Surfing

by Matthew W. Quinn and Kyli Ann Rasco

July 10th, 1997 AD

11 AM

"Tonks, what is that?" Remus Lupin asked somewhat incredulously.

It looks like a long plank, tapered off at the ends. I wonder if there is some kind of magical purpose for it?

Nymphadora Tonks grinned.

"It's a surfboard. We're still going to the seaside, right?"

"Well, yes."

"Well, I'm sure I've mentioned surfing to you once or twice."

Lupin nodded.

"Yes, something you do at the beach. You didn't mention a board though."

"Boards. I have two."

Lupin made the connection immediately.

"Let me guess. You intend for me to go surfing with you."

Tonks nodded.

"Yep.

This might be dicey. I haven't been swimming in the sea since I went with James, Lily, and Sirius, just before the Potters went into hiding.

He'd been the seaside since then — it was fun and it was free, most of the time — but not actually in the water.

Tonks grabbed him by the hand and pulled him through her front door.

"C'mon," she said. "I'll need to see if the wetsuit I borrowed will fit you."

Wetsuit? Is that a suit made out of water?

Lupin followed Tonks through her living room towards her bedroom. He waited politely by the door while she went into her rather messy closet and started rummaging.

I hope she's not suggesting I wear her clothes to the beach. That would be altogether too much.

Tonks emerged from her closet with a rubbery garment that had sleeves and short leggings extending from the sides and bottom respectively. It also had appropriate masculine colors, unlike the pink-and-black equivalent that Tonks held in her other hand.

"I borrowed it from Charlie. Put it on and let's see if it fits."

Are we the Weasley family project? Between Arthur and Molly encouraging us to get together and Charlie collaborating with her on this little adventure of hers, I'm starting to wonder.

Lupin took the wetsuit from Tonks and retreated into her bathroom.

Okay. I assume I don't wear my shirt under this. Do I wear my trunks too?

He decided to err on the side of modesty and kept his trunks on. He put the wetsuit on and quickly encountered a problem.

The wetsuit was clearly meant for someone with a different body type. Lupin could not get the suit up over his shoulders and he could tell even if he could, it would be rather baggy.

"You ready?" Tonks called from the other side of the bathroom door.

Lupin emerged. Tonks, now wearing a short cotton dress over a bathing costume, smiled at him.

"Sex-y," she said. She winked at him.

Lupin felt his cheeks redden.

"It's tailored to someone shorter and heavier," he said.

"I can fix that," Tonks said.

She waved her wand and Lupin could feel the rubbery fabric shifting around him. He pulled the wetsuit up and found it fit him perfectly.

"Looks better now," she said.

She looked at him.

"Have you eaten?"

Lupin shook his head.

"Just some kippers and tea," he said.

He'd invested the money James had loaned him before he died and he'd been using the interest to supplement the Ministry's meager dole for werewolves in the past years. Unfortunately, the death of Dumbledore had caused the wizarding markets to tank, leaving his finances even more precarious than usual.

Tonks' dark eyes widened.

"That won't do. I haven't packed our basket yet. What are you in the mood for?"

Lupin thought for a moment.

"Well, I do like roast beef," he said. "With some nice tomatoes."

Tonks grinned.

"You're lucky. I just went to the grocery."

July 10th, 1997 AD

11:20 AM

Once Tonks packed their lunch, the two of them Disapparated from her apartment.

They materialized in an isolated spot behind the International Surf Centre at Fistral Beach. Once they'd gotten their bearings, Lupin quickly looked around.

Good. No Muggles to Obliviate.

"Been here before?" Lupin asked.

Tonks nodded.

"Dad took Mum and me here a lot," she said.

They made their way out to the beach and found a spot close to the water.

"Got your wand?" Lupin asked.

Tonks pointed to her calf.

"Disillusioned and stuck to my leg. Yours?"

"Same."

If the Death Eaters knew what we were up to, they'd be here en masse. They'd think us vulnerable.

"Good."

Tonks smiled and pulled her dress over her head. Lupin repressed the urge to whistle at the sight of her in her bikini.

Very nice.

"C'mon," she said. "Let's go for a swim."

Lupin pulled off his t-shirt, hoping nobody would stare at the claw-scars marking his right pectoral, and followed. She winked at him, then broke into a run.

"Catch me if you can!" she called out.

Marauder that he was, Lupin could recognize a challenge. He smiled.

It's on.

He ran. His condition might have prematurely aged him, but he wasn't yet so broken down he could not catch up with a taunting young witch.

Tonks had gotten out to where the water was waist-deep, with Lupin close behind. She stopped and turned to laugh. Her eyes widened just before Lupin tackled her.

They tumbled. The salt water stung Lupin's eyes, but he managed to maintain his grip on the wriggling, laughing Tonks until they hit the sand. He let her go and both of them swam to the surface.

Tonks grinned when she saw him.

"Why Professor Lupin," she said. "I didn't know you had it in you."

Lupin smiled mischievously.

"Don't worry about me," he said. "I'm more energetic than I look."

He mock-lunged for Tonks again and she dodged to the side. Her grin widened.

"Now Professor, what would your students think?"

Lupin thought about Harry, who was so much like both his parents, Ron, Hermione, and Neville.

He smiled.

"They'd be cheering me on."

Tonks laughed and swam in a circle around him. As they played in the water, Lupin noticed someone staring.

