CHECK YES JULIET ▷ JAMES POTTER [1]

𝟐𝟏. 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐄𝐍'𝐒 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄

(21 : YOUNG MEN'S LOVE THEN LIES. . .
NOT TRULY IN THEIR HEARTS)

✧࿐ ཾ✧

GRYFFINDOR PARTIES WERE HIGHLY COVETED amongst Hogwarts students. Whilst all houses had their share of wild parties, Gryffindor parties seemed to be synonymous with scandal, leaving the students who didn't receive an invite to live vicariously through the secondhand tales and sordid rumours. James Potter's seventeenth birthday was no exception.

Of course Juliet had heard about the house's rowdy reputation, but she failed to prepare herself for the level of intoxication she found when — much to the ire of the Fat Lady — she ambled through the portrait hole. A blonde girl was dancing on the table precariously in high heels, two ginger boys were rather inconspicuously putting out a small fire and Sirius Black was doing a rather accurate Dumbledore impression for a gathering crowd, complete with a wig and a long white beard. Considering it was only eight p.m, Juliet's eyes bulged at the various scenes as she squeezed through drunken bodies in search of a friendly face.

"Ho ho, Miss Fawley!" yelled Sirius, spotting the girl and abandoning his crowd of admirers in the process. "What brings you to the Lion's Den?"

"Ho ho?" mocked Juliet. "Isn't that more St. Nick than Dumbledore?"

"Tough crowd, I see. Give me a second," said Sirius, taking a deep breath and steepling his hands. He looked her dead in the eye and then recited in a mournful tone, "Know this, Miss Fawley, happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to locate the firewhisky."

    "Much better," she agreed, amused. "And who am I to argue with Dumbledore? Point me in the direction of the alcohol, Black."

     Throwing an arm over her shoulder, Sirius steered her away from the drinks table. "As curious as I am to find out what kind of drunk you are," he began pointedly, "I feel like I should be more concerned with how you got into the common room."

    The redhead rolled her eyes. "If you must know, I was invited."

   "You're telling me Prongs finally grew a pair?" snorted Sirius.

    Shrugging off the comment, Juliet scanned the room for Lily Evans. "Huh? It was Lily who invited me, actually."

He smirked. "Does that mean you two are friends now?"

"I guess so," replied Juliet, unsure.

     Apparently Sirius found this hilarious as he exploded into uncontrollable laughter, leading Juliet to wonder how much he had to drink before she arrived. Leaving the Gryffindor to his hysterics, Juliet slipped from his side in search of someone to calm him down.