Chapter seven: Lost, Dazed and Horribly Drunk
James
My new living arrangements were far from ideal. It had been four days and Jupiter and her million and one suitcases were extending their welcome.
It was like I had been trapped under water for a long time, unable to breath and I was taking those first few breathes. And no I am not exaggerating. It's what it feels like. For the first time in days, our room is woman-free. I never thought I would be glad to see the back of a girl before – especially girls like Reb and Jupiter, who I admit, are a nice site to have around.
I was glad Padfoot had planned to spend the day with us, meaning Moony and myself. Worm was still trying to find himself a lady friend. Moony, well, he as well ought to be dead. And I'm not exaggerating again. He saunters around the room, looking like a ghost, clothes hanging off him, hair about as messy as mine, muttering madly about nothing in particular. Not just for his sake, but also for mine, I had to make him see sense.
"Moony!" Sirius whined from the kitchen. "How do you work this?"
I spun around to see Sirius pointing to what I think is a microwave – or maybe the dishwasher. Stupid muggle machines – I'm never going to remember what is what. Wands are so much easier.
"Ask someone else to tell you," Moony muttered from the couch, not bother to look up. "And may I remind you that you have a wand?"
"I've lost it," Padfoot replied grumpily. Typical. The state his room is in it's a wonder he can find his bed. "And who else can I ask? Prongs is about as useless as me!"
"Hey! At least I can use the…I want to say washing machine…well the clothing clean thing without making millions of soap bubbles coming out of it!" I said in my defence. Padfoot and I had been sent to the laundry to wash clothes – that smelt of rotten cheese, and Padfoot had done something to his washing machine to make bubbles come out of it. Idiot.
"Ask Rach… Lily… anyone!" Moony said sulkily.
"I'm not asking her for help!" Padfoot barked. I wondered if Padfoot was trying to set a new record – how long he could go without talking to Rach. I had been meaning to ask him why he had suddenly stopped his favourite hobby of tormenting and teasing the crazy blonde next door.
"Don't worry about it, I'll starve!" Padfoot said, angrily throwing a bowl with something in it onto the bench.
Remus sighed heavily before reluctantly getting up to help Sirius, who beamed.
"It's called a microwave, Padfoot." Remus muttered sounding tired. Full moon was in four days. I had no idea where we were going to transform. I had heard Moony mention something about it earlier. Something about a forest a couple of minutes away.
"A what?" Sirius asked.
"M-i-c-r-o-w-a-v-e," Remus said slowly. "First you open the door, like this."
And so it began. I wondered how Moony had to patients to teach Padfoot about the muggle life. I tried not to laugh as Padfoot aimlessly pressed about ten buttons on the microwave, confused. It wasn't until the microwave started to have thick smoke clouds coming from under it, did I crack up laughing completely.
Sirius stepped away from the microwave that had thick layers of smoke surrounding it.
"Padfoot, you fool!" Remus yelled flapping a towel at the microwave to stop it smoking.
Sirius smiled shamefacedly as Remus scowled at him.
"Don't touch it ever again, unless you want to burn the whole resort down!" Remus yelled resting the towel over his shoulder once the smoke had cleared.
"Prongs, it's not funny!" Moony said grumpily as he sat down next to me, soot covering most of his face, while Padfoot came away from the microwave untouched.
"Lighten up." I said.
"Lighten up?" Moony asked sulkily. "Full moon is in four days. I can't have the girl I want because there's a monster living inside me. A girl with enough baggage for a small army is living with us. The microwave has blown up – and you tell me to lighten up?"
"Lighten up." Padfoot muttered sarcastically under his breath.
Ignoring Padfoot, who was trying to open a packet of crisps, I tried to think of something comforting to say to Remus. Comforting wasn't exactly my best skill – and when I do try it, I end up cracking some lame joke that no one finds funny.
"Go talk to her." I ordered. I honestly couldn't think of anything else to say. Ok, so it came out blunt – extremely blunt, but at least this way the message might get through.
"What's the point? She'll reject me as soon as she finds out what…what I…am."
"I didn't say you have to tell her straight away." I said.
"She'll reject me anyway." Moony moaned.
"She will with that attitude! Padfoot said between mouthfuls of crisps. "You've just got to get over it and tell her. Who cares if she pretends you're part of the wall? At least you won't die not knowing how she feels. Ignoring the problem isn't going to make it better!"
"That's a bit rich coming from you," Moony muttered. "I'm not the one who hasn't talked to Rach for, like, is it five days now?"
"Don't change the subject!" Padfoot replied quickly. Padfoot sent me a small wink. I nodded in reply. Then before Moony knew it, Padfoot and I were dragging him out of the door.
