Six – A Memory, Where?
A memory is a terrible thing to waste.
Memories are what help make people who they are. There's plenty of psychology as well as biological studies focused on the area demonstrating that fact. Memories give stories to tell, "Remember that time Lily ran into that pole?" and experiences to base choices on, "Moony the shag I had with that bird was the worst of my life, don't do that." But they don't always stick with you. It could just be that it was a time laying around with a boyfriend that just ends up forgotten and swept together with all the others, or it could be one that purposefully forgotten, or most likely in a particular age group, it was drank away leaving only glimpses and blurs of a-should-be-memorable-with-all-the-shit-that-happened-but-firewhiskey-diagreed night.
Marlene McKinnon hadn't the slightest clue how she went from playing a new game involving absurd mini-games like Categories and Waterfall to furiously kissing Sirius Black in her bedroom. She further had no idea about how he was able to climb up the girl's staircase without causing it to transform itself into a slide or throwing them both down. One moment she was complaining about being last in the waterfall, behind both James and Sirius and the next to throwing her sheets every which way and hoping she could still perform an all important spell.
Remus Lupin was not a heavy drinker, or rather he was a heavy drinker but was very rarely drunk as a result. Unlike most his age, Remus drank for taste, he could just as easily drink 8 butterbeer spiked with firewhiskey as he could without the spiking. He did however have a weakness. The simplest of all alcohol, so simple even muggles could make it, vodka. Whenever a bottle of that was smuggled in (typically by Mary) it could only mean one thing, Sirius or James would sneak a bit of it into anything and everything that Remus drank leading to a loss in memory of the entire night, including the one in which he and Mary danced rather provocatively on a table for the whole house to see. Marlene had pictures.
James Potter forgot many nights due to alcohol. He was surprisingly enough, a lightweight, for a boy at least, or rather for a boy in comparison with Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, though he drank as much as the other two. He did hold his liquor well, and his personality drunk was similar enough to the sober variety that unless you were actually friends with him, or knew how much he had consumed that night, it would be difficult to say with certainty, "He's smashed." That did not however, mean he wouldn't wake up with absolutely no recollection of the night
Dorcas Meadowes forgot nothing. She could drink as much as she'd like and still be able to recall the night with absolute perfection. Sirius Black liked to joke it was the only trait that proved they were somehow distantly related (thought just the fact that they were both pureblood could do much the same). She liked to drudge up memories of the previous night mocking Mary for her constant need to dance, Marlene for her slurred demands for a new game and Lily for her stubbornness.
Lily Evans, contrary to popular belief, had her memories affected by alcohol. She did indeed drink. She enjoyed sitting outside watching the sun disappear with a cider while her friends gossiped all around her. The more they consumed, the louder they became and the more enthusiastic about Mary's latest boy or Marlene's older brother they were. She also still had a set of friends in her neighborhood, apart from those who thought she was learning about owls, found around fourth year when she spent the summer working at a local Fish & Chips restaurant. The other two had been bus-boys/bus-girls along with her, and now the three were waitresses (and a waiter) with her. Jessica was a social butterfly, always attending and dragging Lily to parties while Ben, an aspiring Oxford or Cambridge scholar, made sure to keep a watchful eye over the two. At school though, away from the beating rays of the sun, Lily took an approach similar to Ben's. She would go, have an occasional drink but mainly she went to see her friends and to ensure they didn't get into trouble.
Peter Pettigrew had a shotty memory to being with. The added influence of Sirius, James and Remus, three exceptionally heavy drinkers, along with having the lowest tolerance of the group only led to additional memories disappearing from view. Not completely of course, no, he'd never completely blacked-out. Only sections were gone. He was playing a new muggle game with Mary and a couple older boys but then all of a sudden was tripping over his feet trying to force a belligerent James away from Lily's ever persistent suitors.
"Where's your drink Remus?" Lily asked as she wandered over to her finally in the common room date.
"Waiting for the toast of course." He replied, gesturing to James and Sirius who were climbing onto a table. "Shall we go join them? We are the prefects of course."
"Potter can wait. Why don't you come with me? All the girls are dancing now that Benjy's here."
