Nose to the Wind // tomarry

Chapter 21: Truth Like a Blazing Fire

"So," James said one evening in the middle of March, when both Sirius and Remus decided to join them for dinner on the same night, "did we want to go on a trip to anywhere this summer?"

Harry snorted, having a pretty good idea why his father wanted to go on another trip out of the country.

Remus cleared his throat and pointed out, "If you're intending it to fall on Harry's birthday again, know I won't be able to come."

James slumped a bit, while Sirius blinked and asked, "When's the full moon?"

"The thirtieth," Harry and Remus chorused, then traded amused looks.

"Creepy," Sirius insisted, pointing his fork between them.

"Well," Lily interrupted, "I wouldn't mind going to a beach, this year. Mary-Anne, from work, she and her family did Mallorca last year and she spent months glowing about it."

"There were beaches in Rome," James muttered, then yelped when Lily jabbed him with her elbow.

"I think," Remus offered drily, "that your wife is saying she'd rather the relaxing over the educational aspect, Prongs."

"I didn't say that," Lily insisted, making a face. "If we can find some place with a magical history and beaches, though..."

Almost as one, all of them turned to Harry.

Harry raised both of his eyebrows at them. "Speaking of creepy," he said, and Sirius snickered. He rolled his eyes, then took a moment to think of all the magical places he'd been over the years. "Mmm... Greece would probably be the best serve of both, honestly, but I'd suggest something a little further west."

"Golubev?" James guessed, expression darkening.

Harry shrugged and nodded; Russia's resident dark lord's political platform had taken on a distinctly anti-nonhuman slant at the start of the year – sooner than that, really, but it had taken a few months for that news to filter past the distraction that was the TriWizard Tournament. He suspected his family was more inclined to avoid Russia's borders for the sake of Harry and Remus' safety, but Harry, himself, was more concerned with the potential for him to lose his temper and go full-on Alpha Lord. Which, well, he wouldn't necessarily be wrong to do so – probably wouldn't even have to defend himself to his family – but he was trying to avoid any killing sprees, and the magical world's political climate was close enough to a tipping point as it was; best not to involve yet another murderous psychopath.

The four adults traded troubled looks, before Lily suggested, "Portugal?"

"Lisbon isn't a terrible destination," Harry allowed, turning his mind to that area of the continent, "but, actually, I'd almost suggest Gibraltar? Neither of them are particularly magically relevant–" as far as he was aware; he knew of two relatively large vampire covens that made their home in and around Lisbon, whose existence and centuries-long quarrels tended to dissuade human magicals from settling for long, and Gibraltar's size and uncertain muggle governance made developing a notable magical neighbourhood difficult "–but the official language of Gibraltar is English, so I won't need to be constantly playing translator."

"That's not a bad point," Remus offered with a smile that was only a little strained.

"I'll look up magical resorts tomorrow," James promised, before grimacing slightly and turning to Harry. "Given what happened the last time we were in Spain–"

"Gibraltar isn't Spain, technically," Harry couldn't resist pointing out.

"Close enough," Remus said before James could do more than narrow his eyes.