Chapter Text
Chapter 1
On A Bright Desert Highway, Hot Wind In My Hair
“Hotel California” - The Eagles
Teddy’s POV
“Dad,” Teddy warned, pointing beyond the windshield, “there’s smoke. Look!”
“I know, Teddy. I can see it,” Remus groaned as he reached over and cut the air conditioning.
They were limping along the shoulder of a barren desert highway, the deep tire treads slowly crunching dusty, red earth beneath the decrepit van until they found somewhere safe to stop. Unfortunately, such a place never presented itself.
Holding his breath, Teddy’s dad strong-armed the van into Park, the muscles in his forearm strained to move and hold the gear shift in place, while a freakish vein nearly popped out of his deep, blood red forehead.
It would be fucking sigma if it weren’t 101° outside.
“Oof,” Teddy moaned when the van came to a shuddering and lurching stop, the unanticipated force rocketing him into the dashboard. Unbuckling and tossing the seatbelt to the side, Teddy watched as the belt slowly inched its way into the resting position, moving as slow and unsure as the battered vehicle itself.
They both sat there for a moment staring out the window, frozen in time, and watched as a - was that a tumbleweed? - rolled along the road ahead of them in the distance.
It was official: they were living out a modern-day Louis L’Amour novel. A cliche in the highest form.
Tendrils of gray smoke began to curl up from under the rusted hood, and the smell of burnt something-or-other began leaking into the cabin through the air vents. Wrinkling his nose, Teddy glanced sidelong at his dad, who looked about as good as Teddy felt.
“Ah, shiiiiii-oot. Hop out, Teds,” Remus instructed with a sigh, as he turned the ignition off.
The attempt to cover up his cursing was - amusing, Teddy might say. It was as if he wasn’t old enough to hear it, or never overheard his father cursing when he didn't think he was around. And it wasn’t as if Teddy’s mom didn’t have a mouth that would send a sailor away blushing, not to mention her girlfriend.
Cranking it as quickly as he could, his dad rolled his window down, letting the hot air and smell of dirt, sage, and acrid smoke fill the cabin. He pushed his door open against the deceptively scorching breeze and jumped out.
“Come on, hop out. I don’t want you breathing this in,” he repeated as he thumped the side of the van to get Teddy’s attention.
“Uh, yeah. On it,” Teddy said as he pushed open his own door, his sweaty shorts peeling away from the cracked vinyl seat.
The desert wind threatened to close the door back on his fingers, but he forced it open the rest of the way; and a hot, dry gust blasted across his face as he got down from the elevated footboard, slamming the door behind him with a sharp SNAP.
Damn.
“Come over and help me. We might -” Remus started as he lifted the hood, releasing a large plume of the smoke straight into his face. “Oh shit,” he coughed as he backed up and waved his arms against the offending gasses.
“Hey, you said a bad word.” Teddy grinned, but almost immediately screwed up his face against the smell of whatever foul thing was burning in there.
Okay, maybe it wasn't that funny, being stuck in the middle of God knows where, with an overheated van in an overheated desert. His poor dad’s eyes were watering as he doubled over, hands on his knees, straining for breath, and Teddy could only stand by and watch, clueless and helpless.
“The - water -” Remus choked out, ignoring Teddy’s - frankly hilarious - comment. He cleared his throat. “In the back. Bring me a gallon.”
Maybe not so helpless after all. Teddy nodded and spun on one foot, doing as he was told, dust kicking up at his feet as he moved.
He knew he shouldn’t complain. In fact, his dad had gotten after him no fewer than a dozen times in the last two weeks for doing just that. The thing was - and don’t ask him how - somehow Teddy knew this was going to happen - out here in the middle of red rock nowhere with a van that looked like it came straight off the set of a horror film (down to the large rusty spots and frilly curtains). He’d had a hunch, a premonition, a writing’s on the wall kind of thing, if you will - and every last one of his warnings had fallen on deaf ears.
He and his dad, they didn’t do the whole van life kind of thing. Outdoors, yes, van life, no, absolutely not. So, while he spent several hours zoning out to music blaring through his Airpods, Teddy tried his damndest to quit complaining. Only, it was a challenge, because traveling in a failing van was not how Teddy would have liked to spend their two week, uninterrupted summer vacation together. No, a weekend at a rugged cabin resort was more their speed. But, even then something like Magic Mountain or Universal Studios would have been way more lit.
But really, it was Teddy’s luck that his typically studious, homebody, and sometimes nature-prone father thought that “transforming” and traveling around in an ancient fixer-upper van was a good idea, like it was a flex or something. No really - did Teddy mention that he tried to talk him out of it several times? Several times. But did he listen? Not at all. His dad's recent resurfacing adventurous spirit was probably because he was going through a post-pandemic, post-divorce, midlife, millennial crisis, and nothing was going to stop him bonding with Teddy. And that was sweet - it was - but, it was still a very bad, delusional, cringe idea.
