Why Can't You Just Say It?

The week dwindled by with everyone split between comforting Sirius to comforting Ariel.

Snow was still fresh on the ground as winter was just at it's beginning. The sky was a soft gray that Saturday morning as Melissa, Remus, and Lily sat in the library.

"Okay I have an idea," Lily whispered, leaning forward. Melissa and Remus passed glances and then leaned forward as well.

"About…?" Melissa said.

"Ariel and Sirius, silly!" Lily said. Melissa smiled.

"If your plan is to get them back together I don't think it's going to work," Remus said, shaking his head.

"Oh come on, here me out," she said. "I think that Ariel actually wants Sirius back. She is just a very stubborn person. I think all we need to do is play a little he said she said."

Melissa raised an eyebrow. "What would we do?"

"Well you, Remus, would tell Sirius that Ariel wanted to meet him by the common room or something. And me and Melissa would tell Ariel the same thing except that Sirius wants to meet her."

"Would that work?" Remus asked.

"Most likely," Lily said, smiling. Melissa nodded.

"I guess we could try," she said.

Later that day Melissa and Lily were sitting with Ariel at dinner, while James and Remus sat with Sirius.

Lily had told James about her plan and he thought it was going to work also. He played idly with his fork and looked at Sirius.

"So…you doing anything after dinner?" he asked.

"No. Why would I be doing something?" Sirius asked. James shrugged.

"No reason. It's just that Ariel wanted to meet you outside the common room," James said airily, examining his spoon.

Remus watched as Sirius' face brightened.

"Really!?" he said, grinning.

"Yeah, mate. She said she wants to try to work things out," James said, still examining his spoon.

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"Do you think you're doing anything later?" Lily asked, playing with her food.

"No. Why?" Ariel asked, looking at Lily suspiciously.

"Sirius said he wanted to meet you after dinner by the common room."

Ariel furrowed her brows in confusion. "Sirius? Wants to see me?"

"Yeah," Melissa said.

After dinner Melissa and Lily walked with Ariel to the common room, while James and Remus waited a few minutes to make sure it wasn't too obvious.

"Guys I'm not eating anymore. Why are we waiting?" Sirius asked impatiently.

"Er…I'm still eating!" James said, grabbing the plate of mashed potatoes and plopping some on his plate. James shoveled his potatoes around on his plate, while Sirius sat tapping his fingers, and Remus kept discreetly checking his watch.

"Um…you done, Prongs?" Remus asked.

"Oh! Yeah," James said, jumping up. "Come on, Padfoot."

When they got to the portrait hole Ariel was leaning against the wall with Melissa and Lily.

Once they saw James and Remus they slowly backed away and into the portrait hole.

"Good luck, mate," James said quietly, putting his hand on Sirius' shoulder. He and Remus followed the girls into the portrait hole and hoped for the best.

The portrait closed behind them and they immediately ran up against it, ears pressed to the door.

"Shhh…shhh," James said. "We won't be able to hear if we are making a lot of noise."

Out in the hall Sirius was whistling nonchalantly.

"So…" he said slowly.

"So," Ariel said, crossing her arms and looking at him.

"I wanted to talk to you…" Sirius said. "I want to work things out. I know I might've been stupid and arrogant, and I shouldn't have done that."

Ariel's face softened. "Oh, Sirius…I…I don't think it would work if we tried again."

"And why not?" Sirius asked, walking up to her and putting his hands on her cheeks. He waited a moment to see if she'd slap him away, but she made no movement. "We could just forget everything that happened. We were so happy before…"

"Sirius I know that…but…" she said, casting her eyes down.

"But what?" Sirius asked, hurt swimming in his eyes. "If the problem is you thinking I love somebody else that's not true. I love you."

"That's the problem Sirius. You never tell me that," Ariel said, looking back up at him.

"Oh no," Lily whispered.

Suddenly the portrait hole burst open and a crying Ariel came in. She ran up the girl's dormitory stairs and disappeared. Shortly after a glum looking Sirius trudged in.

"I'm going to bed," he said without even stopping to talk to them. He walked straight to the boy's dormitory stairs. James and Remus moved to go follow him but Melissa put her hand up.

"Let me go talk to him," she said. Before they could retort she was walking up the stairs.

Sirius was lying on his stomach, fiddling with Ariel's charm bracelet, and sighing every so often.

"Sirius?" Melissa said, leaning against the doorway.

"Hey, Lissy," Sirius said without looking up. Melissa walked over and sat on the bed next to him.

"Cheer up, Sirius. She'll come around," Melissa said, patting his back.

"I don't think so," Sirius said, shaking his head. Melissa smiled slightly.

"I think she will," she said. "You two were so cute together! Plus I think she is beginning to forgive you…I mean she wouldn't have gone to talk to you if she was still mad."

"Right, but she said she doesn't think it could work," he said, looking up at her. "I hate saying it…but I don't think I could handle that."

"Well that's what love is Sirius." Melissa smiled.

"Love stinks," Sirius grumbled.

"Well sure it does sometimes. Every good couple has a fight once in awhile…it's life," she said, patting his back gently.

"Thanks," Sirius said, smiling slightly.

The days went by and poor Sirius was still pining over Ariel. He would try to get her to notice him, but she would just push him away.

"I don't know what else I can do!" Sirius said at dinner that Friday. "I think that's it…we're officially finished."

"Sirius don't say that!" Melissa scolded. She took turns sitting with Sirius and Ariel, as the whole group never sat together anymore.

"Yeah, Padfoot, listen to Lissy," James said, smiling. "Things will come around, you'll see."

