Party Games

Chapter 13: Never Have I Ever

"Hogsmeade?" James asked under his breath. They were partnered in Potions for a new and difficult antidote. Fortunately, they had finished earlier and were now bent over their notebooks, pretending to be doing homework.

"Over my cold dead body," Lily breathed. She really didn't know why she kept rejecting him.

"It's not a date."

"Don't try the 'friends' card." Maybe it was just a habit.

"Or Diagon Alley for Easter hols, we can go to Florean Fortescue's…"

"Potter." Okay, it might be how utterly annoying he was.

"How about if the whole lot comes? My friends, your friends…" His eye was twitching now, and his quill was crushed slightly in his hand. Hmm. Didn't his mother ever teach him not to write with a death-grip?

She kissed him on the cheek in response. Screw it, "hard to get". It was time for Phase 2, "mixed signals".

This is how the whole group had ended up in Hogsmeade, playing "Never Have I Ever". They had opted for the Three Broomsticks to play, as James was still only 16 years old. The rest – Mary; Marlene; Alice; Lily; Frank; Peter; Remus; and Sirius – were all seventeen.

The game had been going awhile with alcohol for all but Lily, Remus, and James (being Prefects, and one underage). Butterbeer made a good substitute. It couldn't get anyone drunk but in a large amount was certainly nauseating, flavor-wise.

Each person held up ten fingers, and they took turns stating things they had never done. Those who had done such a thing would put down a finger and "chug", as Sirius put it.

It was Frank's turn first. "Never have I ever…dated a boy." This, of course, immediately sentenced the girls. ("Who've you dated?" James wanted to know of Lily. She kicked him.)

The next person was Alice. She mused for a bit before saying, "Never have I ever gotten a 'P' on a paper." Peter, Marlene, and Remus all dropped a finger, while Frank looked merely relieved. The lowest he had ever gotten was an "A", in his worst subject – Potions.

It was now James's turn. "Never have I ever gone out with Lily," he said, winking at her. She merely stuck her tongue out at him as Sirius, Remus, and Peter all put down a finger, leaving James gaping.

"What?"

Lily smiled a bit. "Pity date," she said, nodding at Peter. "Sorry."

"I'm used to it." Peter shrugged.

"Study date," she continued, looking at Remus. She turned to Sirius and raised an eyebrow. "And I'm not sure what that was."

Sirius shrugged. "A 'You-and-I-both-know-James-likes-you-but-honestly-we-don't-care-right-now date?"

Frank also put down a finger. "I didn't know those counted," he explained. Alice punched his shoulder.

"Are you telling me," said James, more than surprised, "that every guy at this table has had something with Lily but me?!" He slowly lowered his forehead to the table, eye twitching.

"Right," said Sirius, eyeing his best friend. "So. Never have I ever been rejected by Lily."

"You just have to rub it in," said James from the table.

"Yep."

Remus took it up now. "Never have I ever fallen off a broom." Of course, this immediately deducted from everyone. It was a mystery how anyone avoided this kind of accident at Hogwarts, but Remus had apparently managed it.

Finally it was Lily's turn…she smiled wickedly – or so she thought. It actually looked more like she was constipated. But of course, no one bothered to tell her that!

"Never have I ever," said she, relishing the moment. There was a long pause. "…eaten strawberry ice cream."

This sent Alice into a frenzy. "What? Lily!" She cast her gaze around, spotted James, and her eyes lit up like two very round Christmas trees. "You!" James shrunk in his seat. "You need to take her to Fortescue's!"

"Well, I guess that's been settled," James murmured. Lily glared at him.

Peter sent his friends each a wink before saying, "Never have I ever shaved my legs."

"Damn," Sirius said. Everyone stared. "What? I used to swim."

By this point, both Mary and Marlene had each had three or four beers and weren't boding well in the sobriety department. They were decided (almost unanimously, seeing as how they "voted" against the idea) to skipped over.

The game went on.

Pretty soon only three people were left: those who had opted for Butterbeer…not to say they weren't completely sick to the stomach by this time.

The score was tied; each had three fingers still up.

"I'm out of good ideas," James admitted. "But…never have I ever had a seventeenth birthday."

"If we had played this game a week from now…" Remus grumbled under his breath. He haltingly downed another bottle of Butterbeer, burping afterwards. Lily repeated the motion.

"I'm getting sick just watching you drink more," James said.

"Well, imagine how I feel!" Sirius chimed in. "Ten beers! I'll never drink again in my whole life!" He then turned and vomited all over the floor.

"Ew."

"Never have I ever been an Animagus." Remus raised an eyebrow whilst James quite unwillingly put a finger down.

"Aha! I knew!" crowed Lily. "I tried to get Peter to tell me but…hey, what's your Animagus anyway?"

"His what?" said Marlene, Alice, and Frank.

"Lily, shhh." James cleared his throat. "My…erm…anime list," he said for the benefit of the pub (all of which was probably listening in by this point.) "I really do love that anime." He then giggled nervously.

"Right, well…" Lily gave James an apologetic look. "Going on…never have I ever had a good-luck charm."

Both boys immediately put down a finger.

"Boxers," Remus said, grinning crookedly. "I know it sounds silly."

"Ring." James showed her the gold band on his right hand. She had never noticed it before. Odd.

"Never have I ever," he said, still looking at his own hand, "gotten an 'O' on a Potions exam."

This immediately eliminated Remus, who growled. "Why is it always down to you two?"

"Because they're in looove," Peter laughed. James shot him a dirty look.

Lily had the advantage now, and it was obvious to everyone. ("She's got him beat," Alice whispered.)

She passed her last bottle of Butterbeer to James. "You'll need that." She smiled. "Never have I ever been on a Quidditch team."

James, good sport that he was, simply smiled and tipped the Butterbeer down his throat (he gagged slightly at the nauseating taste.) "Yep," he conceded, "too much of a good thing is a bad thing. Now, Lily, if you'd be so kind as to accompany me to the nearest tea shop…"

"I can't even be so kind as to say 'nice try.'"