of Slytherin and Gryffindor were too weird (see: fabulous) to live their lives meeting in boring old cafes and restaurants, they were also much too rare to die in this sweltering summer heat - so if they were going to have a picnic, they were going to do it somewhere worthwhile. The shore was such a place, with its nice constant breeze and occasional spray of refreshing sea mist, so the shore it was. Corey stood at the line of tide as he awaited his friend and coworker, toes wiggling in the sand. His loafers (never in his life would Corey be caught in flip-flops; not even in his death, actually) were stashed safely away in a canvas tote slung over one arm, schmoozing away next to a bottle of champagne and a tiny cocktail umbrella he fully intended to Transfigure into a full-sized beach umbrella if that blasted sun threatened to get even one watt brighter. He would have glared at his heavenly mortal enemy from behind his sunglasses had it not also threatened to blind him.

Instead, Corey looked down, to check his watch. He turned away from the water to spot Elias traipsing out onto the beach in all his purple glory, basket in tow. Corey smiled and started toward the man to meet him, shouting his greeting ahead of time over the crash of waves. That life-saving breeze whipped around him as he walked across the sand, rustling his loose blue button-up in a pleasant way. It went wonderfully with his coral shorts, he thought - but not nearly as wonderful as that hat looked on Elias.

"It's gorgeous," he agreed as he finally caught up with his friend. "Finally, a break from this heat. I love the hat, where did you get it?" Corey tapped his chin thoughtfully as looked around for the perfect place to lay their claim. He pointed back to the place he came from, a bit further in where the sand wasn't wet from the tide but also not as rocky as the further reaches of the beach. "There? I brought an umbrella if we need shade."

"Who could expect anything less from the two of us?" Corey remarked with a grin, observing with great glee that the two of them were quite possibly the two most fashionable beach goers in this Very Nice Spot on the beach (not that there was a crowd out here, but still...the two of them obviously had good taste). Corey also observed with glee Elias' hat as he spoke of it, making a note to badger him later for the name of that boutique because he could already just tell it would be right up his alley. He hadn't been to Bath in a while, anyway... "Ohh, very nice. It really gives it that special Elias Touch," Corey nodded, wrinkling his nose in a smile at his very fashionable friend. Seriously - purple. Who else did he know who could pull off such an interesting purple? His smile widened at Elias' compliment, and he spoke his thanks as they took off back down the beach.

"Getting cuter everyday," Corey answered the questions about his children, not bothering to hide the brag in his voice one bit. They were his pride and joy; spending five minutes around the man would make that clearly evident, and as a good friend, Elias seemed to just know by now to ask after them first thing. "Rosemary's trying out for the Quidditch team this year," he also couldn't hide the slight concern in his voice at this, but his smile remained, "And Remy's very interested in this whole walking business. I expect he'll be up and running soon. Ryan is...still a big fan of dirt." Even if he could truly talk about his children all day, Corey consciously limited himself to one update per child, for the sake of his friends' sanity. It was his turn to tilt his head at Elias as he turned and grinned at the man. "How are you doing? What have you done with your summer?"

Corey's children were a handful, two handfuls really (if only he had three hands sometimes), and he of course loved every second of it. The fact that Elias clearly knew and acknowledged this solidified over and over again why Corey liked the man so much. They were opposites in so very many ways, the whole supposed House rivalry thing just the tip of the iceberg, but he'd been comfortable around Elias pretty much from the moment he'd met him. He was just, simply put, a good person.

And he tried to ease Corey's worries over his flying child, which Corey very much appreciated in this time of his life. "You're darn right. You just watch, by the end of this term I might just be the new Quidditch referee." That was a joke, a painfully obvious one. No matter how much his daughter loved the sport and how many games he would inevitably end up paying intensely close attention to (maybe he should ask Elias to borrow a telescope...), Corey didn't think he would ever understand the sport fully. He just didn't have it in him. He chuckled at Elias' reminder that at least it was only Rosemary flying. "For now," he tacked on, with a wag of his finger. Oh, gods, that was a scary thought. Ryan would kill for a chance on a broom, the little daredevil. Corey dropped the thought before he really had a heart attack, right on this beach. He focused on Elias' news instead, eyeing his friend as he spoke. "Yeah? How did that go? Are they doing alright?" They were reaching that age where asking after a friend's parents started to feel appropriate. Corey's own mother and father were getting up there in age, moving a bit slower than they used to. Corey chuckled again at Elias' eyeliner anecdote. "She's a good one, your sister. If it's any consolation, I also really like the eyeliner." Corey often found himself envious of Elias' confident style. He didn't think he himself could really rock eyeliner anyway, and his husband probably wouldn't be a fan either, but it would be nice to at least have a chance to give it a go...

The pair soon arrived at their spot and Elias spread out a delightfully loud blanket for the both of them. Corey grinned at the other man and proclaimed his thanks for the grand gesture of chivalry (Elias knew how to play on a Gryffindor's weakness, didn't he) and settled in on the comfy blanket, crossing his short legs. He placed his tote bag in front of him and, as an afterthought, dove in to retrieve the umbrella and his wand. With as much stealth as Elias, he turned the thing from cocktail size to beach size, and stuck it in the sand behind them. Satisfied, he reached back into his bag for one more thing - a camera of the wizarding variety. Corey liked to document most of the occasions of his life, a habit he picked up as a young man traveling the world. He looked back up at his friend, waiting for Elias to sit. "I assume you know by now what comes next," he grinned and waggled the camera at him.

"Excuse me, us Gryffindors are all about doing the right thing, thank you," Corey laughed and attempted to flip his hair, which ended up being more of a bounce of curls that looked more adorable than fierce. He wasn't good at fierce unless he meant it - then his lion's heart beat strong - and he was even less skilled in the nuances of house rivalry. Even when he was a student it didn't make much sense to him. He knew Gryffindors who were cheaters and bullies, and Slytherins who were great friends and helping hands. He reckoned everyone probably had a little bit of each house in them...but to keep up appearances as Gryffindor Head, he of course had to indulge in the occasional teasing of the Slytherin Head himself, who dished it back just as well. Even on this warm summer day, Corey had to suppress a shudder at the thought of his middle child wanting a training broom anytime soon. The way rivalries dictated it, any 'true' Gryffindor wouldn't be such a worried, overprotective parent. And that was all the evidence Corey needed to know the stereotypes were rubbish.

Elias' parents were doing well, which made Corey smile. "Glad to hear it." Joint issues were nothing in the grand scheme of things, right? Corey already found himself getting sore in the joints on some particularly wet mornings, as well. Elias' musings made Corey laugh. "That's all you. Signature Elias. You should start a line." Honestly, Corey didn't think it would be a bad idea. Elias was an academic but he certainly had a creative flair, too. Corey had to laugh again at the thought of himself in any sort of expressive makeup. He just didn't have the face for it. "Maybe in a dark room where no one can see it. No way I could rock it like you do, my fabulous friend."

Fabulous Elias was happy to indulge Corey's picture-taking habit, apparently, making Corey grin widely. "Work with me, darling," he laughed, holding the camera up and snapping a few shots of his friend's pose before leaning over next to him, squishing their heads together (very careful of Elias' hat, of course) and holding the camera up for a picture of them both. Satisfied, he stowed the camera away back in his back. "There. Let Super Important Head of House Meeting, Summer 2003, officially commence." He grinned and poked at the picnic basket Elias brought, wondering what delicacies awaited them inside.