/𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒\ [𝒔. 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌]

𝟑.𝟟.𝟤

"a friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you." ~ Elbert Hubbard

~january 1974~ (continued)

It was January fifteenth. Artemis felt like she would remember the day forever. She practically sprinted through the corridors, ignoring everyone in her path until she made it to the portrait of the fat lady. "Mandrake," she said breathlessly, and waited in impatience for the portrait to swing open, allowing her to climb through the hole and hurry over to her friends sitting in the circle of armchairs and couches by the fire. When she reached them, they all looked up as she leaned against the couch Sirius was sitting on, breathing heavily.

"You under attack or something?" Sirius asked, barely looking up from his Charms homework.

Artemis shook her head, not even bothering to shoot a snappy comment back at him. She turned to Lily, Mary, and Marlene on the couch behind James's chair. "Jonas- Putry-" she managed to say, collapsing onto the cushions between Lily and Mary. "He's my boyfriend now."

Marlene sprang up from the her seat in an instant. "You're joking!"

"I'm not!" squealed Artemis, standing back up and beaming at Marlene.

Marlene took Artemis's hands and jumped up and down excitedly. "Oh, yes! This is so great!"

"I know, right?!"

The boys looked over at the scene mildly before going back to their work. Lily stood up too and hugged Artemis. "I knew you could pull it off," she said knowingly. "How'd it happen?"

"Well," Artemis said grandly, "I was just studying in the library and he walked in with his Hufflepuff friends and I was really nervous, but then I just went up to him and we started talking and then he came over to my table a little later and I just... did it. Just asked him. And he said yes! We're dating now!"

Mary beamed. "I'm really happy for you," she said.

Artemis giggled and crashed back onto the cushions next to Mary. "I am too, Mary. Finally got myself a boyfriend."

~

"Oh, you should see how happy she is," Lily gushed to Severus as they sat in the library together, their homework left completely undone on the table between them because they'd been talking so much. "I'm so happy for her."

Severus looked bored by the conversation. He didn't exactly care about the love lives of Lily's friends, much less Artemis, who he felt spent way too much time with James Potter to be trusted. "Good for her," he said drily.

"What's up with you?" Lily asked, tilting her head to the side.

Severus shrugged. "Nothing. I do think it's a bit odd she's dating a Hufflepuff. Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs never date each other."