#drunk marauders

[lulublack90]

Prompt 20 - Established Relationship

@wolfstarmicrofic May 20, word count 546

“Godric, I love you,” Sirius moaned into Remus’s ear as he clambered onto his lap in the booth they sat at with their friends in the three broomsticks. 

“Oh no you don’t!” Marlene burst out, grabbing the back of Sirius’s robes. “It is too early for sappy Sirius to make an appearance. I am not sitting next to you speaking sweet nothing's into Remus’s ear at full volume because you can't figure out whispering when I am this sober.” Sirius reached over and pushed a glass of something that smelled like paint stripper in front of Marlene. 

“Then hurry up and get drunk, so I can make out with my boyfriend.”

An hour later, they were all a bit worse for wear and Sirius had somehow lost his shirt. He couldn’t even see it. He turned his bleary head to look behind him and found himself eye to eye with Dorcas. She was sitting on Marlene’s lap, giggling as she whispered something into Marlene’s ear and stroked her fingers up and down Marlene’s arm. Marlene had her hand splayed across Dorcas’s thigh, the tips of her fingers disappearing up her short skirt. 

“Oi,” Sirius complained. “If I can’t be soppy,"

“I said sappy,” Marlene corrected. 

“Whatever,” Sirius stuck out his tongue. “Either way, if I can’t be, then neither can you.”

“Oh hush, we’re nowhere near as bad as you two when you get going.” Marlene scoffed. Sirius turned to grin wickedly at Remus, who stole a kiss from his boyfriend and winked at him before he took another sip of his drink. 

“I don’t think you can chastise us, Marlene, when James and Lily are at the same table. Together, the four of them looked across the booth. James’s glasses were hanging on for dear life from one ear. His hair was completely upright and looked hilarious and Lily, like Sirius, and Dorcas, was sitting on her lover's lap. She had her hands fully pushed under James’s jumper and pressed into his chest. 

Sirius grimaced, he was almost certain he’d just seen James’s tongue pushing against the inside of Lily’s cheek. 

“There isn’t enough alcohol in Hogsmeade for me to sit here with that going on. Fancy a stroll, my love?” He asked Remus. 

“Thought you’d never ask.” Remus replied, gathering their things, Sirius’s shirt magically reappearing. He threw down a few Galleons and they made their escape. 

“Hey! Wait for us!” Marlene cried out and raced across the pub and out the door, dragging Dorcas behind her. James and Lily were blissfully unaware that they’d been ditched. 

Remus wrapped an arm around Sirius and Sirius snuggled in close to his warmth. 

“Shall we head back to the dorm while James is otherwise engaged? There’s something I want to try.” Remus had that look in his eye that drove Sirius wild. 

“Bye guys,” He called over his shoulder as he allowed Remus to lead him towards the edge of the village. He was so lucky to have Remus in his life. He felt so loved and wanted in a way even James couldn’t give him. Why did the castle have to be so far away? He wanted to know what Remus had planned. Whatever it was, he knew it would be fun. It always was.

[wolfstardaughter-jj]

James, drunk: MOONY! I PROUD YOU

Remus, also drunk: AWWWW THANK YOU PRONGS, I PROUD YOU TOO🥹

Sirius, surprisingly sober: WHAT ABOUT ME?!

Peter, very drunk: DONT WORRY PADS! I PROUD YOU, SO SO SO PROUD YOU!!

Sirius, starts tearing up: AWWW! thank you wormtail, I proud you too, so proud you!

[the-original-gays]

James, drunk: HAS ANYONE SEEN MY BOYFRIEND?!

Stranger: What does he look like?

James, bursting into tears: BEAUTIFUL!

[ecstarry]

regulus being an absolute menace when drunk, he has never heard of personal space, not with james. there is nothing that will stand between him and his man. like clingy does not cut it, he is fully attempting to climb james every chance he gets but james loves this so much, he's happy to be a tree for reg to climb, his lap's only purpose is to be a seat for reg and he does not need his hands for anything other than touching his boyfriend all the fucking time

[nothingtoseeherebyeexx]

james potter’s OG Hoes™️ (some of them ain’t loyal)

close ups and the sketch bc i like it a lot:

[we-r-loonies]

james: i wasn't even that drunk! i was barely tipsy!

regulus: sweetheart, you sent me a voice message and got upset when i didnt say "i love you" back.

[del-stars]

”platonic prongsfoot” they’ve been inside each other

[royalthorned]

i need evan to be a bouncer at a club and for a drugged, drunken barty to mistake him as an angel

[mischievousmoony]

Omg I love ur James fics. You think you could do one where reader finally feels comfortable getting drunk while going out with their group because she knows James is there to take care of her. Ur drunk reader x James interactions are too cute. I feel like I always have a hard time letting go cause I’m afraid I’ll need to take care of my other friends haha. Love your work!

thank u love! i have fun writing them, i just know james would be so caring! ps thank you for being patient ik this request came in a while ago

𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍

⟢ james potter x fem!reader ⊹ 1.0k ⟢ warnings/tags: intoxication (i think that’s it but lmk if i missed any pls)

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

"But what if Sirius tries to get a new tattoo again?" you ask, twisting back and forth with a steady squeak, squeak, squeak of your barstool.

James clasps his hand on your shoulder, turning you one last time to face him. "Remus is watching him."

"What if Marlene tries to go on another one of her adventures?"

Marlene has a knack for getting herself into precarious situations when she gets drunk, which she likes to call her “little adventures.” Usually, this means going home with a stranger, whether it’s for a hookup or to steal their lightbulbs because they looked at her wrong.

"Lily’s got her.”

