Bad Girls Have Fun

 

Bad Girls Have Fun 

The black dog sniffed his way around the perimeter of an abandoned building. To his ears, the music still played, and smoke hung heavy in the hot, excited air. When he flopped down amongst a pile of rubble and made his bed, he imagined that he was leaning against that familiar stone wall, at the top of the tower, in a time when life was less tainted. Watching love unfold all about him, left to his untroubled dreams, the black dog finally slept.

* * * * *

"What’re you doing?" Sirius Black exclaimed in disgust as he passed Arabella Figg on his way downstairs.

She was standing just outside the entrance to the girl’s bathroom, and seemed to be smearing some kind of green slime all over her face. Snorting derisively at him, some of the slime went up her nose. "Now look what you’ve made me do! And for your information, it’s Bubotuber pus," she added crossly, before disappearing into the bathroom. The infinitely more pleasant Lily Evans took her place, and looked after her friend with an alarmed expression, before narrowing her eyes at Sirius. "What did you say this time?"

"Nothing! Just asked her what she was doing," he replied, sliding expertly down the banister and landing neatly at the bottom. "Not my fault she’s spotty."

"I heard that! And you’re just jealous!"

"Why the hell would I be jealous of you? I don’t want to look like a bloody girl!"

"No-one would want to look like a bloody girl, unless they happened to be a necrophiliac…"

"Look at you go with those big words. All designed to cover up any real feelings…"

"Well, I’ll tell you how I feel! I think you’re foul, Sirius Black!"

"Fowl? What, you mean I’m a chicken? Or perhaps a rooster…"

"Oh, you’re so funny. You’ll be laughing on the other side of your funny face…and I mean funny peculiar…your funny face tomorrow."

"I know. You, vodka, and singing is never a pretty sight…"

A strange smile hovered around Arabella’s lips, and she merely quirked a supercilious eyebrow. "Oh, you’ll know alright. Just wait until tomorrow."

By now, a few bemused students appeared sleepily at the entrances to the dormitories, and the bathroom door flew open. Arabella stormed out, her face free from pus. "And just for the record…I hate you," she finished, coldly, and made a very rude sign in his direction. Sirius frowned, and made a ruder one back.

"Wha’s all the noise about? Who’s fowl? Did someone get that Transfiguration spell wrong again?" yawned Peter, his slippers making complaining noises as he stumbled down the stairs.

"No-one is. It’s just Sirius and Arabella having a yelling match," James replied, joining his friend by the fireplace. The three sank into the comfortable chairs, and Sirius glared at some nearby first years. "Show’s over," he snarled, and crossed his arms defensively over his chest. James sighed, closing his tired eyes. Life in Gryffindor Tower had been rather strained since the party in Hogsmeade last month. When his two most unpredictable friends had started their tempestuous relationship, he’d guessed it would only be a matter of time before things turned sour…three weeks, to be exact.

Sirius, having decided that Arabella obviously didn’t fancy him anymore, had made off into a dark corner with a Ravenclaw fifth year. Arabella, having decided that she was completely head-over-heels in love with him, had found them. After setting fire to several tables and causing the door to blow off its hinges, she’d run out into the night, Padfoot and half the occupants of the Three Broomsticks following. Sirius had grabbed her by the shoulder, and she’d scratched him around the face, before being dragged away by her friends. The girls had given himself, Remus and Peter some very dirty looks, and hadn’t spoken to any of them for several days. Arabella hadn’t spoken to them for several weeks, and had taken to casting a Silencing Charm around herself so she didn’t have to listen to their conversations.

Sirius was devastated. He’d tried everything to try and explain himself, but to no avail. There had been a breakthrough of sorts in Potions yesterday, when somehow he managed to spray Rainbow Elixir all over her new robes. Since then, they hadn’t stopped arguing. Inevitably, the others had all been drawn into the situation, until even the normally mild-mannered Emma had been found cursing Peter’s cloak with the Itching Impediment.

"James." He looked up, startled, and saw that Remus was tugging at his shoulder, books clutched tightly against his thin chest. "You better go and get dressed, breakfast’ll be over soon." The werewolf cast a worried glance in Sirius’ direction. "What happened?"

"I thought all of Gryffindor Tower heard…"

"I was in the library, catching up on my homework."

"Ah…Arabella and Padfoot had yet another argument. It can’t go on for much longer, they’re running out of insults."

Remus winced. "So I suppose she won’t be particularly sympathetic in Advanced DADA?"

"Ouch. You two are duelling partners, aren’t you?"

