It was Friday night, the night before the first Hogsmeade trip of the year.
Jerking awake, I realized that I had kicked my blankets off and was covered in sweat. Checking the time on the clock on my bedside table, I saw the numbers 11:57.
Unnerved by the nightmare I had just had, I padded across the wooden floor and quietly slipped through the door.
Entering the empty common room, the dieing fire was my only source of light. Quickly running past it, I tiptoed up the stairs to the boys dormitories. I've been up these stairs so many times, the prefects and Head Boy gave up on trying to stop me in second year.
Entering the dorm that belonged to my four best friends (can you guess who they are), I found the person I was looking for. Walking over to him, I gently shoved him a few times until he woke up.
"What?" Remus mumbled in a sleepy voice.
"I had a nightmare," I whispered back, not wanting to wake the others.
Without saying another word, Remus pulled back his blanket and motioned for me to lay down. Laying down next to him, I cuddled into his side as his strong arm wrapped around me protectively. Throwing the blanket back over us, I listened as Remus's breathing evened out, signaling that he had fallen asleep again. Breathing a silent sigh of relief, I relaxed into his safe embrace and dozed off to sleep.
****
I woke up to the sound of a hushed conversation coming from the foot of Remus's bed. Remus was snoring softly beside me and his arm was still wrapped around my waist.
"Why is she in here? And in Remus's bed?" Sirius asked, a trace of something unfamiliar in his voice (could it be jealousy? nah).
"She probably had a nightmare," James whispered back. "You know how she gets around this time of year."
"I know that," Sirius huffed. "But that doesn't explain why she went to Remus instead of you."
"In case you haven't noticed, she's always been closer to Remus than the rest of us." James told him, beginning to sound slightly annoyed.
"So it doesn't worry you at all?" Sirius asked, sounding agitated.
"Why would it? They've slept together before. They spent the entire summer sleeping like that."
"But this time could have been...different." Without even having to look at Sirius, I knew he was giving James a suggestive look.
Not bothering to open my eyes, I raised my arm high and flipped Sirius off.
Snickering slightly, James said, "I think she heard you, Sirius." Then to me, he said, "Peter has gone down to get food so we can all just eat breakfast in here. After that, we'll head to Hogsmeade. Okay?"
Putting my arm back down, I mumbled, "Okay," loud enough for them to hear but not so loud that I would wake Remus.
Considering the fact that I wouldn't be able to get out of Remus's embrace even if I wanted to, I snuggled back down into the mattress. Unfortunately, at that exact moment, Peter had arrived with the food. Smelling it, Remus was up and out of bed in an instant. Groaning slightly, I raised up and ran my hand through my messy hair.
As I snuck a piece of bacon off of James's plate, Peter handed me the thermos that Sirius had given me earlier this week.
"Thanks, Peter," I said through a yawn.
"No problem, Laura," he replied through a mouth full of food.
Taking a large gulp, I almost spit it out. Forcing myself to swallow, I pushed the thermos away as soon as Peter wasn't looking. I didn't want to hurt his feelings but the coffee tasted awful. There was more sugar than actual coffee. Sneaking a drink of Sirius's coffee, I continued to eat.
****
"Hurry up, Laura!" James called from the other side of the boys dorm bathroom.
"One moment, my dear brother," I called back in a sing song voice.
Since I spent a lot of my nights in their dorm, I had some outfits and other toiletries in here so I didn't have to go all the way back to my dorm to get ready. Glancing in the mirror, I gave myself a quick nod of approval before I opened the bathroom door. I was wearing black leggings, a red long sleeved shirt, and my favorite pair of boots. I had decided against makeup and also decided to leave my hair down. But I had a ponytail holder on my wrist just in case I changed my mind.
"Finally," James huffed, leading the way out of the dorm.
We met up with Peter, Sirius, and Remus outside of the portrait hole. Scanning over the boys' outfits, I noticed that Sirius was wearing the leather jacket I had bought him.
"Shall we?" Remus asked, turning around and holding his arms out.
"We shall," I said, jumping onto his back.
