Chapter 10: New Year's Resolutions

AN: Ooh, thanks for the reviews, all!

SPOV

"Padfoot, what are you doing?" James's voice interrupted my moping. I lifted my head off the dining table and saw him standing in the doorway, looking at me with a strange face.

"Contemplating the reason for my miserable existence," I replied without any enthusiasm. "Oh, and figuring out how to cause Remus Lupin as much harm as I possibly can."

James rolled his eyes. "What did the wolf do this time?"

"He kissed Olivia," I growled. "She just told me upstairs. It was in October in the Room of Requirement. You know, when he told us nothing was going on between them." I gripped the edges of the table to stop myself from breaking anything.

"Seriously?" he asked, looked surprised. "I always thought Moony would wait for Claire to hook up with someone. I guess I owe Peter 5 sickles…"

"Prongs! Can you please pay attention for more than five seconds, which I know is hard to do when your brain is the size of a pea."

"Hey, I resent that. I'll have you know I am one of the top students in our year."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Can we not ignore the fact that Remus, who is supposed to be one of my closest friends, came on to Olivia and made out with her? Can we not forget that I still have feelings for her?"

"Do you?" James asked. "You haven't been acting like it over the past four months. Every time you see her, you either ignore her, make a snide remark, or snog whatever chick you're banging that week. It seems to me that Remus had every right to kiss her. You were making no efforts to get back with her, and she was sad, lonely, and willing."

"Whose side are you on?" I thundered, jumping to my feet and glaring down at my best friend.

"Calm down, Padfoot. I think you're getting worked up over nothing. I mean, they're not together now, are they?"

"…no. Remus is in love with Claire, and Olivia is…"

"Olivia is what?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

I sighed. "She's in love with me."

"What are you doing down here?" he asked suddenly. "Get up there and make up with her! Kiss her and have the best make up sex of your life!"

"I can't," I said quietly.

"And why the hell not?"

"Because I was a jerk and called her a whore."

"Padfoot," James said, shaking his head. "You may be good looking, but you have a lot to learn about women. For someone who is supposedly smart, you can be real dense at times."

"What?"

"You never call the girl you love a whore. I mean, that's like basic manners. Didn't your mother ever teach you that?"

"The only things my mother ever taught me were to abuse house elves and worship Voldemort."

"Oh, right. Sorry mate, I forgot."

"It's okay," I said, sitting back down at the table. "I mean, I'm not living with her anymore, so I don't have to put up with her ridiculous Pure-blood mania." James was about to say something, but he was interrupted by the arrival of his parents.

"Hello, boys," Mrs. Potter said, taking a seat next to me. Mr. Potter sat on the other side of the table next to James.

"Hey, Mum. What's going on? What happened with Olivia, and who's that guy with her? I know I've seen him somewhere before."

"James, I can't tell you anything right now. All I can tell you is that Olivia's parents were killed last night, so she's going to be staying with us for a little bit."

"Really?" I asked. That was news to me.

"Really, so you better stop this ridiculous grudge you're holding against her. It needs to stop or so help me, I will kick you out and make you go back to Wallaburga!"

"You…you wouldn't!" I gasped.

"Oh, I would. Now start acting like a gentleman or you're going to find yourself on the streets. Now, who wants lunch?"

***

Over the next few days, I was put to work by Mrs. Potter to prepare the house for the big New Year's party the Potter's threw every year. Lily had arrived the day after Christmas, and every moment she wasn't with James, she was with Olivia.

After hanging what felt like the 500th wreath, Mrs. Potter let me have a break. I walked towards the kitchen to grab something to eat, but it was already occupied. Olivia and her friend, the older guy I had rescued from her house, were hunched over the kitchen table, arguing about something. I hung back in the hallway, trying to listen in.

"…I don't see why you won't let me go," she was saying.

"Miss Parker, you know exactly why! It's an unnecessary risk. He is going to have people there looking for you. Do you really think your parents would have wanted you to be taken when they gave their lives for your safety?"