"What if I do something stupid?" you ask, now swinging your legs. The nerves eating away at you just won’t let you sit still.

James puts his other hand on your knee, soothing you with a gentle squeeze. "I'm watching you," he says. After thinking it over for a moment, he adds, “And I don't think you'll do anything stupid. Even if you do, I'll do something more stupid so that nobody notices."

This earns him a giggle from you, and he’s happy to see you smiling. He picks up your glass, which is now covered in beads of water, plenty of time having passed for condensation to run its course. He dries what he can with a napkin because he knows you hate when the droplets land in your lap.

You once asked him why it happened, even though you knew the answer. He simply told you it was science.

“Science is stupid,” you had said, eyes fixating on several small spots of water soaking into your jeans.

Now, James wraps your glasses with napkins. He holds out your drink, a black napkin enveloped around it, as he asks, “You want to do this, right?”

You peek into the glass and watch the dwindling ice cubes swirl around in a vodka cran; a drink that James had called “beginner friendly.”

“Yeah,” you answer shyly.

James frowns. “It’s okay if you’ve changed your mind.”

You chew your bottom lip, thinking it over. A part of you wants to forget it, but another part of you knows you’d be disappointed in yourself for chickening out again.

You wrap your hand around the glass, cringing at the squish of the soggy napkin beneath your fingertips. You don’t know what’s worse: this feeling or the water dripping all over you. But James’ attempts to help make you feel warm inside, so you don’t complain.

“No, I still want to do this.”

“Then I’m here for you. Promise.” James gives your knee another squeeze.

You cast a look toward your friends. For years, you've nominated yourself as the designated driver. Or you've claimed to have early morning obligations. You've always felt better knowing someone sober was around to deliver plenty of water and carb-rich snacks to your incapacitated friends.

That was your excuse, anyway. Not that it isn't one of your concerns, but truthfully, something about drinking makes you feel uneasy. You always knew your friends were safe because you've been there, ready to hold back anyone's hair or stray them away from bad decisions. If you drank too, how could you be sure your friends would have someone to depend on? How could you be sure you would have someone to depend on?

Then, you started dating James, and you found a level of trust you never knew was possible. You know you can depend on him for anything.

When you admitted to him why you never drink when you go out, he swore up and down that he would be there for you.

Remembering his promise summons a wave of courage. You shoot James a nervous smile, and take your first sip, scrunching your nose as it burns your tongue.

"This is kind of gross."

James barks a laugh, "We can try to find something you'd like better next round. That is, if you decide to have another."

Feeling brave, you do have another. That's when you discovered something called the Cosmic Lemon Fizz; a drink that sparkles with edible glitter and manages to be blue, green, and yellow all at once. You laughed when you saw it, not knowing how in for it you were.

"Jamie!" you exclaim after taking a sip of your third Cosmic Lemon Fizz. "This tastes like happy feels!" you gasp as if the thought had just occurred to you, despite this being the fourth time you tell him.

"I bet it does!" James cheers. His eyes wrinkle in the corners as he beams at you.

"You should try one!" you declare, and immediately try to flag over the bartender.

James smoothly takes your hand, stopping you as he says, "No can do. Made a promise to a pretty girl that I wouldn't have a drop tonight."

You whip your head around. "Who!?" you ask, eyes wide.

"Who do you think, pretty girl," he says, poking you in the side.

Giggles escape you and you swat his hand away. He doesn't go far, lifting his arm to brush some stray hairs out of your face. His hand lingers on the side of your face, soothing the pad of his thumb against your cheek.

You lean into his touch, gazing up at him with an affectionate glaze in your eyes; a look that gives him butterflies.

"Wowww," you say dreamily. "You're handsome."

James feels his heart flip in his chest. "Thank you, love," he says, a soft smile playing at his lips.

"Hey," Sirius says, appearing out of nowhere as he lazily throws an arm over your shoulders, "How's it going over here?"

While you're distracted with Sirius, James waves over the bartender and replaces your drink with water. The next time you reach for your glass, you hesitate.

"Where's my cosmo magic fizzy thingy?" you ask, an eyebrow raised as you glance at James.

"You must've finished it," he shrugs, acting clueless.

"That's like the oldest trick in the book. You replaced it with water and now you're trying to be sneaky!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," James feigns innocence.

You giggle, bringing the straw to your lips. "I knew you'd take care of me. I love you," you say, happily sipping your water.

James feels another eye-wrinkling smile break out on his face. "I love you too, pretty girl."

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

[ultravioletbrit]

“spin” - Jegulus microfic - @into-the-jeggyverse - 410 words

CW: drinking / smoking

“Ok! We’re playing fuck, marry, kill!” Barty announces, overly excited.

The party has been over for a while, but there’s still a group of them lingering in the common room playing random drinking games and they’re all fairly drunk by this point.

“Alright…” Barty thinks, looking around the circle “Reg! Fuck, marry, kill–”

“James.” Regulus answers instantly without letting Barty finish.

“Ugh. Reggie, you have to wait for the… wait what?!” Sirius starts then cuts himself off when he registers what Regulus said.

“You want to fuck James?!” Sirius asks looking shocked and appalled.

“You want to marry me?” James swoons with hearts in his eyes.

“I think you’re both focusing on the wrong thing here.” Peter tries to interject.

“I think we should have played spin the bottle instead.” Marlene grumbles under her breath from the other side of the circle.

“The bottle’s pointing at James!” Regulus yells as he starts crawling across the circle to James.

“No one even spun the bottle, Reg.” Dorcas tries to grab Regulus but he’s too far away, so she just falls back to where she was laying in Marlene’s lap.

“I don’t think Reg knows how to play any of these games.” Remus says as he passes a joint to Peter so he can try to grab Sirius who just got out of the chair the two of them are sharing.

