may, 1977

THIS party sucked ass.

It was nearly the end of sixth year, and Vera had had just about enough of everything. She was at a party and she was sober. She couldn't remember the last time she had gone to a party and hadn't wanted to get drunk.

She was so utterly bored. Nora was off snogging some pretentious arse she would end up hooking up with and forgetting about in a couple of hours, while Adonis was flashing his cocky, dimpled grin at a group of girls who would probably fight over who got to see the inside of his bedroom at the end of the night.

It was a little depressing how Vera pretty much only spent her time with her best friend and her twin brother. Sure, she had other friends.

But she didn't have friends.

Other than Nora and Adonis, there was no one whom she felt the need to hang out with. Yes, she liked to take people to bed, but that was entirely different than wanting to actually speak with them. The only words she needed to tell them were how to get her off.

Despite being one of the most popular girls in school, Vera hated to admit that sometimes she got lonely.

Not in the way where she wasn't surrounded by people—because she always was—but in the way where even in a crowded room, everyone felt like a stranger. Someone who viewed her as an object, something to be used to get what they wanted.

She was so fucking sick and tired of it.

This was the reason she refused to fall for anyone. Everyone was so fake and just wanted her either for her body or her popularity. She used to not mind it but then a guy she fooled around with last year told everyone she was just another slut begging for attention.

Safe to say he dropped out of school quickly after Adonis found out.

Regardless, the damage was done, and now she was bored of it all.

No one interested her anymore.

The sound of a muggle band's song in the background reached her ears—courtesy of Sirius Black—as she began to move toward the exit of the Gryffindor common room, eager for an escape.

As she started walking, an arm brushed against hers. She turned her head to see Marlene McKinnon's dark gaze on her, lips quirked up into her signature smug smile. Vera's responding smirk was automatic, her mood lifted.

"You look a little lost, Archer," the blonde teased.

Vera hummed, gaze trailing her figure before locking onto light green irises. "Not as lost as you most definitely were when you chose to wear that skirt to this party."

Marlene scoffed. "What the fuck is wrong with my skirt?" Then she smirked. "Or are you just jealous of my hot legs?"

"Jealous as hell," Vera agreed. "Except my envy faded when I saw that polka dot design that only first years wouldn't be embarrassed to wear."

She was lying, of course. Marlene looked gorgeous in anything she wore, even if it was an outdated, hideous style that shouldn't logically look good on anyone.

Marlene's smirk widened. "Clearly, you're speaking out of jealousy of the person who gets to rip it off tonight and see what's underneath."

Snorting, Vera replied, "Darling, I've already seen it all. There's nothing to be jealous of when I could say one word and the person ripping that skirt off will be me."

"You seem pretty confident, Archer." The blonde girl took a step closer to her, grinning. "You wanna get out of here?"

Vera laughed. "Marlie, you do know that getting under me isn't going to make you get over Dorcas Meadowes right?"

Marlene gaped at her, letting out a huff of breath. "Okay, first of all, I'm definitely top—"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night."

"—and second of all, I am over her. I am so over her I can't possibly be more over her."

Vera raised a brow. "Uh-huh. Sure sounds like it."

The Gryffindor girl glared at her. "I am, bitch."

She just shook her head. "Then why do you keep glancing over at her?"

Marlene blinked, her eyes instinctively drifting over to the other side of the room where Dorcas was grinning up at her boyfriend, Thomas Moore.

She turned back to Vera, crossing her arms and playing it cool. "Because her boyfriend is a piece of shit. I mean, just look at him. He is such a douche. I'm just worried for her sanity."

Vera snorted. "He literally volunteers at an animal shelter in his free time and checks in with his three younger sisters every day. The only thing douchey about him is that he probably uses two-in-one shampoo."

Marlene narrowed her eyes. "Whatever," she grumbled.

Vera opened her mouth to say something, but an arm was suddenly slung around both her and Marlene's shoulders.

"Hey girls!" the bubbly voice of Dorcas Meadowes exclaimed.

Vera was probably the only one who noticed the tips of Marlene's ears turning pink. She smirked but didn't say anything as Dorcas pressed her lips against the blonde's cheek, causing her blush to deepen.

"You know what?" Vera said suddenly. "I think I hear someone calling my name. I'll catch you two later."

Marlene's glare was a mix of betrayal and panic, and Vera merely grinned as she walked away.

