( NINE | BETRAYAL )
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"I SAID NO bloody axes! Not here! Not now!" James cried to Peter, his arms waving in frustration.
Peter squeaked, dropping the two axes he carried in each hand. The small boy huffed in defeat and crossed his arms.
It was now Saturday - the weekend before Venus's date with Dirk Cresswell - and James was planning to adorn the Gryffindor common room with as much Halloween decor as he could manage. With the holiday coming up within the next week or so, the Potter boy was trying to get everything in it's correct place and he had specifically told Peter the axes were 'too last year' to have them in this years decoration.
Oh yes, he did this last year. And the year before. And the year before that. And - well you get the point.
Venus let out a small giggle from the Gryffindor couch she lounged on with her head laid upon Remus's lap. Remus glanced down at the blonde from his book at her short laughter and held back a smile at the sight. He had one had holding the fictional book and the other hand gently running through Venus's hair, something he knew she found relaxing.
The blonde girl was kidnapped after lunch by the four boys and brought to their Gryffindor common room. The snatching was, admittedly, just Remus and James as Sirius was nowhere to be seen since breakfast and Peter merely followed along behind James as though he were a lost puppy.
During the Ravenclaw's time in the Gryffindor common room she had been told numerous knock knock jokes by Peter, who was proud to have come up with so many, smothered by Remus when James tried to grab her hand to get her up from the couch to help with decorations, and given a confused look by Alice Longbottom whom was walking to the girls dormitories when she saw Venus's Ravenclaw robe on the arm of the couch next to her.
Whipping his head to Venus, James rose a brow, "You think this is funny, do you Grendahl?"
The blonde quickly coughed to cover up her giggle, "What? Funny?" Cough, "No, that would be completely ridiculous."
"Not as ridiculous as what I'm about to tell you lot." Sirius pipped up, entering the Gryffindor common room and collapsing onto the couch with Venus and Remus. He lifted Venus's legs so he could sit and laid them onto his thighs, relaxing into the couch.
Venus glared at Sirius for moving her legs, but didn't make any protests as she was still comfortable.
James turned to Sirius, exasperated, "Sirius!"
The Black boy hummed in response, his fingers trailing absentminded circles on Venus's ankle, unknowing how the action stirred butterflies in the blonde girls stomach.
"Can't you see I'm trying to decorate the common room!"
Sirius glanced around, his brows raising a bit after noticing the decor before he turned back to James with a silly wide smile, "Looks great, mate."
James groaned, "It's not finished!" He was nearly to the point of grabbing fistfuls of his hair.
Stifling to hide another chuckle, Venus placed a delicate hand on her mouth to keep it from erupting any noise.
"Anyway, guess what I walked in on today?" Sirius boomed, his eyes filling with excitement and readiness.
Venus groaned and sat up, not wanting to hear his gossip. Before the blonde could stand up, Sirius placed a soft hand on her bicep, halting her movements, "What?" She rolled her eyes, curious as to why he stopped her.
"I wouldn't leave so fast if I were you, love." Sirius quipped, pursing his lips over-dramatically.
Venus huffed, but sat back down in between Sirius and Remus, "And why is that?"
"What I'm about to say involves a dear friend of yours, if I remember correctly." He smirked.
Curious, Venus rose an eyebrow. Even James had stopped his decorating and was now intrigued.
"Well, spit it out. Let's not wait for the grass to grow." Venus remarked impatiently.
Sirius cleared his throat, "Earlier today, I was with a, uh, friend," Venus rolled her eyes at his obvious indiscretion, "and I was going to take her to a more secluded room, only to find the room I had taken her to had been. . . Occupied already-"
Venus was growing more impatient by the second, already annoyed at Sirius' story of his recent conquest. "Are you going to tell us how this fascinating story involves one of my friends?"
The Black boy sighed, slightly agitated, "If you would let me finish-"
"If you would hurry it up-"
"Shove it, both of you." James retorted, "Merlin, you two sound like my parents on Valentines Day."
Venus snorted and crossed her arms, "Your parents are married, that is something Sirius and I will never be."
Smirking, Sirius tilted his head to the blonde girl, "Never know, Grendahl. I can be very charming, it's hard to not fall in love with me." He leaned in closer to her.
"I can vouch for that." James nodded seriously and raised his hand. This earned a small chuckle from Remus and a wink from Sirius.
The blonde girl rolled her eyes and scoffed, "As if." Venus gently shoved him back.
"Continue your story, Sirius." Remus interrupted the duos bickering.
Sirius perked up, "Right, as I was saying before blondie so rudely interrupted me," Venus threw Sirius an fake smile and glare, "The room was occupied by none other than Mary Leander and, drum roll, please."
Peter and James did a drum roll on their thighs while Venus and Remus had furrowed brows, though the latter wasn't too interested in the scandal.
"Mulciber."
Her jaw dropped. Her eyes widened. She couldn't believe it. In fact, she didn't believe it.
"No." Venus denied, "Slytherin Mulciber?"
"I'm pretty sure there's not too many Mulciber's at Hogwarts, but yes." Sirius nodded, "They were too involved, to notice I had walked in, so I quickly took my friend to a different room before she could see the scandal as well." He informed, smirking a little.
Shaking her head a little, Venus frowned, "Not possible, Mary told me she was studying Arithmancy after breakfast."
"Unless Arithmancy comes in the shape and form of Mulciber's lips, I think she lied to you." Sirius tsked.
Venus felt betrayed. Her own friend had lied to her, and for what? Mulciber? It was an outrage, a scandal. Venus, sensitive as can be, was hurt.
Standing up, Venus clenched her jaw, swiftly walking away from the four boys.
"Where are you going?" Remus called out to her, Venus could hear the concern in his voice but ignored it.
"To Narnia, where do you think?"
Remus stood up, having a hunch she was going to confront Mary or Mulciber, "Don't you think you should wait till you ca-"
Venus flipped around, her face flushed from the betrayal and anger, "I'm not going calm down, Remus." She snapped, but immediately regretted it when she saw Remus frown, "I just need to know why she didn't tell me." Venus explained, her voice considerably softer.
Without waiting for a reply, Venus swiftly left the Gryffindor common room, making her way towards the Ravenclaw Tower where she hoped Mary Leander would be.
Sirius let out a breath, "She needs to learn how to stop interrupting people."
Remus rolled his eyes. James looked as though he were in thought, but silently nodded his head, agreeing.
"Just me or is Grendahl hot when she goes off?"
"Shove off, Padfoot."
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