“Stop that right now! What is happening!?” Sirius trips on his way to try and pull Regulus off James to stop what has turned into a rather intense make out session.

“Is no one concerned that Reg wants to kill James?” Peter asks seriously as he lets out a puff of smoke.

“He doesn’t actually want to kill James, you high idiot.” Mary rolls her eyes and smacks Peter on the back of the head as she steals the joint.

“I wouldn’t be so sure, Reg has some weird kinks.” Evan says as he’s reaching for the half empty bottle in the middle of the circle that was never spun, but is pointing at James.

“I think everyone’s really drunk and we should all go to bed.” Lily announces from her spot on the floor, dropping her head on the couch behind her.

“I think you’re really pretty.” Pandora looks at Lily from where she is laying upside down on the couch with her legs hanging over the back, her head laying right beside Lily’s.

Regulus and James continue to make out, completely oblivious to everything else around them.

[moonjunflower]

Drunk wolfstar doodle (remus is a sad drunk)

[padfoot-lupin77]

*sees a girl with heavy eyeliner*

My brain: oooh marlene mckinnon core

*sees a Queen/Bowie vinyl*

My brain: Sirius Black vibes!!!

*sees strawberry cupcakes*

My brain: so Lily Evans coded!!

*sees a rat*

My brain: PETER?????

[wolfstardaughter-jj]

*marauders drunk after a party*

Remus: *points at Sirius* who the fuck is that?!?

James: *gasps* ITS SATAN

Peter: *grabs his wand and a twig and makes a cross* BeNikOpHGRETF! AWAY SATAN!

Sirius: *starts crying* yOu DoNt wAnT mE HeRe?!

Peter, feeling bad: Oh no! I'm sorry, don't go away Satan. I didn't mean it.

James: *also feels bad* yeah! Come join us!!

Remus: ...you know, my boyfriend looks just like you...must be a coincidence. *Shrugs*

[ms-snape]

Yule Ball (Young!Remus lupin x reader)

request: not really a request acutally, just something i wrote at litteramly 3am

Summary: Remus Lupin asked Y/N to the Yule Ball with the help of his friends, but his night took a sour turn when he turned to alcohol to mask his nerves, leading to a misunderstanding with Y/N.

Warning: Alcohol, a bit of angst, happy ending, marauders era

Word Count: 1390

Masterlist

---

Hogwarts Castle was alive with anticipation as the Yule Ball approached. Snowflakes danced outside the tall, arched windows, blanketing the grounds in pristine white. Inside, students buzzed with excitement, discussing dresses, dates, and the music that would soon fill the Great Hall. Remus Lupin, however, found himself lost in thought, his gaze drifting to a girl across the room.

“Oi, Moony!” Sirius’s voice broke through his reverie. “Stop daydreaming and join us! We’ve got a plan!”

Remus blinked, pulled from his thoughts of Y/N—the girl who had captivated his attention for months. He turned to see Sirius, James, and Peter huddled together, their faces alight with mischief. “What plan?” he asked hesitantly, a knot of anxiety tightening in his stomach.

“Simple! You need to ask her to the Ball!” James exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. “We’ll help you out.”

Remus’s heart raced at the thought. “What if she says no?” he murmured, his voice barely audible.

“Don’t be a prat,” Sirius chided, slapping him on the back. “You won’t know until you try. Besides, you’ve got us.”

With a deep breath, Remus nodded. “Alright. I’ll do it.”

“Good! We’ll be right here, cheering you on,” Peter piped up, a nervous grin spreading across his face.

The four of them made their way to the common room, where Y/N sat, her laughter ringing out as she chatted with her friends. Remus’s palms grew sweaty, and his heart pounded in his chest.

“Just go for it!” James whispered, nudging him forward.

With a final nod of encouragement from his friends, Remus approached Y/N, trying to ignore the fluttering in his stomach. “Um, hey, Y/N?”

She looked up, her smile brightening the dimly lit room. “Hey, Remus! What’s up?”

“Would you, um, would you like to go to the Yule Ball with me?” he blurted, his cheeks flushing.

For a moment, time seemed to stretch. Y/N’s eyes widened, and then she broke into a grin. “I’d love to!”

Relief washed over him, followed by a wave of excitement. “Great! I mean, awesome!”

As the evening of the Ball approached, Remus’s excitement began to wane, replaced by nerves. His friends had concocted a plan to help him “relax” before the big night.

“Just one drink, Moony,” Sirius insisted, pouring a golden liquid into a glass. “It’ll loosen you up. You can’t go in all shy and awkward.”

“Yeah, it’s just a little fun,” Peter added, his eyes hopeful.

Remus hesitated, glancing at the glass. “I don’t know, guys. I’m not sure…”

“Just trust us. We want you to have a good time,” James urged, nudging the glass closer.

With a resigned sigh, Remus took the glass and downed it in one gulp. The warmth spread through him, igniting an unexpected confidence. “Okay, maybe just one more.”

Hours later, the Great Hall was transformed into a winter wonderland, sparkling with twinkling lights and shimmering decorations. Remus entered with his friends, feeling a bit unsteady but exhilarated. His eyes scanned the room until they landed on Y/N, who looked breathtaking in a deep blue gown that flowed around her like liquid silk.

“Hey, Y/N!” he called out, striding over with an exaggerated swagger that felt foreign to him.

“Remus!” she greeted, her face lighting up. “You look… different.”

“Different good, I hope?” he shot back, grinning widely.

“Definitely,” she laughed, though her eyes narrowed slightly, as if sensing something was off.