Her smile didn't fade even as a group of fifth-year boys whistled at her as she walked by them. She stuck out her middle finger behind her and just kept moving. She was about to go tell Nora that she was about to leave when a hard body hit her side and cold liquid slid down her exposed chest.

"Fuck!"

The deep voice belonged to none other than the infamous James Potter, one-quarter of the Marauders.

"Shit, I'm so sorry. Are you alright?"

Vera sighed, completely done with the night.

"Potter, are you unable to watch where you're going?"

His mouth curved into a crooked smile. "Sorry, I guess your beauty just blinded me long enough that I couldn't tell where I was or what I was doing."

Vera let out an unexpected snort. "Mate, you have got to be the worst person at flirting I've ever met. No wonder you can't get Lily Evans to go out with you."

He winced in mock hurt. "That one stung, Archer. I thought Hufflepuffs were supposed to be nice."

"Well, this one is a bitch. Get used to it."

She looked down at the whiskey still covering her body and let out another tired sigh.

James frowned. "Here, let me help you."

Vera lifted a brow to which James grinned and tipped his head to the side as if to say follow me. He started walking past the group of boys that whistled at her toward what must be his dorm room. The temptation won out, and she quickly followed behind him.

Throughout her six years at Hogwarts, Vera had probably said three sentences total to James Potter, one of them being 'I'll suck your fucking dick if Gryffindor wins the Quidditch cup.' Aside from a few classes together and whenever their Houses played against each other, she had no reason to interact with him.

She had no idea what she was doing following him, but her night had been shit anyway, so whatever. Maybe teasing him a bit would redeem it a little.

He opened the door and let her into his room. Her eyes darted around to the various posters of muggle bands plastered onto the walls before James smiled at her and started leading her over to a joined bathroom.

"Let me go grab a towel," he said.

Vera nodded and watched him turn around to leave, her eyes straying to his tight ass.

Smiling to herself, she hopped up onto the counter beside the sink. She switched on the water and dipped her hands underneath the faucet before dragging her wet hand over her chest to wipe away the remains of the alcohol.

But her violet corset top still stuck to her skin. It suddenly felt very, very hot.

So, she hooked her fingers underneath the hem of her top and lifted it above her head. The silver necklace her father had gotten her for her fifteenth birthday tickled her skin as she removed her corset.

She inhaled a deep breath as if it were her first breath of air after suffocating—which she was in that tight top Nora had forced her to wear.

She set down her top next to her just as James re-entered the tiny bathroom.

"It took fucking forever to find a clean—"

His eyes widened as he took in Vera sitting there, half-naked. She wasn't sure why he was so shocked. It wasn't like her tits were on display. Nevertheless, the hitch in his breath and the way his Adam's apple bobbed made a slow smirk curl around her lips.

"What?" she asked, leaning back on her hands casually. "You never seen a girl in a bra before?"

James cleared his throat, opening and closing his mouth and opening it again. Vera's smirk widened.

She tsked. "I've heard all sorts of things about you in bed, Potter. With the way girls talk about you, you'd think you were fucking Apollo or some shit. But I guess they were all just delusional."

He made a low, deep noise in the back of his throat that caused heat to pool in her stomach. She suddenly no longer wanted to go back to her dorms. She suddenly wanted to stay right here, with this boy, the entire night.

He took a step toward her, close enough that his palms grasped her calves to push her legs apart so he could stand between them. A sexy smile slid over his beautiful mouth as he regarded her through dark eyes.

"You really believe that, Archer?" he asked innocently, his fingers drawing circles onto her bare calves, ever so slowly inching higher.

He leaned in so close she could feel his breath ghosting over her skin. His lips skimmed her jaw, the tip of his nose touching her cheek, as he whispered into her ear.

"Because I could make you come right here, right now without even taking my dick out, and you wouldn't be able to walk straight tomorrow."

Holy shit. This was exactly the kind of guy Vera wanted.

A guy with a lazy kind of confidence that was both admirable and attractive at the same time.

She hummed in response, her hands locking around his neck and her fingers sliding into his dark, messy hair.

"You know what I think?" she asked, her nails scraping his scalp lightly. "I think you're all talk, Potter. I haven't met a single guy who could get me off without me showing him how to."

