/𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒\ [𝒔. 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌]

𝟔.𝟝.𝟤

"in three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on." ~ Robert Frost

~november 1976~ (continued)

The music was loud, the lights were down, and the entire common room smelled like cigarettes, alcohol, and sweat thinly masked by about a million different perfumes. A typical weekend night in Gryffindor, especially since The Marauders' year was now old enough to start parties. It was rare they went a week without one. James and Sirius had snuck down to Hogsmeade earlier that day to get as much liquor as possible while Artemis and Remus covered food, leaving the rest of the girls and Peter to set up the common room with the help of some trusty fourth years.

It was midway through the night and Artemis was dizzy-drunk, dancing in the center of the floor with an uncharacteristically energetic Remus. She loved him so much between transformations, when he would have a few good weeks where he seemed so full of life. He was over a head taller than her and a clumsy dancer, but he never failed to make her laugh when he squeezed his eyes shut and flailed around aimlessly. Artemis twirled and stumbled into James behind her. He caught her and steadied her on her feet. "Have you seen Sirius?" he shouted over the music.

She shook her head. "Try putting up lost dog posters."

James gave her a genuine laugh and ran a hand over his hair. "Guess he lucked out tonight."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Artemis asked, her smile fading, but James was already heading over to give Remus another drink. "James!" she called after him. "What's that supposed to mean?" But he was already too far away to hear her.

She turned around and spotted Lily dancing with her hands up and her hair falling loose around her shoulders. In her short navy blue dress and heeled boots, she looked like a movie star. The comparison wasn't lost on any boy in the house, either. She always had a number of them lined up to dance with her, but she never paid them any mind. She was more interested in grabbing whatever friend she saw first and having a good time with them. This time she was dancing against Alice, both girls laughing in the loud, drunken way of teenage girls who know they have all the power in the world at that moment.

"Hey!" Marlene's raspy voice came from behind Artemis and she felt her friend throw an arm around her neck and pull back to the dance floor.

"Marly!" Artemis laughed, stumbling and squirming out of her hold. She scanned the room, looking for Sirius. She wanted to dance with him, he was her favorite person to party with, but where was he? She caught herself grinding her teeth and then turned back to Marlene, forcing a smile. She didn't give a shit what Sirius was doing. She didn't give a shit what Sirius was doing. She let Marlene hold her by the waist as Artemis dipped her head back, letting her hair swing so low it almost touched the floor. She caught the eye of Maxwell Thomas while she was hanging upside down and stuck her tongue between her teeth seductively. Then, with a wink she straightened up and shook her hair wildly.