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࿐໋₊Chapter Three₊˚.༄
THE FRONT PAGE
song guide
♬ midnight memories~ one direction ♬
♬ unchained melody~ the righteous brothers ♬
♬ don't go breaking my heart~ elton john ft kiki dee ♬
Thank you to prongsxwolfstarr for lending me your veritaserum truth or dare idea hehe we love it when characters can't lie. Also if you haven't checked out her James Potter fic Falling Star then you should!!
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Phoibe Evadine knew she was in trouble and if she had any common sense she would keep her mouth closed. Unfortunately, due to spending the last twelve hours with the Marauders, more specifically Sirius Black, any common sense Phoibe Evadine previously possessed had been beaten out of her.
"I wore a helmet..." Phoibe said looking up at her father who's face was contorted angrily and who's features only became sharper from her words.
"A FLYING MOTORCYCLE! YOU GOT ONTO A FLYING MOTORCYCLE AND ILLEGALLY RACED A HIPPOGRIFF ACROSS MUGGLE AIRSPACE."
"With a helmet, don't forget the helmet part." Sirius reminded.
"You! You." Her father spoke in distain looking up and down the boy dressed in a black leather jacket ."You can leave this house this instant!"
Sirius looked to Phoibe who nodded to say it was okay.
"Well until next time deputy." Sirius saluted before he stood brushing himself off and apparating out of Mr Evadine's office.
"There will absolutely not be a next time." Her father stated and Phoibe tried hard not to roll her eyes.
"Start from the beginning right now." Mr Evadine ordered and Phoibe let out a breath.
"Well.."
⭒⭒⭒
The Potter Manor garden was alive with older hogwarts students, mostly Gryffindors jeering and laughing in clusters of groups under the blanket of the starry night. Music throbbed loudly from inside the open air tent.
A light breeze tugged through Phoibe's long dark hair as she was being twirled between Estelle Lestrange and Peter Pettigrew giggling. Remus Lupin also stood watching them but looked a little too exhausted to dance. She wondered how it was possible to feel so relaxed but exhilarated at the same time.
"Merlin I'm getting dizzy!" Phoibe said raising her voice to be heard over the noise.
"That's the point!" Peter yelled back grasping her wrists and spinning once more.
"But what if I throw up?" She added.
"That's also the point!" James Potter called entering the scene handing a drink to Estelle which she accepted taking a swig before spitting it out.
"Potter that was fucking disgusting! Did you forget I hate whisky?"
"No." He smirked before pressing his own glass to his lips. Estelle's mouth dropped open and her head snapped to his. Remus snorted.
"You're an ass."
"Yes and I seem to remember you saying you liked James' ass." Sirius Black said in a sing song voice and before Estelle could bite back at him he had taken Peter's place dancing with Phoibe.
"Having fun yet?" He questioned.
"I'm quite bored actually." Phoibe replied though her wide grin betrayed her.
"Ah yes we're such bores!" Sirius exclaimed.
"Phoibe!" A voice yelled and the brunette stopped spinning to find the source.
Eliza Gardner.
She was one of Phoibe's closest friends and fellow soon to be fifth year. Her brown, lightly waved hair finished at her shoulder and bobbed in the wind as she jogged forward to approach them.
"El?" Phoibe's grin got wider and she raced forwards to meet her Gryffindor friend embracing her in a hug.
Eliza was probably one of the most kind hearted witches to ever grace the earth (tied with Pandora Lestrange of course).
She was also the best Wizarding chess player Phoibe knew and had a gobstone addiction. In fact, it was hard to beat her in any game. She always seemed to be five steps a head so when the next words that followed escaped her lips Phoibe was not sure whether to agree.
"Do you want to play Truth or Dare? We've already been playing a bit but it would be way more fun if you were to join."
Phoibe did not need to agree as Sirius had done it for her. "We would love to!"