Jiggling the handle on the back door until it unlatched and let him in, Teddy couldn’t help but think about their fully stocked kitchen back home. Here in the van, their supply of food and water was kept underneath the plywood mattress frame at the very back, along with their dutch oven and grill, and cooler with nothing left but sloshing ice water and an unopened six pack of Perrier, that Teddy would only touch if the alternative was dying a slow, painful, death from dehydration.
But at home… At home they had ice cold, filtered water straight from the fridge itself, and every microwavable, sodium-riddled, hypertension-inducing meal Teddy could ever dream of.
Did dream of.
Soon, though. In a few days he would be back in his own house, in his own bed, and taking a real, honest to God shower for as long as he pleased. But for now, from behind the chest, he pulled out one of the plastic water jugs and slammed the wonky backdoor shut once more.
“Thanks,” Remus said when Teddy handed it over.
“No problem. You know what’s wrong with it?” Teddy asked.
“Sort of,” he replied, uncapping the jug. “It overheated, which means something is wrong with the radiator - I think.”
“And the water cools it down?”
“For a while.”
“So… we aren’t broken down?” Teddy asked hopefully.
“So… we get to limp along until we find some antifreeze and a mechanic.” His dad poured the water into the radiator and stood back, watching the steam rise from the water droplets that splashed near the opening. “Good thing we’re almost to Lily’s. Maybe she can -”
It was hard to hear him just then, as a leather clad biker zoomed by, his steel horse kicking up a handful of stray pebbles, the exhaust adding to the smoky air. Teddy frowned and wistfully watched as the badass engine roared and disappeared into the desert mirage-heat waves in the distance.
Such a cliche.
“Bussin’ bike,” he admired, his gaze lingering long after it had gone. Maybe if they were traveling by badass bikes...
“Otherwise known as an Indian Motorcycle,” Remus replied, screwing the radiator cap back in place.
“And how would you know that?” Teddy stopped in his tracks and looked his dad up and down, quirking an eyebrow.
He shrugged. “I know more than just minerals, Teddy.”
“Sure, but you hate things like motorcycles.”
“No, I don’t.” He gave Teddy a pointed look, and Teddy was already rolling his eyes with what was to come next. “I think they look cool and sound awesome, and can be really fun to ride if you don’t mind gambling with death.”
“I know, I know,” Teddy sighed. “No motorcycles until I’m eighteen and I can pay for it myself, and I have to wear a helmet. I know. I get it… geez. How far are we from Lily’s anyway? I’m starving.”
His dad waved his hand off in the direction the badass motorcycle had gone, toward a sign that read:
Tornado Valley | Exit 7 | 9 miles
“Nine miles.” Teddy squinted through the bright sunlight. “We can do nine miles.”
“Yeah… sure. I don’t think we have much of a choice,” Remus agreed, shutting the hood. “I think they live a ways beyond the edge of town, though.”
After a quick hand rinse-off with the remaining water, they got back in the van, and tentatively turned the engine over.
“Okay,” Remus sighed, relieved when the van started up with no issue. And then - to Teddy’s horror - he reached over to turn the HEAT ON. “Heat on… Roll your window down -”
“Why the heat?!”
“To try and keep the engine cool,” he explained, craning around in his seat to check out the traffic - or lack thereof - in the distance. “Do me a favor and look up the nearest mechanic.”
They were going to expire from heat exhaustion before they ever reached a mechanic. Teddy was sure of it. But, swallowing a grumble, he pulled out his phone and contemplated taking off his shirt in the same go. He might have, too, if the vinyl seat wasn’t radiating its own heat.
“Cattermole Mechanics, nine and three-quarter miles. God Dad… we’re going to die. Let me at least get that Perrier before we do.”
“Ha ha, very funny. I know you hate that stuff.”
“Then why’d you buy it?”
“For me. So you wouldn’t drink it.” His dad reached for his phone on the dash mount and pulled it off, thumbing over to his contacts to bring up Lily’s number.
“That’s rude.”
“Father’s prerogative.” He smirked.
Putting the phone on speaker and replacing it back on the mount as it rang, his dad sat back in his seat and stretched out his legs and back. It was a habit he picked up during all of their extensive driving, and Teddy was pretty sure he was also beginning to regret the amount of distance they had covered in such a short span of time, even if he would never admit it.
On the third ring, a woman, who’s voice Teddy had never heard before, picked up.
“Remus! Are you here already? I wasn’t expecting you for another half hour.” Teddy could hear her beaming through the phone.
“Uh no… we’re actually going to be a little bit late. We’re having a bit of car -”
“Van.”
