The Sun Also Rises
Chapter 12
7 minutes.
7 minutes is all it takes for James to locate the Snitch and grasp it in his hands. Gryffindor are 20 points behind Hufflepuff, but that doesn't matter, because James has just ended the game for good. Remus, Peter and Sirius don't hesitate for even a second; as soon as they get confirmation that James has got the Snitch, without a word, all three of them start to run down to the pitch. James is just landing down on the pitch when they reach him, almost losing his grip on the Snitch when the three of them tackle him to the ground. Sirius is screaming, and Remus is pretty sure he just saw tears on Peter's face. James is whooping loudly, his glasses thrown askew. The other players are joining them now, too; out of the corner of his eye, Remus sees Imisy take Lily's face in her hands and plant a big, fat kiss on her cheek. Lily is laughing in delight. Remus barely manages to stifle his laughter when he turns to see James staring at them with mild horror. Someone near them yells "Party in the common room!" and the rest of the Gryffindors cheer in assent. Remus leans down and helps James up. James claps him on the back and together, all of them start to make their way back to the common room.
Remus leans against the wall on one side of the common room, feeling vaguely sick. As they were going to the common room, a few seventh years had run ahead first to the common room. It had taken only two minutes for the entourage to reach their destination, but as if the others had known about their upcoming victory, the common room was completely decked out in red. A few tables were scattered throughout the room, filled with Butterbeer, Firewhiskey, and several other dishes. Remus had a feeling he knew where they had come from. Music was playing from somewhere Remus couldn't see. It didn't take long for the party to swing into full speed. Dorcas had brought him a glass of Butterbeer; he had taken a tentative sip at first, and suddenly everything around him came into stark focus. He was wide awake and he was seeing the colours around him as if for the first time. He drank the glass in one go, then drank some more, and then again, until his stomach had started grumbling uncomfortably, and he had been forced to retire to the corner.
The huddle of students dancing in the middle lifts James onto their shoulders; his robes are askew and there's a comically large lipstick stain on his cheek. A plume of smoke appears on the other side of the room and an angry voice yells, "Finnegan!" There's a sound of glass shattering. Someone curses loudly. A few feet away from Remus, Asher Scrimgeour is sitting in an armchair, surrounded by a gaggle of girls and looking like he would rather be anywhere else in the world.
His chest is burning. The pain has him almost doubled over. He hears someone speak from beside him.
"You okay?"
Remus looks up to see Imisy staring at him with concerned eyes. He barely has time to shake his head before his throat is on fire; he clamps his hand to his mouth and runs to his dorm as fast as possible, pushing away everyone who is in his path. He makes it to the toilet in just enough time to get rid of most of it, but it's too late; the front of his shirt is ruined. He slumps down on to the floor, exhausted.
The door is open. Remus can sense Imisy hovering just outside the doorway, unsure of what to do. He gets up unsteadily and goes to the door. He is right; Imisy is standing with her arms folded just outside the door, with an anxious expression. Her eyes flicker down to the ruined shirt; Remus feels his ears warm. He tries not to look at Imisy's worried eyes — it makes his heart feel weak, like it's going to fall out of his chest at any minute — and instead focuses on finding a new shirt to wear. Behind him, as he is rummaging in his suitcase, he hears Imisy ask if he feels alright. Does he need to go to the hospital wing? Remus shakes his head frantically; there's no reason to make a scene of it. He finds a woolen sweater, only worn a handful of times since his mother had bought it for him. He still ignores Imisy's eyes as he goes into the bathroom to change. When he comes out again, Imisy is sitting on Sirius's bed, humming quietly, legs swinging up and down. She stops swinging them when she spots him. Remus goes to sit on his bed and she stands up.
Do you want to go back down there?
No.
Pause.
Do you want me to stay here?
Pause.
Yes.
In a few steps, Imisy covers the distance to Remus's bed. She sits down and leans back on her arms, glancing around the room. Remus quietly relishes their close proximity, feeling the warmth of her body beside his.
"You know, I kind of imagined this dorm to look a little differently,"
Our dorm in particular? "What did you imagine it as?"
"I don't know, something more......manly? Disorganized? It looks just like the girls'"
Remus smiles, and that's when he finally notices the small camera hanging around Imisy's neck. Her hands are cradling it gently. He gestures to it.
"Have you taken any? Pictures, I mean,"
She looks down at it and smiles. "Want to see?"
He smiles back. "Of course." He has completely forgotten about the party downstairs by this point.
James spears a piece of an omelette and eats it with undisguised relish. "Where were you last night, Lupin?"
Remus hesitates. He's tempted to lie to them — after all, who the hell throws up from eating Butterbeer? — but he decides not to. He's a terrible liar, and he knows it.
"I drank a little too much Butterbeer and threw up," he answers frankly. He braces himself for the laughter, but it doesn't come. James frowns slightly.
"Were you alright? Why didn't you come to one of us?"
"It wasn't neces-"
"No. Scratch that. We should have been there," James shoots him an apologetic look. "Sorry, mate. Won't happen again. Got a little... Preoccupied." He shoots a significant look at Sirius; he smirks and looks away. What was all that about? Remus wonders. He doesn't tell them that Imisy was there with him. It doesn't feel right to do so, for whatever reason. Though she had promised him last night that she would get him a copy of all her pictures. They had been extraordinary. She had taken more than a dozen different pictures of the party, including one where someone was dousing James and Asher in Firewhiskey, arguably the best one of them all. Imisy had left around 8pm, and Remus had fallen asleep soon after that, half of his body still hanging off his bed where he had been sitting, and so he had not seen the mess his friends had trekked in. It obviously had been a sight to behold, judging from the pictures Imisy had taken.
Remus catches Imisy's eye just as he is lifting a glass of water to his lips. She smiles and winks at him. He chokes, and immediately, his throat is on fire. Imisy gives a snort, and Peter thumps him on the back. Though Remus can't help laughing at himself either.
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