And that he did. By the next day, the news spread like wildfire. There wasn't a single soul - or ghost or portrait - in Hogwarts that didn't know that the boy Val had allegedly cheated on James Potter with was Regulus Black, his best friend's brother.

"Regulus Black?" James hissed as he followed close beside the girl. She rolled her eyes. He was not the first person shocked by the news and he certainly wouldn't be the last. "You could have told me that!"

"Where's the fun in that?" Val inquired. "I told you that you would find out with everyone else," she reminded him. "I never lied."

"But Sirius's brother?" he gaped. "Of all the people to-"

"Have a conversation with," she interjected before he could accuse her of 'cheating' on him. "I had a conversation with him one time," she explained. "We talked. That's it. Merlin, you would think I was Hester Pryne."

"Who?" he asked in confusion.

"From Scarlet Letter?" she replied but that seemed to only deepen his confusion. "Nevermind." She shook her head, "Do you need me to stand on a table and declare that I didn't sleep with him?"

"Well, no. I was just saying-"

"That I should have told you?" she interjected. "For one: I don't have to tell you anything. And two: technically we never said we weren't exclusive. Even if I did sleep with him - which I didn't - it wouldn't have mattered."

He watched her for a moment, "But now we're exclusive."

"If that's what you want, sure."

"Okay, it's settled then."

"I'm not sure you can call it settled when there was no real controversy but okay," she replied as they entered the Hall. The room fell silent upon seeing the couple and James took her hand in his. "I can find my way to the table. Go sit with your friends."

He leaned toward her and his breath tickled her ear as he spoke in a hushed tone, "I don't like the way all the guys are looking at you."

"Back on the whole alpha male thing are we?" she inquired as she took a seat at the table and he sat down next to her. "I thought we had decided that it didn't suit you."

"I am not an alpha male."

"Oh, you totally are," Remus countered as he sat across from the couple and Sirius sat next to him. Peter sat next to James but Val didn't have to see him to know he was there.

"And that says a lot coming from him," Sirius added, earning a scowl from the boy.

James's nose wrinkled, "I'm sorry that I want what's mine to be-"

"I thought we had moved past the whole women are objects thing," Val announced, cutting the boy short. "Guess I was wrong."

James rolled his eyes at this, "You know that's not what I meant."

"Do I?" she countered, scratching her forearm. If she just tried to relax, she could make it through one meal. Just one meal.

She placed food on her plate to distract herself but didn't eat it. She pushed the piece of bread she had cut into a small cube around her plate, her leg bouncing up and down as she did so.

James placed his hand on her thigh and she looked over at him to see him watching her with a questioning eyebrow. Val simply shook her head and looked down at her plate. He didn't remove his hand.

He had begun to draw circles on her leg which sent tingles throughout her body. She didn't mind it all that much though, it overpowered the burning sensation from being in such close proximity with Peter.

"Did you or did you not sleep with my brother?" Sirius asked suddenly and Val's head shot up at the abruptness of the comment. James's hand tightened slightly around her thigh and she could tell he wasn't happy that his friend had asked the question.

"No," she answered honestly. "But even if I had, I'm not entirely sure that it concerns you."

"I disagree," he countered. "You're dating my best friend."

"So the fact that it was your brother has nothing to do with it?" she inquired and his jaw clenched at the comment. "James and I have had a discussion about it already. As far as I'm concerned, it's been handled. And while I'm glad that his best friend is concerned about the type of girl he's dating, I think it would be better if you didn't ask me questions like that. If James would like to discuss it with you later, I don't care, but now really isn't the time."

"I'm not-"

"Maybe you should let it go," Remus suggested as he glanced between the couple across from him and Sirius. "Just this time." Sirius's eye twitched slightly but he said nothing more on the subject.

Val had no intention of getting on James's friends' bad sides but she also was never one to let someone accuse her of things that hadn't even happened. James leaned forward so that his head was facing away from his friends and whispered, "We can go."

She shook her head slightly and turned to look at him, "It's fine."

"Are you sure?" he asked and she nodded again. He reached his hand up and brushed her hair behind her ear, scanning her face for any indication that she was lying.

