"Have you ever tried skipping stones?"

Remus paused with his arm up in the air, a flat white stone clasped in his hand. "Is this not how you do it?" Janus laughed and shook his head.

"It's like this." He explained, grabbing Remus' wrist and bringing his hand down to his torso. "You hold the stone between your thumb and finger." He opened his hand and showed Remus where the stone was supposed to go. "And you stand sideways, like this, and throw the stone kinda sideways, try and get a spin on it. Like this." Janus grabbed a grey pebble from the ground and threw it into the shallows. It skipped three times before sinking to the bottom. "See?"

Remus nodded and tried skipping his stone. It just sank. His shoulders slumped slightly.

"It's okay if you don't get it first try. It takes practice."

"Practice is boring!" Remus exclaimed but still picked up a stone from the ground and tried again. And again. And again. His eyes were dark with concentration and his lips were slightly parted. Janus realised he was staring and looked up at the trees quickly, feeling himself go pink.

"I did it!" Remus yelled, clapping his hands. Janus looked down from the trees as Remus picked up another stone and skipped it once before it sank. He grinned at Remus' excited face.

"That was great, Remus."

Janus looked up as someone ran over to him.

"Thought you'd be here. After the safe tree, obviously." Remus said, sitting next to Janus. Janus looked back at his book and marked his page. "You weren't at school today. What's wrong? It was History today. You never miss History."

Janus sighed and shrugged. "I didn't feel like school today. So I checked in sick and left. Didn't feel like going home, though."

"What's going on, Jan?" Janus' hand went unconsciously to his scars, tracing one underneath his eye. "Jan?"

Janus' icy eyes met Remus' dark pine ones and his hand fell away from his face. "It's nothing."

"It's not." Remus said. Janus tried to drop his eyes but Remus put his hand under Janus' chin, gently tilting his head up. "Don't hide away from me. I want to help you, Jan. But I can't do that if you don't help me. What's going on?"

Janus sighed and pushed Remus' hand away, hugging his knees. "Promise not to tell?"

"Of course not." Remus said quickly. Janus looked at Remus before looking at the river, rippling quietly.

"My dad..." Janus trailed off before swallowing and continuing. "He says that it's my fault mum left. And that my scars are... justice for what I've done." Tears sprang to Janus' eyes and he resisted scrubbing them away only because Remus was there. He didn't need Remus to know how much the words had affected him.

"He what?" Remus' voice was low and angry. He made to get up but Janus' hand shot out, grabbing his arm.

"Don't Rem." Janus said, looking at Remus. "I don't want you hurt."

"I wasn't going to-"

"You were." Janus said, letting go of Remus' arm and looking back at the river. "I know you were. You need to promise me that, no matter what, you won't confront my dad. He's stronger than he looks and I don't want you hurt. I need you to promise me, Rem."

Remus met Janus' gaze and bit his lip.

"Promise me." Janus repeated. Remus sighed and nodded, looking away.

"I promise." Janus didn't smile exactly but his mouth quirked up at the sides and he scootched over to Remus and leant his head against Remus' shoulder. Remus wrapped an arm around Janus' shoulders, holding him close. They sat like that for a while.

Queenie fluff? Just sad? I genuinely don't know.
Bye,
Blaize