Fuel to the Fire

Chapter26: Backstabber, Backstabber.

"Peyton Rae Fox!" Sirius shouted across the unusually noisy transfiguration classroom the next day. I looked up from my tea cup (which was supposed to be a hedgehog by now) with interest.

"Well someone seems happy today" Regulus murmured.

"Yes, Sirius Orion Black?" I replied airily, ignoring Regulus. McGonagall looked over, a faintly irritated look on her face but she said nothing. I think she had come to accept that no matter how far away you sat us, we would always disturb the class.

"I have a question I've been wanting to ask you!" he shouted, grinning ear to ear. Remus and Peter sat nearby, exchanging glances. James turned around in his seat to watch. Lily and Alice turned to look at me, knowing smiles on their faces. Only Marlene looked slightly unnerved. She clutched her books to her chest self-importantly, and studying her desk like it was the most interesting thing since sliced bread (I really don't understand this saying... sliced bread isn't THAT interesting).

"Ugh finally" Lily muttered under her breath. I said nothing, hardly daring to believe. Although, after last night...

"What is it, Sirius?" I called out wearily.

"It's about the Ball!"

"Keep talking..." I nodded.

"Do you think James and I should do the whole 'We're best friends and we're wearing matching dress robes' thing, or break off onto our own? Because he thinks he looks better in maroon and I think I look better in gold, but we still want to—"

"Oh go to hell" I interrupted him. I shot him a glare and turned back to my work, ignoring Marlene who breathed a visible sigh of relief and also Remus and James who were simultaneously cracking up.

Nothing had changed. Nothing had sodding changed and nothing had been said about last night; the broomstick ride or, more importantly, the kiss.

It was like it never happened and I'd dreamt the whole thing up. The only reason why I knew I hadn't was because I still had his jersey... and a bruise from where I pinched myself; although I was contemplating burning the jersey right about now, the way he was acting.

I guess there's a reason why his initials are SOB – Son Ov'a Bitch.

"He's still being a pain hey?" Regulus asked.

"I guess so" I sighed. Regulus looked slightly surprised that I was talking to him out loud, but I didn't care. If Sirius wanted to tick me off, I could tick him off too. "He's just a pain in the ass... but I think you're right about him liking me" I nodded.

"Really? What changed your mind?" He asked, his eyebrows twitching slightly in surprise.

"He kissed me" I said softly. I relayed to him everything that had happened last night (feeling slightly guilty that I hadn't even told Lily yet) and he listened quietly.

"Well then... I'd say he does like you... but then again I've been saying that for a while" Regulus nodded. "Do you want me to kick his ass into gear?" He smiled suddenly. I stared at him, momentarily distracted. Every time Regulus smiles (Which has only ever been twice since I really started talking to him) I get distracted by how incredible he looks. "Pey?" He said uncertainly, the smile fading.

"Yes... how?" I frowned, shaking all those thoughts of Regulus out of my head. He smiled again and I sucked in a breath.

He reached forward and pushed hair off my face. "Now laugh and look away from me" He murmured.

"Regulus..."

"Laugh" he hissed. I laughed and turned to look at my teacup again. "Perfect... he looks livid"

I bit my lip and glanced at Sirius. He did, indeed, look quite pissed off and I smirked. "Wow... that felt good" I laughed. Regulus just smiled again.

Take that, Rex.

When class finished Sirius yanked me from my seat and out of the door even before my books were in my bags. "Merlin Sirius, where's the damn fire" I grunted, pulling us to a stop in the corridor.

"What the hell?" Was all he said, staring down at me intently, his eyes shining brightly. Oh so pretty...

"What the hell, what?" I asked airily. "You're the one acting like the classroom's on fire" I shrugged.

"I meant" He growled softly "What the hell was that with my brother?" He waved his hand over his shoulder. I glanced behind him, watching our friends watch us. They all looked rather curious about our little dispute. Obviously they had no idea what was going on.

"Oh... that?" I blinked and looked back to him. "Your brother was just telling me a joke" I shrugged. "Why?"

"Looked a little bit more like a joke to me" He raised an eyebrow. He took a step closer to me and I, involuntarily, stepped back. My back pressed against the wall. "He's an asshole, Pey" He murmured, picking up my hand and running his thumb over my knuckles. He brushed his lips against them softly, never once dropping my gaze.

I sighed, half from the fluttery feeling in my chest and the other from the annoyance I felt in my head.

"Looks like it runs in the family then, doesn't it?" I shrugged my shoulder and pulled my hand from his. I gave him a pointed look before I walked back to the rest of the group.

"What – " Lily started to say.

"I'll explain later" I held my hand up to silence her. Her and James exchanged a look but fell silent. Marlene, however, looked slightly more than worried. She looked livid.

