A/N: Another story, yay! I loooove the Marauders, don't you? :D Well, don't let me keep you waiting; read on! And review, too, please. Critiques muchly appreciated. =)
Cheers~ Izzy
Sirius Black was in an undeniably good mood. The second week of their seventh year had finished and he's only gotten three detentions (as opposed to his usual five or six). One was for asking his uptight Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Trablow, why he was so uptight about the upcoming NEWTs when it's going to be the students who'll sit in. Then he corrected himself and said, "Oh, right, sorry sir, I forgot. You're always this uptight." The second was for asking McGonagall why she won't let him call her 'Minnie', or at least 'McGiggles'. Needless to say, theTransfiguration professor wasn't impressed. And the third detention was due to Sirius' best mate, James Potter, who (despite having made Head Boy) had been sneaking with Sirius to the kitchens after hours. Filch caught them when James tripped over and crashed into Mrs. Norris, who had just rounded the corner. They hadn't had time to get away.
But this wasn't the only reason Sirius was happy. His other friend Remus Lupin had finally agreed (after much inneccesant nagging on Sirius' part) to finish off his Potions essay. And then Sirius thought up of an idea for an awesome prank to play in the Great Hall - he just needed to find James and tell him.
Grinning madly and going over the prank in his mind, the seventeen-year-old Marauder bounded up the stairs to the boys' dorm. He pushed open the door and strode in, looking around their messy bedroom. Sure enough, he spotted James on his bed.
But something was wrong. James was lying down on his back, arms crossed over his face, covering it. And he was still in his school clothes - despite it being a good three hours since classes ended - though his tie was flung onto the ground.
Sirius approached him cautiously, his previous cheerful mood fading quickly. "Prongs?" No reply. "James... what's up, mate?"
His raven-haired friend gave a non-committal grunt. Sirius sat on the edge of James' bed, frowning slightly at his odd ebhaviour. "What's wrong? Something happen?"
Another grunt.
Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Okay, look mate, I know I'm a guy and all, but I can't understand that kind of grunt talk," he joked.
Silence. The Marauder sighed deeply and was just contemplating dumping ice-cold water on James to get him talking, when he finally spoke.
"She doesn't like me," was the muffled response. Sirius stared at him, and James took his hands away, looking back at his best mate with the gloomiest and most hollow expression Sirius had the ever seen on his face. James looked away. Sirius knew this was about Lily Evans, the fiery red-head who James had been in love with since third year, and the one who had adopted Sirius as a sort-of brother a while ago.
"I thought... you already knew that...?" Sirius finally uttered, his lack of tact making an appearance.
Prongs gave a hollow humourless laugh. "No... she doesn't just not like me... she freaking hates my guts, Padfoot." His voice was flat, almost emotionless, as were his eyes. The cheery twinkle that usually dominated the bespectacled eyes had disappeared, to be replaced by a dullness that Sirius had truly never seen, or expected to see, in his friend. He looked at him worriedly. He'd never seen James like this, ever, and he didn't know how to handle it. This was probably more Moony's area. But Sirius knew James wouldn't talk about this to anyone else. The two of them shared a brotherly bond that the others didn't have.
"What makes you think that?" He finally asked, leaning forward so his chin rested on his hand, and glanced sideways at James, who was still looking in the other direction. "You've definitely changed this year since you got Head Boy, everyone's noticed. Heck, I wasn't even sure it was still you and not some other James Potter from a parallel universe." James managed a weak smile, and Sirius inwardly sighed with relief. At least he knew that James was still there, somewhere, and not entirely taken over by this new moody one.
But the smile was short-lived. After a moment, James said, "She won't talk to me, unless it's Heads stuff, and even then she won't make eye contact. If I say hello to her in the corridor, she pretends she didn't notice. Today after the prefects' meeting I tried cornering her but she got away, saying something about a library book," James mumbled bitterly. Then he looked up and looked his best friend in the eye with a look of someone who was desperate to know something. "I didn't even do anything, that's the problem. I haven't been loud, I haven't done any pranks or gotten any detentions - except Filch's one - and the only times I have spoken to her, I've been polite and - normal! I don't know why she still hates me, but it's getting at me, mate!"
Sirius stared at his surrogate brother, and saw a new person, one that wasn't confident or sure of himself, one that was losing all hope he had left. He saw someone who had finally cracked. All those times before when Lily Evans had rejected him, humiliated him in front of a crowd, snapped or yelled at him, James had broken just a bit each time, until finally it became too much. He'd hidden it well, pretended to take it in his stride, but Sirius knew that he was hurt. He couldn't take it anymore. He'd quit. And Sirius saw that.
Perhaps James got the feeling that the other Marauder had seen past his facade, because he quickly looked back down at the ground and muttered in a voice so low that Sirius wasn't sure whether he was supposed to hear it, "That's it. I give up."
