The Shrieking Shack

Gideon stands at the top of the stairs as Lily takes a look in the other rooms... He's interested, but not heaps, and besides, she can see what is happening perfectly well on her own. "Oh. Well, at least we also now know that there aren't any giant monsters waiting to pounce on us the second we saw them. That's good to know, don't you think?"

Lily comes back to the landing to join Gideon, unable to keep the disappointment from showing. Not that they're not going to get pounced on by monsters, about this place not being haunted. "Yeah. I like that we've not been killed, because boy would my face be red - I'm pretty sure that'd make the Guinness Book of Records for 'worst date ever', but it's kind of anticlimactic, don't you think? Not even a little chain rattling..." she says almost wistfully.

Gideon smiles. "Yeah, not being killed is definitely a good thing, I think. Worst date ever - probably not, just more exciting and scary than most," he admits. "It is a bit disappointing, that's true. Oh well, not much we can do about it, is there?" He shrugs, taking Lily's hand in his. They begin to walk down the stairs together, there just being enough room for them to walk side by side.

[James would like to know 1. why Gideon's ego is so acceptable and elicits a smirk from Evans, where as his gets him lectured. 2. Gideon said he likes easy girls but then that Lily is a challenge for him. WHY ISN'T HE GETTING LECTURES ABOUT HER BEING 'JUST ANOTHER CHALLENGE', HUH??? 3. James won't stop yelling at me.
Also, "Really quite filthy in here." is exactly what Lockhart said when he went into the chamber and from that bit onward, I was just laughing too much. Okay sorry for interrupting, James wouldn't be quiet until I posted this.]

"Hmm, well I suppose there are people who end up on dates so bad they wish they were dead. Personally I wouldn't know anything about that," Lily says, grinning across at Gideon as they reach the first floor once more and head back to the window. Casting one last curious, disappointed look about the Shack, Lily noxes out the light at the tip of her wand and slips it back into her waistband. She hoists herself out of the window more easily from this direction and lands with a light thud on the ground. Stepping out of the landing zone, she looks around the deserted area while she waits for Gideon to join her and shut the window once more. She smirks at him. "And nobody is any the wiser," she comments, pleased that they seem to have gotten in and out undetected.

James Potter. wrote:[James would like to know 1. why Gideon's ego is so acceptable and elicits a smirk from Evans, where as his gets him lectured. 2. Gideon said he likes easy girls but then that Lily is a challenge for him. WHY ISN'T HE GETTING LECTURES ABOUT HER BEING 'JUST ANOTHER CHALLENGE', HUH??? 3. James won't stop yelling at me.
Also, "Really quite filthy in here." is exactly what Lockhart said when he went into the chamber and from that bit onward, I was just laughing too much. Okay sorry for interrupting, James wouldn't be quiet until I posted this.]

[Lily says:
1. Because underneath the ego, Gideon is a nice guy, but Lily has only seen the immature, arrogant, bullying side of Potter. Also, Gideon isn't too busy sulking to banter back with her.
2. Because he might think like that, but he doesn't actually treat Lily like he's just trying to get laid. Also, if he'd have actually SAID that out loud, he'd still be rolling around on the floor clutching his testicles.
3. James needs a gag and a new hobby.
Also, I giggled quite a lot when I wrote that, and imagined Lily saying it in a Lockhart voice... Hope Potter shuts up now, but Inner!Lily says she doubts it.]

Lily Evans wrote:"Hmm, well I suppose there are people who end up on dates so bad they wish they were dead. Personally I wouldn't know anything about that," Lily says, grinning across at Gideon as they reach the first floor once more and head back to the window. Casting one last curious, disappointed look about the Shack, Lily noxes out the light at the tip of her wand and slips it back into her waistband. She hoists herself out of the window more easily from this direction and lands with a light thud on the ground. Stepping out of the landing zone, she looks around the deserted area while she waits for Gideon to join her and shut the window once more. She smirks at him. "And nobody is any the wiser," she comments, pleased that they seem to have gotten in and out undetected.

