"Merlin, you look gorgeous."
Liza grinned into Sirius's kiss as he pulled her into his arms. "As do you. If a bit Muggle."
As they parted, she tugged at the corners of his leather jacket. On his right shoulder, a silver chain draped over the top of his chest. The pockets were scuffed just enough to indicate its wear.
"Effie got it for me from a shop in London." Sirius spun around, striking a regal pose as he placed one arm behind his back. "Will you accompany this rebel to the dance floor?"
Liza accepted his hand, allowing him to pull her inside the doors of the Potter Manor. She tried not to appear too shocked as they passed through the entrance.
She had known that James came from old money, but she had not imagined the stretch of marble tile that ran in a path from the main doors, bordered by emerald trapezoids. A chandelier the size of her bedroom erupted from the top of the ceiling, which had been painted with images of chubby babies flying through the sky.
"Are those supposed to be some sort of magical beast?" Wracking her brain for memories of Care of Magical Creatures, Liza tried to get a better look at the winged babies.
"Nah, some muggle thing." Sirius pulled her between two flights of stairs, the marble bannisters the width of his arms. "Prongs went to Italy and returned with all sorts of strange ideas. Rather ugly, although it's best not to mention it." Catching Liza's questioning glance, he grinned. "Moony had a pair of antlers for a week. Barely slept a minute."
Wincing at the image, Liza pulled on the edge of her scarlet dress. James was descended from a long line of Gryffindors, and she had assumed that it would be best to opt for red. Unfortunately, the only article of clothing she had managed to salvage from her closet was a size too small. There had been little time for tailoring charms.
"I'll never understand—" Liza swallowed and discretely ducked behind Sirius as they entered the ballroom. Outside of the Great Hall, she had never seen so many people in one place. Clusters of high-class wizards and witches huddled together cheerfully. A glass of alcohol glinted in nearly every hand. Some bubbled with champagne, others brimmed with Firewhiskey.
"One reason the Potter's parties are famous," Sirius leaned over to murmur in her ear. The familiar scent of pine and whiskey hit her nostrils and Liza relaxed into his touch. "They're generous with the booze. A quarter of the people here just show up to get pissed."
Humming in acknowledgement, Liza accepted a drink from a nearby server. "Is it really enjoyable for James's parents? Not sure I would want to invite everyone, knowing they just wanted to get sloshed."
Sirius shrugged. "Fleamont says he will do whatever to make Euphemia happy. Even if it means hiring a few extra house elves to clean the bathrooms. Not that they accept any pay for the extra work."
The Gryffindor navigated the crowd easily. Liza supposed that he had been born into it. Sirius was the face of the Black family. Or had been.
With confident posture and a bright grin, Sirius appeared just mischievous enough to charm the ladies and cause the gentlemen to pull their dates closer.
Liza elbowed him in the side. "You do have a girl—" she broke off awkwardly. "A date, you know." Taking a long sip of champagne, she pretended not to notice her slip up.
"Aw, Lizzie," Sirius's arm snaked about her waist, pulling her closer. "I'm only trying to ruffle Willyfoot's feathers. Been making snide comments behind my back for years."
Liza followed the tilt of his chin towards a portly older wizard in a sapphire robe. Beneath his chin was a checkered bow tie that clashed terribly with the rest of his attire. On his left elbow was a pretty, but much younger wife that was clearly sending Sirius admiring glances beneath her eyelashes.
"Well do let me know if I need to step aside." Liza rolled her eyes as she saw James flounce down the stairs. His hair had been gelled back so tightly that it nearly stuck to his skull. "I'll let you have your moment," she shot Sirius a smug smirk. "Maybe I'll go for Remmy instead."
Her partner snorted, guiding her to meet the rest of the Marauders. "You're not the right Prewett, I'm afraid."
Before Liza could inquire further, James had already bounced up to meet them.
"Sirius, gorgeous as always," he shot his mate a highly exaggerated wink. "Prewett, you look alright."
He narrowly dodged Sirus's smack to the back of his skull, flinging his arms upward in protest.
"Well, I can't exactly say she's stunning, mate! I'm not trying to come on to your girl."
"We both know that would never happen." Liza rolled her eyes, pushing a small curl away from her gaze. Molly's updo was a bit old-fashioned, but the styling process had distracted her sister from her ever-enlarging belly. "I'm not your type, Potter."
James scanned her up and down begrudgingly. "A bit too serpentine for my taste. Tried to warn Pads, but he's never been the brightest when it comes to girls."
"Prongs, do shut up and go wash your hair."
From behind Sirius, Remus reached over to muss James's locks. His suit was patched with wear and the dark circles beneath his eyes were deeper than ever. Yet, the light in his gaze burned brighter than usual. For the first time, the air of hope trailed around Remus Lupin.
James scowled at his touch, uselessly attempting to rake his mane back into place. "Mum insisted. Think I look worse than Lestrange."
Privately agreeing with his comparison, Liza stepped aside as the bespectacled Marauder disappeared into the nearest bathroom. The Manor resembled a labyrinth, and she made a mental note not to go wandering without Sirius. She was sure to get lost and would rather not experience any pranks Potter might have in store.