Phoibe, Estelle, and the Marauders sat along with Eliza and a few other Gryffindors
around a crackling bonfire that shot up jets of orange and smoke into the nighttime air. Phoibe loved the smell of fire burning wooden logs, it reminded her of many camping trips her parents would take her family on when she was younger. She missed those times dearly, now it seemed her parents never had time for holidays though she was grateful that at least they made it home most nights in time for tea.
"Alright I'm sure you've all played truth or dare but we play with Veritaserum." Eliza explained.
"Why can't we just play it the Muggle way?" Remus asked a little nervous.
"Because this way its impossible to lie. Why have you got something to hide?" Eliza asked.
"Moony's just probably worried that he's going to confess undying love for someone." Sirius interrupted shooting him a wink.
"Fuck no." Remus laughed shifting his weight between his crossed legs.
Phoibe was not sure what exactly it was between the two boys but sensed there was some kind of tension between them. She quickly forgot about it as the game begun.
"Estelle truth or dare?" Eliza asked.
"Truth." Estelle replied an placed a drop of veritaserum into her mouth.
"Why did you invite Phoibe to this party?" Eliza was suspicious and Phoibe could not blame her. It was out of character for Estelle to extend and invitation like this.
"She needed a friend and I didn't want to come alone either." Estelle, confident Estelle Lestrange did not want to come a party with her friends on her own? Phoibe thought it strange but she knew it to be true from the potion.
"Why didn't you want to come alone?" Eliza questioned further.
"You only get one truth." Estelle replied.
"Fair enough."
"Remus truth or-"
"Dare."
"Bit eager." Estelle laughed. "I dare you to go serenade Effie."
"Why have you always got to involve my mum?" James groaned.
"Because she's hot." Marlene McKinnon piped up.
"Still my mum." The messy haired boy grumbled.
"Still not wrong though." Marlene added fist bumping Sirius who seemed to be in agreement.
It was then Phoibe glanced over to where Mr and Mrs Potter were sat on sun chairs off to the side among of all the amounting craziness in their garden reading the Evening edition of the Daily Prophet. Phoibe could never imagine her parents being so relaxed in a situation like this, in fact she could never imagine them letting her throw a party for a bunch of teenagers at all.
Remus sighed rising to his feet and Sirius gave him a whoop of encouragement. However, before he reached Mr and Mrs Potter he stopped by a group of hufflepuff girls, one of whom was clutching a guitar. He smiled at her kindly and the girl giggled.
"Taking a detour is not part of the dare." Sirius sad aloud and Phoibe glanced at the boy with long black hair beside her.
Curious.
A minute had passed and Remus Lupin had charmed the girl into letting him borrow the guitar. Finally, having an instrument he pulled his wand from his jeans casting a spell that propelled the guitar to float and the strings to be plucked by the air.
"Woah, my love, my darling."
"Merlin he's actually doing it." Estelle laughed as Remus' voice traveled and rung through out the garden.
"I've hungered for your touch
A long, lonely time..." Remus held out is hand to Mrs Potter saying something that Phoibe and the rest of the group could not hear. James covered his eyes and he saw his mother starting to waltz with one of his best friends. Phoibe wondered if this was another way Estelle was trying to 'get Potter to squirm'. If so it was definitely working.
"And time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine?
I need your love
I need your love..."
And then like the gentleman Remus Lupin was he twirled Mrs Potter into the arms of her husband who had stood up chuckling at the scene. Remus left the guitar to accompany them as they had decided to continue dancing together as a pair and he made his way back over to his friends.
"Casanova returns." Eliza laughed and Remus sat down.
Half an hour had passed and during the game so far Phoibe's hair had been transformed pink and Peter had been dared to keep the bubble head charm on his face for the next three turns which made it extremely hard to understand him. Sirius had switched shirts with Estelle who looked annoyed that he had managed to spill firewhisky on it, James had the arm locker cursed placed on him so he could not run his hands through his hair something that Phoibe had noticed he had a habit of doing especially when Estelle happened to be looking at him. Currently, Marlene McKinnon was hung a couple feet off the ground upside down from a broom and Phoibe wondered if she would forfeit the dare of downing the firewhisky that was being funneled into her mouth by Dorcas Meadows.
