All seven fourth-year friends were sitting in their own corner of the
Gryffindor common room. Lily was trying to aid a desperate Peter with his
homework, while Hazel and Remus studied together, all four at the same
table. James and Sirius were sitting on the floor playing exploding snaps.
Meanwhile, Arabella was reading, curled up comfortably in one of the big
armchairs scattered around the room.
"I am SO bored," James finally mumbled with a sigh. He and Sirius had been playing exploding snaps for about an hour, and wizard chess for about an hour and a half before that.
"So, Ara," Sirius asked, "whatcha reading?"
Arabella just glanced at him wickedly, "a novel."
"Oh. About what?" said James.
Arabella just glared at him. "Nothing, really."
It sounded suspicious to Sirius, who immediately whirled around to where Arabella was sitting, deftly snatched the paperback out of her hands, and quickly ran a few paces away from the furious witch. "Well, let's see what nothing means. 'Jonathan grabbed Mary in his strong arms, pressed her close. She could smell his cologne as his lips brushed her neck…'? What is this, Ara? Are we reading ROMANCE novels?" James, Remus, and Peter all sniggered merrily, while Lily and Hazel seemed mortified.
For the first time Sirius could remember, a blush rose on the pale girl's face. "Give that back right now, Sirius Black!" The tone of her voice somehow subdued him, and Sirius handed the novel back immediately.
A somewhat quieter Sirius and a much more amused James went back to playing exploding snaps, while Lily smacked Peter into paying attention to his homework. Hazel and Remus, obviously the most thoughtful of the bunch, quietly went back to studying together. Coldly, as though nothing had ever happened, Arabella went back to reading, curled up somewhat more tightly in the armchair.
Peter gave up for the fourth time that hour, his chubby face scrunched as he laid his head down on the textbook. No sooner had his forehead contacted parchment than Lily hit him, probably for the fifth or sixth time that hour. "How do you expect me to help you if you won't even try in the slightest?" Peter shrugged, put his head back down. Lily's fist clenched. James remembered that motion well. The last time she had clenched her fists, James had wound up with a bruised arm for a week, she had hit him so hard. "Fine, Peter! You know what? You want to give up? Well, so do I. I give up! Get this homework done on your own, if it suits you!" With that, the red head stood gracefully, her green eyes flashing. She practically ran to the girls dormitory, leaving everyone dumbfounded. Lily had a temper, but she was usually fairly patient, especially about school stuff. Just when Hazel was about to go see if she was okay, Lily returned, a book of her own in her hands. With a wry grin and a wink at Arabella, then a glare at Sirius, daring him to try and take HER book, Lily grabbed her own armchair and pulled it over.
Peter seemed a little edgy as he put away his books, then he sighed again. "There is nothing to DO here!"
Hazel replied, without really paying attention or looking up. "I'm sure there's SOMETHING to do here. Or," she added, half looked up, peering at Peter over her glasses, "how about your homework?"
Lily and Arabella both laughed as Hazel spoke, while Peter's round, freckled face blushed. "I mean something non-academic!"
"He's right," Remus said with a sigh. "I think I know about all four hundred goblin wars in more detail than the goblins did." He shut his book, and the covers connected with a surprisingly loud thud.
"Well, what should we do?" asked James.
Sirius said, "We need to do something exciting. A game. Truth or Dare?"
Even the suggestion of it brought laughter. "Count me out on that!" Remus replied. "Last time the Marauders played, well, you remember," he finished, his voice trailing off. All seven were chuckling, remembering the detentions the four boys had earned last year for THAT stunt. Apparently bungee jumping off the higher towers was prohibited in the rulebook somewhere, though none of them knew quite where. Unfortunately, Professor McGonagall did not think that the lack of a rule about the matter made it any less of a violation.
"Okay," said Lily. "Something a little safer, worth a few less points. Minimal danger, hmm. Something co-ed. How about the ever popular Spin-the-Bottle?"
