Disclaimer: I own nothing Harry Potter related. Any terminology, places or people that you recognize belong to J.K. Rowling.

Chapter Thirteen

"Hello"

Roxanne jumped as she heard the voice. She had stayed behind her friends in the Transfiguration classroom finishing up some notes. She tried harder in that class then any other. She seemed to have a slight block for the subject and she had a hard time with it. She turned around to see Ryan Thompson looking at her. She was surprised. "Hello," she told him tonelessly. She still hadn't forgotten how rude he was to her.

"Where are your annoying, interrupting friends?" He asked with a hint of a joke.

Roxanne rolled her eyes. "Why do you care? Why do you need to know anything about me?"

His eyebrows rose. "I guess I don't. So what's your problem? You hate me all of a sudden?" He scoffed. "You're really weird."

Roxanne scoffed too, trying to hurry with her notes so she could leave without saying something stupid, or worse, doing something stupid. "You were very rude to me. I don't forget something like that in hurry."

Ryan rolled his eyes. "I was only rude to you after you practically told me that kissing me was a mistake and you never wanted to do it again. You're a tease Roxy. Just admit it."

Roxanne said nothing. She just started writing faster, her penmanship becoming more and more hard to read. She wasn't going to let him annoy her into talking to him. He was obviously just trying to get a rise out of her. 'Well the jokes on you because it's not working you twat,' she thought. She finished her notes after ages it seemed and stuffed her quill and parchment into her bag. She got up to leave but Ryan took a step sideways to make sure he was in front of her, impeding her escape. She shoved him slightly but he stood his ground. She sighed wearily and looked up at him. "Excuse me," she told him with as much frostiness as she could muster.

Ryan just smirked, sarcastically bowed and let her pass. As she walked furiously passed him he said, "I didn't think it was a mistake. I'm quite eager for it to happen again. You are too, even though you're acting like you don't."

Roxanne wanted nothing more then to turn around and scream at him that he was wrong, but just then, Bellatrix, Rhiannon and Brienna all walked into the classroom. The three girls looked at her with disgust, and Rhiannon opened her mouth to say something, but Roxanne was already hurrying past them out the door and into the corridor. Rhiannon just scoffed and directed her attention to Ryan instead. He had taken Roxanne's abandoned seat and was taking out his things waiting for class to start. She pulled up the chair next to him. "Hey cutie," she told him, planting a kiss on his cheek.

He smiled at her. "Hello to you."

She returned the smile. Bellatrix sat on her other side, not wasting any time to say what she wanted about Roxanne. "I really cannot stand that Bennett. I swear one of these days I'll just hex her for the fuck of it." She said with a laugh.

Rhiannon and Brienna, who was sitting on Bellatrix's other side, nodded. "Yeah," Rhiannon started. "I want to just slap her sometimes. She can be insanely stupid." Ryan scoffed and Rhiannon looked at him surprised. "What? You don't think so?" She asked annoyed. Ryan just shrugged, not in the mood for Rhiannon's bullshit. She just rolled her eyes.

Bellatrix's leaned over Rhiannon to look at Ryan. "You'd rather snog her then slap her wouldn't you Thompson?" Brienna laughed but Rhiannon looked even more irritated.

Ryan smirked. "You don't have to be jealous Bellatrix. The fact is, is that Roxanne is one of the most sexiest girls in the school. You must have noticed. Nothing get's passed you."

Bellatrix rolled her eyes. "Apparently it hasn't escaped your notice either. I'm surprised at you. Who thought Ryan Thompson would want to snog a nasty Gryffindor." She sneered at Rhiannon. "Didn't he snog you once? Were you that bad?"

Rhiannon scoffed loudly. "You're really bad at joke telling Bella. If you really want to know, why don't you just ask your boyfriend, he'll tell you exactly how my lips taste."

Bellatrix just rolled her eyes. "Rodolphus knows better," she said with superiority. "So do you."

It was Rhiannon's turn to roll her eyes. A few minutes later the class started. Rhiannon took notes for a while but kept getting distracted. Was Ryan really attracted to Roxanne? She absentmindedly looked his way every couple of minutes. He was very attentive, taking notes and asking questions. He had told Rhiannon he needed very good marks to be able to be Minister of Magic someday. She rolled her eyes internally, he really was very full of himself.

