Wanderlust

[Cairo Savage]

Cairo was one to plan things meticulously rather than dive in head first. To weigh all his options, consider the possible consequences and benefits before involving himself for the sake of retaining his dignity and keeping safe from the unknown that often proved to create more harm than good. Though he had thrown all of it away once, choosing to travel the world in his winter break to simply take photos, and then later twice to include Matthew Harper on his journey. He did not think his travels would lead him back to New Zealand to capture the country side nor did he think it would eventually involve his photographer friend walking alongside him in the same place, time, and with the same intent to take photos but it proved to end up that way in an unexpected yet welcomed turn of events.

A distraction from what had been the most stressful school year of his life and sanctuary from the responsibility of spending time with his family was all Cairo had needed and he was glad to have found it among snapshots of scenery, discarded rolls of film and not knowing where the next day would hold without fear of the unknown. He instead woke up to every sunrise with optimism and vigor for the day ahead. That day began in the same way with Cairo waking to an unfamiliar bed and breakfast with Matthew, packing up his belongings and leaving in the same day they arrived with hope to find something new, something they could discover themselves and only by themselves. This notion brought the pair to the base of mount Aspiring, hiking up a short, forested trail leading them to a place with faraway although stunning view of a glacier. The end goal was in Cairo's sights and like a typical Slytherin he would use any means necessary to get where he wanted although his minds determination was unable to coax his body from feeling exhausted with every step forward. Eventually he paused his steps, adjusted the beanie on his head, then looked to his friend. "Are you ready to take a break now? My back is killing me." He said, adjusting his backpack in an effort to get comfortable. Though the action was to no avail and it made Cairo want to stop more. Even if their break was only a few minutes it would be enough for him to tough it out and continue on, he was sure.
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[Matthew Harper]

When Matthew had decided at the end of last school year that he wouldn't go home for the break, but rather stay here in New Zealand, he really hadn't known what he would do to fill up his time. He figured he would stay in the Leaky Cauldron and explore the surrounding area until school started again. But when he ran into Cairo and got invited to come along on his travels to take photos, he couldn't help but agree. It was odd, to him, to make a decision like that without asking his parents. But he hadn't seen his parents in a year now, and didn't think he would listen to his father ever again.

Traveling with Cairo had been... odd. He hadn't spent this much time with someone that he wasn't related to and that wasn't Leah in a long time. That said, it was also pretty amazing. Somme of the pictures he took on this trip were some of the best he had ever taken, in his opinion. And he knew he would look back fondly on this trip for many years even if only for that reason. But he also enjoyed the company. The hike was tough on him, especially as he wasn't too used to this kind of activity. Matthew did like to fly and play quidditch, but hiking and walking for hours wasn't something he tended to do. So when Cairo asked him if he was ready to take a break, Matt grinned in relief. "I was ready an hour ago, I just didn't want to look like a wimp." He quipped. "You're lucky it's just your back, I can't even count how many of my body parts are hurting." He was happy to take off his own backpack and he looked around. The view was so beautiful here, and he was happy that he had the opportunity to be here with his friend. It took his mind off some of his worries. "Thanks... again, you know, for letting me come with you." He said with a small smile in Cairo's direction. The other boy was a very talented photographer, and Matthew already felt like he had learned a lot from him.

 

[Cairo Savage]

Matthew admitted he also wanted a break and like clockwork Cairo dropped his backpack, uncaring of the state of the contents as it hit the ground with a thud. His camera, the most important thing he had brought with him was hanging around his neck making everything else he owned seem secondary. He sighed with relief to have the weight off his shoulders as he moved to stretch his arms. It was in the midst of his stretching that Matthew thanked him for the invite. The sentence caused him to laugh although not in a way that mocked his friend. More of a laugh at the idea of Matthew thinking Cairo's invite was simply to 'let' him tag along instead of an invite that came from wanting to spend time with a friend that was not only a fellow photographer, but incredibly good company. "I wanted you to come with me, there's no reason to thank me." He said in response after his laughter subsided. Matthew was simple and easygoing in Cairo's experience and on top of that he didn't ask too many questions, simply wanting to be in peace during their trip rather than talk more than necessary and make the journey into more of an ordeal than it needed to be. It was the exact kind of friendship and company Cairo had needed after a year filled with petty drama and an unbridled amount of stress over his owls. All things considered it was really him who should be thanking Matthew for his presence instead of the other way around.

Cairo had other things he wanted to say to Matthew that exceeded a simple thank you for his company, which included thanking him for being his friend in general, but in an effort to keep his trip simple he sighed a second time before letting his arms hang at his sides. Stepping forward to the edge of the trail, he looked down the hill where they had started. "Wow, we're pretty high up, huh? Wouldn't have thought we would make it this far before having a break." He commented, quickly moving to grab the camera hanging from his neck and holding it up to take a snapshot of the ground below. The trail was only supposed to be a few hours long so he could only assume their destination wasn't far off. "Must not be too far long now, till we get to the top." He added. When he was done taking photos he turned back to Matthew with a small smile gracing his features. "It's probably good that we're taking a break now so we have enough energy to actually take pictures when we get there." The view was stunning according to the people he talked to about it and the last thing Cairo wanted was to walk the trail just to feel too tired to make the most of the view. It would make that entire day's work pointless and he wanted every aspect of his travels to be meaningful.​

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[Matthew Harper]

Maybe Matthew should have suggested a break first, as it seemed like Cairo had really needed one as well and he'd just assumed the other boy was fine. He took a seat on a nearby rock, looking over his camera to make sure it hadn't been damaged or gotten dirty in their hike. Cairo saying thanking him was unnecessary was nice, but Matthew didn't agree. He felt thankful for going on this trip, so he wanted to thank him. He shrugged it off and looked over at the edge of the trail when Cairo approached it. He got to his feet to join his friend in looking down. "I guess we are tougher than we seem." He joked. "Though, I really am glad we're taking a break right now, you would have had to carry me otherwise." He thought Cairo had a good idea in taking a picture, but he didn't want to seem like he was just copying his friend so he didn't take one of his own. He nodded in agreement about Cairo's assessment about getting to the top. "Yeah, you're right. We should get some energy back before going on. Let's eat something as well, as long as we're taking a break." He told his friend. He glanced back at the rock he had been sitting on. "And... let's sit, my feet are killing me."