I yawned and looked around the common room, wondering why it was so quiet. It was only 10:28 at night. Normally by now Sirius and James were in here trying to distract everyone from their homework. "Hey Lil... do you know where Moose and Rex are?" I frowned, throwing my parchment on the table and stretching.

"No... I was just thinking how quiet it was" She smiled.

"More like you were thinking about James... OH MY GODRIC GUESS WHAT!" I exclaimed, remembering I hadn't told her about last night. I relayed the information to her and she screamed.

"OH MY GODRIC! PEY! I TOLD YOU!" She squealed, throwing her arms around my neck. "Now he's just got to ask you... Ahh! This Ball is going to be so much fun... You with Sirius, me with James. Oh my gosh we need to start looking at dresses properly now!" She prattled on at a million miles a second. "Oh Godric he kissed you! AHH!" She squealed. I laughed and looked around for any sign of the guys. Marlene and Alice were missing as well.

Across from Lily and I, Peter appeared to be falling asleep over what looked like a star chart for Astronomy. I walked over to where he sat and poked him. He jumped awake.

"Good Godric, Pey!" he exclaimed, looking around wildly. "You scared the hell out of me" He moved his bag for me to sit.

I sat.

"Sorry" I shrugged sheepishly. "Have you seen James and Sirius?" I asked him.

"Not recently" Peter replied, shaking his head. "Why?"

I shrugged. "No reason" I said casually. I played with a strand of my straw coloured hair nonchalantly. He raised his eyebrow as a smirk drew slowly across his mouth.

"Are you looking for Sirius and James, Sirius or James, or just Sirius?" Peter said in what he clearly thought was a very clever way.

"Funny" I said, restraining myself from rolling my eyes. "Why is Sirius in every one of those options?"

"Well you'd never go looking for just James" he pointed out, a small smile that reminded me too much of Sirius and James when they're up to no good, spread across his face.

"I do sometimes... anyway, what's that supposed to mean?" I raised an eyebrow.

"You know what it means" He smiled at me. I scowled at him. "Oh come on, Pey" he continued. "Like we haven't noticed that all Sirius does now is tick you off about the ball... and how pissed you get because of it..." He glanced around and found only Lily watching us. "We know you like him"

I stared at him and then turned to shoot a look at Lily. "Hey! I had nothing to do with it!" she exclaimed.

Balls...Looks like my secret's out.

"It's the way you act around him" Peter added.

"It's the way I've always acted..." My eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"No... It's not... You watch yourself around him more now... like you don't want to act like a fool around him" Peter rubbed his eyes and yawned.

"I do not!"

"Yes. You do" Peter said, snorting obnoxiously. "Face it...You fancy each other and we know it."

I fiddled with Peter's quill. "Did he tell you he fancied me?" I asked in a small voice.

Peter laughed. "Right, Pey... because we stay up at night and talk about who we fancy"

I rolled my eyes. "My mistake. I thought that's what you four did"

"Yeah har har. Because we're all gay for each other or something" He sighed. Then he shook his head. "But no" he said simply. "We can just tell. He's our best friend. We can tell these things"

"Well that's infallible logic, to be sure" I snorted.

"Do you think the joke reflex you use as a defence mechanism has any bearing with your problems finding a man?" Peter smirked. God he was a little smart ass sometimes.

I glared. I didn't have problems finding a man. I found him. It was just getting him to quit squirming that was the hard part.

"Who's this Slytherin girl you're taking to the ball?" I asked, hoping to change the subject. He opened his mouth to reply when James and Alice walked through the portrait hole.

"Found James..." Peter muttered.

"Gee thanks" I sighed. Behind James and Alice however was something that made my blood run cold. From here I could hear Marlene giggling. Sirius helped her through the portrait hole. They paused, he said something, she squealed, hugged him and then they linked hands. It was like a blur. Two seconds and that was it.

My throat suddenly felt very, very dry.

"OH MY GOSH! PEY! LILS!" Marlene exclaimed, dragging Sirius over to us. "Guess what just happened!" She squealed.

"Oh no fucking way..." Lily swore loudly. James gave her an alarmed look as he sat down.

"Sirius asked me to the ball!" She bounced on her toes and wrapped her arms around Sirius' shoulders. Sirius glanced down at me and smiled.

Uhm... ouch?

"Looks like everyone's happy" He said, turning away from me to kiss Marlene on the cheek.

I had no control over my jaw. In fact, if it wasn't anatomically impossible, I would have wagered it had hit the floor. From where I sat, I saw James' look of astonishment, Lily's look of shock, and felt Peter's hand on my shoulder. I closed my mouth, but I was certain that my eyes were still bugging out of my skull. I turned to look at Peter.