"Collywobbles," Roxanne told the Fat Lady as she reached her. She was still fuming over her run in with Ryan. It was like she told Mrs. Potter during the summer, she had never been so confused in her life and she was more than sick of it. She was very used to being decisive and to the point in every aspect of her life. She prided herself on knowing what to do in practically every situation, but with Ryan she just couldn't figure out anything and it was maddening. The portrait swung open to allow her inside, and her fuming was cut short by her friends waving her over to them. Dorcas, Mary and Cameron were in the best seats by the fire, studying. Roxanne made her way over to them, trying to put Ryan in the back of her mind. "Hey guys," she said trying to manage a smile.

"Hey Roxy," Dorcas told her with a smile of her own. "Did you get all the extra notes?"

Roxanne nodded. "Yeah. I need to get started on that paper that's due. It's going to take me forever to finish because of all the research I have to do. I really wish Transfiguration wasn't so hard for me." She said with a sigh.

"I'll help you. We can go to the library together and look up a bunch of stuff," Dorcas said, sympathetic.

Roxanne nodded. "Thanks Dorcas. Even with all the free time this year we're working more than ever. I should have just given up the stupid subject." She leaned back in the armchair she was sitting in and heaved another sigh. "Well, I'm to exhausted to do any work right now, so I think I'll take a nap. Wake me for my next class?" She asked Dorcas.

Dorcas nodded too. "Yeah, no problem. You okay?"

Roxanne hesitated then barely nodded. "Just tired. See you soon." She then got up and scuffled to the girls dormitory. Dorcas's eyes followed her worryingly then she focused back on her homework. Mary was tapping her fingers on the end table, lost in thought. Cameron tapped her on the shoulder. "You do know that's terribly annoying?" He asked her.

"Well, I can't help it. It makes me nervous," she said quickly.

Cameron's eyes widened, that wasn't an answer he was expecting. "What makes you nervous?"

"You! What on earth are you going to make us do? I could hardly sleep last night thinking about it. Tell me." Mary said loudly.

Cameron laughed. "But that is half the fun. Letting you stew about it!"

Mary rolled her eyes. "Come on. Just tell us so we can do it and get it over with. The more you put it off, the more time you have to come up with something really embarrassing and that's not fair."

Dorcas nodded. "I have to say I agree. You really should just let us off the hook. You already won, you don't have to shove it in our faces."

Cameron just shook his head, a little smile on his face. "Fine. Tomorrow is the day. Get ready."

Up in the boy's dormitory, Sirius, Peter and Remus were all crowded around, still trying to cheer up James who was sitting his bed and was still in a bit of a funk since his and Lily's fight.

"You guy's used to fight constantly! How is this any different?" Sirius was saying.

James just shook his head. "It's just that I thought I had actually gotten somewhere this summer. I actually thought that I had gotten to the point where she didn't hate me anymore. Seems like I was wrong. It's just hard to take knowing that I haven't gotten anywhere.

Remus shook his head sadly. "She was just flustered because of Severus. Maybe she just feels like she shouldn't like you because you guys are such enemies."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "They aren't even friends anymore. It can't be that."

"I don't know Sirius. They were friends for a long time and even though they aren't friends now, it could still feel like a form of betrayal to her." Remus said smartly.

James sighed loudly and laid back on his bed, rubbing his eyes. "I just don't know. I'm about ready to give up. I just don't know how to get though to her."

The other three boys looked at him sadly. Peter put a hand on James's arm. "Don't say that Prongs. You'll get her." He told him.

James just sighed again. "I really don't know anymore Pete. I just don't know."

A couple moments passed in silence, then Sirius stood up suddenly. "You just need a little pick me up." He said, a mischievous smile forming on his face.

James looked confused. "What? What kind of pick me up?

"Put on the Invisibility cloak and let's go."

"Where? We still have classes," Remus said nervously.

"So? This is more important then classes. James in in a funk and I'm going to help him get out of it." Sirius said matter-of-factually.

James only looked hesitant for a second, then he smiled and pulled the cloak from his trunk. "Lead the way Padfoot."

