December 1st ⭒ 1977
SHE WORE THE NIGHT SKY, and though James would never admit it, Jo wore it much better than he ever could have.
The main bodice had the appearance of being pieced together with a thousand glowing stars, and it slowly blended into the navy skirt that reached the floor. The stars — they were everywhere: woven into the strands of her hair, falling from the translucent sleeves that started halfway down her bicep and ended at her wrists. Josephine spun around, squinting at her brother. "Should I make my hair blue? Or black? Is that going too far?"
James pretended to wipe away a tear in his eye, though that tear was very much real. "Oh, Jo. I feel like a dad on wedding day."
"With a daughter who isn't getting married to anyone?" she responded drily, the corners of her eyes giving her away.
"Damn right, your date better be marrying you after the show we're going to give them"
Jo smoothed out the folds of her dress. "Now put on yours. I hope there was some semblance of twin telepathy when we were making these." She lifted a tuxedo off of the desk, ready to toss it at his at his face, before remembering that she didn't want to crease it.
James ducked into the bathroom, and a few seconds later, came out wrestling with the tie. Jo scrunched up her nose disapprovingly, "do it properly!"
"You were the one that added it," he reminded her, giving up. James tugged on the jacket, and turned around dramatically. "How's it look?"
She pushed the mirror in front of him, scrutinizing every detail. "Frankly, not bad." Josephine stepped closer to him, surveying the dual effect. Lily's white dress went perfectly with James's black and gold suit. "The gold really suits you."
"It really suits us," James pulled her in for a hug, "we look ravishing!"
Jo smiled knowingly. "Indeed we do."
"Who're you dancing with?" He asked, not very slyly, as she pulled back.
"Everyone in this goddamned castle," Jo replied, catching on to what he was implying.
James sighed, falling backwards onto the lounge chair. "Jo, you two need to sort this out. It's causing a rift in the cosmos."
She raised an eyebrow.
"A rift between us! It's so bloody awkward, we can't mention you to him, you can't talk to him, we have to have separate occasions for everything. If he won't man up and talk to you, you better do it for him."
Doubtfully, she said, "and if he ignores me?"
"Bug him until he does something to shut you up."
Jo rolled her eyes. "Let's save that for later." Offering her arm, she gestured towards the door, "shall we? We don't want to keep Miss Evans waiting, do we?"
The two giggling like the twelve-year-olds they were the first time they found the passage, James and Jo pushed the suit of armor to the left, watching the wall open up. "After you, m'lady," he said courteously. Jo hiked up her dress, ducking ever so slightly so her hair wouldn't get messed up.
"Remember," her brother said said, as they made their way through the tunnel, "I walk first—"
"I cue the music, I follow you around the beat drop. I know, I know. Practiced all the spells twice with you, like, an hour ago."
"That's my girl!" James grinned, taking her hand gratefully and hoisting himself up. Looking at the crowd, just out of view from the side of the banisters, Jo felt her stomach drop. Reassuringly, James squeezed her hand. "You need a minute?"
She shook her head, adjusting their arms so hers was looped around his elbow. "Never been more ready." Pulling her wand out of her back pocket, she tapped both her and James' outfits, turning them black. "Time to shine, brother dearest."
⭒
Hate them, or love them, one had to admit, no one did dramatic entrances like the Potters.
Following a procession of fireworks, dazzling wandwork (Minnie's smile indicated that she approved very much), one-two-three-four? costume changes, and co-ordinating the rest of the ball decor — fountains, ice sculptures, snowflakes, the like — to match their display, Jo and James finally reached the bottom of the staircase, and were met with a round of applause.
The twins exchanged a glance after they bowed. "Save me a dance?"
"I'll see if I can fit you in," Jo gave him a lopsided smirk as the boy went off to find his date.
Out of the blue, he turned back and whispered quickly, "you did replace the fountain water with firewhisky, right?"
"Of course I did, silly," she replied, less offended than she should be. Pushing him in Lily's direction, she hollered loudly, "now be free, Prongsie." Jo herself made a beeline for the punch table, before she was drawn back by none other than Remus Lupin.
He gave her a slow smile. "Well, isn't someone dressed up?"
"I could say the same for you, Lupin. Where's your date, darling?"
The boy gave her a half-hearted shrug. "I'm afraid I don't have one."
She lowered her voice conspirituality, "and . . . Siri?" Following Remus's gaze, she saw the eldest Black brother with Marlene and Dorcas, holding what was definitely not punch in a goblet. "Ah. Then, may I have this dance?"
Surprise washed over his features. "Dance? Jo, I'm not much for dancing"
"But for me you will, won't you, Moony?" she made way towards the center of the commotion, "please, let me awe them with my tailoring skills?" Jo didn't need to add the last bit, though, because Remus was already following her, an endearing sort of look in his eyes.