Sirius cleared his throat and the pair looked over in confusion. He was looking at Val as he spoke, "I didn't mean to offend you." James, Peter and Remus all appeared surprised by this.

She took it that this was his version of an apology. Or the closest he could bring himself to get to one. "I'm not one to talk about personal things so when people pry, I tend to snap," she explained. "I understand you were worried about your friend-" and brother, she was tempted to add but refrained, "-but I would never do anything to hurt him. That much I can promise."

"Good," he nodded and some of the tension lifted. "Because if you did, I would kill you."

"Please," she replied with a faint laugh, "You wouldn't get the chance."

James's thumb resumed it's soothing movement and Val could tell that things had returned to somewhat normal as the boys resumed their conversation.

"I have to go check out a book from the library," Peter announced and Val couldn't help but feel relieved that he was leaving. "I'll see you guys later."

Val relaxed significantly as the boy walked away which didn't go unnoticed by James. He glanced over at Peter as he left the room and she kept her eyes trained on the table to avoid looking up at him.

"We're actually going to head back to the common room," James announced and Val looked up in surprise. "The Transfiguration test is coming up and I told her I'd help her study."

Sirius groaned, "How long do you need? Fifteen minutes?" James shot the boy a look, "Oh, come on, that was generous. Fine, an hour. Is that better?"

"Studying can just mean studying," Val informed the boy as she stood up from her seat. James moved his hand off her leg and stood up as well, slipping his hand into hers a moment later.

"Please, with the sexual tension between you two, studying will last about five seconds," Sirius pointed out. He turned to look at Remus, "Maybe we should give them two hours to be safe."

Val narrowed her eyes, "Make it three."

James cleared his throat at this and Val looked back at him with an amused expression, "I mean four seems like a bit much, but if you insist..."

"Oh, would you just go already," he requested, rolling his eyes. The blush that made its way onto his face didn't go unnoticed.

"You got yourself a keeper there, Prongs," Sirius shouted after the pair and James scowled as he led the girl out of the Hall, his hand resting on her lower back.

"I have been meaning to ask you about that," Val announced as though the previous conversation hadn't occurred at all. "Why do they call you 'Prongs'?"

"It's my Patronus," he answered simply although it seemed that there was more to it. Val let it go. "What are we going to do for four hours?"

"Study," she replied as though it were obvious. "You did promise to help me study."

"Yes but for four hours?" he questioned as they navigated their way through the castle. It was like muscle memory getting from the Hall to the common room.

"At least half of it," she suggested. "The other half you can spend reading Scarlet Letter so you can learn who Hester Pryne is."

"Only if you read it to me," he replied and she rolled her eyes. He said the password and the two entered the common room together. "It's not-" his comment died in his throat as he froze, causing Val to run into his back.

"You could have at least walked fully in before you-" she began but stopped upon seeing what the hold up was. She cocked her head to the side as she looked up at the banner, "At least they picked a good photo."

James's hand tightened slightly around hers as he looked up at the banner as well. Hanging from the ceiling of the common room was a giant blown up school photo of Val. If she remembered correctly, it was from last year. Written across it in what could only be identified as red spray paint was the word 'FLOOZY' in all capital letters.

"Why they didn't just go with 'slut' is beyond me," she announced and James turned to look at her. "Maybe it was too on the nose." She laughed at her own joke. "Get it," she asked as she looked up at him, "Because they wrote it on my-" She stopped upon seeing the unamused expression on the boy's face, "No? Okay. Tough crowd."

"How is it that you remain unphased by this when my blood is boiling and it's not even about me," he pointed out, his face hiding whatever it was exactly that he was feeling about the situation. If he hadn't said anything, she would have thought he too was unphased.

"Because it's not true so it doesn't matter," she explained with a shrug. "It would only bother someone if it rang true. I am not a floozy therefore it has no impact on me. Now if it had said disappointment or failure at transfiguration then maybe I would be bothered."

He looked back up at the banner before looking over at the group of girls who were laughing at it. "Was this you?" he demanded and they immediately sobered up.

