"I have so many regrets," Val groaned as she pressed her palm to her temple. She sat up in the bed and it took her a moment to realize that it wasn't hers.

She looked to her right and laying on top of the bed sheets was James Potter. She looked down and saw that she was no longer in a dress but a shirt that didn't belong to her.

"James," Val tried but the boy remained asleep, a faint snore escaping him every minute or so. She pushed his shoulder, "James, wake up."

The boy jolted awake and he looked around in confusion. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked over at Val who appeared very confused. "Morning."

"What's going on?"

"You had just a little bit too much to drink last night," he explained as he pushed himself into a sitting position.

"That doesn't explain why you're in the bed with me," she pointed out.

He seemed hesitant but she gestured for him to explain. "I tried to sleep on the floor," he replied. "But then you started crying."

Her face dropped, "I didn't."

"You definitely did," Sirius announced from wherever he was in the room.

"Bloody hell," she muttered as she pressed her palms to her eyes and shook her head. "I remember nothing from last night. I remember showing up and then I remember lots of firewhiskey and then it's all just black."

"Let's hope it stays that way," James replied and Val narrowed her eyes.

"What aren't you telling me?" she inquired.

"Nothing," he answered but she didn't believe him. Even if she had, someone spoke up and counteracted James' statement.

"Please, that was hardly nothing," Sirius announced and Val jumped. Right, she reminded herself, There are four other boys in this room. Her eyebrows furrowed in thought. Three, she corrected mentally. Peter wasn't here. And the more she thought about it, the more she realized the boy hadn't been around lately.

Val turned to James in worry, "What did I do?"

"You basically jumped him," Sirius stated and James was really close to killing him. She looked over at the curtain for a moment.

Val looked over at James, "I did?"

"It's safe to say you are a very handsy drunk," he explained hesitantly and her eyes widened.

"Oh, Merlin," she mumbled. "I'm sorry."

Sirius opened the curtain and the two inside looked up at him. "He enjoyed a fair part of it until you threw up on him."

Val's hand flew to her mouth, "No."

James glared at his friend, "Get out."

"She deserves to know," he pointed out. "For someone who hates parties, you sure know how to have a good time."

"Out," James demanded and Sirius rolled his eyes before closing the curtain and leaving the two alone.

"Merlin, James, I am so sorry," Val apologized and James couldn't help but laugh. She whacked him in the chest, "It's not funny."

"It's a little funny," he countered and she narrowed her eyes. "You don't have to apologize."

"Yes, I do," she argued. "Did I really throw up on you?"

"Well, not really," he shrugged. "You mostly threw up on yourself," he explained before gesturing to her attire, "I had to get rid of my shoes but it could have been worse."

She lifted the shirt up in her hand for a moment before looking up at the boy, "You didn't..."

"Oh, Merlin, no," he shook his head quickly. "You may have been shitfaced but you were very compliant."

Val slowly got out of his bed and looked around as though she wasn't a hundred percent sure where she was. She yawned, stretching her arms up above her head causing the shirt to lift. James's eyes flickered downward but he quickly shook his head, scolding himself internally.

"I'm going to need you to run through everything that happened last night," she announced suddenly and his eyes flickered over to her again. "Every single detail."

"Oh, I'm not sure that's a good idea," he pointed out and she raised an eyebrow.

"James," she said in a warning tone.

"Well, there was a game of truth or dare," he explained. "Sirius, being the asshole he is, dared you to give me a lap dance. I tried to protest, I did, but you seemed very adamant about obliging."

"See, I had forgotten why I stopped drinking," she explained as she sat down at the edge of his bed. "Now I remember why."

"You've done that before?" he asked in confusion, a flicker of what could only be described as jealousy crossing his face.

"Not that specifically," she replied. "But one time in fifth year I did get very hot and heavy with Frank Longbottom. It probably would have escalated had McGonagall not caught us in the corridors. I didn't drink again after that, at least not in large quantities." Val looked up at him again, "Is that all?"

"I mean you did try to stick your hand down my pants - on multiple occasions - but other than, nothing we haven't done before," he replied with a shrug.

"Oh," she grimaced. "Sorry," she apologized for what was probably the hundredth time. He fell back on the bed and stared at the ceiling until she spoke again.

Val looked down at the shirt for a moment, "Who's Queen?"

"Oh, a muggle band-" he began but he was cut off by Sirius's booming voice.

"Who is Queen?" Sirius demanded as he yanked the curtain open again. "Who is Queen?" he repeated. "Only the best band to ever exist!" he exclaimed and Val watched the boy in amusement. "How could you possibly not know who Queen is?"

Val turned to James who looked mildly embarrassed, "I shouldn't have asked."

Sirius grabbed the girl's wrist before she could protest and dragged her from James's bed and over to a record player.

"Listen to it, devour it, live it," he ordered as he gestured to the record player that had begun to play a song Val had never heard before, "Because this, this, is art. This is the equivalent of the angel's from heaven singing. And once you've heard this? Well, you can die a happy person."

"I really shouldn't have asked," she concluded but Sirius shushed her immediately and pointed at the record player. She took it that it was best if she just shut up and listened.

"Bloody hell," Remus groaned as he entered the boy's room. "Who's fault is this?"

"That would be me," Val admitted, raising her hand. "I have been listening to this band for almost three hours," she explained and Remus smiled in amusement. "I'm going to rip my eardrums out."

"Please," Sirius scoffed, rolling his eyes at the girl. "This is the best music you've ever heard."

