Summer - end of fourth year
"Lyra Thompson your parents are going to absolutely fucking kill me" James told the now swaying Lyra who was giggling and struggling to stay upright. James, true to his second year word, had made sure that Lyra was invited to every party he was, making it clear to everybody that if she wasn't invited, he and the Marauders wouldn't be going anywhere. Lyra didn't know this, of course, knew she would be mortified that he'd said this, but he also could see how happy it made his best friend to be invited to these things. Besides, it didn't hurt that Lyra had maybe gotten a little bit hotter over the course of fourth year and so people were now more willing to invite her to things. But James hadn't told her that…had only maybe told the guys but they had just looked at him in confusion, asking him whether he was sure he was looking at the right person. And as such, James had pushed it from his mind, reminding himself they were best friends and that those kinds of feelings were definitely inappropriate for a best friend to have.
Over this summer, they'd been to a few parties, Lyra usually her quiet and reserved self, Rosie usually the wild one but tonight…shit, Rosie looked fucking elated that Lyra was drunk like this…probably because she too was drunk.
"Sirius!" he yelled, thankful that he had finally stopped making out with Marlene and saw him turn to where he was with both Lyra and Rosie. At the sight of her he grinned, shaking his head.
"Is Lyra seriously drunk?" he asked, sounding absolutely elated.
"Is that a genuine question?" James returned sarcastically as Rosie and Lyra laughed at the sight of Remus drunkenly dancing, which, to be fair, was an incredibly hilarious sight James had to admit.
"Hey Ly, how you doing?" Sirius had his flirty tone on, Lyra turning to him and seeming surprised.
"Oh, hi Sirius" she actually blushed as Sirius sauntered towards her, whispering something in her ear which made her eyes widen and her blush deepen.
"Stop teasing" Lyra pushed him, but James could see how she smiled and knew she was being flirty back.
"Oh yeah, she's drunk. She didn't hit me when I flirted with her" Sirius told James, Lyra's attention already diverted as Remus now dragged her onto the makeshift dance floor, Lyra almost falling over which only made her and Rosie and Remus all laugh. "Wow, she's mega drunk. You know not only will her parents kill you, but your parents will too, right?" Sirius asked, watching with amusement as all three of them started dancing, all inhibitions apparently completely forgotten.
"Merlin, I know! Rosie's staying at hers, you're going to have to help me get them home" Sirius looked far too pleased with this as he nodded.
"Reckon she'll make out with me?" James punched Sirius who rubbed his arm.
"I meant Rosie!" Sirius exclaimed, making James feel just the tiniest bit relieved.
"Sirius she's drunk. Stop being a fucking creep and taking advantage" James told him severely, protective over the both of them; Rosie was Lyra's Ravenclaw best friend and knew she meant a lot to Lyra. Thus, it was his responsibility to also keep her safe.
"Hey if she doesn't want to, I won't force her to. But she might want to. She is fucking hot" Sirius ran a hand through his hair and, before James could stop him, he'd gone over to join them. James sighed, realising he had a big job on his hands to get the both of them home tonight.
It had taken the better part of an hour for James to convince Lyra to go home. In that time, he had, unfortunately, had to decline making out with Edie Meadows which was a real shame because she really was looking hot tonight. And he'd been flirting with her for ages. However, he had gritted his teeth and stuck with Lyra, especially as Rosie and Sirius had taken to making out in a corner, very enthusiastically and, in his opinion, it had actually been Rosie's idea to do that. Now, however, Rosie and Sirius had unglued themselves, both looking pretty dam chuffed, especially Rosie when Sirius announced he was helping get them home. James was probably going have to forcibly remove Sirius from the Thompson's that night judging by the hand that had kept slipping up Rosie's top all night.
"Come on Ly, we need to floo to mine first" fuck she was a mess, James having to properly put an arm around her to keep her upright, Lyra finding the whole thing hilarious. She was a very happy, laughing drunk, which did make him smile and made the whole thing easier to deal with. Amanda, his ex girlfriend, had been a very angry drunk which had eventually led to their break up. And he had seen flashes of very creepily weird Edie starting to emerge throughout the night so he would have to remember to actually thank Lyra for being a steaming mess and getting him out of that one.
"But James, dancing" Lyra tried turning around but he tightened his hold on her, steering her back.
"Ly our parents are going to be home in exactly 45 minutes, and they cannot find you like this else they'll kill me" James explained patiently. Lyra sighed but thankfully, nodded, letting him steer them into the fireplace.
"Where's Rosie?" she really was a way better friend than he could ever be, digging her heels in to stop their progress, checking on her best friend.
"With Sirius, behind us" turning, he saw Sirius whispering in Rosie's ear, making her giggle and bite her lip in a way which James knew would drive Sirius crazy. Eurgh, he'd have to put up with Sirius all fucking night now pouting about James stopping his fun.
"Ooo, did they make out?" Lyra was evidently utterly clueless which made him laugh as she let him steer her into the fireplace, James grabbing a fistful of floo powder.
"They properly made out" he confirmed, Lyra's whole face lighting up which confused him, stopping him from flooing them away.
"Merlin Rosie's going to be so happy!" Lyra exclaimed, completely confusing him again.
"What? Why?" Lyra, for the first time that night, looked horrified, eyes wide as she clapped a hand to her mouth and James finally cottoned on to why.
"Rosie fancies Sirius?" he asked, really appreciating drunk Lyra now.
"No!" she said quickly but the horror said it all and James laughed loudly.