“- trouble, and I think we need to stop by a mechanic first. The van overheated and - I don’t know - I think it might be the radiator,” he finished, side-eying Teddy’s interruption.
“Oh no! Where are you at?” Lily asked, her cheery tone dropping. “If you're close by and want to call a tow truck, James or I can come pick you up.”
“No, we’re only a few miles out. We can make it there. There’s no reason to inconvenience you… yet,” Remus said, wiping a rogue curl off his glistening forehead, before moving the van into Drive and creeping forward.
“Okay, well, you wouldn’t be, but at least let me know when you get to the mechanic? We really only have one around here - Reg Cattermole. You can’t miss him, he’s right off the main drag. But, you’ll like him. He’s great, James takes his cars there all the time,” Lily supplied helpfully. “You also don’t have much of a choice, so…”
A few minutes later, as they limped along down the side of the road with his dad’s oldies music playing (who even listened to Beastie Boys and Collective Soul anymore?), his dad waved jovially to passersby, all of which zipped past them in their perfectly working cars, with perfectly working air conditioning, leaving them and their smoking van in their dust. If it weren’t for the fact that hot air was being piped out of the floor vents, Teddy would have slouched and hid his face. It just didn’t get more humiliating than this.
At least they only had to stop to fill the radiator one more time.
If his mom were here - well, this would have never happened with her in the first place - but if she were here, she would have called for a tow truck driver, or at least accepted a ride, instead of forcing Teddy to sit in the sweltering van, head hanging out the window, the hot wind searing his flesh.
If you asked him, his dad had too much pride.
Yeah, this was a great way to end their final weekend away - the home stretch of this miserable, two week long, creeper van, National Parks camping trip around the southwest. But, at least a working air conditioner and a pantry full of Lily-promised Prime, and all the Flamin’ Hot Takis that he could ever want, was within reach. He was so close to eating real food, and not the campfire dinners his dad insisted on throwing together. Real food.
Maybe there would be real food near the mechanic shop, too.
“Can we get takeout before we go to Lily’s?” Teddy asked hopefully, as they finally rolled off Exit 7. He would absolutely perish if he had to wait any longer than necessary.
“Yeah, that’s fine,” Remus agreed. “Maybe that way you won’t raid their fridge the second we walk in the door.”
“Right, like you're not hungry either.” Teddy rolled his eyes.
“Did I say that?” he questioned. “As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure I'm more hungry than you, since you ate the last protein bar and all… not that I'm complaining, of course.”
“Of course.”
His father suppressed a poorly disguised sigh. “Yeah, I think some food is in order. How much further?”
Twenty minutes later they finally coasted into the gated yard at Cattermole’s, the engine dying with a great shudder and a final grand POOF. Teddy jumped out of the van, escaping the oppressive heat of the cabin; and although the outdoor air wasn’t much better, it was indeed better.
“Hey there, cool looking van you’ve got here.” A man in an old fashioned button down mechanic shirt approached them. His tag read Reg. “But, I hate to let you down - we’re just about to close up shop for the 4th of July weekend.”
“Oh,” Remus said, looking at the sun lowering in the western sky, far in the distance. “Well, that’s okay. We’re staying with a friend, but we’re hoping to leave on Tuesday. Any chance you’ll be able to get to it by then?”
“I can’t make any promises,” Reg replied. “But, tell me what’s going on with your van here.”
“Well, I think the radiator’s shot.”
“We used three whole gallons of water,” Teddy added, his dad shrugging as if to say ‘yeah, unfortunately, we did.’
“Well, go ahead and pop the hood for me. Let’s take a look real quick.” Reg motioned with a flick of his oil-stained hand, pulling a little Maglite out of his chest pocket.
Teddy stood back as his dad opened the driver’s side door and pulled the foot lever that popped the hood.
“Thank you so much for doing this,” he very nearly simpered. “It’s been acting up since San Jorges, and we only just made it here.”
“Well, we’re just taking a look, mind,” Reg said, as he reached his hand in to wipe away at something, his light shining deep into the crevices below. “Oh, yeah, that ain’t lookin’ too good…”
“I told you this van was a bad idea, Dad,” Teddy grumbled.
He would fix his attitude after dinner, he promised.
“No, van’s a beaut, but she’s old,” Reg corrected him, standing back to admire it, while also frowning. “Ain’t gonna get parts for her ‘round Torn-audo Valley, unfortunately.”
Right.
