#yes Draco spies what’s underneath Harry’s wetsuit

[m0srael]

Unfinished Friday

A crawling what @tackytigerfic ??? (Seriously— a brilliant premise! And thanks for tagging me!). This is a wip I started and abandoned some time last year—re-reading this snip has reminded me to get back to it asap! I’d love to see what you’ve got lurking in your drafts, @avenueofesc, @makeitp1nk, @hogwartsfirebolt, @geesenoises, @phdmama, & @saintgarbanzo!

Imagine if Wolfstar raised Harry away from wizarding society in a sleepy little seaside town that a certain aggressively blonde, pureblood family happened to vacation at?

Harry uses his magic to silence his creaky door as he slips out into the hallway and pulls it shut behind himself. It’s a house rule that the door to the linen closet is always left slightly ajar, thanks to the time Harry shut himself in during a particularly ferocious tantrum and was too embarrassed to call for help for nearly an hour–it doesn’t matter that it happened when he was three and he’s nearly eighteen now–so he just has to stretch out a hand as he passes to summon his favorite beach towel and stuff it into his backpack before zipping it closed.

He steps carefully over the threshold to the kitchen to avoid the one loose tile and is nearly to the sliding glass doors and home free when–

“And where do you think you’re off too, this early?”

Harry jumps and nearly drops his backpack. He whirls around to find Remus seated at the kitchen table in his old, checkered robe, a steaming cup of tea clasped between his hands and his reading glasses perched on his nose. The newspaper is spread out on the table in front of him.

“Couldn’t sleep again?” Harry asks, his voice high and pinched. “Full moon’s only a couple nights away, I guess, but you should really get your rest!”

Remus raises an eyebrow and sets his mug down. His lips twist with the smile he’s trying to suppress. “Don’t try to deflect. The sun isn’t even up yet.”

Harry sighs, finally relenting to the fact that he has been well and truly caught. “I’m just going out for a bit before I have to get to work! You know how crowded the beach gets this time of year. I want to beat all the tourists!” He knows he sounds whiny, but the weather is supposed to be perfect this morning and he doesn’t want to miss the best waves.

Remus chuckles and pushes his reading glasses onto his forehead as he crosses his arms over his chest. “Were you even going to leave a note? Did you want us to wake up and think you’d been kidnapped in the night?”

Harry rolls his eyes, but a flush heats his cheeks. “Yeah, ‘course…” he says unconvincingly. “But it’s not like you wouldn’t know exactly where I am!”

“Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten the time Sirius had the beach patrol out searching for you at six in the morning.”

Harry laughs, “I could literally never forget that. Oh my god that was so embarrassing. Why is he like that??”

Remus makes a soft noise and considers Harry for a long moment. “He just worries about you. Because he loves you.”

Harry shifts on his feet, hearing Remus’s words for the gentle chastisement they are. “Yeah. I know.”

“And he’s always been a bit of a neurotic twat. Can’t help it.” Remus’s eyes sparkle with mirth. “Have I ever told you the story of the first time you got lost in the grocery store?”

Harry laughs again, more loudly. “The one where Sirius cried more than I did before and after you found me?”

“That’s the one,” Remus says, grinning, as he picks up his tea again and takes a sip. “Now go, before said neurotic twat wakes up and decides to keep you here for three hours casting sun protection charms, making sure you have a full breakfast and reading you the pamphlet on how to escape an undertow again.”

Harry grins so wide his cheeks hurt. “Thanks, Re.” He pulls open the sliding door and has one foot nearly out when he feels a hand on his shoulder.

“Here, at least take this,” Remus says as he hands him a banana. “You really should be sure to eat something. And don’t forget this.” Remus presses Harry’s wand into his hand–it’s an old, second-hand thing that he rarely uses, but he knows it makes both of his uncles feel better if he has it on him whenever he leaves the house.

“Thanks, Re,” Harry says again, more softly, as Remus pulls him into a hug.

“Be careful, Harry. Text when you’re on your way to work.”

Harry tightens his arms around Remus’s back. “‘Kay,” he mumbles.