Bets, Belligerence, & Bliss

by SXS

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or related entities and I didn't do this for copyright infringement.

Chapter 10: Anger and Ardent Arguments

James Potter had never wanted to clobber Amos Diggory more in his life.

James had been headed down to Potions when he caught a glimpse of Lily and Amos Diggory, the prat, sharing a Cauldron Cake and exchanging embraces that were a tad too long to be just friendly. James peered over at them from behind a suit of armor, as Lily flashed Diggory a dazzling smile and whispered something in his ear. He grinned hugely, nodding eagerly. James fought back the urge to burst out from behind the armor and hex Diggory's nose off. Once Diggory bid Lily goodbye and strolled off, James emerged from his hiding spot.

"What was that?" pressed James, shocking Lily. "I thought you and Diggory were over with about five months ago. I threw a party for it, I recall."

"Yes, you did," concurred Lily, "One of your more obnoxious moments. And I'm not dating Amos, he asked to walk with me to my Potions class and I accepted."

"Yeah, and if I walked like that with Sirius to Potions, half the female population at Hogwarts would be devastated and extremely confused," James replied. "C'mon, Lily, did you just forget what happened on Valen – "

"I thought we established," interrupted Lily, "that what happened that night didn't occur."

"No, you established that for some reason," James rebutted. "I don't even know why right now, but you did. And now you're off flirting away with Diggory, Lily, I just don't get what you're doing here. Is this supposed to make me jealous or something?"

"Everything is about you, isn't it?" sighed Lily, frustrated. "It can't be possible that I'm attempting to move on and giving you the hint that you should get back to your relationship with Gwen instead of trying pathetically and hopelessly to pursue me on the side."

"On the side?" repeated James incredulously. "Lily, how many times do I have to bloody tell you? I'm in love with you!"

"Then why did you start dating her?"

James opened his mouth to respond, but he quickly prevented himself from revealing everything about his bet with Remus and Remus' plan. For the first time since he and Hagrid encountered a unicorn in the Forbidden Forest, James was out of clever things to say. He stood there, gaping, knowing he looked like a fool but still saying nothing. Lily simply glared at him for a minute or so, and then broke her gaze. She briskly walked past him, blinking furiously.

"Prongs!"

James looked up to see Sirius and Peter entering the corridor. They both waved at him, and he feebly returned their gesture.

"I just saw Evans storm out of here," Sirius murmured, "did something happen?"

"She seemed really upset," added Peter.

"I…" James began, taking a deep breath. "I saw her with Diggory and it seemed like they were back together or something, but turns out she was just flirting with him for the hell of it. Then I asked her if she had just thrown her memories of Valentine's night in a Pensieve or something, because she's been refusing to even acknowledge that it happened. Then she got all huffy and yelled at me about going out with Gwen if I really loved her and I couldn't tell her about the bet so now she probably thinks that she's just a little fun on the side for me, when she's actually, you know, the only thing that really matters in that sense."

"You should go talk to her about it," suggested Sirius.

"Yeah, if it's a contest between you and Amos Diggory, I'd choose you," Peter chimed in, and then looked a little bemused as he reflected on what he had said. "I mean, if I were a girl." James laughed, giving him an affectionate punch on the shoulder.

"I just wish I hadn't made this bet in the first place."

Sirius Black had never dated a girl for more than a few months.

It wasn't as if he was afraid of commitment. After all, he had been committed to being a mischievous Marauder with his three best mates for years now. It was just that no girl was willing to take things beyond the superficial. There were plenty of girls he'd have fun with for awhile if they went steady, but he had never encountered one that wasn't obsessed with his looks. Hell, even Slytherin girls ogled him wherever he went, even though that entire House would like nothing more than to snap his wand in half. Sirius had simply grown used to never having a committed relationship, and it seemed to be working out fine for him. Although it didn't stop them from trying to impress him, most girls in the school knew this.

"Most girls" didn't include Gwendolyn Reynolds.

"Sirius!"

Sirius glanced up, his dark eyes meeting the bright, pale ones of Gwen. Astronomy lecture had just concluded, meaning he had just woken up from a pleasant nap to the sound of Professor Swenson's monotonous drawl about the relationship between Scorpio and Taurus.

"Hullo," he greeted with a yawn. Gwen giggled.

"You're so adorable."

"Thanks," muttered Sirius shortly. As if he hadn't heard that one before. In a way, Evans had a point. Even though James didn't just love her for her appearance, which wasn't bad in the slightest, if he did only want to be with her because she was pretty, it would be quite the unfulfilling relationship. Of course, Sirius reminded himself, that just means that every single date he'd ever been on was generally unfulfilling, seeing as he didn't usually get more out of his date than a waterfall of giggles, compliments about his hair or eyes, or a not-so-subtle, "Oh, I left my hat in a broom closet, would you go get it with me?" Sirius snapped out of his introspection and continued to look ahead with a bored expression.

"So, for our next date, how does an excursion to Madame Puddifoot's sound?"

"Sure," shrugged Sirius. Sirius finished packing up his Astronomy books and gave Gwen a little wave. He left the classroom with James, Remus, and Peter. They passed by Cassandra, who pointedly cued Sirius over.

