14th of May, 1973
“Checkmate!”
“Argh, it’s no fun playing with you Peter, you always win!” Marlene sulks as her childhood friend’s bishop and queen traps her king in the corner of the chess board.
“And you always whine Mickey,” Peter counters with a grin and her nickname, drumsticks materialising in his hands which he drums on his bouncing leg.
Marlene pouts, crossing her arms. “Why do you always let me challenge you? Doesn’t it get boring winning all the time?!”
“Nope.”
“ARGH!”
“Let’s play Never Have I Ever,” Lily interrupts their squabble from her spot draped against Remus on the couch before it can get too big.
Marlene huffs at the quick topic change but nods her head anyway, resolutely folding her arms across from Peter who smirks.
Sirius asks the question Marlene is sure all the rest of them are thinking: “What’s that?”
Lily smiles, cocking an eyebrow in challenge. “A muggle game girls play at sleepovers.”
“We’re not all girls!” Sirius immediately protests and Lily sighs, already weary.
“Cry about it. Are you wimping out?”
“No!”
“Then shut up,” Mary tells him from next to James who opens his mouth to presumably defend his best friend but quickly snaps it shut miserably when Lily shoots him a glare.
“Who wants to start?” Marlene asks the group of misfits but is quickly interrupted by James.
“Wait, wait, how do you play?”
Mary rolls her eyes before turning to the boy beside her. “You just say the phrase ‘Never Have I Ever’ and then follow it by something you have or haven’t done. And if you have done it, you’re supposed to take a shot, but I guess we’ll just do the ten fingers thing. Before you boys ask another annoying question you could probably answer with common sense, that's where you hold ten fingers up and put a finger down for each thing you’ve done. First to put all their fingers down wins.”
A loud, excited voice comes from Marlene’s right. “We can try and sneak Slughorn’s Firewhisky stash? I know where he keeps it!”
“Sirius, you don’t need alcohol! You’re fourteen,” Lily bites, eyes wide, and the boy sighs, leaning back on his chair with a sour expression.
“Boring.”
“Ok, so who wants to start then?” Lily repeats Marlene’s question, pointedly looking away from Sirius and his comment.
“I’ll start?” Peter offers and Marlene snorts, mirth dancing in her mind until he looks at her with an evil look on her face.
She glares at him. “Peter, don’t you even da–“
“Never Have I Ever won chess.”
Marlene scowls as he maintains eye contact, triumphantly putting a finger down. Lily, Remus and James each put a finger down with a wince before the job of asking questions passes to the person to the left of Peter: James.
“Oh, ok, erm… Never Have I Ever…” He brightens as he obviously lands on a question, “been on the winning quidditch team.”
“What- James not everyone has played quidditch!”
“That seems like a you-problem Lily darling.”
“Don’t call me darling, this is unfa–“
“It’s the game,” Marlene interrupts with an eyeroll (though she’s really just happy to have a finger down this round). “Mary’s turn,” She reminds them, and Lily lets it go with a small grumble and smouldering look at James.
Something is so going to happen between them, Marlene knows it.
Mary is quick, clearly having thought of her question earlier. “Never Have I Ever kissed someone of the same gender.”
Marlene snorts at the hesitant looks on everyone else’s faces as she quickly drops a finger. “You guys are so going down,” She challenges and watches as the others accept it, Mary, Lily and Remus also joining her. She is about 97% certain the others are lying but Sirius takes his turn before she can accuse them.
“Never Have I Ever gotten a howler.”
“Cheater!” Mary exclaims as Sirius becomes the only member of their group to win that round. Just like he knew he would be.
Lily rolls her eyes but continues the game: “Never Have I Ever smoked a cigarette and coughed because of it.” She smirks as James and Sirius look at each other before putting a finger down in shame. The group cackles loudly at the pointed jab before Remus takes his turn.
“Never Have I Ever had my first kiss with someone in this group.”
Marlene watches in horror as everyone but Peter and herself slowly loses a finger.
“Oh C’MON!” Peter exclaims indignantly.
“SOME OF YOU HAVE TO BE LYING!!” Marlene argues, flipping them all off when they shake their heads in denial of her claim. “Then you’re all sluts.”
“Aw thanks!”
“Shut up Sirius!!”