Friday night poker for the marauders wasn't just a habit, it was a necessity. They played religiously, without fail, every week like clockwork, despite all else that may be transgressing in their lives; this was the one certainty they could count on in a place as unpredictable as Hogwarts.

The only interruption they received to their tradition was the full moon, and as this brought excitement and an opportunity for mischief all of its own, it was not unwelcome.

The four friends were sat round their favourite shabby table, a number of random objects strewn in a haphazard mess over the aged wood, long after everyone else had turned into bed. The dim light from the fire cast shadows across the cards in their hands, though the muggle game itself played only a minor role in their evening. Greater significance was given to the heavy consumption of firewhiskey and the administration of dodgy spells.

The shrieking shack was creepy at this time of night, or would have been without their presence. Desolate and haunted in its exterior, it gave security and confidence to their actions, creating the perfect site for all that they intended to go unnoticed.

James' invisibility cloak was cast to the side, a loyal accomplice to their treachery, awaiting its next use which would not be until the early hours of the following morning when they'd creep back into their own beds invisibly, and therefore unchallenged and unpunished for their nights crimes.

Remus, never being one to hold much alcohol, lay slumped over the table, his eyes bloodshot and weighed down with huge, unattractive bags. He mumbled incoherently as he flicked through his hand of cards, contemplating his next move as though it were a decision that held his very life in the balance.

Peter followed the careful handling of treasured gambling items avidly, after having lost his own place at the table many hours ago, when he failed to keep up with the speed and ruthlessness of the game that fell short of his limited understanding.

It did not take long for his attention to dwindle and he encouraged conversation into something more to his preference.

''It's your turn to make a dare, Sirius,'' he said abruptly as James pulled forwards Remus' favourite quill and Sirius' latest stash of Hogsmeade's best sweet selection, the current round won.

He glanced up as Peter spoke and gave a small smile, knowing instantly what he was referring to.

Peter never failed to remind them of his own personal favourite part of a Friday evening. Watching them take part in some of the most outrageous, daring stunts would have him wetting his pants for a month.

Looking up at the handsome young wizard he whined, ''Go on... Remus made one last week…''

''Fine,'' Sirius answered shortly, casually taking a long draw from his cigarette, which held a lot more than cheap tobacco. ''Go run around outside stark naked with your pants on your head, Wormtail, and see how many people you can wake up.''

Remus and James sniggered while Peter flushed and scowled at Sirius.

''Ok, ok…'' Sirius grinned, a mischievous glint in his eye as he thought about it more seriously. ''James…'' he said finally, turning to his friend and taking the cards he offered, ''I dare you to kiss the ugliest girl in school.''

''What?'' James laughed, making a face. ''Whatever, Padfoot. You can do better than that.''

''No, I think he's got a good idea,'' Remus slurred, brightening up, ''It's safe. No trouble. We can do it tomorrow when we're all more...'' He hiccupped loudly and winced, ''sober...''

The others shared a smirk as Remus clutched at his stomach, a grimace on his face.

''You're the only one here who can't hold his alcohol, Mooney,'' James informed him, amused.

''Peter can't either-'' Remus begun, clearly protesting but Sirius cut across him.

''Ah, but Wormtail doesn't drink. He knows his limits, unlike you who refuses to admit that you're a lightweight.''

Remus attempted to scowl, but it came out more of a pained expression and he quickly gave up. ''I thought we were doing dares. Leave my mental state out of this,'' he grumbled, one arm still protectively held round his unsettled stomach.

''Hm...'' James laid his cards to the side and yawned widely with a glance at his watch. ''It's still early... What do you say Sirius? Up for doing something?''

''If you are,'' Sirius answered lightly, ''but I already made my dare.''

James rolled his eyes but the dare was insisted upon.

''Mooney had a point about our record. I hate to say it, but I don't think we can afford to pull anything too major until things have calmed down a bit again. I say we pass this week with a less destructive dare.''

''Go on, this could be funny,'' Remus encouraged, pulling himself into a proper sitting position, and hesitating for a moment while he waited for his vision to become clearer. ''Let's do Sirius' dare, James. We all know how much you love kissing.''

''There's a big difference between kissing a proper chick and kissing a...''

