Fic: Hands and Skates

[solidbaby.livejournal.com]

Title: Hands and Skates
Rating: PG (couple of swears)
Author: solidbaby 
Written for: silver_apples 
Prompt: Ice skating lessons
Summary: It should really be easy, but it just isn't.
Notes: Sorry that this is late, there were a few bits that didn't flow so I got into a bit of a tizzy. Anyway, a very Merry Christmas to all, but most espescially silver_apples , I hope that you enjoy this. Oh, and I am one of the people who stand by the barrier at ice rinks, so apologies if the technique in this fic isn't perfect!

‘No. No, Pads, your feet are pointing in the wrong direction. If you point the blades in, you’ll move in. Lift your feet off the ice! Don’t just drag them. Why’re your hands so cold? Pads. Pads, what’re you doing. No, don’t let go of my hand, you’ll fall. You’ll fall! Oh, Merlin…’

‘Shit.’

Sirius can feel the damp spreading through his long coat, jeans and underwear. It’s a rather unpleasant feeling, but he’s not too inclined to stand up and do something about it, knowing that he’d probably just fall over again.

 

His legs are spread out in front of him and his thighs are becoming damp as well. He bends his knees, moves his feet towards his bottom, and resists the temptation to put his ungloved hands out behind him. Ice skates are dangerous, and fingers are worryingly easy to cut off. Or so he’s heard.

 

There was something that appealed to him about learning to ice skate (probably the idea of teeny thin blades and moving reallyreallyfast on them interested the Marauder in him), but the practicalities are hard to get his head around, because putting so much pressure on a thin sliver of metal doesn’t make sense. Unless muggles have suddenly gotten a hold of weak Levitating Charms, so that you don’t actually touch the ice. Now that makes more sense.

 

The most frustrating thing is that James, Peter and Remus all seem quite happy. Peter is standing still by the barrier, chatting up a curly-haired girl who seems to really enjoy grasping onto Peter’s arms every time she ‘falls over’. James is showing off by skating backwards (and reallyreallyfast) and managing to avoid every obstacle, from little kids and the older couples holding hands and skating calmly.

And Remus is standing next to him, looking a bit worried and a lot annoyed.

 

Sirius scowls, feeling a lot annoyed himself. He just doesn’t get this. It’s frustrating that he can’t do it AND he can’t cast a Levitating Charm on himself. There’re too many muggles around. Sirius sets his hands back on the ice when he finds that he can’t balance properly.

 

‘Need a hand?’

Remus’ hands are nicely enclosed in woollen gloves. They’re bright red, and match his cold face and flushed ears. Sirius wonders if his own face is bright red as well, but he doesn’t suppose that it matters too much.

‘Please.’

Remus moves to stand in front of Sirius and puts the toes of his skates to the toes of Sirius’ skates. They clasp hands, and Remus pulls Sirius up.

‘Merlin, Pads, your hands are cold. Why didn’t you do a Warming Charm before we got here?’

Sirius wants to point out that he’d muddled his way to Bayswater from his flat on the Tube, and then promptly ignored the massive signs pointing to ‘Queen’s Ice and Bowl’ (London’s only indoor ice rink! And a bowling alley! It’ll be amazing, Pads. Who cares if you can’t skate yet?). The Warming Charm that he’d cast at home had worn off by the time that James found him in a kebab shop, roughly half an hour after they’d planned to meet.

Sirius shrugs.

‘Fine then. Shall I take you back to the barrier?’

They both look at the barrier. The people there seem to be mostly giggling girls trying to catch boys’ eyes and young kids who look a little scared. Sirius notes that Peter and the girl are now on the other side of the barrier and are waddle walking in their skates to the little café next to the skates rental hatch.

‘No. I want to learn how to skate. Properly.’

Remus offers his hand, but Sirius decides to move off without him. Remus shrugs and skates a little ways away. Sirius starts to stumble, and Remus is back by him without a word. He offers his hand again, and Sirius takes it, mumbling about needing to share some of Remus’ bountiful body heat.

They set off slowly, and Remus manages a few seconds without nagging.

‘No, Pads, you need to look ahead of you. Not at the ice. No, don’t look over there, ahead of you. Dead ahead. Come on!’

Dead ahead of Sirius is a poster of an ice-skating couple laughing hysterically, holding hands and looking generally in love. Sirius looks to his own hand and the rambling Remus attached to it.

‘Why’re you looking at our hands? Look, no one will know. They’ll just think that you’re a seventeen year old who can’t skate. It doesn’t matter. Are you worrying? Don’t worry. Just look ahead!’

Sirius looks ahead. He points his feet out as Remus had instructed earlier and it does start to get a little easier. He still has a death grip on Remus’ arm, though.

He starts to giggle a little bit; it’s a stupid situation to be in. He probably looks manic, but his friends already know that he is. When Remus starts to laugh (ever so slightly nervously), Sirius glances at him, and realises that maybe he’s also generally in love, lack of ice-skating proficiency and all. When he starts to relax, he finds that he’s been skating quite happily for roughly three and a half minutes.

‘Pads! Pads, this is amazing! Well done! Look, even James is watching. I’m so proud of you Sirius.’

