The Gryffindor common room is roaring with Muggle music and the loud chit-chat happening between students of the house adorned in red and gold.
After the latest Quidditch match's win, some older Gryffindors decided to put on a whole party to celebrate. Robert Wood managed to smuggle in Firewhiskey leaving almost all partygoers intoxicated.
I'm not so keen on the idea of being so out of your head that you can act without truly being in control, so I remain sober. Though sobriety turns out to be a lonely path as everyone seems to be having a blast – even Lily is drinking. Several drinks in and the boys are completely pissed.
Remus is up on a tabletop dancing and swaying his hips to the tune of the music. He has a good rhythm for a drunk bloke I'll give him that. It's also refreshing to see him let loose like this.
All positive thinking associated with Remus on that tabletop disappears as he loses his footing and falls flat on his face. "REMUS!" I scream out worriedly, shoving all the slobbering drunk students out of the way to help my friend. "Remus, are you okay?" He flips himself around and starts laughing hysterically. "I'll take that as a yes." I chuckle, helping him stand. "Let's sit for a little."
"But the dancing! It needs me!" He whines in a babyish voice.
"Shh," I coo. "It's okay, darling, you'll be back."
He giggles, "You call me darling."
I help him onto the couch and he lays back with a dopey smile. "Remy!" James cheers, plopping himself down beside him. He starts petting Remus' hair. "You're so pretty, Lily."
"I'm Lily?" Remus asks in confusion.
"I'm James." James enunciates back, holding a hand over his heart.
"Oh." Remus nods as if it all makes sense now.
Sirius stumbles over to me and falls into my arms. "Woah there, Sirius!" I laugh nervously trying to hold the heavy boy up. "Let's get you to the couch." I say, guiding him over to the opposite sofa where Peter rests.
"I wish I wasn't a werewolf!" Remus exclaims quite suddenly. I panic looking around the room to see if anyone's noticed his sudden outburst. Lucky for the loud music and oblivious crowd, no one seems to be paying him any mind. He goes on, "It's all the moon's fault! Bloody moon!"
Sirius nods in agreement. "We should...we should get rid of the moon!"
"Let's blow it up!" James hollers, waving his hands around wildly.
"YES! We...we'll blow up...blow up the moon!" Sirius says, stumbling over his words. Peter joins in by making explosion noises with his mouth while the other boys nod at him excitedly.
I can't hold it back anymore as I burst into uncontrollable laughter. Merlin, liquor makes people nutty.
Peter stops smiling as his face turns a slight green colour and holds a hand over his mouth. I frown in concern, "Pete?" He doesn't answer and instead leans over the couch to vomit over the back. "Oh dear." I sigh. I hurry to his side and rub his back until he stops heaving. Once he does, I clean up his mess with a wave of my wand and throw my arm around his waist to keep him standing. "It's time for bed, Petey."
"I'm sorry." His pale blue eyes start watering. "I'm so sorry."
"Hey, it's okay." I say soothingly. "Don't cry, sweetheart. It's okay, it's all clean now, see? Let's just get you to bed."
"Okay Mummy." He mumbles.
I help him upstairs through the door and pull his bedspread back for him to drop down onto. Before I go back into the party, I fill up four glasses of water and place them on each of the boy's bedside tables.
Making my way back down I'm careful to sidestep a couple snogging on the last step. James and Remus have disappeared from the seating area leaving only Sirius sitting there. Once he lays eyes on me he excitedly pats the space beside him.
I sit myself down close to him and grin, "How strange is it seeing Remus go so wild? I mean, the boy doesn't like anyone seeing him without his sweater vest let alone shimmying to ABBA." I laugh. When he doesn't respond, I face him again to find him staring at me with a goofy smile. "What?"
"You're so beautiful. I could stare at you all day." He tells me bringing a warm blush to my cheeks. His starts leaning toward me and judging by his unwavering gaze on my lips he's going in for a kiss. I feel my heart in my throat and I have to remind myself that he's drunk. Right before we can make a collision, I turn my head away and he ends up placing a sloppy kiss on my jaw.
"Sirius," I mumble as he starts kissing down my neck. "Sirius, stop." I push him away.
"I want you. I think about that night in the broom closet a lot. I should've kissed you." His eyes are dark and it takes everything in me to hold my hands up and keep him at a safe distance away from me. "Don't you want to kiss me?" He asks with a pout. He looks so cute like this.
