Out of the Woods

June 8, 1977 Somewhere Tacoma Washington

It was too hot outside to even be thinking of moving around right now but here he was moving crates off of his truck with James in 89 degree weather. He loved his friend truly he did but the suck up volunteering them for the worst tasks might be the last thing he's ever going to do. Rolling out his shoulders looking around for the friend in question he spots him trying to get his shirt to stop sticking to his back from the sweat.

“And to think we could be at the lake checking the water levels” Remus smiles at his friend's discomfort. “It's a good thing someone put our names down for supply runs”

“I was trying to impress Hope!” he shouts, taking his glasses off to wipe his sweat slicked face. “I didn’t think it was that hard to move stuff from the parking lot inside”

“Why do you think no one volunteers for it?” he asks, grabbing water for his friend.

“Lily would have warned me” James sulks sinking into a shady spot of grass. For someone who sees all of his friends daily James acts like anytime they say bye will be the last.

“Dude! I didn’t know you were doing it until it was too late. I doubt Lily would have either” he shouts, crossing his arms. “Get up were almost done” toeing at his friends ribs with his converse “You’re acting like shes dead.”

“Yeah, she pretty much is! her school friend is more important than helping us” his friend sobs dramatically grabbing onto Remus’s ankle trying to pull him down onto the grass.

“Stop that you're so weird” He laughs trying to fight out of the boy's grip. “You're being a baby she's coming with everyone else saturday.”

“Yeah with her new friend!” James sits up causing his glasses to slide off his face. 

“He's not new James, we’ve known about him for years.” It was true Lily was always talking about her childhood best friend back in London whenever she could. She even shown them photos of them together during their school days. Remus thinks back to the polaroid photos of baby-faced Lily and a dark haired boy hanging on the wall of her room. He tried to conjure the face but Sirius was more of an idea than a person to him.

“Yes but he's actually here in person!” James throws his arms up trying to make his point.

“Yes, him and his brother because they are real people!” he grabs the younger boy's arms to pull him back to his feet. “I really don't see what you are so upset about, it's just a couple of new campers James.” To be completely honest Remus was a little worried about meeting this friend; everything he knew about this boy was secondhand information from Lily. She said that she was sure James would get along with him the second they met, but that just left the looming question of would he like him?

“And?!” James puts a hand to his chest as if the thought of a brother coming with him was going to knock him off his feet. “I love Lily, I do but the girl has questionable friends.”

“Obviously” Remus eyes James up and down handing him another crate to bring inside. “That doesn’t mean you have to be jealous 

“I just don't want her to get hurt again” his friend deflates. Oh Severous. Remus cringes at the memories of younger Lily carrying so much weight from her friendship with the slytherin CIT. He wasn't all that bad as kids but something just seemed to change in him the way he would treat everyone like second class compared to him. Marlene once said it was probably jealousy but no one really could place Severous’s demeanor to a single moment.

Not even minutes after all the chores had been finished Remus catches a flash of blonde racing up to the mess hall the boys were cooling down in. 

“Rem!” Marleene barges in ungracefully. “You’re moms looking for you.”

“On it” Remus groans standing off the floor with a pop in his knees. “Take care of James he's moping” nods to the boy sprawled dramatically on the floor.

“He’ll be fine once he finds out your dad got all new equipment for this year” she leans closer to James watching for his reaction. 

“Well start with that Marlene, let's go!” James sprints out with Marlene right behind him causing Remus to laugh. The two being obsessed with any sport possible since starting soccer as kids have made it their official job to not only supervise all games but participate in them.

Remus starts the short walk to his mom while watching his friends race to his dads side. Opening the door to his moms office he can see her sorting folders of different campers and their medical history. 

“Mom you alright?” he steps in worrying about his moms frantic look. Hope was a wonderful woman. She was a former nurse who ran the infirmary at camp and loved every moment. 

“Oh sweetheart hi, so change of plans for Saturday ” Her dark green eyes catching Remus’s almost identical ones over her desk. “You're on check in duty with the Rosiers, we have more first year campers than other years.”

“All day?” he grimaces, standing around checking in nervous 11 year olds wasn't exactly the best job for the first day.

“Head counselor responsibilities” her smile spread onto his own face. “It won't be that bad they're more new day campers than anyone else.”

Nodding to his mom he remembers his redhead friend who was still back home “Can I use the phone? I haven’t heard from Lily in a minute.”

“Go ahead I have to go find your father anyway” she pulls his head down to plant a kiss on his hair before walking out.

“Bye mom” he lets out a sigh sitting on a cot in the corner. While waiting for the sound of the call being answered, he can't help but let his mind wander to the boys that would be joining her this summer.

“Evans household” A voice pulls him out of his head, a voice that definitely wasn't Lily’s or her moms. “Hello?” the voice asks. Not Petunia either. It was a boy.

“Oh, um- Is Lily there? It's Remus.” He finally responds.

“Let me.. I- I can go grab her one second,” the sound of the phone being placed down giving Remus a second to think. A boy with an accent. It was different from Lily’s more noticeable almost.