****
"Where to first?" I asked the boys as we reached Hogsmeade, still on Remus's back.
Three different responses were shouted back at me.
"The Three Broomsticks," James said as Sirius said, "Zonko's" and Remus and Peter said, "Honeydukes."
Grinning, I said, "Why don't we split up and meet back here at noon? James can go spy on Lily at the Three Broomsticks. Peter and Remus can go refill our candy supplies at Honeydukes. Sirius and I can go to Zonko's."
"Sounds like a plan," James said as the others nodded in agreement.
Jumping off of Remus's back, I climbed onto Sirius's as the five of us went our separate ways.
"Why didn't you go with Remus and Peter?" Sirius asked me. "I thought your candy supply was gone."
"It is but Remus knows what kind of candy I buy. Do you not want me to come with you? Because I can go join James if you want to go to Zonko's by yourself," I offered, resting my head on his shoulder.
"No no no," he answered quickly. "I'm glad you came with me. I was just wondering why, that's all."
"Oh," I said, releasing the breath I hadn't known i was holding.
Reaching Zonko's, I hopped off of Sirius's back and walked through the door he was holding open for me.
"Why thank you, kind sir," I said in a prestigious voice, curtsying dramatically.
"You're welcome, Princess Potter," he replied, bowing just as dramatically.
As the door shut behind us, I sighed contentedly as a blast of warm air washed over us. Entwining my hand with Sirius's, I led the way to where our favorite Zonko's merchandise was.
After nearly buying out their supply of sugar quills, dungbombs, and fireworks, Sirius and I left the crowded shop,my hand still entwined with his. As a blast of cold air hit us, I shivered slightly.
"Cold, Princess Potter?" Sirius asks, smirking slightly.
"Not at all, Prince Black," I answered defiantly.
"Your shivering body says otherwise," he replied as he let go of my hand to take his leather jacket off.
"What are you doing?" I asked, stopping in my tracks.
"I'm giving you my jacket so you won't be cold," he told me, like it should have been obvious. "It's the princely thing to do."
"But I'm not cold," I said stubbornly.
"Yes you are," he argued, handing me his jacket.
Taking it from him, I held it but didn't put it on.
"Put the jacket on, Princess." Sirius said. When I still didn't, he gave me the puppy dog eyes and said, "Please, for your favorite Black."
My resolve broke. Those damn puppy eyes get me every time. "Fine," I sighed as I put the leather jacket on. Inhaling its scent, I said, "But only because it smells good."
Smiling at his win, he linked his hand through mine once again as we made our way back to where we planned to meet up with the others.
"Love you, Princess," Sirius said after a moment of comfortable silence.
""Love you too, Prince."
****
"You got rejected again, didn't you?" I asked my twin from my spot on Remus's bed as he walked through the dorm door.
"Maybe," James said, flopping onto his bed glumly after pulling on his pyjamas (which the rest of us were already changed into).
"Cheer up, James. You'll get her someday," Sirius said from his bed.
After meeting up in Hogsmeade, we had trekked back to Hogwarts and spent the remainder of the day in the boys' dorm. Remus and I were sorting through (and eating) the candy he had bought. Peter fell asleep after drinking the hot chocolate the house elves had brought up. Sirius (who had been oddly quiet ever since we got back) was watching us sort the candy. James had went down to "win Lily's heart" and got rejected again.
As we finished sorting the candy and put it away in Remus's bedside dresser. As the clock chimed midnight, I got off of his bed and prepared to go back to my dorm.
"Where do you think you're going?" Remus asked.
Looking at him quizzically, I said, "To my dorm. I'm tired and ready to go to sleep."
"I don't think so," James said, letting his brotherly protective side show. "You had a nightmare last night and you're going to have another if you sleep alone in your dorm. You're sleeping in here tonight."
Before I could protest, Sirius spoke up. "You know that your brother is right, Princess. Sleep in here tonight." (James gave Sirius a weird look when he heard the nickname that had been used)
"Fine," I grumbled, laying down next to Remus as James turned off the lights.
"Good night, Princess Potter" Sirius called from his bed.
"Good night, Prince Black."