"It doesn't matter what I want. You're drunk. I won't take advantage of you like this." I state firmly.
"I give you permission."
I frown, "A drunk person cannot consent. I can't kiss you." I lower my voice to a whisper so he can't hear me say, "No matter how much I want to." I pick up in volume again. "You need to sleep this off, love. I think you've had enough fun for the night."
I help him balance on his wobbly feet. As we go, he bends over to sniff my hair. "You smell so good."
"Thank you." I laugh. "One foot up at a time." I instruct as we near the steps.
"Where are we going?"
"We're going upstairs to your dorm." I say.
He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively. "We're going up to my place, are we?"
"You're going to sleep." I clarify.
"Sleep sounds delicious." He slurs.
Getting him to bed, I tuck him into his comforter, but when I make to leave he calls me back. "Please...please don't leave me. My mind goes to a scary place when I'm alone."
His hair is sticking up in odd places and his face is so innocent and genuine that it pulls at my heartstrings. "I'm going to put everyone to bed first. I'll come back to you, I promise."
"Okay." He says in a small voice.
Remus and James are much easier to get to bed. I feed them both some water before tucking each boy in just as I did with Sirius.
Going back downstairs I help the girls upstairs as well. No one gets left behind. Lily is a rambly drunk, she won't stop going on about things. "Pygmy Puffs are so cute. I wish I was a Pygmy Puff. Pygmy Puff –" She starts giggling. "What a silly name for something so sweet."
"Lils, how much did you have to drink?" I ask.
"Just a little...little little little bit." She slurs, holding her thumb and index up close to each other.
"Sure," I snort, carefully pushing her to lay back in her bed. "Goodnight, my lovelies. It's time for lights out."
"I'm hungry!" Marlene yells into the darkness once I've put out the lamp.
"Breakfast is tomorrow! Sleep is now!" I yell back before shutting the door and making my way back to the boys dorms.
I slip into Sirius' bed and gently brush his hair away from his face with my fingers. I think I've always known that Sirius liking me could be a possibility but I didn't want to admit it. I have a little trouble admitting things to myself if you couldn't tell already with my own feelings for him. He said he thinks about that night in the broom closet a lot. That's a confirmation of his feelings, isn't it? After all, they do say that drunk words about sober thoughts. Then again, James went on a long tangent about how he's convinced I'm an angel sent from heaven to watch over him and the boys.
I suppose things will be more clear in the morning once Sirius has sobered.
I naturally wake up before anyone else does and take that opportune time to go get breakfast ready for the boys once they're up. I ask the house-elves what a good hangover food would be and most come to the conclusion of pancakes.
Taking a large tray back upstairs, I find Remus slowly struggling to open his eyes. He groans, "Argh the light burns! Someone turn off the sun!"
"Still not entirely sober then, are you?" I muse, walking over to sit at the edge of his bed.
He moans, "Remind me to never drink again."
"These are the golden days of our lives, Rem. I'll never tell you not to drink, that would be counterproductive. I'll simply sit back and enjoy the show you put on."
He finally manages to open his eyes to slivers and looks at me. "Don't think I don't know you took care of everyone last night."
I look down to the floor bashfully. "It was nothing."
"Thank you." Remus says, looking at me as if I've done some grand deed.
I blush some more. "Whatever...pancake?" I ask, presenting him the tray full of appetizing fluffy pancakes.
"I feel odd, almost like I'm about to be sick but also strangely hungry."
"That's what the hangover food is for. I think. I'm not too sure, this is only my first rodeo." I laugh. "Syrup?"
"Please." He grimaces and has to rub his temples to ease his headache.
I hear another pained groan coming from Sirius' corner of the room and rush over on instinct. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I was hit by a bus." He says in that raspy morning voice that I find oh-so attractive.
I hand him the glass of water from his bedside and he gulps it down quickly. "What happened last night? I swear it's all a blank." He laughs a little and looks to me for an answer.
"Y-You don't remember anything?" I ask trying not to show my growing disappointment.
"Nope." He tells me genuinely, running his fingers through his messy mane to try to tame it. "Why? Did I do something embarrassing?"
"No," I shake my head, looking away from him sadly. "Nothing embarrassing."