The Stag and The Harpy | James Potter

7 minutes

Phoebe was not one to drink. If anything, her mother had been one to encourage smoking over the liquid vice. But the disappointment that her summer would be bleak and lonely made her act brashly.

So here she was, firewhiskey in hand as she watched Alice and Lily dance. The common room was full of music and laughter, even Remus having had a bit to drink. Phoebe grins as she watches him talk to Gideon Prewett, swaying slightly on his feet. Marlene disrupts her watching, running over and saying with a slightly slurred tone,

"Come on, Pheebs! We're playing truth or dare!"

Phoebe wrinkles her nose, still sober enough to know better.

"No way, Marls. Not a chance in hell."

"Don't be a tosser," Marlene cries. "Even Alice and Lily agreed to play."

Phoebe sighs when the girl grabs her hand and skips her over to the now rounded up crew. Phoebe feels something odd flip flop in her gut at the sight of Ramona Bell sitting on James' lap, giggling and flushed. James looks slightly drunk as well, an easy smirk on his lips before he suddenly meets Phoebe's eyes.

She looks away before it lasts too long and sits down in the circle, between Alice and Marlene. Lily pipes up from next to Peter,

"Potter, lose the extra please."

James rolls his eyes but whispers something in the ear of the foolish girl on his lap. She titters annoyingly but scampers away, leaving James feeling slightly chilled as he sits across from the unnerving Veela. She's so...composed. He studied her lack of any extreme emotion, notes her restrained smile. Drunkenly, he reckons how good she looks in her outfit. She's got on a normal pair of jeans but the top she's wearing is sinful and gathers plenty of attention.

'Shouldn't that be worn under clothes?' James ponders as he eyes the sheer floral garment teasing the room with the promise of something more. James shakes his head and sits up straighter when he hears Lily ask,

"James, Truth or Dare?"

"Dare," James replies easily, taking another swig of whiskey. He feels just relaxed enough to not care about a thing in the world.

"I dare you to say how long have you been staring at Phoebe's chest." Lily asks smugly. If he weren't full of liquid courage, he'd be embarrassed when the group all turns to him. He just smirks and shrugs, answering truthfully,

"I lost count."

Sirius snorts from beside him while Remus and Peter let out unusually boisterous laughs. James frowns slightly when the blonde girl's expression doesn't change. She just eyes him with her pale gaze, not even looking the slightest bit irritated.

James clears his throat before saying,

"Marlene, truth or dare?"

Marlene perks up and says excitedly, "Truth."

James grins and asks, elbowing Sirius, "Who's the best snog you've ever had."

"That's easy," Marlene answers. "Phoebe."

The boys let out squawks of surprise while the girls chuckle, James noting the twitch of Phoebe's lips. The Veela winks at Marlene, making her burst into a fit of laughter.

"You've kissed Phoebe?" Sirius cries.

"Of course! She taught us how!" Alice answers, smirking as the boys gawk. Phoebe laughs and shakes her head before taking a gulp from the bottle being passed around.

James feels something hot rush through his body as he appraises her again.

'I must be plastered,' James thinks, reasoning that it's the only explanation for how turned on he is for the girl that drives him crazy. He exhaled the breath he was holding as Marlene says, "No details! Besides you've all snogged her anyway. Except for you, James."