It could have been ‘a beaut’ - buying and attempting to restore an ugly creeper camping van - Teddy would give him that much. But, not when it ended up risking giving them heatstroke. So yeah, maybe it was ‘a beaut’ but… it was ‘a beaut’ for someone else. Someone who didn’t mind giving off those creeper vibes and enjoyed sharing a full-size mattress with their dad. Maybe ‘a beaut’ for a mechanic who actually knew what the hell he was doing, and could fix their own damn van…
“I’ll see what I can do for you,” Reg said. “I have a few contacts…”
Forty-five minutes later they were sitting in a cool, air conditioned booth at the local Mexicana restaurante next door, eating gargantuan burritos that were possibly the most delicious thing Teddy had ever tasted in his entire life. They were so much better, and way more satisfying, than all the foraged mushrooms and grilled trout they’d been catching and eating the last two weeks, at any rate.
“Lily said James is coming from his shop,” Remus told him, as he checked his texts. “Should be here in a few minutes, so we should hurry and finish.”
“Please tell me their guest house has two bedrooms and a TV… and WiFi?” Teddy asked around a mouthful of greasy pork and cheese.
“It has a bedroom and a loft, and it’s the best you’re going to get, because they’re being our gracious hosts for the weekend, and we will be gracious guests.” His dad set his phone down and picked up the last bit of his burrito. “And that means not entirely raiding their pantry or copping an attitude, please.”
“Right, because that sounds like me.” Teddy rolled his eyes to the ceiling.
“Oh no? Glad to know I'm a special case.”
“Actually, you are. I wouldn't agree to go on this trip with just anyone. But, as your penitence, I get the bedroom,” Teddy quipped, topping the last few bites of his burrito with a healthy dose of salsa verde.
“No way. Your knees can handle the ladder better than mine,” Remus laughed and tossed a crumpled up napkin at his face.
“Okay, fine, but only because you can’t help being old and cripple.” Teddy smirked, knocking the offending napkin away.
They ate in silence for a minute, watching the sleepy town out the window, nearly dead as the sun slowly set in the distance. Hardly a car drove past, though someone did lock up their shop across the street, presumably heading home for the evening.
It was another minute before his dad broke the silence.
“At least we have some fun plans while the van’s in the shop,” he said. “Lily says James has some awesome outings planned for us, and Harry might even come along sometimes. I told you about him, right?. He's close to your age, so that'll be fun.”
“Yeah, I hope.” Teddy shrugged. “You know what's funny, though? You planned all this, even though last time we went high adventuring you said you were never going to take me again.”
—
Remus’s POV
They really didn’t have to wait long for James - a tall, handsome, rugged sort of guy who was just laid back enough to pull off the bright yellow-orange Ford Bronco he pulled up in. His polarized sport shades, pile of unkempt hair, and Chaco’s matched the look, and Remus marveled at how the hell Lily found herself such a perfect match.
“Hey!” James called with a smile, cutting the engine and hopping out of the SUV where the door should have been. “Welcome to Torn-audo Valley!”
“Thanks,” Remus said, outstretching his arm for a handshake. “I’m Remus, this is Teddy.”
James shook his head with a smile. “We don’t do handshakes here.” And the next moment, he had grabbed Remus’s hand and pulled him into a sort of bro hug. “Perfect timing, by the way, I was just hopping into the car when Lily called.”
Somehow Remus doubted that was the case. His first impression of this guy made him seem like the kind of person who would lie through his teeth to set someone at ease - if, for example, they broke down and desperately needed a ride. Whatever the truth, Remus appreciated the way James welcomed them with literal open arms, despite being perfect strangers connected by one person and a tenuously long span of years. For the first time all day, Remus felt a weight lifted as James turned his attention on Teddy, clapping his shoulder as well.
“Hop on in, I’ll throw your bags in the bin in the back - otherwise they’ll be covered in red dirt by the time we make it to the house.” James scooped up the duffels at their feet and took three long strides to hop up on the back tire and lean into the trunk.
Teddy watched, a smile spreading across his face.
“Sick ride!” he commented, running a hand along the side panel and tracing the Potter’s Excellent Adventures logo. “Dad, why didn’t you buy one of these instead of that old van?”
Remus rolled his eyes. He supposed that after two weeks of being crammed into a camper van, Teddy deserved the right to get a jab in here and there. Overall, he had been a good sport about it - the long hikes, carting rocks around so Remus could take them back to the university, driving around in the embarrassing rusted van like a “creeper”. And, even though he hadn’t set out to embarrass Teddy, the look on his face when he first saw it had been priceless.
“Do you see a bed in here?” Remus asked, pulling himself into the passenger seat and buckling in, reaching to close the door - that didn’t exist.
“We could have just used a tent, if -”
Remus shot him a look and got a shit-eating grin in response. The real reason was that there was no way he had a new Ford Bronco in the budget, and Teddy knew it. Sometimes Remus wished that Teddy would be a little more discreet instead of airing out the fact that he thought they were poor. They weren’t, but tell that to the teenager who had never had a full paycheck or a mortgage, or child support for that matter.
