Gone Swimming
by
Norikio Na No Da
Naked on a tiny boat. In the rain.
Hard to imagine a greater feeling of shame and degradation. Remus just thanked his lucky stars that the only person who could see him at the moment had no use for such useless faculties as a sense of shame and degradation.
Said person emerged suddenly from the water a few inches off the side of the boat where Remus was crouched and shivering. He pushed his hair back from his face, and it clung to the shape of his jaw, black and gleaming wet. "Well, are you going to get in, Moony, or not?" Despite the words, there was infinite patience and amusement in his voice.
"The accord," Remus managed through his chattering teeth, "was that we'd borrow a boat from Hagrid and go for a ride on the lake. I did not agree to go skinny-dipping with you."
Sirius grinned and did a lazy backstroke around the bow of the vessel. "You agreed to go swimming," he sang.
"That part of the deal became forfeit when you stole my clothes," Remus snapped. "And tossed them overboard!"
"Well, what, were you going to go swimming in your clothes?" Sirius scoffed, and made to haul himself into the boat. "Madman."
Remus shoved him back into the water. "I ought to propel this boat back to the shore and leave you here."
"What? To be taken by merpeople?" Sirius was aghast. "You wouldn't."
"I get rather unreasonable when I am wet, Sirius."
"It can't hurt to get a bit wetter, then!" The darker-haired boy moved with almost superhuman speed and grace, lunging up from the water, seizing Remus by both his upper arms and dragging him out of the boat. There was a yelp of surprise, but it was literally drowned out by a mouthful of lake water, which Remus promptly erupted, spitting and gagging, when he surfaced.
"You bastard!" he screamed at Sirius, who was paddling frantically away from him, laughing and yet aware of the wrath he had incurred. Remus summoned all his own athletic ability and dove after him. He latched onto Sirius' middle and hauled him underwater, only letting him up for air when it became apparent that neither boy had gills, and neither could hold the other under the surface without being yanked down as well. Finally they bobbed back up, treading water and gasping.
"That was a dirty trick," Remus panted.
"Your own fault for not seeing it coming."
"I'm all wet."
Sirius squirted a mouthful of murky lake water in his companion's face. "'Course you are. You're in a lake, and it's raining! And you're with me." He tacked a wink on at the end there.
"Dirty," Remus reasserted.
But it didn't really feel dirty. In fact, it felt rather refreshing, after he'd allowed himself a moment to get used to the situation. Dark water stretched out as far as he could see in every direction, horizons and shorelines blurred by the fine mist that had risen from the lake surface. What had started out a drizzle was now a light but steady rain, speckling the water and the parts of Remus's body not immersed in it. They could see the moon, a blessed crescent shape in the vast black overhead, but no stars.
It was… nice.
"Hey Moony." Sirius had paddled up very quietly and very close. He spoke directly into Remus's ear. "We're naked."
Remus raised an eyebrow. "Yes, we are, aren't we."
He felt arms snake around his waist. It was kind of hard to stay afloat like that, but he didn't mind much.
"Shall we do something about it?"
"Hmm. How about..." Remus turned to face Sirius, and brushed his lips against the arch of his ear, "...you go find my clothes."
I own nothing, blahdy blah. Thanks for reading!
R&R, please!