"Your not coming back in until you've talked to Brit!" I said closing the door on Remus, leaving him alone in the corridor.
Remus
If I had my wand, I would have surely hit them with something for locking me out. I wasn't in the right mind to confront Brit. I had been hiding away, feeling guilty for four days. I was defiantly not fit for talking to a broken hearted girl.
I knew I had hurt her, maybe too much so for her to forgive me. I didn't know what I was getting myself into – dating a girl. I had caused enough damage all ready.
Knowing I would regret it later, I banged my fists hard on the girl's door. I stopped after three bangs – my knuckles were going white. I heard chairs scrape against concrete and muffled voices. Those girls sure did know how to keep a guy in suspense. I heard Rach call out something over the babble, it sounded like, "If that's Sirius, tell him I'm not here!"
Finally the door opened. I tried to smile at Lily as she ushered me into the room, but my lips seemed to be stuck in a wonky position.
"Tell me you're here to talk to her." Lily hissed, closing the door behind me.
I nodded slowly, taking a deep breath, feeling extremely dizzy. I had never asked a girl out before – well not properly anyway. It normally just seemed to happen. Padfoot would set me up with some girl. All the relationships (if you can call making out in broomstick cupboards a relationship) had never lasted more than a month.
Lily smiled warmly at me, having some idea how hard this is for me. I was surprised she wasn't hitting me with wooden spoon like one of those evil women in stories.
Lily led me further into the living room. I could see Rach, Keira and Brit lounging on the balcony chairs, talking quietly.
"Who is it, Lily?" Yelled Brit from the balcony. I'm sure if she had bothered to look around she would've jumped 50 meters into the air, sending her chair flying.
"Someone to see you." Lily replied, walking onto the balcony. I stayed where I was.
Brit's head spun around like a globe. I kept eye contact with her, my eyes boring into hers, refusing to look away. I was positive I saw a small smile dance across her lips. If I was right, she was doing a great job at hiding it now. I tried to position my lips so they weren't askew, but it just wasn't working for me.
"I was…well, I was…wondering if we could…maybe…if we could talk?" I asked, stuttering so badly it was a wonder she stood up and sauntered over to me.
She looked tired, like she hadn't slept for days. Almost like me, right after a full moon. But even with her hair dangling messily at her shoulders, clothes hanging off her she looked gorgeous. Nothing similar can be said for me after a full moon.
"Hi." I murmured softly as she came closer.
I saw the same small smile flicker on her lips for a few seconds – just long enough for me to see it – then it was gone.
"Hey." She replied.
I nodded to the door, hinting we go somewhere more private. Even though I wasn't looking, I could tell Keira, Rach and Lily were looking at us, no doubt Rach with her typical, oh-that's-so-cute look plastered on her face.
Brit nodded and followed me to the door. I opened it up, letting her walk past first. The walk down the stairs seemed to take forever. We walked in silence; only the occasional tapping of our sandals against the wooden stairs could be heard.
As soon as we got outside, I burst into an explanation. The time it took to walk down the stairs had given me more than enough time to think things through. Prongs was right – I didn't have to tell her straight away.
"Look," I began uncertainly. "I screwed up. That night, at the pool, I screwed up. I messed things up so bad, there's probably not even a small chance of forgiveness. I made you look like an idiot; I made myself look like an idiot –"
"If you're hear to tell me that things are too difficult and complicated and complex, I don't want to here it." Brit interjected.
"No, no. Brit…I like you. Ok…I really like you. And it's been killing me. And I know I'm looking like an idiot now – trying to make you forgive me, but I just thought you should know…how I feel." Again, I was stumbling worse than ever. My tongue felt knotted.
"What?" Brit whispered.
"Please don't make me say it again." I begged, smiling a little.
"No, no, I heard you Mr. Lupin," Brit murmured suddenly her expression changing, taking a step closer to me so we're touching. "I heard you perfectly." She inched closer, gently wrapping her arms around my neck, pulling me down.
It was all happening so fast, I didn't know what to do. I breathed heavily against her face, calming myself down, hoping like hell my breath didn't smell like rotten cheese. I wrapped my arms around Brit's waist, pulling her even closer so our bodies were pressed hard together. My eyes flickered shut as I kissed her.
I felt like I had been levitated off the ground as I continued to kiss Brit. Her arms around my neck tightened as I started to kiss harder.
Gasping for breath, we both pulled away.
"Wow," I breathed heavily. "So, I'm forgiven?"
"I guess you are." Brit said as she linked her arm around mine, leading me in the direction of the beach.