The music began to play, and Remus took her hand, leading her to the dance floor. As they began to sway together, he felt a rush of energy coursing through him, emboldened by the alcohol. He spun her around, his laughter echoing around them.

“Wow, you’re really getting into it,” Y/N said, her smile bright but her expression shifting to confusion.

“Yeah, just letting loose!” he said with a wink, channeling his inner Sirius.

But as the night wore on, Remus’s bravado started to falter. He could feel Y/N’s energy diminish, her laughter softening, as if she were withdrawing.

“Remus…” she began, her brow furrowing slightly. “Are you alright? You seem a bit… off.”

“I’m great!” he exclaimed, perhaps a little too loudly. “Just having a blast!”

She raised an eyebrow, her expression shifting from amusement to concern. “Are you sure? You smell like—”

“Like what?” he interrupted, laughing too hard to be convincing.

“Like alcohol,” she finished, her tone now serious.

His laughter faded, replaced by a creeping sense of dread. “Oh, uh… maybe just a bit?” He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to regain his composure.

Y/N’s smile faltered, and in that moment, Remus saw the truth in her eyes: she was disappointed. “You didn’t drink to get through the night, did you?”

“No! I mean, yes, but…” He struggled for words, the reality of the situation crashing down on him. “I just wanted to enjoy the night, Y/N. I thought it’d help.”

Her expression hardened, and she took a step back. “I thought you wanted to be here with me, not as someone else.”

Remus felt a pang of regret, realizing how his friends’ well-meaning intentions had backfired. “I do want to be here with you! I just… I didn’t want to mess up.”

“Then why not just be yourself?” she asked, her voice softening but still laced with disappointment.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his heart racing. “I thought if I was more confident—”

“More like Sirius?” she interjected, crossing her arms. “That’s not you, Remus.”

He opened his mouth to respond, but the words caught in his throat. She was right; he’d let the alcohol transform him into someone he wasn’t. “Can we just—”

“I think I need to go,” she interrupted, her voice steady yet strained.

“Y/N, wait—” he called after her, but she was already weaving through the crowd, her figure disappearing into the throng of students.

Frustration bubbled inside him as he turned to find his friends, who were still reveling in the dance. “What were you thinking?” he shouted, his voice rising above the music.

“Hey, Moony! You were fantastic!” Sirius cheered, oblivious to the storm brewing in his friend’s heart.

“Fantastic? I just ruined everything!” Remus snapped, his fists clenching at his sides. “She thinks I used alcohol to get through the night!”

“Wait, you did?” James asked, genuine confusion in his eyes. “I thought you were just having fun.”

“Fun? I was trying to impress her, not be a drunken fool!” Remus shot back, pushing through the crowd toward the exit.

“Moony, wait! We were just trying to help!” Peter called after him, but Remus didn’t stop. He stormed back to the Gryffindor common room, his emotions swirling like the snow outside.

Inside the cozy space, he paced, anger and regret twisting in his gut. How could he have let himself be swayed by his friends? The night he had looked forward to for weeks had turned into a disaster.

The door creaked open, and a moment later, Y/N stepped inside, her eyes searching the room. Relief and dread washed over him simultaneously.

“Y/N…” he began, but she held up a hand to stop him.

“I just wanted to say… I’m sorry for leaving like that. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just—” She took a breath, her voice steadying. “I wanted to enjoy the night with you, not this… version of you.”

“I know,” he admitted, feeling the weight of her disappointment. “I messed up. I thought maybe if I was more confident, I could be someone you’d like.”

Y/N stepped closer, her expression softening. “I like you, Remus. But I like the real you, not this… flirty facade.”

“I’m sorry,” he repeated, his voice earnest. “I promise, I’ll be myself next time.”

She smiled, the tension in her shoulders easing. “Next time?”

“Definitely. If you’ll still have me,” he said, hope creeping into his voice.

“Of course,” she said, her smile widening. “But just be you, alright?”

“Deal,” he replied, relief flooding through him.

As they stood together in the warm glow of the common room, Remus felt the connection between them grow stronger. The Yule Ball hadn’t gone as planned, but it had led him to something better: a chance to truly be himself with her.

Outside, the snow continued to fall, blanketing the ground in silence, as if in agreement with the promise of a new beginning.

[everythingisromant1c]

It's Always Been You - Chapter 4

james potter x fem!reader

summary - With rumors flying all around the school, it seems like the very last thing you need is any more drama. Nevertheless, it's come time for the annual party in the Gryffindor common room, and something in your gut is telling you that the drama isn't going to die down just yet.

wc [5.0k]

all chapters | <- Chapter 3 - Chapter 5 ->

You didn't know why you'd let Marlene and Lily talk you into thinking your outfit was a good idea. It had felt like it'd be something fun and new while you were coddled in the comfort of your dorm, but now that you were in the crowded Gryffindor common room in the middle of a party, you reckoned you'd give it twenty more minutes before you went back upstairs to change.

The fabric of your top hugged your body in a way you didn't think you'd ever get used to, and the stoop of the neckline only had you more on edge. You toyed with the necklace you were wearing, idling against the steps on the far side of the bustling room.

"Stop overthinking your outfit and go party."

Marlene strolled in from next to you wearing a tired smirk, swirling around a cup of something you couldn't see but could certainly smell.

Your lips parted in surprise. "How did you-"

"Your face gives away how you're feeling like reading a book." She took a sip of her drink, wincing. "Surprised Potter hasn't found out you're in lo-"

With widened eyes you swatted her in the arm, coming close to knocking over her beloved drink. She reeled back. "What the bloody hell was that for?"