Those five words hit Sirius like a bad electric shock. He had never, in his seven years of knowing Prongs, heard the words 'I give up' from his mouth, whether in jest or not. James never gave up at anything - Quidditch matches, games of wizard's chess, pranks, even homework. He'd always gone at life to the max, taking extreme measures and risks to get anything he wanted. But, Sirius realised, maybe that was the problem. He had gone to the max to get things - namely Lily - and he'd finally lost all confidence that it would ever work. That struck a flame inside Sirius. He won't let his best friend give up on something this important.
"No way," he growled suddenly, making James look up, surprised. "There's no freaking way you're giving up, Prongs. You don't give up at things! You always go to the max to get everything!"
"Well, that's just the problem, isn't it?" said James quietly. "I went beyond the max, I strained everything in me to breaking point, all to get her, and it hasn't worked. I'm done. I'm broken."
Hearing these defeated words coming from James' mouth were like hearing loving words coming from Voldemort. It just didn't happen. But it made Sirius all the more determined to get his mate back on his feet. He slid off the bed and crouched onto the ground, so he was facing James face-on. "You're not giving up, and you're not done," he said fiercely. James just looked at him. "And if you're just going to lie here and wallow in self-despair, then I'll do the hard work for you." James didn't move, but he was staring at Sirius with a touch of apprehension. Sirius got up. "That's it. I'm going to talk to Lily." He turned and walked to the door.
"What?" He glanced back at James, who had sat up suddenly and was gaping at his friend as though he'd lost his mind. "What're you- you can't- bloody hell, Sirius!" He finally scowled, glaring at him. Sirius held back a smirk. This was more like Prongs.
"Well, then, you're going to talk to her yourself."
That made James' face fall again and he looked away. "I can't. I told you, she won't talk to me!"
Sirius scratched the back of his neck, an odd idea forming in his head. She won't look at James... won't talk to him... won't make eye contact... she hadn't even yelled at him this year. Suddenly Sirius cried out. "Merlin's shorts!" It couldn't be true... could it?
James jumped at the sudden cry. "Huh?"
The long-haired Marauder shook his head and headed out, ignoring James' protests and yells. He had to talk to her. Looking around the common room, Sirius noticed the red-head he'd been looking for and went up to her, glad that the room was almost empty, for once.
"Hey Lils," he said quietly, sitting next to her. She jumped slightly, then noticed it was him.
"Oh, hey Sirius," she murmured, looking around distractedly. The Marauder narrowed his eyes at this.
"So," he said casually. "Why so jumpy?"
"Nothing, it's just... nothing..."
"Mhmm. Come with me for a sec." He jumped up and grabbed Lily's arm, pulling the confused Head Girl behind him.
"What? Why?" She asked, looking around as they walked down a few corridors. Sirius didn't reply. They stopped outside an empty abandoned classroom. Sirius opened the door and mock-bowed to her.
"After you, madam," he grinned. Lily rolled her eyes but went inside, Sirius locking the door behind them. "So, we need to have a serious chat." Lily raised her eyebrows, and he smirked. "Yeah, I did just use that word without a pun. Believe it."
"And what would you possibly want to have a serious chat about?" She enquired, though Sirius detected a hint of worry in her voice. This increased his belief that his theory was right.
He contemplated her for a couple of moments in silence, enjoying keeping her in suspense. Finally he spoke. "Well, I seem to have noticed a certain... change in a friend of mine. You wouldn't happen to know anything about it, would you Lily?"
Lily's green eyes widened. "In James? N-No," she squeaked, shaking her head.
Sirius let out a short bark-like laugh. "Who said it was James? I could've been talking about Peter's weird dislike of milk, or Remus' sudden willingness to finish off my homework." He cocked an eyebrow at his fidgety un-officially adoptive sister.
"I- I just-" she stammered hopelessly, glancing at the door as though she'd love to get out. Sirius saw this and shook his head, smiling.
"No escaping, Lils. Now, come on, there's something you wanna say, right?" He asked softly, switching to a more brotherly mode. He sat beside her on the tabletop. Lily shook her head furiously.
"No. No, nothing," she said firmly, as though she was trying to convince herself, as well as Sirius. He sighed, knowing that if she was in denial, it'd be hard to get her out of it.
He dropped the bombshell. "Then why have you been avoiding Prongs like he's got a highly-infectious disease that would make you wither in bed and not be able to do anything?" He said seriously. (No pun intended.) Lily didn't budge. Sirius leaned forward so he could see her face and muttered, "You know what? I think Prongs does have that disease." She looked at him in surprise, and he nodded. "Know what it is?"
"No," she mumbled, looking at the floor.
"Denial, and self-despair. And, if you ask me, Lils, you've definitely caught it."
That got to her. Lily sat up quickly and glared at Sirius, who smirked. "I'm not in denial, and I'm definitely not self-despairing!" She cried hotly.
