Ryan woke up Saturday the same way she had the whole week before, clutching Sirius' pillow to her face and breathing him in. The problem was the pillow was starting to smell more like her grapefruit scent than his soap and boy smell. She already had plans to sneak into his room and switch it out for the one he was using now.
Looking around she saw the other three all milling around and she pulled herself out of bed and into the bathroom. When she came out she scowled at Peia and Al, who were dressed in comfortable clothes and no makeup, hair in ponytails. The she saw Tay.
"At least someone else feels my misery." She joked.
Tay looked gorgeous. Her hair was in loose messy curls, and her eyes popped with an iridescent silver shadow and black liner. A simple clear gloss covered her lips. She had on a pretty aqua sundress with a black lace overlay from the waist up. It had thick tank top like straps but dipped low in the back. Simple black flats adorned her feet.
"Well don't you look pretty." Tay blushed and smiled before Ryan said "So girls, what will it be?"
The other three looked at each other for a minute before yelling simultaneously "White dress!"
Ryan squealed before running over to her wardrobe and pulling out said dress. She loved it. It was a simple soft white strapless sundress. It was tight at the top with a dark purple ribbon under her chest. It stayed tight until her waist, where it gently fluttered out until it stopped mid thigh.
"Wait!" Peia yelled before running to her won wardrobe and digging through it. She let out a triumphant yell and immerged from the depths with a cardigan that exactly matched the purple ribbon on her dress. Ryan hugged her and with a quick 'Thanks' put it on.
A quick wave of Peia's wand and it fit Ryan perfectly. Another quick wave and her hair was pulled on top of her head in a beautiful mass of braids and curls.
Al moved forward and with a wave of her wand Ryan had a shimmery caramel eye-shadow, dark purple liner and black mascara. There was a light pink blush on her cheeks and a bit of bronzer on her nose, forehead and chin, just enough to make her look sun-kissed.
Their attention was brought to Tay as she grumbled and searched frantically though the vanity that all four of them shared. With a triumphant yell she turned, brandishing a tube of lipstick. The shade of pink should have looked horrible on Ryan but instead it drew all eyes to her mouth in a good way.
They all looked down at her feet and were quiet for a minute before Ryan ran back across the room. She immerged from her wardrobe holding a shoe box none of them had ever seen before.
"Momma Potter gave this to me at the beginning of the summer. An early birthday present she called them."
She pulled out a pair of four inch stilettos that matched the purple of the ribbon and cardigan perfectly. All three girls let out simultaneous whistles of appreciation.
"Nice work Momma Potter." Peia said softly.
"James hates them." Ryan giggled. "He kept going on and on about how he thought his mom loved him and how could she do this to him and why would she want to make his life harder. She just laughed at him. He almost had a heart attack when I put them on and Momma P told me how fantastic my legs looked."
The girls all laughed at the thought of James' reaction.
"Well, let's go girls." Tay said with a wicked smile. "It's time to make James Potter's heart stop!"
Ryan stepped out into the common room and couldn't help her smile. James immediately started protesting.
"Absolutely not! My mother is insane. You're not leaving the tower dressed like that. I want you to take those shoes off now. They're completely inappropriate."
Sirius looked at her with frank appreciation.
"I think they're bloody brilliant."
James glared at him fiercely.
"I think you forgot some clothing."
Ryan slowly looked down before looking at James, face full of feigned wide-eyed shock. Turning to the girls she accused, "Why didn't you remind me to put on knickers?"
James' jaw dropped and Sirius' eyes nearly bugged out. Remus looked torn between looking concerned and holding back laughter at the other two.
Al and Peia were on the floor laughing and Tay was trying in vain to control her giggles.
Ryan finally took pity on James when he tried to attack Sirius yelling "Stop looking at my baby sister!"
"J.J."
"J.J."
"James!" He finally looked at her. "I was kidding. I have knickers on. I promise."
James sighed in relief and loosened his hold on Sirius' neck. Luckily he missed Sirius' disappointed look.
"And you'll put more clothes on." He said hopefully.
"No." She responded. "I look fantastic now."
