unspeakable | jegulus

lazing on a sunny afternoon

chapter title: sunny afternoon by the kinks

It was Halloween, and for the first time in seven years at Hogwarts, James had been invited to the Slytherin common room for a party.

"You ready for tonight, Potter? It's going to be wicked." Barty turned around to lean across his desk in Charms class, clever enough he was already in seventh year classes. He had gotten closer to all of the Slytherins over the past few weeks, but he was particularly curious about Barty.

After their rough introduction it had taken a few days for him to feel even a little bit comfortable around him. He felt like he couldn't relax. Then, Barty had met him at the end of one of his classes and thrown his arm around his shoulder.

"You seem lonely, James," he whispered, something conspiratorial in his manner and his voice. "I've seen you, you're by yourself all the time now. You can tell me to fuck off if you'd like, but if you'd like the company, I'd like it too."

He kept to his word. Between classes he found him and they walked together. Regulus, James, and Barty. They studied in the library after classes, ate together at mealtimes, they watched him at (very awkward) Quidditch practices. They even went to Hogsmeade as a big group, the six of them. It wasn't the same as it had been with his real friends. But James didn't wake up wishing to sleep through the rest of his life anymore.

"Am I supposed to have a costume?"

"It's an All Hallows Eve party, what do you think?" James rolled his eyes.

"Where am I supposed to get a costume this short notice?"

"Are you a wizard, or not? Just transfigure yourself something. I know you can do it, you're pretty good with your wand." He wiggled his dark eyebrows at the innuendo. James noticed a glint of light from the side of his face. He had silver earrings, a whole row of irritated looking studs. "Just noticed, have you? Dora helped me with it last night. She did Ev too, he just got the one." He gestured to his right earlobe. "A little hoop, you'll see." His black hair had grown out a little. He had blonde roots showing through the dye.

"Did it hurt?"

"Like a bitch." Barty grinned. "There was blood everywhere." He seemed delighted at the prospect of blood everywhere. "Pandora pressed ice cubes on our ears first but it didn't really numb it well. She did it with a safety pin, the muggle way. Do you like it?"

"It suits you."

"Is that meant to be backhanded or am I just assuming the worst of you?"

"I like it, Barty."

"Do you want a piercing, Potter?"

"I don't think it would suit me." James looked past him to see the board, jotting down a few lazy notes. His seat mate, Mary, pointedly ignored them both. Every since he and Lily had broken up all of the Gryffindor girls had been looking at him like he was something they'd scraped off the bottom of their shoe. "Did you manage to get firewhiskey for tonight?"

Barty rolled his eyes.

"Mulciber's father sends his house elves to the kitchen with barrels of booze the night before every major holiday. It's obnoxious, but very convenient." He arched an eyebrow. "How do you Gryffindors get it?"