Chapter Five : Tennis and the Menai Bridge.
Series Title: Runaway: A Story About Sirius Black and Remus Lupin
Series summary: During the sweltering summer of 1976, Sirius Black leaves one family, joins another, and falls in love.
Series authors: The Runaway Writers
Installment title: Chapter Five: Tennis and the Menai Bridge.
Installment Author: closet_zebra
Word Count: 1,087
Prologue | One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine | Ten | Eleven | Twelve | Thirteen | Fourteen | Fifteen | Sixteen | Seventeen | Eighteen | Nineteen | Twenty | Twenty-One | Twenty-Two | Twenty-Three | Twenty-Four | Twenty-Five | Epilogue
AN.= Much thanks to magnetic_pole and sazzlette for making this suck less. Lol.
----
Sirius hits the ball hard and, with typical precision, smacks James right in the face.
"Ow, you b-" James groans and covers his face with his hands. "If you did that on purpose, I'm docking points!" he shouts.
In top to toe white, James Potter looks extremely odd. Like a carrot with the colours substituted, his messy hair at odd angles with his pressed white shorts and t-shirt. Sirius is quite aware that he looks a hundred times better, his black locks kept from spilling into his eyes with a white bandana.
Tennis, though not a wizarding sport, is available at Gwelfor twenty four hours a day. Sirius guesses that the problems of hosting quidditch and the lack of willing numbers is what brings one of the few muggle elements to the place that has become his 'home' for the summer.
Sirius loves it. The rough, edgyness of the sport, the white clothes that make his black hair look even better, the pound of his feet on the grass. He can’t help but love it a thousand times more after breaking James’ glasses.
“Oh yeah, four eyes?” Sirius snickers. “I’m not afraid of you!”
“Pads,” James laughs, the exasperation behind it obvious as he glances off a little to the right. Through a wizard net of charms, a hazy group of robed wizarding officials are sitting at a table only a little way off, drinking tea served from trays by bobbing houselves. “Come on,” he breathes. “Don’t muck about for a bit. The Minister for Magic is there.”
“So?” Sirius laughs loudly and wacks the ball back with a hint of malice. “Who cares? Stop acting up for the suits and ties. Seriously, you can be such a kiss arse.”
James laughs, but when he hits the ball back it’s slightly harder. “Oh shut up.” He pauses to return the green tennis ball with a thwack. “Just ‘cause mummy made you brush your hair this morning!”
“Prongs.” Sirius frowns a little as the ball whizzes past him but says nothing. “Brushing your hair makes no difference.” He looks up and presents a beaming grin to his best friend who’s sweating slightly in the cool air. “So don’t bother.”
James laughs and twirls the racket in his hand a couple of times. He glances to the right almost inperceptively, but Sirius catches it.
“Why don’t you take your clothes off too?” Sirius presses, bouncing the ball lightly in his hand before serving. He's put off, and misses completely. “Give them a real show.”
“Shut up, dogboy,” James laughs, rolling his eyes.
“Whatever you say, antler head,” Sirius snickers in return, making a concious effort not to sound annoyed as he serves the ball properly and they continue on with their game.
*
“He drove me nuts today,” Sirius whispers into Remus’ ear to stop James from gaining earshot. Remus’ shiver betrays the fact that he's heard. “He was kissing arse all day. You’d think he'd grown up with my parents.”
Remus glances at Sirius and smiles a little, checking how far ahead Peter and James are as they walk slowly across the Menai Bridge, hands in pockets. Just like normal, sixteen year old boys. Without the wands in their pockets (and up James’ sleeve) they could practically be muggles.
“Well, you really should be behaving a little better now, Pads.” Remus smiles mildly, with a calmly remonstrating look in his eyes before he turns away and glances over the water beneath them, running down on its way to the sea. “You can’t really show yourself up where you’re staying.”
Sirius huffs, the sound filled with laughter. “Please,” he snickers. “As though I care what a bunch of stuffy idiots think about me.”
“Well, maybe James does,” Remus points out calmly, giving Sirius a soft look that stops him from throwing James over the side of the bridge into the half heartedly thrashing waters below. “I think he wants to make a better impression on people. That’s all.”
“Who cares what people th--” Sirius stops and looks at James’ shoulders ahead, comprehension dawning. Remus laughs a little. “Evans?”