A little while later, Sirius, James, and Peter were on their way down the corridor with one destination in mind. Remus was still up in the dormitory, refusing point blank to be a part of whatever they had planned. Since he had gotten his prefect badge, he had become a bit more of a party pooper. They approached the one-eyed witch quietly and whispered the spell to open up the hump in her back.

"You go first Peter," Sirius whispered. "You'll take the longest."

Peter gave a little nod and clambered though the hole, the other two were back to back keeping an eye out for any approaching students. The corridors were practically empty since dinner was over and everyone was pretty much in their common rooms. When Peter finally made it through the hole, James went next, crawling through with expert movement. Sirius was the same, and then, once they were all in the hole, they started down the long passageway.

"What are we going to do once we get into Hogsmeade?" Peter asked nervously. "Practically everyone in that town knows we're Hogwarts students."

Sirius just smiled. "It'll be fine Pete. No one will even know we're there."

Peter look confused but didn't say anything.

Back at the school, Remus had went down in the common room to see Dorcas and Cameron sitting at a table together with their books out. However, it didn't look as though they were doing much studying. Remus never really thought that the two were very good friends, but seeing them seated at the table, laughing and joking with each other made him think twice. He couldn't think anymore on it, because Marlene was waving him down to come sit with her. She was sitting with Roxanne and Mary Mac, books shewn all over the table in front of them. He sat next to his girlfriend and pecked her on the cheek. Marlene beamed.

"Hi honey. Gotten all your studying done?" Marlene asked him.

He nodded. "Yeah. I had a free period earlier so I went to the library and plowed through all my stuff."

Marlene smiled at him and leaned in to kiss him again. "You're so smart."

He smirked. His smirk slid off his face however, when he looked up to the stairs and saw Lily descending them, her eyes red and puffy. She looked miserable. Marlene looked up confused and stood up immediately, going to her friend. He saw Marlene whisper something to her and Lily nodded. Marlene put her arm around her and led her to where the rest of the group was sitting. For some reason, Remus glanced back in Dorcas's direction and it seemed that her and Cameron hadn't noticed a thing. They were in their own little world, talking and laughing together. Marlene seated Lily next to Roxanne on a love seat and Roxanne immediately started rubbing the girls back soothingly, talking low so Remus couldn't hear. Lily nodded a few times and took Roxanne's book which she had offered to her. The group was silent until the portrait hole opened and a loud voice rang out.

"Heidi Hidee hidee hayy hoo!"

Remus looked confused at the portrait hole and was surprised to see James stumbling in, looking a little... drunk? Remus got up and went to him immediately. Sirius and Peter followed in behind him, laughing hysterically.

"What's going on?" Remus asked. "Where did you guys go?"

"Hogsmeade!" James said loudly. "We went for fun Remus! You missssseedd out!"

"Shhh! Shh." Remus said. He grabbed James's arm a little roughly and pulled him to the stairs. Lily looked very alarmed. However, her alarm was looking like it was turning into anger very very quickly. Dorcas finally seemed to come back to reality and got up from her place at her table, going quickly to Sirius.

"What's going on? What on earth did you do Sirius?" Dorcas asked incredulously.

Sirius tried not to laugh as James was giving Remus a very hard time. James had gotten out of Remus's grip and started singing a song about a pirate. He was running in circles around the prefect and waving his arms around as though conducting a choir. "I didn't do anything. I got my friend out of his funk."

Dorcas rolled her eyes. She went toward James and Remus, stopping right in James's path, making him stop with his singing and running. "Dorcas!" James said happily. He brought her into a big hug and kissed her forehead.

"James. Stop. Go to your dorm. You're making a fool of yourself." Dorcas told him.

James's face fell immensely. "Lily hates me Dorcas. I just don't understand why. Why does she like Snivelly? Can you tell me? Help me to understand Dorcas. I really want to understand."

Dorcas half glanced at Lily before grabbing James's arm and pulling him up the stairs before Lily could say anything. The half glance Dorcas had taken, showed her that Lily was very ready to say something. When they made it upstairs, the rest of the Marauders close behind, Dorcas sat James on his bed, turning back toward the other three, livid. "What. The. Hell!"

