Every Little Thing, James Potter.

04. Halloween, 1976

For some reason Gwen could not begin to understand, the majority of the sixth-year Gryffindors had grown incredibly attached to blasting Muggle bands twenty-four seven throughout the school, whenever they got the chance. And when Gwen reached earshot of the Gryffindor Common Room, she wasn't sure what else she'd been expecting than a non-magical tune reverberating around the whole perimeter.

"What even is this?" asked Jackie, her nose scrunching at the sound. "What's their obsession with Muggle bands? I just—I don't get it."

     "Oh, Pettigrew told me about this one," said Maxwell, excited to have known something the others didn't. He puffed out his chest and smiled to himself, telling the others, "This is BABB. Mia's Mother. Mary's favorite, she probably requested it."

"Bloody annoying, is what it is," muttered Gwen, as Jackie offered the Fat Lady's portrait the password that Sirius had provided to everyone invited through a shared note. At first, Gwen hadn't been fully sure they could trust Sirius to truthfully get them into the party, but the portrait swung open without fuss and the full force of the party hit them.

The repetitive song playing over the entire party was impossibly louder than it had been only a moment ago, leading Gwen to believe somebody had attempted (and only part-way accomplished) a silencing charm over the function to ward off any skepticism. Red and yellows streamers were tied from the ceiling and hung practically every which way. Confetti littered the ground. A banner was strung up above the center of the room, reading HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PADFOOT! in messy lettering.

"Oh," said Jackie, looking displeased. "Had I known this was a party for Black, I wouldn't've come."

"You're already here," Gwen pointed out. She nodded to the cupcake in Jackie's hand. "Take that to him for me, would you? I wasn't sure what else to get him. And I've got to get these to Remus, I think.." She held up the cases of Muggle beers, scanning the room for the lankiest Marauder.

"Oh, sure." Jackie scoffed. "Send his bloody ex to give him your own gift. Great friend, you are, mate."

"Yeah, love you, too," said Gwen, only half-way listening as she was lured off to the corner she'd spotted Remus in. "Lupin!"

He looked over, his height providing a vantage point to easily spot her in the crowd. He'd been sitting on the sill of an open window, lit cigarette in hand, but when he saw Gwen his face broke into a smile warmer than she'd ever seen from him. He reached out to take the cases from her.

"God, Graham," he said with a groan, setting the cases down and flexing his arms uncomfortably. "How much conditioning do they make you do for Quidditch? Jeez."

Gwen smiled, amused at the languid conversation starters of a tipsy Remus Lupin. "How much have you had to drink tonight, Remus?"

"Three shots," he said, holding up four fingers. "Had to use something to act as a buffer between my ears and this god-awful mixtape. I mean, hell, they call this music?"

"You can say that again, mate." Gwen bent down and cracked open the top case, picking up three bottles and easily popping each of them open on the edge of the wood. "You seen Potter around?"

     "Last I saw..." Remus's eyes drifted off to the furthest corner of the room and he nodded, taking one of the bottles from Gwen and pointing to the bottom of the staircase to the boys' dormitory. "Over there, with Mary. 'F I were you, I'd go swing in before they get a little too absorbed with each other, it y'know what I mean..."

     Gwen raised her eyebrows. She'd made to go and find James, give him his first Muggle beer, but Remus stopped her in her tracks. She turned back to him with a raised brow.