The difficulty was nothing that could not be solved. It was more simple than that, Sirius Black was stubborn. He had all the information, tools at his disposal and Lily Evans was standing in front of him her heart wide open.

'Well?'

'I don't know Lily, I thought we were just friends,'

'I am telling you I am falling for you and all you can say is –'

'You put me here Lily!' Sirius protested 'you said you didn't want anything to happen, we were just having fun- it never meant anything.'

'But I am telling you it does mean something to me,' Lily said allowing her body to crumpled on the edge of Sirius' bed. Sirius was not sure how to reply, his head and heart were disagreeing to the point where he just wanted Lily to leave. 'I need more than this, I need you,'

Sirius allowed himself to fall down next to her, he awkwardly tried to put his arm around her.

'You do have me Lily as a friend, but I don't think we can carry on doing this.'

'You wanted me, you said you wanted it.' Lily sobbed 'don't you want me anymore?'

Sirius squirmed, his grip lessoning on her shaking shoulders.

'Please Lily, this isn't over. We just maybe take a bit of a break,'

'A break from what? You said we aren't a thing,' she pointed out

'From being around each other, a bit of space,'

Lily stopped crying. Her body stiffened and she pulled away, her face contorted and her eyes narrowed at Sirius.

'Space? I will give you space Sirius Black!' Lily roared angrily and leapt of the bed ' I told you I was falling for you and you think I should give you space? You clearly know what you want, you want space. I will give you all the space you need and if you fancy a fuck why not go to the Ravenclaw common room, I am sure you will find Arabella Granger a much more appropriate acquaintance.'

Lily stormed out of the boys' dormitory, her temper flared and irritation levels at a high limit Sirius was rather glad she had left.

'Do not talk to me,' Lily said sharply collapsing into the chair by the fire in the Gryffindor common room

'I wasn't planning too,' James Potter replied curtly barely looking up from his homework. His pile of books was strewn across the table with a myriad of star charts and crystals, it appeared for once he was working harder than Remus who was dozing in the other chair by the fire.

'Well if you were going to talk to me you should know your best friend is an absolute dick head,'

James' ear pricked up a little

'You've only just realised this?' James pointed out closing his astronomy text book

'I wasn't looking for a sarcastic response James,' Lily said taking her Alice band and shaking her hair out, the golden highlights swishing and as the flames flickered in the grate catching the auburn tints of her hair.

'What were you looking for? Because when it comes to Sirius I could've warned you if you had listened,' James said moving from the table to in to the front of the fireplace, he leant up against the bottom of Lily's chair.

'I thought he was different,'

'Every witch says that,' James replied bluntly, he turned to look up at Lily and noticed for the first time she had been crying, her cheeks were flushed and tear stained.

'He is your best friend you aren't really jumping to his defence,'

'We aren't exactly on speaking terms right now,' James shrugged, looking up at Lily he added 'are you going to be okay?'

'In time, I guess.' Lily sighed, wiping her nose on her robes she asked 'what has he done to piss you off?'

James was silent for a moment, his hazel eyes staring longingly into the flickering flames filling the fireplace. His body shifted, twisting and Lily pressed him again

'James?'

'Honestly?' James replied without looking at her

'Yes, honestly,'

'You, he hurt you,' James said with veiled anger in his voice, Lily placed his arm on his shoulder

'I'm a big girl you know,' Lily said softly 'I'm just upset, he, he doesn't listen James. Not like you,'

'I will always listen; I might not be able to help. But I will always listen to you Lily,' he added flashing a friendly smile, Lily returned it.

'What would I do without you James Potter?' Lily grinned 'always here when I need you,'

James sensed her hand on his shoulder, he rested his head slowly and gently on the side of her leg, noticing that Lily didn't move away he felt her hand find his.

'It is Sirius' loss y'know, he uses women but I never thought he would use you,'

Lily sighed, the fire was starting to die down and Remus was snoring lightly. There were no other students this time of night in te common room, particularly as it was only a few days before Christmas and the only other Gryffindors in the tower wer a handful of first and third years who had strict curfews and were tucked away in their dormitories.

'It wasn't just Sirius' fault, I scared him,'

'How?' James asked inquiringly

'I said something stupid, told him I was falling for him,'

A small something in James' chest was faultering, he felt his heart sink. Lily had fallen for Sirius, James was not going to stand in Lily's way if she truly loved Sirius, but something in her tone of voice made him want to question her further.

'Lily do you love Sirius?'

'Can you ever really love a person if they don't love you?'

Damn it James thought, of course they bloody can.

'You're special, Lils. If Sirius can't see it well hes an idiot, I don't like to see you upset. Hes a dick for hurting you, I told him not to hurt you-'

Lily started, her hand loosening from James.

'What do you mean you told him not to hurt me?' she said abruptly

'I told him when you became involved to take you seriously or not at all,'

'So,' she said slowly' this is all your fault? You told Sirius to end it?'

James was thinking quickly comprehending Lily's angry outburst, trying to fathom what the hell he had done wrong.

'What's going on?' Remus said groggily, Lily's dulcet tones awakening him.

'No Lily, no I dint say that,' James implored ' I just warned him not to hurt you and look at you, he's hurt you,'

'I was perfectly happy telling him you know, I needed him to know I was falling for him. But no you have to put ideas in his head- you made him change his mind about us,'

'How the fucking hell do you figure that one out Lily?' James argued back he was now on his feet.

'You didn't want me hurt, well guess what Potter you've hurt me more than Sirius ever could,'

It had been years since she had called him by his last name and James flinched.

'I'm in trouble for protecting you, for wanting what is best for you?

'There you go again, you just cant help yourself can you?' Lily screamed 'who gave you the power to decide what was best for me?'

James recoiled

'I know you Lily, I know you are meant for more than just Sirius' latest flavour of the week,'

*SMACK*

'Lily, calm down,' Remus implored trying to pull her away from James, hoping earnestly that she didn't use her wand on either one of them.

'I'm going to calm down Remus,' Lily said angrily 'let go off me' and she shook free from Remus' grip 'I am off to bed, goodnight Remus,' she added pointedly, glaring at James and she wandered off to the dormitory.

Remus looked apprehensively at James who shook his head.

'And that's what I get for trying to be her friend,'

'James, have you thought about just telling her how you feel.'

'You saw her tonight Moony,' James replied 'total nutter, if I told her I liked her she would never believe me. I'm just her friend, aren't I? Someone she can talk to,'

'And what do you think she wants, she told you- I heard her- she wants to be listened too.' Remus explained, 'are you coming up to bed Sirius will be asleep by now, you won't have to talk to him.'

'Yeah I will follow you up,'

Remus left James alone in the common room.

'Lily- I've fallen in love with you, why can't I just say it to her,' he said to the mirror hanging above the fireplace.

Halfway up the stairs sat Lily Evans listening to every word, but she felt even more confused than ever before…..