Remus shrugs, leaving the question unanswered, and frowns. “You have been utter gits this year,” he says quietly, looking purposefully ahead at the backs of Peter and James and avoiding Sirius’ eyes. His tone is calm, soft, but beneath it is the slightest hint of accusation, anger beneath the words.
Sirius frowns at him, annoyed that Remus too, though always the mature voice of the group, seems to have become more serious in line with James. “No we haven’t.” He shakes his head, tutting loudly and, when he thinks about it later, rather haughtily. “We’ve just been having fun.”
“Well,” Remus says slowly, glancing sideways at Sirius, his tone purposefully gentle. “Perhaps James thinks it’s time you tried a different type of fun.”
Sirius thinks about hitting him, but Remus looks almost angelic in this light as they traipse back from nearby Bangor as the sun is just setting. From the Menai bridge all is hills and water, the town filtering out as the bridge ends into a smatter of houses, an hour or so from the wizarding resort. The sun catches off the water and sparks up gold highlights in Remus’ hair, making him think that, really, Remus getting hit isn’t called for.
Besides, he thinks. Remus would kick his arse.
“Has Peter told you about his new girlfriend?” Remus asks finally, calming the hostile atmosphere Sirius is creating between them.
“Yeah, bet she’s a dog though.” Sirius laughs harder at his joke as he recalls the big, black form of Padfoot and Remus smiles a little, though obviously dissapproving of Sirius’ comment. “Oh come on! Anyone going out with Wormtail must be.”
“I’ve met her,” Remus says quietly after a little pause. “She’s pretty.”
Sirius frowns harder than the comment really requires. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.” Remus obviously senses the hostility behind the comment and continues walking in silence. After a few minutes, as they step off the bridge and onto the path, he adds, “She’s coming down soon. Not sure when. But Pete’s bringing her next time he visits.”
“Hope he doesn’t visit again for ages then,” Sirius spits bitterly, immediately regretting it when he sees the look on Remus’ face. “Oh, you know what I mean.”
Remus looks at him thoughtfully. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”
Sirius doesn’t note the fact that Remus’ expression shows that he clearly doesn’t know what Sirius means at all.
Series summary: During the sweltering summer of 1976, Sirius Black leaves one family, joins another, and falls in love.
Series authors: The Runaway Writers
Installment title: Chapter Five: Tennis and the Menai Bridge.
Installment Author: closet_zebra
Word Count: 1,087
Prologue | One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine | Ten | Eleven | Twelve | Thirteen | Fourteen | Fifteen | Sixteen | Seventeen | Eighteen | Nineteen | Twenty | Twenty-One | Twenty-Two | Twenty-Three | Twenty-Four | Twenty-Five | Epilogue
AN.= Much thanks to magnetic_pole and sazzlette for making this suck less. Lol.
----
Sirius hits the ball hard and, with typical precision, smacks James right in the face.
"Ow, you b-" James groans and covers his face with his hands. "If you did that on purpose, I'm docking points!" he shouts.
In top to toe white, James Potter looks extremely odd. Like a carrot with the colours substituted, his messy hair at odd angles with his pressed white shorts and t-shirt. Sirius is quite aware that he looks a hundred times better, his black locks kept from spilling into his eyes with a white bandana.
Tennis, though not a wizarding sport, is available at Gwelfor twenty four hours a day. Sirius guesses that the problems of hosting quidditch and the lack of willing numbers is what brings one of the few muggle elements to the place that has become his 'home' for the summer.
Sirius loves it. The rough, edgyness of the sport, the white clothes that make his black hair look even better, the pound of his feet on the grass. He can’t help but love it a thousand times more after breaking James’ glasses.
“Oh yeah, four eyes?” Sirius snickers. “I’m not afraid of you!”
“Pads,” James laughs, the exasperation behind it obvious as he glances off a little to the right. Through a wizard net of charms, a hazy group of robed wizarding officials are sitting at a table only a little way off, drinking tea served from trays by bobbing houselves. “Come on,” he breathes. “Don’t muck about for a bit. The Minister for Magic is there.”
“So?” Sirius laughs loudly and wacks the ball back with a hint of malice. “Who cares? Stop acting up for the suits and ties. Seriously, you can be such a kiss arse.”
