chapter twenty
“Who goes first?” Lily asked.
“I’ll go,” Peter shocked everyone as he sat forward to spin it, only for it to land on Sirius.
“It’s alright mate, I won’t make you succumb to a whole seven minutes in ehll with me. Go ahead and just peck me!” Sirius grinned with a dramatic wink.
He sat forward so his friend could kiss him and Peter rolled his eyes. If it hadn’t been for the alcohol running through his blood or his friends urging he wouldn’t have done it. He scrunched his nose in displeasure but was a good sport and kissed Sirius’ lips swiftly.
“Wow, I think I felt fire works, did you feel that, Worm tail?” Sirius joked after.
Peter responded by throwing a pillow at him in good humor. Sirius took his turn, landing on Remus.
“Ooh!” Marigold shrieked with delight.
“Get your butt up and get ready to pucker!” Sirius grinned, pulling his best friend with him to the bedroom.
“I want to hear this!” Marigold hopped up and pressed an ear to the closed door, followed by James and Lily.
Seven minutes later, Marigold pulled open the door exciditdly, finding Remus and Sirius standing there lip locked. She clapped her hands and James cheered, Lily laughed. Marigold hung from their shoulders, peppering them both in kisses.
“This opens up our possibilities endlessly!” She seemed the most pleased out of everyone. Remus rolled his eyes, and Sirius shook his head.
“I’ll try anything once,” Remus shrugged as they sat back down.
“Anything for you two,” Sirius gushed and the entire group cackled with laughter.
Remus spun the bottle and it landed on Marigold, much to everyone’s suspicion.
“Are you sure they didn’t trick it?” Marlene snickered.
“No, but I might’ve,” Sirius joked.
Their seven minutes were spent with her in his arms, pressed against a wall in a rough make out. When they exited she sported a hickey, although no-one was shocked.
“Lily!” Marigold smirked as the bottle stopped spinning to point at her ginger best friend.
“Don’t feel like it has to be behind closed doors,” James chidded, urning a glare from Lily. Still, she shrugged and neither made their way to stand, instead they leaned forward and kissed for the audience, Marigold’s hand on her cheek for stabilty, Lily’s on Marigold’s shoulder. Remus and Sirius stared, mouths agape in amazement.
“I can’t believe she kissed you before I got to!” James beamed, trying to hide the glint of interest piqued within him at the sight. “Don’t tell us that was your first kiss, Lils?”
“No, Severus kissed me when we were eight,” Lily teased. Only Marigold knew the truth in her reply.
As luck would have it, lily’s spin came to a halt on none other than James Potter. They both kept up instantly, excited for another moment alone.
“It’s their love story and we’re just living in it, aren’t we?” Marigold smiled fondly at the closed door.
“To the hot side characters!” Remus raised a fake glass, and the remaining group followed in suit. None of them needed another drink, more than happy with their current intoxication, despite the mostly full handle of Rum and few beers being chilled in the winter air outside.
When the couple returned, hand in hand, the entire gaggle of teenagers cheered for them, congratulating James on finally kissing her. His face was as red as the girls hair, and she was grinning ear to ear.
James spin had landed on Dorcas, and she politely pecked her cheek out of respect for Lily and Mary. She spun now, landing on Marlene.
“Just a peck? Mary won’t mind,” Dorcas shrugged in good nature and Marlene agreed, kissing her with a hand on her chin.
Marlene spun it only for it land just beyond Peter’s hoping figure. Marigold looked up at her with big eyes.
“Our blessings,” Sirius faked a bow.
“To the room?” Marigold raised a playful eyebrow.
“Why not, it’ll be funny!” Marlene agreed.
Once in the room, Marigold shut the door, a mischievous plan in her mind. Marlene instantly picked up on the glint in her eyes.
“We’re totally gonna get them, right?” Marigold whispered.
“Of course!” She matched her smirk. They began jumping on the bare bed to make it squeak, letting out over-dramatized moans, trying to stifle their giggles. The ruckus just behind the door was undeniable, and the girls knew they had them.
“Marigold! Where did you learn that?” Marlene pretended amazement, hitting a hand against the wall loudly.
“A Lupin family secret!” Marigold did another slam of her palm against the headboard, doing her best to not give the act away.
“What did you two boys subject her to?” Lily gasped behind the door.
“Poor Marigold,” Sirius rolled his eyes. “Should be asking what she subjects us to!”
“Lupin family secret!” Remus doubled over with laughter.
When the door swung open the girls quickly moved to sit cross-legged on the bed innocently kissing. Their friends all adorned confused and shocked emotions.
“We totally got you!” Marlene yelled, pulling away.
“You marauders aren’t the only ones capable of a prank!” Marigold smiled sweetly to her boys.
“Alright, let Marlene take another spin since you two faked it so harshly!” James chuckled.
“Fine by me!” Marlene scrambled back to the bottle.
This time, it landed on Peter and Dorcas let out a sigh of relief. Peter’s eyes bulged. Marigold tried to hide her giant smile behind a hand on her face, but Marlene was public with her celebration. She pumped a fist in the air, shrieks of joy escaping her.
“No escaping me now, Pete!” She grabbed him by the hand.
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” He replied, dazed.
The seven minutes came but the door didn’t open, Lily had fallen asleep next to James as he chatted with Dorcas about Mary.
“Reckon we should let them out of jail?” Marigold asked as she laid down on her side, facing her two admirers.
“Nah, let them have their fun,” Sirius dismissed with a knowing look.
“They’ll come out when they’re ready,” Remus yawned, agreeing.
When dawn arrived, all eight teenagers were back in the main room, scrawled haphazardly about the space. Dorcas had stretched herself over the small sofa, Lily and Marigold slept between Remus and James’ warm bodies, and Sirius curled up at their feet despite being in his human form. Marlene and Peter had returned from their much longer than seven minutes alone to curl up on the other side of Remus together.
Marigold blinked her eyes open, something shifting at her feet, groaning. She glanced down at Sirius, perched up on her elbows. Her hair stuck out in every direction from sleeping on the ground, Sirius’ was stuck to his face with his drool. He connected their eyes and he frowned miserably, Marigold knew that look.
Sirius had the weakest stomach in the group, they all teased him for it endlessly. He gagged, covering his mouth with the back of one hand, the other gripping her ankle. She nodded, sleep still her main thought. Wordlessly they both scrambled to the tent door where he unzipped it only a foot or so.
He stuck his head out and emptied his stomach, while Marigold held his hair back. Her eyes were barely open but she kissed the back of his shoulders in support. The sound of retching is what woke up Lily and James, both sitting up to watch the scene before grumbling and laying back down.
After his spill Sirius zipped the tent back up, thanking his companion with a hug. Marigold sighed contently, hugging him back. They crawled back towards the heap of blankets, where She laid him down next to Remus and nestled between them.
It was much later in the morning when they all finally got up for good, initially just laying in place and talking through their hangovers. Dorcas passed around the hangover cure, and they eventually felt well enough to pursue the solid food of breakfast.
They were all bundled up nibbling on Fleamont’s homemade biscuits and muffins, yawns, and moans of headaches sounded all around. The rest of the trip they steered clear of any more alcohol, only smoking Sirius’ joints and playing wizard card games supplied by Peter.
By the time they hiked back to the Potter residence on the third afternoon, the bond between the eight was strengthened amazingly so. Peter no longer avoided Marlene like a plague, Lily and James had entered a mutual flirting territory, Dorcas and Marigold had a secret handshake, Sirius and Remus had made out, and so many new inside jokes had been created.