In Which I End Up Babysitting Drunk Men
I really did not think I could do this. I didn't.
Allow me to explain. Gryffindor just won the Quidditch Cup. Obviously this is huge and very exciting for my best friends (excluding Remus). Naturally, being 16 and absolute party animals, they decided to throw a party. Long story short, Remus invited Gilderoy (against my will might I add) and did not tell me until 3pm on the day of the party.
"Hey, Pete."
"Hi Remus."
"You know the Gryffindor party tonight?"
"How could I not."
"Since everybody loves our parties and we beat Slytherin and everybody's happy we beat Slytherin we thought we'd open up invitations."
"Alright, cool."
"And some Ravenclaw promised to bring weed but that's not the point. I thought you could bring your little boyfriend."
"I'm not talking to him."
"What? Why, what happened!?"
"Nothing, I just can't do it."
"Peter, come on. I know you're sad but you don't even know he doesn't like you! Give it a shot, he'll be drunk anyway. Plus he's definitely already coming."
"What?"
"Yeah, I told him he had to be there. He seemed pretty happy to attend."
That's how I was stuck with my straight friend I have a massive crush on in a room full of drunk teenagers neither of us knew that well in the middle of the night. Not ideal.
"Remus seemed pretty insistent that I come to this, but he and the others seem pretty busy."
Gilderoy gestured to James, shirtless, standing on a table with the Cup in one hand and a shot glass in the other, and Remus, who had Sirius pinned to a wall and was making out with him so aggressively that he had accumulated an audience of drunk girls hyping him up.
I nodded because there was nothing else to do.
"Want another drink?"
Gilderoy held out a beer, which I gratefully accepted. I needed to be a lot drunker to get through the night, especially if it was just going to be the two of us.
"Hey, with the thing in the hospital wing..."
"I'm sorry about that. It was silly. I got carried away, I wasn't thinking about how it might come off. Let's forget about it."
"What? No, Pete, I was going to say how much it meant to me that you did that! I'm never letting those flowers die, I hope you know. I want them on my grave."
"That-that's a bit dramatic don't you think--"
"Seriously, Pete! It was the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me, and I'm not just saying that."
We looked at each other for a moment. I wasn't quite sure what I was supposed to say.
"I'm glad...I'm glad it meant something to you. I hoped it would."
Whoa. Back up two drinks what the fuck did I just say.
"Of course it did, Peter, I--"
I cut him off when Sirius hurried past me with two shots in hand. Remus was free. Grabbing both shots and downing them, I hurried across the room to Remus after promising Gilderoy I'd be back.
"Remus!"
Remus stopped his conversation to respond.
"How's it going?"
He gestured to Gilderoy, who was leaning against a wall, sipping a beer.
"I can't do this, Remus. How did you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Deal with your crush on Sirius!"
"Well, I pined after him for so long he took pity on me and asked me out."
"That works?"
"No, Pete, he broke up with his girlfriend and shagged me to let off some steam."
"Oh."
"Gilderoy broken up with anyone recently?"
"Remus! I'm not you."
"You could just kiss him, you know. He can barely stand on his own, he won't remember a bit of it."
"I can't do that."
"You can't or you won't."
"Won't. You're not helpful I really hope you know that."
I then stormed off back to Gilderoy. Remus was right, he was very drunk, holding onto the wall and a giggling brunette girl for stability. I shot the dirtiest look I've ever in my life given at the girl, taking his arm and leading him to the couch, where I sat down next to him.
"Thanks. Want a spliff?"
He was slurring his words, but I nodded.
"Sure, thanks."
"Give us a light, yeah?"
I lit the spliff with my wand and we sat in silence for a while, passing it back and forth. I tried not to look too closely at his lips, but when they were wrapped around the thin rolled paper it was a little distracting. Eventually he broke the silence, not with words, but by letting out a loud sigh and resting his head on my shoulder. I tensed.
"I'm tired..."
He was slurring badly now, and as someone with zero alcohol tolerance I recognized one of my own. If he wasn't careful he was going to black out or throw up soon.
Only because I knew he was past the point of no return, I wrapped an arm around his shoulders. After a minute, his breathing got heavy and he slumped against me. God, of course I could smell his cologne. I was fully prepared to fall asleep right then, but before I did a tiny bit of bravery made its way into my system. I pushed his beautiful blond hair off his forehead and pressed my lips to his temple.