"No," she sighed, resting her head on the top of the table. "I just wish I could go and say goodbye to them. And I still don't see why you won't let me tell everyone what happened."

"Miss Parker, can you really trust these people not to reveal your whereabouts?"

"Of course I can. And stop calling me Miss Parker!" she snapped at him.

"Sorry, Olivia. How can you be sure? You remember what happened to Robert Thomas—they're still looking for his torso."

"I know what happened, but that was a different situation. Thomas was an idiot who told to anyone who would listen who was after him. There was a reward for his whereabouts, so someone was bound to turn him in."

"There's a reward for your capture, too," the man said quietly.

"What?" she shrieked. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought it would upset you.

"Of course it would upset me. Are you out of your fucking mind? How could you keep this from me? How long have you known about this?"

"Since November. Frank Longbottom and his fiancée, Alice Prewett—you remember them, don't you?"

"Of course I remember them. Alice brought me back to the Ministry after the attack. What about them?"

"Well, they've been tracking people we know are involved with him—people like the Lestranges—and seeing what they've been doing."

Lestrange? As in my psychotic cousin Bellatrix, her husband, and his brother? What did Olivia have to do with them besides being the victim of Bellatrix's torturing?

"And?" Olivia asked.

"Well, they found out she was going to all the wizarding families—even those who weren't Pureblood—and offering them lots of gold for information on your whereabouts. Of course, they know you're at Hogwarts, but they haven't been able to find you outside of the school."

"How did they find my parents?" she whispered. "I thought you were the Secret-Keeper? How did they find us if you didn't tell them?"

"I don't know, Olivia. You know He has access to the darkest forms of magic—maybe he found some way to gain the location without getting it from me."

I heard her sigh. "I'm sick of living like this. I want to just tell everyone what is going on. Do you know how hard it is to keep this secret from everyone? There is no possible way for me to get back together with Sirius when I can't tell him."

"Olivia, you know what could happen if you tell everyone—I still can't believe you told Mr. Lupin!"

"I know, but you don't understand the relationship I have with these people. They're my friends. They're trustworthy. None of them would ever sell me out, not even Peter Pettigrew. They are the most loyal group of people you will ever meet because they would rather die than betray their friends."

"The answer is still no."

"Ugh, I can't take this anymore. I'm going back upstairs to think." I heard her chair scrape against the floor.

"Olivia Parker!" the man's voice said sharply. "You may not like me very much at the moment, but I am your only hope of survival. Now, the Minister and I have come up with this plan for your own safety. Don't you think we have your best interests in mind?"

"I suppose you do. But can't I at least tell—"

"No!"

Can't she at least tell who? Me? Lily? James? Someone else?

"Olivia, you CANNOT tell anyone! You have to keep this a secret, or your safety could be jeopardized."

"I—I'm sick of being all alone in this," she whispered. "I hate not having anyone to confide in about everything that's happening. Don't get me wrong, you've been awesome, but it would be nice to tell my best friend, or tell someone I love."

"Maybe in a few months we can talk about this again," the man said reluctantly.

"Thank you, Mr. Williamson!" she squealed. I tiptoed back to the living room to finish decorating. James was standing by the fireplace, hanging garland while Lily was sitting on the couch watching him. My face must have been showing how I was feeling after listening to Olivia talk to Mr. Williamson, because Lily gave me a look.

"What's up with you?" she asked.

"Do you think something's going on with Olivia?" I asked quietly.

"Going on?" James asked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean like she's in some kind of trouble. I just overheard her talking to that guy who's staying here with her, and he was saying something about someone looking for her and how she can't tell anybody about what's really going on."

"Are you serious?" Lily gasped, bringing her hand to cover her mouth, which was now wide open. "Well, she's been different ever since she came back to Hogwarts this year. She's supposed to have been at Beauxbatons, but every time I ask her about it, she clams up or changes the subject. I don't think she was really there."