The three boys flinched, Peter practically jumping out of his skin. Sirius was the first to defend himself. "I took James to get something that would take his mind off Lily, that's all. I maintain I was being a good friend."

Dorcas scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, good job Sirius. Letting him bound into the common room singing at the top of his lungs. Was that being a good friend? Not talking through his problem with him but getting him wasted to the point he couldn't even think?"

Sirius just shrugged, which irritated Dorcas to no end. "Fine. If you're going to be immature like that, that is just fine." And with that, she stormed out.

Sirius watched her go, expressionless. She just didn't understand. James needed this. He needed to get away from his problems for awhile, and Sirius had helped him do that.

Meanwhile, in the common room, a sudden hush fell over the room after Dorcas had pulled James to his dorm. Almost all eyes were on Lily to see what she would do. Some of the younger kids looked as though they wondered if she would start shouting again. Lily just sat stock still for about a minute before calmly shutting her book and heading back up to her dormitory. Marlene watched her go sadly, and Roxanne looked on the verge of tears. Mary Mac was focused on a book in her lap, her eyes unmoving. Dorcas came back downstairs, a look of frustration on her face. She looked around, wanting to see Lily, but when she realized that the girl was not in her seat anymore, Dorcas just looked at the steps leading up to the girls dormitories sadly. She sighed deeply and walked over to sit next to Roxanne. "She say anything?" Dorcas asked the three girls. They all shook their heads sadly. They all wanted to go talk to Lily, but none of them really knew what to say.

Up in the Marauders dorm, James was sitting on the floor and leaning against a bed post on his bed, clutching a small trash can that Sirius had conjured up, puking.

"Let it all out mate. It'll be over soon," Sirius told James soothingly. James looked very pale beneath his very black hair.

"Is he going to be okay?" Peter asked. "Maybe we should take him to Madam Pomfrey."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Yeah and she gets one whiff of his barf and wants to know where he got firewhiskey from. What are you going to tell her Peter? He'll be fine."

Across the room, Remus was sitting on his bed, and he scoffed. Sirius turned irritably toward him. "What?" Sirius asked him with an eyebrow raised.

Remus just shook his head. "I just wonder what goes though your head sometimes Padfoot."

Sirius rolled his eyes again. "Why is everyone treating me like the bad guy? James was having a fucked up time with Lily and I was just trying to help. His mind is obviously off of her so you guys should be thanking me instead of being dickheads."

Peter nodded jerkily but Remus just looked back at Sirius stonily. Sirius just crossed his arms and went to sit on his bed. Only silence and James's vomit could be heard in the room for a while after that.

"I honestly just do not know what goes though Sirius's head sometimes. You know?" Dorcas said to her friends, still frustrated with the way the night was going.

Roxanne looked a little confused. "Sirius? James is the one that's drunk."

Dorcas shook her head. "Yeah, but guess who's idea it was to go into Hogsmeade and steal firewhiskey to get him that way."

Roxanne didn't know what to say, so she just shrugged. "Don't worry so much about it Dorcas. He's probably up there puking his brains out and regretting ever touching the stuff."

Dorcas just sighed. "Yeah. I just hate seeing him fuck up his chances with Lily. I love them both and they seemed so happy this summer. I don't know what happened."

Marlene looked upset too. She knew that Lily really liked James even though she pretended not to. "Every time I talked to Lily this summer she seemed really happy that James was actually making an effort to get to know her and everything. I dunno, it seemed like coming here and seeing Severus again really upset her. She wants to be his friend so badly but she knows that she just can't if he's going to act the way he has been."

Roxanne nodded. "Yeah. It's understandable. They were friends for a really long time. It can't be easy to see someone you thought you knew change so much."

Every one nodded and fell into silence, each in their own thoughts.

Cameron walked up to his dormitory to a very tense atmosphere indeed. Remus and Sirius were both sitting on their beds, facing the opposite direction of each other, their arms crossed and sour looks on their faces. Peter was sitting by James who was on the floor cross legged clutching a small garbage pail. Cameron crossed over to James who had his eyes closed, concerned. "James. You awake mate? You okay?"

