CW: mentions of water, oceans, and sand

:FIFTY-SEVEN:

"Are we there yet?" Dudley joked, looking up at the passenger seat where Sirius was switching out CD's. "I don't know how many more of Sirius' 'remix' CD's I can take."

"Oi!" Sirius said in mock outrage. "I'm making sure you two young blokes get a decent musical education! You can't go through life without listening to these geniuses at least once."

"Maybe I'm a snob, Sirius." Remus retorted. "But I don't know if 'genius' is the right word for some of these artists you like listening to."

They were on their way to the summer house, following Noah and Petunia in their car. Remus and Sirius had volunteered to take Harry and Dudley for Petunia's sake. She had mellowed out after being surrounded by her boys, but long car rides were one of those things she just had to do in peace.

"We are almost there, though," Harry pointed out the window. "I can see the beach every so often."

"Oh I can't wait!" Dudley said, looking out Harry's window to see the ocean. "It's gonna be brilliant, Harry."

Harry smirked. "It will be as soon as you get off of me - you're like twice my size now, Dudley. What do they feed you at your school?"

"Oh, sorry." Dudley leaned back into his seat.

He had grown up during the last year, filling out and developing muscle where his childhood fat used to be. With the help of his coach and the school's excellent meal plans, Dudley was now built like a tank. He'd also grown a few inches, making him even taller than Harry, who was already short for his age.

A younger Harry would have been intimidated by this new development, but Dudley embodied the phrase 'gentle giant'. He only ever hit people in sporting events, and he followed the rules strictly even then. The rugby team loved him though, as they'd been undefeated all season because of him.

"I still wish we could have talked Kreacher into coming along." Dudley commented. "I bet the fresh air would've been good for him."

"I think he was keen to have a break from us, if I'm honest." Remus laughed.

"Oh!" Sirius yelled, pointing out the window. "I think we're here, boys!"

Remus pulled their car into the gravel driveway, where Petunia and Noah were already busy unloading their car with everybody's luggage. They raced out of the car to help, loading everything inside the small building. While Noah went off to the storage room to turn on the water and electricity, Harry and Dudley explored the rooms and claimed which one they wanted to share for the trip.

"Was the drive alright for you all?" Petunia asked, unloading the groceries they'd brought as she talked. "Noah and I have been listening to these audio books - they're really lovely."

"Oh, it was alright," Remus smirked. "Sirius entertained us with old rock CD's the whole way."

Petunia winced in sympathy. She was about to reply when Harry and Dudley rushed into the kitchen looking a little breathless.

"Can we go to the beach now?" Dudley asked excitedly.

"Well," Petunia laughed. "We're going to be making lunch, so don't wander off too far."

"Alright!" Dudley cheered. "C'mon, Harry!"

Harry shrugged in a what-can-you-do sort of way, but Remus could see the excitement in his eyes.

"Have fun, you two!" Remus called after them as they raced out.

Petunia smiled fondly after them both. "I'm glad to see Harry back to himself - he seemed off earlier."

Remus nodded. "He had a bit of a rough time in school this year."

"Nothing too terrible," He added quickly, seeing Petunia's fierce expression. "Just regular teenage problems mostly. One of his new friends got bullied and his favorite teacher resigned at the end of term."

"They sure seem to go through teachers at Hogwarts, don't they?" Petunia mused, cutting vegetables for a salad. "Hasn't there been a new, oh whatever it's called, every year since Harry started there?"

"Defense Against the Dark Arts," Remus explained. "And yes, people believe the position is jinxed actually."

"Why?" Petunia asked, not looking up as she put her veggies in a salad bowl and turned to get out the sandwich materials they'd brought.

"Well," Remus said, taking a seat at the dining table. "Voldemort attempted to get the job when he was still recruiting, but Dumbledore refused him the position. Ever since then, no one has been able to hold the position longer than one term."

"Can magic do something like that?" She asked, cutting the cheese and deli meats into slices.

"I don't know, honestly." Remus shrugged. "It may just be a self-fulfilling prophecy too. Fear can do a lot of things to people."

"That's true." Petunia sighed. "I'm just so glad we don't have to be afraid anymore."

She smiled at Remus, looking so at peace.

"If you'd told me, when we first met," Petunia said, laughing slightly. "That we'd be together here now, I'd have thought you were completely mental."

Remus laughed with her, shaking his head. "We have come a long way, haven't we?"

Sirius came into the kitchen from the bathroom, rubbing his hands together.

"This is a nice place," He commented, taking a seat next to Remus and throwing an arm around his shoulder. "Need any help with lunch, Petunia?"

"Would you mind getting the boys?" Petunia asked. "They ran outside - I don't think they even stopped to unpack anything."

Sirius barked out a laugh. "I'm surprised they even brought in their things and chose a room!"

He kissed Remus on the cheek. "Be right back, love."

Sirius ran out to catch the two rowdy boys, while Noah came in from storage to say that everything was set up properly.

"Might want to wait for the water to heat up before using it," Noah said, kissing Petunia before bringing the food over to the table. "But everything seems to be in order."

"We're here!" Dudley yelled, kicking off his shoes at the entrance. "Wait until you see the beach, mum - it's amazing!"

"I'm sure it is, darling." Petunia smiled warmly at him. "Wash up now so we can eat, please."

"Right," Dudley turned to Harry. "Race you there!"

The two boys immediately took off, rushing each other to the back of the house where the bathroom sink was located.

Sirius came in behind them, chuckling. He washed his own hands in the kitchen sink and came to sit down.

"It looks great, Petunia." He said appreciatively.

They heard Harry and Dudley before they saw them, rushing back to take seats at the table. The sandwiches and salads were eaten quickly, the boys practically inhaling theirs so they could go back outside to the beach.

"Boys," Petunia called before they could escape back outside. "Please put your things away first before you go back outside."

Dudley pouted, but Harry nudged him.

"We can get our swimming trunks out." He murmured, perking Dudley up immediately.

Once they had all unpacked, the two families spent the afternoon at the beach. Harry, Dudley, and Sirius spent most of their time in the water, rough-housing and splashing each other playfully. Petunia and Noah sat together on a beach towel, talking and laughing as they watched the others in the water. Petunia normally was not a fan of sand, but something about being away from her own home made it easier for her to relax about it.

Remus laid down a short distance from them both, closing his eyes and just appreciating the sunshine on his skin and face. After the incredibly tense start to their summer, Remus was extremely grateful for this trip. Harry had been doing better after that first night home, but it hadn't been easy.

Honestly, Remus was hoping Dumbledore would find the ring quickly so they could be done with all of this. He was afraid to attempt extracting the horcrux from Harry, but waiting was just making that anxiety worse. It had been so incredibly hard for him, not knowing what to say in the moment when Harry had yelled. Not for the first time, Remus was grateful Sirius had been there to say the things Remus didn't know how to put into words.

But he wasn't going to think about that right now. Here and now, his family was happy.

Notes:

A break from the intense stuff going on in their lives, which I think is much deserved.

Also, Sirius and Remus decided early on not to involve Petunia in the Horcrux situation, which they did to protect her. That's why she says they don't have to be afraid and doesn't know why Harry was upset.

Happy Reading!