"Well, I wouldn't know about bad dates, either. After all, it is me on those dates, so they can't possibly be bad. Oh, well, except that one time, but it's not my fault the girl was hung over and was sick everywhere. It wasn't me who spiked the punch at that particular party, I swear." Gideon says, dusting himself off a little as he stands and takes Lily's hand again as they head back into the castle and disappear into oblivion.

[James says.
1. If he bantered, he'd be lecture for that as well.
2. James doesn't treat Lily like he's just trying to get laid. He treats her like he JUST WANTS TO FREAKING TALK TO HER WITHOUT HER BITING HIS HEAD OFF.
3. James does. *shoves his face full of pizza*]

Sirius had sneaked out across the grounds with his coat draw tightly around him, headphones in his ears blaring loud heavy metal, thanks. Probably Black Sabbath, because that's about as heavy as Sirius' music gets, because he doesn't like Eowyn's death metal, or so I found out when he threw a bitch fit about Soilwork being on the other day. He'd made sure no one was looking as he disappeared into the passage, not stopping until he was out on the other side, and inside the Shrieking Shack. It was the first place he'd thought of, in order to get away from Remus, to a place Lupin would never go looking for him-- ironically enough, the place only existed because of him. Either way, Sirius is here, rather upset, and it is still raining on his face WHAT IS UP WITH THE DAMN WEATHER GUYS and he is quite scared, poor thing. -cue James-

James followed his best friend out of the castle, heading toward the passage and following a little distance behind him as he went in. James moved through the tunnel silently, coming out in the Shrieking Shack at the other end. He watched his friend for a minute before speaking up, wondering if he could be heard over the music being blasted from Sirius's wizpod. "Padfoot, what's happened, mate?"

OMG. WIZPOD. I LIKE IT. I think we should just keep that term, yes? Yes. Sirius, who had seen James following when he'd been making sure nobody could see him taking the secret passage, finally looked up at his friend, pressing the pause button on his wizpod and sighing as he placed it on the ground, taking out the earbuds. "Prongs?" he said in a rather broken voice, because goddammit the last time my inner Sirius got this messed up, someone told him Fleurius wasn't happening in 2.0, and it wasn't pretty, dammit. "Prongs, I need a hug. And either some firewhiskey or a hooker or both. Maybe a stripper cake."

James gave his friend a sort of crooked amused smile, crossing the space between them with his arms spread open. He wrapped his arms tight around his best friend, seeing just how torn up he looked over something. "Well, the firewhiskey I could arrange for, but if you want the hooker you're on your own." James hugged his friend a while longer before letting go, squeezing Sirius's arm to suggest he follow him as he headed toward the kitchen of the shack. He rummaged through some cabinets before he found a couple empty bottles, quickly filling them with an aguamenti charm and then altering their contents into firewhiskey. Because dang it if Seamus can attempt a water to rum spell as a first year, James would have definitely figured out how to turn water to firewhiskey spell by this time in his life. "Here." He passed one of the bottles to Sirius and sat down in an old chair at the half-broken table, kicking his feet up on it. At least, until the added weight of his feet made it crash to the ground in a few pieces. "Oops." He got up again, throwing his arm over his friend's shoulders. "Anyway, what's happened, Padfoot?"

Um. Eowyn passed out last night... literally. Oops. SORRY ASHLEY <3

Sirius let out a slightly strangled sounding laugh as the chair broke, and he took the bottle and sat down on the floor, pulling James down with him. "That wasn't bright, Prongs. But thanks," he mumbled, opening the bottle and taking a small sip, sighing in relief as he felt the familiar burn of it sliding down his throat and chest-- and now, Eowyn really, really, really wants whiskey, and it's only 10:38am, good grief. Sirius leans his head on James, pouting like the saddest little puppy in the world. "It's-- Remus. We, me, him, fighting-- he-- ugh. Don't know what to do or think. He's really angry at me now, and he-- I don't know how to deal. Fuck, James," he groaned, burying his face in his friend's shoulder, unable to look him in the eyes. "Remus kissed me. Then he ran away. And now he's really, really mad. I think he may hate me. Forever."