"Merlin did not see that coming. Not when Andrew Somerford was her ex-boyfriend" he mused, the fifth year Ravenclaw being the most stereotypical Ravenclaw he had ever known. And Rosie had dated him through fourth year until she, to quote Lyra, got bored of him and dumped him. And now she was making out with Sirius, this was too good!
"James, you cannot tell him!" Lyra told him, hitting him on the chest and bringing him back to it all.
"Why not? They've made out, maybe he likes her" he pushed but Lyra still looked horrified.
"James! You have to promise not to say! Promise!" she had that determined look on her face and he knew she was going to be a pain to get home unless he did what she wanted. "Promise James, please, for me?" she had this way of saying his name that always made him give in to her and so he sighed, nodding and retracting his arm so he could cross his heart; it was how they always made their promises to each other. She looked visibly relieved as the other two finally made it to the fireplace.
"What's the hold up?" Sirius had his arm around Rosie who did, now he thought about it, seem seriously pleased by the whole thing.
"Drunk Lyra" James reminded him, making Rosie laugh as he put his arm back around his best friend. "Please don't vomit on me Ly" he asked her, Lyra just shrugging with a small smile which he simply did not trust as he floo'd them back. Their bodies banged into each other, James not used to flooing with another person, and they had just landed when Lyra fell over, dragging James with her. He landed awkwardly on top of her, Lyra both laughing and groaning as he quickly got up, pulling her up.
"Shit are you okay?" he asked, checking over her but other than ash smudged on her, she seemed to be okay.
"That was fun! Why don't we do that more?" Lyra asked, laughing a lot as he just sighed, moving her out of the way and just in time as first Rosie and then Sirius appeared. "Ooo, James, we should raid Matt's whisky collection" oh Merlin, he did not need this, especially not when Sirius and Rosie cheered in agreement.
"Absolutely not! They'll be home in about half an hour and you HAVE to be home by then!" James told her, moving her out determinedly, Lyra's protests incredibly weak with her drunk state. "Sirius do not even dream about it" he yelled over his shoulder, hoping he could rely on Sirius just this once.
"So, did Rosie and Sirius make out a lot?" Lyra whispered to him as he managed to get her out the front door and make their way down the path, despite how slow and wobbly it was. James laughed and nodded.
"Look Ly, no offence but you're so drunk I swear you're barely going to remember this. How about I come by tomorrow and fill you in properly?" he suggested, knowing she would appreciate this.
"I'm not drunk!" she exclaimed, making him laugh…before she tipped almost violently over, yanking him with her.
"Shit Ly, focus on walking for me" he just about managed to save them from some nasty cuts and bruises, which would have been very difficult to explain away. James had already witnessed Lyra bumping into a multitude of things in her drunken state before she left the party and knew she would already be covered in bruises for a while.
"But I'm not drunk James" she insisted, her house finally the next one down.
"Sure, if you say so Ly" he humoured her, hearing Rosie and Sirius laughing behind them, James thankful his best friend had thought with his brain for once. Lyra just laughed as they made their way up her path, James finding his key and quickly letting them in, leaving the door open. He was about to yell back to Sirius but found him and Rosie making out again, making him roll his eyes as he focused on getting Lyra up to bed. In the time he had turned, she had wandered into the kitchen, rifling through the alcohol cupboard which was usually locked.
"Ly! You're going to bed!" James exclaimed, noting how her parents would be home way too soon now for his liking.
"Oh pff. I thought you were a Gryffindor" she insisted, bending over and James did his utmost best not to check out her arse as she did so but, seriously, he was just a guy after all. "Ahah!" she exclaimed, thankfully straightening, and pulling a bottle of vodka.
"Absolutely fucking not" he intervened, moving quickly to take it from her, put it back in the cupboard and put his arm back around her to steer her up to her room.
"Eurgh, you're so boring" he laughed at that, Lyra never having called him this before.
"No, I'm just being sensible for once" he told her, seeing her smile a little as he, miraculously, got her up the stairs. "Okay, teeth, now" he knew she would hate him if he didn't make her do this first and so she sighed, shooing him out and shutting the bathroom door. He went into her room, pulling back the covers and thinking getting her changed was totally out of his remit and one for Rosie to handle...if she ever unglued herself from Sirius. Thinking this he headed to the hallway and opened the window.
"Rosie get the fuck inside before the Thompson's get back" he hissed, making them both jump. He shut the window quietly, hearing Lyra hum in the bathroom as she brushed her teeth and then she re-emerged, just as Rosie and Sirius came up the stairs looking a little sheepish.
"Right, bed, now" James demanded, all three of the others rolling their eyes so that he had to pull Lyra into her room and sit her on her bed. "Look Ly, I don't care if you go to bed in your dress or you change but you cannot leave this room else your parents will murder me. We clear?" he told her firmly. She pouted, looking too adorable, James quickly pushing that intrusive thought from his mind.
"Fine" she huffed, lying down straight away, and rolling onto her side, pulling the covers over her.
"Rosie, you can't go anywhere either okay?" he told her, Rosie sulking but nodding, giving Sirius a wink before moving in. Honestly, since when did James have to be the sensible one in the group? "Right, sleep well" he told them, moving out but hearing Lyra roll over as he pushed Sirius out.
"James?" she asked, making him pause and turn, finding her smiling at him. "Thanks for looking after me" he told him, James finding himself smiling in reply.
"No problem bestie" he replied, Sirius huffing but he ignored him as he shut the door and chivvied him out, relieved to be making it out before anybody could see Lyra's drunken state.