Fic: The Summer of Sirius - July 14 & 15
Part 9 - The Marauders spend a day at the beach. (Harry Potter, Pre-Azkaban, PG-13)
Written for dogdaysofsummer
Prompts: 14 and 15
Title: Four Boys and a Beach
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,260
Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns all.
Summary: The Marauders spend a day at the beach and get sunburned.
Previous Parts: July 1&2&3, July 4&5, July 6, July 7, July 8&9, July 10, July 11, July 12&13
July 14, 1978
Remus Lupin watched his three best friends splash in the water. At James Potter’s suggestion, all four Marauders were spending the day at the beach. Sirius Black was moving out of James’s house and into his own flat in a couple of days. Although they would all probably still spend as much time together as they did now, it seemed James thought otherwise. After all, James wasn’t only losing a friend; he was losing a brother. And Remus understood that James would miss Sirius. Anybody would miss Sirius Black.
Remus finished applying the protective lotion that his mother made him promise to wear. Even though it would wear off once he got wet, he still felt obligated. He had offered it to his friends, but only Peter Pettigrew had slathered a bit on his body. Remus stood and ran to the water, jumping in beside James. James grabbed Remus’s shoulders and dunked him.
“Hey!” shouted Sirius as he pounced on James and took him down. Peter and Remus jumped on the two, sloshing the water all around them. They all emerged laughing and wet.
“Want to see how long I can hold my breath underwater?” asked James excitedly.
“Not longer than me, Prongs,” challenged Peter.
“Please, I can beat you both,” said Remus.
“And then I’ll beat you, Moony,” boasted Sirius.
James nodded at the other three. “Let’s do it, then.”
Remus went first and, according to Sirius’s watch, lasted only twenty-one seconds. He wiped his eyes and saw Sirius looking at him. “Sorry,” Sirius said and winked. Remus stuck his tongue out at him.
Peter submerged himself next and lasted thirty-one seconds.
“Can I go next?” asked an anxious Sirius.
James smirked. “You want to give him a good-luck kiss, Moony?”
“Nah, you go ahead, James,” said Remus as he pushed James towards Sirius.
“I don’t need luck,” declared Sirius. He gave James his watch and dove in.
His friends waited. After forty-two seconds, Sirius broke through the surface, coughing and spitting water.
“So,” he asked.
“Forty-two,” said James, handing Sirius back the watch.
“Go on, then,” Sirius told James.
James smiled and gave them a thumbs-up sign before going under. His friends waited.
And waited.
They waited for one minute and one second before he emerged, looking quite haughty though he was blue in the face. “I do alright, mates?”
The others just stared at him.
“You cheated,” said Sirius.
“What? No, I didn’t,” James replied.
“You couldn’t have lasted that long,” said Sirius.
James nodded. “I did and you lost.”
“Sirius, he didn’t cheat,” added Peter.
Sirius moved closer to James and held out his hand. “Give it here.”
“Give you what?”
“Your wand.”
“I don’t have my wand. You don’t have your wand. None of us have our wands. They’re over there in the knapsack.”
Sirius jumped on him, groping James’s swimming trunks. James struggled against him. “Hey, get off! I don’t have it!”
Sirius pushed him into the water and stood over him. “Prat.”
“Wanker,” retorted James.
Sirius extended his hand and picked James up. He ruffled James’s wet hair and thumped his back. “This isn’t over, Potter.”
James smiled. “Anytime, Black.”
The friends walked out of the water. James and Peter sat on the edge, talking animatedly about James’s victory. Remus and Sirius walked to the middle of the beach and sat down.
“What’s with you two?”
Sirius sat back on his hands and stretched his legs. “Nothing. He’s still annoying.”
“But, um, when we were eating the other day, you both seemed . . . tense,” Remus slowly said, unsure whether he should broach the subject or not.
“I know he said he was okay with me moving out the other day,” explained Sirius, “but I don’t think he completely is. He doesn’t hate me or the flat-I know that. But you might be right and he’s just sad. He’ll never admit that, so instead he acts like a prat.”
Remus nodded and looked over at James and Peter.
Sirius continued, “He’s been coming into my room at night to talk. We haven’t done that since the first month I moved in with them.”
“He’s going to miss you.”
Sirius said nothing.
“So, during your chats, do you talk about me?” asked Remus.
Sirius smiled and faced Remus. “No, you and me-that’s private.”
A blush settled over Remus’s face.
Sirius moved closer to Remus so that their shoulders touched. “I’ve been thinking about the other day, on my bed.”
Remus’s blush deepened. “Me too,” he whispered.
“I liked it,” said Sirius. “You?”
Remus nodded and held Sirius’s hand.
Sirius leaned into Remus’s ear and whispered thickly, “I want to touch you again.”
Remus shuddered and whispered back, “Me too, me too.”
“Oi! No snogging on a public beach, you two.”