In any case, Remus really didn't want to have that conversation in front of James, who was gratefully looking in the other direction scanning for traffic.
“Lily said you’ve been on a road trip adventure - what have you seen? Grand Canyon? Canyonlands? The Wave?” James asked.
“Spent a few days at Glen Canyon, then went South to the Coyote Buttes and The Wave, Buckskin, Grand Canyon. It’s been great,” Remus answered, holding onto the roof frame for reassurance.
“What was your favorite, Teddy?” James raised his voice over the wind and looked in the rearview mirror.
“Buckskin, or - No, the Skywalk, for sure,” he corrected, sticking his hand out the side and allowing it to glide up and down in the wind.
“Ah.” James nodded. “Not afraid of heights then.”
“Nope!” Teddy beamed. “I wanted to do more but Dad said we didn’t have the equipment.”
It was true, of course. Teddy was more adventurous than even his mother, with all the energy and tenacity of a teenager who thought he was entirely invincible. Remus remembered being that way, and if he’s honest, he planned this trip to try and find that side of himself again. But, he hadn’t quite expected Teddy to push every limit, a fact he was simultaneously proud and terrified of.
After a week of trying to quell his voracious appetite for a pure adrenaline rush, Remus had booked this weekend with James’ tour company as a sort of carrot to help Teddy through the “boring stuff” like slot canyons that didn’t require permits and specialized equipment. It wasn't that Remus hadn’t done the bulk of it, but he certainly hadn’t done it recently enough to take a teen whose most recent aim in life was to mercilessly rebel against his father, without understanding the real life and death implications of a high adventure outing. So, an outing with back up it was.
“I'm guessing you’ll enjoy the Antelope Narrows then, when we go this weekend,” James said. “We’ll get you up on the ropes, it’s a blast.”
“Lit.” Teddy smiled.
All the way to the house, while the hot air streamed through the cab and cooled their sweat drenched skin, Teddy asked James all kinds of questions about climbing and rafting, as if Remus had never told him a thing.
James patiently, and happily, answered every last question with enthusiasm and expertise, and laughed when Remus asked if the company’s name was a play on Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.
“More like Remus and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, huh?” James winked.
Before long, they turned into a small, long, dirt drive lined with tall juniper trees. There was a carpet of purple phlox cascading around well placed boulders, and suddenly it felt less like they were in a desert, as if the property and home were an oasis from the intolerant drought just beyond. They rounded a bend and the home came into view, white against a wall of red rock and a host of desert plants that spoke of Lily’s artistic style.
“Damn,” he exhaled. “This is amazing. It’s like an oasis - and no, Teddy, you can’t say that.”
James glanced his way, laughing, and pulled the Bronco off to the side to park next to an extensive garage.
“Ah, thanks.” He shrugged. “We wanted to be a little secluded, and Lily did the rest - she’s got quite the greenthumb, even in the desert. C’mon, she’ll want to see you and give you a tour.”
They followed James through the front door to a neat entry with a high, white ceiling and flawlessly curated decor. The bright orange evening light streamed through huge windows and cast a lovely glow on their surroundings.
“Lils!” James called out, and they walked through the foyer and to the left into a large open kitchen with an island the size of Remus’s van.
On the other side of the room, Lily turned away from a large canvas stretched across the wall, smiling with a smudge of paint smeared across her cheek, and it took Remus right back to the first day he met her, all those years ago:
“Don’t worry about Claire, she’s just a bit moody. I wasn’t feeling the vase anyway. The handles were way too tiny.”
Remus had never been so grateful for a stranger’s kindness, after he accidentally tripped Claire with his wheeled backpack full of rocks, and the masterpiece of a huge vase broke into five pieces on the floor. As usual, he had been that guy, not at all suave, blustering his apologies and awkwardly offering to glue it back together for her. In the end, they had ended up in his dorm room, busting open geodes together, and eating his peace offering of ice cream as he explained how the rocks formed into crystals over time.
The rest was history. Somehow the geology nerd and the artistic beauty became fast friends.
Nearly twenty years later, Remus still felt awkward and nerdy, and Lily was still the same ethereal beauty and charming hippie, down to her braided hair and what he suspected were handmade earrings. In all that time, she had hardly changed and barely aged a day.
“Remus! Oh, it’s so lovely to see you again.” She brightened and her voice trilled in the way he loved, and Remus couldn’t help his smile or how he stepped forward to pull her into his arms.
“God, it’s been too long,” he told her, his arms wrapped around her shoulders so as to not crowd her baby bump. “And wow, you are glowing.”
Red painted her cheeks and she shook her head as they broke apart. “I look like a whale. It’s okay, Remus, you can tell me the truth even if James over here can’t.”
