Closed A Little Guidance

[Kauri Morales-Tipene]

Though Kauri had been dreaming of being Head Boy for a long time, he had no illusions that he was perfectly prepared for the job. He had gotten some good advice from a former Head Boy a few years ago, and now that his own time had come, Kauri thought it seemed wise to ask again for guidance. He hadn't spoken to Flavio since the older boy had graduated, but they had been good friends before Flavio left, and he hoped the letter wouldn't be out of line. Having read it over one last time, Kauri tied his message to the leg of a school owl, watching as it soared away to its destination.

Spoiler

Hi Flavio!

I hope you're doing well! How is life after Hogwarts? I hope things are going well, where are you working now?

I hope you're not too busy to reply to this (but if you are, no worries!) but if you have time, I was hoping I could ask for some advice! I've been made Head Boy and I'm super excited, but I wanted to check in if you have any advice or dos/don'ts or anything like that! There were some issues with the last Head Boy and I really want to make sure I do a good job like you did, so I was hoping you could help me out with anything you found useful!

Hope this letter finds you well!
Love, Kauri

 

[Flavio Morales-Tipene]

Between working and taking care of Miro, Flavio barely had time for himself anymore. The free time he did have was sparse, taken up mostly by catching up on lost sleep and self care whenever possible, meaning when he had received an unexpected letter from an unfamiliar owl, the chance to read it and begin to write a response happened much later than he wanted. When he did get to reading it however, he was pleased to see it was from Kauri, and equally as pleased to read that Kauri had been given the title of head boy. At first Flavio was unsure how to respond to the letter, both in answering the question of how his life was going and giving the advice Kauri was asking for. A lot had happened in the time after he graduated, he was sure the news he was now a parent would be shocking and might make him seem unqualified to give the right advice. Though after a little thought Flavio decided he did trust Kauri, and thought it wouldn’t do any harm to be honest. With this in mind he eventually managed to scribble down a response, making sure to send the letter with an owl when he was on his way to work.​

Spoiler

Hello Kauri, it is great to hear from you!

I apologise for the time it has taken for me to respond. To answer your question honestly, my life has changed a lot after Hogwarts. It might be surprising to read this, but I am actually a father now. It has been unexpected but I am working very hard to do the right things everyday, and the reason I have taken so long to write back is because I am busy with this responsibility.

It is awesome to hear that you are head boy, congratulations! The only advice I can think of currently, is that while you do need to consider things from all sides and work hard, you should still always stand by your values and do what you think is right in your heart no matter what, and that it is okay to take the time to care for yourself as much as you care for others. Something I regret when I was head boy was not taking time for myself, if I had the chance to repeat that year again that is the one thing I would change.

From what I remember when I was at Hogwarts, you were a good leader in the brotherhood, and I trust that nothing has changed and you will continue to be a good leader as head boy. I do not think there is any real advice I can give because I believe you will do the right thing for yourself and everyone else, but that is all I can think of to say at the moment.

I hope this year is going well for you so far, if you ever need to talk know that you can always send me another letter. I am always happy to help if you feel you need it.

Best Wishes,
Flavio.

 

[Kauri Morales-Tipene]

Kauri had half expected no response to his letter at all, knowing it was a lot to ask for advice from a former schoolmate he hadn't had any contact with in years. When Flavio's letter had arrived though, Kauri had quickly gone from delight to shock, and he had had to read the letter several times before he really processed it. Flavio was a father?! It impressed him that his friend could take on so much responsibility, but it took a long time for Kauri to adjust to the thought that people around his age were old enough to be having children of their own. He knew he had become an adult by wizarding law a few months ago, but the thought of actually living an adult life, with children and bills and jobs felt worlds away. After taking some time to process though, Kauri sat down and wrote a response, trying to focus on Flavio's advice, and not on how strange he felt about this revelation.

Spoiler

Hi Flavio!

