Back in the past again for a lovely piss up ;) Curses, Lily -shakes fist in air-

I sat in my brand new flat with my all closest friends, life beating warmly against my skin as it had been doing for the past month, laughing, drinking, loosing ourselves in the summer air. Severus was perching nicely on my lap as we muttered incoherent nicknames at each other, a quality Remus and I had lacked throughout or relationship, only made up by the aching love we'd had for each other. But that was all finished now and I was 99.9% sure that I was completely over him, making it easier to be beside him, Lily and the rest of the crew in a sloppy circle, making drunken brownie mixture between us in a plastic bowl on the wooden floor.

James heaved a sigh and stopped mixing for a moment.

"Siriuuuuus, I've been stirring for ages and there are still a load of lumps, you have a go!"

He slid the bowl across the floury gap between us and into my legs, almost collapsing and tipping all of the contents over himself. Pushing Severus to the side for a moment, I snatched the bowl from bellow me and began to vigorously whisk the mixture. A little cough broke next to me, in an all too patronising manner.

"Erm... guys... most of the lumps are chocolate chips..."

My head flicked to stare at Remus, who was obviously the only half-sober one in the room, setting off a chorus of "Aaahh, yeeeeeah".

"Weeeeell... I think this needs more" I picked up the bottle to my left and squinted hard, in a failing attempt to read what was on the label "w-h-isk-eye... ey!

"Oh god no, Siri... us... It's going to be disgusting!"

"Disgusting-" My mind wandered for a moment in search of a word that rhymed with 'disgusting'... a very long moment, in which time they had already picked the brownie mix from my lap, started to pour it messily into a baking tray and I'd forgotten what word I was trying to rhyme. "Miranda!"

Lily flashed me a wonky grin.

"It's agreed then!"

"What's agreed?"

"Miranda!"

My eyes bulged and I stared at her as I thought about what we'd just said.

"Yes... Miranda... it's agreed..."

Severus turned to us.

"Miranda?"

"Miranda!" I yelled, as if it was something to rejoice over.

The rest of the group gave me and Lily weird looks: 1) because we were getting along which we'd seldom done until very recently and 2) because MIRANDA! I stretched myself out and rested my head on Severus' legs, cooling me a little in the smouldering heat as his hand twisted rings in my hair. I could have fallen asleep like that, watching the colours dance through the windows, reflect through the glasses and bottles, making waves of crystal and rainbow play across the panels. Listening to the voices of the people I held most dearly, indulging myself in the happiness, the love that surrounded me, I closed my eyes and let a wonderful euphoria flood my senses and control my mind.

I awoke, dark, hot, on the lap off my sleeping Severus, charred, half-eaten brownies littering the floor. Peter and James were talking quietly between themselves, a torch lighting up their faces with pale, eerie light, noticing me and bearing frightening grins. Slowly, I propped myself up, still somewhat intoxicated, and ran a hand through my hair, that was sticking stubbornly to my face with the mass of sweat that was soaking my body.

"Where're Moony and Lily?"

Peter flicked his head to James and shrugged.

"Dunno... I think the last time I saw them... Remus, no, Lily was going to be sick... They're probably in the bathroom..."

A low chuckle shook my body.

"I'll go check on them – I'd rather not have a load of vomit to clear up on one of my first nights here."

Creeping up and steadying myself with the sofa, I moved across the floor, through the kitchen and to the bathroom door. There were sounds coming from inside, so luckily one of them was alive, but they didn't quite sound like the sounds of someone who was particularly well... or doing anything normal for that matter. I pushed down on the handle and let the door roll cautiously open, afraid that I'd find Remus inside, weeping over Lily's corpse. But what met my eyes was quite different: the two were entangled up against the wall that sat back to back with my bedroom, eating each other's faces, at it like rabbits, completely oblivious of the third party that was now watching. My hands burned, itched, to part the two, though all my body would let me do was turn and close the door on them. But it was ok, right? I mean I was totally over him, right..? Totally over him... there was no way I couldn't be... I had a boyfriend... a boyfriend that obviously loved me very much... and I loved him back, right...? I had to... I was totally over... totally... totally...Yes... Severus was the one I loved... It didn't bother me... they could do what they wanted... It wasn't... as if... I still... had any feelings... for Remus... Right?

The 0.01%, that had sat cowering earlier in the day, was now standing proudly in the depths of my heart, moving the percentage like a communist in a sea of deprived students. But, I wasn't going to let it play on my mind as I slinked back to what was left of the group.

"So, what's going on over there?" James called as I placed myself next to Severus who was sitting awkwardly awake.

I forced a pleasant smile. "Oh, not much, I think they're both fine. They're just... chatting at the moment..."

"Weird place to have a chat – a bog, I mean." He let out a hearty laugh and looked back to Peter who was shuffling about, eating the remaining brownies.

I pulled Sev closer to me and placed an uncertain kiss on his lips.

"Do you love me?"

"What?" He breathed between my lips. "Whoever said I didn't?"

"No one... no one... I just wanted to make sure..."