Was it wise to be playing truth or dare with so many Gryffindors? Absolutely not and so for once Phoibe was glad she was not of age to use magic yet as it would probably make the dares more she had received more extreme.
Victoriously, Marlene finished chugging the alcohol with a roar of approval from the surrounding Gryffindors.
"Yes I know I'm amazing." Marlene stumbled slightly sitting back down into the circle.
"Talia, truth or dare."
Talia Abbot was one of the very few witches playing the wild game that was not a Gryffindor so it waw not surprising after the young hufflepuff saw the dare Marlene had just performed for her to pick truth.
"Ooo okay!" Marlene grinned. "Who was the last person you kissed and when?"
Phoibe could see Talia's blush through the flames of the bombfire. "Oh..."
"Tell us." Eliza nudges the girl.
"It was three days ago..."
"And it was with..." Marlene egged her on.
"Peyton Greengrass." Talia admitted.
To Phoibe the loud thumping music faded, the laughs and giggles of the surrounding Gryffindors dulled, the smile Phoibe prevoiusly had pressed to her cheeks dropped.
Suddenly, everything was quiet and Phoibe heard the exact moment her heart fractured.
Peyton Greengrass had kissed someone else.
Phoibe's eyes became glossy and Estelle did not fail to miss it. She clambered over James pushing him out the way to create space and now sit next to her. James was about to scold her for it but after glancing at the Ravenclaw he decided to gather everyone's attention to how Peters laugh sounded with the bubble head charm on figuring the Phoibe would hate the attention to be turned to her.
"You're not okay are you?" Estelle whispered.
Phoibe shook her head. She was speechless for a moment.
"Want to talk about it?"
"No. I don't want Peyton Greengrass wasting another thought in my brain or word from my lips." Phoibe replied with a sharpness Estelle had seen fizzle through over the years when the brunette would dramatically argue politics with other students in the hallways of Hogwarts.
"So you want to forget about it?"
"Yes and I can't believe I'm going to be stuck with the fact the he was the last person I kissed too."
Estelle frowned.
"I can never think of good dares." Talia said loud enough to draw the attention of the two girls once more. "Someone else dare Sirius."
Estelle's eyes lit up with a mischievous glint. "Pads?"
The boy's head turned to her.
"I dare you to kiss Phoibe." Estelle said.
Phoibe choked on her breath. "Absolutely not!" She hissed.
"One of Peyton's friends is over there, the one from the quidditch team. It would be pretty sweet revenge to have him tell that idiot Peyton that you snogged Sirius Black."
"I thought you wanted me to stay away from her you know?" Sirius replied confused at the girls whispering.
"Are you going to forfeit the dare or not?" Estelle questioned
Sirius laughed before standing and yanking Phoibe up to meet him. He then pulled Phoibe close to him before theatrically dipping her pressing his lips to hers.
In the pages of her books this would have been the exactly the kind of romantic gesture that would have made her melt, however in reality Phoibe did not enjoy the way that Sirius Black was kissing her at all. She was sure that statement would have shocked Hogwarts completely as so many girls had thrown themselves at him over the years.
But the kiss just did not feel right. In fact if Phoibe was to be perfectly honest, it felt like nothing.
It was just a kiss.
And that offered her some comfort about Peyton too. Maybe she could convince herself that was just a kiss, and there was no reason to feel anything for him any longer.
Eventually, the dare came to an end and Sirius pulled her back up from the dip removing herself from him.
"Respectfully, never do that again." Phoibe laughed. "Was the tongue really necessary?" She wiped her mouth scrunching her nose.
"You're just full of sweet talk tonight Phoibe, Gosh your going to make me blush." Sirius fanned himself and Phoibe giggled. "I give you a six you know." He wiggled his eyebrows.