The four boys looked up eagerly at once. All three girls were pretty, leaving them at minimal risk. The girls did not seem to mind either, though not one of them was especially looking forward to winding up with Peter.
"Now, some conditions." Arabella added with a grin. "First off, the bottle can't be magicked. It has to be a normal bottle. Second off, the kiss has to be on the lips. No getting out of that. Tongue is, of course, purely optional," she continued with a malicious grin. "No requirements on kiss duration, though. Third off, the only people in the kissing circle have to be the opposite gender of the spinner. Fourth, if the bottle lands directly between two people, the spinner decides which gets lucky. I think that's all the rules."
"Where's the bottle?" asked Sirius eagerly.
"I'll go get one," said Remus. A minute later, he returned, a glass bottle in his hand.
"Lily, check it for magic."
Lily nodded once and took out her wand, saying, "It'll glow blue if it is enchanted." She pointed her wand at the bottle and whispered, "Sorcerus Detecto," and noting happened. The bottle did not glow. "It's clean," she said with a slight smile. This would be fun. "Who goes first?"
"I will," Arabella volunteered. Her long blonde hair, pale skin, and currently amber eyes made her beautiful. The boys gathered in a tight circle. She reached out a slender hand and turned the bottle, then flipped it the other way, setting it to spin. The bottle spun quickly at first, gradually losing speed. Finally it slowed to a stop, its opening pointed at Peter.
Peter was not exactly a girl's first choice. He was short, chubby, with freckles and zits galore. He had short, dark, curly hair that didn't flatter his face at all. Even in personality, he was not someone any of the girls were especially fond of. He was often rude, rarely especially nice to any of the girls, but he almost revered his three best friends. He looked up to them for all of his moral guidance. In return, James, Sirius, and Remus were good friends with him, being much better friends with him than most would.
Arabella grinned dangerously at the bottle's chosen. If Lily and Hazel hadn't known better, they would really have thought Ara liked Peter. She sat behind him, smiling, then turned his face to meet hers. They kissed for a few seconds, Peter seeming nervous, Arabella enjoying it. "Not bad," she whispered to him when they broke apart, leaving everyone giggling.
"My turn," Remus replied. The girls took the boys' places, sitting together with nervous smiles. Remus was cute, with his soft chin-length brown hair and sensitive grey eyes. None of the girls would have minded getting a kiss from him, they thought as they sat together. He spun the bottle, it whipping around several times before landing on Hazel. Lily couldn't help thinking what a cute couple they made, both a little nervous and very shy. They had a soft, friendly kiss that lasted only a second. Both seemed to want it to last longer, though they broke apart at the same time.
The boys got back into their seats in a circle. "I might as well go," Lily said. She gently rested her hand on the bottle, closed her eyes once for courage, and spun the bottle. Lily could hear it, making an odd sound on the hardwood floor. It went around and around and around, finally slowing to a stop. Only when it stopped spinning did Lily open her eyes. James was grinning broadly at her, the bottle's neck facing him.
Oh geez, Lily thought. Jamie was the handsomest of the four, at least in her opinion. Ara preferred Sirius, and Lily suspected that Hazel had a crush on Remus, but James was the cutest in her eyes. She loved his hair, raven black and always completely out of control. He had grown like a weed, nearly Sirius's height instead of half a head shorter, and Sirius had been growing too. Playing quidditch had given him lean, wiry muscles, and Lily knew he was strong. All the boys occasionally wrestled out on the lawns, and very rarely did James lose. His warm brown eyes were very happy as she moved towards him.
I can't believe my luck, James thought to himself. She was so beautiful. Both Arabella and Hazel had their charms, but Lily was truly beautiful. Her red curls jounced lightly as she moved towards him, her emerald eyes sparkled with amusement as she looked at him. Even at eleven, she had been pretty, almost regal looking. He could still remember seeing her at Kings Cross Station, four years ago. A few years had done much for her. She was a little taller, much thinner, with just a little curve. Her hair had shifted slightly, becoming more and more auburn, but her eyes were still the same shade of green. She was beautiful, and not just on the outside. She had been the only girl who not only put up with his pranks, but joined in, and covered up for everyone if plan went awry.
