James looked up from his parchment and at his two friends sitting across from him. He said nothing but simply watched them.

Sirius and Remus sat on a couch together, studying like the rest of them. Outside of the Gryffindor common room anyone who didn't know the boys might not know they were anything more than friends unless they really paid attention. It would be a brush of the shoulder when they walked past each other, lingering touches when they passed notes and other things back and forth between them or legs intertwined at the ankle (on occasion) when they stood next to each other under the Marauders favorite tree that might give them away. Inside the common room was different. Up in Gryffindor tower there was absolutely no doubt they were a couple.

James watched as Sirius, who sat with an arm on the back of the couch behind Remus, gently tucked a stray piece of hair behind Remus' ear. He watched Remus look up from the textbook and smile shyly at Sirius as a faint blush began to cover his face. James watched as Sirius smiled at Remus not with his, so-called, award-winning smile but with one that was only meant for Remus. He watched, as the two went back to reviewing notes, Sirius slide the arm he had laid on the back of the couch around Remus' shoulders. James then looked around the room and noticed, not for the first time, he wasn't the only one watching.

His two friends were a couple and, despite not always showing it, it was no secret. Peter and him had known Sirius and Remus fancied each other since third year, they had confessed to each other in early fourth year and the school had known about them since fifth year. James had no problem with his two friends being a couple, to him it only made sense. Peter and him had even been the ones who helped the two get together. In fact, most of the school had no problem with it. Hogwarts was a place of tolerance or at least that's what Dumbledore worked for. They weren't the only same gender couple in school either. James knew of at least two other couples, two seventh year girls had dated for over two years now and two fifth year boys just started going out. In the wizarding world homosexuality was more accepted than in the muggle world or so he was told. In the wizarding world your blood mattered more than who you were in a relationship with. The only problem some families, even Sirius' family, would have with the two being together would mean no heirs. Of course Sirius' family finding out about Remus' furry little problem would also cause some trouble but that was beside the point. With this knowledge James would find anyone staring at his friends curious and annoying except he knew exactly who it was and why she was watching them.

Lily Evans watched James' two friends. To be more accurate, she watched Remus and James watched her. She looked at Remus with a sad but slightly dreamy expression. James felt a pain in his stomach every time he noticed her staring at his friend. It wasn't just the fact he fancied her and had done so since first year but he knew how she felt. He knew what it felt like caring about someone in a way you knew they would never care about you. He would never admit it out loud, of course, but deep down he did feel Lily would never return his feelings, that didn't stop him from trying of though.

James had figured out Lily's feelings for Remus around the same time he figured out Sirius' feelings for Remus. Peter and their dorm mate, Frank, would often joke about James' true intentions when he stated his wish to set his friends up but James had truly wanted to see his friends happy. When Remus had finally made a choice, one he didn't even know he had made being as oblivious as he was when it came to people fancying him, James had watched with a mixture of pain and relief. The pain was for Lily as she realized, long before most of the other students, that the object of her affection had chosen someone else. The relief was obviously when James realized he might still have a chance with Lily. He knows now and knew it then too it wasn't right for him to feel that way but he couldn't help it.

Over two years had passed since Remus and Sirius had begun their relationship and Lily Evans still held onto some hope that one day Remus Lupin would see her as more than a friend. James sat in his chair and shook his head. He looked back at his friends on the couch and watched as Sirius, once again, got Remus' attention. He watched Sirius place a hand on Remus' cheek, lean forward and gently kiss his lips. James chanced a glance at Lily and noticed she wasn't looking any more. When he looked back at his friends they were still kissing. A small jolt of anger rushed through his body, "How could they be so insensitive?" he thought, "Well," he corrected himself, "How could Remus be so insensitive?" he knew Sirius didn't care, not about these things anyways.

"Would you two knock it off already!" James snapped at his friends. The two jumped apart and stared at him, along with the rest of the common room. He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

The rest of the room went back to their business but Sirius snapped right back at James. "What's your problem?"

James sighed. "Nothing, sorry."

Silence filled the air and without another word Sirius grabbed Remus' hand and the two went upstairs. James sighed again.

Peter look up from the parchment in his hands. He had tried to concentrate on the essay he was suppose to write but gave up when he realized he had written ten words in the last fifteen minutes, six of which had been his name and the title of the paper. He had chosen instead to watch James, who had spent the last fifteen minutes looking between Sirius and Remus to Lily Evans. He had watched quietly until James' recent outburst. He gave his friend a puzzled look.

"I'm sorry Pete." James began. "It's just Lily"

Peter smiled politely. "When isn't it Lily" he thought.

"I just can't believe it" James continued. "She just won't give up on him"

Peter nodded his agreement. He knew who the him was that James was talking about.

"Does she know how foolish it is to hold onto feelings for someone who doesn't return them?" James asked but didn't wait for an answer. "Does she know how pathetic she looks?" He huffed out.

Peter blinked a couple of times, stared at his friend in disbelieve and remained silent. "Is that a trick question, does he really want me to answer that?" He thought, knowing how long James had tried to get the attention of Lily Evans .

James seemed to read his friends mind as he laughed awkwardly. "I suppose it isn't that pathetic." He ran a hand through his already messy hair. "Quidditch tomorrow, wanna watch me practice?" He asked as he stood up.

With his essay forgotten Peter stood up and followed James. "What about Moony and Padfoot?" Peter asked.

"We'll catch up with them later, I'm sure they're busy anyways." James laughed and lead the way out of the portrait hole.