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“Tonight is going to be a good night.”
“Sure,” Sirius says and pushes the topmost button in the lift. The doors slide shut, trapping them inside the silver box that's easily big enough to hold forty people. With a little shake, the lift starts to move, making its way up and up.
The rooftop is where they are heading to, a big party Sirius could have done without, but James wanted to go. Sirius is not usually one to give into every one of James Potter's whims, but he makes his exceptions on certain holidays, and New Year's Eve is one of them because James loves it.
“There is magic in the air, I can feel it.”
Sirius leans back against the shiny mirrored wall with a huff. “What you're feeling is the beer you had at home, which I shouldn't have let you drink, you absolute lightweight.”
James is grinning at Sirius from the other side of the ridiculously huge lift, spreading his arms wide like a magician that presents a trick to his audience. “It's a night for new beginnings.”
“It's New Year's Eve. Your new beginning is literally the new year.”
James laughs at him. His cheeks are slightly pink. Sirius doubts it's just from the cold. “You're so much fun,” James teases and drops his arms back to his side.
The lift shudders to a stop. The doors slide open slowly to upbeat music and the voices of many chatting people. Lights flicker across the rooftop terrace. There is a bar, there are waiters circulating around the crowd, offering glasses of champagne. There are much too many people for Sirius' liking.
“Maybe I'll finally be brave enough to kiss the love of my life tonight,” James says close to his ear.
Sirius rolls his eyes at that.
“What? It's romantic!” James protests the reaction, grinning like a lunatic. “And good luck to do it right at midnight. Start the new year the right way and all that.”
“You're a sop,” Sirius says and picks a glass of champagne off one of the passing trays. His eyes wander over the crowd and sure enough, there she is among a group of chatting girls. Her red hair glows in the low light on the rooftop. She's wearing a black sequin dress tonight, classy and elegant.
Everyone knows who James is talking about when he speaks about love like that. Of course it's bloody Lily Evans. Sirius wants to hate her but it's impossible to hate someone as brilliant as she is.
Sirius takes a big gulp from his glass. “She'll kick you in the balls and throw you off the roof. Don't say I didn't warn you.”
James frowns. He follows the direction Sirius is looking. Sirius sees the exact moment James' eyes fall on Lily Evans.
“That's not – “ he stammers, a bit flustered, but doesn't get much farther than that.
“YOU MADE IT!” Fabian shouts into their ears, his big hands landing on both of their shoulders as he shoves himself between them, squeezing them so much it almost hurts. Sirius' champagne spills over from all the jostling and shaking and tickles along the side of his glass and over his fingers. Fabian clearly had a good bit to drink already. “Good party, yeah?”
“We're not even here for two minutes, Prewett,” Sirius says and wipes his fingers on the front of Fabian's jumper, getting rid of the sticky drink Fabian spilled. It's only fair he cleans it up too. “Hold your horses and ask me again in an hour.”
“Someone's in a mood,” Fabian laughs, completely unconcerned about the fact that his jumper is used as a towel. “We need to change that. The bar has better stuff than the bubbles!”
Fabian drops his arm from around James and snatches the glass out of Sirius' hand. He brings it up to his own lips and drinks it all up in three big gulps and a burp. Sirius looks at him slightly disgusted.
“Come on, posh boy,” Fabian laughs and sets the empty glass down on a random surface, parting Sirius' back hard with his other hand, then throws his arm around Sirius' shoulders which is a bit hard since he's more than a head shorter than Sirius, but he doesn't seem to care. He uses that arm to stir Sirius into the direction of the bar. “Let's get something real into you.”
James follows in their wake but Sirius is sure he will be lost in the crowd soon. Everyone wants a piece of James Potter after all and if Fabian is determined to get a few drinks, there is no way Sirius will be able to shake him anytime soon.
*
Sirius was right about it. It takes three vodka shots for James to be gone. Four for Gideon to join in. Seven for them both to tap out.
