Midwest Classics
The next morning the temperature is already reaching toward eighty. The sun is beating down on the water and Remus has been tasked with teaching James and Sirius how to canoe. Which has turned out to be no easy feat.
“I feel like a proper voyageur, y’know,” James says. He is holding his oar backward. Remus gently takes the paddle from him and flips it around. Sirius cackles loudly. His laughter shakes the small canoe and James’ hands shoot out to catch either side of the boat, his oar clatters to the hull of the canoe.
“Proper voyageur, huh?” Sirius prods James with his paddle.
“Oi! Like you can talk!” James gestures toward his friend. And he’s right Sirius can’t talk, he’s been paddling them in the wrong direction for the past half hour.
“At least I know how to hold my paddle,” Sirius prods James in the side with his oar. The canoe starts to precariously.
“You know what-” James starts, but then Sirius lunges at him, and the whole boat rocks.
“If y’all don’t stop we’re going to flip,” Remus says. They pay him no mind and continue to wrestle. The two men realize their mistake a moment too late. They break apart just as the canoe capsizes. Remus was fortunately expecting this and braces for impact. The water is cool and mildly shocking, as Remus resurfaces he feels indebted to his past self who decided not to stray too far from shore.
Remus and Sirius pop laughing. As they separate James flashes Remus a sheepish grin.
“Sorry mate,” Sirius is holding back a smile.
“S’fine,” Remus forces out.
“So do we just swim it back?” James scratches his head.
Remus looks between the waterlogged canoe and the two men treading water in front of him, an idea forming. “Drinks on me tonight if you flip the canoe back over.” Even Remus’s measly counselor salary could cover drinks at the tiny pub in the town across the lake, but he has a feeling it won’t need to.
“You’re on,” James grins.
The two men swim toward the canoe and Remus watches, amused as they struggle. They strain hard and Remus watches Sirius closely. His damp t-shirt is clinging to his very muscular back, and Remus has to admit that objectively, the man is beautiful. Remus eventually tears his eyes away from Sirius as the two men fail yet again to flip the canoe. James lets out a huff and Sirius glares at the canoe.
“Let me do it,” Remus decides to put them out of their misery. Realistically it would be easier to swim the canoe back to shore at this point, but he wants to have a little fun.
“By yourself?” Sirius gapes at him.
“I’ll believe it when I see it,” James says.
Remus shrugs and ducks under the canoe. He sends a silent prayer to whatever higher power controls capsized canoes, as he takes each side of the boat in his hands. Even after lots of practice, Remus himself has only about a 50% success rate of self-rescuing a canoe. He rocks side to side underwater to gain a little momentum and then with a large kick he pushes one side of the canoe up and out of the water. The canoe pops back upright and Remus breathes a small sigh of relief when he resurfaces. James looks awestruck and Remus tries not to let it get to his head. Sirius has an odd look on his face that Remus doesn’t quite understand.
“That was badass,” James grins. “You’ve got to teach me.”
“Thanks,” Remus gasps, still trying to catch his breath. Sirius's eyes are still burning into him. “You good?” Remus asks him.
“Sorry,” Sirius shakes his head, “Yeah, I’m good.” James gives his friend a not-so-subtle look.
~~~
“He made that look so easy,” Sirius groans and falls back on his bunk.
“Sirius, mate, not to kill your vibe, but you’ve known the bloke for. . .” James pretends to count on his fingers, “A day, and I kind of think he hates us,” James laughs as Sirius groans again. Remus had dropped them off at the staff house and then headed to the kitchen to help Pete with lunch. Everyone else was out and about, leaving James and Sirius to their first moment alone since they arrived.
“But did you see his hair? It was all wet and it- and-”
“I saw his hair mate.”
“Don’t act like you haven’t been making heart eyes at Lily all weekend Jamie,” Sirius says accusingly.
“So what if I have?” James raises his eyebrows. “At least I can admit it!”
“Hey!” Sirius protests. He tosses a pillow that lands squarely on James’s face and Sirius launches himself from his bunk and into James’. The two tussle for a moment before righting themselves again.
“I think this is going to be a good summer,” James says.
“Yeah if we can prove to Remus and Lily that we aren’t massive idiots,” Sirius groans.
“I don’t think this morning helped our case.”
“Definitely not.”
“I think we owe him a drink.”
“Or four,” Sirius snorts.
~~~
“Welcome to the magical land, known as Walmart,” Remus deadpans a few hours later.
“The home of white trash across America,” Lily adds.
“And the closest thing to a department store for fifty miles,” Pete finishes.
“I feel like a true American now,” Marlene muses as she eyes up a glaring red t-shirt printed with a motorcycle and a buff eagle.
“Van leaves in thirty minutes,” Minerva declares.