"Not so loud." You scolded in a hushed tone, peeking around at the dozens of people hovering around the both of you in the tight space of the common room. "And I'm not in love with him, Marlene." You crossed your arms in front of your chest, rubbing at the sides of them. "I'm over him."

"First of all, it's a party. No one can hear us." You looked past Marlene to all the dancing people around you, rowdy and probably not listening, and sighed. She was probably right, but that didn't change the fact that her voicing your feeling for James allowed made your mind flare in alarm, especially after all the rumors going around. "You know I'm right," she deadpanned. "Second of all, no you're not."

You stared at her confusedly, until she mouthed "over James."

Your lips parted in offense. "Yes I am." She titled her head at you like she pitied you and it made you want to shake her senseless until she believed you. "I've been moving on steadily," you chided again, nodding like you were declaring it to yourself too. "I mean it."

And you did. At least you were trying to mean it. That didn't mean it wasn't hard.

You'd been wandering through the crowd in search of nothing in particular, maybe a drink, when you heard a laugh—James's laugh. He'd always had the kind of laugh that you always recognize, even across a crowded room. It was filled with a bubbling homeliness that you always found yourself missing, and right now, it had you finally making your way towards him through the crowd. You felt a surge of nervousness settle underneath your skin when you saw him.

You came to stand behind him, finding him with Remus, and tapped him on his shoulder. He turned curiously behind him, noticing it was you who had tapped him as his face greeted yours with a smile.

You opened your mouth to say hello, but a dancing someone bumped into you from behind, sending you stumbling forward. James caught you, hands steadily holding your waist as your hands braced against his chest.

You knew you'd flushed right away, feeling the warmth on your cheeks as soon as you felt James's firm chest beneath your fingers. You didn't think he noticed though, because he was too busy trying to scope out whoever had bumped into you.

"Hey," he called sternly to the boy now to your right, tone harboring indignation. You shook your head, gingerly squeezing James's arm to get his attention. You ignored the obvious muscles of his bicep in your hand.

"Don't worry about it," you told James lowly. "It was probably an accident."

He turned back to you, hands still holding onto your waist steadyingly. "He pushed you."

You smiled in affection at his reaction. "It's a party. And I'm fine, promise."

Letting out a breath through his nose, James relented, turning to give you his full attention. A second went by before he said anything, and you hated how focused you were on the feelings of his hands still on your waist, meeting the bare skin revealed by the top you were wearing.

"Wow," he whispered. He said something else that you couldn't hear, and you frowned.

"What?" you asked, and right away James stooped his head downwards so that his lips rested right by your ear.

"I said," he began softly, hand still braced on your torso as your entire body lit aflame. "You look beautiful."

You were momentarily stunned, basking in the way just the three words had you speechless in his arms. You looked down at your shoes, James's eyes trained on you with interest.

"James," you whispered reluctantly as he complimented you, and he let a lopsided grin plaster over his lips. He stooped down further and met your lowered eyes with a glimmer in his own, not letting you escape him.

"I mean it," he insisted softly.

He stood back up fully, taking a step back, and you could finally think straight. But then you took in his own appearance and your mind was hazing over again, because all you could think about was how good he looked.

His chocolatey curls were perfectly messy but shining, and the formfitting t-shirt he was wearing paired with his jeans made him look like he came straight out of a catalog, though you were sure he hadn't given more than a second thought to the outfit. James always looked effortlessly handsome in that way.

Before you could compliment him back, you heard a voice call James's name. He turned towards it, a familiar boy greeting him with a rugged hug. When they pulled apart, he began asking him something about Quidditch.

As Captain, James had been determined to assemble a winning team that year, something he'd mentioned in his letters to you over the summer. The two began talking more avidly, and you took that as your time to leave and go find the others. James noticed right away and turned to you, lightly holding your elbow.

"Where are you off to, Love?"

Love. You shook the word away. "I'm just gonna go find the guys."

James nodded but looked troubled, glancing between the boy he was talking to and you. You put your hand on his, nodding reassuringly. "It's alright," you promised. "I'll meet you in a bit?"

He thought for a second before nodding. You walked off, soon hearing him strike up more conversation with the boy from behind you, their voices raised over the loud music. You went to go find something to drink, to chase away whatever you'd just felt talking to James.

A few more hours into the night had people's brains turning fuzzier, movements turning loser, and laughter getting louder. You'd went back up to your dorm room for a minute to use the bathroom, the line in the common room much too long, and by the time you came back down the stairs, a small crowd had gathered around the couch and fireplace in a circle.

You took in the scene with interest as you neared it, seeing all your friends compiled in the group too. Half sat lazily on the couch and half on the floor with their backs to the lowly simmering fire. Then you noticed the bottle sitting in the center of the circle, noticing the round of Spin the Bottle going on with dreadful recognition.

Seeing you, Marlene immediately called you over and you shook your head right away.

"Absolutely not," you said before she could even get the words out to ask you to join.

She scoffed, pouting. "Come on, even Lily's playing."

From beside her, the ginger reeled at her tone offensively.

"Oh please," argued Marlene before turning back to you. She yanked your arm excitedly until you were sitting on the ground next to her, facing the couch where James, Sirius, Peter, and a few other students sat.

Remus stood leaning against the back of the couch with a bottle to his lips, and you caught his glimmering eyes as he dryly smiled down at you before tipping his head back to drink. You noticed the bottle he held in his hands was the same as the one that sat in the middle of the haphazard circle you'd all made.

You wanted to leave, figuring that there were probably few people in the entirety of the room you'd be remotely okay with kissing, but Marlene wasn't having any of it. You watched reluctance as Mary explained the rules of the game to everyone, jittery and full of suggestive smiles.

