/𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒\ [𝒔. 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌]

𝟔.𝟝.𝟣

"how sad and bad and mad it was - but then, how it was sweet." ~ Robert Browning

~november 1976~

Mornings when James, Sirius, Peter, and Remus didn't all collectively wait at the bottom of the girls' staircase were rare. It had become sort of a tradition since their first year when James had wanted to ask Lily out first thing every morning, and at this point, it would feel odd not to. Of course, there were times when James and Marlene had early quidditch practices or when the boys slept late the mornings after Remus's transformations, but usually at least one of them was waiting faithfully at the bottom of the stairs for the girls.

The Monday after Sirius and Artemis's birthday was no different. Everyone was still recovering from the hangover of the two-day raging party they'd had in the common room, but there were classes that morning and it would be too suspicious if everybody skipped.

Artemis was the first down the stairs that morning, closely followed by the other girls, who casually ignored the boys and breezed past on their way to breakfast. This, too, was tradition. Artemis hung back to walk alongside Remus, throwing her arms around his shoulders and resting her head dramatically on his shoulder as they went. "I don't remember last night," she murmured into his robes. "How bad was I?"

Remus merely snorted and James rubbed her back consolingly. "D'you really want to know?"

She squeezed her eyes shut. "Sirius, tell me."

Sirius was mildly pleased that she immediately went to him for the truth, but he swallowed it down and gave her a teasing look. "Well, where do you want me to start? You kissing Evans or you dancing on the coffee table?"

"Dancing on the coffee table is so bad..."

"You may have been shirtless," Remus chimed in.

Artemis's eyes flew open and she choked. "What?!"

"Evans and Mary got you out of there pretty fast after that," said James. "McKinnon was too busy staring."

He couldn't help laughing at himself until Artemis punched him hard in the arm. "Was I, like, shirtless shirtless? Or was I wearing a bra?" She released Remus as they reached the Gryffindor table and took their seats.

"You were wearing a bra," Remus clarified.

Artemis let out a sigh of relief. "That's not so bad, then. Jesus, you all scared me. Was the bra cute?"

"Mhm," Sirius said on instinct, and then quickly sipped at his coffee to hide his face.

Artemis's eyes lingered on him for a second, her lips twitching upwards in amusement. She didn't know why it made her heart flutter to hear Sirius say that. It's not like she would care if James said the same thing. Or Peter. James called her pretty all the time and she never felt her stomach twist the way it did any time Sirius gave her a second look or made some off-hand comment to her. She'd been avoiding her creeping suspicion that she might have a crush on him for a long time. Not that it mattered. She'd never had a real relationship before. Not one that lasted. And as far as she knew, neither had Sirius. They were both known throughout Hogwarts for their numerous flings, none of which meant anything. It was their specialty. Artemis knew anything between them would only end in disaster.