And with that she and the girls flounced out of the common room, leaving the boys in shock.
"She does look fantastic." Sirius said softly, completely ignoring James' glare.
With a sigh James started towards the portrait hole. "Come on. I need large amounts of alcohol to deal with the fact that everyone is going to be staring at my baby sister."
Remus slung a companionable arm around James' shoulder, also hating the face that guys were looking at his baby doll, and headed towards the alcohol glad that for once he wasn't going to be the responsible one. This outing was designed to get his mind off his supposed heartbreak and he was going to take full advantage of it, drinking until he couldn't stand.
Sirius followed behind them, stumbling along in a Ryan induced haze and Peter brought up the rear, clearly amused by the whole situation.
The girls stopped just outside of the Great Hall and saw Finn and Hayden standing awkwardly semi-close to one another. Despite the fact that they were both Ravenclaws, and their girlfriends were best friends, they had never gotten along.
Peia turned to Ryan and Tay. "Okay." She said breaking the silence. "Do you remember the signal?" She demanded.
"Yes Peia." They chorused while rolling their eyes. When she didn't say anything, just stared at them, the girls sighed and dutifully repeated "If for any reason we want out of our dates, just tap the tattoo with our ands three times and think of our location. You and Al will come and find us and then we'll have a girls day and never, ever, tell the boys that we ditched our dates."
Peia nodded and beamed like a proud mother. "Aw, look at our little girls Al, all dressed up and going on dates." Before she could continue, said girls jumped her and attached her sides tickling her relentlessly until she conceded. "Okay, okay. Just go meet your boys."
They put smiled on their faces and stepped into the Great Hall, both completely enjoying the dropped jaw looks on their respective boy's faces when they saw them.
"You look good sweetheart." Finn told Ryan.
She smiled her thanks but tried not to wince. She despised the cute pet names in relationships. Finn insisted on calling her sweetheart, baby, honey, those types of things and she couldn't stand it. They were so impersonal, so generic, like he couldn't be bothered to remember her name. She loved it when Remus called her Baby Doll and she hadn't noticed until recently but Sirius tended to call her Brat with a teasing affection in his voice that never failed to make her stomach flip and a smile take over her face. But those were different because they were just for her.
Ryan was brought back by Finn taking her arm to lead her out of the castle. She saw Tay off to her side with Hayden's arm firmly around her waist and they shared an annoyed look. Simultaneously they raised their left hands, flashing each other their tattoos in a silent reminder to call if they needed help as well as in a gesture of goodbye.
The walk out of the castle and the ride to the village were pent in silence.
As soon as Ryan and Finn got out of the carriage they walked towards the Three Broomsticks. When they passed through the door Ryan was hit full blast by deafening noise, suffocating heat, and the claustrophobic press of too many bodies stuffing into too small a space.
"We should just go somewhere else Finn." Ryan suggested.
"No." Finn replied. "This is perfect." He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the crush of excited teenage bodies. "Come on, let's go find a table."
It took a good twenty five minutes but the finally found a table in the back corner where it was mildly quieter. Finn immediately ordered them both butterbeers without even asking her what she wanted.
Ryan looked at him surprised. He never ordered for her without asking what she wanted. He knew her well enough to know that she drink preference changed with her mood, even if he couldn't tell what drink went with which mood.
Madame Rosmerta brought them their drinks herself and Ryan smiled hugely. The bar maid had taken a liking to Ryan the first time Ryan had snuck into Hogsmeade with the boys.
"Hi Madame Rosmerta." She said happily.
"Hello Miss Ryan." Rosmerta replied equally as happy. "You escaped those hellions you call boys for the day then?" she asked as she set their drinks down.
Ryan frowned when Finn immediately grabbed his and downed half of it in a single gulp, but she pushed it to the back of her mind.
"Yeah." She said with a laugh. "They offered to let me join them but they're having a boys day so I declined."
Rosmerta nodded in understanding of what that entailed. "Why the boys day?"
"Remus is newly single so they're celebrating under the guise that he needs cheering up. But if you ask me it's just an excuse. He seemed perfectly happy to be rid of her. About time if you ask me."