“Moony! Hi” Lily’s excited voice bringing a warm feeling.

“Your friends’re there early then?” he smiles into the receiver at his obviously happy friend.

“Oh you talked to Sirius then, thought mum would've picked up.” 

“What are you up to then?”

“With Regulus we just got back from the shops” the sounds of conversation faint in the background.

“Regulus and Sirius” Remus rolls the names around his mouth. He never asked for the younger brother's name. “Weird names.”

“Yes Remus very weird” she stresses his name. 

“Point taken” Remus catches himself smiling again. “Are you guys set for coming up on Saturday?”

“Yeah my mums taking us, Petunia’s keeping our car this summer” she huffs.

“And where were you planning on going Lily?” he grins into the receiver practically seeing her confused look. “Campers aren't allowed off grounds without counselor supervision.”

“Oh come off it!” Lily half shouts half laughs “I was hoping someone who was kind hearted and loved me would join us” she sighs dramatically.

“Well, you’ll have to ask Pandora yourself, but I’m sure she’d love too.” he couldn't be bothered to stop the smile from forming.

“Rem that's not funny” her flustered voice trying to sound firm coming out more as a whine.

“Sor-sorry I’m sorry” he laughs imagining her face. “Yes I'll come with you since it's the only thing you want me for.”

“I'm glad you get it” she quips back. “I have to go, I promised Sirius I’d teach him to bake something without causing a fire or worse”

“That bad?”

“Hey, he's gotten better! Only burnt himself once yesterday,” she half defends half laughs. “Guess having someone else cook for you your whole life takes you back a few steps.”

“Alight, but you know you don't have to wait on them right?” Lily's words leave a sour taste in his mouth. 

“Oh please. If anything, they're waiting on me and mum.” she snorts, not picking up on his tone. “Bye love talk soon!”

“Bye Lily.”

The rest of the day was just as tiring as the start. An exhausted Remus stares at the ceiling from his bed, trying to memorize the texture of the wood. He can't sleep, everything about this kid has him on edge. Sirius, he has to remind himself, his names Sirius. He knows the basics of his life, but who was he really? Up until today he couldn't care less about him. He was obviously happy for Lily that she got to have her favorite people in one place for the summer but now? The thought of this boy was just worrying. What if he was like Severus? Was he worse? Why did James have to open his mouth? He glances over to his friend passed out and drooling next to him. What was the point of having his own cabin if James insisted on sharing anyway? He shoves his face into his pillow groaning. Too many questions. Too many words. Too little Remus.

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June 11th

Check in day was the worst day out of the summer, Remus decided this the second he was old enough to help his parents. The sun was starting to set but everyone was awake as ever. Counselors and CITS were everywhere trying to calm down nervous first years, returning campers running around and yelling with their friends, and even worse hovering parents trying to snap photos or get last minute hugs in. In theory it should be easy but here he was watching Evan explain to a very persistent mother what she should have already read on the pamphlets.

“There's around 120 sleep away campers so that's a little over 10 kids to each cabin with a counselor” Evan sighs a lock of hair falling out of the hair tie holding it up.

“What about day campers?”

“Maam I'm sorry but your son isn't a day camper but I can help switch that if you'd like?” Pandora smiles at the woman taking over for her brother.

“Smoke break?” Remus walks up to his friend who looked like he was seconds away from either yelling or crying, maybe even both. “Marlene’s already there”

“God yes.”

“How does she expect us to know her kid is allergic to milk if she never put it on the application?” Marlene paces in front of them complaining about another bad mom experience.

“Trial and error” Remus snorts passing the blond her own cigarette.

“At least the older kids can check themselves in this year” Evan tries to reason.

Remus lets their conversation tune out as he stares off down the path leading to the overfilled parking lot. A whole new batch of campers coming in for their first year. As much as he complained he really did like working with kids as nervous and loud as they got.

One more hour. One more hour until check in ends and dinner starts. Stubbing out his smoke he walks back to Pandora who was talking with his mom. 

“That’s the last of the first years” she sighs, throwing her braids over her shoulder.

“You're good to go, Remus can handle the rest.” Hope smiles at the girl as she practically runs back to her brother. “You’d think she’s a hostage,” she jokes, turning her attention to her son.

“Nah she loves it here” Remus smiles at the path Pandora ran down, she was honestly one of the best people he knew. “I'm so sick of check-ins” he groans, throwing himself back into his chair.

“Would you rather help with the sorting?” his mom said with fake sympathy.

“Oh god no!” Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin the houses that determined your entire summer. The sorting was a game his father made up to help ease first year campers, but from years of running this camp it turned into a strange personality quiz. What house would they put the brothers in?

“Remus!” Lily's voice cuts through his thoughts. 

His eyes shoot up from the table he was staring at, looking across the lawn for the redhead eagerly. He spots her from the corner of his eye but his gaze falls short. His green eyes locking with unfamiliar stormy gray.