A/N: OH MY GOD FINALLY! You have no idea what a beast this story has been to me. It's killing me, it really is. It's lucky I love it.
But on with it! This is the sequel to "It's Not Easy Being Green" and picks up from where its predecessor left off. Exactly where it left off, actually. So if you haven't read it, you'll be a little confused in the beginning. Oh, and the title... Sorry for the cheesiness. I'm a cheesy person.
This story is going to be... Mostly about Nathanyel. Eheh. His past was begging to be written, so I obliged. It's going to end roughly around the birth of Nadia. And it will probably be very long. So, let's hold hands and skip off on this magical journey together! Yaaaay!
Nowhere But Home
Things are turning a deeper shade of blue
And Images that might be real, may be illusion
Keep flashing off and on
Free
Wanna be free
Gotta be free
And move among the stars
You know they really aren't so far. . .
Chapter 1: You Dummy.
Remus stared into his butterbeer, ignoring the many conversations going on around him. He'd just walked all the way to Snape manor on the other side of town, and for nothing. No one was there. No Nathanyel, no Snape, not even a house elf. To top it all off, he'd missed his train.
"Anything wrong, dear?" Madam Rosmerta hovered over him, an empty pitcher in hand.
"I'm fine," he lied.
"Well, if you're waiting for Sirius and James, I don't expect them to be in for another couple of hours."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." She then hurried away to subdue a couple of rowdy customers.
Madam Rosmerta's mention of Sirius and James had given him an idea; the two of them had just moved into a nearby flat together, and he could do with some cheering up from his friends. Maybe he'd also get a place to stay the night, and even a hot meal from them. The thought was comforting, if anything.
---------------
Severus stared out the train window as they pulled out of the station... He could have sworn he'd seen Lupin on the platform, chasing after them. He was probably just letting his imagination run away with him.
"Something wrong?" Nathanyel raised his eyebrows, apparently concerned.
Severus stared back. Well, on that day, anything was possible.
"Would you like me to get you anything?"
"I'm fine," Severus finally answered. "I was just wondering... Where we're going. That's all."
"It's a surprise," Nathanyel answered in a cheerful, singsong voice.
"I hate it when you try to surprise me," he grumbled.
"You had fair warning," Nathanyel sniffed, crossing his arms.
"So how long are we going away?"
"For the whole summer, if you like," Nathanyel offered. "I've left home for good, so... I suppose I don't have anywhere else to go." He smiled, looking absolutely serene.
"When were you going to fucking tell me this?" Severus seethed; he didn't like being left out of the loop.
"Right now."
"You're such an idiot!"
"Anyway, we could just see what flights are available- I've got a shitload of money and nothing to do with it." Nathanyel grinned, leaning back in his seat.
"What do you mean, 'flights?'"
"We're flying in an airplane- like muggles."
"No way!" Severus snarled. "You know I don't trust those muggle things!"
"Well, it's the only way I can avoid being traced, so..." Nathanyel trailed off, raising an eyebrow.
"Traced?"
"By my dad."
"Why would he be looking for you? I thought he hated you."
"I don't want to take any chances."
Severus sensed that there was something more to it, but he was never good at getting Nathanyel to talk. He'd just have to wait and see what happened. "You owe me big time."
"Don't worry. I'll pay you back with my virginity."
Severus wondered if he'd be able to survive the summer with his virtue intact.
"Wanna play a word game?"
Not to mention his sanity.
---------------
"Oi, it's Moony!" Remus managed a weak grin as James patted him on the back and ushered him into the small apartment; it seemed in rather good condition, although the furniture looked to be on its last legs and there were still boxes scattered about.
"Moony?" Sirius came bounding out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped loosely around his waist. "What the hell are you doing here?" Remus found himself the victim of another friendly slap on the back as Sirius let out a loud bark of laughter.
"I was actually wondering if the two of you wouldn't mind an overnight visitor. I mean... I know you don't have much room, but I've spent most of the past twenty-four hours traveling, and I really could use a good night's rest and- if you can spare it- possibly some dinner." He waited with baited breath for the verdict.
"Of course!" Sirius exclaimed, yanking his bag from his hand.
"You can take my bed," James added kindly, patting him on the shoulder. "After all, it's not like I'm going to be here for very long!"
"Huh?" Remus gave him a bit of a blank stare.
"That's right, you haven't seen it!" James fished around in his pocket for a bit before finally pulling out a small box, which he opened to reveal a diamond engagement ring. "I'm planning on popping the question to Lily, soon. Wish me luck!"
"Wow, that's great. Good luck, James." He tried to sound happy, but it wasn't coming very easily to him. He was happy for them- he just couldn't seem to communicate it.