*blinks* WELL GREAT...NOW REMUS DOESN'T WANT TO SEE JAMES EVER AGAIN EITHER.
*goes back to trying to coax Inner!Remus out of his room*
GOD DAMN IT THE CHOCOLATE ISN'T EVEN WORKING. I KNEW I SHOULDN'T HAVE ALLOWED HIM TO KEEP CHOCOLATE IN HIS ROOM. NOW I CAN'T EVEN USE THAT TO GET HIM OUT.

James listened in silence as his friend spoke, waiting for him to finish before he'd say anything. He kept his arm around him, knowing Sirius liked hugs and really just needed one right now. "You and Remus seem to have lots of these little fights though, and it always gets better-- wait. Did you just say... he kissed you?" James was thoroughly confused now. Sure, he knew now that Remus was gay, but kissing Sirius? It just seemed strange. "What did he do that for? He can't really hate you forever, could he? What happened, Padfoot?" James wanted to understand and try to make it better, because he didn't like it when his friends weren't getting along or were unhappy. Sirius, clearly, was unhappy, and he was afraid it seemed like Remus was as well, if he ran away and was mad at Sirius. As strange as all this was, and as much as James couldn't wrap his head around it, he just wanted it to be better again, normal again.

"That's just it, James. We never used to fight, and now that we do, it isn't better. It's just us pretending that it is, because we hate fighting," he admitted glumly. "Well how am I supposed to know what he did that for?! I don't know, maybe he does hate me forever! I don't know what happened or why all I know is that it did, and then I went into shock, obviously, and then the next thing I know, he's just running off all pissy and angry and I still don't know what-- ugh. I got kissed by a dude. I haven't even washed my mouth out with soap yet," he grumbled, then proceeded to attempt to drown himself in whiskey, or at least that's what it looks like. "James, why the bloody hell would he do something like that?! He kept saying a crap ton of stuff, none of which made any sense-- and then that. All I told him was I needed to know why he's been acting like this! You know, he's been avoiding me. All month. Ever since Jack. He never wants to be around me, and he freaks out when I do little things I've always done-- like the other day, he didn't even want me hugging him! And now-- now he's kissing me!?"

James is having a strange moment of clarity. Perhaps being removed from the situation a little gives him a perspective, and perhaps James is quite a bit more intelligent than anyone has ever given him credit for. Regardless, he gives his friend a good hard look before speaking. "Well, maybe things aren't the same as they were before. I mean, we know now that Remus, well, likes dudes. He told us that much himself. But..." James wasn't sure what he was about to say, it just sort of made sense to him. "Maybe he feels weird around you now because of it? You know, because we're super straight manly men, and he's, um, well he's Remus. And maybe hugging you he feels weird about it? And... hmm." James had been thinking perhaps Remus just didn't want to make Sirius uncomfortable, but that certainly didn't explain the kiss. He pondered a bit more, taking a long drink of firewhiskey, and pondering a bit more. "What if... no, no." He paused, a little freaked out about what his brain had finally come up with, wondering if maybe he'd gone overboard on this whole thinking and trying to figure it out thing. Maybe he was just making up things now. He said it anyway, because James isn't one to keep things to himself among his friends. "What if... whatifRemuslikesyou?"


If this screws up plot or something, let me know and I'll change it. No big.

Nope, we're good. I think. *blinks* We're sort of winging this... all of it. Wolfstar and planning would just not work, so we just... let it fly?

Sirius snorts and takes a sip of whiskey, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, next to Remus, the two of us are like the Old Spice guy. He's not the manliest of men. But that doesn't change anything-- we've always been so much sexier and masculine, right? And I mean... Remus has always liked guys, I mean, that isn't new. He just hadn't told us, you know? So I just don't-- WHAT THE HELL JAMES DID YOU REALLY JUST SAY THAT WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN SMOKING AND WHERE CAN I GET SOME, DUDE, BECAUSE THAT IS THE MOST RIDICULOUS THING YOU HAVE EVER COME UP WITH IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE, MAN. IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE!" he hollered, rather horrified and almost disgusted, even. "James-- why the hell would he-- dude, I'm-- I'm Sirius. There is NO logical reason someone like REMUS would like me. Hot blonde girls? Sure, they're all over me. But they're all-- James, they're all stupid blonde bimbos, most of the time. Or brunette. And occasionally redhead. But not usually. I tend to get the blondes. Perhaps there's something to those stereotypes, after all, but-- what I'm saying is, why the fuck would a guy like Remus, like ME?! I mean-- we can't be any more different!"

