CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
✧
-: sixth year :-

── IN WHICH THEY PASS 
THE TIME

. . .

Rosie, whilst having been homeschooled, had been to enough parties, hangouts and various other meetings to know that any moment spent in small confined space a certain distance from any other people - potentially hiding from people such as the Muggle police, Aurors sent to bust you for illegal Quidditch games, or in this case, angry Head of Houses - could only really see the time being passed in one way; making out. 

It was the cure for boredom, the answer for a search for something to do and overall, plain fun. Something Rosie knew for certain, because her legs were currently wrapped around James's waist, his hands cupped under her bottom, her hands raking through his hair.

The air was heavy and the skirt she had borrowed was slowly becoming more and more like a belt than anything else, the thigh-high socks she was wearing dragging towards her knees. The stripes of paint drawn in support of Gryffindor were smudged over both of their faces and his glasses were askew - and they had been for James didn't know how long.

And when Rosie pulled back for air, a finger pushed them into place. His eyes - vision newly clear - darted through the gloom, over the cold blue of the light and the pretty pink of her once-glossy lips, the dazed look in her eyes. On her neck burnt twinging reminders of his lips, the scarf she once wore discarded with no hopes of hiding it.

"Merlin." James breathed out, as her chest heaved upwards. "Merlin - you're so pretty."

"You're having quite a day, Captain." Rosie smiled as a thumb cleared the corner of her mouth. "First the win, now the almost-getting caught that leads directly to, well... this."

"Mhm, feels quite like a job well done." James agreed as she was carefully set back down on the floor, a smile pushing onto his lips, his arm on her waist to steady her. In the moment of relaxation, a pause from the actions pushing him further into comfort and it bloomed as warmth in his stomach as his head tilted forward and nose pushed into the curve of her neck. "I think we should talk, tonight." 

Rosie faltered in her movements, her hand quite naturally having reached to curve around the back of his neck about to twist her fingers into the curls at the base of his neck. The moment of hesitation passed and she continued anyway. "What about?" She asked, as a short hum of content emitted from his lips.

"I don't know. This. Us." James's head shot back up. "Not that there is an 'us'."

"No, no." Rosie quickly. "Just about this situation, right?" 

"Right. Because it's been... it's been a couple occasions now and I think it's pretty obvious that I like spending time with you." His fingers unconciously kneaded the skin of her waist, trying not to avoid her eyes in fear of what he might see but failing miserably and smiling bashfully down at her.

 "So definitely friends." Rosie, as much as she wished to deny it - and as much as she wished to avoid serious conversations in situations as much although she truly knew she would always have to sit through them - was smiling too. "Definitely friends. I don't think I'll be able to get through staying in Hogsmeade without having you and Sirius and everyone as friends."

"So friends... maybe with benefits?" James suggested. Rosie watched his expression in the light of the wand. Then, she nodded. "There we go, sorted." He clapped his hands together. "So how about it, willing to congratulate the captain a little more? I daresay we've got some time to-"

"Alright, lovebirds. Six feet apart at all times, please." Sirius's voice appeared behind them and Rosie jumped out of her skin, glares matching on the couple's faces as he appeared. "You've both been very close on the Map for the last however long."

"The Map?" Rosie repeated. "What Map?"

"Never you mind." Sirius tapped the side of his nose conspiratorially. "Well, I was nominated to come deliver the news; McGonagall came looking, we advise you all to stay in here until tonight. I'll leave the map, let you explain it, and Pete will be by in a bit with some snacks."

"You're not staying, mate?" James asked. 

"Nah, don't feel like listening to you two sucking each others faces off for the next few hours." Rosie punched his shoulder. "Hey - you know it's true, and I know it's true, so lets not get physical."

"You're gonna get the party sorted, though, aren't you?" Rosie asked, the idea of yet another night of celebration fresh in her mind and particularly excited by it too. 

Sirius nodded, and after brief conversation shared between them, he was gone again, leaving James with the Marauders Map and the light of his wand to explain what it was.

✧