"Remus? Something wrong?" James furrowed his brow, achieving a look that mirrored constipation.
"Yeah, why were you in Hogsmeade in the first place?" Sirius asked, catching his towel before it fell to the floor.
"I was just... Visiting..."
"Visiting us?"
"...Snape manor." He braced himself for the upcoming explosion of rage.
"What? You were visiting Snape?" Sirius' reaction was rather predictable.
"No. I was trying to visit Nathanyel, which is why I've spent the past nineteen hours on trains!"
"Page?" James repeated in disbelief. "You were visiting Page? After all that shit-"
"I don't want to hear it," Remus cut in firmly. "And besides, I couldn't find him, so there's no need to get protective. He was staying with Snape, but apparently, he's gone."
"Where?"
"I've no idea."
"Probably to some sort of purebloods' convention," Sirius grumbled, slinking away. "I need to get some clothes on."
"Because your clothing is a real priority right now," James snapped at him.
"You're both taking this too harshly," Remus insisted, putting his hands on his hips. "First of all, just because Nathanyel happens to be a pureblood and a Slytherin, you automatically think he's evil."
"He tried to kill me once, remember?" James replied stubbornly. "And you. And he sold drugs. And-"
"That's enough! And second, you think that just because he's been having some trouble lately that he's bad for me. Newsflash! I'm a werewolf! It can't get much worse from here!"
"Listen, Remus. Page has been having more than 'some trouble.' He's a sociopath! He delights in the pain and suffering of others! He manipulates people for fun! He is bad news all around, and you're here trying to seduce him, of all things? Are you absolutely raving fucking mad?"
"Precisely!" Sirius agreed as he rejoined them.
"I am not mad," Remus growled. "I'm just- I trust him. I have faith in him as a human being."
"Now that's a mistake."
"Sirius!"
"Next you'll be preaching to us about how Snape's just some poor, miserable, misunderstood, neglected sweetheart who only needs a bit of TLC to perk him up."
"Give me my bag." Remus squared his shoulders, clenching his jaw as they both stared at him in shock. "I want my bag," he ground out. "I'm leaving."
"Listen, we're only trying to-"
"I know what is and isn't good for me. Now, give my bag to me."
"And where are you going to go?" James growled, crossing his arms.
"Elsewhere." Remus held out his hand, waiting for his overnight bag.
"...You're not leaving," Sirius grumbled, crossing his arms and taking on an expression one would expect from a sulking child. "You can't afford a hotel, anyway. I'll sleep on the couch." He slunk into the kitchen, as if defeated, even though he'd had the last word.
"...Thanks," Remus muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets. James stared between the two of them for some time before speaking.
"Well... I've got a date with Lily, so... Er... Maybe I'll bring her back around for a visit, eh?"
Remus nodded as James offered up a smile. "Alright."
After James left the silence only became more oppressive. They were both just... Standing around.
"So," Sirius finally ventured, "does this mean you've moved out for good?"
"Huh?"
"You know, moved out of your mum's place."
"Oh. Yeah. I was just... Getting antsy." Remus shrugged, wishing he could change the subject.
"Antsy?"
"My dad always said..." He paused, wondering why he was still going by what his dad had always told him, after all this time. "Never mind."
"Nah, tell me."
"...He always said that we were gypsies." Remus snorted. "He always was the biggest liar, too."
"Yeah," Sirius chuckled. "I remember your old man. Full of hot air, he was. All those stories about training under some sort of kung fu master-"
"And becoming a traveling warrior, yeah." Remus frowned. "He never quit with those stupid stories."
"I liked them."
"But they weren't true."
"Sorry."
Remus grabbed his overnight bag, trying to push down the knot in his stomach. "It's fine. I'm gonna go get a bit more settled."
"Sure."
Remus decided then that a nap would be in order.
---------------
"This is it?" Severus growled, looking around at the large, crowded building they were in.
"Yup! An airport," Nathanyel replied simply. "Let's see where we can go!"
"Wait." Severus grabbed him by the shoulder, stopping him from running off. "How are we going to pay?"
"I have tons of muggle money," he replied jovially. "Let's go!"
"But can't we just-"
"Nope! I told you already, it'll be harder to track me with muggle transportation."
"You're impossible."
Nathanyel grinned. "Impossible to resist, you mean." He knew that he could persuade Severus to get onto a plane; Severus gave in to a lot of things that he insisted on, and he planned to use that knowledge to his advantage. Taking advantage, after all, was what he did best.
"There's a flight to Greece," Severus suddenly announced, reluctance clear in his voice.
Nathanyel was surprised to see that he was looking at the flight schedules. "Let's see what we can get, then."
Greece sounded like a nice place to go, after all.
