So sorry about the wait! The next chapter should be up soon and the summer will be over and they'll be going back to school. Also Fabian and Gideon will be in it to make up for them not being in this chapter.
"Hey Wormy, what's up?" Sirius asked casually, his nose was most likely broken with dried blood all over the lower portion of his face.
"Episky." Mr. Potter pointed his wand at Sirius' nose and there was a loud crack followed by the dark-haired boy wincing. He tenderly touched his nose as Charlus summoned a wet towel handing it to James. "I'm going to get your mother."
James tossed the towel to Peter who was throwing it to Remus but Messalina snatched it out of the air. She sat down on the floor beside the sofa gingerly rubbing at the dried blood.
"What happened mate?" James asked as he sat down on the armchair Remus had sat in hours before.
"I left." Sirius winced when Messalina pressed down harder on his nose than before and she rolled her eyes keeping silent however.
"Yes we can see that but you don't mean-for good?" James asked as he and Remus exchanged a look.
"Yeah, I'm quite sure that my darling parents wouldn't like to see my handsome face again." Sirius' mouth puckered as though he was sucking on a lemon and Messalina dabbed the towel again the last bit of blood on his mouth. She stood up, placing the now pink towel on the table. "You know Lucien you should wear shorts like those more often, I think Moony would appreciate it."
"Oh I'm sorry did you just ask to get your nose broken again?" She asked condescendingly and Sirius snickered.
"I do like this one Moony, you oughta keep her." Sirius waggled his eyebrows and Remus rolled his eyes.
Ten minutes later the five of them were in James' room once again, Mr. and Mrs. Potter having gone to bed once again.
"What happened?" James asked leaning forward in his chair. Sirius glanced up from where he had laid down on the sofa Peter had been on not even an hour earlier and sighed.
"Orion and Walburga were already mad when I got home," No one mentioned it but Sirius' tone reminded them of when the brunette who was sprawled out on the floor spoke of her own parents. "I guess Regulus forgot to write them how he thought he did on his exams or something stupid like that. I was sent to my room immediately-say James are there any leftovers? I'm starved.
"Anyways, earlier today I thought Mummy Dearest and Father had left but I was mistaken. They were waiting in the sitting room next to the fireplace. They asked me where I was going all dressed up, I said here and they beat me. I grabbed my things and left as Walburga blew my face off the family tree. Caught the Night Bus and here I am." Sirius ran his hands through his hair looking at the floor.
"You can stay here for sure," James offered as it grew quiet. "Mum and Dad love you like you're their son anyways."
"Thanks Prongs." At the confirmation James leapt up, jumping around the room kicking his legs and arms out at random times nearly hitting Remus in the face at one point. Finally he sat down on the ground like a puppy his glasses crooked.
"So how was the party?" Sirius asked casually but they could tell that he wanted to know if they had had fun without him.
"Don't worry Padfoot we didn't have too much fun without you." Remus stated and Sirius' face brightened.
"Say James can I have some leftovers?"
Within ten minutes the five of them, four of whom were still in their various states of undress, made their way down to the Potter's extensive kitchen. One of their house elves was cleaning up the remaining food and immediately perked up at the sight of them.
"Master James has brought his friends to Loppy! What can I get you messrs and mistress?" The elf asked, her large eyes filled with joy.
"Just some leftovers if you will Loppy." James stated sitting down at the round granite table. Sirius sat on James' right, Remus on the bespectacled boy's left, Messalina beside her boyfriend with Peter between her and Sirius.
"Yes sir! Yes sir!" The elf began to hurry around the kitchen, turning things on and off. Messalina took a moment to look around the high ceilinged room made of polished wood and the hardwood floors. In the corner beside two squishy couches was a roaring fireplace and all the counters were gold-colored granite.
"So who all was here today?" Sirius asked leaning back in his chair.
"If you mean who came here that would be open to having sex with you, probably half a dozen." Messalina drawled smirking at the rueful expression on his face.
"I can't wait for school to start again." Sirius' face was soon filled with a blissful look as he thought of better times. James feigned being hurt and placed his hand over his chest after adopting a look of pure horror.
"How dare you! I thought we were enough but I see now that a good shag is better company than us." James cried and Messalina snorted while Peter giggled. Loppy appeared then levitating plates full of chocolate cake, salad, pasta and numerous bowls of soup. Despite having eaten not that long ago everyone dug in, not speaking for a moment as they savored the deliciousness.
