Prongs and Lilypad

6. Sleepovers

"Oh my Merlin, someone needs to go thank Sirius for this Firewhiskey right now." Marlene McKinnon slurred, pulling her hair into a ponytail. "It's like the Gods of the nectar...I mean...you know what I mean."

"I think thanking him can wait till after we nurse the hangovers tomorrow." Lily, surprisingly, found herself slurring her words as well and just knew that the next morning would be dreadful. She plopped onto her bed and threw her arm over her eyes.

"I am Wizard Wasted." Alice giggled from a corner of Lily's room. "But don't think that gets you out of talking about James."

Lily groaned; she loved her friends and she loved James, but talking about their relationship made her feel all giddy and like a young schoolgirl.

*~*~*

In the Head's common room, four of the five guys that were supposed to be there were accounted for.

"I don't understand." James wondered, probably for the hundredth time. "Where's Wormtail?"

"If we had the map we could tell you." Sirius muttered, not for the first time since Peter had lost it to Filch at the end of their sixth year.

"Padfoot." Remus warned. "Drop it."

"Maybe I don't want to drop it, Moony."

"Quit the bickering, lovebirds. It's not worth it." Frank called out from the couch in a bored tone. He lay on his back and had his arm over his eyes; really, he could give Sirius a run for his money in the Drama King department.

"We're not lovebirds!" Sirius snapped, face aflame.

Frank and James only shared an annoyed glance before Frank rolled his eyes and hopped to his feet. He made his way toward the Firewhiskey and poured himself a tumbler full before turning back to his friends.

"Come on, didn't you all say he loses track of time easily? He'll be here soon. Grab a drink and let's get this guys night started. I'm ready to learn how to play poker, Remus."

*~*~*

"Merlin, Pettigrew. Make up your mind." Severus threw down the book he'd been holding and caused the rat to jerk away. "If anymore of this petty nonsense continues, I may be forced to kill you myself."

"It's not petty!" Peter yelled. When he was yelling was the only time he didn't stutter. "Was it easy when you turned your back on that mudblood?"

"It may have been the hardest thing I've ever had to do." His tone and body were rigid and cold as he crossed his arms over his chest. "But at least I bloody did it instead of dancing around it like a scared ballerina."

"I'm not s-scared."

"You're bloody petrified."

"I'll do it." Pettigrew huffed, turning away from Severus. "If you c-can do it, I-I c-certainly c-can."

A well aimed Cruciatus from a certain Bellatrix Black caused him to cry out and drop to his knees, effectively shutting the sniveling man up. "Then be a dear and go get us information that we can actually use, Peter." Her sugary sweet tone didn't match her demented soul in the slightest, but it still made Peter weak in the knees. If Lestrange only knew about his obsession with her...

"Hurry along." Severus added. "You're late."

*~*~*

"Bloody hell, Remus, you're taking all my money."

"I told you that we shouldn't play for real money, Frank. I'm sorry."

"The grin on your face right now suggests otherwise."