"Shall we dance?"
Liza turned to see Sirius drop into an elegant bow, his curls tamed behind his neck so that they fell in an even wave.
"I would be honored, good sir." She pasted on her best imitation of a Pureblood smile.
Sirius laughed, pulling her onto the dance floor. "You're far too innocent, Liz. It's a good thing," he continued after noting her glare. "You haven't let darkness seep into your soul like the rest of the lot."
Counting her steps carefully so that they evenly matched, Liza let Sirius guide their rhythm. Surprisingly, he made an even better ballroom dancer than Regulus. "It seems the dance lessons did you good, I suppose."
A shadow flittered over Sirius's jubilant expression. "It was my only escape. Mother would take us to London for every lesson as the instructor refused her bribes to travel. I took every second I could to get away. Even faked my steps so I would be given additional practice."
Liza bit the inside of her lip before stepping closer. Wrapping her hands around his neck, she let Sirius pull her into a twirl and tightened their embrace. "Reg said that you barely saw each other most days." Without pressing too deeply, she was hoping that Sirius would unveil a bit more of his childhood. Despite their closer relationship, he had remained tight-lipped about the past.
"That's how they socialize young Purebloods." Sirius grimaced as he let her fly out into a twirl. "Isolate you from everyone so you never develop emotional attachments. Makes it easier to kill if you never have humanity in the first place."
There was no sufficient response to his words. Liza took the next turn in silence, letting the violin quartet fill the gap between them.
"How did you keep yours?" She finally met Sirius's gaze, searching the stormy orbs she had become so accustomed to. "What made you different?"
Sirius returned his hand to the small of her back as the song drew to a close. "I've asked myself the same question for years. Why could I not keep to the rules when my little brother was perfect? When I so desperately wanted my parents' love?"
The dancing couples around them slowed in their steps, leaning in for a chaste kiss or two.
"But I think it was the last part that really changed everything." A sad smile turned the left corner of his lips. "I realized my parents didn't love me and they never would. Because they'd never loved anyone. Even Regulus just had their approval. The day I realized that I decided that I'd rather not gain anyone's approval. I wanted no part of a family that put on a perfect front and then brutalized each other in the dark."
Liza placed her palm lightly on his chest, directly over his heart. His pulse thrummed in union with hers as the last strains of the music ebbed into silence. "I'm glad you left." She bit her lip, finally dismantling the rest of her guard over Regulus. "I know you would have taken Reggie in a heartbeat."
Across from her, Sirius's eyes glimmered with unshed tears. "That night will haunt me for the rest of my life. I'll always feel like an arse for leaving him behind." His Adam's apple bobbed heavily as he swallowed. "But I couldn't stay any longer. My innards would have been used to decorate the basement stairwell."
The tone of his voice hinted that the assumption was not far from the truth.
Slipping her hand into his, Liza stepped forward and pulled him into a tight embrace. Tucking her face into his shoulder, she breathed in the comforting smell of tobacco. It was faintly detectable beneath his cologne.
"Maybe he'll never fully understand." She stepped back, wiping a tear discretely from Sirius's cheek as he blinked the rest away. The Gryffindor was reluctant to ever wallow in emotion. "But if he saw the truth of your family, I don't think he would be so angry."
"Cissa always said that it was better to suffer in silence than trouble the waters," Sirius smiled bitterly as he leaned his head towards hers, pressing their foreheads together. "She always said I would drown and take Regulus with me."
Huffing out a breath, Liza shook her head lightly. "And look where that got her. She gets to brush Lucius's ponytail for the rest of her life."
A laugh rumbled in Sirius's chest, and he pulled her off the dance floor, keeping a tight grip on her hand. "And they'll spawn pale demons who live off daddy's inheritance."
Liza grinned as Peter approached them, talking animatedly to Sirius about something in James's room. Figuring she'd rather not know the details, Liza surveyed the hall, taking count of the wealth contained inside. A diamond or ruby necklace glittered against the throats of nearly every woman and a few of the men. It was clear that most of the attendees were former Gryffindors. Not for the first time, Liza was painfully reminded of her own house. She wondered what some of the wizards would say if they knew they were dining with a snake.
Her gaze caught on a familiar head of ginger hair. Her eyes narrowed.
"Gid—"
A giggle burst from her mouth as she caught sight of the Gryffindor in her brother's arms. Remus Lupin was flushing brightly under the teasing lilt of Gideon's grin. The pair was unable to keep their eyes off the other as they swayed clumsily to the music.
"About damn time." Sirius returned to her side, Peter to their right as they all observed the couple. "Knew something was suspicious the day I saw Gideon Prewett in the library."
Liza shook her head, remembering how her brother had grown uncharacteristically quiet at any mention of the Marauders. "Are they—" she hesitated, remembering Remus's self-deprecating comments. "Is Remus happy?"
"Gideon knows."