"You better make sure Gwen doesn't see," warned Remus under his breath, and the other Marauders continued off to lunch.

"I heard you and Gwendolyn had a bit more fun than I did on Valentine's," Cassandra started in her silky voice.

"And that's a problem?" replied Sirius with equal smoothness in his tone. "You knew what you signed up for that night, did you not?"

"I'm not offended, just surprised."

"And why is that?"

"I'm surprised you didn't stay after with me, Sirius," Cassandra whispered, toying with her goldenrod tresses. "You don't know what you missed, going off with that Gwen girl."

"I'd like to find out."

Gwendolyn Reynolds could not believe her eyes.

"Sirius Black, how could you?!" she screamed, her eyes clouding over with tears. She had dropped all the books she was carrying in shock, adding to the chaotic and cacophonous nature of her fury. Sirius and Cassandra broke away from each other, both staring at Gwen, alarmed. Cassandra shot Sirius an apologetic expression and hurried off, leaving Sirius alone with a rather outraged Gwen.

"Why are you yelling?"

"I can't believe you would do this to me!"

"Calm down, Gwen, I didn't mean it," Sirius insisted, thinking to himself how little he meant any of the gestures he gave to girls.

"I thought you loved me!"

"Look, Gwen," Sirius said now, a little more comfortingly. "I don't really love girls, if you get what I'm saying. I know you're new to the whole dating thing since Remus made you over a while back, and there are some things that he probably should have explained to you about dating and relationships that you don't seem to understand. I know you've got Os on your O.W.L.s in just about every subject, but this is something you don't learn from a class."

"What are you talking about?"

"I just date for the fun of it, really," Sirius explained. "I've never had a steady girlfriend, and honestly, I don't plan on it. I know that sounds bad on the surface, but if you really think about it, it's not just me being selfish. Most girls out there, yes, even you, are just interested in me for superficial reasons. It was kind of charming at first, but now it's just what I'm used to and don't really feel like changing that. I'm content with how I am, and, hate to break it to you, I'm not changing for you."

"Can't you just try, just this once?" Gwen whimpered, drying her eyes with the sleeves of her robes. "You might like it."

"Try what?"

"Being in an actual relationship."

"Um, sure, I can try," stated Sirius skeptically, but realized Gwen took it the wrong way when he noticed her eyes lighting up and a delighted smile spreading across her face. It looked quite pretty, but it could only mean trouble.

"That's wonderful," she gasped in delight. "Oh Sirius, I knew you would." She shuffled toward him and planted a peck on his cheek. He opened his mouth to explain what he meant, but she had already hurried off. Sirius sighed.

"Girls…"

Lily Evans was trying to keep her mind off of James Potter. It wasn't working.

She had tried doing homework, but her Arithmancy homework had an example involving Quidditch, and that reminded her of James. Lily had attempted to make conversation with Frank and Alice, but Frank had run his hand through his hair mid-sentence, and that reminded her of James. She had even taken a nap in an attempt to clear her mind, but that only resulted in dreams of James. He was simply everywhere, and it was getting to her.

"Lily?"

Great, she thought to herself, now I'm hearing his voice.

"Lily!"

Lily turned around to find the actual James Potter, standing a couple of feet behind her in the Common Room. She opened her mouth to tell him to go away, but he gently placed a couple of fingers on her lips.

"Hear me out," he insisted. "I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier today about the thing with Diggory. That was stupid of me, and I shouldn't have been trying to butt into your life. You can flirt with whomever you want to, really, it just made me really upset because, well, I love you. And you're probably staring at me like that because you think I love Gwen, but I don't. I only dated her to make you jealous, yes, I'm admitting it. It's bad to use people but honestly Lily, you just wouldn't notice me otherwise. Gwen actually has a thing for Sirius, not me. So will you quit it with Diggory and just…I don't know, be with me?" He finished with a hopeful half-smile.

"So, what, you manipulated some poor girl to do your bidding so that I would notice you?"

"No!" cried James, realizing things were going wrong.

"Why didn't you just tell me this from the start?"

"You would never listen!"

"I would never listen? You're the one that never takes a hint! For four years I make it obvious I don't want to be within ten feet of you and you still bombard with me with annoyance! Then, I finally start showing you that I give a damn about you and you go run off with Gwen! How's that for listening?"

"You don't get it," interjected James, frustrated now. "And I don't get you."

"Oh, why don't you just go off and throw Dungbombs with your little Marauder friends? You're far better at that than talking to me."

"At least I have friends," retorted James, before he realized what he was saying. "Frank and Alice are so enamored with each other that they don't need you anymore, and maybe you would have someone else if Snivellus didn't get fed up with you fifth-year. Honestly, it's not that hard, I've got to say."

"SHUT UP!" screamed Lily, firing a Body-Bind curse at James. She ran out of the Common Room, tears streaming down her face. James felt his face burn up in shame and fury at himself as he started to become paralyzed, and his stomach twisting in knots. He had just made Lily Evans cry. Normally, he would sneak a Dungbomb in the cauldron of whoever did that, but now, he didn't know what to think.

"No…" James sighed to himself weakly. "I didn't…mean it…."