Written for Ultimate Het Love Competition on HPFC. I was supposed to write a Remus/Lily fic but I couldn't break James/Lily, just can't I thought I would be able to. But now... I think it is my OTP.

Prompts:She was supposed to be a friend and nothing else. Caught fire by the Used.


Bittersweet

She is supposed to be a friend and nothing else. You remind yourself. Your heart doesn't register. She stops talking, your eyes meet. You seem to be melting in her emerald green orbs... This is love. You scream in your head. But your brain knows what is right. You avoid it.

She leans in, her eyes flutter close. You find yourself leaning in. You can feel her warm breath on your face, just a few inches away.

You scream at your brain to stop thinking. It doesn't.

It shows you in flashes, the first time she talked to you, really talked to you. In the prefect meeting, where you two were chosen as Gryffindor Prefects. Slowly, you become friends, through, hours of work together and the patrols and the post patrol chats you have.

You love her. Her laugh, tinkling like musical chimes. Her green eyes, that light up when she smiles. Her bravery, loyalty and short-temper, the way she is ready to kill for a friend. She is ready to kill for you. Just friends. Your brain screams at you.

Then your brain uses its last weapon, reminds you of the time when you met James. James your first friend, your best friend, the guy who found and trusted the human in you at a time when you didn't even knew the human existed. This is not right. You can't betray his trust.

James' thought brings you to reality, like drinking cold water over a mint. He loves Lily. And somewhere in the back of your mind you know that Lily loves him, too. She is always angry at him, because she expects better of him. She wants him to improve. She doesn't realize her love.

Wouldn't hurt what she doesn't know, will it? Your heart reasons, James gets what he wants, you can have Lily.

James gets what he wants because he deserves it. Your brain reminds you, He sees well in you. Some good in Sirius and you have no idea what he sees in Peter. And he will be hurt but he will let you have her. Because he will want what's best for you and Lily.

You sigh. You put hands on her shoulder, she comes out of her stupor, and her eyes open in a daze. She couldn't look more beautiful.

No. You mouth and shake your head.

She understands, clarity dawns on her face.

"James?" She asks.

You nod. You can only nod.

She nods back.

"You are too loyal for your own good." She says and leaves you alone.

Unbeknownst to you James stood there in his Invisibility Cloak, watching the whole interaction.

Two years later, you stand in the common room as the gang celebrates. Lily has finally realized her love for James and accepted to go out with him.

You search the crowd, looking for James, expecting him to enjoying and partying. He is nowhere to be seen. Your eyes meet Lily and she smiles at you, you smile back. You've stayed friends through time.

James approaches you from the back and you turn to look at him. His face is not filled with joy as you had expected.

"Remus" he says, "I know what happened two years ago between you and Lily, and I never appreciated your loyalty before that night. I wanted to thank you. Just know that, if it had been you, I would have accepted it."

You understand his broken sentences and smile, "James, she never loved me. It was always you, she just didn't realize that. I loved and still love her, but I think her happiness comes as first priority."

James smiles and hugs you. You smile a bit bitterly understanding the meaning of the quote you once read,

For the people you love, you are ready to do anything even if it hurts you.

And you love both James and Lily, you can't hurt them.

At the end of the day, it is all bittersweet.