Palette

The Gryffindor common room was even more golden-red than usual and for a stranger it might have looked like they stepped into a fireplace where the flames were raging and dancing wild. People were chatting, laughing and from time to time someone would start singing. Then a discordant chorus would follow for half a minute to inevitably break into a cacophony of laughter and mixed-up lyrics, and to die out until the next brave soul would try to start it all again. “Do you think we’ll get busted?” Peter asked looking at Sirius who was conjuring a pitcher of pumpkin juice so that it would fly around and refill the glasses for the girls. “Nah, professors are celebrating as well. I was passing the teachers’ room… bet they aren’t all about pumpkin juice… go help Moony with the firecrackers.” “Remus would never agree to the firecrackers in the common room!” “Right. So you go and make it happen without his consent.” Peter grinned, nodded and quickly made his way through the crowd. Sirius made a quick move with his wrist and a girl’s shriek followed. The pitcher spilt some of the pumpkin juice on her blouse making it wet and see-through. “Wow! It’s not a Duelling Club but it feels like I am knocked out…” “SHUT UP, YOU, IDIOT!” The girl didn’t look angry at the slightest, she was already smiling and giggling. “… by your knockers!” The room roared with laughter. “Wow, that was smooth,” James appeared seemingly out of nowhere but Sirius knew the secret trick was the old invisibility cloak. “Took you long enough, Prongs.” “Yeah, but you know what they say… Some things are worth waiting for,” with a conspiratorial smile on his lips, James showed him two bottles of Ogden’s Old Firewhiskey. “Look who’s back!” howled Sirius putting his hand around Potter’s shoulders. “And he did not come empty-handed!” The firecrackers went off. Gryffindor’s victory on the field was well-deserved, and the thing that made it so satisfying was that they won fair and square and against a very worthy opponent. Ravenclaw’s team this year was a state of art rather than a team, and the lions clawed the victory with the force of a hurricane. And now it was time to celebrate. The party was going well into the night, and they had to use the spells on the common room to deaden the noise a little — nobody wanted the dean to barge in and demand they go to sleep. James, Sirius, Remus and a few other students raised their wands to cast the spells, and one of the students who came to the rescue was Lily Evans. “Not a bad spell to cast for someone who prefers following the rules,” James couldn’t help but note with his mischievous smile. “Not a bad spell to cast for someone whose head was almost knocked clean by a bludger,” she replied. “Oh, you were watching me, Evans?” “Yeah, I was worried you’d be shredded to pieces when your ego finally rips you apart, and the bits get stuck in my hair.” “So, you were worried about me, huh?” “Oh my God,” Remus rolled his eyes and whispered under his breath, “This is unbearable.” “Kind of,” Sirius smirked and poured himself some whiskey. At some point — the point of no return — the inevitable happened. A small circle formed on the floor around the now empty bottle of good old “Ogden’s” and it was a very drunk but merry circle. Girls were giggling, guys were elbowing each other but the smiles were telling volumes. The well-calculated chaos of the people taking seats opposite other people, seemingly on random but not entirely, made a lot of hushed noise. “Sirius, are you coming?” “That’s what she said.” “Ew, what the hell?” “Sorry, I’m tipsy,” Sirius grinned showing his teeth. “Tipsy? You are drunk like a skunk!” Peter laughed from his spot in the circle next to James. “Come on, Padfoot, don’t be a dick,” James waved him over and pointed with his eyes at one of the girls Sirius went out with several weeks ago. She was one of Lily’s friends, giggling and conventionally pretty. “Love of my life, can’t you see?” Sirius sang the song line with his deep velvety voice and finished with a smirk. “The circle is closed, no place for good old me…” “Hey, here’s the spot, good old you, come here,” said Lily, moving and patting the floor next to her. Fucking awesome, Sirius thought when Potter’s eyes ignited with suspicion, and took the place without another word. “Spin the bottle, Remus. We trust you to be fair,” James said, and Remus obliged. The bottle went its first turn and pointed at Peter and one of the girls who immediately turned red. Sirius whistled, Lily laughed next to him and clapped. “Go, Susie!” “Go, Peter! Show her!” “Don’t show her anything until you’ve taken her to dinner or something!” advised Potter, and Sirius barked with laughter. Peter kissed the girl, his ears turned as red as Susie’s cheeks, and so the start has been made. Sirius was watching James from the other side of the circle, and whiskey was singing in his veins along with blood. The way Prongs was casting glances at Lily next to him, the way he kept on messing his hair to look cool… The bottle turned his way, and one look was all Sirius needed to learn two things: there was a sparkling desire, pure and raw, shining in Potter’s eyes… and he was looking to his left. At Lily. The bottle stopped, pointing at him with one end and at James with the other. For fuck’s sake, Sirius thought wearily, clenched the wand in his left fist behind his back, and the bootle moved a little to the left. “Oh, Evans, here you are!” The smile on his lips was radiant when James looked at Lily. “Didn’t notice you there…” “Try wiping your glasses sometime, James. It might help,” she replied, but she was also smiling. James moved the bottle from the way, got closer to Lily and leaned for a kiss. Sirius was smiling along with everybody and whistled a little. Then he met Moony’s eyes, sad and knowing, and shrugged his shoulders. Remus was a goodie-goodie but even a goodie-goodie wouldn’t tell him off for cheating right now. Sirius got up and moved to the door of the common room. “Where are you going, Sirius?” “I need to take a leak, Peter, thank you for asking!” Sirius replied, and left smiling with the laughter following him. The smile died quickly when the door to the common room closed behind his back. One look. One fucking look.