James opened his eyes blearily. "I think I'm okay," he said quietly, trying to hand over the bucket to Cameron. Cameron took out his wand and vanished the vomit in the bucket before taking it from James. "Common, up you get." The other three boys looked on nervously as Cameron helped James up and into his bed. He placed the can on the floor at the head of the bed and took of James's shoes. "Just relax okay? You'll be fine. Let us know if you need anything okay?"

James just nodded, closing his eyes again. A little color was coming back to his cheeks, but it was very little. "Is he going to be okay?" Peter asked Cameron.

Cameron nodded. "Oh yeah. He just needs to sleep it off poor guy."

Peter looked relieved. "He didn't even drink that much. Who knew he was capable of producing that much puke?"

Cameron half smiled. "Well, he is fifteen and probably doesn't drink on a regular basis so I would venture to say that he's a bit of a lightweight."

Remus chuckled a little, but Sirius looked a little worried now. "Thanks Cameron. I was a little scared to move him. I thought he was going to puke all night." Sirius told him.

Cameron shook his head. "No problem. Have Mary Mac tell you some of our Christmas stories with our family. We're a bit of a... lively bunch, so it's not like I haven't had practice with this sort of thing."

The three boys laughed and the tension was finally gone. "So how pissed is Dorcas at me?" Sirius asked Cameron, trying to make it seem like a bit of a joke but failing.

"She is a bit. She kind of blames you," Cameron told him truthfully. "But I'm sure if you just apologize and tell her that she's right and you're wrong, she'll forgive you," he said with a smile.

Sirius half smiled and ran a hand through his hair. "I'll talk to her tomorrow. I'll say that I was taking care of James all night. Maybe she'll believe that I'm a good friend then."

Cameron laughed. "Yeah. Just act all tired and she'll sympathize."

Sirius smiled for real this time. "I like you Adams. Nice thinking."

Cameron just winked and plopped into his bed, taking out a book to read and turning on his bedside light. "You're a lucky guy Sirius, Dorcas is a great girl."

Sirius was pulling on a nightshirt when he paused and smiled. "Yeah. She really is." He continued to get ready for bed and a strange feeling crept up into him. He was ready to accept any kind of complements on his relationship from many people, but for some reason, Cameron telling him about how wonderful Dorcas was made him a little uncomfortable. He dismissed the feeling and got into his bed, his mind working furiously to figure out what he should say to get his girlfriend to forgive him.

Down in the common room, the girls were starting to get tired. Mary Mac was the first to let out a big yawn, making the other girls follow suit. "Damn you Mary. You know that yawns are contagious right?" Roxanne asked her.

Mary chuckled. "It's all part of my master plan. Just wait."

Roxanne smirked and shook her head. "Okay weirdo." She shut her book and stretched out, putting her book into her book bag. "I have to go to bed. I'm exhausted. This whole summer was making sure that I was wasted physically and now this darn school is making sure I'm wasted mentally as well. I should drop out and be a professional Quidditch player. Ugh. I just realized that I'm going to have to schedule Qudditch around this crap. Damn."

Dorcas laughed when Roxanne finished her little speech. "You'll be fine. You've always figured out a way before to handle it."

Roxanne just shrugged. "I'm out. See you guys upstairs."

All the girls nodded. Right when Roxanne left, Dorcas ended up closing the book that she was reading. "I can't really concentrate anymore," she told Mary. "God Sirius upsets me."

Mary nodded. "Yeah, it sure wasn't a great idea to get James drunk, but you can't blame it all on Sirius."

Dorcas just sighed. "You're right. I guess we've been together long enough that the honeymoon phase is over and now we'll fight for awhile," she said jokingly.

Mary chuckled. "Yeah, now's the point where you really figure out if you like him or not."

"Yep. He sure needs to try harder to impress me now."

At this, Mary laughed out loud. "I bet. He's going to have to figure out that his damn charm can't get him everywhere. Right?"

Dorcas smiled. "Right."

Mary yawned again. "Well, you ready for bed or are you going to stay down here for awhile?"

Dorcas looked down at her book and her stomach did a guilty squirm. "I better stay," she sighed. "I don't have to much left to read but I better do it."

Mary nodded. "Okay." She gathered up her things and shuffled tiredly to the stairs of the girls dorm.

