Kiley 1 09: Thank you for all your support and your kind reviews. You don't know how appreciated they are. Once again, Thank you. To all those anonymous readers out there who don't review, that's okay. I thank you for sticking with me this far and supporting me in my first fanfiction.
Disclaimer: It all belongs to JKR.
"Marlene, we need to talk." A strong hand grabbed Marlene's upper arm and pulled her into an empty classroom. Marlene looked up at the owner of the hand and smiled when she recognized Sirius.
"Hey," she said, a grin spreading over her face, "What's up? Is something wrong?" She answered this question in her head. Yes, something was wrong. For a week now, Sirius had been acting all strange; he'd been distant.
"I don't know Marlene, it's our relationship."
"Yeah. Why have you been so distant lately? You can tell me anything. I won't get angry." Her eyes looked searchingly up at him, but he refused to meet her gaze.
"I think we're moving too fast. We've told each other we love each other. And I don't know…"
"Sirius, are you saying, that when you told me you loved me you didn't mean it?" Despite her former promise, Marlene's green eyes flashed with a hint of anger.
"No!" He stated quickly. "I just mean, I think we're moving too fast. We're still very young."
"Since when have you been one to want to slow down a relationship?"
"Not slow it down, just take a break."
"TAKE A BREAK?! We've been together all year. I love you!"
"And I love you too Marlene! I just think we're dealing with something we don't know how to handle. I'm scared we're getting in over our heads…and if we take a break and come back to each other, later, it'll be better."
"Sirius! Have you ever thought that we were meant to be together? And if we 'take a break' we might not come back to each other! Sure we might be in over our heads, but the way to survive that is to fight to stay above the water. NOT let it pull you back to shore."
"Marlene, you need to understand. I don't want to hurt you!"
"You know what's hurting me, Sirius? The fact that you want this relationship over!"
"I don't want it over! I love you! It's just going too far and too fast."
"You manipulated me!" she screamed, "You used me and now you want out!"
"Marlene, love. NO! That's not it at all!"
"Get out! Get away from me! I don't want to see you!" He stretched out his arms to her but she swatted him away and he left the room, looking back over his shoulder once before continuing on. She had her head in her hands and she was sobbing. How could this have gone so wrong?
After a long while, she picked herself up, and still sniffling and sobbing quietly, she sought out her best friend Lily.
"And he said all of that?" Marlene had just finished telling Lily everything from her conversation with Sirius. "Wow, I really thought you guys were in love and that he'd changed."
"Me too" Marlene sniffled. She threw her school robes on the floor, put on her pajamas and curled up on her bed.
"Marlene, we have to do something about this. This can't be right. I'm going to go talk to James."
"No, Lily! Please, just leave it be. It'll be fine. I'll get over him…"
"Marlene, this isn't right. I have to do something about this." And with that, Lily turned on her heel and walked out of the dorm room, the tail of her cloak swishing around the doorframe as she headed towards the common room to seek out James.
James and Sirius were alone in their dormitory. Sirius was explaining everything to James. Sirius was lying on his bed in just his boxers, staring up at the ceiling while James was perched on his own bed interrogating Sirius ruthlessly.
"You mean to tell me, you 'took a break' from this relationship because you were scared of getting yourself hurt?" Sirius nodded, his eyes downcast, "So let me get this straight: you were scared you guys were too far in so that if it ended she would break your heart. But, there was no hint or sign that you guys were anywhere near being over?"
Again, Sirius nodded. "Padfoot mate, that's the stupidest, girliest, most selfish reason for breaking up with somebody I've ever heard. You selfish git! You love her and she loves you! Why would you do that? To scared to hurt yourself if you fall?"
"Prongs, it's not like that!" Sirius propped himself up on one elbow and faced his best friend,
"Actually, I think it is. I'm disappointed in you. I would've expected better from my best mate."
"Well what am I going to do? It's over. I ruined everything!"
"Go apologize to her! That's what. Say you didn't mean it. Tell her the truth. Tell her you were really just scared for your own ass and not for what might happen to her!"
"I can't do that! She'd hate me!" Sirius gasped.
"Well I think she hates you right now too. At least tell her the truth, she deserves to know."
"But I'm scared, James! You don't understand, I've never felt like this before!"