Well, I guess it's not every day people see a man who's nearly forty cavorting with a twenty-something.

He suddenly got very self-conscious.

"You hungry?" he asked.

"Yeah. I figure you are too, if you only had kippers for breakfast."

The two of them made their way to their blanket, sat down, and dug into their lunch. Owing to the fact it was a Muggle beach, they hadn't packed any exotic wizarding foods like Chocolate Frogs, instead sticking to conservative fare like sandwiches, apples, and a treacle tart for each of them.

When they were done, Lupin leaned back on his hands, feeling his food digest.

I ordinarily don't eat that well outside of Order meetings.

Tonks lay down beside him. She adjusted the blanket beneath them and then abruptly scooted closer, laying her head on his shoulder and throwing an arm across his chest.

Lupin's eyes widened.

Not wasting any time, is she?

For a moment, he wondered how this might look to the Muggles — a young woman with purple hair practically on top of an older man.

He shrugged.

I'm not objecting.

It had been a long time since he'd gotten this close to anyone and he wasn't going to pass the opportunity up because someone might stare.

Time passed. Lupin felt himself beginning to drift off.

No. Falling asleep outdoors, even in a Muggle area, would make us vulnerable to the Death Eaters.

Tonks stirred next to him.

"Okay," she said, sitting up. "Now it's time to surf."

I was wondering when she'd get to that.

Lupin rose up onto his elbows.

"Tonks, are you sure this is a good idea?"

She had gotten up and was already putting on her wetsuit.

Lupin repressed the urge to sigh.

All right.

He climbed to his feet and pulled on his wetsuit. Meanwhile, Tonks had picked up the larger of the two surfboards.

"You're a beginner, you'll need this," she said.

Lupin hesitantly took the board from her. She picked up her own smaller board and headed for the water. Lupin followed.

As they walked, Lupin felt the wetsuit chafe his thighs.

Perhaps I should have walked around more before we left. It's not like I can have Tonks resize it in the middle of a Muggle beach.

Lupin quickened his pace, catching up with Tonks.

"Are you sure I really need to wear this?" he asked.

"It's for the best. The water's cold and there might be rocks. The wetsuit will protect you from getting scratched up by rocks or the board."

"I'm going to die, aren't I?"

Tonks shook her head. "Probably not. When you fall off — "

When?

"You'll just hit water," she continued. "Sink down for a bit and then swim to the surface. It'd be best to keep your body limp when you fall off, though."

"Why?"

"Sharks. I think we're too far north for great whites, but one never knows," she said. "Best keep your body limp when you fall off, to avoid looking like a seal."

The way she said "great white" worried Lupin.

"What's a great white?"

"One of the biggest sharks. They hunt seals, typically, and sometimes mistake surfers for seals. There's a Muggle movie called Jaws about them."

For a moment, Lupin wondered if facing off against a basilisk would be safer than surfing.

Tonks cocked her head.

"Don't worry, love. You're more likely to be struck by lightning than attacked by a shark and as I said, we're too far north for great whites."

Lupin swallowed.

"All right," he said before looking sternly at Tonks. "Next time we decide to have an adventure, it's my turn to decide where we go."

Tonks shrugged.

"Will do."

They waded out into the water.

"Okay," Tonks said. "Climb on the board like so."

She climbed onto the board and lay on her stomach.

"Getting up on the board, once you hit a wave, is like doing a push-up. Push up, pull a foot under you, and then push up into a standing position."

She looked behind her.

"Here comes a wave. Watch."

The wave caught Tonks' surfboard and lifted her up. She smoothly rose to her feet and rode the wave to the shore, leaving Lupin out in the water by himself.

That doesn't look too hard.

Lupin climbed onto the surfboard.

Okay. Do what Tonks did.

Behind him, he could see another wave building.

When the wave comes, get up.

The wave came. Lupin pushed himself up on the board, keeping his hands locked on the sides, and worked his right leg under him. As the wave lifted him up, he rose to his feet…

He had just a moment to realize his feet were off-center before he toppled over. Down he went, the salt water stinging his eyes.

The wave carried the board to the beach. By the time Lupin returned to shore, Tonks had already retrieved it.

"You almost had it there," she said. "C'mon, let's try again."

Part of him thought this was foolish, but part of him was extremely disinclined to be bested by a board.

The two of them returned to the deeper water, climbed aboard their surfboards, and waited for a wave that could lift them both.

That wave was not long in coming.

"Ready?" Tonks asked.

"Ready," Lupin replied.

The wave caught them. Tonks smoothly rose to her feet.

Lupin pushed himself up and worked his right foot under him.

Okay. This is where it went wrong the first time.

He looked down and made sure his right foot was on the exact midline of the board. Then, slowly, he began pushing himself up.

As he rose, he wobbled somewhat. He nearly fell again, but managed to catch himself.

"All right!" Tonks called out as the wave crested. "It looks like you've got it now!"

The two of them rode the wave to shore, Lupin slightly behind Tonks.

Wow. This is a lot more fun than I expected.

He and Tonks surfed for the next couple of hours before deciding to call it a day. As they made their way back to the beach, a group of Muggles applauded.

"Not bad for a beginner," one of them called out.

Lupin reddened a bit, but Tonks clapped him on the back.

"You did better your first time surfing than I did mine."

Wow.