An hour later found them all in James' room once again, everyone growing tired but no one wanting to be the first to go to bed. Messalina concealed a yawn and felt her eyes closing slightly. She laid down on her back staring up at the ceiling. The boys were talking about what they were planning for the beginning of the year prank and despite the fact that Messalina normally would have been very excited to discuss it she was exhausted. Not five minutes later she was fast asleep.
Messalina woke up very warm and with something heavy lying on her stomach. She kept her eyes closed, hoping to fall back asleep. She was half awake when she heard a voice very near her ear.
"Awww they're so cute!"
"Wormy take a picture." Another voice whispered and there was a bright flash that Messalina could see even with her eyes closed. Groggily she opened her eyes to see Peter standing on top of James' bed and the two black-haired boys sitting to the side grinning.
"What are you doing?" She asked, moving to sit up but something restricted her movement. Glancing down she saw that Remus was lying on his side beside her fast asleep, his arm around her waist.
"You two are just so adorable!" James crooned, messing Messalina's hair up.
"What time is it?" She asked ignoring him.
"Ten minutes to noon, why?"
"Merlin I have to go!" She cried, quickly getting up startling Remus awake.
"What? Why?" James cried as she hurried over to the door, throwing it open.
"I've got work at twelve!" She squealed, running down the hall. She sprinted into her room, slamming the door behind her. Slipping off her pajamas she opened her purse, pulling out a pair of jean shorts, an old pair of Converse and a plain black v-neck. Messalina dressed quickly, throwing her hair up in a ponytail.
"I didn't even know you worked!" James was yelling from the other side of the door. Tugging on her left shoe Messalina opened the door slightly out of breath. James and Sirius fell flat on their faces since they had been leaning against the door, Remus and Peter laughing behind them.
"I never told you? I work at the muggle pub in the summer."
"Fascinating. Here, I'll show you where the fireplace is."
Messalina ran from her house into the small town, completely out of breath by the time she made it to the Counting House Pub. She opened the door and was immediately met with the smell of liquor and peanuts. It was remarkably like the Leaky Cauldron, except being smaller and everything being nonmagical.
"Hello there Messalina," A tall brooding man called from behind the bar. He had a long black beard along with small beady eyes and was already nursing a half full tumbler of whiskey. He took a long drink of it easily before pouring some more.
"Hey Richie!" She called walking over to the bar. There were a few familiar and unfriendly men in the dim booth in the corner lit by dull old lights above their heads.
"There's an order out of the kitchen in a few minutes." Richie handed her a plain black apron and she hopped onto the counter swinging her feet back and forth. "Your cousins were by earlier, looking for ya. They still getting their new apartment in London?"
"Yup they're moving in, they were probably taking a break or something."
"A break? London's nearly four hours away!"
"They've been packing their things at this point, getting the car prepared and all." She said easily, kicking herself inwardly. She couldn't slip up like that again, the little mess ups made up one big mistake that would sent with Aurors coming to see why she had told a muggle that she could get to London for a 'break'.
The door to the kitchen opened and a short chubby man wearing a floppy chef's hat emerged carrying a tray full of fish and chips and burgers. The red-faced man gave Messalina a sour look but the brunette merely sneered at him as she took the tray.
She moved swiftly over to the corner booth being sure to give the tables and chairs a wide berth. Placing the tray on her hip she placed the burger and two baskets of fish and chips in front of the men she knew so well. Wordlessly she collected their glasses and moved to the bar.
Messalina left the bar at half past six, the old street lights not on yet. Her fingers drummed on the small wad of pounds in her back pocket and as she reached the main part of the town's outskirts she thought she saw something out of the corner of her eye. Turning she could've sworn she saw a dark figure duck behind a wall. She took another few steps forward before spinning around to see a completely covered figure slip behind Lance Auto, her hand flying to her back pocket where her wand should've been. Swearing loudly she took off running to where the shape was, not even thinking about the many articles about the Death Eaters that were in the Daily Prophet every day.
She skidded to a stop at the end of the building and saw a figure in a dark cloak with an intricate metal mask on over its head. With a loud crack however the figure was gone and Messalina took a few steps backward as she thought about the mask and what exactly she had seen in The Daily Prophet.