"You're a four and that's generous." Phoibe replied. "Ten out of ten on the dip though. Too bad you tried to swallow my face."
"I think that might have been the weirdest thing I've ever seen in my entire life." Eliza whispered in shock as Phoibe plopped back on to the grass next to her and Estelle. "Sirius Black just snogged you in front of everyone and you gave him a four."
"A generous four." Phoibe clarified.
"Who are you?"
"What?"
"Phoibe you just let Sirius Black snog you. You who has marked days in her calendar when it would be appropriate to hold someone's hand based on the weather climate so you don't have an awkward moment where your hand gets too sweaty."
"I'm just loosening up, don't you always tell me to do that anyway?"
"Yeah. I do." Eliza sighed in agreement. "Sorry you're having fun and I'm being silly reading to much into it."
"You're not. Estelle only dared Sirius to kiss me because the last person I kissed was Peyton."
"You kissed Peyton when oh merlin that's so exciting! Odette and I knew this would happen. This is amazing!"
"No its not because he kissed Talia three days ago remember, she just said."
Eliza face fell she had forgotten about that detail that had been exposed moments ago.
"Which means he's clearly not interested in me anymore which means- " Phoibe started to continue but stopped herself, refusing to be worked up again. "Which means I need another drink. I don't want to talk about him anymore. Excuse me." Phoibe pushed herself up going to grab another bottle of firewhisky from a near by table. She popped the cap of starting to down its contents but did not fail to notice the slight harsh gaze of Remus Lupin catching hers. Phoibe figured it was the alcohol in her system playing tricks on her perception.
"I heard you need a distraction." Sirius plucked the empty bottle from her lips replacing it with a knew one suddenly making his presence known. She had not noticed when he had appeared at her side but figured that was also down to the alcohol.
"What do you have in mind?"
"Can't tell you until you've had way more to drink."
"And why is that?"
"Because you'll never agree to do something so brave this sober."
"You mean I'm not drunk enough to something so stupid that a only Gryffindor would do it."
"Ouch. Maybe you're a mean drunk Deputy." Sirius pouted.
"Just tell me the oh so great idea you have."
Sirius smirked.
⭒⭒⭒
"No. No way. This is a terrible idea. " Eliza said. "But Godric do I want to see how it's going to play out."
The Marauders, Estelle, Eliza and Phoibe had apparated to the middle of a field in the dead of night. To Phoibe's left Sirius was putting on his leather jacket now that there was a chill in the air. He grabbed the helmet that had been clipped to his motorcycle, reflecting in the moonlight and handed to Phoibe.
"Thank you."
"I can't believe your going to race a hippogriff." Eliza shook her head in disbelief and entertainment.
"Well that's your fault El you shouldn't have told Sirius you father owns a Hippogriff stable." Estelle replied stroking the feathers of the proud beast next to her.
"You're so lucky they have been trained to like people so much." Eliza added.
James spoke up "Ready to lose to the best flyer of all time?"
"In your dreams Prongs. Phoibe and I are easily going to smoke you and Estelle."
Sirius pulled Phoibe onto his the back of his motorcycle and she held his waist. "Try not to get too touchy Deputy I know I can be irresistible."
"I will switch teams right now." Phoibe threatened and Sirius chuckled before igniting his engine. Phoibe glanced to her right to find James and Estelle bickering over who was going to steer the hippogriff and it was no suprise that the raven haired Slytherin won. It was in this moment that James wrapped his arms around Estelle's waist that she wondered where Lily Evans had disappeared to. In fact she had not seen the red head in many hours. Her thoughts were torn from the subject as the engine of Sirius' bike revved again.
"On your marks racers." Peter cupped his hands around his face to yell.
"Get set."
Phoibe's grip on Sirius tightened in anticipation.
"GO!"
