( chapter )
one hundred and thirteen
Light grey clouds covered the entirety of the sky; there were only a couple of partings in the grey blanket that allowed for a few rays of filtered sunlight to shine thought. The air was warm - it was far from cold despite the layer of clouds that hid the blue sky from view and there was a gentle breeze that only warmed the skin more.
The same breeze brought a rustle to the branches of trees that were covered in a million green leaves, no two the exact shape or shade of green. It also caused the grass to dance and sway, as if to the rhythm of a song. Flowers were mixed amongst the grass; daisies with pink rims; yellow daffodils that stood out like gold in a field of green; bluebells and snowdrops were scattered around, each flower had bees going to and from it, collecting pollen.
There was a light scatter of rain falling from the sky, it was only soft but it still created patches of mud in areas where there was no grass; it also created puddles on the concrete paths that led around the area. Rain fell in a soft shower, gently hitting anyone who was caught up in it.
But that didn't stop the group of friends from sitting under an oak tree, sharing a couple of bottles of Fire-Whiskey between them.
The giant oak tree looked as though it held up the sky.
It's branches, that were covered in leaves and acorns, reaching into the air and grabbing at any clouds that it could reach. More than one birds nest was rested in the trees branches, birds flying home to protect themselves from the rain. The tree's thick, trunk was as dark as dark-chocolate and it's bark was covered in knots and bumps that had been formed hundreds of years ago.
The branches hardly protected the group from the rain, but they didn't care as they laughed and joked with one another; their clothes progressively getting more wet as time went on.
Cassie was sitting between James' open legs, her back resting against his chest while his back rested against the tree trunk. James had one of his arms wrapped around Cassie waist and his other hand rested freely on her thigh, squeezing it every now and again. The two of then were sharing their own bottle of fire-whiskey, but it was smaller than the others bottles.
Marlene, Lily and Peter sat to the left of the couple, all three of them sharing a bottle - well, Marlene was drinking most of it, with Lily taking the occasional mouthful and Peter barely taking a sip. Lily and Marlene sat with their legs crossed and Peter sat with his legs stretched out in front of him.
Sirius and Remus sat to the right of James and Cassie. They were both sitting with their legs stretched out in front of them, their legs entwined with the others; Sirius had his arm around his boyfriends waist and rested his head on the taller boys shoulder. They too were sharing a bottle - Sirius taking much larger swigs that the Remus, but they still shared a bottle nonetheless.
All of them were slightly tipsy, despite it being only a few minutes past four in the afternoon.
All of their conversations had begun with jokes, Cassie taking the piss out of James in a loving way as she always did; Marlene and Cassie flirting with one another; Remus and Sirius had re-enacted a scene perfectly from a movie they'd seen earliest that week; Lily and Peter even got up to do a dance they had been working on for whatever reason at one point.
But as they drank more, their conversations were quick to become deeper and more meaningful.
They were all sober enough to know what to say and what not to say, but they were also drunk enough to keep spewing out bullshit.
James and Remus had a long talk about what they liked about dating a Black, that was quickly followed by them talking about what they hated about dating a Black; Lily, Marlene and Cassie had all cried while talking about Hogwarts and how they loved each other so much; Sirius and Marlene had both talked about how they felt when they pretended to date, hiding their sexuality from the people around them.
James and Lily spoke about what they want in the future, and Lily didn't miss the looks James gave Cassie while they talked; Remus and Cassie had both bonded over how they both wanted to be teachers, talking about how one day they may both work together - Cassie promised Remus that she'd gossip about the children with him.
That led to Peter and Cassie talked about whatever came to their minds, the two of them just talking while other conversations happened around them.
"Trust me, Pete," Cassie said with a soothing smile, "any girl would be lucky to have you. The right one obviously just hasn't come along yet."
A soft red blush made it's way onto Peter's cheeks, he looked away from Cassie for a moment before turning back to her only moments later.
"You're a catch, total ten out of ten. Anyone who doesn't see it is just blind, or is as dull as a doorknob."
Peter smiled widely, the blush on his cheeks become redder and redder as Cassie continued talking.
"I'd use all my pickup lines on you, but both James and Marlene are here, so I'd get attacked. But. . ." Cassie leaned forwards and beckoned Peter to move closer to her.
Peter quickly looked towards James, who was too caught up in a conversation with Sirius to realise what was going on. His hand still rested on Cassie's thigh and he gave it another absentminded squeeze.
The boy then leaned in, so that his and Cassie's faces were only inches away from one another.
Cassie's eyes fell to the drink in Peters hand, before she looked back at his eyes. Peters mouth was slightly agape and his eyes were wide.
"I know a great way to burn off the calories in that drink."
Peters eyes went even wider than they were before, and he chocked on his own saliva when Cassie gave him a wink before turning to join in the conversation with James and Sirius.
Peter let out a small laugh to himself, he knew that Cassie was happy with James and he was fine with that. It was always nice when she playfully flirted with him, it always gave his confidence a well needed boost.
But as everyone talked around him, Peter couldn't help but feel slightly left out; he knew that he could just join a conversation, but sometimes, sometimes he wanted people to speak to him first.
And Cassie always did that, she always spoke to him when he was left out of a conversation. She would always check up on him whenever they saw one another, Cassie made sure that he was always involved in what the group was doing.