Remus and Sirius jumped back and saw James and Peter walking toward them. Remus quickly released Sirius’s hand. Although both James and Peter had long ago accepted the romantic relationship of their two friends, Remus and Sirius tried not act like a couple in their presence. They felt that that would exclude James and Peter and make them feel unwanted. As long as all four were together, they were friends first and foremost.
James and Peter sat in front of Remus and Sirius. Peter had a sketchpad in his hands.
“What are you drawing, Wormtail?” asked Sirius.
“Stuff,” he replied, not taking his eyes off the pad.
Remus opened his bottle of lotion and rubbed some on his arms and legs. James snickered and said, “Oh, Moony.” Sirius lay down and shielded the sun with his arm.
“It’s been fun, hasn’t it?” asked James.
Remus grinned. “Of course.”
“Yup,” agreed Sirius.
“I only wish we could do this more often,” said James wistfully.
“Why can’t we?” asked Sirius.
“Because you’re moving on.”
“I’m moving into a flat in the city, not to bloody France.”
James played with the sand as he asked, “You won’t forget about us, though? Remus, I know you’ll see, but Peter and me?”
Sirius sat up. “How can you think that, James? You’re my best mate. We’re going to know each for the next eighty years. We’re stuck with each other, man. The four of us.”
James looked at Sirius. “Well, when you put it that way . . .”
Sirius gently kicked James’s bare feet with his own. “Sentimental git.”
“Sore loser,” retorted James.
July 15, 1978
The following day, Sirius’s three friends helped Sirius move the last of his things into the flat. It took a bit longer than expected as both James and Sirius were quite sunburned and, evidently, in some pain. They occasionally stopped to sit on the couch and utter a painful Oww and Oh, it hurts.
Remus tried not to smile as he shook his head at them.
Before they left, Peter handed Sirius a frame. It held a drawing of the four boys as they had looked at the beach the previous afternoon.
“So you don’t forget about us,” said Peter.
Sirius swallowed and shook his head. “Peter . . .”
“I know it’s not like the painting from the sale, but I hope you like it anyway. And in case anything happens to us-”
Sirius laughed. “Peter, mate, nothing’s ever going to happen to us. We’re the Marauders. We’re invincible.”
“Amen,” said James as he saw the painting.
“Not invincible from the sun, apparently,” remarked Remus.
“Shut it, Lupin,” warned James.
“Thanks, Peter,” said Sirius.
“No problem,” said Peter as he clapped Sirius’s back.
“Ouch!”
Written for dogdaysofsummer
Prompts: 14 and 15
Title: Four Boys and a Beach
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,260
Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns all.
Summary: The Marauders spend a day at the beach and get sunburned.
Previous Parts: July 1&2&3, July 4&5, July 6, July 7, July 8&9, July 10, July 11, July 12&13
July 14, 1978
Remus Lupin watched his three best friends splash in the water. At James Potter’s suggestion, all four Marauders were spending the day at the beach. Sirius Black was moving out of James’s house and into his own flat in a couple of days. Although they would all probably still spend as much time together as they did now, it seemed James thought otherwise. After all, James wasn’t only losing a friend; he was losing a brother. And Remus understood that James would miss Sirius. Anybody would miss Sirius Black.
Remus finished applying the protective lotion that his mother made him promise to wear. Even though it would wear off once he got wet, he still felt obligated. He had offered it to his friends, but only Peter Pettigrew had slathered a bit on his body. Remus stood and ran to the water, jumping in beside James. James grabbed Remus’s shoulders and dunked him.
“Hey!” shouted Sirius as he pounced on James and took him down. Peter and Remus jumped on the two, sloshing the water all around them. They all emerged laughing and wet.
“Want to see how long I can hold my breath underwater?” asked James excitedly.
“Not longer than me, Prongs,” challenged Peter.
“Please, I can beat you both,” said Remus.
“And then I’ll beat you, Moony,” boasted Sirius.
James nodded at the other three. “Let’s do it, then.”
Remus went first and, according to Sirius’s watch, lasted only twenty-one seconds. He wiped his eyes and saw Sirius looking at him. “Sorry,” Sirius said and winked. Remus stuck his tongue out at him.
Peter submerged himself next and lasted thirty-one seconds.
“Can I go next?” asked an anxious Sirius.
James smirked. “You want to give him a good-luck kiss, Moony?”
“Nah, you go ahead, James,” said Remus as he pushed James towards Sirius.
“I don’t need luck,” declared Sirius. He gave James his watch and dove in.
His friends waited. After forty-two seconds, Sirius broke through the surface, coughing and spitting water.
“So,” he asked.
“Forty-two,” said James, handing Sirius back the watch.
“Go on, then,” Sirius told James.
James smiled and gave them a thumbs-up sign before going under. His friends waited.
And waited.