Which was true. Vera was extremely selective with whom she had sex with, and even then, she always had to show them how to pleasure her. It was irritating, and frankly, Vera had started to believe that no man alive would be able to pleasure her better than she could pleasure herself.

But for some reason, Vera wanted James to prove her wrong.

James let out a husky laugh, and Vera could feel it from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. Her body tingled with excitement and electricity she hadn't felt for anyone in a long time.

"I don't need you to show me."

Without her noticing, his hands had edged up her legs and were now on either of her thighs. His thumbs were dangerously close to the inside of her thighs. The short skirt she was wearing suddenly felt like too much clothing instead of too little.

"I could give you the most intense orgasm you've ever had, and I think you know that too."

Vera's eyes heated with lust as she drew James's head back so she could look at him. His hazel eyes were just as dark if not darker than hers probably were.

"Fucking prove it."

A dangerous smile flitted across his lips right before his mouth latched onto her throat. She felt his deep voice mumble into her skin, though she could barely register his words when his tongue was caressing the side of her neck.

"Don't forget that you asked."

Fuck, she shouldn't have.

꘏

present - october, 1977

VERA is glaring at the back of a raven head of hair.

He's leaning against his palm as he stares at the redhead in front of him. He scoots forward to whisper something she's not close enough to hear but still pisses her off. Lily Evans turns her head to shoot him a dirty look before turning back around and ignoring him.

It is extremely difficult not to walk across the room and rip out all of his hair.

She doesn't even realize she snapped her quill in half until Nora nudges her elbow and sends her a pointed look.

"Are you seriously still on your hot girl rage thing right now? It's been over a month, V. If you don't stop, I will actually start to think you have feelings for Potter."

Vera gasps dramatically. "That is the biggest insult I've ever received. Fuck you."

Nora rolls her eyes. "Well, what am I supposed to think with the way you're trying to burn holes into his skull with your eyes?"

"I am not doing that."

"Mhm. Just like I'm not going to the Rumours Tour with the sole purpose of getting Stevie Nicks to sign my tits."

"This is completely different than your sexual fantasies, Norine."

"Of course it isn't, Verena."

"That is literally not even my legal name."

"Shut up. It's not my fault your full name is Vera. Who even names their kid that?"

"I'm telling Mum you said that."

"No!" Nora's eyes widen as she grasps her best friend's arm. "I swear I'll kill you if you do. I can't live without her pumpkin pie."

Vera shrugs nonchalantly. "Should've thought about that before."

Nora narrows her eyes. "I hate you."

The dark-haired girl grins and pats her shoulder.

Sighing, Nora says, "Anyway. Back to the topic of you being an obsessive fangirl—"

"Do not call me that."

"—I seriously want to know what the deal is. You've never done this with anyone before."

"That's because I've never gotten broken up with."

Nora quirks a brow. "So you're saying you weren't ready for the fling to be over even though it was the longest one you've ever had."

Vera opens her mouth, closes it, and then opens it again. "I—you know what? Whatever. I don't have to explain myself to you."

The blonde just sighs and shakes her head, going back to her assignment.

They work in silence for a few minutes before Vera's gaze snags back to James and his tiny smile as he stares at Lily.

"I'm going to get him back," she announces suddenly.

Nora's eyes widen in utter shock as she drops her quill and faces Vera.

"Excuse me?"

Vera rolls her eyes. "I mean I'm going to become so irresistible that he'll come running right back to me."

"Merlin, you really do have feelings for him."

"I don't have feelings for him!"

Um, so that was a little loud and seems to have caught the attention of half of the class. She feels James's eyes on her, but she doesn't turn her head.

"Damn, Archer," Sirius calls from across the room, "Sure sounds like you don't have feelings for him."

Vera flips him off. "Trust me, Black. The world will end the day I fall for someone."

She hears James chuckle as if she's just made a joke, and suddenly that pisses her off.

Which isn't really saying anything, considering that everything about him pisses her off.

Resisting the urge to send him a glare, she smiles sweetly at Sirius before turning back to Nora and muttering under her breath.

"I'm going to get fucking revenge, and I won't stop until he's begging to be with me again."

Nora just smacks her forehead and turns away.

𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲 !

um so like senior year sucks.

i hate everything

except of course the fact that the eras tour documentary is coming out next week ahhhhdhjsk!!!!!!!!

and there's only 22 days until 1989 tv!!