Cassie and James were the perfect couple, but that didn't stop the jealously bubbling in his stomach as he watched James press a kiss to Cassie's forehead.
•••
A handful of pamphlets rested on the table in front of the four girls. Some of them were open completely, their pages spread across the table and covering the pamphlets that hadn't been looked at twice.
No two pamphlets were the same, each and everyone of them holding different information that was all based on the same thing.
There were more than a few that were full of information on Muggle Studies classes and what you could go on to do if you took those classes. Their were different pamphlets on further education in potions, in charm, in Medical Magic and more subjects that each of the girls had an interest in and maybe wanted to peruse a career in.
Marlene was sitting on the top of one of the kitchen counters that surrounded the kitchen's walls, she held a leaflet, both labelled 'Auror' in either hand. Her eyes were glued to the information in one of them while Crooshanks tried to paw at the other.
Alice was sitting on a chair at that rested around the kitchen table, she was looking at three leaflets in particular. Two of them were the same leaflets that Marlene was looking at, however, Alice was looking at a third one that was slightly different, focusing on different aspects of being an Auror, such as more medical training.
Lily was sitting at the kitchen table opposite Alice, looking at a range of different ones, none of them based on the same job as she tried to wrap her head around what she wanted to do once again - when it came to choosing her N.E.W.T's she had picked subjects she enjoyed, seeing as she didn't really know what she wanted to do.
Cassie was laying down on the kitchen floor, her eyebrows furrowed and her glasses on her face as she tried to do the rubix cube that James had given her on their last date. She already knew the course she was going to take, her Muggle Studies Professor from Hogwarts had recommended it to her, and had recommended her to the course.
She frowned as she looked at the mixed colours on the cube. She was nowhere close to solving it and putting all the colours back into their right positions.
"Once you've all sorted out your minuscule problems of what you're doing next year, come help me with this." She spoke up, gaining the attention of the three other girls.
Alice didn't hesitate to throw one of the leaflets in her hands at Cassie, who pulled a face.
"That's a bit rude, I'm struggling so much right now not knowing what move to make next and you've just thrown paper at me." Cassie held the paper right above her head, "That could've given me a paper cut and I might've died."
"Cass?" Lily asked, running her hands through her hair while she turned to look at the dark-haired girl.
". . . yes?" She hesitantly replied, taking her eyes off the rubix cube to look up at her friend.
"Shut the hell up."
"Righty-o."
•••
Peter wanted to turn back.
He wanted to turn back.
He desperately wanted to turn back.
The hairs on the back of his neck were standing upright; the palms of his hands were sweaty and his kept rubbing the slightly scarred skin on his trousers; thin, wispy hair was sticking to his forehead, drenched in a thin layer of sweat that almost acted like a glue.
However at the same time, Peter didn't think he'd ever felt so confident in a decision that he had made.
It was as though his mind was fighting with itself; two different thoughts on different sides and they both only wanted their side heard.
Peter was told by his mother that the devil was attractive -
'That's why it got Adam and Eve, Peter.' she would say, in the same stern tone that she always spoke in. 'But they were foolish, and you're not. Are you?' and he would shake his head, believing fully that he wasn't foolish -
and in that moment, Peter felt foolish.
Not because he felt guilty, but because for so long he believed his mother.
She was right, in a way.
The devil was attractive, Adam and Eve were foolish; but that wasn't the only thing that made them eat from the forbidden tree.
It was the temptation.
They could have everything, apart from that one thing - so naturally that was the one thing they wanted.
The Original Sin.
Cassiopeia Black was attractive, Peter Pettigrew was foolish; but the fact that Peter couldn't have Cassie, made him want her that little bit more.
Peter had fallen for Cassie, and he had fallen hard.
He'd fallen for the way she scrunched up her nose when she was nervous; the way that she laughed too loud at the things that weren't funny to others; the way that always bit her lip while she concentrated; the way she licked them when she was around James; the way that she always playfully hit James when his hand started travelling a little bit too high up her skirt.
Peter and James both fell, but only James had just been caught. Leaving Peter to spiral.
Oh how Peter wished that he was in his best friends place.
Small beady eyes darted around the long corridor that he was being led down, looking at the wallpaper and paintings that covered the walls.
Malfoy Mannor was a lot darker on the inside -
but then again, so was he.
•••
HOLY SHIT
SORRY FOR BEING MIA
FOR SO LONG, AGAIN LOL
I WAS STRESSING OVER MY GCSES
(that are starting next week!!)
AND THEN MY ED GOT BAD AGAIN LMAO
THEN I JUST LOST ALL MOTIVATION
BUT IM HOPING THAT THIS TIME
IT IS HERE TO STAY!!
(or at least up until i finish Brusies -
which i am going to try my hardest to do before next year!)
YOULL HAVE TO BEAR WITH ME
THIUGH AS I HAVE A MONTH OF
EXAMS STATTING NEXT WEEK -
not a great time to get over my writers block huh?
ANYWAYS!
I HOPE YOU LIKED THIS CHAPTER AND
THAT THE ADAM AND EVE THING MADE
SENSE LMAO
FEEL FREE TO TELL ME WHAT YOU
THOUGHT AND WHAT YOU WANT TO
SEE NEXT!
UNTIL NEXT TIME!
lots of love, Em x