Summer '76

Three

Morning dew litters the forest floor, glittering under the peachy sunrise. The air is still, crisp with a fresh scent of pine. Deer travel stealthily and nibble at tree bark as squirrels leap from branch to branch high above. Eight colored flags are hoisted up their poles, marking all 8 of the teams dispersed throughout the camp.

Sunlight peers through the window of Cabin 505. Soft snores fill the room. Remus's eyes flutter open and he stifles a yawn. He takes in his surroundings, momentarily having forgotten that he isn't in his bed at home. Every few seconds, the fan situated in the middle of the cabin blows a chilling breeze at him. Across the room, Peter sound asleep and James's arm dangles from the bunk above.

Remus rolls over to face the wall, closing his eyes in hopes of reawakening in his own bedroom. It feels as though only seconds pass before a trumpet blares from outside. Remus's eyes shoot open just as the others stir from their sleep.

James lifts his head groggily; his hair looks even messier - if possible. Peter hasn't even woken up yet. He buries himself further into his blankets to avoid the light.

Slowly but surely, they haul themselves out of bed and to the showers out back. The cold water sends a jolt through Remus's body, ridding of any ounce of sleepiness left in him. Goosebumps crawl up his arms, prompting him to wash off quickly. His camp shirt smells distantly of cherry from the previous night, but he pulls it over his head without a second thought and slips on his faded blue jeans.

"Remus, aren't you going to be hot in those?" Peter asks.

Remus shrugs. "I like jeans," he says modestly. "They'll last me all my life."

"If anything, we should be concerned about the bloke wearing socks and sandals," Sirius comments at the desk while tying his trainers.

All heads turn to James who stands out the door with knee high socks and brown two-strap sandals. He holds his glasses up to the light, inspecting them for smudges. When he pushes them up the bridge of his nose, he gives the others an expectant look. "Well, aren't you guys coming?" he badgers impatiently. "They'll be out of pancakes if we don't hurry."

At the mere thought of food, the boys race down the path towards the Mess Hall. Campers loiter outside in groups, mindlessly chatting about the activities they've signed up for. The boys skirt around a group of girls wearing sky blue shirts who giggle as they pass. Remus doesn't pay any attention to them; his focus remains solely on the food awaiting inside.

Remus stacks his plate with two chocolate chip pancakes and a generous drizzling of maple syrup. Thankfully, he makes his way to the table without spilling a drop of his orange juice. Peter sits to his right, placing a napkin over his lap before eating his scrambled eggs.

Remus doesn't realize that he's eaten everything on his plate until an empty fork greets his mouth. He'd been so focused on his food, that he didn't even notice the two girls standing beside their table. Both girls have long, pin straight hair falling to their mid-backs and wear royal purple t-shirts.

"-and this is Lily Evans," the brunette of the two finishes introducing.

Remus glances up at them. Lily Evans stands closest to him; her complexion is similar to his - pale. Freckles dot her cheeks and nose and her eyes are a striking shade of emerald green. Her most notable feature, however, is her vivid auburn hair.

They murmur a greeting of "Hello."

"We're going to sign up for archery later," the brunette says.

James's chest instinctively puffs out. "You know," he begins, "I'm the reigning champion of archery. If you need someone to teach you, Lily, I'd be willing to offer you a free lesson."