Liquid Luck [Sirius Black]/editing

chapter 77

I've come to realize something recently. Something insignificant to anything at all, but something nonetheless. Every single one of the boys take on a different tone when they speak to me.

Around anyone else, James and Sirius speak in these arrogant voices that let everyone in the room know they're there. With me they get soft and their voices both go up in pitch. From the outside Remus seems like a shy and polite boy. And while that's true to who he is, around me his quick-witted sarcastic side is unleashed. As for Peter, his nervous stutter disappears and he's so much more chatty than one would think.

The boys and I have been enjoying a lazy Sunday inside today because of the raging snowstorm outside.

I watch James take a crisp from a bag full of them and skillfully toss it into his mouth. Chewing, he says, "The Slug Club Christmas party seems pathetic. Who's even going to that?"

I shrug, "I actually think it's a nice idea. And I'm going to go."

"Huh." James looks at me thoughtfully for a second and pushes his glasses higher up on his nose. "Well then I suppose I'm going too." He smiles at me lopsidedly.

"Remus has got himself a date." Peter sings smugly.

"Oh really?" Sirius sits up, clearly interest-piqued, and wiggles his eyebrows at Remus. "Who's the lucky someone then?"

"Violet," Remus mumbles, blushing.

"Wow, you got Lettie?!" James exclaims proudly. "You are one lucky man, my friend. She's quite the Keeper." James winks, laughing at his own Quidditch pun.

"Bloody pathetic, mate." Sirius snorts.

"Oh like your Sirius jokes are any better." James retorts.

"They're hilarious so piss off."

James returns to his bag of crisps and catches another in his mouth. "Think I'll ask Evans to this thing."

"You do that." Remus snickers. "It won't make a difference either way, you know she's set on rejecting you."

"We know nothing for certain, Remy. She could very well wake up tomorrow and decide that she's been wrong about everything and I'm worthy of her undivided time and attention." James says confidently.

"So you'll be going solo?" I muse.

He slumps back into his pillow. "Yeah definitely."

I snigger before nudging Sirius jokingly, "You can take Sirius. It can be the bromance of a century."

"He can't." As soon as Peter starts talking I catch an obvious glimpse of Remus furiously shaking his head and Sirius gesturing dramatically for the boy to stop. Clearly Peter doesn't catch the hints, "Sirius has already got a date—"

"Pete, shut up!" Sirius squeaks.

I face Sirius with furrowed eyebrows. "Y-You're going with someone else?" I was going to ask him to be my date.

He isn't able to meet my gaze and instead focuses his attention to his fingernails. "Yeah...I was going to tell you, I was."

My mouth is hanging open, I just don't know what to say. I have to speak before things get even more awkward. "Okay, uh, who – who are you taking?" I try to smile but I know it doesn't look at all convincing because on the inside my heart is aching.

He squirms uncomfortably and finally looks me in the eyes. "Marlene."

"McKinnon?" I choke out. "M-Marlene McKinnon is your date to this thing?"

"Yes."

The room is dead-silent and the tension has grown so thick that it's hard to breathe. "Well," I force on a brighter smile. "Look at you!" I playfully punch his arm. "She's amazing and funny and...and beautiful...what more could you want, right?" I laugh nervously and blink really fast to keep myself from crying.

"Yeah," He says, eying me carefully.

Behind me, without my knowledge, Remus is glaring at Sirius and shaking his head at him. "This was a stupid idea." He mouths.

"Right," I say cheerily though I feel anything but. "well, it's getting late so I should be getting to bed. Goodnight, boys."

Given the time of night, I find the common room empty. I like being here when nobody else is. It's quiet and calm. And the moment I crash on one of the squashy couches, tears pour down my face.

I know that I don't even have the right to be hurt right now. Sirius and I are not dating. Though given everything, I'd been beginning to think he really liked me.

It isn't long until the sound of footsteps coming down from the boys dorms is heard and I immediately rush to wipe my eyes dry of sadness. "Keeks?" James steps down from the last stair and looks around the room until his eyes land on me. "Are you okay, baby sis?"

"I'm okay." I smile slightly at him from over the couch but another tear falling down my cheek renders my statement ineffective.

He walks over and in no time at all, he has me pulled onto his lap and wrapped up in his arms. James Potter is my living safety net. He rocks me in his arms and hums a little as he does. "Everything has a way of working itself out, you'll see. What's really meant to be will be. You've just got to trust the process in between."

I squeeze my arms tighter around his middle. "Thanks, Jamie." I lift my head to look up at him. "You live by that, don't you?" He nods. "Lily comes around, I can feel it. And if for some godforsaken reason she doesn't, she's unknowingly lost the best thing she could ever have."

The corners of his lips tug upwards as he looks back down at me. There's a sudden sparkle in his eyes that lets me know he's got an idea. "What do you say we make a deal?"

I raise an eyebrow. "You've got my interest."

"If we're both single by the time we're twenty-five, how about you and me get married."

"Isn't that like incest?" I giggle.

He rocks me back and forth again. "Tsk tsk, we can disregard our sibling love for this and this only. If it's between being alone forever and having the one person whom I love most in the world always around to love me too, then I'm sorry but the choice is fairly obvious."

I can't help the smile that finds my face. "Okay, James. You've got yourself a deal. You are hereby my backup husband."

"Oh the years I've waited to hear you say those words, m'lady." He says poshly.

I laugh and nuzzle into his shoulder. "You'll go with me to the Christmas party, won't you?"

"Please, I thought that was a given." He rubs my back in soothing circles. "Don't you worry your pretty little head about a thing. James has got you for life."