Rachel
Not knowing if I was feeling sane enough to do what I was planning, I doubtfully stood outside The Marauders door, tossing whether to open the door or not, going through what I might lose and gain if I did.
I hated it. It was that simple.
I had always been paranoid. Almost as much as Keira, which is saying something. But this, this fear that I was feeling, not knowing if I had done something wrong or said something to offend the man I like to call my friend, was almost literally eating me up inside like some crazy man-eating insect.
Without running it past my more sensible and somewhat normal friends who are in a more stable mind than myself, I had walked out of our room, at the time determined to finally speak to Sirius, who had been neglecting me for now five days. Or was I neglecting him? Well whatever.
Taking a deep breath and running a strong hand down my knee length skirt, flattening it ever so slightly, I bravely opened The Marauders door, waltzing into their room without bothering to knock.
Sirius and James were leaning back on the two sofas, eating. Typical. Their room was far from suitable. It smelt like burnt popcorn and scattered across the floor was millions beyond millions of chocolate, chip and sweet rappers. As well as makeup, I guessed was Jupiter's – unless The Marauders had a thing for peach flavoured gloss.
"Hey." I said casually walking over to Sirius's couch, sprawling myself out so I was half on top of him, my head resting on his chest. I reached out for his huge bowl of chips, managing to get a small handful before he yanked them out of my grasp. I gave him a sceptic look as he teased me with the chips.
"There mine!" Sirius said raising the bowl above my head. I knew it was pathetic trying to get the chips. I actually wasn't interested in the chips at all – they were onion flavour, in other words, gross! But still, I enjoyed acting like a five-year-old kid, fighting over the sandpit
"Ge'off me you elephant!" Sirius laughed playfully, placing the chip bowl on the ground.
I relaxed, my muscle's loosening as I rested my head on Sirius's firm chest, the top half of my body lazily sprawled out on top of him. Shocks went through me like lightening bolts as I moved my hands to Sirius's upper chest, lightly tracing patterns on him, immensely enjoying the feeling of being on top of him. Sounds sick? Well too bad, I liked it. My eyes fluttered shut as I continued to rest my head on his heart, feeling the steady beat.
"What are you doing?" Sirius asked me, laughing lightly as he ran his fingers through my hair, unknotting the little tangles in my dark blonde mop.
Oh I just like lying like this because it turns me on and makes me want to kiss you all over. I thought of saying.
No. That was not an option.
"I'm listening to your heart." I said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Are you on something?" Sirius asked slowly, lifting my face up so I met his soft grey eyes.
Just your love I thought again.
No. That was not the correct answer.
"No, no. I just haven't seen you for ages." I said, making it out to be not such a big deal, when really it was like, do or die.
"Aw! Does Rach want a hug?" Sirius teased, tightly wrapping his arms around me, cradling me like a baby. "So what brings you here?" He continued.
"Just got some news." I said casually, letting go of Sirius, lying on top of him again.
"Go on, missy, spill." Sirius said putting an arm around my shoulders again, messing up my hair so it looked like a birds nest, tracing patterns on my shoulder with his spare hand.
"I'll leave you guys alone." James said, uncomfortably, getting up and walking swiftly to the door. Before I had a chance to tell him he didn't have to go, he was gone.
"I heard something last night." I began.
"Go on." Sirius said encouragingly.
"Do you know someone called Julian?" I asked, cringing.
"No," Sirius replied, confused. "What a horrible name though!"
Yes, yes, I couldn't agree more. Stupid French and their stupid fancy names.
I didn't know anyway around it. I had to just spit out what I thought.
"Jupiter is hiding something!" I blurted. "She was talking to someone last night called Julian, asking for money!"
"And you know how?" Sirius questioned, his bubby, light tone suddenly changing.
My neutral expression vanished and I frowned slightly. "I kind of… overheard."
"Spying?" Sirius asked removing his arm from around me.
"No, I just overheard."
"It's none of your business." Sirius said getting up from the couch, probably wanting to get as far away as possible from me, making me out to be some mad woman, which in fact, isn't too far away from being accurate. My head flopped down to the seat, cranking my neck.
I rubbed my neck, sitting up.
"I was looking out for you!" I yelled angrily, still nursing my neck.
"Well don't," Sirius said opening the door. He wasn't going to get rid of me that easily. Oh no, stubborn I am. I will not be forced out.
She is trying really hard to fit in and all you do is make it harder for her!" Sirius exclaimed, once noticing I wasn't about to move myself from his couch.
I gave him another one of my sceptic expressions, eyeing him up and down slowly as he leaned against the doorframe, his own greyish eyes looking back at me as I sat upright on the couch, grimacing.
