I didn't speak to Bertram at all over the next several weeks. In fact, I refused to look at him. I took all of my meals at the Gryffindor table; Flor joined me occasionally, spending half of her time with me and half with Bertram, like a kid being shuffled back and forth between two divorced parents. To my immense surprise, Flor and Sirius immediately hit it off; they were extremely similar, from their sense of humor down to their mostly carefree attitudes.
"It's not as if they'll suddenly come back and win eight matches in a row!" Flor exclaimed loudly, shoving a bite of toast into her mouth, crumbs flying wildly as she gestured with her hands aggressively.
"You couldn't possibly know that!" Sirius waved a piece of bacon at Flor as he spoke. "They've done it before."
"When? 1687?" Florence scoffed, rolling her eyes. "I don't think that even counts at this point. They weren't even called the Chudley Cannons back then, were they? What were they called again?"
"…Ye Olde Cannons." Sirius looked down, embarrassed. James, Florence and I burst out into laughter. Florence smirked; her point proven. She reached for another piece of toast, biting into it and smiling triumphantly.
"That doesn't mean anything though," Remus said. "Just because the name changed doesn't mean that the they aren't the same team."
"Does it really matter?" I asked. "They sucked then, and they suck now. Why even bother debating it?"
James, Florence, and Sirius all turned to glare at me, their mouths dropping open. "Why bother debating it?" James repeated, flabbergasted. "Because if they do make a comeback, it would completely change the outcome of the league and could determine who goes to the World cup this summer. Merlin, Frankie, don't you know anything about Quidditch?"
I shrugged. "Eh. Sure, I know enough. Just never really got into it."
James clasped a hand over his heart dramatically. "Never really got into it? Is that even legal? Florence, you've allowed her to go this long without appreciating the wonderful game?"
"Trust me, I've tried," Florence said. "Nothing I've done has been able to change her mind about it."
"Does that mean you aren't going to come watch our game today?" James asked, furrowing his brow as though the thought were ridiculous. Sirius turned, raising his brows at me, a questioning look on his face.
"Obviously, I'm coming," I said with a sigh. "I'd never hear the end of it from you lot if I didn't."
Sirius turned to Remus, pointing at me. "Make sure she actually pays attention. I have a good feeling I'm going to be in rare form today."
Remus grabbed my hand under the table, rubbing his thumb against my palm reassuringly. "Sure thing, Pads. I'll make sure my girlfriend never takes her eyes off of you, in case she misses something spectacular-…ly stupid."
"Oi!" Sirius complained. "I'm not going to do anything stupid."
"Yes, you are," Florence deadpanned, finishing up her last piece of toast. "Alright, let's go. I want to get good seats."
I laughed. "Do we really need to go before the team leaves?"
"It's Gryffindor vs. Slytherin!" She said, as if that explained everything.
I pushed out of my seat, dragging Remus with me. "Fine. Let's go."
We walked out of the castle, and I let my head fall back, enjoying the feeling of the sun hitting my face. Although it was cold, and we were all bundled up in coats and scarves, the sunlight was warm. Flor practically flew down the grounds towards the Quidditch pitch, and I laughed as I took off at a run behind her, pulling Remus with me. I hadn't noticed, but Peter was trailing behind us, his little arms flailing as he tried to get us to slow down.
We paused at the bottom of the hill, waiting for Peter to catch up. He was breathing heavily when he made it to us, and took a second to catch his breath for muttering, "Could have waited."
"Come on," Flor said impatiently, tapping her foot. We climbed the steps up towards the Gryffindor section and Flor took her time deciding which seats she wanted to claim. When she was satisfied, we shimmied into a row and sat down. We weren't the first down at the pitch, but we were among the first several groups, so we chatted for a while, and slowly the seats around us began to fill up. Remus wrapped his arm around me, and I leaned in to his warmth, rubbing my hands together to produce heat. Eventually, Lily, Alice Brown and Mary MacDonald claimed the seats in front of us.
"Hi," Lily said with a smile, turning to beam at the four of us. Ever since Lily had insulted me at the Three Broomsticks, she had been significantly nicer to me. She actually went out of her way to speak to me, much to James's delight. "I'm so excited!"
"Don't let James hear you say that," Remus chuckled. "He'll probably propose to you on the spot…you know, again."
