A/N - Yay! Another chapter! Trying to go for light hearted comedy. Not sure how I'm faring tho... Anywho, give it a read!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
The morning of a Quidditch match is always very exciting. It's not just about the charged atmosphere, the various banners or even expectations for the House Cup. It was surrounding the players and their dynamics with the rival team. Namely - Gryffindor and Slytherin.
James Potter was the typical Gryffindor - charming, extroverted and confident. His counterpart - Lucinda Talkalot - very much belied her name. She was formidable, cold and clinical in her tactics. Opposites who were well matched. Sirius Black versus Regulus Black - brother vs brother - the classic family feud. Marlene McKinnon - the only female Keeper at Hogwarts - up against the literal bulk of Slytherin house in the form of Macnair, Nott and Carrow.
With such a great bunch of battles lined up, what, you might wonder, is so great about the first, and highly neglected, meal of the day. There would inevitably be a hex or two which would start the goings and then things would escalate.
"Ooh… Snape just got Bat Bogey-ed," said Dorcas, looking over the top of Lily's head.
"He's not even on the team," said Mary.
"When has that ever stopped those two wankers?" said Lily, never looking up from the paper.
"Hmm, you're righ- Damn! Mulciber just grew antlers!" said Mary, standing up to get a better glimpse.
"Let's not forget the charming dentals on our lovely Seeker," chimed in Dorcas.
Dany managed to see exactly badly Bertram Aubrey had been hit before McGonagall crashed the party, threatening detention and then suspension if anyone continued indulging in 'baboon-ish' behavior.
"We're heading down to the bleachers now. You lot coming?" said Remus, stopping by their seats.
"If we didn't, Marls would kill us," snorted Dorcas.
"That was a massacre!" yelled James, holding up his red cup. "No need for Filch, because we WIPED THE FLOOR WITH THOSE SNAKES!"
Dany pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh at a very drunk James and his horrifying alcohol induced humor. Next to her, she could have sworn that Lily had turned her snort into half cough-half sneeze. Even piss drunk and slightly more obnoxious than usual, James Potter was very attractive.
On the other end of the room, she could see Remus trying to stop a well sloshed Peter Pettigrew from throwing up on a passed out fifth year.
"Charming," she muttered to no one in particular.
"Pete usually has that effect on people."
She jumped slightly, startled by the low voice next to her. Sirius grinned and handed her a red cup filled with a potent looking liquid.
"Er… I don't drink," she said, almost apologetically.
He stared at her for a second before shrugging and downing the contents himself. "No point in wasting is, right?"
"I guess not," she said, still unsure of how to continue the conversation. Even after being assigned as his Potion's partner, she was still unused to having him talk to her like this. It made her very self-conscious.
"So, if you don't mind me asking, why don't you drink?" he asked, trying to take the pressure off of her by looking around the common room.
"Oh, er… I don't like how it tastes. Or smells."
He turned to her suddenly, as if he had realised something extremely important. Dany flushed at the focused attention and immediately dropped eye contact. "That's a very valid point. Makes me wonder what I find so attractive about it."
She was lost for words, wondering if this was a rhetorical question. Would she sound like an utter idiot if she answered?
"I think it's the momentary feeling of invincibility it provides," he continued, with a small grin. "Here, Butterbeer for your pleasure." He handed her a foaming mug from a nearby table.
"Thanks," she said, smiling at him.
"Cheers!" They clinked glasses, or rather paper cup and plastic mug - which really didn't have the same effect. But all that was drowned by the cheering and music as the clock slowly inched its way towards midnight.
"I feel like we've had too many parties recently," mumbled Lily. "17 in the last month is way too many to be considered respectable."
"Aw come on, Evans! Sixth year! Let's live a little! Merlin knows we won't be able to when you and Moony become Heads," said Sirius, digging his hands into his leather jacket.
"Didn't know you could predict the future, Padfoot," said Remus with a snort. "Does Twambly know?"
"Because I would love to see the expression on his face when he finds out that Sirius Orion Black III, of the Noble and most Ancient House of Black, has the Gift of Sight! I look forward to chatting with you over a cup of tea, Mr. Black!" said James, providing an uncanny imitation of their slightly odd Divination teacher.
"He smells of tea. Not the regular sort either. Like something terribly frilly and suffocating," said Sirius with a grimace.