“What does one buy at Walmart?” Sirius sounds genuinely curious, as the group starts into the aisles.
“Everything,” Remus offers.
“That really clears things up, thanks mate,” James nods.
“Anytime,” Remus nods.
“He’s serious, you really could buy anything you ever needed here,” Lily shrugs.
“Hey, hey, wait he’s Sirius,” James points at his best friend. Sirius rolls his eyes and Remus gets the sense that this is a recurring joke. Pete on the other hand finds it hysterical.
With just a minute to spare the staff of Camp Ilvermorny pile back into the van laden with plastic shopping bags. The newcomers are now proud owners of athletic tank tops, tye-dye, and jean shorts. Remus not only acquired much-needed earplugs but also replenished his chocolate stash.
“And now, for the proper midwest experiences,” Dorcas grins, “our next stop is the shittiest bar in the whole county.”
“Hell yeah,” Peter grins.
~~~
“You know for being so upset about all of this you seem to be getting along with them pretty well,” Lily gestures towards the others with the neck of her beer bottle.
“I maybe judged them too soon,” Remus admits.
“You were maybe a stubborn toehead about the whole thing,” Lily laughs.
“Maybe,” Remus agrees. “They’re all pretty cool. I mean James is painfully enthusiastic about all of this, and Sirius is-”
“Sexy as hell?” Dorcas butts into the conversation.
“Um, not what I was going to say.”
“Tell me I’m wrong,” Dorcas says. “Lily tell me I’m wrong.”
“Well he’s not my type, but he’s definitely Remus’s,” Lily raises her eyebrows suggestively.
“Definitely,” Dorcas agrees.
“No, you guys-” Remus sighs and takes a long sip of his beer. Dorcas and Lily are giggling. “I’m not doing that. First of all, I’m not into him, second of all he’s only here for the Summer, which would be painfully bad for my mental state.”
“First of all, you are into him. You’ve been looking at him like you want to take him apart with his teeth ever since he got here. It’s only been three days and I’m scared you’re going to explode Babe,” Dorcas puts a hand on his arm. “Second of all, just have a little fun. A summer fling if you will.”
“You deserve it Remus,” Lily shoves him gently.
“I had a Summer fling, and y’all know how that went,” Remus mutters.
“Oh Remus, not everyone is Benjy,” Lily puts a hand on his shoulder. Remus winces at the name, the one he’s been trying very hard to avoid.
“Yeah, that was different,” Dorcas says.
“Was it?” Remus groans. "Every time I’ve let myself like someone at camp, they’ve left or worse. I don’t exactly have a great track record.”
“And how many times was that?” Dorcas raises her eyebrows.
Remus ducks his head. “Twice.”
“That’s not nearly enough to have a track record, you could chalk it up to coincidence,” Lily assures him.
Dorcas grins, “Third time’s the charm.” Lily cackles.
“Y’all are crazy,” Remus shakes his head, but he feels his traitorous eyes drift to Sirius across the room.
An hour later Remus is leaning against the bar and he can feel Sirius’s eyes on him.
“Are you just going to stand there?” Remus has already had three beers and Sirius looks good in the low light. His conversation with Lily is replaying in his head, and Sirius might just be the prettiest person Remus has ever met. It’s all a little too much.
“Sorry, um, lost in thought,” Sirius says. He is stepping up to the bar now, and Remus could reach out to touch with him. “I think I owe you a drink for this morning.”
“You don’t have to,” Remus suppresses a smile. “I was just fucking with you.”
“And now you’re admitting it?” Sirius laughs. “Really though, what are you drinking?”
“Leinenkugel's.”
“A what now?” Sirius furrows his brow. It’s cute. A more sober voice in the back of Remus’s head is yelling at him to get it together.
“Lein-en-ku-gel,” Remus says it slower now and holds up his empty bottle. “Midwest classic.”
“Ah,” Sirius says. He gets the bartender's attention, “Could I please have two, um, fuck, say it again Remus.”
“Leinenkugel's,” Remus laughs slightly.
“Yes, two of those please,” The bartender gives Sirius a funny look but runs his card and comes back with two sweating bottles. “I’m kind of scared of this,” Sirius holds the bottle up to the light.
Remus takes a swig of his own. “Not sure it will be up to your standards.”
“I’m not that stuck up,” Sirius mutters. “A drink is a drink.” He takes a big sip and Remus watches his face closely. “Mm good,” Sirius nods, his lips pressed firmly together.
“Really?” Remus raises his eyebrows.
“Um,” Sirius swallows forcefully. “I’ve never been much of a beer person.” Remus lets himself laugh and Sirius cracks a grin. “I’ll make James drink this.”
Sirius orders himself a gin and tonic and he and Remus return to the table where Lily has roped everyone into a heated debate over the best campfire song.