"Oof," Jake grunted, as he trudged up what seemed like the fiftieth hill (but was probably only like the fourth). How long had they been walking for?

He had actually been one of the ones most excited about their upcoming camping trip. He'd always liked being out in nature, even though the most camping he'd ever done had been summer camp at school, or camping out in his backyard. The chance to go on a real camping trip with his best friends? Especially since this was their last summer before being graduated? He'd pushed hard for it. He'd even loved the idea of doing it Muggle-style, no magic, no fancy wizard tents, just him, his friends, a real tent, and all the things you hear about from the people who actually went camping.

He didn't wanna say that he was regretting it, but he was definitely starting to have second thoughts as the giant rucksack seemed to weigh him down and make him wonder why he bothered packing anything at all.

At least it gave him time to think...

Yes, there was a lot of other things on Jake's mind, as he followed Jack, who somehow seemed to know where they were going (or at least seemed to have a good sense of when he was going to want to stop).

Tonight, it was just going to be the two of them. George was supposed to be there too, but he had owled vaguely and mysteriously not being able to make it until Night 2. He didn't seem to think it was a big deal, and maybe it wasn't. In SOME ways it wasn't... It was just...

It had been ages since it'd been just him and Jack...

Years, really... It wasn't Jake's fault. Not really! Jack had been gone for so long...and then when he'd come back, there'd been classes, there'd been prefect duties, and being a duelling captain, and then there'd just been so many people around... He'd spent time with Jack of course but never times like this. When it was just the two of them. Something that had been so normal years ago, but now...

And after everything that had happened...

Jake WANTED this. He really did. He WANTED to have the chance to talk to Jack. To bond with him again. To get back to the way things were. He'd wanted that ever since Jack had come back to school. So then why couldn't he shake that nervous feeling in his chest? It wasn't like he hadn't thought about talking with him before...finding a time when it would be just the two of them. It was just... well, he hadn't known what to say. Or what to ask. What if he said the wrong thing? Things with Jack, they had gone so far, and he'd never known anybody who had gone to a mental health facility before, and...

And how could he, one of his best friends, not have done anything to help?

He ignored the pang of something that threatened to take over his thoughts, and make them darker. He couldn't dwell on it now. He shouldn't feel nervous spending time with one of his best friends. What kind of best friend was THAT?

Or, well...they WERE best friends, at least. Somehow, the worst thought was, what if too much had changed? What if they'd finally have the time to talk, when it was just the two of them, and... and it would just never feel normal? Jake shook his head. No... this would be good. They'd talk and... and after that, things would feel normal again. They needed this... and he wasn't going to miss things like what Jack had went through again. If anything took over him like that again, this time Jake would stop it.

With a lot to think about, Jake continued trudging. It was beautiful out here, the clearings were vast, the sky clear, but Jake was just looking for any kind of clearing that might represent a final destination. Luckily he had finally (FINALLY) grown, gotten taller, and was starting to develop at least a little bit of strength. Not much strength though, compared to the others. And an hour of hiking with a giant everything on his back took its toll. It luckily gave him the excuse to be mostly quiet, until now, but he couldn't help but ask. "Hey, Jack, I know you know where we're going but... we ARE close, right?" Jake finally couldn't help but ask.