James came up from behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, placing his hands on her big belly and kissing into her neck. “I only ever tell you the truth. How are my girls?”
Behind James, another person entered the kitchen, a teen who bore a striking resemblance to him.
“Could you please get a room?” the teen asked. “We know you love each other and all that -” he stopped, seeing Remus and Teddy, and pivoted. “Uh - sorry - I -” he stepped forward and stuck a hand out to Remus. “I’m Harry. Nice to meet you.”
Well, at least he's not the only one with a snarky teenaged boy.
Remus took his hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Harry. I’m Remus, and this is my son, Teddy.”
Teddy inclined his head. “Hey,” he supplied, slumping his shoulders at just the right angle to exude a don’t care type of attitude, as if that made him cool or something.
“Hey man, you play Call of Duty?” Harry asked. “Nash is crushing it, but we’re backed into a corner and we could use reinforcements. I’ll throw in some chips and whatever drink is left in the fridge, in case Nash accidentally shoots you.”
Teddy looked at Remus and then shrugged with a smothered smile. “Yeah, I’ve played it a few times, might be able to help.”
“C’mon then.” Harry leaned into a doorway, pulled out two bags of chips, and motioned for Teddy to follow.
“Tell Nash he’s staying the night,” James called after Harry. “Sirius has to cover someone tonight. And no, that doesn’t mean you don’t have a bedtime. You’re both helping out at the shop in the morning.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Harry answered.
Lily’s face fell into a frown. “But, I thought that Sirius was going rafting with you all tomorrow?”
James shrugged and opened the fridge. “What can I get you, Remus? Gatorade, water, Bodyarmor, Prime?” At the last word he screwed up his face and pulled out a blue Gatorade.
“Gatorade sounds great, thanks,” Remus replied, and caught the blue drink suddenly flying towards him.
James reached back for another and shut the door. “He said he’ll still be there, Lils. I told him I’d take the boys in to do the set-up so he can get a few hours off before we launch.”
Lily sighed. “He’s running himself ragged, James, and I don’t like it.”
“Nothing you can do about it, baby. He’s a grown man, and if this is how he deals with his shit, well, he’ll figure it out sooner or later,” James said, unscrewing his drink and taking a few long gulps before he continued. “I’m going to hop in the shower, I smell like river water.”
“Yes, you do,” Lily confirmed with a slap to his butt. “Dinner is in the fridge for you when you get out.”
James smiled, beaming. “Thanks, Lils. You are the best.”
“Don’t get used to it,” she retorted. “Once this little girl comes along, you’re going to be on your own.”
With a grunt and a peck to her cheek, James disappeared around the corner and Lily sighed as she turned back to Remus.
“You and Teddy ate something in town?”
“Yeah,” Remus said. “Teddy thought he was going to die, and besides, I didn’t want him raiding your pantry as soon as you turned your back.”
It was a joke, because Teddy was more well mannered than that. But, Lily laughed all the same, understanding the challenge it was to keep food in the house with a teenage boy.
“Well, Harry does it all the time, so we keep it well stocked. He’s welcome to help himself, as are you,” she offered. “I put a few things in your kitchenette in the guest house, but it’s not appropriately stocked to keep a fifteen-year-old afloat for longer than a night. We’ll keep the back door open so you and Teddy can come in anytime if you need.”
“Lily, that’s - we’ll be okay, really. Teddy has survived two full weeks of living out of a cooler and a box.”
She waved him off. “I have a feeling he’ll be over here a good amount of time anyway, between Harry, Nash, and that Xbox. Let me show you around, then.”
The grand tour took less time than Remus thought it might. From the outside, the house looked rather large, but in reality it was fairly simple - a large kitchen with a family room off to one side, a hallway with a laundry room, and a game room beyond, where a rather eclectic, multi-colored, handpainted grandfather clock stood proudly in the middle of the far wall. Harry and Teddy, and a scrawny blond-haired kid had settled down on a large sectional with controllers in their hands. On the other side of the house there was an office and master suite, and upstairs there were three bedrooms (one for Harry, a darling yellow nursery, and a guest bed). His favorite part, by far, was the eccentric art strategically placed, all undoubtedly created by Lily. It made Remus smile, bringing back memories of her walking down the dorm hall with paint splattered across her arms and shoes, and clay underneath her fingernails.
They proceeded out the backdoor, through a huge patio with a firepit, and past a large open span of grass, creeping thyme, and other herbs, and along a small pathway that led to a house that looked nearly the same in miniature.
“This is the guesthouse,” Lily said as she pushed in the robin's egg blue door. “It’s cozy, but you and Teddy will both have beds - one in the back bedroom and one in the loft.”