Jo curtsied, and Remus bowed, before she placed a hand on his shoulder and he did so for her waist. Lacing their fingers together, the two began spinning to the beat. "What song is this?" The boy looked lost in thought.
"How Deep is Your Love, I think," she responded, spinning around, the full navy skirts of her dress suddenly glimmering with tiny little stars. With a grin, Jo stepped closer, still swaying. "Nice trick, right?"
Remus only shook his head in response. "Should've included me in the fun. We could've done a five-person entrance and blown up the school."
Jo laughed, "how could we do that to dear Minnie?" as Remus grasped her by the waist and lifted her up almost effortlessly. The act made her dizzy, but perhaps it wasn't simply the movement that spun her world so quickly. "Rem!"
He let out a boyish sort of laugh, setting her back down on the floor.
"Moony, really." Jo's heart fluttered. Breathlessly, she chided him, "what's gotten into you?"
"You know you liked it" was his only response, as the music came to an end. "Fancy getting some fountain water?"
With a bewildered expression, Jo responded, "fountain water? Oh! Yes, yes." As they neared the spiked fountain, Sirius's figure came into view, followed by that of Marlene and Dorcas. Rapidly, she spun around, and instinctively held up her palms right as she slammed into Remus's chest. "Sorry, fuck, maybe that's not the best idea."
"Still dizzy from the dance?" Remus steadied her, eventually noticing the trio talking. "I see." Before Jo could get a word out of her mouth, the boy began steering her towards them.
"Moony!" she protested.
Marlene saved her the awkwardness by leaping up and dashing over. She snatched Jo out of Remus's arms, with a quick, "sorry, Remus, you're not the only one who wants her." Apologetically, Jo mouthed a see you later at the boy. In response, he waved it aside and went to join Sirius.
"Now, now," Marlene began, moving so quickly that Jo barely had time to collect her thoughts. "What was that going on with your boy over there?"
"Sirius? He's not talking to me, is he?"
She was quickly spun around by an expert hand, and dipped down. Marlene continued at a breakneck pace, "no, Remus, silly."
"Rem? Nothing."
The doubtful tone was still there, but Marlene moved on. "Okay, then, speaking of Sirius, it feels like you're avoiding him than he is you."
"It's not like he's giving me a chance to talk to him, either," Jo retorted.
"Judging from the way he stutters whenever he says your name, he's probably just too shy."
Incredulously, Jo responded, "my Siri? Too shy?"
"Shy probably isn't the right word for it. But there's definitely something going on in that pea-sized brain of his that's stopping him from talking to you."
"I can see why he adores talking to you."
"Who doesn't?" Marlene gave her a heart-melting smile, then straightened the collar of her shirt. "Now, go talk to him! You don't want to be regretting it when you're 50 and all your friends are dead."
The girl had a point. So Jo followed her towards where Remus was sitting. Sirius, upon seeing her dress, appeared to have gone quite speechless. Muttering something about stars and bloody hell, he dashed off.
Jo shrugged, as if to say, I tried, and downed a goblet full of fountain-water.
⭒
As the last stragglers of the night exited the Great Hall (which didn't mean everyone had gone to sleep, as evidenced by . . . well, Jo didn't really want to elaborate on that) she gave Remus a parting peck on the cheek, then did the same for Marlene. "Have fun cleaning up this mess!" the girl grinned.
"You're a horrible person," the werewolf sighed, waving his wand at a puddle on the floor.
She shrugged. "You love me, though. And, like, I mean, I would help, but I wouldn't need to if my dear brother and his dear girlfriend were here. Y'know, head people duties. Also, I'm exhausted and I don't know where my wand went."
Marlene pulled a face. "Night, Jo. Please shut up now."
With a cheery wave, the girl left for the dormitory, making sure not to catch her dress on the non-stop flights of stairs. Uttering her customary "g'night, Patty" to the Fat Lady — who she and her friends had affectionately christened Famita and accordingly nicknamed — Jo stepped through the entrance hole. The fire flickered warmly, and the couch looked like a cozy place to lie down.
In fact, she was just about to do so, before Jo's sleepy senses registered someone on the armchair on the edge of her periphery.
"Jo, my love," Sirius began tiredly, "I'm sorry to bother you so late, but I think I've avoided you enough."
lola's notes.
british men and their pet names...*giggling* heres the sirijo part of the book! hint hint for future chapters, the pet names acc hold a lot of significance! anyone catch the last kiss references 👁 or the holy ground ?? the title is obviously snow on the beach lmao
what were your thoughts? how do you think this is going to end? ahhhh u dont understand how happy i am to start writing their interactions
love you guys <33