"Incase you haven't realized, I do understand how you feel. How do you think it is with Lily?"
"I don't think I can do it just yet though. I need… to think this through."
"Okay mate, just tell her the truth. She deserves to know." James turned to exit the dormitory, hoping to catch the tail end of dinner.
"Oi! Prongs! You'll back me up? Defend me right?"
"Sirius, we're practically brothers, if I didn't what type of friend would I be?"
"Thanks, mate. You're the best." Sirius lay back down on his bed, once again, staring at the ceiling. James made his way down to the common room.
"JAMES POTTER! What is going on?" Almost the second he stepped out of the boys' staircase he was bombarded by a very annoyed Lily. "What has Black done to my best friend?"
"Listen Lily, now is not the time, maybe later."
"Maybe later my arse, James. We're friends, we talk."
"Okay, what do you want to know?"
"Why did he do that? What was he thinking?
"Lily, he's just scared for her. He's scared that they're in to deep and something will happen and she'll get hurt."
"That's the biggest bull I've ever heard!" Lily retorted. Her green eyes flared and James couldn't help but notice that even when she was angry she looked beautiful.
"Calm down Miss Feisty. They'll work it out."
"He broke her heart, James and you're defending him! I can't believe you! Talk some sense into him, you're best friends aren't you?" Their eyes met, her green ones piercing into his hazel ones, like searchlights looking for his answer.
"He did what he did, he thinks what he did was right. And what can I say, this is his relationship not mine."
"GAHH!! James, I can't believe you! You're putting you're friendship for him before what you know is right!" She yelled this and the whole common room fell silent, staring at the two of them. She whirled around and stalked out of the portrait hole.
"Lily!" he called after her. But his attempt was in vain. She was gone and couldn't hear him. The room immediately erupted in whispers but James didn't care. He just stood rooted to the spot; he and Lily had fought for the first time in months. As if woken from a deep sleep he uprooted himself and sprinted out of the common room, following Lily into the great hall. He sat down next to her, "Look I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"
"James, this was the final straw. I thought you'd changed!"
"I have changed! Listen to me! Just give me a chance to explain!" But she ignored him and picked up her plate of food and moved to a different section of the table. Suddenly, James didn't feel hungry anymore. He stalked back up to the dormitories, several girls eyeing him as he went. When he entered the common room there were more whispers. James glared at everyone individually until they all stopped before continuing on upstairs.
"Thanks a lot mate!" He shouted at Sirius.
"What did I do?" He said, a look of innocence spreading over his face. James picked up the nearest pillow and hurled it at him.
"OI! What was that for?"
"Thanks to you, Sirius, Lily and I are in a huge fight now and she's ignoring me! And this is all because you're being a git about Marlene and I, being the good friend that I am, backed you up."
"Well Jesus mate, why don't you go apologize?"
"WHY DON'T YOU GO APOLOGIZE?" James roared, "You're the one who started all of this in the first place. If you just went to Marlene and explained to her everything you've told me, it will all be okay!"
"Listen mate, I'm really sorry. But I just can't do that right now. I need to, pluck up the courage, figure out what I'm going to say. But I will do it. I promise. I'm really really sorry James. I didn't think…"
"Yeah you definitely didn't." James said crossly. He stripped off his clothes and he too lay back on his bed in just his boxers. "I'm sorry I flipped out at you like that, I didn't mean to be so harsh."
"Its okay mate, I was a huge git." The boys snorted in laughter before lying back on their beds, letting sleep take them.
Lily had finished her dinner but she still felt empty. Something wasn't right. She and James were still in a fight and she felt horrible. She'd lashed out at him when he had just been defending his best mate. "But poor Marlene, she's miserable!" Lily thought, "I've never seen her this upset before!" She grabbed some food and started walking back to the dormitories to deliver it to Marlene who was still curled up on her bed. As Lily walked she thought, she was still angry. Yes she was very angry with James, he may have been defending his friend but this was a little absurd, he had just gone too far. But, she had just put on hold a friendship that she had really enjoyed. She loved being friends with James! At the thought of him, she pictured his handsome face smiling at her but she quickly brushed it away. He had been so unfair! "Lily what have you done!?" The voice in her head said, but she ignored that too. And lamenting over her fight with James, she trudged up the stairs to deliver Marlene's food to her.