Lily laughed. She threw her long red hair over her shoulder as she turned back around to see if the teams had entered the pitch yet, but didn't say anything. I thought I noticed a hint of a blush on her cheeks, but it easily could have been because of the cold. When she turned back around, she pulled Remus into a discussion on the next patrol schedule, which I promptly tuned out.
Flor took the opportunity to whisper in my ear. "Who do you think Bert is sitting with?"
I shrugged, the knot in my stomach tightening to an uncomfortable degree. "Do you think he even came down?"
Flor pursed her lips, looking towards the Hufflepuff section of the stands; she scanned up and down the rows, looking for any sign of our friend. She shook her head when she was unable to find him. "He'd mentioned that he might come down, but I have a feeling he's holed up in the library avoiding…"
She trailed off, clearing her throat uncomfortably. I rolled my eyes. "Me. I know he's avoiding me. For the record, I'm avoiding him, too."
Flor didn't say anything else, and in the next several moments the two teams began to enter the pitch. The crowd got rowdy immediately, cheering for their houses, or their chosen team for this match. I scanned the crowd; nearly everyone who wasn't a Slytherin had chosen to support Gryffindor. I saw several students in the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw sections sporting maroon and gold; either borrowed from a Gryffindor friend or transfigured from their own clothing. I leaned forward in my seat, my eyes tracking Sirius as he trailed behind James; his robes hugged his shoulders so well, it was obvious to tell how strong he was. He held his bat in his hands, flexing his fingers in anticipation of the upcoming match. I realized that I was starting when Flor cleared her throat; I shook my head slightly, and turned to look at her but she had merely been adjusting for a better view of the match.
I coughed slightly to cover the awkward moment, and Remus turned to look at me. "You alright?" He asked with concern. I nodded, smiling at him. For a fake boyfriend, he certainly was very attentive.
Gryffindor won the ball toss, and James took off with the quaffle under his arm. Sirius tore off into the sky, chasing after a bludger which he smashed after a Slytherin chaser who was following James. From there on, it was a blur of players flying up and down the pitch at speeds that were hard to comprehend. Both teams were evenly matched, and the score stayed fairly consistent throughout the entire match. Flor was on the edge of her seat throughout the entire match, and at one point, Lily had hidden her face into Brown's jacket when a bludger narrowly missed hitting James in the face.
The game lasted well over an hour, which was unusual for matches at Hogwarts. The Gryffindor seeker made an incredible catch, grabbing the snitch from right under the nose of the Slytherin seeker. Flor was on her feet, my hand clasped tightly in hers as she jumped up and down, bouncing with nervous energy. When the match was called, she squealed, dropped my hand, and threw her arms around Remus.
"Come on, let's go meet them downstairs!" Flor squealed, releasing Remus and shouldering her way past a group of students towards the stairs. I followed her, apologizing to the third year she had elbowed in the gut. We flew down the stairs, coming to a halt outside of the Gryffindor changing room, where we waited several minutes for the team to emerge.
They came out in a rush of yelling and cheering, jumping into the crowd of students that had gathered, waiting for them. James and Sirius came running towards us, throwing their arms around us and laughing wildly.
"Did you see?" Sirius asked, grinning. "Did you see that bludger I hit at Crabbe? He never even saw it coming."
"The look on his big, dumb face was priceless," Flor agreed, nodding her head enthusiastically. "I bet he squealed like a pig, but we couldn't hear from where we were sitting."
"He did!" Sirius exclaimed gleefully. He looked over at me to see if I'd been listening, but I gestured with my head over to James, who was having a quiet conversation with none other than Lily Evans herself. They were talking quietly, James smiling shyly and Lily's cheeks brushed with red. After a moment, Lily smiled at him and turned back to her friends. James watched her walk away for a couple of seconds before he turned and made his way over to us.
I raised my eyebrows at him. "So…"
"Oh, she was just congratulating me for winning the match. And she even gave me permission for a small afterparty, provided we're done by midnight, blah, blah," James grinned, throwing an arm around Sirius's shoulders. "Shall we, Padfoot?"
"Oh, we most certainly shall, Prongs!" Sirius said conspiratorially, grinning.
"Shall you what?" Flor asked, furrowing her brows.
"Don't worry about it," Remus and I said at the same time. We turned to each other and laughed.