Remus looked towards the center of the room where a group of various sixth and fifth years were dancing along to Peter's enchanted music. He spotted Marlene, Mary, Dorcas, Benjy and another sixth year Ravenclaw he didn't immediately recognize towards the outside of the circle. Inwardly grimacing at the reaction he'd receive from Sirius, he shook his head at Lily and took a step towards the boys, "Come on, it's the last one of their speeches you get to hear. Next year, all you'll hear are the Heads talk at us, nothing of Marauder quality."
"Are you saying you're not Marauder quality?" Lily smirked, "And here I thought you were considered part of that little group."
"What are you talking about?" He wasn't focusing on the conversation, just on moving her. She was slowly starting to follow him as he inched away, where James and Sirius were summoning glasses to fill with Sirius' favorite brand of firewhiskey.
"Head Boy. I'd much rather it be you than a Slytherin."
"Head Boy?" Remus asked surprised. He knew with his condition he would never be awarded the position, nor would he want the extra stress, and with Lily being who she was, smart, his partner in rounds for the past two years, and most importantly former best-friend of Severus Snape, the boy who always suspected, he had always assumed she knew. Not that he would ever bring the topic up, for fear he was over-estimating her.
"Well come now, it's a choice between you, Chris Baird, Owen Delaney and Avery. Delaney is too friendly and has no interest in commanding anyone, and Chris Baird no one listens too. As we both know Avery's future position, Dumbledore would never allow him to become Head."
"Evans dear, you seem to have forgotten two people." Without realizing it, Lily had been walked across the room to the two people she least wanted to spend her time with. "Me and Prongs here."
"You two idiots." There was no question in her voice, and certainly no amusement as she glared at Sirius crouching down in front of her, no doubt awaiting his other half, the worse half.
"Be nice Evans, your prissy little arse might have to work with one of us next year, all year," and lowering his voice to a whisper, leaning in close he added, "intimately."
"Oy! Sirius don't call her that." James whacked his friend on the back of the head as he wandered over to join Sirius in a crouch, grinning at Lily. "Evans, I thought you weren't coming."
"No. I said I would not be here with you. There's a clear difference."
"Ev, you're with one of us, you're with all four of us." Sirius said laughing, "Come on mate, let's get on with it." Sirius cast one last look down at Lily before pointing his wand at first his then James' throat, "Sonorus."
"Good evening to all mates of the Marauders. It's been a bloody bad year and we're proud to bring you some alcohol-induced fun."
"First we'll do our most important toast: To Quidditch! The only sport worth watching, none of that muggle shit with the fouls and kicking a ball around the ground." The entirety of Gryffindor house responded to James with a resounding "Cheers!" before taking the first sip (or gulp) of the night (at least it was supposed to be the first).
"Second! To no more bloody homework or finals this year! For those with half a brain, congrats on moving up a year, to those without, sorry you can't all be as godlike as Prongs and I." The "Cheers!"was once again repeated before Sirius continued, "And Third! To your favorite idiots! Us! Better be bloody fucking happy we're here to get you all smashed!
The sound was deafening but somehow through the noise, James Potter's voice was still heard (possibly would have even without the charm, the boy had natural leadership). "And finally, our one rule of the night! Don't puke on anything. Find the loo you pansys."
While everyone around her laughed and cheered, Lily crossed her arms, rolled her eyes and said "Git." To which Sirius Black suddenly appeared beside her to respond with "Priss."
"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Emmeline turned and looked back at Caridee guiltyily.
"Cari I just want to go back to the dorm. It doesn't feel right coming when Caradoc didn't invite me, especially to his own birthday party."
Caridee scoffed at the girl. "Caradoc probably wasn't even invited. But I was and you are coming so move."
"Cari…"
"Emmeline this whole 'Oh no pity me' deal is pissing me off. You will be coming inside with me. We'll dance, have some fun and then you will go rescue that blonde boy of yours, bring him downstairs and show him a good time." She took a step towards her friend and grabbed her hand, yanking her forward, "If you want something, you take it."
"Where did Lily go?"