Sirius sighed and shook his head dismally. "Ah, poor, delusional child. You are, very clearly, infected with this disease. You have all the symptoms," he said in a formal voice. Lily narrowed her eyes, daring him to prove it. Big mistake. Sirius continued gleefully, and counted off his fingers. "Symptoms and signs that you are inflicted in self-despair: you don't joke around anymore, you don't talk much to people, you're quieter in class, and you spend WAY too much time in the company of homework rather than friends, which is very unhealthy by the way-"
"It's NEWT year-" Lily started to argue, but Sirius cut her off, talking loudly so she wouldn't interrupt what he was next about to say.
"Symptoms and signs of denial: you refuse to look at and/or talk to a certain black-heaired Marauder (which isn't me), and you refuse to talk ABOUT him, and most importantly..." he paused, enjoying the effect this was making on poor Lily, "you refuse to accept that you like him." Lily opened her mouth quickly to protest, but again Sirius talked over her. "Well, that's the end of the health report of Miss Lily Evans-soon-to-be-Potter." He finished smugly, sitting back casually to watch the effect of his words.
Lily was still gaping at the spot where Sirius' face had been, then slowly came to ehr senses, registering what he's just said. "Sirius!" She yelled furiously, glaring at him. He looked at her, unfazed.
"Yeah, that's my name, sis, don't wear it out."
She let out a cry of frustraion and jumped off the table. She looked at him as though she was about to yell something, then changed her mind and headed to the door. The Marauder watched her try to unlock the door with her wand and fail, then turn back to him, eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Let - me - out."
He cocked his head to one side, then answered, "Nah. Not until you admit it."
"I don't have anything to admit!" She yelled, cheeks turning cherry-red.
"Den-ial," Sirius said innocently in a sing-song voice.
"Sirus Black, if you don't let me out, I swear I'll-"
"Snog James?" He quirked, grinning cockily. She flushed.
"I-do-NOT like him!"
"No, you're in love with him." Sirius corrected, in a mocking voice, though he was solemn.
"I'M NOT." She gave him her best death glare but Sirius didn't notice. He was scrutinizing his adoptive sister, eyebrows furrowed.
After a few moment's silence, he said solemnly, "Why?"
Lily looked bemused. "Why what?"
"Why are you denying it? I mean, I know you're Lily Evans, Queen of Denials and all that comes with them, but... why?"
She was silent then, glancing around, first at him, then the ground, then out the window. Her expression softened and she sighed. When Sirius thought she would never answer, she said softly, "Because I- I haven't felt like this before, Sirius... I don't-" she shook her head then, not knowing what else to say. Sirius silently put an arm around her shoulders. He'd just noticed a shadow behind the door, and had a fleeting thought of who it could be. The spell locking the door was one only the Marauders knew how to unlock, so if it was someone else, he wasn't worried.
The Marauder turned his attention back to Lily. "So why didn't you tell him? You've been avoiding him all this time, he's taken it the wrong way." Lily looked at him questioningly. Sirius sighed and sat back down, withdrawing his arm. "He thinks you hate him, and can't stand to be around him. To be honest, Lils, if you weren't my sister, I would've murdered you for breaking him like that." He admitted, then instantly slapped a hand over his mouth. He wasn't supposed to say that. What James had told him was strictly for his brother's ears only.
Lily's eyes were like saucers by now. "I... He thinks... Oh my god," she shut her eyes and covered her face with her hands, this new piece of information transferring into ehr brain. "I thought... I thought he doesn't like me anymore... I thought that's why he's stopped asking me out... I wasn't sure what..."
But Sirius wasn't listening anymore. He noticed the door behind her opening slowly, and noticed the extremely familiar face of none other than James Potter. James wasn't looking at him though, he was staring at Lily. Then he said in a quiet voice, "Well, Lily Evans, what if I say now... I love you."
Lily gasped as though she'd had a great electric shock and twirled around, her hands falling from her face. Her eyes met James' and the air seemed to crackle. Sirius started to worry that they'd forget he was here and start to snog like no tomorrow. Luckily, that wasn't the case.
While Lily was still staring at him, shell-shocked, James' eyes flitted to Sirius and gave a brief smile. Sirius sighed in relief and got up, heading out of the room with the two love-struck puppies in there. As he passed by James, he muttered quietly, "Have fun," then winked and sped out, shutting the door behind him. But not before he heard Lily mutter something, and proceed to snog his best mate senseless. Sirius laughed quietly and headed to the common room, pulling out of his pocket the Marauder's Map. He found Lily and James' dots, which were connected, then split apart. They stayed like that for a couple of minutes, before rejoining again. Satisfied, the Marauder fell back into the couch in front of the fireplace and contemplated his geniusness (if that's a word) that brought his best mate and adoptive sister together, finally.
He just hoped they'd remember to give all credits to him at their wedding.