"Frilly tea? Didn't know they were making that flavor these days," said Dany, trying to keep a straight face. "Any idea where I can get myself some of that, Sirius?"
"Doilied Darjeeling!" said James, snorting at the gobsmacked look on his best friend's face.
"Crocheted Chamomile," added Peter, excitedly.
Soon, a huge array of frilly teas had been named and ridiculed, before they finally reached Zonko's. Lily and Remus separated from them to look over some books at Tomes and Scrolls. James and Marlene shot of to buy supplies for the annual Gryffindor Halloween party, which meant that Dany was left with Peter and Sirius.
Which was not at all awkward. With Peter fumbling to start a conversation, he naturally jumped to the topic of how hairy Flitwick's eyebrows were.
"As compared to the rest of him, I mean," he clarified, when Dany gave him a questioning look. "He's going bald. Not to mention-"
"Pete! I think James is calling you!" interrupted Sirius, giving his friend a nudge in a random direction.
"Well, I'd say the award for the worst conversation starter goes to our boy Pettigrew. Honestly, he can be so daft about things," said Sirius, slightly (only slightly, mind you) apologetically.
"Well, not everyone is blessed with 'casual elegance'," she said, rolling her eyes. He raised his left eyebrow in amusement. "Locker talk. You hear all kinds of crap in the girls' bathroom."
"I'm intrigued. Any obsessive stalkers I need to be aware of? People waiting to jump me in the corridor?" he asked with a smirk.
"I think you are the last person who'd be 'jumped' in the corridor," she said with a snort, then realising the implications of her statement, coloring slightly. "No-not that you aren't 'jump-able', I mean, well… I'm sure a lot of people… You just wouldn't be taken by surprise…"
She trailed off, feeling very hot under the collar as she tried to avoid Sirius' amused stare. Damn his attractive irises and charming, yet effortless, body language!
"Hello hello! We're good to go! Halloween '76 is going to be lit!' said James, slinging his arm around Sirius' shoulder.
"Lit?" asked Remus, who had also appeared along with Lily.
"It'll catch on," said James with a wink.
"That stain is going to be a nightmare to get rid off," said Dorcas, sniffing in disgust as Peter threw up all over Remus. "I'd change out of that if I were you, Remus!"
Remus sneered at the guffawing group of sixth year girls before pushing Peter onto James and stalking off to their dorm.
"Ooh! Remus just sneered! Someone's going to have a Dungbomb in their bed tonight!" sang Marlene, clearly having had her share (not to mention the entire sixth year's share) of alcohol.
"I think I'll go and help James. As much as it pleases me to watch him flounder in desperation, I don't think I can stand to smell any more of Peter's vomit on all the upholstery," said Lily, scrunching up her nose in disgust. She rolled up her sleeves and quickly made her hair into a bun, before marching off in the direction of a very buzzed James and an extremely volatile Peter.
"This just got interesting. Where's the popcorn?" Marlene threw her cup over her head and ran off after Lily. Dorcas quickly followed when Marlene tripped on her own two feet, stopped, bowed and apologised to a 'Mr. Stebbins'.
Once again, Dany began feeling oddly out of place. Merlin! Why did all these gatherings need to depend so heavily on alcohol to foster amusement? It was almost discriminatory in that sense.
She did, however, briefly ponder the merits of seeking out Sirius and hanging out with him for a bit. Her heart fluttered a wee bit as she recalled their recent conversations. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea…
She scanned the room in search of a head of shaggy black hair and an air of absolute confidence. She soon found him near the fireplace, leaning one arm on the wall and the other running through his perfectly tousled hair. He was talking to a sixth year Ravenclaw, who was standing a little too close for being a mere acquaintance. Dany's stomach clenched uncomfortably as she slowly took in the scene before here.
Her brain was yelling at her to abort the mission and run before she saw something she regretted, but her legs felt particularly sadistic and refused to budge.
Of course, there was a short circuit as Sirius and the Ravenclaw started snogging, providing Dany with an unnecessarily vivid image of the event before she finally raced back to her dorm.
That night, she realised that she didn't need excessive alcohol to make her through up. Although, she was definitely not going to wake up with a terrific hangover. Which could not be said for Marlene, as Lily and Dorcas flung her onto her own bed. Dany's curtains were drawn, but for once she was glad that she could hear the exasperated noises of her roommates.
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