They waited for one minute and one second before he emerged, looking quite haughty though he was blue in the face. “I do alright, mates?”
The others just stared at him.
“You cheated,” said Sirius.
“What? No, I didn’t,” James replied.
“You couldn’t have lasted that long,” said Sirius.
James nodded. “I did and you lost.”
“Sirius, he didn’t cheat,” added Peter.
Sirius moved closer to James and held out his hand. “Give it here.”
“Give you what?”
“Your wand.”
“I don’t have my wand. You don’t have your wand. None of us have our wands. They’re over there in the knapsack.”
Sirius jumped on him, groping James’s swimming trunks. James struggled against him. “Hey, get off! I don’t have it!”
Sirius pushed him into the water and stood over him. “Prat.”
“Wanker,” retorted James.
Sirius extended his hand and picked James up. He ruffled James’s wet hair and thumped his back. “This isn’t over, Potter.”
James smiled. “Anytime, Black.”
The friends walked out of the water. James and Peter sat on the edge, talking animatedly about James’s victory. Remus and Sirius walked to the middle of the beach and sat down.
“What’s with you two?”
Sirius sat back on his hands and stretched his legs. “Nothing. He’s still annoying.”
“But, um, when we were eating the other day, you both seemed . . . tense,” Remus slowly said, unsure whether he should broach the subject or not.
“I know he said he was okay with me moving out the other day,” explained Sirius, “but I don’t think he completely is. He doesn’t hate me or the flat-I know that. But you might be right and he’s just sad. He’ll never admit that, so instead he acts like a prat.”
Remus nodded and looked over at James and Peter.
Sirius continued, “He’s been coming into my room at night to talk. We haven’t done that since the first month I moved in with them.”
“He’s going to miss you.”
Sirius said nothing.
“So, during your chats, do you talk about me?” asked Remus.
Sirius smiled and faced Remus. “No, you and me-that’s private.”
A blush settled over Remus’s face.
Sirius moved closer to Remus so that their shoulders touched. “I’ve been thinking about the other day, on my bed.”
Remus’s blush deepened. “Me too,” he whispered.
“I liked it,” said Sirius. “You?”
Remus nodded and held Sirius’s hand.
Sirius leaned into Remus’s ear and whispered thickly, “I want to touch you again.”
Remus shuddered and whispered back, “Me too, me too.”
“Oi! No snogging on a public beach, you two.”
Remus and Sirius jumped back and saw James and Peter walking toward them. Remus quickly released Sirius’s hand. Although both James and Peter had long ago accepted the romantic relationship of their two friends, Remus and Sirius tried not act like a couple in their presence. They felt that that would exclude James and Peter and make them feel unwanted. As long as all four were together, they were friends first and foremost.
James and Peter sat in front of Remus and Sirius. Peter had a sketchpad in his hands.
“What are you drawing, Wormtail?” asked Sirius.
“Stuff,” he replied, not taking his eyes off the pad.
Remus opened his bottle of lotion and rubbed some on his arms and legs. James snickered and said, “Oh, Moony.” Sirius lay down and shielded the sun with his arm.
“It’s been fun, hasn’t it?” asked James.
Remus grinned. “Of course.”
“Yup,” agreed Sirius.
“I only wish we could do this more often,” said James wistfully.
“Why can’t we?” asked Sirius.
“Because you’re moving on.”
“I’m moving into a flat in the city, not to bloody France.”
James played with the sand as he asked, “You won’t forget about us, though? Remus, I know you’ll see, but Peter and me?”
Sirius sat up. “How can you think that, James? You’re my best mate. We’re going to know each for the next eighty years. We’re stuck with each other, man. The four of us.”
James looked at Sirius. “Well, when you put it that way . . .”
Sirius gently kicked James’s bare feet with his own. “Sentimental git.”
“Sore loser,” retorted James.
July 15, 1978
The following day, Sirius’s three friends helped Sirius move the last of his things into the flat. It took a bit longer than expected as both James and Sirius were quite sunburned and, evidently, in some pain. They occasionally stopped to sit on the couch and utter a painful Oww and Oh, it hurts.
Remus tried not to smile as he shook his head at them.
Before they left, Peter handed Sirius a frame. It held a drawing of the four boys as they had looked at the beach the previous afternoon.
“So you don’t forget about us,” said Peter.
Sirius swallowed and shook his head. “Peter . . .”
“I know it’s not like the painting from the sale, but I hope you like it anyway. And in case anything happens to us-”
Sirius laughed. “Peter, mate, nothing’s ever going to happen to us. We’re the Marauders. We’re invincible.”
“Amen,” said James as he saw the painting.
“Not invincible from the sun, apparently,” remarked Remus.
“Shut it, Lupin,” warned James.
“Thanks, Peter,” said Sirius.
“No problem,” said Peter as he clapped Sirius’s back.
“Ouch!”