"I would agree with you if you hadn't forced me to listen to six albums worth of their music!" she exclaimed. While she thought the music was good, if she had to listen to another minute of it she was going to go out of her mind. "I'm pretty sure one of the songs was six bloody minutes long!"

"That would be Bohemian Rhapsody," he explained as he perked up. "Want to hear it again-"

"No!" she shouted as she stood up and turned to face the boy. Sirius only seemed amused by her response, "I don't want to hear another second of this stupid band!" She froze after she said this. She stood up straight and covered her mouth, shaking her head slightly. "Oh, Merlin," she muttered, "I'm so sorry."

Sirius grinned at the girl before turning to James expectantly, "Fork it over, Prongs."

"Oh, come on," he huffed. "That's hardly fair. You made her listen to the same band for hours, it was bound that she was going to snap."

"But she still snapped meaning I win," he pointed out, sticking his hand out. "Give me my money." James scowled before opening the drawer and pulling out a handful of coins. He dropped them into Sirius's hand, causing some to clutter the floor. "Hmm, smells like being right."

"Hang on," Val shook her head as she looked between the two boys. "What's going on?"

"They made a bet on whether Sirius would be able to make you angry enough to actually yell at him," Remus explained from where he - rather exhausted looking, Val noted - searched through his things. "You lasted longer than I thought you would, if I'm being honest."

"I was betting on you lasting longer," James announced. "You can handle condoms and honey but apparently three hours of Queen is your breaking point."

"I, on the other hand, am grateful," Sirius informed her with a satisfied hum. He fell back on Remus' bed and looked up at the boy. "Do you have any chocolate? I'm hoping to get back on her good side so she doesn't kill me."

"I'm going to kill both of you," Val stated with a scowl as she gestured to both James and Sirius. She turned to James with narrowed eyes, "You made a bet on me?"

He faltered. "I made a bet on how long you could keep your temper in check," he countered. "I'm not sure that's really a bet on you." She narrowed her eyes and he quickly muttered an apology.

"I am going back to my room," she announced before pointing at James. "You will not be hearing from me until further notice."

"Oh, come on," he tried as he stood up and walked over to her. "It was just a stupid bet."

She rolled her eyes as she opened the door to the room. She froze when she saw that someone was on the other side. Peter stood there, momentarily confused. He looked the girl up and down before a blush formed on his face.

Val, however, was frozen in place. She wasn't sure how long she stood in front of the blushing and confused boy before she felt arms wrap around her waist.

"I'm sorry," he muttered into her neck as he walked backward slightly so that Peter could enter the room. She was grateful that he stepped in before the other boys noticed she was acting strange. "I won't be making any more bets based around you. Promise."

She turned around and he kept his hands wrapped around her. Her hands rested on his chest as she looked up at him. "Good," she replied. "Because if I find out you did something like this again, it won't end well for you."

"I don't doubt it," he replied. "Now, if you really have to go back to your room, you can do that. Or," he began, "You can stay here and we can just spend the rest of the day here."

She pondered this for a moment, "Only if we don't have to listen to Queen anymore."

Sirius growled and Val raised a slightly amused eyebrow. "What do you suggest we listen to, Princess?"

"Do you have ABBA?" she inquired.

"Who the hell is ABBA?" he asked.

"Who's ABBA?" she repeated, mocking his tone from earlier. He narrowed his eyes at the girl as she continued, "Only the best band to ever exist!"

James chuckled at this and Val could feel the vibrations in his chest. Sirius merely scowled, "I don't like her anymore."

"I am going to go get my vinyl of ABBA's Arrival," she informed them. "That way I can change and then you, Black, are going to be blessed with a whole new level of musical art."

"Nothing will beat the Queen," he informed her.

"You may be right," she agreed. "But this'll come close."

"Doubtful," he muttered and she rolled her eyes.

She looked up at James, "I'll be right back."

"Promise?" he inquired and it was her turn to roll her eyes.

"Promise."

To say that Sirius loved ABBA was an understatement. While he assured her that it was nowhere near the level of artistry that was Queen, he agreed that it was a great album.

"Can we listen to Dancing Queen again?" he requested once the album had finished.

Val rolled her eyes but ultimately agreed as she hopped off of James's bed and realigned the vinyl so it played the second track again.

She rejoined James who pulled her toward him. "Hey," he said after a minute. "You're seventeen."

"No," she countered and he grew confused, "I'm actually twenty eight. I've been held back because I'm so bad at Transfigurations."

"Makes sense," he replied and she whacked him on the chest. "Does that make you a cougar?"

She glared at him, "Why did you even bring that up?"

"Well," he began, nodding his head toward the record player. "You know who else is seventeen?"

She rolled her eyes, "I don't dance."

"Drunk you does just fine," he countered. "My bet is sober, you are phenomenal."

"Yeah, no," she shook her head. "I don't dance."

"That can be changed," Sirius announced before grabbed the girl's wrist and pulled her away from James. He twirled her around and she laughed.

"What are you doing?" she asked him as he took her hands in his and forced her to dance.

"You're the Dancing Queen now," he explained. He cocked his head to the side for a moment, "Although Princess is more fitting." Sirius twirled her around again and she spun right into James's arms.

"Hey," he grinned at the girl and she rolled her eyes but smiled nevertheless.

"Hey," she replied as he spun her around carefully. "Are you happy now?"

"Are you happy?" he countered.

She thought about it for a moment before nodding, "Yeah, I think I am."

"Then yes," he answered. "I am happy."