Sirius doesn't mind. Vodka gets a bit boring after a while. He's not drunk, just a bit warm. He can hold his liquor after all, unlike other people.
Speaking of other people, Sirius takes a look around and searches for James. He's not hard to spot, the way he's holding court on the side of the terrace. There is a whole cluster of people around him.
So many of the guys who play in James' football team as well as almost everyone of the arts department seem to be on that very rooftop right now, which means James knows almost everyone here and of course he has to say hi to all of them personally. Or it's more like they feel the need to say hi to him. Sirius shouldn't be surprised about that.
Sirius doesn't feel like fighting his way through the crowd so he stays at the bar, where he soon gets pulled into conversation with Benjy and some of the other guys from his maths classes. He could admittedly spend his time in a worse way than discussing a difficult maths problem for over an hour. He also could spend it in a much better way, though. Like at James' side.
Alone with James.
Sirius tries not to think about it.
Midnight edges closer, which is probably the only reason why the heated maths discussion breaks up in favour of people securing alcohol for the big countdown. Sirius puts his height to good use again and looks over the heads of the crowd for James. He's using Evans' bright red hair as a guide and sure enough, James is close by, chatting with a group of girls who laugh obnoxiously loud at something he says.
Well, at least he's having a good time and is getting closer to fulfilling his New Year's wish. Good for him, but Sirius really doesn't need to see it. Sure, if James manages to convince Lily Evans to be his girlfriend, Sirius will have to watch them kiss countless times, but that doesn't mean he has to ruin his new year with it right away.
Grabbing a bottle of beer, Sirius makes his way through the crowd, away from the loud music and onto the side of the rooftop where things are a little calmer. It's a little easier to breathe here.
Choosing a sad, overflowing ashtray as his companion for the rest of the night, Sirius sets his bottle down onto the ledge next to it and pulls out his pack of cigarettes.
He's two cigarettes deep when the crowd on the rooftop starts with the countdown.
“Here you are. Nearly didn't find you on time.”
A glass of champagne appears right in front of Sirius' face. Confused, he looks up to find James smiling at him.
Sirius frowns.
9
8
“What are you doing here?” Sirius asks, but he takes the glass anyway. His cold fingers brush along James' warm hand on accident.
“It's almost midnight,” James says, like that explains it all.
7
6
“Yeah, I know.” Sirius flicks his cigarette into the helplessly overworked ashtray and looks over to the thick of the party. Lily is still there, her red hair like a beacon in the crowd on the rooftop. “But don't you have to move?”
5
4
“Nah,” James shakes his head and takes a sip of his champagne. “I'm right where I need to be.”
Sirius' frown deepens.
3
2
1
People cheer and clink glasses. Fireworks go off.
James leans in and kisses Sirius.
It's a soft brush of lips, barely a kiss, really. It's over so soon Sirius isn't sure if it happened at all.
“To new beginnings,” James says and clinks their glasses awkwardly. His cheeks are bright red.
Sirius stares at him, unable to process what just happened. Maybe the seven vodka shots were a bad idea after all and he's only hallucinating now. “Didn't you want to kiss the love of your life tonight?”
James chuckles awkwardly. His hand goes up to his hair, tugging at the roots like he always does when he's nervous. He looks up at Sirius, his hazel eyes shining with a mix of hope and uncertainty. “I just did that, didn't I?”
The words sink in slowly, one after the other.
“Look,” James says, looking away from Sirius when his silence stretches for too long, and sets his glass down next to the ashtray. “It's fine if you don't feel – “
Sirius nearly spills his own champagne all over them both in his haste to kiss James again.
Properly this time.
James makes a little noise against his lips, something between surprise and relief. His fingers bury themselves into the front of Sirius' jumper, pulling him closer until there is no space left between them.
They only part when breathing becomes a problem. James leans his forehead against Sirius' with a sigh. “Well, I'm guessing it's a Happy New Year,” he says with a grin and Sirius can't help but laugh.
“Yeah,” Sirius says and tilts his head so he can kiss James once again. “A very Happy New Year.”