You let your eyes drift to where James sat in front of you on the couch, and he met your nervous eyes with a sort of amused twinkle in his own, seeming absolutely unfazed by the idea of the game. You gave him the most casual smile you could and he leaned back in his seat, legs sprawled lazily with his arm around the back of the sofa. He tilted his head to the side and made a weird but funny face down at you. You laughed under your breath, hiding it behind your hand from Marlene who you could feel watching your interaction through your peripheral.

"Everyone gets a turn," instructed Mary, voice fighting against the tunes of ABBA in the background. "Whoever the bottle lands on you have to kiss. Simple." She pointed a warning finger around. "Kisses on the cheek will not be tolerated."

The circle all gave chuckles of their own, while the uneasiness of it all set you on edge.

"If you opt out of a kiss you have to drink up to the next line." Mary picked up the bottle in the middle of the circle, and you watched as she pointed to the black lines drawn on the side of the glass bottle. "And don't worry, we made sure to get the strong stuff, so be wise about opting out!" More laughing came as she winked, putting the bottle back down on its side.

"I think I'll go first," she said, a satisfied smile plastering itself to her glossed-over lips.

Crawling forward onto her knees, she reached for the bottle on the floor in front of her and spun it. Every pair of eyes watched intently as it went round and round before landing slightly to your left, pointing to the blonde-haired girl beside you.

Immediately people cheered and laughed, watching it all go down with fascinated interest fueled by the many drinks of the night.

"Drink up Mary," joked Peter from the couch. Mary smiled even more than she already was, looking up at him with a tilted head.

"Why would I?"

Then she crawled back next to Marlene who met her with an interested raise of her brows, and waited just a second before leaning forward and kissing the blonde. Wolf whistles and cheers exploded from all around at the kiss.

You turned back to your two friends as they pulled away from each other, cheeky grins encapsulating their faces.

"Who's next?" asked Mary, unfazed as she sat back in her spot.

Sirius looked between the two girls with a slack jaw. "That was hot."

You rolled your eyes, glancing over at Marlene from next to you and nudging her in the arm playfully, happy to be on the other end of the gesture. She ignored you and kept her eyes forward inside the circle, but that didn't stop you from noticing her trying to bite back her smile.

The game continued, going clockwise around the circle from Mary. There were more kisses shared and more wolf-whistling, the bottle in the middle slowly draining after each swig that had your classmates wincing painfully every time.

The game had gotten to the other side of the circle, reaching where Remus stood against the back of the couch.

"Come on Lupin," sang Frank from across the circle. Remus shook his head, arms crossed.

"Count me out." He held up the drink that was already in his hand and knocking it back swiftly. How he could drink it so easily, you had no clue.

"Alright then," complied Mary, clapping her hands together. "Who's next?"

You all followed the line of sight from Remus over to his right, where James sat in conversation with Sirius to his own right.

"Potter!" Mary yelled, and the brunette's eyes snapped over in alarm to where she and her pointed look sat on the ground. "You're up."

Brows raised, he sat up straighter in his seat, laughing softly. A horrifying fact struck you as his eyes landed on the bottle before him—no matter where it landed, you didn't think you'd be okay with whatever followed.

Whoever the bottle landed on, you'd have to watch as James kissed a girl right in front of you and act completely unphased by it. Even with all the talks you'd had with him about Lily, you weren't even sure that was something you could do. You told yourself it didn't matter and that it was part of some game. That didn't change the fact that actually watching him with someone else might hurt too much.

James, who was directly across from you, sat completely forward on the couch to reach for the bottle and his eyes met yours through his dark lashes. The sides of his mouth perked up in a boyish grin and you let yours do the same, albeit strained. You didn't like the way you could hear your own heart start to pick up as James's hand neared the bottle.

He focused back on it, fingers winding the cool glass before spinning it. Everything seemed to slow down in the seconds that it slid in circles on the maroon rug beneath it, a dizzying feeling taking over you. It seemed to spin for hours, each pair of eyes in the group plastered to it like it was something hypnotizing. You swore that the second the bottle stilled, so did your heartbeat and all the thoughts in your head.

It was pointing at you. It was pointing at you.

A red-hot feeling of alarm blared in your chest, your thin smile dropping as you swallowed. Nobody had said anything yet, or maybe you just couldn't hear them over the blood rushing through your ears.

You slowly looked up from the bottle that remained aimed straight at you and up to James, who sat directly on the other end of it. He was already watching you.

You couldn't read from his face what he was thinking, but the intensity with which his eyes met yours made something in your chest pinch. The two of you looked at each other wordlessly for a second before James looked away first, looking down and rubbing at his neck. Sirius shook his shoulder.

"The bottle has spoken," he rang mockingly, grin a mile wide as he looked between the both of you. "C'mon you two."

"Yeah," urged Peter, and others started to join in, shouts of agreement and clapping ringing through your ears from all directions. James looked around at everyone besides you, shaking his head.

"There won't be any kissing." He said it like it was something clear, something that should've been known from the start. You watched him, unmoving. You didn't know what to think, lips parted as you sat helplessly on the ground.

A few people booed, disappointment evident. Sirius scoffed, sighing. "Then drink up, mate."

You looked on as James shifted his gaze to the bottle in front of him wordlessly. You knew he didn't dare drink around Quidditch season and that he was leading Gryffindor's first practice on Monday, but he still leaned forward to pick up the bottle. You didn't even recognize what you were doing until you said the words.

"It's okay."

James's eyes snapped up to look at you, actions pausing abruptly. He frowned down at you, brows softly furrowing in confusion. "What?"

"It's okay," you repeated, not knowing what the hell you were doing. You could feel the stares of everyone pricking on your skin. "Don't ... don't drink it."