 

[Cairo Savage]

Matthew was not only great company and a fellow photographer, but full of genius ideas at that. A break was enough of a great idea on Cairo's part, he could admit, but Matthews ideas to sit down to rest their bodies further while eating to regain their strength for the final stretch of their hike seemed perfect in that moment. With food in his tummy and his legs not feeling as if they would collapse under him at any moment, Cairo knew he would be able to take great photos and truly appreciate the view that waited for them at the end of the trail. He said an enthusiastic "Yessss." to Matthew's suggestion as he walked to where his backpack lay on the ground, opening the top zipper and digging through the contents to find a sandwich, an apple, and a large back of Pick-N-Mix he brought from Honeydukes a few days ago. He walked to where Matthew was with the items in his hands, and threw the bag of sweets towards his friend. "Help yourself." He said, before moving to a nearby rock, sitting down, and unwrapping his sandwich. After taking his first bite Cairo looked out to the trees above them and pointed when he saw a flash of green move between branches. "Look, I think that's a Kea!" He exclaimed, the green bird flying to a different tree at the sound of his voice. Cairo did not know much about Keas bar the fact they were native to New Zealand and somewhat destructive of Muggle vehicles but that knowledge did not deter him from being interested in the creature. "Do you think it will fly down to see us if we throw some food, so we can take a picture of it?" He asked his friend, eyes still looking up to the trees as he chewed the piece of sandwich in his mouth.​

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[Matthew Harper]

Matthew was glad Cairo seemed to appreciate his idea of taking a break, he smiled as he dug through his own backpack for the food he had brought with him for this hike. He hadn't really hiked before, so he had just thrown in a bunch of things int he hopes that it would be enough. He pulled out a sandwich and was about to start eating it when his friend threw his candy at him instead. He raised his eyebrows slightly. "Don't you want some?" He asked him curiously. He lowered the sandwich, as a childish part of him would take candy over a sandwich any day. He picked out a chocolate frog and grinned at Cairo. "Thanks." He said before starting to eat it. He nearly choked on it when Cairo suddenly raised his voice, something he hadn't really heard his friend do before as far as he could remember. He looked up immediately, startled, and just in time to see a green flash. Getting a picture of it would be great, and he nodded in agreement. "We can at least try." He said with a grin. "If you give me more candy later, I'll sacrifice my sandwich for it." He said with a glint in his eye, unwrapping the sandwich and getting to his feet. He tore off some of it and threw it at the ground near the tree, though he actually had no idea if the bird would notice or care. At least he was trying something. He glanced at Cairo. "Get your camera ready, okay?" He said as he tossed another piece of bread.

 

[Cairo Savage]

Matthew seemed more than happy with the candy and it caused Cairo to smile despite still being in the process of chewing his sandwich. He moved to get comfortable on the rock as Matthew agreed to help coax the Kea from the trees above them. "Deal." Cairo said. He would have agreed to sacrificing his own food and even his entire backpack if it meant capturing a photo of a Kea. Candy was nothing in comparison. He watched as Matthew stood up, ripping part of the sandwich in his hand and then throwing it to the base of the tree. Cairo then moved his eyes to the branches above them, spotting the green bird and noting it moved down though was still high up from the ground. He was unsure if they should wait for it to fly to the ground or use more of their food to coax it down more quickly. Cairo heard Matthew's comment to get his camera ready but chose to throw a piece of his own sandwich to the base of the tree first, before resting what was left of the sandwich on his lap and moving his fingers to lift up his camera. He looked through the lens, framing the shot and waiting in silence for the Kea to fly down.

When the bird finally went for the food, Cairo jolted at the sudden movement before snapping as many photos as possible, only letting his shoulders relax after it flew away with the final piece of sandwich in its beak. Cairo breathed a sigh of relief as he looked up from his camera and to his friend. "Next time you're taking photos of the bird, okay? I swear that nearly gave me a heart attack." He said. "The candy is yours." He added as an afterthought more than anything while his mind recounted what just happened. He expected to take photos of scenery on his trip, not taking photos of an animal, let alone a native bird he was sure was endangered. It would be a fond memory of his for sure, and one he was proud to have remembered for him in photos from his trip.​

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[Matthew Harper]

Matthew held his breath as the bird went for the offered pieces of sandwich, and didn't even dare to glance in the direction of the other boy in case it would startle the Kea. He could hear the clicking of his camera, and trusted his friend to take a few good shots. A small part of him regretted not getting out his own camera, but he knew that if they had both moved too much, neither would have had the chance to actually capture the green bird on film. When the bird flew away, he let out a sigh. "Sure thing." He said in response to his friend. "Though I'm sure you did better in taking the pictures than I would have under stress." He grinned when he said the candy was his and whooped. "Awesome, you're the best." He grinned. "I bet we can find more cool things like that to capture." As tired as he had been, he now felt new energy to go on and take more photos.