Hot & Bothered

Chapter 14
Hot & Bothered
Canoeing

"Its about time the two of you showed up."
Snape sounded annoyed as he turned towards Dumbledore and me.

"We've been waiting here forever"
The comment alone was enough for me to roll my eyes.
Like it was my fault we were late.
The older wizard just wanted to have a 'gay' little moment.
And I had been the one to suffer.

I glanced around, only to find Snape and Lupin, still standing on solid ground. The rest of the group apparently had already gotten in their canoes and peddled away.

O.o, this just spelled out trouble from the beginning…
And I was the one being framed!

Looking around me, it appeared we had arrived at some deserted place, near a local river. The place was surrounded by trees and had a serene calm to it.
A calm I was missing at present.

"I'm sorry Severus, Miss Rain and I just needed to discuss something important" Dumbledore explained.
He did not however say what it had been about.
Apparently that was between him and me.

In the meantime I found myself walking towards the shore.
Gazing into the horizon, in both directions. Yes, just as I thought, my fellow campers were nowhere to be seen. I was alone with three of my most favourite wizards in the whole world. To my left a few meters away lay one last canoe. A two-seater.
As I stood there, taking it all in, I realised what was to happen.

One of the three wizards was going to accompany me down stream.
Oh joy!
I then realised, the extend of Dumbledore his plans…

The waters seemed calm and smooth.

They appeared to be calling to me.
Sighing loudly, I silently made a decision, I never thought I would.
"Lupin, grab an ore and get ready to paddle for two….. cause I'm tired!"
I spoke while turning and making for the boat.

I didn't look at him, or the others, I didn't dare. I just noticed that the three wizards had fallen silent.

It was important not to think about what I was about to do.
Otherwise I would run away screaming immediately.
I didn't dare think about it any further, that I was about to willing sit with Lupin in the same canoe, for Merlin knew how long.
I was going to take Dumbledore his advice, just to make him shut up.

The old man might believe, that Lupin and I belonged together,
but I would show him that he was seriously wrong. And the best way to do that, was to put a little effort in. I kept telling myself that in a relationship there were two people, and this girl, just simply wasn't open to start 'whatever' Dumbledore, wanted this to become.
That I didn't feel like sharing the canoe with either of the other two wizards.

I was half way dragging the canoe towards the water when the weight of it suddenly shifted. Glancing beside me I noticed that Lupin had decided to pick it up from the other end. Underneath his other arm he carried two peddles. One for him, the other for me.
It struck me as odd that he did not seem to struggle with the load.
While I, with my two hands carrying the boat, did.

Though I figured he was a man, and I a not so tallish and strong girl.
"Do you work out?" I found myself asking suddenly.
Surprising not only him, but also myself.
Instantly Lupin dropped the boat, stood up straight to scratch the back of his head.
"…No not rea…"
The whole thing just totally caught me of guard, causing me to stumble, trip and fall over the canoe. I was about to fall face forward into the grass when a strong arm wrapped itself around my waist.
Pulling me flush against its owner.
Preventing me from getting hurt.
My back touching his front.

My heart skipped a beat.
O.o
Causing me to freeze up.

We stood like that for a few seconds, before my brain finally kicked back in, causing me to break free from his arms.
I muttered a thank you, while undoubtedly sounding nervous.

To prevent from making eye contact with the man that I had just been a big to close for comfort with, I found myself glancing behind me. Realising for the first time that Snape and Dumbledore had disappeared.

"They plan on meeting us there" Lupin explained as he realised who I had been looking for. See! My mind screamed at me, this whole thing has been arranged from the beginning!

"Look if you don't want to go with me, we can also apparate"
Lupin offered.

His gesture alone caused a change in me.
I saw him through different eyes for the first time.
He seemed more insecure, and he actually gave me a choice in the matter….
To choose to go with him, or not go at all.

It made me stop for a moment, made me observe him for a short while.

Sighing loudly I shook my head, not willing to believe what I was about to say. "I picked you and no one else. Now grab one side of that boat and lets get going." I pushed one of the ores back into his hands.

Together we carried the canoe towards the water and lowered it onto it. Ok, Lupin carried it a bit more then me, but I did help. We both placed our ores' in the canoe, before crouching down. Lupin took hold of it first. "Go on, you get in first" he offered.

I glanced at him sideways, suddenly wondering if I could really trust him. Or that perhaps, he would get it in his head, to pull the boat out from under me.

"No, you go first" I countered.
Lupin shot me a 'are you kidding me look.'
Which on my turn made me roll my eyes.
"Fine! But don't pull anything funny" I added.