"I HAVEN'T BEEN SMOKING ANYTHING PADFOOT, IT IS LOGICAL I SWEAR. At least it was in my mind. I mean... think about what you just said. These girls who like you aren't all stupid blonde bimbos. You just said there were some brunettes and redheads and I'm sure some of them are intelligent or more interesting than the dippy cheerleader type. You know, girls with big sexy brains like Evans has. Right? Am I right? Of course I'm right. So if that's right, why doesn't it make sense that someone that much more different could like you, huh? YOU'RE TOTALLY LIKEABLE, BRO. TOTALLY. Because you're talking like a girl has to be stupid, exceptionally stupid, to like you." Pansy approves of the theory of only stupid people liking Sirius, but James is convinced otherwise. "AM I WRONG, PADFOOT? AM. I. WRONG?"

"Umm... Well, Alice isn't stupid. But she's also insane, Prongs. MAYBE ONLY CRAZY GIRLS AND STUPID GIRLS LIKE ME OKAY!? IT HAS NEVER BEEN A PROBLEM BECAUSE CRAZY OR STUPID THEY ALL TAKE THEIR CLOTHES OFF! And that's what counts right? But even if NORMAL girls like me, I mean-- James this is so ridiculous. He's REMUS! Remus Lupin likes things to be normal. I am not normal. I am Sirius. Remus Lupin likes things to be structured. Remus Lupin likes punctuality. He likes studiousness. Boringness. He likes boring things. Remus Lupin likes things organized, neat orderly, and for Merlin's sake, James, he likes QUIET! I am not any of those things! Why the hell would he-- and I mean, I'm one of his best friends, we're practically brothers! We've grown up together, dammit. It's just... isn't it a bit wrong?"

[Parvati is neither stupid or crazy. Just saying. She likes Sirius.....]

[Sirius is coming up with excuses, dammit. LET HIM HAVE HIS DENIAL.]

"Sure, that's all that counts, Sirius." James laughed and rolled his eyes, because right now all he cares about as far as girls go is not getting into their pants. It's just to get Lily to stop hating him. And unfortunately after their last talk, he's sort of afraid of talking to her again. "Alright, alright." James held his hands up, well, mostly since he was still clutching a bottle of firewhiskey. "Insist what you want to, I was just making a guess. I mean, there's the whole opposites attract thing, and quiet people needing someone to liven them up, stupid people needing someone to help them get smarter, social people needing someone to bring out of their shell, cocky people like me needing someone to bring them back down to earth like Evans."

"Did you just call me stupid, social, and cocky? Oh, bugger, you're probably right, anyway-- about that, I mean! Not about Remus, that's just-- it makes no sense-- but why would he-- he was obviously possessed when he kissed me. It is the only logical explanation. Demonic possession. Clearly we should just call the Winchesters and then have a lovely orgy," he says quite seriously, thank you very much. "Yes. That must be it. Some demon is out to fuck with my mind and send me into a spiral of self-torture and misery and confusion over all of this. IT IS LOGICAL DO NOT GIVE ME THAT LOOK PRONGS, DON'T GIVE ME THAT LOOK! Remus-- he just-- he couldn't-- could he? James, do you really-- do you really think he could?"

James was most certainly giving him that look, because really he deserved that look. "Demonic possession?" He blinked a few times. "Demonic. Possession." He blinked a few more times. "REALLY PADFOOT, REALLY? THAT IS MORE LOGICAL THAN MY WELL THOUGHT OUT EXPLANATION OF WHAT IS POSSIBLY GOING ON, WITH EXAMPLES AND MORE EXAMPLES AND ACTUAL PROOF? Yes, clearly Remus is possessed by a demon that loves to read, and eat chocolate, and get easily upset and run away. That certainly sounds like a demon. You know Remus, I know Remus, there's no demon in his smart little head." James continued giving Sirius that look, just because he can. "I'm just saying, that is my theory and until proved otherwise, as really strange as it might be, I think I will stick to it."