"N-no," one of them answered quickly. "We came back from dinner and it was already done."

"Get the banner down." They all nodded quickly before setting to work.

The portrait opened again and in walked a group of Gryffindor's, among them, Sirius and Remus.

"So much for those four hours, huh?" Sirius inquired resulting in him getting elbowed in the side by Remus.

"You guys are so dramatic," Val announced. "It could be so much worse." Val stepped forward and James reached forward to pull her back but it was too late.

"Wait, Val-" Whatever had been the trigger, Val had set it off.

A bucket of sticky substance appeared above her and spilled over her head before she could move out of the way, followed a moment later by a bucket of circular rings of sorts. Val squeezed her eyes shut to avoid the substance, which she determined a moment later was honey, from getting in her eye.

"Are those...?" Sirius trailed off, unable to say what they actually were.

Remus nodded, his eyes wide as he took in the scene, "That's exactly what they are."

"Now this," she began, surprising herself by maintaining a steady volume. She pulled off one of the condoms from her arm and held it up, "This pisses me off." She took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself, "Although, I must admit, I can admire the creative energy put into it." She took another breath as she flung her hands out, sending honey off of her and to the floor where the excess from the bucket landed. "I hope whoever did this is satisfied."

"She really doesn't get angry easily, does she?" Sirius asked James who narrowed his eyes at the boy.

"No, she does," Val countered as she continued to pull the condoms off and throw them on the ground. "But she grew up attending preppy parties and being surrounded by ignorant assholes and she knows how to keep her cool in public." She shook her head slightly, "At least most of the time."

"How about we get you cleaned up?" James suggested warily. He was afraid that saying the wrong thing might make her snap and he was probably right.

The portrait door opened to reveal Professor McGonagall, followed in by Lily and Marlene. Lily's eyes widened as she took in the scene and Marlene appeared as though she was fighting down a laugh.

"Okay, now would be the time to get me out of here," she informed the boys. "Preferably before I rip the blondes head off."

"Oh," James's eyes widened as he stepped forward, taking the girl's hand. She was peeking out of one eye so she could see some but if she opened them all the way, honey would enter her eye.

"This is just pure gold," Marlene gasped, her hands covering her mouth as she took in what was no doubt her work. "I mean, better than anything I could have possibly imagined."

Val turned to go after the girl but James grabbed the girls forearms and held her back before she could. "Let me at her!" she practically growled.

"You did this?" Lily gaped at the girl. "I told you to leave it alone!"

"Not entirely on my own," she admitted. "But this is priceless."

"Someone get that banner down," McGonagall demanded. "And clean up this mess." She turned to face Marlene who was still admiring her work. "McKinnon, my office," she demanded, "Now." She glanced over at Val who seemed to still be trying to go after Marlene but between James holding her back and the excessive honey, she was rendered incapable. "Once you're cleaned up, come find me."

McGonagall escorted Marlene from the room, leaving the students to themselves.

"Come on," James suggested as he turned Val around so she was facing the stairs that led to the boys rooms. "We're going now."

Val reluctantly obeyed and allowed James to guide her up the stairs. She wasn't entirely sure where she was heading until they came to a stop outside a door. "Just stay out here and don't let anyone in," James requested and Val could just barely see Remus and Sirius nod in agreement.

James helped Val stand under the shower head and turned it on slowly. Val jumped as the cold water hit her skin but he held her still so she didn't fall. He raised his hands and carefully removed the honey from her eyes. Her eyes opened completely after a moment and she watched him, "You're wet now."

"It could be worse," he shrugged as he continued to rub the honey from her face. He started to work out the substance from her hair, "I mean, I could be covered head to toe in honey." She whacked him on the chest but she was smiling and he merely laughed. "You handled it better than I would have."

"That's because I have class," she informed him. "Granted, when I was covered in condoms and honey, I'm sure I looked the opposite of graceful."

"Eh, I think you looked hot," he replied and she laughed at this. "I'm gonna go get you some dry clothes," he explained. "You'll be okay?"

She nodded as he dropped his hands from her hair, "Thank you."

He grinned, "What are boyfriends for?"