---------------
Airplanes, Severus quickly decided, were the most horrifying invention on the face of the planet. They were crowded, cramped, dirty, noisy, smelly, bumpy, hot, and any other negative adjective that he might have been able to think up in the next ten minutes. He was stuck crammed up between the hard wall of the airplane and Nathanyel, who was hogging the armrest and poking his side with his elbow. The woman in front of him kept trying to recline her seat, despite the flight attendant's protestations that it did not perform that particular function, effectively bouncing the seat straight into his knees.
"This is fun, right?" Nathanyel queried benignly.
"Shut the fuck up before I take down this whole damned thing," he gritted out.
"Sorry." Nathanyel fiddled with a bag of peanuts. "At least we only have two hours left."
"Oh, yes, only two hours. It's like the blink of an eye!"
"Well, we could always join the Mile High Club."
"I'm not joining any stupid muggle organization."
Nathanyel gave him a wicked grin. "Actually, I was talking about sex."
"Are we allowed to switch seats?"
"No."
"...Fuck you."
"Yes, please do."
"Excuse me, miss!" He hailed the attendant. "This man is harassing me, and I'd like him removed from the aircraft."
"Wouldn't that involve a lethal drop to the ground below?" Nathanyel cut in.
"Exactly."
---------------
Nathanyel exited the airplane, glad to leave it behind. It hadn't been too bad for the first hours of the journey, but after Severus vomited it all just went downhill. "At least we're in Athens, now," he sighed, ignoring the snort that Severus sent his way. "It's exciting, right?"
"Thrilling." Severus looked around the airport, frowning. "Where's a bathroom?"
"Over there." Nathanyel pointed out the nearest rest room, then waited outside. It was a good thing that their only luggage was small enough to carry on the airplane; he wasn't sure if he'd be able to figure out the baggage claim.
"Where are we even going to stay?" Severus was done rather quickly.
"Did you wash your hands?"
"Yes."
"If we don't find a hotel, there's always a youth hostel."
"We're going to find a hotel. So there."
They found a hotel, alright. A dirty, dank, smelly hotel full of extremely loud people, most of them apparently Italian teenagers. It was midnight by the time they'd gotten their check-in finished, had found the room, and were ready to settle in. The one advantage, the way Nathanyel saw it, was that the only rooms left were singles- and that meant sharing a bed.
"Stop kicking me," Severus grumbled, kicking him.
Well, maybe it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. "I'm not kicking you," Nathanyel grunted.
"Yes you are, you... Kicker."
"You think there are lots of nude beaches? I heard there were, in Greece."
"Shut up. I'm trying to sleep."
"Alright." In what he thought was an extremely subtle way, he pushed Severus off the bed. "Goodnight."
"Hey!"
Nathanyel rolled over and pretended to be asleep, grinning to himself as Severus stomped about and grumbled.
---------------
"Wake up."
Severus wanted to die.
"Wake up! I want to go to a nakey beach!"
He pulled the sheets down from their current spot on his face to glare sleepily at Nathanyel. "A what?"
"There are beaches here full of naked people, didn't you know?"
"There are no beaches in Athens, you dummy."
"I know, but we could apparate to one. We have magic, right? Don't you want to see tatas?"
Severus winced as Nathanyel hit right on his weakness- nude women.
"Tatas, Sev," he was taunting. "Taaaaataaaaas!"
"Okay, okay, I'm up!"
"Tatas, tatas, tatas," Nathanyel kept chanting as Severus rolled out of bed and brushed his hair.
"Will you shut up already?" he finally snapped. "Since when do you like tatas, anyway?"
Nathanyel just shrugged. "I'm curious."
"You fuckin'... Yeah, curious. Ha." He left Nathanyel to think on that comment and locked himself in the bathroom (he made sure that he locked the door with at least three spells) and got into the shower.
"Don't forget to wash your hair!" drifted in from the other side of the door.
"Shut the fuck up!" Sometimes he just wanted to hex Nathanyel until his throat was sore.
"And your wiener!"
"I'm going to hex you the moment I get out of here!"
"WIENER!"
He had agreed to an entire summer of this.
One. Entire. Summer.
"I agreed to tatas and wieners for my summer," he told himself out loud. "This is what I wanted."
"Ewwww! Tatas and wieners... Together?"
"Shut up!" he shouted at the door, throwing the bottle of hotel shampoo at it. "You fucking tata!"
Two. Months.
- - - - - - - - -
So that's it! Next chapter: the boys explore their new surroundings and Nathanyel begins his not-so-subtle seduction. Meanwhile, Remus makes a few crucial decisions- but is he trying to find himself, or his father? GASP! SO MUCH DRAMA!
Okay... Off you go on your merry ways.