''Hen?'' Remus prompted, giving James a serious nod. ''I see what you mean. I once kissed a sheep and that was not a pleasant experience at all...''

Peter laughed loudly but the other two merely shook their heads with a sigh.

Sirius lunged forwards as Remus pulled yet another bottle into his lap. ''When are you going to learn, Moony? Just stick to water. This is cute and everything, but you'll regret it in the morning. You always do. I swear you're a different person when you-''

''Shut up,'' Remus moaned, massaging his temples and removing the liquor from Sirius' reach. ''I'm trying not to think about it.''

Sirius rolled his eyes in exasperation, turning back to James. ''So...''

''I'm not doing it,'' James retorted, shaking his head. ''I have a reputation you know.''

''Come on, James... No one has to see, just us. And the sheep of course,'' Remus persisted, ''but hang on... How about we change it to the ugliest guy in school? Yeah, Sirius? Far more exciting.''

Looks of pure disgust fell onto the faces of the other three at these words. Remus was legend when he was drunk, he really was, but sometimes he went too far. The pleasant, charming, cultured young man disappeared under the first bottle of the fiery liquid, to be substituted by his wicked double - admittedly the more fun, yet dangerous of the two.

''No way am I kissing Severus Snape!'' James cried immediately, nose wrinkling at the very thought. He snatched the bottle from Remus and threw it into the bin in the corner of the room, ignoring his protests.

''Yeah, Mooney that's going a bit far,'' Sirius agreed, not arguing the first person that came to James' mind was by far the ugliest guy he'd ever seen. ''No one in their right mind would touch that grease ball.''

''Not even one simple kiss?'' Remus looked between the two, taunting them. ''Really that bad, James? You never know you may like it…'' he teased.

James scoffed.

''Or we could change it to animals?'' Remus suggested brightly and gaped at his friends, confused as they fell silent.

''I worry about you sometimes, Mooney. Is there something you want to tell us? Hmm?'' Sirius nudged him with his foot and Remus swayed dangerously, ''What have you been getting up to without us on full moon?''

''I think you could do it!'' Peter exclaimed, turning to James and away from the more disturbing conversation of the other two, desperate to be involved. ''Kiss Snape. You really could.''

''Come to think of it…'' Sirius said, leaning back on his elbows and looking totally relaxed and effortlessly handsome as he eyed James, ''this could be fun... But let's say we up the stakes a little. Make it a real dare. Kissing, on its own, is boring.''

James rose his eyebrows at his friend, curious to what crazy idea he'd come up with this time.

Sirius thought for a moment then said slyly, ''why don't you get Snape to... fall in love with you?''

James looked at his wide eyed eager expression and couldn't help but burst out laughing. ''Merlin, Padfoot. Where did that come from?''

He looked at Remus for support, but he too was looking interested and he let out another short laugh.

''Like that would ever happen,'' he said, ''come on guys, be serious. Me and Snape, yeah I can really see that happening...''

''You could do it,'' Sirius said, suddenly serious. ''No, in fact I bet you could do it-''

''Sirius…'' James sighed. He couldn't possibly be serious. ''You're mad.''

''No…'' Sirius argued. ''Think about it, James. Just... think about it…'' His eyes grew distant and dreamy look came over his face. ''The possibilities... He'd do anything you wanted...''

Sirius continued to stare at him with that same glee in his eye, full of resolve. James shook his head again with more conviction and cast around for a distraction, but Sirius was not to be deterred.

''At least think about it,'' he begged.

James closed his eyes and tried to think but it was almost impossible to achieve complete concentration when the level of alcohol in his system was beginning to have an effect.

''I can't,'' he stated bluntly. ''I won't do it. No way.''

Sirius raised both his eyebrows at him. ''Giving up on a dare, James? I thought you'd do anything.''