Mary ignored her friends question as she danced with her boyfriend. They had been dating a solid two months and she was thrilled, as was he. It had started off rough, what with Mary essentially stealing Benjy from that Hufflepuff girl, Claire something or another, but now they had settled into what Mary thought was a lovely pattern. Benjy also marked the first time she was not dumping a boy before break. She had never tried the distance thing, especially after watching it blow up on Marlene and Joshua, but Benjy was fun and of course Mary would keep Caridee the Slaggy Twat away from her boyfriend.
"Mary. Mary. Mary—"
"Fucking answer her you brat." Dorcas snapped her fingers in front of Mary's face, calling the girl back to her friends.
Benjy laughed as he always did at the antagonist relationship between the two girls, causing Mary to smile and Dorcas to scowl.
Benjy spun the girl so she faced her friends. Her boyfriend's arms still wrapped tightly around her she asked "Yes, Marly?"
Marlene rolled her eyes at friend. "Did you see where Lily went?"
"I'm sure some boy scooped her up. What bloke would be able to resist that girl? Especially in that dress."
Marlene sighed aloud and tilted her head towards Dorcas, while Benjy leaned in close to Mary's ear to whisper, "The real question is, what bloke could resist you." Evidently even in the music filled room, his breathy whisper wasn't quiet enough as Marlene made a slight face and Dorcas, lacking Marlene's subtlety, mimed throwing up before jerking the surprised brunette towards the bar.
"Where is he?" Emmeline asked her companion for what must have been the fifth time within the second. "It's his birthday, where is he?"
Caridee resisted rolling her eyes, she did it entirely too much to the girl. "Check his dormitory. He's probably up there." Hiding a slight snicker at the stupidity of boys, "If they didn't kick him out like that had Sirius. Poor baby needed to share my bed last week."
Emmeline cast a glance at the stairwell and then turned back to her friend. "Should I?" With another exasperated look from Caridee, Emmeline began walking as fast as Caridee's borrowed heels would allow her.
"Where the fuck are you going Vance?" Dorcas yelled at the rushing blonde as she glared at the offending puddle on the floor that was formerly in her cup. "Bitch."
"The drink is rubbish anyway." Marlene glanced at her own cup. "You made it too strong."
"I know. I wanted it that way."
"Where's the party tonight boys?" She grinned as she stood once more in the Hufflepuff common room. Being a Ravenclaw herself, it had been only on the rare occasion she had been in the room when she was in school, until the last month of course when she began dating her own darling Troy. Standing in that room made her remember him. Not to dwell on what happened a year ago of course but remembering him alive laughing at her as she fought to steal back her book. She had promised to smile for him, live for him, and most importantly to him in those last stolen minutes, to learn the importance of impartiality.
"Gryffindor Melia. Potter and Black are still here." Edgar replied.
"Well then let's go!" Amelia smacked Edgar's arm and then moved to pull on the back of Doug's robe.
Doug grinned and immediately stood up while Edgar refused to budge. "Melia why don't we just stay in?"
"The mystery girl is a Gryffindor!"
"Mystery girl?" Amelia's spun to face Doug, her eyes glittering. "He has a mystery girl?" She laughed and turned to grab Edgar's hands, pulling the boy finally up from his chair and began to twirl. "This is wonderful Edgar! You won't have to marry that hag after all! Bless our parents for putting in that clause! It saved me from Thomas and now you can be saved from that horror Kirstin!
Edgar stopped abruptly, jerking his older sister to a halt. "There is no mystery girl and Kirstin isn't a hag."
"Eddie she's dreadful."
"Wait, are we talking about Kirstin Keller? That bird from your year Amelia?"
"Yes." The three stood facing one another now, Amelia pouting, Edgar with his arms crossed and a sour look spread across his face and Doug grinning.
"She was good-looking. This mystery girl better have a perfect ars…personality…to compete with that." He looked slightly ashamed as he remembered Amelia's prescence, her face taking on the stern look learned from two years of law. After a moment's awkward pause, "Party time then?"
"Where's Mary off to? I want her to start up one of those muggle games of hers." Sirius asked Lily, scanning the area in search of the flighty girl. "Actually where are the rest of them too? Meadows and Marlene?"
"I'm assuming Mary's where ever Benjy happens to be and Dorcas is where ever they are not. I'm not sure about Marlene though." Lily pondered her friend's whereabouts before suggesting Sirius develop his own game to play..