His friend nodded, and rubbed his back with a grimace. "Looks like I’m substitute Sirius again…why couldn’t she have made me substitute when they were actually going out?"

James sighed heavily, and raised a thin smile. "Because, Moony my friend, things are rarely ever that simple."

* * * * *

Lily hated being the sensible one.

Emma was the flirt, Talia was good at Quidditch, Arabella was quirky…she was sensible. And clever. She always studied hard, made all the notes, did her homework on time…the others lived life in a mad whirlwind of forgotten essays, missing books and late nights. Oh, she went out to Hogsmeade with them, danced with them…they were all best friends. Secretly, though, she knew they all though she was a little uptight. Just because she didn’t drink too much, didn’t smoke, didn’t have time to go out with boys.

That was another thing.

Arabella was sitting on the bed, crying her eyes out over her heart, shattered into hundreds of tiny broken pieces. Flipping back her long blonde hair, Emma shot a half-exasperated look in Lily’s direction. However sorry they were for Arabella, and however much they disapproved of Sirius’ behaviour, the continual sobbing was starting to grate on already frayed nerves.

"Come on, Arry," said Talia, patting her back gently. "He isn’t even worth getting upset over…"

"But he is!" she wailed mournfully, burying her head in her hands. Between tears, she even managed a whole sentence. "He…is…worth…it, because…he’s…he was…so lovely…until he decided to sleep with that slut…"

"He didn’t sleep with her! And she isn’t a slut…"

The sobbing grew louder.

"I mean, she is a slut! A horrid, skanky slut that deserves to have her face…her ugly face cursed off!"

She couldn’t take it any more. Lily grabbed her things, made her excuses, and hurried downstairs for a breakfast in blessed solitude. She quickly checked her appearance in the mirror, and smiled. So far, she hadn’t given in to the whole ‘make-up in the morning, short robes, high shoes’ ethic that the others had employed since they were in fifth year. Straight red hair, clear green eyes and the regulation uniform were good enough, not to mention inexpensive. Her family just didn’t have the money to splash around on needless things…besides, she preferred helping her friends to get ready. She’d found this brilliant Potent Hair Straightening Potion she was just longing to use on Talia’s Afro-Carribbean locks…

"Hey, Lily!"

It was James. Her heart gave one, violent beat and promptly became stuck to the top of her ribcage. He grinned charmingly, pushing messy black hair away from his eyes, and then grimaced. "Look, I’m really sorry about Arry. Sirius doesn’t know his own evilness sometimes, I’d swear…"

"Don’t mention it," she said, rolling her eyes in the direction of the dormitory. "Really don’t mention it."

"Ah…so she’s still a little upset, then."

"Wait a minute…you aren’t spying for Sirius, are you?"

"No! No…actually, I wanted to ask you something."

He hopped agitatedly from one foot to another, and Lily swallowed. This was really it! Finally, being good was going to pay off.

"Ask away," she said, trying to make her voice light.

"I was wondering if…er…well, you know down at the Foggy Frog they’re having a karaoke night tomorrow, and we were all going to go together?"

"I know," she replied, feeling a wonderful warmth wash over her. The Foggy Frog was more a club than a pub, and was the local of choice for most of Hogwart’s upper year students.

"Er…" he paused, and leaned closer, speaking in a hoarse whisper. "It’s just…doesEmmahaveadate?"

"Yes, I’d love to…" Lily gushed, heart speaking over head. About half a wand swipe later, her head came charging to the front and grabbed her heart firmly by the throat. "What?"

"DoesEmmahave…I mean, does. Emma. Have. A. Date. Yet." He enunciated each word, studying her face carefully. Lily blinked rapidly, and when she spoke her voice was distant. "Yes…yes, that’s what I thought you said," she finished dully, as her head successfully throttled her heart and replaced it with a Gobstone.

"So? Does she?"

"No. No, not that I know of."

"Great!" he said, rubbing his hands together gleefully, turning to give someone…she thought it was Frank Longbottom…a triumphant thumbs up. "Thanks Lily. You’re a mate."

And he left her there, at the top of the stairs. It seemed she was wrong, after all. Bad girls really did have all the fun.

* * * * *

James wanted to talk to somebody about the best way in which to ask Emma Camden out on a date. More specifically, he wanted to talk to one of his best friends…unfortunately, this seemed to be out of the question. When he reached the Gryffindor table for breakfast the three of them made a sorry sight. Peter was fast asleep, face down in his congealing porridge. Sirius was morosely picking at a plate of green jelly (his usual Monday morning pick-me-up) and Remus’ nose was stuck in a book. Literally.