Lily sat down next to him, not looking nervous at all. She had gotten a lot of practice at acting, hanging out with the Marauders for four years. James just grinned overboldly at her, then wrapped both of his arms around her waist. James had always been the courageous one. If she had met him at six, he would have been the perfect knight-in-shining-armor for all of her little girl fantasies. Even at fourteen, Lily could almost picture him slaying dragons for her still.
She put her hands on his shoulders, and they both leaned forward. It was a first kiss for both, and they all knew it. They closed their eyes, moved closer. Their lips connected. They leaned into each other and just kissed. A few seconds later, when every other kiss had stopped, they showed no signs of parting. Only when Sirius, with a grin, coughed out an, "Ahem!" did they part. Both were reluctant to part, embarrassed about the whole affair, and a bit confused on exactly what had happened. James just flashed Lily a nervous grin as she went to sit down.
Then it was Sirius's turn. The girls got into a circle. All the girls had already kissed once, but that didn't matter. He thought all three were pretty and would willingly lock his lips with anyone it landed on. He spun the bottle with a slight chuckle. All three girls watched him as the bottle spun. Sirius Black had the build of a football player at fourteen. He was the jock of the group, though Arabella and James both played quidditch as well. Apparently beating a bludger built muscles. He was not short either. Only this year had he and James become close in height, he had been the tallest since they were eleven. His eyes were very dark brown, but they were not quite as warm as James's. Instead, his eyes gleamed with amusement at everything. He was the wild one, the bad boy of the group. Of all of them, he looked like he chose to wear the black robes that all students had mandatory.
All three girls turned back to watch the bottle as it slowed to a stop. For the first time, the bottle landed right between two people. The bottle neck pointed smack between Lily and Arabella.
Lily felt a little queasy for the first time during the game. Though her facial expression did not change, she hoped that Sirius would pick Arabella. She tried to tell herself that it was just because she knew Ara liked him, somewhere deep inside Lily knew the truth. She only wanted to kiss James.
James felt the world plummet. For the past few seconds, he had been wondering if Lily liked him. If she kissed another guy, and she didn't kiss that guy the way she kissed James, then she had to like James. All of a sudden, James realized that he didn't WANT another guy kissing Lily, even during a game of Spin-the-Bottle. James tried to make Sirius look at him, but his best friend never turned around. He couldn't give him a sign, couldn't try to tell him without making it obvious to everyone. Please, Sirius, he thought to himself. Please not Lily.
Sirius grinned wickedly as he looked between them. Though Hazel was pretty, she wasn't his type of girl, a bit too timid. He wanted someone bolder, and Lily and Arabella were both bold. He looked at them both, tried to figure out what would happen if he picked one or the other. Hmm, James obviously liked Lily, and that feeling was mutual. As much fun as rocking the boat could be, that one was on shaky waters already. He couldn't risk it. Meanwhile, he KNEW Ara didn't like Peter, and she still kissed him like she did. Wonder if she would kiss me like that, Sirius thought to himself.
"Hey, Ara," Sirius finally said, smiling as he sat down in front of her. Lily and James both gave a little sigh of relief, saw each other sighing, and looked away with a little blush.
"Hey, Sirius," Ara replied with a wild grin. With no hesitation, he put his hands on her hips, and she put hers on his shoulders. The two put their lips together, making perhaps the most intense kiss of the game.
After a little while, longer than James and Lily had kissed, James winked at Lily, then coughed loudly. Sirius, without moving his lips, just used one hand to give James a rude gesture. Hazel gasped, "Sirius!" and then Arabella and Sirius had to separate because they started laughing.
When the laughing stopped, Arabella whispered something in Sirius's ear, then Sirius replied just as quietly. Peter grinned evilly at everyone, "Well, that was fun. Shall we keep playing?"
"Nah," James replied. "I think we've had enough excitement for one day."
