All the Young Dudes ( Sirius' Perspective )

Summer 1977 ( Part 3 )

Sirius woke the next morning with Remus Lupin beside him, warm and solid, arm still wrapped around his waist. He opened his eyes and the other boy was already awake, smiling the sort of soft, unguarded smile that made Sirius’s heart clench like a fist.

I could stay here forever, he thought.

“Morning.”

“Morning.”

“Fuck me, my mouth is dry.”

“Yeah, mine too.” Remus ran his tongue over his teeth, which did very interesting things to Sirius’s heartbeat. “I could go and get some water from the pump?”

“Yeah, we’ll both go. Reckon anyone else is up?”

Remus cocked his head, listening—then shook his head no. Sirius yawned, taking a moment to stretch before he began to dig through the bottom of their bed to try and find their various discarded articles of clothing. Outside, the sun shone cheerfully, forcing them to squint as they clambered out of the tent. Sirius yawned again, blinking as he waited for his eyes to adjust.

It was an idyllic day; bright blue sky, soft green grass, gentle breeze that smelled of the sea. Overhead, sparrows flitted between the branches of trees, their chirping and the quiet rustling of the underbrush the only sounds filtering through the peaceful silence of the morning. The two boys walked side by side in the direction of the water pump, and Sirius found that he couldn’t stop smiling.

They ducked into the shower block to wash their faces before filling their canteens, along with the others that they’d brought. Sirius studied the nearby shop, a little wooden hut overhung with a faded, blue and white striped awning.

“Shop sells pasties,” he said, nodding to the chalkboard sign out front, “Shall we get some for breakfast, return to the camp as heroes?”

“Good idea,” Remus said, smiling.

They purchased perhaps a few more pasties than was necessary, but Sirius had seen Remus eat—and there was no telling how hungry the others would be. Better safe than sorry, he figured.

Their friends were still dead to the world when they returned, so the two boys left most of the pasties behind and took their own breakfast out to the beach. They sat side by side, toes digging into the sun-warmed sand, eating quietly. Sirius tried not to stare as Remus licked the grease from his fingers, afterwards.

“I could get used to this,” He sighed, happily, rubbing the crumbs from his hands on his jeans. The sand was a smooth, blank slate, washed clean overnight by the tide. “Never been on a proper holiday before.”

“Me neither.”

Remus was restless beside him, picking at the sparse grass that poked stubbornly out from the sand.

“Oi,” Sirius nudged him, “What’s up, Moony? We said no worrying.”

“Sorry.”

“What’s up?”

“I was just wondering something. It’s stupid, don’t worry.”

Sirius turned back to the sea, waiting. The breeze played with his hair, sending a few strands dancing across his face. After a moment, Remus sighed.