Florence rolled her eyes, but started following us up the hill back towards the castle. We ate dinner with the boys, and headed back up to the Gryffindor common room with them afterwards to wait for the party to start. James and Sirius disappeared for about an hour, and when they returned, they pulled bottles of firewhiskey and butterbeer out of their rucksacks. Sirius opened another bag and spilled out all sorts of chocolates, pumpkin pasties, and cauldron cakes.
Florence's eyes widened, and she reached out to grab a butterbeer. As she was opening it, she said, "I don't understand. These are Rosmerta's; and they're still cold! It's as if they just came from Hogsmeade…but that's not possible. Is it?"
James and Sirius exchanged a look. "Ask us no questions, dear Florence," Sirius said.
"And we shall tell you no lies," James finished with a wink.
Florence looked towards Remus and I. "You two are prefects! You approve of this?" She mocked outrage, but the giant gulp of butterbeer that she took betrayed her true feelings. "Ah, this is good."
I rolled my eyes, reaching out to grab a butterbeer for myself. Someone put on music, and before I'd even had the chance to open my drink, the party was in full swing. Bottles of firewhiskley were being passed around, students were dancing, and everyone was having a good time. I spent most of the night standing with Remus and Florence, drinking more than I had in a long time, and people-watching.
Sirius was the life of the party. I found myself drawn to wherever he was; he was magnetic. Wherever he was, people were laughing and singing and dancing. My eyes followed him of their own accord; once or twice, he looked over at me and made eye contact, sending a bolt of electricity down my spine. Each time he would wink and raise his glass at me; I'd smile and raise my cup in return.
Remus's hand touched my shoulder, startling me.
"Sorry, Frankie. I didn't mean to scare you."
"That's okay! What'd I miss?"
"I was just asking if you wanted another drink," Florence said, narrowing her eyes at me. "Who were you so busy watching?"
I chuckled nervously. "I thought I saw Peter fall over," I lied.
"Shoot, and I missed it?" Flor asked, getting on her tiptoes to try to see over the crowd.
I shrugged. "Maybe he didn't. Another drink?" Florence nodded, but Remus shook his head. "Okay. I'll grab them. Wait right here."
I pushed my way through the crowd, saying hello to a couple of people as I passed them. Somehow, the drinks never seemed to dwindle; as I reached out to grab two cups, someone beat me to them.
"Whoops, sorry," Sirius slurred, swaying slightly on his feet. "Didn't see you there, Frankie."
I gestured for him to take the cup with a smirk. "I'm surprised you can see anything, Black."
"I can see well enough to tell you've been watching me all night," he said nonchalantly, sipping from his cup and leaning against the wall. He crossed one leg over the other and raised his eyebrows, the perfect picture of ease.
"I have not!" I protested, my cheeks heating. I took a sip of my drink, before chuckling. "Okay, fine, I have." The words slipped out without my permission, courtesy of all of the firewhiskey I'd had to drink.
Sirius nodded, confidently. "I've been watching you too; I'm just a bit more subtle than you are." He pushed off the wall and walked away into the crowd, leaving me there stunned, wondering what he meant by that?
I didn't have too long to think about it, as a roar went off behind me, and I turned just in time to see Peter hoisted into the air by his ankle. James was pouring alcohol into his mouth, as Sirius counted up to see how long he lasted. They made it 15 seconds by the time Lily realized what was happening and came storming over.
"Done!" She screeched. "We are officially done. Let him down, now," she said, stomping her foot in emphasis.
"Did you actually just stomp your foot, Evans?" Sirius asked with a laugh.
Lily's face burned bright red, but she didn't answer. "Let him down, or I swear I will start taking points."
James held his hands up in defeat. "Yes, dear." With a wave of his wand, Peter landed on his feet, where he promptly leaned over and vomited onto Lily's shoes.
Lily's face went stark white, as Sirius stifled his laugh. "BED!" Lily screamed. "Now. Everyone!"
Nobody hesitated, the common room emptying so fast it was as if people had actually apparated to bed.
"'M sorry, Lily," Peter slurred, standing unsteadily on his feet. "All came back up."
Lily closed her eyes briefly. "Remus, take Peter upstairs before I murder him," she bit, eyes still closed. When she opened them, she turned her glare to James. "Potter, all of this better be cleaned up by the time I wake up tomorrow, or I'm putting you on Saturday night patrol for the next month."
James's eyes widened, and he nodded seriously. She turned on her heel, casting a quick scourgify on her shoes to get rid of the vomit, before she stomped upstairs shaking her head.