Sirius laughs again, properly and triumphantly and feels on top of the world. Holding hands and feeling generally in love.

That is, until he skates into the poster and ends up on his arse again.

‘Shit.’

Comments

[leafyaki.livejournal.com]

Hahaha! Oh this made me laugh so hard! I share Sirius's pain too, I can never manage to skate properly. This: Ice skates are dangerous, and fingers are worryingly easy to cut off. Or so he’s heard. is a sentiment I very much share. *shudders*

Awww, Sirius. I love this: Dead ahead of Sirius is a poster of an ice-skating couple laughing hysterically, holding hands and looking generally in love. Sirius looks to his own hand and the rambling Remus attached to it. How sweet that he automatically looks towards their joined hands! :D

Very heartwarming story, I love it!

[solidbaby.livejournal.com]

Ooo, I hate ice-skating. Love watching, but hate doing. Thank you so much for your lovely comment!

[fullmoon-dreams.livejournal.com]

Poor Sirius. I have the deepest sympathy for him. I am okay on the ice, but roller skates are my own personal nightmare.

I like that James is a show off on the ice - that sounds just like him.

I just loved the little touch about the handholding, Sirius being all self conscious and Remus pointing out that no one will notice them holding hands and automatically assume that they are a couple. Now THAT must be incentive for him to stay on the ice.

[solidbaby.livejournal.com]

Thank you for this lovely comment!

(I hate just about anything involved with balancing, be it roller skates, ice skates of or walking on the floor ^^)

[fullmoon-dreams.livejournal.com]

I am pretty much a klutz on the floor - sprained an ankle every year since I was about eight. I am pretty sure I would do better if I lived on ice skates. ;-)

You're welcome for the comment.

[secretsolitaire.livejournal.com]

Awww, what a charming little slice of their lives. I can totally sympathize with Sirius -- never been ice skating, but I'm a nightmare on skis. ;-)

[solidbaby.livejournal.com]

Thank you ^^ I think I was venting some of my ice skating fears into poor Sirius.

[magnetic-pole.livejournal.com]

What fun! Enjoyed! Maggie

[solidbaby.livejournal.com]

Thank you ^^

[remuslives23.livejournal.com]

Cute! Loved that the most excellent Sirius Black was completely useless at something. Gorgeous.

[solidbaby.livejournal.com]

Cute is what I aimed for ^^ Thank you!

[mysecretashes.livejournal.com]

Adorably funny and sweet! I've never been ice skating before, but I have the feeling I'd be no better than Sirius. :D

[solidbaby.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much ^^

... and you never know, you may find a hidden ice skating talent!

[spacefragments.livejournal.com]

aww, sweet! i want to feel bad for laughing at sirius, but i can't. :D i love how he gets self-conscious at the hand-holding poster (and how the poster is totally true).

[solidbaby.livejournal.com]

Thank you for your gorgeous comment ^^

[lotrwariorgodss.livejournal.com]

Haha, oh Sirius, you're so adorable when you're determined! That should teach him that when you focus on love, things go well. Nice entry!

[solidbaby.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[brighty18.livejournal.com]

LOL! I love the pacing of this small gem! The hsnds and the poster at the end were priceless!

Adorable!!!

[solidbaby.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much ^^ I'm glad that you enjoyed it!

[laroseminuit.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I ice skate every year, and every year it's like I've never seen ice before. So I, too, sympathize with Sirius.
(I'm also reminded of the year my college's hockey team offered ice skating lessons ... it was mostly girls who showed up, but some guys, leading to some hilarious hand-holding)
Loved the whole thing. It was funny and endearing.

[solidbaby.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad that you liked it, thank you!

(I was taught to ice skate by friends who all seem to have natural talent and ice skating/balancing ability. I think that with me, it wasn't so much hilarious hand-holding as deathgripofdoom)

[minnow-53.livejournal.com]

I can't think of a deep or clever comment. I just love this, and really identify with Sirius -- beyond the roughly three and a half minutes of skating, that is!

[solidbaby.livejournal.com]

Clever and deep are overrated. Thanks so much for reading and posting a lovely comment ^^

[starkdependant]

Ahahahaha, how cute!

[solidbaby.livejournal.com]

Yay ^^ Thank you!

[chrliii.livejournal.com]

now I feel like skating and looking generally in love.
Lovely winter loveliness :)

[solidbaby.livejournal.com]

Even though I suck at it, I do kinda want to go ice skating now ^^ Thank you for commenting!

[sleeper6.livejournal.com]

This is so adorable. Love the setting, situation and overall happiness clearly felt by Sirius. :)

[mindabbles.livejournal.com]

Oh, I completely identify with Sirius. I cannot skate to save my life. So cute!

[silver-apples.livejournal.com]

Oh, this is adorable! I love Sirius' reasons for wanting to learn to skate, and Remus' helpful nagging :)

Absolutely lovely. Thank you so much.

[cindergal.livejournal.com]

Hee! Very cute. And I can't skate, either. ;-)

[werewolfsfan.livejournal.com]

What fun I had reading this! I must admit to enjoying the fact that Sirius is the one Marauder who can't ice skate! The image though of Sirius holding hands with his nagging love and generally being on top of the world until he falls on his arse again is what will stay with me.