"Too true." Rosmerta agreed. "She always was snotty when Remus brought her in here. Never was right for him." Ryan nodded in agreement. "Think I'll see them before they head up to the Hog's Head? I wouldn't mind seeing my boys. Make sure Remus is okay, tell him he's better off without her."
By not Finn had finished his butterbeer and was almost done with hers, but Ryan wrote it off as him being bored with the conversation. He never did get along with her boys.
"Absolutely. They said they were hitting Zonko's first and then you know they can't go a whole week without seeing you Madame Rosmerta."
Madame Rosmerta laughed and shook her head. "Let me grab you two another round and I'll leave you to your date."
Ryan and Finn sat in silence as she walked away. Finn showed no signs of breaking the quiet until Ryan finally was sick of it and opened her mouth to say something
"Here we are dear. A butterbeer for you Finn. And you Miss Ryan look like you're up to trying something new. Cherry pomegranate juice. Sweet like cherry but it's got a kick t it. I'm just trying it out but you don't look like you're in the mood for butterbeer." Madame Rosmerta gave her a wink. The barmaid knew about her drink moods also.
Ryan smiled and took a drink. "Definitely a keeper." She said immediately. "This is fantastic."
Showing his first signs of life for the last half hour, Finn reached for his money pouch to pay for their drinks.
"These are on the house sweetie." Madame Rosmerta insisted. "I enjoy having Miss Ryan here to talk to. And experiment on."
That got a real laugh from Finn and he smiled as he slipped some coins into her apron pocket. "A tip." He said when she went to protest. "And I know Ryan enjoys it too." And before Madame Rosmerta could protest the tip Finn held out his hand to help Ryan up and, with a quick hug and a whispered "Tell then I said to be careful" from Ryan, they were out the door. As they walked through the village Ryan suddenly touched Finn's arm to get him to stop. Rocking up on her tiptoes she kissed him sweetly on the cheek.
"Thank you." She smiled up at him.
He smiled back but looked confused. "For what?"
"The tip." She said, still beaming at him. "I know you left her more than the drinks were worth."
Finn blushed a bit but shrugged. "I like her. She always greets me by name when I'm in there with my mates. How many bar madams do you think would remember a teenage boy's name?"
Ryan just said thank you again and they continued down the street, neither noticing the boys in the doorway of Zonko's.
Sirius led the way out of Zonko's after they had each spent an obscene amount of money in there. He stepped out the door and stopped short, transfixed by the sight in front of him. James and Remus were arguing over the best use of Fire Ant Powder (The Burning Will Last For Days!), and didn't notice he had stopped so they ran straight into him. Peter was close behind them and nearly sent them all tumbling into the street when he hit James.
"Damn it Padfoot. Why did you-" He broke off as he looked where Sirius was looking and stiffened.
Remus took as deep breath to prepare himself and turned to look. There was Ryan, with her hand on McGowan's arm, smiling up at him.
As they watched, she rocked up on her toes and kissed him on the cheek.
Sirius couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. He felt like he'd been hit in the chest with a bludger. She has said they weren't getting along. That she wasn't looking forward to spending the day with him. Well it didn't bloody look like she was having a bad time.
"What the bloody hell is she doing?" James yelled. "She shouldn't be kissing that wanker. She's too young to be kissing anyone. I'll kill him."
He stepped forward not noticing Sirius wasn't behind him or hadn't even heard a word he said.
Remus grabbed the back of his shirt. "Hold on Prongs, let's think about this."
"There's nothing to think about. He's breaking The Rules."
"True." Peter said. "But if you go over there and start yelling about The Rules and McGowan touching her, she'll probably murder you."
"I do like living." James muttered. "On second thought, on to Rosie's. It's been a while and she can't go more than a week without seeing me."
Sirius forced out a laugh. "She's only using you. Everyone knows it's me Rosie can't be without." He let out a small real laugh as he dodged James' punch.
"We'll just have to see about that." James said and they took off running towards the Three Broomsticks and their beloved Rosie.
