T a b l e s T u r n e d

James Potter charged into the Gryffindor Common Room, holding up his broom and the silver trophy of the Quidditch Cup. "WE WON!" He roared, although most people already knew and when James had entered the common room, Gryffindors were already celebrating and drinking butterbeer. Sirius, whom was sitting backward on one of the scarlet couches, his stomach (with a shirt of course) pressed against the back, kneeling, had just jinxed a bucket of confetti to tip over and drop all the confetti on the Quidditch Team Player's heads as they filed into the common room. Little Peter Pettigrew flopped off of his overstuffed scarlet armchair, bloated from all the sweets he'd eaten for the celebration. Sirius howled with laughter at the sight of this. James strolled over to the familiar redheaded girl -- Lily Evans. "Hey, Evans. Don't ya wanna go out with me now? Since I won us the Quidditch Cup?" Lily smirked at him.

"Sure, I'll go out with you, James, since you are oh so great at Quidditch and won us the Quidditch Cup." She said in a slightly high-pitched tone with marked sarcasm. "No, Potter. I'm still not going to go out with you. And you didn't win Gryffindor the Quidditch Cup, the entire team did." She said, smirking again.

"Aw, why not?" said James, staring into Lily's emerald eyes, hoping he has some sort of magical eye-contact power that will make her fall in love with him. "Why won't you go out with me?" James completed the question. He was expecting the usual, little did he know that what Lily was going to say was going to be very different from what she usually responded to this question.

"Look, James, I'll admit, you're pretty cute and all but you are super arrogant and cocky! You pick on anyone in the hall if you get the chance! Over all, I hate your personality! If I can't like your personality we can't go out! I'm not shallow like those other girls, Potter!" She yelled. Everyone stopped celebrating and stared at them. James looked around, looking as though he'd just seen everyone he cared about die. He sadly walked over toward the steps to Boys' Dormitories, dragging his broom behind him. He climbed up the stone steps and to the 5th Year Boys' Dorms. She said he was cute, but everything else she had said really hurt him. He sat down on his bed, taking off his gloves and pads, placing them into his trunk. He changed into regular robes and washed up a bit. He then laid down on his bed, placing his hands behind his head and staring upward blankly. He didn't care what anyone would say if they saw those tears dripping down his cheeks, it couldn't be worse than what Lily had said to him.

James heard the door creak open. He glanced over to it, seeing his best mate, Sirius Black enter the room. Sirius walked over to James' bed and sat down on the edge, looking at his best friend. "I'm sorry, James..." Sirius said softly, his icy blue hues staring into James' milk chocolate ones sympathetically. "You're better than her anyway." Sirius said causally, obviously trying to cheer James up. "There are other fish in the sea." He continued, but James just continued to cry.

"Sirius, you'll never understand how I felt about her." James said, it came out muffled through his tears. Sirius looked at the ground and bit into his lip hard. The pretty sharp points of his canines and how hard he bit down made his lip slightly bleed. "You've never loved someone and been just completely rejected like that!" James yelled, but it wasn't much of a yell, he only raised his voice slightly. Sirius dabbed at his eyes with his sleeves, trying to dry up his own tears that were forming.

"That's not true, James. That's not true." Sirius said, trying hard to make his voice sound as clear as possible, trying not to choke from his tears. "Well, not like that, but I've been rejected harshly. And the person didn't even know it." He said, still trying to make his voice sound clear, not muffled. Sirius wiped his eyes with his sleeves again.

"What do you mean, Sirius? When have you ever been rejected harshly? You could melt a girl's heart with your smile," said James. He was not trying to stop the choking, his voice was indeed muffled through tears. James sat up straight, feeling a little better -- feeling very curious. James' ears were listening very attentively to what Sirius had to say.

"Just now." Sirius said softly, as if there were other people in the dorm that might hear him. He gave a soft sigh of sadness as he stood up and laid down on his own bed, laying on his side so he could still see James. "Just now." He repeated.

"You mean some girl back in the common room rejected you too?" James said with confusion, looking at his best mate. Sirius simply shook his head slowly and sadly. Sirius looked up at James.