He retracted his arm away from the bottle again, sitting up. "Are- ... are you sure?"

Absolutely not.

"Yeah."

A beat passed before everyone began cheering again, and you felt like crawling into yourself because you really didn't think this through. Kissing your best friend? That sure was one way to get over him.

You took an unsteady breath in as you sat up onto your heels, eyes set on James expectantly. When he realized you were serious, you watched as he sat up even straighter, a muscle in his jaw working as he peered at you.

He still seemed unbelieving, so you nodded at him assuringly, trying to seem lighthearted while your heart beat heavily. With a note of seriousness, he surveyed you for another second before finally getting out of his seat and nearing where you sat on the ground, sinking to a knee.

The low base of the music seemed to beat in time with your own heart, the sound seeming louder than anything else in the room to you. James's eyes never left yours despite it all, the never-ending glow of his hazel eyes weighing into your own with his gaze that seemed to sink your stomach bottomlessly. Then he got closer, leaning forward hesitantly like you'd fly away with quick movement, a mesmerizing sight.

Did he look at all the girls he kissed like that? How many girls had he kissed? How many girls had been on the other end of that look before? Merlin knows how many wanted to be. You knew people were watching, waiting, but it felt like it was just you and James in a sea of blurred sights and sounds.

A curl of his brushed against your head, soft enough to send a rush through you. Were you really about to do this?

Like he was reading your mind, he whispered, "We don't have to, you know."

You nodded delicately, but steadily. "I know."

His eyes seemed to dance in circles around your face, floating from either of your eyes and then down to your lips. You went still, letting your eyes fan shut at the feeling of his hand softly holding your cheek.

Behind the black cloaks of your eyelids, you couldn't see anything at all, only feel. You sat still, waiting for what you knew was coming, for the feeling of James's lips.

In a second, they brushed against yours, feather-light and hesitant. His fingers grazed over your cheekbone. Sightless, you leaned forward in the darkness like jumping into unknown waters, and it was you who closed the distance.

Your lips met with shyness, the kind that had every inch of you buzzing. His lips were soft, gentle and forgiving, until you felt James lean into the kiss, deepening it like something inside of him was pulling him closer to you, something he couldn't deny. The feeling consumed you and it felt like you were suffocating. Not because of a lack of air but because of the storm of butterflies that seemed to crash through you right away.

You'd expected him to pull away after a second, make the kiss as short as possible. But he didn't; Neither did you.

It struck you like the crash of a wave how much you liked kissing him, how natural it felt. People around you were cheering and whooping and, for a second, it felt like it was the sound of something right, of this thing you'd had for James ending in success. But you knew that wasn't true. It was anything but.

In alarm at just how public the kiss was, you finally pulled away, not knowing how long it had even lasted.

You were breathless, chest rising and sinking rapidly. You took in the sight of James, eyes scanning over his flushed cheeks and slightly swollen lips that had some of your lip gloss on them. It made you dizzy to think that you'd been the one to put it there.

You met his eyes and, like a magnet, the way he seemed to look at you made it feel impossible to move, made all the other sounds in the common room drown away. He swallowed, eyes flickering between both of yours, and you still couldn't tell what he was thinking.

Like coming up for air, you finally looked away from him and let yourself face everyone around you who'd seen it all, watching as your heart seemed to swell for the few seconds that the kiss lasted and then shrivel back up right before their eyes.

They each sported their own looks of both surprise and entertainment, clapping and whistling following the two of you the whole time it took James to sit back down on the couch.

There seemed to be an underlying hesitancy for a moment, like there was more to be said, but it vanished as fast as it came and Mary was calling for the next turn like clockwork.

For a moment it felt as if maybe the whole thing hadn't really happened at all, like it had been something your mind imagined in desperation. But from the way James looked, you knew it had happened.

You glanced up at him again and he was already looking at you. Pathetically, with the little strength you had left in you, you offered him another strained smile. He didn't give one back.

Your heart dropped and it felt like you were sinking. You looked away again, trying to focus on the game as if an earthquake wasn't rattling your brain all the while. You felt James look away from you finally, staring somewhere low towards his hands, maybe the rug, eyes blown wide, expression unrevealing.

You didn't think you could sit there any longer. Had he figured out how you feel about him? Was he trying to think of a way to let you down easily?

You could almost feel both Marlene and Lily's gazes on your face from either side, not helping you feel any less suffocated.

Sirius had taken his turn, kissing a girl in the year below, but you hadn't paid true attention to any of it. By the time Peter was spinning the bottle you felt your legs standing up from beneath you.

Lily stopped you, grabbing your hand as she whispered, "Where are you going?"

"Bathroom," you answered plainly, squeezing her hand reassuringly before letting go of it and leaving the circle of people. You had to push your way through the crowded room to get to the nearest bathroom in the dormitories.

Once you got inside, you walked towards the sink, taking in your appearance. You looked like you'd seen a ghost. Your first instinct was to splash water on your face, wake yourself up from whatever the hell was going on, but stopped yourself, remembering the makeup you were wearing.

It wasn't fair. This wasn't fair.

Maybe it was your own fault for even going through with the kiss, but that was something you blamed on the drink you'd had and the circle of people surrounding you, waiting. You'd thought it would be a peck, something that'd give you a blush that you could hide in the low lighting of the party, nothing more. You'd been doing good—good about not thinking about your feelings for James, that is.

But nothing could have prepared you for what you were feeling now: Confusion, because how could he have kissed you like that if it wouldn't mean anything tomorrow? Frustration with yourself, because you felt your control slipping from your grasp with every breath you took, with the way your lips still simmered from the kiss.