The motorcycle lurched forward taring through the grass so tufts of greenery fell behind it and was jerked into hovering into the air. In an instant they shot further up into the night sky bursting through low rising clouds to become closer with the stars. The strong wind was whipping at Phoibe's pink locks.
She had never felt so alive.
Maybe this was one of those moments she couldn't live through books.
Phoibe glanced down below to see the remaining Marauders and Eliza who now looked like small specs. She could see glimmers of light from the Muggle town in the distance they had to race towards before swerving back to meet her friends again as they were the finish line.
"This is bloody amazing!" Phoibe yelled and she heard James and Estelle holler as they surpassed herself and Sirius who because of this switched the gears on the motorcycle to go faster.
Phoibe wondered if the enchanted motorcycle was really any match for a professional racing hippogriff but held back the comment not trying to ruin the invigorating fun they were having.
James and Estelle had been in the lead for most of race until Sirius pulled his wand out muttering a spell caused a quick bang and smoke to erupt from the bike. At first Phoibe was horrified worried he had broken the entire thing but then the pair where zooming faster than ever before. The race became neck and neck.
Unfortunately, Sirius' extra push of luck had worked to no avail because a split second before his bike touched the grassy finish line, James and Estelle's Hippogriff had already sunk its claws into it.
"Damn Deputy we lost to the love birds." Sirius said a little deflated and Phoibe removed her hands from his waist to hug him around the shoulder and neck. "Who cares? That was officially the most fun I've ever had!"
Sirius turned to face her breaking her hold slightly grin wide on his face. "Really?"
"Really." She confirmed giving him a little squeeze before letting the leather jacketed boy go.
James and Estelle were gloating to no end celebrating the win but when it finally died down the messy haired boy flung and arm around the girl pulling her into a side hug. Peter, Eliza and Remus were too absorbed in their own conversations to see James quickly kiss the girls forehead.
"He still likes her doesn't he?" Phoibe asked Sirius as he had observed the scene too.
"He's never stopped, not sure he will actually, Prongs is irritating like that." Sirius laughed half serious half joking.
"But what about Lily?" Phoibe wondered her voice a little smaller than before. She barely knew the head girl but worried about how she would react to this fact.
"Love is complicated deputy." Sirius's eyes locked on something for a moment. "You don't always get to be with the person your heart really wants. That's life."
So far in her experience with Peyton she couldn't help thinking these words were true.
⭒⭒⭒
"
I told you to be quiet!" Phoibe hissed as Sirius had just stumbled up the staircase of her manor causing the crash to echo in the silence of the night.
"These marble steps are slippery!" Sirius defended though Phoibe doubted that was the case due to the amount of alcohol they had both consumed in the few short hours after the hippogriff race.
Phoibe tried to stifle her giggles but she didn't know what exactly she was laughing at as she pulled Sirius along by his wrist towards her room.
When the reached her door. She turned to face him. "I'm not suppose to have boys in here but you don't count because you're Sirius."
"That doesn't make any sense." The long haired boy snorted.
"I mean you don't count because you're my friend, wait we are friends right?" She slurred.
"Yes of course Phoibe you're now one of my best friends!" He said passionately
Oh with drunken teenagers how quickly friendship can blossom! Phoibe wondered for a moment how fickle they were to break when sobriety came around. She hoped this would not be the last time her and Sirius would be in the presence of one another. She liked having him around.
"Are we going to stand outside all night or are you going to show me your room and your collection of stuffed animals?" Sirius grumbled the alcohol making his legs a little too heavy to stand.
"How do you know about my collection?" Phoibe gasped shocked her emotions exaggerated.
"I was kidding but of course you would actually have one wouldn't you Phoibe?" Sirius burst out laughing a little too loud so Phoibe yanked him into her room closing the door quickly.
"Woah that's a lot of books." Sirius said. Staring up and the large curved wall that was completely encompassed by bound literature. "You're a little book worm like my brother."
Phoibe had almost forgotten that Sirius wasn't an only child.
