Severus ducked out of the way of yet another drunk individual. Why did he come to this stupid party again? It was all his roommate's fault, Remus had mentioned it to Lily when she was over, and she insisted on going. Something about getting in with upperclassmen. Personally Severus thought it was enough he lived with one.

Surveying the room, illuminated by cheap string lights that pointed out every beer stain in the upholstery, he wondered why Remus would want to come to a party like this. He figured he didn't know the guy that well yet, but the past two weeks he had been back home no later than ten p.m. And he was always down to come to the library with Lily and himself if invited. A model roommate, if Severus said so himself. Maybe Remus hadn't realized it would be this kind of scene, and left.

And now he'd lost Lily, and he considered standing on one of the chairs to get a better vantage point. Somehow it felt safer than weaving his way through the throng. For all he knew, Lily had gone upstairs. No, the only way in was through. He took a deep breath and forced his way in.

Regret was immediate, the sounds of people screaming scratched at his ears and the heat from the bodies choked him, their breath and sweat percolating in the shrinking space. His vision blurred, and he felt a strong grip on his shoulder steering him toward a love seat that was a gaudy shade of orange. He vaguely registered being gently forced to sit down and a water bottle being pressed against his tight fists.

"Come on, mate, just a few sips and you'll be good as new."

He blinked and looked up at the voice. It belonged to a guy with mussed black hair and the prettiest grey eyes Severus had ever seen. Fuck. He busied himself opening the water bottle, trying to beat down the flush rising up his neck.

"Thank you," he said when he had regained the ability to speak. The guy flopped down beside him, a beer in his hand and a wide grin on his face.

"No worries, we've all overdone it before. Next time you'll hydrate before a party."

His voice dripped with confidence and superiority and Severus scoffed. "I am not drunk, I don't even drink." He paused, and against his better judgment, murmured, "I don't do well in crowds." Fuck, he should have just let the guy assume, at least passing out from alcohol consumption was kind of cool. He took a few more sips of water and stared resolutely forward.

"You got dragged here against your will then?"

Oh he was still talking to him. Severus cleared his throat. "Not against my will. My will was neutral I guess." That garnered a laugh. "I was actually going to look for my friend. Brave the masses and all that."

The boy cocked his head. "You need a ride home? I'd offer myself but-" he held up the beer can. "But I can find someone for you if you'd like."

Severus's chest tightened. "I'm her ride, might as well just wait it out, plus she left her phone at my place so I can't abandon her. And I wouldn't," he added. "Go home with you, I mean. Because I don't even know your name!" he exclaimed, when those grey eyes sparkled with heavy amusement. A meteor could come this second, and it would be merciful.

"God you're really cute. My name is Sirius. And you are?" he prompted and Severus was too thrown by someone this attractive calling him cute to respond immediately.

"Severus. You've got a weird name."

Sirius pouted like a petulant toddler. "That's so rude, like yours isn't weird too. What are you studying?" he asked before Severus could fire back with a retort. "No wait, let me guess. You seem sciencey, er, biology?"

"Chemistry, actually."

"Ah chemistry, you know who's got it? Us," he replied, and Severus groaned, tugging lightly on the other one's beer can. "I think we need to take this away from you, that was horrendous."

Sirius pressed a hand to his chest. "Oh I'm absolutely gutted. Utterly betrayed."

"Do you do theatre then?" Severus asked, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow. "You're certainly dramatic enough for it."

Sirius shook his head with a light smile. "Nah, I'm not gay enough for theatre."

Severus couldn't help but snort at that. "I didn't know that was a prerequisite."

"They've been lenient in the past, but now they're really cracking down on that kind of thing," Sirius replied with a straight face and Severus laughed despite himself. Sirius seemed to take that as a win, because his smile increased as he continued. "No, I'm actually studying law. Don't look so surprised," he added with amusement at Severus's bug-eyed expression. "I do have a brain beneath this amazing hair."

Severus blinked and covered his mouth. "Sorry, it's just - I've just met so many pretty people coasting on just that, and I assumed you were the same."

"Aww, you think I'm pretty," Sirius gushed. Severus mimed gagging as his face flushed against his will.

"I didn't say that-"

"But you implied it," Sirius cut across with a smirk. "You think I'm pretty," he taunted, punctuating his sentence with a popping sound.

Severus tried to keep his dignity afloat, even while impersonating a tomato. "Sexuality is hardly my choice, don't flatter yourself," he sniffed.

Sirius grinned. "Hey I was just amping myself to ask you to get food with me sometime, no one said anything about sex."

Severus snorted, and then he realized Sirius was staring at him expectantly. "Wait, are you asking me out? Really?" No way, this boy was totally out of his league. Severus himself wasn't even in a league.

"Yeah, I thought that was obvious, but maybe I have had too much," Sirius said, putting the beer can on the table in front of them. He bit his lip. "I thought we were kind of rolling on the same page, Sorry about that."

He stood up and Severus sat there for a minute, dumbfounded, before his brain kicked him into a standing position. He weaved through party-goers who were quickly losing the ability to use their legs, and ended up in the backyard. Sirius was leaning over the banister of the porch, a cigarette in his hands.

"You smoke?"

Sirius whipped around. "What? Oh," he shook his head and twirled the cigarette between his fingers. "Trying to quit, actually. Stellar job, as you can see."

Severus put his arms up on the ledge. "I wasn't saying no. I haven't got a lot of experience in being asked out, least of all from someone that looks like you."

"Well you aren't in secondary school anymore, mate," Sirius said. "You better get used to it because that razor sharp wit of yours makes you quite a catch."

Severus scoffed, and tugged a piece of hair out of his eyes. "Shut up."

Sirius opened his mouth, probably to lay on the charm even thicker, when a shout was heard from inside, followed by a crash. "I have a feeling I'm needed elsewhere. Um, if I don't see you again tonight-" He pulled his cell phone clumsily from his jacket pocket and handed it to him. "-I'd really like to in the future."

Severus typed his contact info in before handing the phone back, Sirius paused to give him one more dazzling smile, and before Severus could protest, not that he would have, kissed him very softly on the cheek. Severus was still outside on the patio, his hand running over the spot in question, when a girl came outside.

"Oh there you are, I was worried you had just up and left." Lily's red hair was mussed and her green eyes were glassy. "Let's get out of here." She cocked her head. "You look odd."

Severus put his hand down. "I'm just a bit drained."

Lily nodded apologetically. "Yeah, not the best night. Didn't even-" she stopped and sighed. "I just wanna go to bed, honestly."

Severus wasn't sure he'd be able to sleep tonight, but he nodded in agreement. "Keys."

Lily let out a long-suffering sigh, but handed her car keys over to him without complaint. While she struggled with her seat belt, Severus's phone buzzed. He smiled and shot a quick message back.

"Something is definitely up with you," Lily said accusingly, blinking owlishly.

Severus pulled into the street. "I just had a surprisingly good time, that's all."