After what seemed like decades, I stood up, refusing to let him get to me like he wanted to. Before walking towards the door, I bent down, digging into Sirius's chip bowl, managing to get a large handful of chips. Clutching the chips in my hand I strutted towards Sirius, my strides getting longer as I approached.
Abruptly I stopped right in front of the taller, dark boy. Unlike most, who have to crank their neck to meet his handsome face, I barely had to look up. Still scowling, I shoved the chips into his chest, making sure they crumbled against him, making a huge mess on the floor. I raised my hands above his head, sprinkling the stray crumbs over his shaggy hair, now grinning satisfactorily as they fell into his hair and into his face.
Without another word, I stormed out, slamming the door shut behind me with a loud bang. The thin ice that I had been skating on was now about to break.
Lily
I was thinking of taking a leaf out of Brit's book and start thinking of some goals. Practical and sensible goals. Because I tell you, the dream I have at the moment has about as much chance of coming true as Rach stops being clumsy. My eyes, which were tired of looking for a boy, had now stopped searching completely.
My slightly saner friend was now never seen without Remus, which was cute when I really put all the jealousy I have in the back of my head.
If possible, Rach was more annoyed than me. She had come storming back into our room after her talk with Sirius, swearing to blast him into the middle of next week; I guessed things hadn't gone well. She had spent 30 minutes going on and on like a broken record about how pigheaded, arrogant, rude, obnoxious…son of a…well you get the message.
I shuffled my feet on the ground impatiently, my flat sandals rubbing against the concrete. It was late on Saturday night and James had invited…no ordered us all to a party with him and Reb.
Reluctantly and only because Black or Jupiter weren't going, Brit and I had managed to drag Keira and Rach out with us. We stood out by the resort entrance, dressed in party clothes…or in Keira's case, skimpy party clothes. James had told us to meet him here. He was late, but we had no choice but to wait for him because none of us knew where this party was.
"What time was he supposed to be here?" Keira asked me. "I'm freezing!"
I sighed. She was only wearing a short denim skirt and a while halter. Of course she's cold. It's her fault. I told her to take a jersey – did she listen? No. She told me I sounded like her mother – which, now looking back was probably true
"9:00," I said. "Oh look, here they come."
I squinted my eyes to see not only James and Reb but also what looked like a small tribe. James had brought luggage.
"No one told me he was coming!" Rach hissed from next to me.
"It's news to me too." I muttered as James and his tribe came closer.
"I'm not going!" Rach said turning around.
"What do you mean your not going?" Keira hissed.
"Sirius told me to butt out, that's what I'm doing!" Rach said stubbornly, as she began to walk off.
"And when have you ever taken him seriously?" I asked.
Rach waved her hand in defeat, quickening her pace.
"She can't just go!" Brit said flattening her skirt, hoping Remus wouldn't notice she didn't iron it.
"She just has." Keira laughed.
"Shh." I hissed as James approached us looking almost decent in a pair of dark pants and button up shirt, his hair relatively flat.
"Sorry we're late, ladies," He said giving us each a charming smile. "Miss Lady Muck over there couldn't decide what to wear." He said turning his head in Jupiter's direction.
"It's fine." I said smiling slightly at James.
"Someone's missing." Peter said, looking at each of us.
"Rach," Keira answered, rolling her eyes. "You scared her off." She said, turning to Sirius who shrugged.
Sirius merrily shrugged, silently telling us he didn't give two hoots.
"So where is this party anyway?" I asked changing the subject.
"Follow me!" James said taking Reb's hand, leading us all down the street.
With Sirius's constant loud yahooing and Jupiter's high-pitched laughs every time he yelled like some kind of animal, I was surprised we didn't have half the street awake.
My feet were beginning to kill me. I walked with Peter, feeling alone. Keira was with Jupiter and Sirius, 'talking'. Brit and Remus were walking behind me, arms draped around each other. I didn't bother to turn around and look at them. James and Reb were up front. I only had Peter for company. He wasn't that great to talk to, either.
Rachel
Awkwardly, because Keira had insisted I wear shoes so high I may as well should be walking on stilts, I headed back to the resort, walking along the familiar concrete path, squinting my eyes because I had forgotten my sunglasses.
He had won.
He had, without even trying ruined my night out. All he has to do is show his ugly, -ew-I-want-to-beat-the-hell-out-of face and BANG, I'm running away from him faster than you can say, 'she's indenial.' Because, frankly, anyone who says that, is correct. He had made it perfectly clear that I'm about as nosey as Keira and I really had to learn to butt out of his life, so that was fine with me.
Who needs guys anyway?
Oh gosh. I need guys! They don't call me obsessed for nothing. Typically, unable to hold my curiously, I needed to do some more snooping.