"You, James." Sirius said. James looked at Sirius, looking even more confused now. Me? James thought. How did I reject Sirius? He never like, asked me out or anything. Sirius gave a bit of a nod, looking at James still. James heard people filing out of the Gryffindor Common Room, into the dorms. Remus and Peter stepped into the dorm, and then James and Sirius realized how late it was, how long the game had lasted. The four boys went and changed into pajamas and climbed into bed. "Night." The four said together, Sirius turned on his left side and shut his eyes. Peter somewhat curled himself into a ball and was soon asleep. Remus was trying to get to sleep on his right side, his eyes shut, much like Sirius. But James laid flat on his back, his hands behind his head, thinking about what Sirius said not too long ago.

The Marauders had gone to breakfast early that day. As usual, Peter sat on James' right, Sirius on his left, and Remus sat on Sirius' left. James took a bite out of his biscuit, chewed, and before swallowing dropped it. He swallowed and turned to Sirius. "Can I talk to you for a moment, in private?" He said as he looked to Peter and Remus. Sirius gave a nod, as the two stood up and walked outside, to a small area where most people never went. "Sirius, yesterday, how did I reject you?" James said firmly, looking at his best mate. Sirius swallowed hard. "I don't want to talk about it." Sirius said, also firmly. James stared into Sirius' eyes, with a slightly angered look in them.

"Come on Sirius, you know you can tell me." James said, desperate to know what Sirius meant.

"Look, James, you were all lovey-dovey and upset about Lily rejecting you. You were saying how much you just adored her. But do you know how that made me feel!? You acted like you wouldn't care about anyone else! Well James, just to let you know, I love you!" Sirius said sternly, his eyes beginning to drip out tears, his cheeks dampening. He ran off into the castle, toward the moving stairs, planning on going to the Gryffindor Common Room. He heard footsteps following him, so he stopped and turned, seeing James was chasing after him. "Sirius, why didn't you tell me before?" James said, somewhat holding onto Sirius' shoulders, trying to catch his breath, he had to run fast to catch up with Sirius.

"Because I didn't wanna face rejection and get hurt." Sirius said softly, dropping to the floor and bringing James down with him. James crawled over and sat next to Sirius, who was just about start sobbing, it seemed. "How long have you.. well, you know..?" James said to his friend. "Since our first year." After all, Sirius had known James before they even went to Hogwarts.

"Oh Sirius...I'm sorry, but I..I can't say I return your feelings..." James replied. He was right -- Sirius buried his face in his curled up knees and broke into tears. James placed his hand on Sirius' shoulder as his best mate sobbed into his own knees.

Sirius had grown very sick over the next few days, he had to be taken to the Hospital Wing. But Madam Pomfrey's methods didn't seem to work on his sickness. James stepped into the Hospital Wing, taking a seat next to a very warm, sleeping Sirius. He took Sirius' hand in his, gently massaging the back of his warm hand with his thumb. James didn't care if he could get sick too, Sirius was his best mate and James really wanted him to get better. But Sirius was very, very warm, just as Madam Pomfrey had said. A tear dripped onto Sirius' hand. "Sirius... I know you can't hear me but I.. I love you, Sirius. I really hope you get better." James said as he stared down at his friend. Sirius gave a soft sigh of happiness, he had heard what James said. "Please don't leave me, Sirius..." James continued, staring down Sirius, his eyes watering. Sirius opened his eyes slowly and sat up. Amazingly enough, he was beginning to cool down.

"James...I love you too. I'm glad you love me.. but you need to leave, go back to class, I don't want to get you sick. I'm getting better already, Madam Pomfrey will have me fixed up before you can say 'groovy', James." Sirius said softly, giving a weak grin. James shook his head.

"I don't care if I get sick, I don't want to leave you, Sirius." James also spoke softly. He gave Sirius a kiss on the cheek when he knew no one was watching. Sirius smiled once more, but then shook his own head. James knew this meant Sirius still wanted him to leave. With a sigh, he walked out of the Hospital Wing sadly, glancing back to his sick friend whom he loved so much.

And, indeed, soon enough Sirius had felt better and returned to be able to go to classes and such. James gave him a tight hug when Sirius left the Hospital Wing. "I missed you, Sirius." said James.

"But you just saw me an hour ago, James." responded Sirius. James gave a nod.

"I still missed you though." James said with a grin. Sirius smiled, locking his lips onto James' and gave him a kiss on the lips. James blushed a bit.

"James..." Sirius said.

"Yes, Sirius?" He responded.

"I'll love you, forever. I promise." Sirius said, smiling brightly and giving James another kiss; on the cheek this time, though.

"I'll love you forever, too. Promise." James returned the promise, embracing Sirius in a semi - tight hug.

THE END