They both reach the door at the same time and the small fight that broke out trying to get in first allowed Remus and Peter to catch up. James eventually gained the edge and surged through the door with Sirius on his heels, Remus and Peter following more sedately behind. Madame Rosmerta looked up as soon as the door opened and the smile that covered her face had James and Sirius both grinning smugly. She immediately stopped what she was doing and practically ran towards the boys. The grins on James and Sirius turned to shock as she blew right past them and flew into Remus' arms. He spun her around and, with a roguish grin, kissed her soundly on the cheek.
"Rosie my love, I've missed you so."
She smiled mischievously and kissed him soundly on the mouth, causing the other three's jaws to drop even further. "You, my precious boy, are better off without her. And in honor of that, the first round of your boys day is on me. Let's find you boys a table." She kept her arm around Remus waist and he flung his arm around her shoulders and walked by James and Sirius with an uncharacteristically cocky grin. When they were all seated and Rosmerta back to the table with their drinks, firewiskey for James and Remus muggle whiskey for Sirius butterbeer for Peter and gilly water for Rosmerta herself, she asked "Are you okay Remus?"
He gave her a pitiful look and even sniffed for added effect. "I think I'll pull through." The five laughed and he said "In complete honesty, I'm glad to be rid of her. I just didn't know how to do it without her making it out that I crushed her heart."
Rosmerta looked at him closely before nodding; apparently deciding that he was indeed okay. "Good. Miss Ryan said I'd probably see you and I was worried."
"Oh Rosie," James gushed. "You don't have to worry about me."
"Who said I even thought about you?" She shot back while Remus Sirius and Peter laughed hysterically.
"So Ryan was in here earlier?" James asked to get attention off him.
"Yes." Madame Rosmerta said. "She was here looking very pretty with Finn McGowan." She noticed all they boys stiffened at the name but Sirius was the worst. He looked like a little boy whose puppy died. "I loved her shoes and they looked great on her. Made her legs look miles long." She internally laughed when Remus winced and James started to mutter under his breath about 'my bloody mother'. She decided to help Sirius out. "They didn't look happy though. They sat in tense silence the only time I wasn't there with them. We spent most of the time talking about you boys." Sirius brightened at that. "And he ordered for her." They all stared at her in shock. "Butterbeer."
Sirius started laughing. "McGowan is an idiot. She wasn't in a butterbeer mood today." He thought for a minute. "She would have wanted something fruity."
Madame Rosmerta smile at how cute it was that Sirius knew Ryan that well. "Well I didn't know that she's want something fruity but I did know that she wouldn't want butterbeer. I gave her something new and she loved it. The only time she seemed happy with him was as they left. I gave them their drinks on the house and Finn tipped me more than they were worth."
"So that's why she was so happy with him when we saw them." Remus said thoughtfully.
Sirius let out a sigh of relief that Remus and peter ignored and, in a rare moment of tact, James didn't comment on. The five talked for a while longer as they finished their drinks and the boys reached for the pockets to pay Madame Rosmerta.
"No boys. It's on the house."
"Okay Rosie." Sirius said with an indulgent smile.
"And no tips either." She said firmly. All four boys opened their mouths to protest but she cut them off. "Not today. We're celebrating Remus' freedom so save your money for the Hog's Head. Besides you've left enough in tips for me over the years to cover you drinks for a lifetime." She accused.
They just smiled, unrepentant. They were already making plans to come back in a few days to make up for the free drinks.
"Well Rosie, my love," James said with a dramatic bow.
"It's been an honor to share a drink with you," Sirius continued pushing James out of the way to kiss the back of her hand.
"But alas, we must be going." Remus concluded, offering her his arm to escort her back to the bar, which she happily took.
As they stood at the bar saying their goodbyes, Madame Rosmerta said to them "Miss Ryan asked me to remind you boys to be careful. She worries about you boys so don't do anything too stupid that would upset her."
"Don't worry Rosie." Remus said confidently. "I'll keep them in line."
"I know you will my love. I'll see you soon." Rosie said with an unsubtle wink.
Remus laughed as he herded three shocked boys out of the pub and to the bar on the outskirts of the village to start their boys day.