James's comment was perfectly timed. Right then, Mundungus Fletcher stood up. With a cheerful, perky catcall, he cried, "Team! It's beddy-bye time!"With laughs and groans, most of the Gryffindors got up and went to bed.
"I am SO bored," James finally mumbled with a sigh. He and Sirius had been playing exploding snaps for about an hour, and wizard chess for about an hour and a half before that.
"So, Ara," Sirius asked, "whatcha reading?"
Arabella just glanced at him wickedly, "a novel."
"Oh. About what?" said James.
Arabella just glared at him. "Nothing, really."
It sounded suspicious to Sirius, who immediately whirled around to where Arabella was sitting, deftly snatched the paperback out of her hands, and quickly ran a few paces away from the furious witch. "Well, let's see what nothing means. 'Jonathan grabbed Mary in his strong arms, pressed her close. She could smell his cologne as his lips brushed her neck…'? What is this, Ara? Are we reading ROMANCE novels?" James, Remus, and Peter all sniggered merrily, while Lily and Hazel seemed mortified.
For the first time Sirius could remember, a blush rose on the pale girl's face. "Give that back right now, Sirius Black!" The tone of her voice somehow subdued him, and Sirius handed the novel back immediately.
A somewhat quieter Sirius and a much more amused James went back to playing exploding snaps, while Lily smacked Peter into paying attention to his homework. Hazel and Remus, obviously the most thoughtful of the bunch, quietly went back to studying together. Coldly, as though nothing had ever happened, Arabella went back to reading, curled up somewhat more tightly in the armchair.
Peter gave up for the fourth time that hour, his chubby face scrunched as he laid his head down on the textbook. No sooner had his forehead contacted parchment than Lily hit him, probably for the fifth or sixth time that hour. "How do you expect me to help you if you won't even try in the slightest?" Peter shrugged, put his head back down. Lily's fist clenched. James remembered that motion well. The last time she had clenched her fists, James had wound up with a bruised arm for a week, she had hit him so hard. "Fine, Peter! You know what? You want to give up? Well, so do I. I give up! Get this homework done on your own, if it suits you!" With that, the red head stood gracefully, her green eyes flashing. She practically ran to the girls dormitory, leaving everyone dumbfounded. Lily had a temper, but she was usually fairly patient, especially about school stuff. Just when Hazel was about to go see if she was okay, Lily returned, a book of her own in her hands. With a wry grin and a wink at Arabella, then a glare at Sirius, daring him to try and take HER book, Lily grabbed her own armchair and pulled it over.
Peter seemed a little edgy as he put away his books, then he sighed again. "There is nothing to DO here!"
Hazel replied, without really paying attention or looking up. "I'm sure there's SOMETHING to do here. Or," she added, half looked up, peering at Peter over her glasses, "how about your homework?"
Lily and Arabella both laughed as Hazel spoke, while Peter's round, freckled face blushed. "I mean something non-academic!"
"He's right," Remus said with a sigh. "I think I know about all four hundred goblin wars in more detail than the goblins did." He shut his book, and the covers connected with a surprisingly loud thud.
"Well, what should we do?" asked James.
Sirius said, "We need to do something exciting. A game. Truth or Dare?"
Even the suggestion of it brought laughter. "Count me out on that!" Remus replied. "Last time the Marauders played, well, you remember," he finished, his voice trailing off. All seven were chuckling, remembering the detentions the four boys had earned last year for THAT stunt. Apparently bungee jumping off the higher towers was prohibited in the rulebook somewhere, though none of them knew quite where. Unfortunately, Professor McGonagall did not think that the lack of a rule about the matter made it any less of a violation.
"Okay," said Lily. "Something a little safer, worth a few less points. Minimal danger, hmm. Something co-ed. How about the ever popular Spin-the-Bottle?"
The four boys looked up eagerly at once. All three girls were pretty, leaving them at minimal risk. The girls did not seem to mind either, though not one of them was especially looking forward to winding up with Peter.