"Maybe You-Know-Who was after her family, and they were hiding," James suggested.

"Don't you think that sounds a little far-fetched?" Lily said, giving James a look. "I mean, no offense to Olivia and her family or anything, but doesn't You-Know-Who usually go after people who are actively fighting against him? I know Olivia and her parents don't like him, but they try not to ruffle any feathers. After all, that's the only way to be safe now."

"You're right, that was a stupid idea," James admitted. "I was just thinking aloud."

"It's okay, baby," Lily said, getting up and gently kissing James on the lips.

"Hey! You three get back to work!" Mrs. Potter's voice came, echoing in the room. James and I sighed before grabbing the rest of the decorations that needed to be hung up.

***

OPOV

"Olivia, that looks amazing on you!" Lily gushed as I showed her the dress I was wearing for New Year's. "Can I just say how fucking jealous I am of you?"

"Of me?" I asked, spinning around to see every side of my body in the mirror. "Why would you be jealous of me?"

"Because you look perfect in everything. You have the right amount of boobage to fill out any dress, you're not too tall, so nothing looks too whorish on you, and you're skinny as a fucking twig, so everything fits. Plus, you have a nice ass."

"Thanks…I think."

"I mean, I couldn't wear that dress because it would clash with my hair," she sighed, sinking down onto my bed. "Mine is just boring black while you get to wear a pretty coral color. Like I said, so fucking jealous."

"Well, are you going to get dressed now?" I asked, trying to keep my perfectly made up cheeks from turning bright red. "The party starts soon."

"Ugh, it'll take me five seconds to get ready. I already have my hair and makeup done—I just need to pull on my dress and shoes." She got up off the bed and started walking out of my room before she stopped and turned to face me. "Sirius won't be able to resist you tonight." She winked before leaving.

I shook off my nerves as I pulled on my pair of silver sky-high stilettos. I checked in the mirror to make sure my makeup hadn't smeared and my hair was still in place before walking out of my room and heading downstairs. When I got to the kitchen, Williamson was sitting at the table by himself in a pair of dark slacks and a blue button-down shirt. His eyes widened when he saw me.

"Olivia, you look very nice," he gasped, getting up and walking over to me.

"Aww, thanks, Williamson. I just hope Sirius thinks I look nice, too."

"How could he not? You are nothing short of breathtaking."

I smiled widely at him. At that moment, James walked into the kitchen with his arm around Lily. Lily was in a short black dress with a single shoulder strap. She was black strappy sandals on her feet, and her hair was pulled back into a pretty bun.

"Lils, you look incredible. Now it's my turn to be jealous of you."

"Thanks, Olivia," she said. At that moment, there was a knock at the door. The guests were here. Time for the party to begin.

***

Three hours into the party, and I was trashed. I'd had about 3 shots too many of fire whiskey and not enough food to absorb the alcohol. I was stumbling around the room and bumping into older witches and wizards who were trying to have civilized conversations.

I tried looking for Lily and James, but gave up when the room started spinning. I started staggering towards the door when I felt my feet give out and my body started crashing towards the ground.

"Whoops, there you go," a familiar voice said as a pair of arms caught me.

"Remus?" I slurred, trying to find his face in my very blurry field of vision.

"Hey, Livy," he said, using his nickname for me. "Looks like you could use a hand…or a set of arms." He chuckled as he put his arm around my waist and started walking me across the room.

"Thanks," I tried to say, but my tongue felt too heavy in my mouth.

"So…how much did you have to drink tonight?" he asked. I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Just three glasses of wine," I said as my head lolled onto his shoulder.

"And how many shots?" he asked. Damn, he knew me too well.

"Five," I said reluctantly. Remus lowered me into a chair and knelt down in front of me.

"Livy, you know you can't handle that much alcohol—don't you remember the end of fifth year?"