''I...This is not...I don't...Sirius, it would involve me spending a lot of time with the git,'' James said finally, keeping his voice stern in an attempt to make his friends see reason, ''something I really don't want to be doing thanks. Plus,'' he held up a finger as Sirius started to interrupt, ''it would do serious damage to my street cred! I'll be the laughing stock of school hanging about with that miserable little-''

''Not if we play this carefully,'' Sirius interrupted him, sitting up, eyes holding that mad glint it sometimes did when he was taken with a reckless idea. ''You wouldn't have to be seen. Explain to him that you want to keep your relationship secret. No one will have to know…not until…''

''Until when?'' James asked warily. ''Sirius, I don't know about this-''

''The Ball!'' Remus suddenly cried, jumping slightly from his chair, his eyes unfocused. ''Do it at the Ball!''

Sirius face alighted in pure glee at that. ''Yes, yes, yes!'' He got to his feet and beamed down at James in determination. ''Yes, James. This will be brilliant!''

James cringed, unconvinced. ''Guys-''

''This'll be the biggest, greatest prank ever pulled by the marauders!'' Sirius continued passionately, pacing up and down the small room, floorboards creaking as he went.

''Ha! Get him to fall for you, take him to the Ball as your date and humiliate the pants off him! Turn up with a girlfriend or something... Make him declare his undying love for you in front of everyone and then just throw it back in his face. Come on, James. We'll show that snake who's bottom of the pile once and for all! They'll be talking about this one for years.''

''Don't you think this is taking things a little too far?'' James asked, ruffling his hand through his hair subconsciously, trying to make it all seem more plausible. ''I mean, I know he's a scumbag, but falling in love. That's some serious shit.''

''Exactly,'' Sirius smirked, ''and only you could pull it off. We'll help you with it. Come on, James…'' he insisted. ''You'll be famous for this. Every kid in Hogwarts will worship you.''

James couldn't deny that this sounded appealing. And Snape's face, he could see it now, completely crestfallen, distraught after having dared to believe that he James Potter, quidditch Captain, popular and top of the class could possibly love him!

That image stuck in his mind: Snape on his knees at his feet, a look of complete desperation and distress on his hideous face… James took a large gulp of firewhiskey and felt his head spin.

All sense of reason that remained was slowly ebbing into complete and utter recklessness.

His mouth tilted into a small, twisted smile.

''Alright,'' he said slowly, ''I'll do it. I'll make him fall in love with me.''

Sirius beamed. ''And at the Ball…?''

''We'll fuck him up,'' Peter shouted sickeningly, clapping his hands together. ''When's the Ball?''

''One month,'' James said, looking hard at Sirius. ''It ends the school year... That gives me four weeks to get him. But I still don-''

''We should make it final,'' Remus said standing up to join them. Stumbling slightly, he grasped onto James's sleeve to steady himself. ''So that you can't pull out…and if you fail, then-''

''Then I lose,'' he said simply. ''If I can't even make a greasy git like Snape fall in love, then what does that make me? That'll be punishment enough, trust me.''

''Nevertheless,'' said Sirius, clearing the table with his arm and pulling up a chair. ''We need to make a pact. We need to be tied to this bet or I know what will happen. You'll cave. And this has to be secret. No one can know. Not until the end or it will never work.''

''The Unbreakable Vow…'' whispered Remus, ''that's what we need, and then you really can't fail!''

''The vow?'' Peter looked between them in wonder.

''You're going to have to promise to do this,'' Remus ignored him, slurring slightly on his words but determined all the same to complete his sentence. ''If you don't make him fall in love with you, then it's broken and you die. That's the bet.''

Sirius was busy scribbling the terms on a piece of stray parchment. James watched, feeling his adrenaline mount, despite his initial horrors. The mood was infectious.

''But Remus, that's dark magic. You couldn't possibly...'' he thought suddenly as the reality of the situation began to dawn on him.

Remus merely waved a hand dismissively. ''You'd be surprised what I could do,'' he said. ''Come here. Both of you.''

Struck by a sudden impulsiveness and an arrogance that was common nature to him, James held out his hand without hesitation as Sirius signed the parchment.

''Do it,'' he said firmly, a dull ache at the back of his head that alerted him to the fact that he'd have a very painful hangover tomorrow morning.

Sirius clasped his hand in his, and with Remus as their witness, they made the vow.

Peter, uncontrollably excited by the whole affair, bounced around them like a small child on his birthday. The alcohol in their system soon overtook any desire for further speech and scheming, however, sending them into a hazy slumber as dawn approached.