Wow! You don't need to apologise for taking time to reply, it sounds like your life has been really busy! Congratulations on the baby, I had no idea, that's amazing! What's their name? You must be so excited, that's absolutely incredible! If you ever need a babysitter in the holidays, I'm always an owl away!

Thank you so much for the advice, I really appreciate it. I've been feeling the time pressure a lot already, it seems like there's never enough time for everything that needs doing, but I'll do my best to take time out for myself! That's really valuable advice, and I appreciate your encouragement as well. Doing a good job is important to me, and your letter really helped.

I hope you're doing well! Give your baby a big hug for me!
Love, Kauri.

 

[Flavio Morales-Tipene]

As time passed and Miro was old enough to be on some kind of schedule, Flavio’s own schedule had lightened up a little, though only by the smallest fraction. It was when he had a moment to sit down after a long day, and when Miro was finally sound asleep that he had an opportunity to relax and respond to the next letter Kauri sent him. It had been sitting on his desk for weeks, and Flavio tried not to let the guilt of not responding sooner deter him from writing a letter back now that he had the chance. He took his time to think about his response now that he wasn’t rushed in the morning on his way to work, and was pleased that Kauri's reaction to the news about Miro was positive. It reassured Flavio it was the right decision to trust Kauri. When he was done writing his response, Flavio felt content with what he had written, and made sure to send the letter the following day so Kauri received it as soon as possible.​

Spoiler

Hey Kauri!

Apologies again for taking a while to respond to your letter, I am still very busy but as time passes everything is getting easier. The baby’s name is Miro, and he is now a little over six moths old. He is growing so quickly, I can barely believe it has been half a year since he was born!

It is definitely a lot of pressure to hold the title of head boy, and it feels as if there are so many expectations that are impossible to meet. But please do not forget that you were chosen for a reason, and if you were not the right person for the role you would not have it. In being chosen as a prefect, your head of house believed you were the right person and the same goes for being head boy, at least I think so. The professors noticed you were a good student leader years ago, and clearly they believe that since then you have grown to be an even more capable leader and someone who is worthy to represent the school as head boy.

What I am trying to say is that by being yourself you were capable, and that is why you have this role, and even if it can be easy to doubt yourself it is important to remember that you are worthy and what you have been doing is right so far. As long as you continue to trust yourself and take time to also care for yourself so you are not too overwhelmed, you will be able to be your best self possible and continue to show everyone why you are the right person.

I will give Miro a hug for you, I am sure he believes in you as well, even if he is a baby and does not understand words right now.

Head boy responsibilities aside, how has your final year been so far? Are you finding your classes difficult now that you are studying at a NEWT level? I hope school is going well for you, and I am still here if you ever need to chat.

Flavio.

 

[Kauri Morales-Tipene]

This year had completely gotten away from Kauri. Things just kept going faster and faster, and as carefully balanced as his schedule was, some things had fallen by the wayside. Things like replying to letters. Kauri didn't realise how many months it had been until he was looking at Flavio's last letter, wincing slightly at how behind he was in their correspondance. He jotted down a reply and sent it quickly, hoping Flavio had been too busy himself to really notice the lateness of his reply.

Spoiler

Dear Flavio

I'm so sorry it's been so long! Seventh year is more hectic than I imagined. I'm so glad to hear about Miro though! He sounds wonderful, I'm so happy for you! I bet you're an amazing father. How did you choose his name? It's lovely!

Thank you so much for the encouragement... I know it's taken me way too long to respond, but I've been thinking of your letter every time I'm struggling and it's helped a lot. I think I've been overworking myself a bit, but I'm trying to find that time to rest and look after myself, though I don't think I'll be able to relax fully until the NEWTs are over. Seventh year is kind of ridiculous! It's hard to believe my time at Hogwarts will be over after that. It's so soon!

Speaking of though, once I've graduated we should catch up some time! I'd love to meet Miro, and it would be great to hang out again!

Thank you again!
Love, Kauri