I sat and watched the fire flicker and crackle with fascination. I enjoyed the way the fire swayed back and forth as it set the coal aflame. I titled my head to the side as I watched and I sighed.
"Amy!"
I continued staring into the fire and didn't acknowledge James as he sat on the couch next to me, causing the cushions to give and I fell slightly towards him.
"Okay I was just talking to Sirius," James gestured with his thumb over at Sirius, who was standing watching with a pale face, I smiled. "And we think that since Fielder was in an accident last practise and she won't be up for next practise or maybe even the next match, you could now stand in for her. See? We don't need to hex anybody!"
I had to be dreaming. No way in hell would James ever let me on the team; he never wanted people thinking he was one to have favourites. Even though he was. "Seriously?!" I gasped.
James nodded, a grin spreading across his face. "James!" I threw my arms around my brother and almost knocked him off the chair. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
James laughed, "Okay so that's that settled. We're having a practise tomorrow night as usual."
I grinned. "Wait so, Sirius suggested this?" I enquired lightly, trying to control myself because all I wanted to do was run over to Sirius and snog the hell out of him as a thank you.
"Yah, it actually caught me off guard; he's never been that bothered about you playing before," James explained. "Remember to say thank you, he was really adamant about you getting to play."
"I will," I grinned. "Thanks James!"
"No problem," James smiled. "And by the way, have you been feeling okay recently? We barely talk these days and you looked a bit shook up last night."
"Yeah, yeah I was fine, just got a bit frustrated with that Transfiguration homework," I said quickly. I glanced at Sirius across the room, who was mouthing "talk to him!" I bit my lip, "And, James?"
"Amy?"
"Look," I began, adjusting myself on the couch to be able to see James properly and I felt my stomach plummet. "I've been wanting to talk to you about this for a while but, well, I haven't gotten the courage before."
"What is it?" James asked, his eyes narrowing and his protective side showing even more than usual. "Some Slytherins haven't been bothering you, have they?"
"What? Oh, no!" I smiled slightly; what I would give for that to be the problem. "No, that's not the problem. Er…James…it's just that, well, I feel that sometimes you can be a bit…over protective, if you know what I mean."
James raised an eyebrow, "Am I?"
I nodded, "A lot, actually. Not that I don't appreciate it! It's nice that I've got a brother to beat folk up for me, but well, sometimes I feel that, well, I'm wrapped in cotton wool and I'd rather not be…okay?"
James sat for a minute thinking, and I felt my face pale; what was I doing?! He's was going to get mad, I knew it, he didn't like it that I didn't need him and he was going to get mad. Any minute now…"If that's how you feel then I'll try to lay off a bit," James smiled and ruffled my hair. I barely noticed.
"Really?" I eyebrows hit my fringe and I knew I must be dreaming.
James nodded, "I'm trying to keep you safe though, sometimes I think that you might not be up to facing everything and I just don't want you hurt."
Something jerked in me and I knew this conversation wasn't going to go well after all, "I'm just as ready to face everything as the next person, thanks for the protection, but I'm perfectly capable of protecting myself."
James raised an eyebrow, "What about when Liam broke up with you for Shelby Hardness? Were you ready for that?"
I stood up, my heart thumping threateningly, my fists clenched and my knuckles white. "He never broke up with me! I broke up with him! And no! I wasn't ready! But I am now so just stop being such a prat and leave me to fight my own battles!" I glared.
James got to his feet as well, a frown taking over his face and his hazel eyes becoming slightly darker. "Don't go pretending that you're ready for everything Amy! You have no idea what's going on in the world outside Hogwarts right now and if you did I think I can say that you wouldn't be so against me protecting you then."
"Oh so the truth comes out!" I spat. "You think I'm just a stupid little girl who is scared of everything? Well I'm not! And I don't need you!"
"Yes you do!" James glared, his voice rising. "You're so wrapped up in the idea of proving yourself when you have nothing to prove!"
"I am a Potter!" I shouted. "I can take care of myself! I have everything to prove and you just don't want to see it because you're fine with the Amy everyone thinks I am!"
Not wanting to look at James' raging face anymore, I pushed by him and marched straight out the portrait hole, becoming aware that the second I left, the common room seemed to buzz as all onlookers talked about probably the only fight witnessed between James and Amy Potter.
I sat and stirred my chocolate ice cream into liquid as I watched all the house elves run about the kitchen in their eagerness to get dinner ready.
"Wolly?" I asked the house elf who had gotten my ice cream for me. He had become quite a help to me ever since I discovered the kitchens in third year and would always deliver treats when he thought I wasn't feeling well. "Would you mind if I just ate my dinner here?"
Wolly grinned, bearing his crooked teeth and bowing deeply, "T'would be an honour to have a Potter stay for dinner."
I tried to smile, but ended up grimacing, "Thanks Wolly." I ducked my head and sipped at my liquid ice cream, glad that I wouldn't be going to dinner.
"Amy?"
I spun round on my chair and gaped when I saw Sirius standing in the portrait hole. "What…what…how did you know I was down here?" I stammered.
Sirius shrugged, "I've known you long enough to know that when you get pissed off you eat ice cream. Then it was just a case of knowing where you could ice cream when it's not meal times." Sirius grinned.
I smiled slightly. "Well, yes, you were right," I wiped my lips surreptitiously, hoping I didn't have any chocolate plastering my cheeks. "What do you want then?" I asked, feeling that I had said that with a bit more bitterness than I originally planned.
Sirius shrugged and sat down next to me. "The usual please Wolly," He told Wolly, who scurried off to get Sirius his food. "Anne heard you had a fight with James and said she couldn't find you. I told her you might want to be alone but she wanted me to come find you so…here I am."