"Looks like you were wrong" I said, barely able to form the words. My breath was catching in my throat and I could feel a prickling in my eyes.

"Peyton! Aren't you happy for me?" Marlene chirped. I swallowed what felt like an egg made out of tacks.

"Yeah. Thrilled" I forced a smile, blinking back tears. "Excuse me" My heart still pounding in my chest, I stood up and fled the room, running up the staircase. I wasn't sure whether or not Sirius was watching and I didn't care.

He'd done it again.

This was my fault. I shouldn't have been so stupid to fall for him.

Tears actually streamed down my face and my nose got all snotty as I fell into my room. It was usually pretty difficult to make me cry... I think the last time I did was middle of last year when my Grandma died. This thought only made me cry harder because Sirius had been the one to sit with me and crack jokes in an effort to make me smile again.

Fuck I hate him.

I heard the door open and Lily appeared.

"Pey... I don't know what just happened... but..." She said softly, but I cut her off.

"I just got stabbed in the fucking back. Twice. That's what just happened" I wailed. She sat down next to me and pulled me into her. The door opened again and Marlene walked in.

"Peyton! What's wrong!" She sounded alarmed. I didn't bother even opening my eyes.

"How could you Marlene. That was a shitty move even for you" Lily snarled, sounding more pissed off than I'd ever heard her sound.

"How was it shitty?" Marley asked self-importantly. "Sirius asked me. I wanted to go. I said yes. Simple."

"So the whole 'Peyton loves Sirius' thing doesn't bother you in the slightest then?" Lily's voice was like ice.

"Oh Merlin, is that what she's crying about?" Marlene groaned. "Pey, if you'd wanted him so badly , you should have gone for it. You didn't and you never admitted to me that you wanted him" She sounded bored and I sat up and glared at her. "I'm not in the wrong here, Lily" She sounded so self righteous I felt like getting off my bed and smacking her in the face.

"I always knew you were a bitch Marlene, but I didn't think you were this bad" Lily stood up, walking toward Marlene in a way that reminded me of a tiger stalking prey. "You're meant to be her best friend. You're meant to know these things" Her voice had dropped low and I shivered. The air between the two of them seemed electric, crackling off every inch of Lily. The red in her hair only added to the effect.

"Well, Lily. I didn't know. Peyton should have – " There was a resounding CRACK as Lily's hand connected with Marlene's face.

"You're a bitch" She snarled. Tears sprang to Marlene's eyes almost instantly and her hand clasped her cheek like it was falling off.

As much as I wanted to laugh at Lily slapping her, I couldn't. I hated people right now. So damn much. I needed to do something. I needed to get out of this room... this castle. Be anywhere but here.

I got out of my bed, pulled on a jumper of my own and picked up Sirius' jersey.

I stomped down to the common room, not caring that I looked like shit with my face all red and blotchy and marched over to the stupid dark haired boy talking with the other marauders.

"You are an asshole" I said coldly. He turned and looked at me, looking mildly surprised at how upset I looked.

"Peyton... I'm sorry... I..."

"Don't even bother" I shrugged. "Here's your jersey" I threw it in his lap. "Go to hell" I whispered.

I walked past the few stragglers that were in the common room and exited. I walked through the castle and out the entrance doors.

The night was freezing but I didn't care. I sat on the step and watched wind rip through the trees. I loved how it reflected my mood. I wished I could just blow away from here, go wherever the wind took me. Anywhere was better than here right now.

I felt so stupid, so humiliate... so betrayed. How could he do this to me? WHY would he do this to me?

"Squirt?" I heard a voice and felt relieved that it was James.

"What, Moose?"

"I'm not going to lie... that was a shitty move on his part" He sat down next to me. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pulled me into him. I rested my head in the crook of his neck and started to sob again. "Come on Pey... don't cry..." He soothed me. He stroked my hair and held me close.

"You know he took me for a ride on his broom last night?" I muttered softly when I calmed down enough to talk.

"He what?" James sounded surprised.

"He bugged me in the common room when he came and found me... He wouldn't leave me alone... so I decided to stop being mad at go flying with him" I smiled slightly, remembering how fun it was. "That's why I had his jersey... because it was cold"

"Morgz I'm so sorry... I thought he was going to find out if you were ok because you looked upset about something" James placed an arm around my shoulders.

"I was... Marlene had just told me and Lily that she wanted to go to the ball with him... and that she kind of liked him again. And you know Marley... whatever she wants, she gets" I sighed bitterly. How true that was.

"He's such a prat" James growled, sounding more angry with Sirius than I'd ever heard before.