"What happened to you?" asked James, trying not to laugh. Moony spoke from between the pages, his voice muffled. "I was allowed to borrow it from the Restricted Section, however in my excitement to read…"

"Only you would use the words ‘excitement’ and ‘read’ in the same sentence," came the deadened voice of Sirius. "And only you would actually mean it. Or mean them. Whatever, write it down and correct my grammar later."

"Thanks for that, Padfoot. Now, where was I...oh, yes, I forgot to perform the correct charm to open it, and, well…" He pointed at the rather heavy looking tome dangling from his nose. "I was just on my way to the infirmary when you walked in. I’ll see you later."

"Wait a min…" Too late. He was gone. And then there were two. Two extremely unresponsive individuals, who he was currently ashamed to call fellow pranksters extraordinaire. A gaggle of gigglers sauntered past, trying to catch Sirius’ eye. James shook his head in amazement as his friend’s head drooped even lower, until his chin was resting on the table.

"D’you think jelly should be classed as transparent or translucent?" he asked, in a faraway voice. "Because at first it seems translucent. But if you really look at it…what is the barrier between translucency and transparency, anyway?"

"Bloody hell, Sirs, lighten up a little…"

"How can I just lighten up? I’ve completely ruined a perfectly good…"

"…friendship, in fact a brilliant friendship, Arabella and I were great friends, and now that’s all over, it’s all my fault, hold on though, if she hadn’t started ignoring me and making me think she didn’t like me like that, but wait, I was unfaithful, it’s my fault, I’ve ruined a perfectly good friendship, and so on, and so on, and so on," James said impatiently. Leaning across the table, he shoved the plate of uneaten jelly aside and tapped Sirius on top of his head. "I know, mate. And it is a shame, and I don’t want to sound like I don’t care, but it’s been nearly a month."

"Three weeks, two days, eleven hours and twelve minutes, actually."

Both dark heads turned slowly to look at Peter, still slumped in his porridge.

"How the…why the…I didn’t even…what?" Sirius asked. James shrugged. "My sentiments exactly."

"That’s the moment my life became pointless," came the small voice from the bowl of sludge, sounding so dismal that even Sirius raised a smile. He patted Peter on the shoulder, raising an eyebrow at James. "There, there, Wormtail, old chap. You’ll still see me at weekends, and I’ll make sure to always write…don’t worry, Arabella and I still love you very much, this whole thing was nothing to do with you, you mustn’t blame yourself…"

Peter scowled, and straightened up a little. "It’s just boring, now. No-one wants to hear you moan on about Arabella. It’s not like you two were in love."

James held his breath. He had been amazed, that in this whole fiasco of a break up, no-one had yet mentioned the L word. Now it was out, and Sirius looked in turn taken aback, annoyed, thoughtful, and angry, before realisation dawned slowly on his face.

"You know what…we weren’t," he said firmly.

Well. James hadn’t seen that one coming. In fact, he’d fully expected this to be the turning point, the revelation, the real thing…

"No, we weren’t."

This was better than a Quidditch match. Well, almost, he mentally amended. Unnoticed, Arabella had entered the Great Hall flanked by the usual cronies. Lily, Talia and Emma. Emma was gorgeous...he couldn’t think about that now, he had to concentrate. Sirius had seen her enter, and now they’d never know how he really felt. Part of him was still annoyed with her, and her body language was defensive, arms folded tightly across a plain, brown box.

Biting her bottom lip, she extended one arm towards him, the movement jerky and barely co-ordinated. "Here."

He reached over and took the box, suspiciously. "What’s this?"

"All your stuff. I don’t want it any more. When I said we were over, I meant it."

Turning sharply, she clattered out of the Hall, leaving only Lily to make another apologetic sort of shrug. James sighed. He’d never been in love. If this was what happened when you fell for somebody, he wasn’t at all sure he wanted to be. Sirius flicked open the lid, and examined the contents.

"She kept them all," he stated forlornly, returning to his plate of jelly. Peering over his best friend’s shoulder, James could see the box was full of letters, each scrap of parchment covered in the instantly familiar, scrawling handwriting. He patted Sirius on the shoulder, and stood up. "My advice, Padfoot?"

"What?"

"Burn them or bury them. Don’t read them, because if you go into another spiral of despair you'll find yourself one mate short. I’m off to Divination," he added shortly, eyes fixed on the entrance to the Hall. From the corner of his eye he could just see Emma’s customised cloak disappearing into the corridor. Jogging to catch the girls up, he barely noticed Sirius make his way over to the blazing fireplace and throw each letter into the flames, one by one.