James and Lily sauntered over to the couches by the fireplace. The Gryffindor Quidditch celebration party was in full swing, but Sirius and Beth had their heads bent over a piece of parchment.

"What are you two doing?" Lily asked. "Sirius, I thought you'd be in the middle of practicing for Mugs."

Beth looked up with a gleam in her eyes. "Sirius is diagramming a bunch of your Quidditch plays for me."

James laughed. "You should explain this stuff to Lily, Beth."

Lily snorted and smacked James in the arm. "Sorry, love. I'm just not that interested in Quidditch strategy. But I do enjoy watching the Captain play. He's cute." She winked at him and his grin widened.

James pulled Lily down on the couch, his arm slung around her shoulders. "What do you say Lily and I challenge you and Beth in Mugs, Sirius?"

Sirius grinned. "You're on." He turned towards Beth. "Do you know how to play Mugs?"

Beth shook her head. "Haven't a clue."

"Each team lines up cups of butterbeer on their side of the table. You take turns trying to toss ping-pong balls into their cups. If you miss, it's their turn. If you make it, they have to drink the mug of butterbeer you hit," Sirius explained.

"Oh, like Beer Pong," she exclaimed. "That's what we call that at home."

"Once the first through fourth years go to their rooms, we bring out the spiked butterbeer." Sirius grinned with relish. "Can you hold your liquor?" he asked Beth.

"Not at all," she grinned. "I'm a total lightweight. One beer will get me buzzed. Is spiked butterbeer stronger than American beer?"

James shrugged. "I've heard they're close enough."

"I'll drink twice as often as you," Sirius offered. "James has to do the same for Lily."

Lily giggled. "I'm pretty useless after the first few rounds."

James gave her an intimate smile. "She gets me laughing so hard, my aim gets off and we lose a lot."

Lily threw her arms around James and kissed him soundly on the lips. "Thanks for trying to cover for me, James. We both know who the weak link is in this game."

Sirius pulled Beth to her feet. "Come on, there's a table free. Let's grab it." James and Lily followed, Lily already proclaiming to James how quickly they would lose.

For the next two hours, they played game after game. Lily and Beth were soon feeling the effects of the alcohol and were often in hysterics over their missed shots. "Here," Sirius tried to instruct Beth after she set up to shoot, sure she'd miss for the third time in a row. "Turn your hips a little, like this." His large hands cupped her hips and moved her to a slight angle. Beth stumbled a little as a flash of desire snaked white-hot through her body. Her eyes shot up to Sirius' but his face remained impassive as he continued his explanation. "Now shoot, but keep your arm extended even after you release the ball."

Beth was pleased when her shot sunk into a cup. She jumped in excitement, twisting to hug Sirius. "Just like water polo! These balls are so light, I didn't think the follow through would matter. Thanks, teammate!" she laughed slightly blearily in his ear.

Sirius held her longer than necessary. "You play water polo?" he asked when he regretfully released her. His hands seemed to have a mind of their own around her.

"Yup," Beth was watching as James downed the cup she had hit.

James finished his drink and grinned across the table. "We should go swimming sometime in the pond."

Beth clapped. "Really? I'd love that. I don't want to get too out of shape while I'm here."

Sirius snorted. "It's fucking cold in that pond this time of year, Potter. Are you mental?"

"I learned a new charm that can heat a large body of water," James told Sirius with a smirk. "I think the pond is small enough that it will work. It'll be like our own heated pool."

Sirius looked a bit put out at this information. Lily, however, squealed. "It was so nice out today for January. Let's go later tonight," she said enthusiastically. James beamed.

By the time they headed down to the pond, Sirius had enough spiked beer sloshing through his system that he was less concerned about his swimming prowess, or rather lack of. Beth held his hand as they followed James and Lily, giggling quietly whenever she stumbled against him. Sirius had to clench his jaw several times to keep his hands from grabbing her body inappropriately.

It was a cool, crisp night and Sirius was surprised he was the only one seeming to reconsider the wisdom of this idea when they reached the pond. Lily picked up a thick stick and turned it into a torch with her wand, anchoring it in the ground so they could see. James touched his wand to the water, testing it a few times before nodding in approval. Sirius stood rooted to the ground when Beth quickly kicked off her shoes, tugged her shirt and jeans off and ran to the pond. His eyes followed her toned body as she splashed her way through the shallow water, laughing. "Come on," she turned towards him, beckoning.

James had shucked down to his boxers and grabbed Lily's hand as soon as she was ready. He and Lily ran after Beth and the three ploughed into deeper water. "Sirius, get your arse in here," James called. "The water is fantastic."

Sirius pulled off his shirt and pants and hesitantly followed them in. Once he had to swim, he carefully kept his head out of the water as he paddled to Beth. He was breathing heavily with the effort by the time he reached her. She grinned at him and looped her arms around his neck. Sirius was relieved that she was not putting any of her weight on his shoulders. She was treading water with her legs, effortlessly keeping her body from the chest up above the water line. He had been worried she would push him under if she hung on to him, but instead she helped him stay more securely afloat by moving one of her arms to wrap around under his arm to his back. Her touch, however, was making it harder for him to concentrate on not sinking. He kept his eyes on her face, struggling not to look down below her neck.

"How do you keep yourself up like that?" he asked a trace of admiration in his voice.

"We have to practice treading all the time in polo," she explained. "We do exercises where we hold weights above the water with our arms and use just our legs to stay up."

"How high can you get your body out of the water by just kicking your legs?" he asked.