"Now would I do such a thing to you?" I noticed his answer was laced with humour.

"Yes you would and you know it" I countered, earning me yet another big grin.

I gently crawled into board, all the while keeping my eyes trained on my teacher. I was so not trusting him. But I got in without getting my feet or any other body part wet. Which meant now it was Lupin his turn to get in. Honestly I could have screw him over, but that probably also would mean my own demise. The thought of pulling the canoe out from under Lupin, just as he was about to get in, crossed my mind.
But I was pretty sure he would come after me in an instant, tipping the boat, sending me to the bottom of the lake as well.

I would once again end up getting drenched, twice in two days.
Which totally would be a record for me.
But, I was still trying to forget about the first time, let alone suffer another. And I still had not forgotten what had happened between Lupin and I, after I had gotten drenched the first time.
No, I guess you could say, I had learned from my mistakes.
Which might even have been a first for me.

A few minutes later we had managed to pull away from the shore.
Landing us in the middle of river, together on the water.
Alone with nobody around for miles.
A recipe for disaster.

It didn't take us long though, to figure out what we were suppose to be doing, and to find a steady rhythm.
Especially after a few pointers from Lupin, I most defiantly gotten the hang of it. And before long we found ourselves gliding effortlessly through the water.

Hell, this might even prove to be fun after…

"Have you done this before?" I asked him after a while.
I figured as long as we were here, we might as while chat.
There was no need for us to endure a painful silence while participating in this event. And Dumbledore had told me to give Lupin a chance, so I figure now was as good a time as any.
With nobody watching, that is.

"….Actually I have."
Lupin answered from behind me, after a little while.
"…Me and my friends went camping, back when we were about your age. It was James his idea. He roped myself, Sirius and Peter, into coming with him. A total disaster, but boy did we have fun." he concluded, sounding quite fond of the memory he was currently reliving.

Wow, that was way more then I expected him to tell me.
I figured he'd just tell me Yes, or No.
But to bring up friends that I didn't know existed…

I couldn't help but snort though,
"You make yourself sound old, which you're not…"

"I'm too old to be with you though" he muttered from behind me, causing me to miss a stoke. Instead of moving water, I caught only air. Well…. I didn't know how to respond to that though, so I decided to say nothing, and to simply change the subject.

"I've only ever went canoeing with Kirsten, who insisted on doing so. It was during one of her 'Muggle' birthday parties, when a whole bunch of us got forced into doing this.
I nearly peed my pants that day."
Just remembering it now brought a smile to my face.
Lupin on the other hand did not react, clearly still stuck on his last comment.
"So got any idea where we are heading?"

"Yes, but you'll find out when we get there" he answered curtly.

Thus ending our conversation…
Ok so maybe this whole thing was gonna be awkward after all.

The silence hung between us for several heartbeats as I considered what to say next. I just didn't want to spent the rest of the day, out here on a lake, feeling incredibly uncomfortable.

"Look, thank you for the clothes you gave me yesterday.
I didn't deserve them, especially not after what I had done in the first place. I really like them though. It was kind of you to think of me."
I kept staring at the horizon as the words left my lips.
Unsure of what it would accomplish,
but I would be damned if this whole trip would turn out to be a complete disaster, because we simply could not enjoy each others company.

"Also, thank you for the shirt you gave me.
Snape probably would have let me walk around in a wet shirt
for the rest of the way, causing me to catch a cold.
It was really nice of you.
You didn't have to, but you did anyway"
When he didn't answer me, I rambled on...

"I told you that night, when I had trouble locating my tent,
that I didn't get you at all. In all honestly I still don't.
One moment you are a complete dick, and deliberately wind me up.
The next you're really sensitive and kind, and you help me out
wherever you can. In ways that are incredibly unselfish.
And then there is that part of you,
that seems to be lacking all sense of moral.
It's like something more primal, takes over.
Like there is something else controlling you,
… or me." Simply speaking my thoughts…

"Can we forget for a moment what almost happened yesterday,
and just simply be.
I want to get to know you but 'this, where ever it is' is making things uncomfortable.
I'm not saying, that Yesterday was a mistake, I just don't understand my own actions.
Until I do…. I just want to simply let it all be."
I was to say more but you surprised me by simply laying your hand upon my right shoulder. From out the corner of my eyes, I saw you nod your head ones.

"I've been acting like a fool haven't I?"

His voice cut through the silence. His answer simple and clear. I couldn't help and be honest after that.

"So have I"

"Lets start over shall over then"