James laughs, but when he hits the ball back it’s slightly harder. “Oh shut up.” He pauses to return the green tennis ball with a thwack. “Just ‘cause mummy made you brush your hair this morning!”
“Prongs.” Sirius frowns a little as the ball whizzes past him but says nothing. “Brushing your hair makes no difference.” He looks up and presents a beaming grin to his best friend who’s sweating slightly in the cool air. “So don’t bother.”
James laughs and twirls the racket in his hand a couple of times. He glances to the right almost inperceptively, but Sirius catches it.
“Why don’t you take your clothes off too?” Sirius presses, bouncing the ball lightly in his hand before serving. He's put off, and misses completely. “Give them a real show.”
“Shut up, dogboy,” James laughs, rolling his eyes.
“Whatever you say, antler head,” Sirius snickers in return, making a concious effort not to sound annoyed as he serves the ball properly and they continue on with their game.
*
“He drove me nuts today,” Sirius whispers into Remus’ ear to stop James from gaining earshot. Remus’ shiver betrays the fact that he's heard. “He was kissing arse all day. You’d think he'd grown up with my parents.”
Remus glances at Sirius and smiles a little, checking how far ahead Peter and James are as they walk slowly across the Menai Bridge, hands in pockets. Just like normal, sixteen year old boys. Without the wands in their pockets (and up James’ sleeve) they could practically be muggles.
“Well, you really should be behaving a little better now, Pads.” Remus smiles mildly, with a calmly remonstrating look in his eyes before he turns away and glances over the water beneath them, running down on its way to the sea. “You can’t really show yourself up where you’re staying.”
Sirius huffs, the sound filled with laughter. “Please,” he snickers. “As though I care what a bunch of stuffy idiots think about me.”
“Well, maybe James does,” Remus points out calmly, giving Sirius a soft look that stops him from throwing James over the side of the bridge into the half heartedly thrashing waters below. “I think he wants to make a better impression on people. That’s all.”
“Who cares what people th--” Sirius stops and looks at James’ shoulders ahead, comprehension dawning. Remus laughs a little. “Evans?”
Remus shrugs, leaving the question unanswered, and frowns. “You have been utter gits this year,” he says quietly, looking purposefully ahead at the backs of Peter and James and avoiding Sirius’ eyes. His tone is calm, soft, but beneath it is the slightest hint of accusation, anger beneath the words.
Sirius frowns at him, annoyed that Remus too, though always the mature voice of the group, seems to have become more serious in line with James. “No we haven’t.” He shakes his head, tutting loudly and, when he thinks about it later, rather haughtily. “We’ve just been having fun.”
“Well,” Remus says slowly, glancing sideways at Sirius, his tone purposefully gentle. “Perhaps James thinks it’s time you tried a different type of fun.”
Sirius thinks about hitting him, but Remus looks almost angelic in this light as they traipse back from nearby Bangor as the sun is just setting. From the Menai bridge all is hills and water, the town filtering out as the bridge ends into a smatter of houses, an hour or so from the wizarding resort. The sun catches off the water and sparks up gold highlights in Remus’ hair, making him think that, really, Remus getting hit isn’t called for.
Besides, he thinks. Remus would kick his arse.
“Has Peter told you about his new girlfriend?” Remus asks finally, calming the hostile atmosphere Sirius is creating between them.
“Yeah, bet she’s a dog though.” Sirius laughs harder at his joke as he recalls the big, black form of Padfoot and Remus smiles a little, though obviously dissapproving of Sirius’ comment. “Oh come on! Anyone going out with Wormtail must be.”
“I’ve met her,” Remus says quietly after a little pause. “She’s pretty.”
Sirius frowns harder than the comment really requires. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.” Remus obviously senses the hostility behind the comment and continues walking in silence. After a few minutes, as they step off the bridge and onto the path, he adds, “She’s coming down soon. Not sure when. But Pete’s bringing her next time he visits.”
“Hope he doesn’t visit again for ages then,” Sirius spits bitterly, immediately regretting it when he sees the look on Remus’ face. “Oh, you know what I mean.”
Remus looks at him thoughtfully. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”
Sirius doesn’t note the fact that Remus’ expression shows that he clearly doesn’t know what Sirius means at all.