"That's not even the best part, Moose" I laughed, sounding hollow and fed up. "He kissed me"

"HE WHAT!" James yelled, disturbing the way I was sitting with his sudden movement. "He kissed YOU! And then goes and does this...Fuck I'm gonna kill him. Honestly and truly, going to kill him" He fumed. I take back what I said before... This was the angriest I'd ever heard him be with Sirius. "I'm so sorry Squirt. I genuinely think deep down he likes you a lot... he just can't swallow his pride and tell you that"

"Don't apologise for him, James" I said sharply. "I don't need to hear some bullshit that a mother would spew out" I scowled. "And you shouldn't want to kill him. I'm the idiot for letting him kiss me" I shrugged.

"No. No Pey, I will kill him. I look the other way when I see him toying with other girls' emotions. I don't always agree with the way he works but mostly I don't care. You're different. You're my sister and he's just fucked with the wrong girl" James slammed his fist into his knee and tightened his grip around my shoulders. A warm feeling that can only be described as love travelled over my body. Plutonic love, of course, but right now it was all I needed.

"He's your best friend" I reminded him.

"Not right now he isn't" He paused and shook his head. "You know, they're not kidding when they say guys only prank girls they like" He sighed.

"We're 17 not 6. It doesn't apply here" I rolled my eyes. James shrugged.

"Sirius and I have been called six-year-olds at times" He pointed out. I raised an eyebrow. "He likes you Pey. He really does. He's told me that he likes you... he's just... He not the kind of guy to admit he's in love. It terrifies him to be honest and you, well you were always that girl" James sounded disappointed with Sirius. Angry and disappointed.

"I guess that's what I get for letting my heart win, right?" I laughed bitterly.

"It shouldn't have to be like that" James murmured, stroking my hair softly. I let out a sob again and shivered.

"Come on, come back inside and go to bed. Just ignore him..." James stood up and pulled me to my feet. "You know how much he hates it when you ignore him"

"Yeah I know"

"So now you have a reason to really ignore him" James smiled. "And I have a reason to punch him in the mouth"

"Thanks Moose" I hugged James tightly. "You're such a good guy... but don't punch him in the mouth"

"He deserves it" He replied. I didn't argue with that.

We walked back to the common room, arm in arm. My stomach did back flips the closer we got.

"Do you hear yelling?" I frowned when we stood outside the portrait.

"I... do" James nodded. "Acid pop" He said to the fat lady. She swung forward and the yelling got louder.

"THAT'S MY FUCKING SISTER YOU ASSHOLE!"

"IF I SEE YOU NEAR HER AGAIN I WILL PERSONALLY KICK YOUR FACE IN!"

"BOOGER! PICKLE!" I exclaimed, seeing them both nose to nose with Sirius. I didn't look at him at all, just scowled at my brothers. "What the hell are you doing?" I raised my eyebrow.

"Guys... leave him alone" James sighed, walking over to them and putting his hands on their shoulders. "I got this" In one swift movement James pulled back his fist and smacked it into Sirius' face. Marlene screamed, Lily laughed and Pickle and Booger grinned. Sirius rolled around on the floor, clutching his nose. "Shit, that looks better in those muggle moving picture things!" He shook his fist and turned to Lily.

"Movies James... movies" She sighed, taking his hand and inspecting it.

Pickle and Booger moved over to me and hugged me tightly. "Are you ok?"

"Fucking asshole"

"Peter told us what happened"

They spoke at once and I hand to press my hands over their mouths to get them to stop talking. "Guys. I'm fine" I said, pulling my lips into a smile. "I'm just down a couple of friends, that's all" I shrugged, glancing at Sirius and Marlene sitting on the couch.

"No one hurts our sister except for us" Pickle hugged me tightly.

"Yeah!" Booger agreed. I laughed. It always surprised me when my brothers showed affection for me. I mean they are boys after all and now that they're older and 'cool' they don't show it often. Merlin I loved them.

"Pey, I think you should sleep in my room tonight" Lily touched my shoulder, pulling me out of my brother hug.

"I think that's a great idea... how're your knuckles Moose?" I asked James. He grinned.

"Great! Well, they are now Lily's fixed them" He smiled at Lily. She grinned and took my hand.

"Come on... Let's go get some stuff. My bed is so big enough for the two of us"

I sighed and walked with her to the staircase. Sirius watched me the whole way but I didn't linger. I hated him so much right now. It hurt more than anything to know that my best friend would do something like this.

Plea's Note:

I think all I can say for this chapter is... I'm Sorry and please don't kill me. It had to be done. I mean, since when haven't I tortured my characters endlessly for your entertainment?

And c'mon, it makes you wanna read it?

Right?

Xo Plea