A Season of Love

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing! The characters belong to the amazing J K Rowling, with who I don't only share initials, but the love for magic and the Harry Potter universe. I'm just playing with them, making no money out of this, but just hoping for some comments from your part.

Please, if you've taken the time to read this, leave a review as well!



Chapter 2 - Fears and Consciences


Her P. O. V.

What on earth have I done? My body feels like I've ridden the craziest rollercoaster about a hundred times in a row. My head is aching, as is my stomach. Am I going to be sick? Taking huge, calming breaths, I open my eyes and find myself looking at scarlet-and-golden bed covers. So I'm not even in my own room - this is my sister, Lily's, I now recognize the stupid perfume she uses! Turning to lie on my back, carefully avoiding every unnecessary movement, I scan the room to make sure it's really Lily's.

Yes, there is that freak photograph of her and that stupid boyfriend of hers - John, or whatever his name is. I don't care; I don't want anything at all to do with weirdos like him. Everything about them disgusts me - their stupid ROBES, the way they carry that pathetic strip of WOOD everywhere they go and feel so damn important about it.

Last night was perhaps the worst I've ever felt since my sister got that stupid letter of her weirdo school. Lily actually found the love of her life among those nutters. They had their bachelor party, both of them together, at our place - and it was crowded with crazy guys, drinking from tankards like some medieval knight, smoking pipes that smelt like garbage. Scum and scum only, that's what I think of HER KIND!!!

I turn to look at the mirror, for I can't help feeling watched. I've still not gotten used to her stupid, talking mirror the King of Creeps gave her last Christmas. But hang on - the mirror may talk, but it neither moves nor looks at me. Wait - there is someone in the room!!!

I try hard not to scream, but stare at the young man in panic nevertheless. He's one of those weirdos! Oh, my, I really think I'm going to be sick. Now he turns and looks at me with what he probably considers a sexy smile. Geez, now I remember - he's going to be the best man at the wedding! Of course, during their silly games last night, they forced me (being the bridesmaid, however involuntarily) to dance and drink with the best man. I wonder slightly whether he's put any funny stuff into my drink - God knows I know what kind of things THEY can come up with!!! - or... done YOU KNOW WHAT on me to agree to this.

What did I actually DO last night?!

I notice my grey skirt on the floor, my bra next to it, my blouse on the armchair, totally bunched-up and wrinkled. Great.

Now I stop to think about it, I realize... I'm completely naked underneath the covers of - Lily's bed. And I need a bathroom. OK, this is it.

"Who are you, exactly?!", I shoot at the - OK, well, I admit it, rather handsome! - young man who is currently looking curiously at the collection of postcards and photographs Lily has pinned to her wall.

"Honey, you can't seriously tell me you don't know my name?", he grins. "You're Lily's charming sister, Polly, isn't it?"

I take a deep breath. "It's Petunia," I correct him, my voice as cold as ice, "and I'd appreciate it if you didn't HONEY me!!! Just... just tell me who you are, what happened last night-", here, I pause for a second, wondering whether I really want to know, "- and then get the hell OUT OF HERE so I can get DRESSED!!!"

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His P. O. V.

Whoa, now I recognize her! She's Evans's bridesmaid, thus follows logically she's Evans's sister. I remember Evans confessing how her sister had always made life hell for her, just because she was a witch. And now this Queen of Muggles is lying in the bed I've just left, leaving me with only my wildest guesses as to what might have gone on some hours previously.

Pretending I don't know she's awake, I turn and look at Evans's wall, plastered with postcards and Muggle photographs. I even spot the card James sent her during our last holiday together, from Spain - staring at the beautiful picture of waves crashing ashore under a setting sun, I'm not really seeing anything at all.

There is this weird voice inside my head, again, telling me that sex is supposed to be a two-sided game, something that should have to do with love, respect and caring for each other. I've been forced to deal with this voice quite a lot lately. Ever since I became a seventh-year and all the girls, from first year on, started adoring my good looks and begging me to go out with them in turns, I've developed this habit of taking advantage of women. None of them would ever say No to me, even though they - at least the ones who went to school with me - knew that by morning, they'd only be yet another mark in my bed post. Still, I'd never been able to shut the nagging voice off completely. But I had never anticipated that it'd be so much worse when I found myself waking next to a Muggle girl who was oblivious to my reputation.

I force back the voice, as I have done so many times before. It's not like she is deeply in love with me - from what I understand, she doesn't remember any more than I do.

"Just tell me who you are, what happened last night... and then get the hell out of here so I can get dressed!!!", she yells at me. I give her a reproachful look. OK, I may not have decided to take her up to bed consciously, but I rather think she is kind of stunning - you don't get hair like hers at Hogwarts, no way!!! - and besides, I would NEVER yell at one of my nightly conquests like this!

"Calm down!", I tell her, trying to smile. "I'll be out of here before you know it. But don't you want to discover how the two of us ended up in here, or what actually happened? For, really, right now I just couldn't tell you..." My voice dies away, and I am, once again, lost in thought.

Could it possibly be that this whole situation is just a prank, pulled off by the other three Marauders to both punish Evans's sister for hating our kind so much, and, at the same time, remind me to be more thoughtful about who I am taking to bed? Did we possibly not even DO anything at all, but just had so many drinks that we passed out and Moony, Wormtail and Prongs decided it would be kind of funny to put us in bed together?

I search my memories; my conscience insists that I must have, at some point, taken advantage of this girl in some way. My conscience never lies, so why should I doubt it now? I turn to face Petunia - Geez, Evans's parents must really have it bad for flowers! - and tell her of my suspicions.