It was small, with a sofa and two chairs in the front room, a kitchenette along the back wall and two doors leading to a bedroom and bath. Floating stairs led up to a loft area with another bedroom, and a deck that overlooked the entire property and the valley beyond. Remus almost wanted to take back his insistence that Teddy get the loft, just for the view of the distant mountains.
As they stood on the deck, Remus breathed in the smell of sagebrush and dirt, relishing in the way the heat was seeping out of the air with the setting sun.
“This is perfect, Lily. Really, it’s more than we need,” Remus told her. “I really appreciate you having us, you know.”
“I’m just excited to have you here, Remus.” She smiled. “After you and Dora split and you reached out - well, I didn’t realize how much I missed you. Things work out for a reason, though, right? I mean, what are the chances you were coming right through our little town on your way back home?”
Remus didn't have the heart to tell her that he might have orchestrated that on purpose, hoping a quick get together would be on the table. But, until he realized what James did and how much Teddy would enjoy it, the thought had been on a lunch rather than a full weekend staying at her house. Still, he wasn’t mad at it.
“I’d better get back down to the house,” Lily said. “You probably want to settle in. If you need anything, just ask.”
—
In the end, Remus took the loft, where the bed was firmer, he could stare at the stars through the skylight, and the first morning rays would wake him at a decent time. Which is why he was out on the deck with a steaming cup of Earl Grey tea, enjoying the tickle of a cool morning breeze against his shirtless back as he gazed out at the bright desert valley, surveying the slope of the land as it curved upward into plateaus of red and orange and white rock layers.
The open space and fresh air reminded him of being young and free, before Dora fell pregnant, when he spent his extra time hiking and climbing, instead of changing diapers and cleaning. The last few weeks had managed to help him find that part of him again, and it ached to stretch beyond the life that Remus had built around him.
His mind wandered to the past - his and Dora’s lightning fast engagement and subsequent marriage ceremony. He had never understood how no one could do the math, or why anyone cared that she was pregnant out of wedlock - afterall it wasn’t 1950. But, Dora had wanted to do it all before she would show through the dress, and Remus had been keen to make her happy.
It had been the beginning of what they collectively thought would be a perfect life. He was nearly finished with his masters by the time Teddy was born and he had a teaching position lined up at Hogwarts University that would, by all accounts, lead to a post-doc and tenured position. Ironically, the job had gone perfectly to plan, but life on the home front had grown tiresome, and then tense, before things slowly spiralled.
But he didn't want to think about that - not yet, not while he was still on vacation. It would be his to deal with in a few days time, along with the busy upcoming term. Not that he wasn’t already working on that. The Earl Grey was his third cup of the morning, after a strong mug of black coffee before his shower, and a slightly weaker latte that he sipped through while working on his syllabus. Teddy had given no end to teasing him about the fact that he couldn't leave work at home - but the way that Remus saw it, he could do a bit here and there, or he could stress about it. And honestly, he enjoyed the routine of it: a hot cup of coffee and his laptop, his glasses sitting atop his nose as he got lost in all the things he wanted to teach, instead of all the things he was required to teach.
A distant humming broke Remus out of his thoughts, alien to the scuttling of lizards and the flapping of kestrel's wings he had been enjoying. As it grew closer, Remus spotted a motorbike turning into the drive and following the path between the Junipers down towards the Potter’s home. He wondered who was coming to the house at 8 a.m., and simultaneously decided it was a sign that it was time for him to wake up Teddy and then make his way down for breakfast.
The teen grumbled when Remus knocked on the door, and then all but moaned when he opened it.
“Teddy, time to get up!” Remus called.
“Daaad,” he grumbled.
“Teds -”
“Alright, I’m up,” he mumbled through the quilt draped over his head.
Somehow, Remus doubted it would be so easy. He settled his hip against the counter of the kitchenette and waited for Teddy to emerge. In the van, it had been easy to wake him, a result of the door opening and letting in light and cool air once Remus had decided he couldn’t lay there any longer. But, Remus preferred being able to get up when he chose without the consequence of hearing Teddy moan about it all day, so waiting the three minutes for him to pull himself out of bed was well worth it.
Teddy’s hair was pushed up in a funny cowlick and his eyes were barely open when he stumbled out of the room, a towel flung over his bare shoulder. “Why so early?”
“We have to leave in an hour,” Remus reminded him. “Raft launches at 9:30.”
A brief nod and Teddy disappeared into the bathroom. The mere fact that he didn’t protest further was proof enough to Remus that the kid was excited for the day’s planned adventure - a day-long float filled with class two and three rapids and a couple of new friends. Remus had no doubt that Lily had had something to do with that last part, and he was grateful.
He found her in the kitchen, sitting at the round table, across from a man who was mid-way through a sentence.
“ - they always leave, but usually they at least stick out the season.”