Everything you'd done to protect yourself, to stop yourself from feeling the hurt you'd become accustomed to for years, was becoming useless. The months you spent away in France over the summer trying to forget about James and his warm gaze and stupidly cute smile were being shot down the drain.

It felt so unfair. You were so sure you were losing feelings. It must have been a temporary trick of the mind because, through just a few moments, you felt that pit in your stomach that told you were rapidly falling back down to square one.

You had to pull yourself together and snap out of whatever this was. You knew where this helpless road ended and you weren't going to let one night ruin the rest of your year.

James didn't feel the same about you as you did for him—it was plain and simple. He never had, and he never would.

Not when you were his best friend, his "number one wingman." Not when Lily was around, effortlessly graceful and the sole person who'd had James whipped for years.

With a sting in your heart, you thought back to the moments before the kiss, where James had spun the bottle, probably hoping it would land on the red-haired girl beside you, only for it to land on you. Hell, he was even willing to drink from that mystery bottle if it meant he wouldn't have to kiss you. You thought back to the dream—or nightmare, really—that you'd had that summer, and the way James's words had stung you to the point where you could really feel it, even if it was a dream.

"As if I'd ever see you in that way..."

"...Dating you would be like dating my little sister..."

"...You're not Lily, alright? You never will be."

You probably looked desperate before the kiss, making him feel like he had to kiss you after you so plainly asked him to. You looked the part now, taking in your reflection in the mirror that blurred from your watering eyes.

You wiped them right away, feeling ridiculous. This whole thing was ridiculous. You weren't going to cry in a bathroom during a party over a kiss; you had that much pride.

You took another second to pull yourself together before leaving the bathroom, fighting through the crowd of people again to find that your friends weren't where you left them, but on the other side of the room by the drinks table.

You made your way over to them, frowning. "What happened to Spin the Bottle?"

Marlene, Mary, and Lily all turned towards you in unison, the latter scanning over you like a worried mother. "Are you alright?"

You nodded quickly, dismissive. "Yeah, I'm fine. What happened to the game?" The three of them shared a look before Mary answered you.

"It kinda died down after you and James left."

You paused, looking between them with a concerned frown and dread that you couldn't hide. "James left?" They nodded. "Where did he go?"

Marlene shrugged. "Don't know." Then, she spotted something from behind you, waving a hand. "Hey, Black!" she snapped, and you turned to see Sirius, Remus, and Peter coming down the steps from the boys' dormitories. Sirius noticed her calling and the three of them came over to where you stood.

"What happened to Potter?" Marlene demanded for you. "Where'd he go?"

At the question, Sirius seemed to pause, glancing to the others briefly.

"He was tired," Remus answered for him. "Wanted to get get good sleep for Quidditch practice or something."

Marlene looked between the three of them skeptically, before nodding. "Right," she drawled, and moved to leave, walking between Sirius and Remus. Lily and Mary followed, but you stayed behind.

"Quidditch practice starts on Monday," you said flatly after they left, staring between the three boys who stood shifty before you.

"He said he doesn't feel like partying anymore," said Peter quickly, and the two others turned to him as if he'd spilled some sort of secret. You frowned, worry and confusion evident in your expression.

"Look," said Sirius with a sober tone. "We don't know for sure why he's went off to bed, but you can probably guess."

You stared at him and his serious expression, and realized with a twinge in your chest that you probably could: He was avoiding you.

"Yeah," you agreed lowly, head tipped downwards—you should've never kissed him. But you knew you couldn't take it back now.

You let your eyes wander from the floor to the table of drinks next to you, figuring that maybe a drink could do you some good.

Taking hold of a cup that was already filled amongst the rows of others, against your better judgement, you tipped your head back and drank from it until your throat burned and the cup felt light in your hands. You heard Peter gasp in surprise.

"Hey, woah," Remus chided, taking the cup from your hands. "I don't need every last one of you hungover tomorrow, yeah?"

You squinted at him, whether from the taste of the alcohol or your annoyance you didn't know. "You've been drinking all bloody night."

Sirius laughed from next to you, taking your cup from Remus and finishing whatever little was left. "Moony has a conceringly high alcholol tolerance." Peter nodded in agreement, Remus shrugging as you glared at him.

"Fine," you said, pressing a hand to your temple. The smell of alcohol mixed with the blaring music and whatever you were feeling right then was giving you a headache, and the quiet of your dorm room was starting to sound a little too appeasing. Plus, you had the feeling your mind wouldn't find peace unless you went to sleep

"Maybe I should just go to bed too." You chewed at the inside of your bottom lip. "Tell James I said goodnight when you see him." You didn't miss the way the three of them glanced around at each other concernedly but nodded anyway. "See you guys in the morning."

You waved goodbye to them and made the walk back towards the girls' dorms, finding Marlene and Lily in the crowd and wishing them goodnight too.

In the time it took you to get ready for bed, you decided that tomorrow you were going to move on—seriously move on—from whatever happened tonight, and the past few nights, and maybe the past few years too. You didn't think you had the mental strength to keep worrying, especially not when you'd been trying to stop your mind from replaying your kiss with James in your head for the last thirty minutes.

You crashed down onto your bed, feeling like you carried the weight of the world on your chest but convincing yourself it was only a feather if only to fall asleep for the night. You might've ruined everything, but at least your bed was comfy.

[crimsonlovebartylus]

barty, drunk: i dont want to keep kissing only when we are drunk and pretend im not in love with you.

regulus, drunk: what?

barty: i'm in love with you, i want to kiss you sober, hold you sober, be with you sober.

regulus: well.. kiss me, when you wake up and dont sneak out before i wake up

barty: i will.

regulus: good.

barty: good.

regulus: i love you too by the way.