"Sure I do," I said as I started sliding out of the chair. Remus quickly grabbed me and sat me up straight. "You, me, Sirius, James, and Peter were in the Room of Requirement to celebrate the end of O.W.L.s. I took six shots of fire whiskey and drank an entire bottle of rum by myself before passing out. When I woke up, I puked my guys out while Sirius held my hair back."

"Ha, I remember that," he laughed, keeping his hands on my hips to prevent me from falling out of the chair. "Livy, why did you drink so much tonight? You're around your friends—you should be having fun, not getting hammered."

"Ded ylu now Vetor At es her?" I mumbled incoherently.

"Uh, what?" he asked, looking at me strangely.

"Did. You. Know. Victoria. Watson. Is. Here," I said, accentuating each word clearly.

"Oh, no," he said, glancing around to see if he could spot her.

"She and Sirius went upstairs two hours ago," I said.

"And when exactly did you start drinking?" He raised his eyebrows at me.

"About two hours ago."

"I see." He smiled at me while I flopped to the left.

Lily and James came up to us then, both with huge grins on their faces. Lily had a glass of wine in her hand while James had a bottle of butterbeer. He had his arm draped over her shoulders and he planted a kiss on her forehead.

"What's up with her?" Lily asked, pointing at me.

"Olivia had a little too much to drink." To prove his point, I started sliding out of the chair again. Remus grabbed me and pulled me back into the seat. Williamson walked up at that moment, saw Remus holding me in the chair, and looked worried.

"What happened?" he asked, taking in my disheveled appearance and collapsed form. "Did someone hurt her?" he asked, the panic in his voice rising.

"Dude, relax," James said. "She's just a little drunk."

"Yeah, Williamson, it's not like one of the Death Eaters found out I'm here."

"Olivia!" Williamson shouted, glowering at me.

"Wait, what?" Lily asked, looking from me to Williamson. "What do you mean the Death Eaters haven't found out you're here?"

"Come with me," Williamson hissed, grabbing my arm and pulling me out of the chair. I stumbled as Williamson pulled me into a corner far away from everyone else. He sat me down in the chair, then turned his furious eyes on me. "What the hell are you doing?"

"What?" I slurred as I tilted to the left.

"Have you lost your mind? Why the hell would you tell people Death Eaters are looking for you?"

"I don't know."

"Olivia, what don't you understand about don't tell anyone? I'm trying to keep you alive, but you keep petting yourself in danger!"

"No I don't," I lied.

"Really?" he huffed. "Then how do you explain confiding your secret to a werewolf, wandering alone in the Forbidden Forest, and getting so drunk at a party that you almost let it slip to everyone that Lord Voldemort is searching for you!"

"You-Know-Who's searching for you?" someone gasped. I looked over Williamson's shoulder and saw Lily standing there, gaping at us. "I came over to see if everything was okay. This is the secret you've been keeping, isn't it?" she asked me. I hung my head, but that might have been in response to the alcohol instead of shame. "How could you not tell me, Olivia? I'm your best friend!"

"Keep your voice down!" Williamson growled at her. "We don't need everyone here knowing that!"

"Olivia!" Lily said, ignoring Williamson and grabbing my shoulders. "How could you not tell me this? I thought you trusted me! I thought we told each other everything! Apparently I was wrong." I saw a tear fall from her right eye before she spun on her heel and stormed away from me.

"Lily," I slurred, trying to get out of the seat, but it was useless with Williamson holding me down.

"No," he ordered. "You can't explain everything to her. You have to stay here before you tell everyone he's after you. How could you be so stupid, Olivia?"

"I'm making a New Year's resolution right here," I said as my eyes started drooping closed.

"That you're going to be smart and listen to me when I tell you don't tell anyone anything?"

"No. I'm going to be honest with everyone. That means when they ask me about what I did last year, I'm going to tell them the truth. And I'm going to start that with Lily."

Williamson looked furious with me as I smiled smugly at him. As everyone counted down to midnight, I made another resolution. I would get Sirius Black back even if it killed me.