James turned to Sirius, his own grin finally breaking free. He laughed, under his breath lest Lily hear him and come storming back downstairs. "Oh, Wormy, that was priceless," he said, slapping Peter on the back. Peter gagged, and Remus took that as his cue to take Peter by the arm and start leading him upstairs.
"Frankie, I'll come back down in a bit. It's too late for you and Florence to head back to Hufflepuff, but we'll get you settled on the couches."
"You don't have to come back down," Flor said. With a wave of her wand, she cleared the section near the couches of all bottles, trash, and leftover food. With another wave, two couch pillows transfigured into sleeping bags with plush pillows and fuzzy blankets. "We'll be just fine down here."
"Woah," James said, his eyes sparkling at the magnificent display of magic. "I always forget you're top of the class in Transfiguration, Flor."
Florence shrugged modestly.
"I want to stay down here too!" Sirius exclaimed. "It can be like a slumber party."
"Well, if Padfoot is staying down here, I want to stay down here too."
I locked eyes with Remus, who was halfway up the stairs to their dormitory. He would be expected to want to come downstairs as well, which would lead us into the awkward situation of having to sleep next to each other. Florence would be suspicious if my boyfriend didn't take advantage of the situation to sleep with his girlfriend. I wasn't prepared for that kind of situation – I mentally cursed Sirius for being so stupid, and James for going along with him.
Luckily, Peter chose that moment to vomit again, all over the stairs. Remus sighed. "Someone should stay with him and make sure he's okay. You guys have fun, my back will kill me in the morning if I sleep on the floor anyway."
James and Sirius boo'd, fighting with each other over which of the two sleeping bags they were going to take. Florence looked at the two boys, who had each other in headlocks, and rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't trust either of these idiots with him. We'll see you in the morning, Remus."
He nodded, relieved. I winked at him, and he turned to finish carrying Peter upstairs. Florence transfigured two more sleeping bags, and chose the one all the way at the end, leaving me the one in between her and the one Sirius had just claimed from James.
James finished cleaning up most of the common room, and I knew that whatever he missed would be gone courtesy of the house elves by the morning. He turned the lights off, leaving just the soft glow of the fireplace as we all cuddled up into our sleeping bags.
We chatted for a while, before we heard James start to snore. Florence went quiet not long after, leaving just Sirius and I awake.
We were quiet for a couple of moments, the crackle of the fireplace threatening to lull me into a peaceful sleep. The sleeping bag was warm, and I was tired from all of the alcohol; just as my eyes were about to drop closed, Sirius spoke. "He really likes you, you know."
I swallowed sleepily, turning my head slightly to look at Sirius. He was turned onto his side, eyes wide as he looked at me intently. "Who?" I asked, dumbly.
"Remus," he answered, seriously. "I've never seen him so…calm. He's usually so anxious, especially around girls. And he talks about you all the time."
I let the information sink in. "It's not real, Sirius," I reminded him, quietly. Just in case Florence woke up.
"Maybe not for you. But he's had a crush on you for years. He's always talked about you. I thought it was just because you were a prefect nerd, like him; but now I think it's something more. You don't see the way he looks at you when you're not looking; it's as though you've changed something in him. Something that really desperately needed to be changed. I don't expect you to understand what I'm talking about, but just know that it's real for him. He'll never tell you himself, but he'll keep this thing going for as long as you allow it to, and so I think that you deserve to know."
"Why?" I asked, my throat catching. "Why tell me now?"
Sirius took his time answering. He took so long, that I actually turned over to make sure he hadn't fallen asleep. He hadn't; he held my gaze as he said, "Because you needed to know. And because I needed to remind myself of it before I did something stupid, like kiss you tonight. Because you have no idea how badly I want to kiss you."
My body heated from head to toe. "Maybe I want that, too," I admitted, my eyes travelling down from his eyes to land on his lips.
Sirius licked his lips, never taking his eyes from mine. They dropped just momentarily to rest on my lips, before they flicked back up to my eyes. "I'm not a good guy. Remus is; you should be with him. For real. Think about it."
Without waiting for my answer, he turned over, his back now facing me. He didn't say anything for the rest of the night, but just before I finally gave in to sleep, I felt him reach behind his back and entwine his hands with mine. They stayed tangled together for the rest of the night.