"That could be brilliant." Sirius smiled down at Lily, "Thanks Priss."
"Why do keep calling me that?"
Sirius smirked at the redhead, "What's in your cup?"
Lily glowered at him as she answered, "It's butterbeer. As I'm sure you very well know."
Sirius, smirk still in place, leaned towards the girl and said, "Priss."
"That taunt got old around fourth year Sirius." Lily rolled her eyes.
"Taunt? Me taunt you? Never. I simply gave you a nickname. Fitting don't you agree?...Priss."
"Where've you been all day?" Emmeline entered the 6th year boys dorm without knocking as she knew the other four were downstairs. "I wanted to say Happy Birthday."
Caradoc looked over at Emmeline. He had been admiring the collage Marlene had made the five for their dorm. It had been a Christmas present from her to all boys and had pictures of various events in the Gryffindor's lives. It held the first picture taken of all nine of them, five boys and four girls, a group shot in the Three Broomsticks third year, a large assortment of Lily and James yelling at one another, Remus and Caradoc throwing Mary into the lake and a picture in September of the five boys unpacking, their room in the same messy state it was then.
"Sorry Emmy, I was playing pick-up with Benjy and some other guys most of the day."
Emmeline crossed the room to stand next to him, "The rest of the Gryffindor boys too?"
Caradoc smiled, "Yeah Remus and Peter came out to play. James too. They're good mates. It was stupid of me to try for Lily. Everyone knows she's James's girl." He paused before continuing, "Besides she's one hell of a catch. Hard to believe she'd want me."
"Any girl would be lucky to have you." Emmeline gushed. She leaned forward as she said it, hoping for Caradoc to respond a certain way.
He didn't.
"Thanks Emmy. Wanna head down now?"
"What the hell are you on about? A friendly nickname?" Lily was no longer simply glaring.
"The angrier you get, the more it fits."
"You know nothing about me Black."
Sirius's voice dropped its playful tone and his voice lowered slightly. "Then teach me something." And he switched his cup of straight firewhiskey with Lily's of simple butterbeer.
She drained it in one gulp.
"What…no what is that?" Marlene slurred at her friend as the two stood chatting, loudly. Marlene's camera dangled from the arm strap as she gestured towards James and Remus as they played an unidentified wizards game. There were shot glasses lined in front of each boy, what looked like the centerpiece of a Gobstones set and a glowing green haze over each row of shots. Peter stood on chair hovering over the two with what looked like a Hogwarts wizard hat that had been burnt, stepped on, stained with ketchup and dyed a neon purple.
"Stupid stupid game. Those bloody blokes made me play with them last summer." Dorcas eyed the bottle on the floor by James's foot. "Spiced pumpkin rum. That I want."
With that the two wandered over to the table to join the festivities.
"What're you thinking Benjy?" Mary asked as the aforementioned nuzzled her neck. The two were in a chair next to the alcohol table taking a break from dancing. Mary sat on his lap as he hugged her close, enjoying the mixture of alcohol and wafts of smell from her shampoo.
"You."
She giggled in response and leaned down to give him a light kiss. "You're so cute Benjy."
"Mm you should come home with me." He took another whiff of the intoxicating smell that was Mary MacDonald.
An inebriated Mary looked in surprise down at her boyfriend. "You want me to come home with you?"
"Yeah Mare-Mare." Benjy began kissing her neck. "Mm you in my house." Nipping at her neck her murmured, "You in my bed."
"What are you doing Melia?" Edgar asked exasperated. The trio had reached the final staircase before the Fat Lady and Amelia had suddenly stopped.
"Amelia?" Doug asked
"I'm 21."
"Yeah?" Edgar looked quickly at Doug, to exchange a look.
"This is a Hogwarts party. The next oldest people there…will be you."
Doug glanced at Edgar before responding with"…so?"
"No offense Edgar but you're babies." She pursed her lips, "And I'm aiming to become a judge. I'm studying law and now I'm trying to go to a school party."
Edgar smiled at his older sister. He had forgotten how much she had changed over the past few years. His slightly insane older sister had mellowed, matured and nearly settled down. "Want to go to the kitchens Melia? I haven't seen you since break. And we really ought to take advantage of the house elves while we're here. Best part about Hogwarts right?"