Beth pushed away from him and kicked hard, propelling her body straight up. She came out of the water to her waist briefly before sliding back down. "Shit," Sirius said.

Beth smiled at him but Sirius was having a hard time getting that image of her halfway out of the water from his mind. He tried to think of something to say. "I don't swim much," he confessed.

"I can tell," she laughed lightly. Her pupils were dilated in the dim light. "Here, lay on your back against me. I'll pull you around."

"What? You've had too much spiked butterbeer, your judgment is impaired." Sirius couldn't keep the shock from his voice.

Beth laughed. "My judgment's fine."

"You're puny. I'll swamp you." Sirius used this as an excuse to look at the portion of her body that was above the water.

"No you won't," she shook her head. "I know how to hold you. The water will support most of your weight."

Sirius frowned doubtfully, but Beth swam behind him, swung her right arm securely across his right shoulder and chest and under his left arm. She pulled him back so that his head was supported against her upper body. He could feel her legs kicking under him and her left arm paddling as she gently moved him through the water. Tense at first, he relaxed as he felt how strong she swam even while towing his body weight.

On one of their laps around the pond, they passed James and Lily near the edge, diving to the bottom and practicing hand stands so that only their legs stuck high and straight out of the water. James chortled when he saw Sirius gliding by, propelled by Beth. "Oy, Sirius," he called. "How'd you manage to talk her into doing all the work?"

Sirius only bothered to glare balefully at James. James splashed at him before Lily jumped on his back piggy-back style. "Take me for a ride too, James?" she cajoled and James struck out across the pond, Lily laughing on his back.

"The water's getting cold," Sirius noted after their third slow lap around the edge of the pond. "James' spell must be wearing off." Beth towed him back to where the water was waist-high and Sirius put his feet securely on the rocky pond bottom. He turned towards Beth who was watching him, the light from the torch reflected in her eyes. "Your turn for a ride," Sirius said and reached out and scooped her up into his arms, splashing as he carried her through the shallow water towards land. He pretended to drop her and she squealed "Sirius, don't you dare!" as she clung tighter to his shoulders. Sirius felt the small handle he had on his self-control waver as he gently set Beth on her feet. He tried not to stare at her in her nylon underclothes in the torch light, more revealing now that they were wet. He was pretty sure he'd failed when Beth shivered and crossed her arms over her chest, her face flushing despite the cold. Sirius turned away to hide his physical reaction, shook himself mentally and grabbed one of his socks. "Here," he transfigured the sock into a towel and handed it to her. "This is warm."

Beth gasped in pleasure as she folded herself into the warm towel. "Thank you," she effused. "This magic you can do is amazing stuff."

Sirius grinned and transfigured his other sock into a towel for himself. James came stomping out of the pond, Lily still happily perched on his back. "Here," Sirius tossed them both towels transformed from James' socks.

"Come here, Beth. I'll help you get dry." Lily motioned Beth over to where she stood by their clothes. "Turn your back to the gits," Lily directed "and open your arms holding your towel across your back." Lily ran her wand over Beth's underclothes and Beth felt the warmth as they quickly dried.

"Thanks!" Beth grinned. She held Lily's towel up for her as Lily waved her wand over her own body. The girls pulled on their clothes and Lily tossed their towels to James who transfigured them back to socks. He stopped when he held them up together. "One of these is your nasty sock," he said to Sirius, tossing one of the socks to his friend.

Once they were all dressed, James offered Lily another piggyback ride back to the castle and she jumped on his back. "Race, Sirius?" James called.

Sirius cocked an eyebrow at Beth who nodded. She hopped on his back and he stepped next to James, bending down in a racer's start position. Beth put her mouth next to his ear and whispered, "We have the advantage since I'm smaller than Lily. Don't embarrass us by losing." Sirius choked and dropped one hand holding up her leg for a minute to reach back and tickle her up her side. Beth squirmed, giggling but managed to hang on tightly with her arms around his shoulders so she did not fall off. The effects of the spiked butterbeer had worn off during their long swim and she positioned herself on Sirius' back to best balance her weight so he could run faster.

"Ready, set, go!" Beth called. James and Sirius took off sprinting. Sirius and James were fairly equal in speed, and Sirius beat James by a few feet thanks to his lighter load. Lily shook her head at Sirius. "I weigh more than Beth. You need to carry some extra weight next time." James opened the door to Hogwarts and they stepped inside.

"Quit making excuses for your wuss of a boyfriend," Sirius chuckled. "He can't help it that he's weaker than me." James lunged at Sirius and the two of them started wrestling.

Lily shook her head. "I'm glad girls don't need to physically pummel each other to bond."

"You don't want to wrestle me, Lily?" Beth teased.

Sirius froze, his effort to pin James' arm behind his back momentarily forgotten and he looked at Beth with a gleam in his eyes. James took advantage of his distraction to grab him in an upright headlock. "Say uncle," James panted.

"My uncle's a freak arsehole who spawned a she-devil incarnate," Sirius said.

James snickered and shoved him away to let him go. "That goes along with the rest of your family besides you."

Beth looked at Sirius, surprised. James hadn't said that in a teasing way, more matter of fact. Far from being offended, Sirius was clearly in total agreement. Lily saw Beth's expression and mouthed "Long story." Beth firmly closed her mouth and by the time Sirius had straightened up and come back to her side, she had schooled her features to hide her curiosity. Sirius put his arm around her and the four of them walked back to Gryffindor Tower in high spirits.