Instead of turning left into my room, I went right, into the marauders apartment.
It still smelt of burnt popcorn, now with the disgusting smell of strong flavored cheese. Stupid boys. Have they ever heard of cleaning? I tried to inhale as little as possible as I walked in, not sure what I was looking for. I wanted to find something…anything interesting that concerned Jupiter.
I felt like I was some bad robber. I tiptoed down the corridor, making sure I didn't touch anything incase Sirius decided to get an investigator in to look for handprints. Trying not to get myself would up; I walked into Sirius's room.
His room if possible, smelt even worse. Jupiter's stuff lay everywhere on the ground. I climbed on top of Sirius's unmade bed, standing on top of Jupiter's suitcases, not caring that I put a dent right in the middle of one of them. I crawled right across Sirius's bed, over to his bedside table.
I opened the top draw. Apart his wand and an old looking leather bound book, there was nothing there. I carefully took out the leather book, lightly blowing the top of it, removing the dust. I flicked it open to the first page, realizing the mysterious book was indeed a photo album.
Knowing in the back of my head that this was none of my business, I continued looking through Sirius's photo album, the memories of my younger years at Hogwarts returning to me. I continued flicking through, pausing at the more entertaining ones involving Snape being dipped into the lake by James. Finally, I found what I had been looking for. Near the end of the book, was a picture of Sirius and I.
Yes, okay, it was right at the back, and covered in so much dust I could just make out Sirius's black mop, but it was still in his album! Even if it was surrounded by crossed out pictures of his family.
I brushed my finger over the photo of Sirius and I that had been taken at the end of fifth year. Sirius had his arm draped carelessly around my waist, while his spare arm was raised, waving frantically at the camera, a huge smile on his lips.
I carefully removed the photo from the covering and pocketed it. Oh thief, stalker and now stealer. Heck, I'm on a roll here! I closed the photo album and put it back where I had found it, making sure I put it back in the exact place, not wanting Sirius to find out I had been muddling through is personal stuff. I took one last look around - nothing else was there.
I walked back out of Sirius's smelly room, rubbing my hand over my pocket where the photo lay. I entered the main living room, looking aimlessly around.
I was just about to leave and give up all hope when I spotted something. Sitting by the phone was a piece of paper with a number on it. The number was written in girly writing – that had to be Jupiter's, unless one of the boys liked drawing little hearts around the number.
I grabbed the nearest pen and scribbled down the number, wondering if it could answer some of my questions.
I exited the room with the number neatly written on a scrap piece of paper. I would ring this mysterious person tomorrow morning; hopefully I will get some answers.
Lily
The party was less than great. Although everyone else looked to be having a good time. It was a party in the park. Live music, free food and drink (much to Sirius's pleasure who spent half his time drowning shots), I just felt lonely.
Drowning alcohol miserably, I watched a couple near me dance to the slow song that was playing, wishing my bottle of muggle alcohol would suddenly turn into a handsome man who would take me dancing. Not that I could dance anyway. Truth me told, I couldn't dance at all.
Finishing the last of my drink, I wanted to get out of the party. Just as I was about to stand up, I saw James emerge from the crowd, head sweaty.
"Don't suppose you want to dance?" He asked.
Slightly taken aback by his offer, I stumbled.
"Oh…no, I don't dance." I lied.
"Oh c'mon! Anyone can dance!" James replied.
"Oh no, not me!" I lied again.
James rolled his eyes at me, ignoring my I-can't-dance attitude. He took a step closer towards me. Then, being much stronger, he somehow lifted me up from my stool, taking a firm hold of my hand and leading me out towards the dance floor. Really, if I weren't so drunk, I would've put up more of a fight.
James wrapped his arms around my waist, encouraging me to move closer to him. Trying not to look too reluctant, I rested my arms around James's neck, swaying in time to the music, moving faster as the beat picked up.
I was dancing! I was actually dancing!
"I'm doing it!" I yelled excitingly, forgetting the fact that I hadn't told James my little secret that I danced about as elegantly as an elephant. "I'm dancing!" I said, amazed.
James looked down at my beaming face, returning the smile.
"Yes, yes you are," He muttered. "But um, Lily, you're standing on my feet."
Feeling myself turn insanely red, I looked down at my feet, which were indeed, on James's. I was surprised he hadn't screamed in agony. Slowly, I stepped off him, embarrassed.
"Sorry." I said, cranking my neck slightly to look up at him.
James smiled slightly, keeping his typical laugher inside of him. I looked suspiciously up at him, wondering why he wasn't laughing his head off like some crazy monkey. Wow, he must be as drunk as me.
R & R.