Lily smiled at Remus and motioned for him to come in as she answered, “I know, Sirius, but if he was unhappy, maybe it’s better this way. I know you don’t want to hear it, but even James saw it coming.”
She stood up and patted the man on the shoulder before she turned to Remus, giving him a quick hug around her belly.
“Good morning, Remus. How did you sleep?” She waved at the table. “I made protein pancakes and there’s fresh fruit and potatoes as well. Help yourself.”
“I see that,” Remus said. “Thank you. You know I would have come in earlier and helped if -”
“Nonsense,” Lily said. “You’re a guest. Besides, you all need to have a big breakfast before you head out on the river.” She slid a plate toward him. “Where’s Teddy?”
Remus stepped up to the table and picked up the plate, leaning to stab a few pancakes. “Oh, he’ll be in soon, if he doesn’t fall asleep in the bathroom. It’s like waking the dead with him.”
The man to his right chuckled, voice deep and smooth beneath his silky dark hair and chiseled jaw.
“Nash is that way, too,” he said as he cut into a stack of no fewer than four pancakes. “Don’t worry, the rapids’ll have him wide awake before long.”
Remus turned his head, finally really looking at the man, momentarily stunned as he took in his visage. Handsome and beautiful - like a fucking Greek God - he sat at the Potter’s table as though transplanted from another time and place. Dark hair draped over his forehead in a perfect wave above intense silver eyes, and he sported a gentle smile with a single dimple in one cheek, and broad shoulders that left Remus wondering what else was under his rash guard.
It was unfair, really.
“Remus, meet Sirius. Sirius, Remus.” Lily motioned between them. “This is James’s friend we were talking about last night. Firefighter by night, river guide by day.” She winked.
Their eyes met and Sirius grinned. “Nice to meet you,” he said.
“Firefighter, huh? And a river guide?” Remus asked, extending a hand and trying to not get lost in those mysterious silver eyes.
“Fire chief,” Lily corrected with the air of a mother who was extremely proud of her son.
Rolling his eyes, Sirius set his fork down and took Remus’s hand. “Yes, fire chief, otherwise known as the chump who takes the heat.”
“Well, Chump, it’s nice to meet you,” Remus laughed at his own joke and settled into the chair across the table.
He laughed at his own dumb fucking joke. Good one, Remus. Real suave, as usual.
Picking up his fork and cutting a huge bite from the half-moon remaining, Sirius cracked a grin. “And yourself?”
“I’m a geology professor.”
The back door slid open and Teddy stepped through, his brown hair dripping onto his Dexter Morgan-Dexter’s Laboratory mashup T-shirt.
“Oh, so that’s the study of the Earth, right?” Sirius asked.
“Nah.” Teddy slumped into a nearby chair and smirked at Remus. “He collects rocks - and not the pretty ones that people actually pay money for.”
“Hey!” Remus kicked him under the table. “I study the history of the Earth through rocks. It’s actually quite useful.”
“So, this is like your mecca?” Sirius cut in. “Nothing but rocks, more rocks, sage brush, and rocks to keep you company out here.”
“I guess you could say that,” Remus said. “I have quite the collection going, and my research notes are piling up fast.”
Taking the last of the pancakes - a heaping pile of six - Teddy placed them in two towers on his plate and began buttering them up as he rolled his eyes.
“What are you researching?” Sirius asked, setting the fork down with a clink.
“Hey Lily?” Teddy tilted his chin to the side and gazed at his pancakes. “Do you have peanut butter? And jam?”
“Of course. Did you want a sandwich or...?”
“No - just PB&J pancakes,” Teddy stated, as if everyone had those on hand for breakfast mornings like Dora. “It’s my favorite.”
Sirius looked Teddy up and down with a wry expression and pushed the wooden chair back. “I’ll get it, Lils,” he said.
Remus watched him carefully, sinking his teeth into the sickly sweet maple syrup as he imagined Sirius with his shirt off. Would he get a chance to see that on the water later that day? Not likely, but he could dream.
A minute later, Sirius returned with peanut butter and grape jam. “Eat quick, kid. We’ve got a river waiting for us and it’s bad luck to keep a lady waiting.”
“Speaking of.” Remus wiped his mouth with a napkin and sat back. “What’s the water level like on the river right now? I’ve only been on the Snake at the end of the season.”
“Oh, you’ve been rafting before?” Sirius asked. “You’ll love this run. It’s one of the best, if you aren’t into class fours and fives - especially now, it’s just barely down from its peak.”
The gleam in Sirius’s eyes was nothing short of contagious, and Remus felt a bubble of excitement in his gut at the idea that even the guide who ran it more than most was happy to get back out.
“I have a feeling today is going to be a good day.” Remus smiled.