"That's right little brother." She linked arms with him and began walking in the opposite direction of the Fat Lady. "Let's rub it in Lysle's face. He's still off in training. Wonder what he gets to eat."
"Definitely not Hogwarts cooking." He looked back over his shoulder, "Doug you coming?"
"Nah man. I'm gonna enjoy a little of Black's homemade meade."
"What are you making Black?" Lily asked as she sat in one of the comfy chairs in the room.
"You'll see."
"Black."
He gave her a cheshire cat smile as he handed her a new cup. "Try this m'dear."
Lily peered at the cup eyebrows furrowed.
"Evans. I gave you 5 different drinks. All of which you downed. Really want to start getting skeptical now?"
She took a sip before her eyes widened and she looked up in wonder at him. "What is this?"
"My own creation. I only share with special people so feel privledged." Sirius took a large swig from the bottle which he had poured Lily's drink from.
Lily in response drank a few gulps of her own.
"Why am I priv-vel-edged?"
Sirius sat on the armrest of her chair and nodded across the room to where James Potter had begun cheering and yelling while across the table Remus, covered in goop, snatched a cup from Marlene and drank, despite her protests.
As fuzzy as her thoughts were beginning to become, especially since the first sip of Sirius's creation, she understood.
"What's Lily doing with Sirius?"
This conversation was not going the she had planned, or rather the way Caridee had instructed her to carry it out.
"I don't know Caradoc." Emmy gently grasped his arm and tugged in the opposite direction. "Why don't we get drinks? I'm nearly out."
"Emmy your cup is half-full. Come on let's go see what they're doing."
"It's half-empty and I also have to give you your present." She stopped being gentle.
She needn't have tugged so hard though, as soon as the word present came out of her mouth, Caradoc began to look away from Lily and towards the opposite corner of the room with interest.
"What are you looking for Hufflepuff?" Dorcas's sultry voice called to the boy who just entered. He was searching the alcohol table, and frowning but at the sound of her voice looked up. She sauntered over to him, and scanned him quickly.
"Just a bottle of something. Thought it would be here."
She cast an arm around his neck and leaned into him. Her breathe tickled his ear in the best of ways as she replied "Maybe there's some in your dorm. Why don't you and I go check?"
Just like that, he was hooked.
"What're they doing?" Lily was leaning over the back of the couch staring at James and Remus. The two had evidently finished their initial game, with Remus still covered in goop while James only had a dash of it on his shirt.
"Let's find out shall we?" Sirius stood up and held a hand out to Lily. She turned her body around on the couch and resumed sitting normally. She stared at the hand quizzically as though she wasn't sure what to do with it. "Do you want help up or not Priss?"
"Not a priss." Lily said grabbing his hand. He pulled her up and she instinctively leaned on him once on her feet. "Remmy is my date tonight, did you know?"
"Hadn't a clue." Sirius began walking as Lily clung to his side walking in step with him. Looking down at her, he was sure she'd fall over if he removed his support. It was an idea.
"What's the present Emmy?" Caradoc playfully tried to peer around her to where she was holding her hands behind her back.
"In front of you."
Caradoc looked quizzically down at her.
"Emmy? What do you mean?"
She smiled shyly up at him and said "Me. I'm your present." Caradoc's facial expression didn't change.
"What's the next game Moony?" He asked, as he waved a wand to skip a song.
Remus looked up from the cloth Marlene had summoned for him to wipe off his face and thoughtfully looked over. "Why don't we lay off for the moment? Possibly be social."
"Possibly find out what that's about." James cut in staring at the two people walking towards the group.
Marlene lolled her head to the side and looked at the figures before brightening and bounding, as best she could manage, towards them. With a shriek of "Lily!" she had wrapped her arms around her best friend, successfully separating Lily from Sirius. Unfortunately an unstable Lily having her support (in the form of Sirius) removed only lead to Marlene being tipped over backwards.
"Remind me to have her cockblock for me more often." Remus looking down at the tangle the two girls had become only nodded.
Real life has begun and managed to get in the way of other things. Hope someone's still reading this! Read, comment, review and whatnot.