The Marauders: Year Five #Wattys2017

The Most Brilliant Camping Adventure In The History of All of Time and Then Some

The Most Brilliant Camping Adventure In The History of All of Time and Then Some

"LOOK AT ME, I'M A STAG! HONNNK! COMING THROUGH!" Sirius ran between the three others, holding broken tree branches up to his head, "LOOK AT ME, I'M PRONGS!"

"My antlers are way more impressive than your sticks, you bloody prat!" called James, looking over as Sirius skipped about the clearing they'd found in the woods, on the edge of a long rolling hill. It was chilly in the failing afternoon sun James was working on getting a fire stoked in a circle of stones they'd collected while Remus and Peter finished putting up the tent.

"He's been 'round your stag a fair time, though, James," Remus laughed. "He knows your honk."

"I don't honk," James argued, looking miffed - or pretending to, at anyrate, "I chortle, there's a difference."

"Sounds like honking to me," whispered Peter, whose eyes were sparkling with happiness at being about his friends again.

Sirius laughed and danced around some more. "HONK HONK I'M A STAG!"

James said, "At least stags don't drool all about like great slobbering gits!"

Remus smirked at Peter and they tied the last corner of the tent down securely and Remus used his wand to magic the stake as far into the ground as it would go. Sirius had given Remus his leather jacket and was prancing about in just an old grey hoodie that he usually wore under the leather when it was especially cold. Remus hugged the jacket closer and sat on one of the logs they'd rolled over by the fire and Peter dove for his bags to dig out some of the food. "I brought frankfurters for us to cook over the fire!" he announced, "And crisps!" Then, with a grin he turned and held out a bar of chocolate to Remus. "And this. I brought it special for you."

"You're a bloody saint, Peter Pettigrew." Remus tore open the package and broke off a big chunk of the chocolate.

"SMELL IT OUT HERE!" Sirius bellowed from a few feet away. He was holding the sticks up still, standing at the crest of the hill, staring away over the valley below with a dreamy expression about his face, "THIS IS WHAT HEAVEN IS LIKE MATES!" He breathed deep the air, "Tree sap, leaves, water, dirt, and frankfurters over a fire."

"And chocolate," Remus said.

"I COULD DIE HAPPY RIGHT NOW!" Sirius yelled, and his words were so loud, they echoed off the trees and mountains away off, far away. "I'M FUCKING ALIIIIIIIIIIIIVE! WE'RE FUCKING ALIVE! WE'RE THE MARAUDERS AND WE'RE FUCKING THE GREATEST LADS IN THE WORLD! THIS IS THE MOST BRILLIANT CAMPING ADVENTURE IN THE HISTORY OF ALL TIME AND THEN SOME!"

James smirked.

"Seriously?" asked Remus, laughing and chucking a bit of the balled up chocolate wrapper at Sirius so that it bounced off his back, "Stop that, you foul thing."

Sirius laughed.

"It wouldn't be a camping adventure without Sirius shouting fuck a few hundred times," James pointed out.

Peter nodded, "Something would be rather missing if Sirius's mouth wasn't so dirty."

Sirius threw his antler-sticks to the fire and sank onto the log beside Remus and pressed his nose to the side of Remus's face as his arm slid 'round his shoulders. "You love it when my mouth is dirty. Don't you Moony?"

"Shut up and warm me up, you useless bit of eyecandy," Remus muttered and he broke a bit of chocolate off and shoved it in Sirius's mouth. "Here. Keep your mouth busy."

Sirius grinned and hugged Remus closer, rubbing his far arm with his palm and chewing the chocolate as Peter gathered four long, study-looking sticks. "Let me see your pocket knife, Padfoot, I'll make these into skewers for the frankfurters." Sirius fished the knife out of his pocket and tossed it to Peter, who pulled out the knife end and started to whittle at the end of the sticks, peeling off the bark and bringing them to a point.