I blushed slightly, "Well…thanks. I suppose I could use the company."
"Here you go Mister Black," Wolly sat a tray of éclairs, jam tarts, ice cream, and jam donuts on the table in front of Sirius and bowed deeply, causing his nose to brush the floor.
"Thanks Wolly," Sirius picked up the first éclair and bit into it, smearing whipped cream all over his nose.
I laughed, "I think you're a messier eater than me!"
Sirius grinned, "It's who I am."
I smiled and looked back at my ice cream, not quite sure what else to say to the boy. The way we were sitting, and the food we were eating, gave me the sense of déjà vu.
"I love the food down here," Sirius sighed.
That sentence knocked a memory inside of me and I remembered why I had never liked Sirius, why I had hated the sight of him every summer and why I had somehow come to not trust him.
)Flash back(
(took place in Amy's fourth year in the kitchens)
I peeked my head round the portrait door just as it was about to close and instead of seeing four backs all turned towards me, I saw three, and Sirius grinning at me mischievously.
I gulped and hid behind a suit of armour when I heard voices. "See you later mate," James called and stepped out of the kitchens, with Remus and Peter behind him.
Once he had disappeared round the corner, I opened the kitchens door and stepped in. "Hello Amy," Sirius smirked at me from the centre table.
I gulped, "What do you want?"
Sirius grinned again and turned his back to me, leaving me no choice but to go and sit next to him. He took a bite out of the jam donut he had and said, "I love the food down here."
I rolled my eyes, "Get to the point, Sirius."
"A little birdie told me that little baby Potter has a boyfriend," Sirius smirked, and I felt my face pale.
"What?" I stared wide-eyed at Sirius.
Sirius sniggered, "You have a boyfriend, one that I'm sure James won't be too happy to meet."
I gulped, "How do you know that?"
"Because I know everything," Sirius told me smugly.
"You won't tell James, will you?" I begged.
Sirius shrugged, "I don't know."
"You can't! He'll be a prat like he always is and he'll mess everything up!" I told him, anger beginning to sizzle inside me.
Sirius raised an eyebrow, "You really like this guy, don't you?"
I nodded and then shrugged, "I don't know. I like him a lot, and I'd rather James didn't butt in."
"Okay then, sure, I won't tell James," Sirius smiled, though I noticed how the smile didn't reach his eyes.
"Right, good," I nodded and headed for the portrait hole.
"What if Darren doesn't really like you?" Sirius spoke from just behind me, making me jump.
I turned round to look at Sirius and glared, "Shut up, Black. I know Darren better than you so I don't think you can say that."
Sirius shrugged, "Just looking out for you."
"I don't need looking out for," I stated, before heading back to the common room.
"Amy!" James grabbed my arm and steered me over to the window, away from everyone else. I tried to smile at him, but the conversation with Sirius had planted a seed of doubt in my mind and now even I was feeling uneasy about Darren.
"Amy!" I grinned when I saw Darren by the window.
"Hello," I replied, hugging him quickly.
"Look, Amy," He began. "I don't think we should see each other anymore."
I stared at him, feeling my throat close up and tears threaten to spill. "Why?" I whispered, barely audible.
Darren shrugged, "James has found out and I just don't think we should see each other anymore. I'm not prepared to get my ass kicked."
I failed to stifle a sob and shoved by Darren to get to the girls' staircase. Just as the common room disappeared, I saw Sirius on the couches, gazing after me with a look of both regret, and hope.
)End flash back(
"Do you remember Darren?" I asked, in almost a whisper.
Sirius turned to look at me; startled I had said that. "What?" He asked.
"Darren Greenock," I stated. "Do you remember him?"
Slowly, Sirius nodded. "Why did you tell James?" I asked.
Sirius gulped down the éclair and picked up another one, "I didn't."
I turned to look at Sirius and frowned. "Don't lie, Sirius, I know you did. Just tell me why."
"I didn't," Sirius repeated, staring straight at me and boring into me with his grey eyes.
"Then how the hell had James found out about Darren?!" I demanded, my voice rising as all those emotions came back to me.
Sirius sighed and looked down at his hands, "James never found out about Darren."
I stared at Sirius, not quite knowing what he was saying, "What?"
"James never found out about Darren," Sirius repeated.
"Then why did Darren say it was because of James?" I asked.
Sirius put his face in his hands and muttered something I couldn't hear. "What?" I asked.
"Don't get angry," he looked up at me, his eyes pleading.
I continued to stare at Sirius, not sure if I wanted to promise anything, "Tell me."
"I…" Sirius looked from me to his hands, trying to figure out how to say what he was about to say. "Well…I told…Darren, that James had found out."
"…Why?" I asked, my mouth dry and my eyes beginning to water.
Sirius shrugged, "I suppose…I was…I was, well, jealous…"
"……………….What?! Why? You had plenty of girlfriends! What was there to be jealous of in me and Darren?" I demanded.
Sirius sighed and put his face in his hands again. "Don't make me say it," he muttered.
"Say what? Look Sirius I told you about Liam, the least you could do is tell me why you ruined my relationship with Darren," I frowned at him.
Sirius sighed, but didn't say anything. "Sirius! Tell me!"
"Okay!" Sirius took a deep breath and looked straight at me, startling me with the severe look in his eyes. "I told Darren that James found out because I was jealous of him. I knew that Darren would run at the first sign of trouble and I wanted to prove it to you because…you deserve better."
I glared at him, "What gave you the right to do that?! And what do you care if I deserve better!"
"For Merlin's sake Amy!" Sirius glared at me. "You're supposed to be smart! Try putting two and two together instead of making it harder for me to admit! Or would you like me to spell it out for you?!"
"That would be helpful, yes," I spat.
"Fine! I've been in love with you since the day I met you!"