"Now, some conditions." Arabella added with a grin. "First off, the bottle can't be magicked. It has to be a normal bottle. Second off, the kiss has to be on the lips. No getting out of that. Tongue is, of course, purely optional," she continued with a malicious grin. "No requirements on kiss duration, though. Third off, the only people in the kissing circle have to be the opposite gender of the spinner. Fourth, if the bottle lands directly between two people, the spinner decides which gets lucky. I think that's all the rules."
"Where's the bottle?" asked Sirius eagerly.
"I'll go get one," said Remus. A minute later, he returned, a glass bottle in his hand.
"Lily, check it for magic."
Lily nodded once and took out her wand, saying, "It'll glow blue if it is enchanted." She pointed her wand at the bottle and whispered, "Sorcerus Detecto," and noting happened. The bottle did not glow. "It's clean," she said with a slight smile. This would be fun. "Who goes first?"
"I will," Arabella volunteered. Her long blonde hair, pale skin, and currently amber eyes made her beautiful. The boys gathered in a tight circle. She reached out a slender hand and turned the bottle, then flipped it the other way, setting it to spin. The bottle spun quickly at first, gradually losing speed. Finally it slowed to a stop, its opening pointed at Peter.
Peter was not exactly a girl's first choice. He was short, chubby, with freckles and zits galore. He had short, dark, curly hair that didn't flatter his face at all. Even in personality, he was not someone any of the girls were especially fond of. He was often rude, rarely especially nice to any of the girls, but he almost revered his three best friends. He looked up to them for all of his moral guidance. In return, James, Sirius, and Remus were good friends with him, being much better friends with him than most would.
Arabella grinned dangerously at the bottle's chosen. If Lily and Hazel hadn't known better, they would really have thought Ara liked Peter. She sat behind him, smiling, then turned his face to meet hers. They kissed for a few seconds, Peter seeming nervous, Arabella enjoying it. "Not bad," she whispered to him when they broke apart, leaving everyone giggling.
"My turn," Remus replied. The girls took the boys' places, sitting together with nervous smiles. Remus was cute, with his soft chin-length brown hair and sensitive grey eyes. None of the girls would have minded getting a kiss from him, they thought as they sat together. He spun the bottle, it whipping around several times before landing on Hazel. Lily couldn't help thinking what a cute couple they made, both a little nervous and very shy. They had a soft, friendly kiss that lasted only a second. Both seemed to want it to last longer, though they broke apart at the same time.
The boys got back into their seats in a circle. "I might as well go," Lily said. She gently rested her hand on the bottle, closed her eyes once for courage, and spun the bottle. Lily could hear it, making an odd sound on the hardwood floor. It went around and around and around, finally slowing to a stop. Only when it stopped spinning did Lily open her eyes. James was grinning broadly at her, the bottle's neck facing him.
Oh geez, Lily thought. Jamie was the handsomest of the four, at least in her opinion. Ara preferred Sirius, and Lily suspected that Hazel had a crush on Remus, but James was the cutest in her eyes. She loved his hair, raven black and always completely out of control. He had grown like a weed, nearly Sirius's height instead of half a head shorter, and Sirius had been growing too. Playing quidditch had given him lean, wiry muscles, and Lily knew he was strong. All the boys occasionally wrestled out on the lawns, and very rarely did James lose. His warm brown eyes were very happy as she moved towards him.
I can't believe my luck, James thought to himself. She was so beautiful. Both Arabella and Hazel had their charms, but Lily was truly beautiful. Her red curls jounced lightly as she moved towards him, her emerald eyes sparkled with amusement as she looked at him. Even at eleven, she had been pretty, almost regal looking. He could still remember seeing her at Kings Cross Station, four years ago. A few years had done much for her. She was a little taller, much thinner, with just a little curve. Her hair had shifted slightly, becoming more and more auburn, but her eyes were still the same shade of green. She was beautiful, and not just on the outside. She had been the only girl who not only put up with his pranks, but joined in, and covered up for everyone if plan went awry.