For the first time, Peter entered the conversation. The boy appeared much more exhausted than usual, his curls drooping down the back of his neck. Still, the strands burned a brilliant gold under the chandelier. If only he had had a bit of help, Liza was sure he would be able to gain the interest of several students.
"He—" her lips widened in an "o" as she turned back to her brother. Gideon had grabbed both he and Remus drinks and the pair had resigned to chatting quietly in the corner. "Remus told him?"
"Didn't have much of a choice." Sirius shook his head, downing a glass of Firewhiskey. "Your brother might be the only person who's more stubborn than Moony. Knew that his unexplained absences didn't add up."
Liza swallowed, surprised at the tears that clogged the back of her throat. She didn't know if she had ever seen the men so happy. Or Remus so relaxed. "Gid best watch his step, or I'll kill him in his sleep."
Peter and Sirius exchanged a look of slight alarm at her tone.
"Er Liz?" Sirius squeezed her hand lightly. His fingers were cold from the condensation of his glass. "That's your brother, you know. What if Moon is the heartbreaker?"
This time, Liza exchanged a doubtful look with Peter. "We're talking about the Gryffindor who has his clothes organized by colour and cut."
Shaking his head, Sirius began to head back towards the private quarter of the manor. "I need to make sure Prongs isn't drowning himself in the bathroom."
Handing Peter a bottle of Butterbeer, Liza raised a skeptical brow. "Has that actually happened?"
"Once." Peter took a solemn sip as the orchestra began a lively jig. "Got his tie knotted in the drain."
"In the—" Liza took another swing of Butterbeer in exasperation. "I'm not even going to ask."
Turning back to the blonde, Liza held out a hand. "Join me for a round?"
Peter turned a bright scarlet. The colour flooded to the tips of his ears as he gave a squeak. "You're a meter taller than me!"
"Are you calling me a giant?"
The Gryffindor's face paled, and Liza let out a laugh, tapping him on the shoulder. "I'm only joking. A meter is a bit much, but you shouldn't ever let height stop you. Once, I ended up in the Hospital Wing trying to shrink my bones. Pomfrey had a fit."
Peter looked up shyly, finally accepting her offer. His movements were awkward and stilted, but Liza offered an encouraging smile. She had managed far worse her first few lessons with Regulus. The Slytherin had nearly cursed off her feet.
"I always wanted to be taller. It's a bit hard to walk the corridors with the others." Glancing down shamefully, Peter led her into an intricate square pattern. "Always the runt. But it's worse if I get caught alone."
Liza didn't probe at the flash of fear in his cerulean gaze, but she made a mental note to speak with Sirius. The Marauders evidently needed to pay more attention to their smallest member.
"Well, you're a far better dancer when you're not worrying so much."
Pausing mid-spin, Peter seemed to realize the steps he was taking. The beginnings of a smile teased his mouth.
"James said I was a lost cause."
"Potter's entire life is a lost cause." Liza rolled her eyes before resuming their dance. "He's been fawning after a girl that hates him for seven years. You can't get more pathetic."
"Always the epitome of kindness."
They froze at the sound of James's voice. The Gryffindor stood behind them, eyeing Liza sourly. A faint crinkle furrowed between his brows.
"Maybe I should tell Pads to end things sooner." Shooting Liza a smug look, James headed back towards the stairs. "Just yesterday, he was considering Marcia Jones instead."
"Oh, sod off." Baring his teeth at his friend, Sirius gave Liza a worried look. "He's not being serious."
Liza smiled deviously, passing him by on the stairs without accepting his hand. "Of course not. You're Sirius."
In his concern, her partner nearly missed her pun. Then, a wide grin spread across his face and the corners of his eyes crinkled with amusement.
"Merlin, I love you."
For split second, time seemed to freeze, and Liza's heart plummeted. Sirius's face drained of colour, and even James looked between the two. His eyes were nearly bulging out of their sockets.
"I—I mean," Sirius spluttered, more panicked than Liza had ever seen him.
Lacing her hand through his elbow, Liza offered a tight smile. She knew that the Marauders were constantly affirming their love and affection for each other. Sirius had likely been in a similar mindset. It didn't need to mean anything more.
"I know, Padfoot." She winked as she pulled him down the corridor, aiming a kick at James's shin so he would stop gaping. "It's the Slytherin in me. Endless charm and ravish looks."
A bit of the panic slowly ebbed from Sirius's expression. "You forgot winning personality." The sarcasm in his tone was enough to divert their nerves.
Liza latched on to his playful demeanor. She would process these events later. "And have I won a New Year's kiss?"
"Only if it's under the stars." Sirius wriggled his brows suggestively as his hand slid to her bum. Behind, James made a noise of disgust that they both ignored. "I am named after the brightest star in the sky."
"At least your name makes up for your lack of skill."
Liza barely avoided Sirius's grasp as he chased her down the corridor, both of their heels digging into the rug beneath their feet.
"Come on," James called at their retreating figures, his disappointment evident. "If you're playing a round of tag-and-snog, at least invite the world's best chaser."
Sirius made a very rude hand gesture in response.