Regulus Black was his brother. The same boy who had tormented her friend Peyton Greengrass for three years of their time at Hogwarts.
Without thinking and with the alcohol helping to pump venom through her veins she spoke.
"I hate your brother."
Sirius if he heard the comment chose not to acknowledge it now being distracted by the collection of Muggle trinkets on her desk.
"You have a cassette tape?"
"A what?" Phoibe hiccuped as Sirius held up a piece of plastic she had found in the Muggle village a few weeks before.
"A cassette tape it's for a Walkman like this." Sirius carelessly fished around in his jacket to pull out a small black box and some thin funny looking ear muffs. "Here." He slipped the plastic into the black box before handing it to her. She put the earmuffs on and Sirius clicked a button.
"Don't go breaking my heart
I couldn't if I tried
Honey if I get restless
Baby you're not that kind..."
"WOW THIS IS AMAZING!" Phoibe exclaimed unaware of how loud her voice had been raised due to the music and Sirius quickly took the earmuffs from her.
"No need to shout your parents might get the wrong idea."
"Ah yes promiscuous Sirius Black is in my room." Phoibe replied playfully.
"Did you just call me a slut deputy?" Sirius gasped holding a hand over his heart. And then he starting to sing the words still playing from the Muggle device.
"So don't go breaking my heart
I won't go breaking your heart
Don't go breaking my heart"
Phoibe giggled the lyrics somehow oddly fitting the situation. And then the pair where dancing again for the hundredth time that night taking it in turns to twirl eachother though this felt different.
Sirius was unlike so many people she had ever met. And she had never had many friends who were boys.
It was odd and maybe way too soon but Phoibe couldn't help but liken the way she felt about him to an older brother.
Of course Phoibe had never had an older brother but she figured if she did have one she would have liked it to be someone like Sirius. Outgoing, care free, she often hated being the eldest sibling as it meant she could not afford to spare these things, especially when her father was so adimimant on maintaining the perfect public image.
And then they tumbled on to the bed together in a fit of laughter.
"Can I stay?" Sirius asked. "I don't think I can get back up my head is spinning."
"As long as you keep you're hands to yourself I know how irresistible I can be." She quoted him from earlier and chuckled.
"For the deputy Minister of Magic's daughter your quite fun you know?"
"And for a self proclaimed marauder you're not a total idiot." She replied.
"I guess you never really know someone until you know someone."
"Wow such wise words." Phoibe snorted.
"Shut up I'm pissed off my broom." Sirius shoved her and she fell from the bed with a thump.
"Dickhead." She muttered still humoured and stood to get a glass of water from her nightstand. By the time she had turned back to the bed Sirius had starfished over the entire mattress his soft snores now filling the room.
"Typical. What a princess." Phoibe rolled her eyes grabbing a pillow settling on the floor it wasn't long before her eyes drooped closed.
⭒⭒⭒
"And then in the morning you found us." Phoibe finished. "And thank you for not hexing Sirius when you found him in my bed." She added. Phoibe was quite surprised her father had decided not to but they had always been quite alike in the respect of wanting to know facts before jumping to harsh conclusions. It was something she respected him for greatly and what she also supposed made her so good at his job at the ministry.
"Phoibe I'm not angry- well actually I am a little angry, but mostly I'm disappointed at how careless you were last night. You could have gotten seriously hurt on that flying motorcycle. Do you even know if that vechile has been approved by the ministry? Look I know you're young and you want to impress boys-"
"This was not about boys, besides if anything they should be impressing me." Phoibe interrupted.
It was the first smile she had seen on her father's face all morning. "Okay. You are grounded though. You are only allowed here and the meadow. No going to see Pandora."
"I suppose that's fair." Phoibe agreed at least happy her father had not taken the meadow away from her.
"Now go see your mother to get that awful pink out of your hair, she's better at undoing those charms than me."
As Phoibe left her father's office she couldn't believe that she had barely received a punishment.
Little did she know that karma would come around in a different way...