Lily sat down next to him, not looking nervous at all. She had gotten a lot of practice at acting, hanging out with the Marauders for four years. James just grinned overboldly at her, then wrapped both of his arms around her waist. James had always been the courageous one. If she had met him at six, he would have been the perfect knight-in-shining-armor for all of her little girl fantasies. Even at fourteen, Lily could almost picture him slaying dragons for her still.
She put her hands on his shoulders, and they both leaned forward. It was a first kiss for both, and they all knew it. They closed their eyes, moved closer. Their lips connected. They leaned into each other and just kissed. A few seconds later, when every other kiss had stopped, they showed no signs of parting. Only when Sirius, with a grin, coughed out an, "Ahem!" did they part. Both were reluctant to part, embarrassed about the whole affair, and a bit confused on exactly what had happened. James just flashed Lily a nervous grin as she went to sit down.
Then it was Sirius's turn. The girls got into a circle. All the girls had already kissed once, but that didn't matter. He thought all three were pretty and would willingly lock his lips with anyone it landed on. He spun the bottle with a slight chuckle. All three girls watched him as the bottle spun. Sirius Black had the build of a football player at fourteen. He was the jock of the group, though Arabella and James both played quidditch as well. Apparently beating a bludger built muscles. He was not short either. Only this year had he and James become close in height, he had been the tallest since they were eleven. His eyes were very dark brown, but they were not quite as warm as James's. Instead, his eyes gleamed with amusement at everything. He was the wild one, the bad boy of the group. Of all of them, he looked like he chose to wear the black robes that all students had mandatory.
All three girls turned back to watch the bottle as it slowed to a stop. For the first time, the bottle landed right between two people. The bottle neck pointed smack between Lily and Arabella.
Lily felt a little queasy for the first time during the game. Though her facial expression did not change, she hoped that Sirius would pick Arabella. She tried to tell herself that it was just because she knew Ara liked him, somewhere deep inside Lily knew the truth. She only wanted to kiss James.
James felt the world plummet. For the past few seconds, he had been wondering if Lily liked him. If she kissed another guy, and she didn't kiss that guy the way she kissed James, then she had to like James. All of a sudden, James realized that he didn't WANT another guy kissing Lily, even during a game of Spin-the-Bottle. James tried to make Sirius look at him, but his best friend never turned around. He couldn't give him a sign, couldn't try to tell him without making it obvious to everyone. Please, Sirius, he thought to himself. Please not Lily.
Sirius grinned wickedly as he looked between them. Though Hazel was pretty, she wasn't his type of girl, a bit too timid. He wanted someone bolder, and Lily and Arabella were both bold. He looked at them both, tried to figure out what would happen if he picked one or the other. Hmm, James obviously liked Lily, and that feeling was mutual. As much fun as rocking the boat could be, that one was on shaky waters already. He couldn't risk it. Meanwhile, he KNEW Ara didn't like Peter, and she still kissed him like she did. Wonder if she would kiss me like that, Sirius thought to himself.
"Hey, Ara," Sirius finally said, smiling as he sat down in front of her. Lily and James both gave a little sigh of relief, saw each other sighing, and looked away with a little blush.
"Hey, Sirius," Ara replied with a wild grin. With no hesitation, he put his hands on her hips, and she put hers on his shoulders. The two put their lips together, making perhaps the most intense kiss of the game.
After a little while, longer than James and Lily had kissed, James winked at Lily, then coughed loudly. Sirius, without moving his lips, just used one hand to give James a rude gesture. Hazel gasped, "Sirius!" and then Arabella and Sirius had to separate because they started laughing.
When the laughing stopped, Arabella whispered something in Sirius's ear, then Sirius replied just as quietly. Peter grinned evilly at everyone, "Well, that was fun. Shall we keep playing?"
"Nah," James replied. "I think we've had enough excitement for one day."
James's comment was perfectly timed. Right then, Mundungus Fletcher stood up. With a cheerful, perky catcall, he cried, "Team! It's beddy-bye time!"With laughs and groans, most of the Gryffindors got up and went to bed.