Dorcas sighed heavily and picked up her book again. She only had about five pages left and she needed to do it. With her luck, she wouldn't read and McGonagall would quiz them on it right away. She started reading, then a couple minutes later she heard a noise come from the stairs. She looked up to see Cameron coming down, shirtless and bleary eyed. He noticed her almost immediately and smiled, making his way to her. "Well, you're up late," he told her.

Dorcas nodded. "Yeah, gotta read for Transfiguration. I only have a few pages left so I thought I'd finish."

"I see. Well, I'll be right back. I thought I could control my bladder for longer than I have but apparently not," he laughed.

Dorcas rolled her eyes. "Gross," she said, pushing his shoulder playfully.

Cameron just winked at her and left the common room. A few minutes later he walked back in. "Ah. That feels better."

Dorcas looked up from her book again. "Yay?"

Cameron laughed. "Thanks for the support Dorcas. I can always count on you."

"Always with the sarcasm Adams?" She joked.

"I wouldn't be me otherwise," he smiled, sitting next to her on the loveseat.

"I guess not," Dorcas told him, shrugging. They sat in silence for a couple of minutes. 'I like him,' she thought to herself with a smile. Dorcas realized that she had never really talked to him all that much, but lately they had been and became fast friends. They were both sarcastic in a playful way and they got along quite well. She noticed that she was as comfortable with him now as she was with even Roxanne, and the two girls had been lifelong friends. She looked sideways at him. "Are you really going to make us do something tomorrow?" She asked, in regards to the bet they had made.

"Well, of course," he told her with his eyebrows raised. "You lost the bet."

She shook her head. "You cheated though. It wasn't really fair."

"Now, lets not hear anymore of this cheating stuff. It was your idea to even use magic so I won fair and square. You're just going to have to deal with it," Cameron told her seriously.

Dorcas groaned. "Fine. Just be aware that I may never talk to you again after wards."

Cameron just smiled. "Oh, you'll talk to me," he said, looking her in the eyes.

"Oh? And why do you say that?"

"Only one reason: you can't resist me," he told her boldly.

Dorcas faced him and looked him in the eyes as well. She scooted closer so her face was in his. "I certainly can, and I will. You just wait. If you do anything to embarrass me, we are officially not friends anymore." Her voice got quieter, and she thought, more menacing.

"It'll be so worth it." He joked.

Dorcas tried to stop herself from laughing but couldn't when Cameron started wiggling his eyebrows at her. "Fine. You got me. But please! Go easy!" She pleaded.

Cameron nodded. "I like you Dorcas. I wouldn't trade our friendship for anything. Not even the chance to see you humiliated in front of the whole school." He paused. "Actually..." Dorcas hit him on the arm and he laughed again. "Okay, okay. I'll go easy." He turned away from her smiling, and slid his arm behind her. "Humiliation can be good for you, you know," he added as an afterthought.

Dorcas just smiled and shook her head. Another silence passed between the two and Dorcas felt a tingling on her back. Cameron had taken a couple fingers and was absentmindedly rubbing them on the space below her neck. She blushed scarlet and turned to him. "What are you doing?" She asked softly.

He looked about ready to fall asleep, then seemed to come to his senses. He withdrew his arm right away and cleared his throat. "Sorry. I wasn't thinking. I should go to bed, I'm practically falling asleep anyway. Have fun reading your book," he told her a little awkwardly.

Dorcas nodded slowly. "I will. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." He walked quickly to the stars and ascended them, still chiding himself for even touching her. 'She's with Sirius. She'll never be interested in you. Ever.' He tucked himself into bed with his thoughts, not able to fall asleep for awhile.

Back in the common room, Dorcas was having a similar battle with herself. 'What if Sirius had walked in and saw him with his arms around you? He would be completely furious!' She told herself sternly. She was going to have to be careful around Cameron Adams.

A.N. Hi everyone! I am soo sorry for the long wait! After holiday break school did just not want to give me a break. But anyway. I swear I am not giving up on this story. I will see it through to the end. So yeah. Review and let me know what you think about this chapter, and even where you would like to see it go from here. I'd love to hear from you all. Hope you enjoyed, and I'm really going to make more of an effort to update a little faster from now on. Thanks readers! For your patience mostly! :D