"Three . . . two . . . one . . . HAPPY NEW YEAR!" The crowd screamed as a whole. Huge, colorful fireworks burst in the magic ceiling of the great hall and streamers fell from nowhere onto the group. Juliet wrapped her arms around Sirius' neck as he lifted her and spun around. Her lips found his and he lost his balance, sending them both tumbling onto the floor.
"Having fun?" The voice instantly made Juliet stop laughing. She looked up at Lily and James. James held out a hand and Juliet took it to pull herself off the floor. She glanced over his shoulder and saw Remus watching skeptically.
"Yeah, we are." Sirius laughed, wrapping his arm around Juliet's waist and kissing her hair. She looked at Lily instead of James and gave, what she hoped was a convincing smile.
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"Happy New Year!" Cameron grabbed Lucius and kissed him on the mouth. A slight "oh" escaped his lips. Cameron giggled and kissed him harder.
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"Shit, ouch!" Juliet pulled a book out from underneath her and threw it onto Sirius' bedroom floor.
"Sorry about that." Sirius laughed, pulling off his shirt and falling back on top of her. His fingers found the zipper to her dress and he slid it off of her. When Sirius stood to undo his belt Juliet made the mistake of turning her head. She quickly turned away from James' bed and squeezed her eyes shut as Sirius kissed her again. But the image of the broom that she had given James, sitting on his unmade bed burned itself into her mind. Without conscious meaning to, Juliet slightly pulled away and Sirius noticed her hesitation.
"I-" Juliet started but he cut her off.
"It's fine."
"I'm sorry." She looked at him expecting him to look angry of embarrassed but he was smiling. "It's just. . ."
"You don't have to explain." he kissed her forehead before rolling off from on top of her. "I'll be right back." he said heading toward the bathroom.
"Actually I think I should go." Juliet picked her dress up off the floor and slid it back on.
"You don't have to go, we could, you know, just hang out." Juliet smiled but shook her head.
"I'll see you tomorrow okay." She kissed him before walking out the door leaving him to stare after her. She felt guilty about leaving him like that, but she couldn't be with Sirius when she was thinking about James, it wasn't fair to either of them.
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"Stop!" Cameron gasped and pushed Lucius off from on top of her. He rolled off the couch and landed on the common room floor with a thud. "I'm sorry, I -I can't" she noticed that her cheeks were wet and realized that she was crying.
"It's okay." Lucius reached for her hand but she pulled it away.
"I have to go." She stepped over him as she rushed out of the common room. "No it's not okay." She mumbled angrily to herself.
"Are you okay?" Cameron jumped at the sound of the voice but it took her only a second to know who was speaking.
"What are you doing wandering the halls this late? It's against the rules you know." She smirked at her sister.
"I couldn't sleep." Juliet shrugged.
"No, you couldn't sleep with him."
"Why do you always have to be like that?"
"Like what? Honest?"
"No cynical"
"Juliet, you love James, its obvious. And when you love someone it's supposed to be hard to sleep with someone else."
"Well it doesn't seem like he has any issues with it."
"You know what?"
"What?" Juliet sighed.
"Maybe you were better off with Ian." Juliet almost laughed.
"You hated Ian."
"Yeah because he was a snobby prick."
"You think I should be with a snobby prick?"
"Better that than a selfish bastard and an arrogant playboy." This time Juliet did laugh.
"He wanted me back."
"Ian?"
"Yeah, he kissed me at Grandfather's ball."
"Is that why James got all pissy and left?" Juliet nodded. "What did you say?"
"That I loved James."
"But you thought about it didn't you, going back to Ian, I mean." Juliet nodded. "What did you see in him?"
"I don't know. To everyone else he was the classic rich young wizard, who never has to work a day in his life yet always gets whatever he wants, via his last name and his pureblood."
"That is exactly what he is."
"That is exactly what we are to. Isn't it?"
"Maybe. But we don't flaunt it."
"Either did he. At least not around me."
"He didn't deserve you." Cameron sighed.
"After everything that happened, I think that it was me who didn't deserve him."
"You cheating on him once, it's not like he was a saint either." Juliet sighed. "That's why I don't understand why you are doing this with James. You know what it can do to someone when two people that you trust betray you."
"This is different."
"How? Because now you're on the other side. Because you love James, just like you loved Matt." Hearing the name instantly brought tears to Juliet's eyes. Cam's words hung in the air for a moment before Juliet nodded.
"You're right."
"So..."
"So it doesn't change anything. I love James and so does my best friend." Juliet sighed. "I know its wrong, but I love him Cam, you have to understand." Cameron shrugged.
"I hope you know what your doing Julie, don't forget what happened when Ian found out." Juliet took a deep breath. She knew that she could never forget the hurt look in Ian's eyes when he had caught Juliet in bed with his best friend, Matt, nor could she ever forget the events that followed.
"Ian, please, wait up." she ran out of the pool house and chased her boyfriend into the woods that lined her backyard.
"Leave me alone Julie"
"Jules" She ignored Matt's voice but Ian didn't. He stopped running so fast that Juliet almost ran into him. He spun around, his eyes focused on something just behind her and the anger turned into fear. His hand wrapped around something in his pocket and Juliet knew, even before he removed it that it was his wand. She turned around slowly and almost screamed. A tall man, his face covered with his black, hooded cloak, was standing not ten feet away.
"Julie, run." Ian hissed in her ear. She wanted to, she really did, but she couldn't move.
"Come with me." said the man, taking a step toward her. It took her a moment to realize that he was speaking in Parsaltongue. Suddenly Matt ran into the clearing, tripping over a root.
"Ian, I. . . Ma-"
"Avada Kadavera"
"Julie, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"before she could finish an angry scream filled the deserted corridor.
"You have failed me!" Yelled a cold voice.
"I'm s-sorry m-master, it won't happen a-again"
"You are right, I will be sure of that" A body flew down the corridor, between Cameron and Juliet and slammed into the wall behind them. There was a moan as the body hit the floor. Juliet screamed and Cam's hand flew to her sisters mouth to silence her. A dark figure appeared at the end of the hallway, Cameron raised her wand but it instantly flew out of her hand. The figure moved closer, catching Cam's wand and releasing a sardonic laugh. Juliet's hand found her sisters and she was instantly flooded with warmth. As the figure drew closer the feeling grew stronger and hotter, but it didn't hurt, she found it strangely comforting. Juliet could feel the heat burning her skin as the corridor filled with a white light.
"No" He spoke in Parsaltongue, in a voice that Juliet clearly remembered from that night in the woods. The figure released a high pitched scream as he turned and ran away. The room went black and both sisters collapsed onto the floor.