"I wish…" he mumbled dejectedly.

A handsome young man with brown hair and dark eyes walked over to Ariel. Melissa watched him as he leaned down and whispered to her. She giggled and nodded her head. Oh no.

"Hold on," Melissa said, getting up quickly and running over to the other side of the table.

"What do you think you're doing?" she said, sitting down with Lily on her seat.

"What do you mean?" Ariel asked.

"Him! You! Giggling! Not good!" Melissa said frantically, glancing at Sirius.

"Oh him," Ariel said, blushing slightly. "That's Benjamin Creech, Ravenclaw boy."

"I wouldn't care if he's the Minister of Magic! What did he ask you?" Melissa said, though a feeling in her stomach already told her the answer.

"He asked me to go for a walk with him tomorrow," Ariel said, shrugging.

"What about Sirius?" Melissa said, pointing subtly at the moping man a few seats down.

"What about him?" she asked, glancing over at him. Melissa made a noise of utter disbelief. Lily, too, was looking quite shocked, though she was watching when Benjamin had asked her.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Melissa said incredulously "Sirius…remember? The boy who has been trying to win your affections back…though I thought they were still there!"

"Me and Sirius are done…" Ariel said, looking down. Melissa bit her lip. So Sirius was right the whole time…

"Fine…I'll see you two later," she said with the air of a business-like conversation. She stood up and walked back over to the Marauders.

"What was that about?" James asked.

"Nothing," Melissa said, she would tell him later.

Later that night when everyone had gone to bed Melissa stayed awake. When she was positive Lily and Ariel were sleeping, she threw on a robe and slippers and left the girls dormitory. She quietly ran down the stairs and then when she reached the common room, she peaked out to make sure she wasn't disturbing anybody, and then made her way up the boy's dormitory stairs.

She tiptoed through their room to Remus' bed. She threw back the curtains. Remus was lying on his side, curled up in a ball, while he snored quietly. She smiled. Her face straightened when she realized why she came in there.

"Remus…Remus get up," she whispered, shaking him.

"Ugh," he said, throwing the pillow over his face. "Whaddayawan?"

"Take the pillow of your face. I can't understand anything you're saying," she whispered urgently. Remus took the pillow off and squinted up at her. Once he saw her he immediately sat up.

"Melissa? Are you all right? What's wrong?" he said, pulling her on the bed with him protectively and shutting the curtains around them so they were blanketed with darkness.

"Yes, I'm fine. I have to tell you what happened during dinner," she said. "Hold on I have to wake James."

Melissa climbed out of Remus' bed and walked over to James'.

"James…get up," she whispered, shaking his shoulder. Sirius grunted and Melissa froze. When there were no other noises for a moment she shook him again. "James come on get up."

"AHHHHHHHH! GET THE CHOCOLATE COVERED RAISINS! THEY ARE CREATING AN ARMY!" he shouted, jumping up and looking wildly around. Melissa threw her hand over his mouth.

"Shhh," she hissed. "Come here."

James put on his glasses and sleepily followed her over to Remus' bed where they both sat down.

"Okay…Ariel has a date tomorrow with Benjamin Creech, some Ravenclaw guy," Melissa whispered to them. James and Remus looked at each other through the darkness.

"Oh no," James said, rubbing his tired eyes. "What are we going to do?"

"We can't do anything…she doesn't seem to care," Melissa stated sadly.

"Poor Padfoot," Remus said, shaking his head. "There has to be someway…it can't just end like that…"

"I don't think there is anything we can do…I don't think it would be a good idea if we told him…" she said.

"Yeah, you're right. It would just make him more depressed," James said, sighing. The three of them sat in silence for a few moments before James sighed again. "Well I guess we should go back to bed."

"Yeah…" Remus said.

"G'night guys," James said, going back to his bed and instantly falling back asleep. Melissa moved to get up but Remus gently touched her back.

"What?" she said, smiling.

"Stay with me?" he said. Melissa sat back in bed with him and nuzzled into his side. He put his arm around her waist.

"I don't know what to do, Remus."

"Well as you said, there's nothing really that we can do," he said, kissing her forehead. She frowned.

"I would've never thought it would be them…" she said.

"I know…I know," Remus said.

In the morning Melissa woke up with Remus' head leaning on her shoulder while his arm draped lazily over her. She smiled and closed her eyes sleepily.

She heard a yawn and looked up to see Remus smiling sleepily at her.

"Good morning, sunshine," he said.

"Good morning, rainbow," she said, laughing.

Remus looked down at her with an eyebrow raised. "Did you just call me rainbow?"

"Did you just call me sunshine?" Melissa asked, smirking.

"Um…let's just forget we ever called each other those names," Remus said.

"I'll try," she said, laughing. She leaned her head on his chest and snuggled into him while he smiled contently. Melissa had come to realize that Remus smelled good, it wasn't a regular cologne smell, she wasn't even sure if it was cologne.

They would've been more than happy to stay in bed, but suddenly the curtains were pulled back and a panicked looking James stood there.

"I dunno how…Sirius…Benjamin…fighting!" James said, jumping and waving his arms around.

Melissa looked at Remus. "He found out."

Forgetting about getting dressed Melissa and Remus ran downstairs in their pajamas with James in tow.

They ran through the portrait hole and ran right between the fight.

"Stop it!" Ariel yelled at them both. "Just stop it!"

There was a small crowd gathered around them. Sirius had his wand clutched tightly in his hand, hatred written across his face, while Benjamin stood with his wand held shakily in his hand with a shocked look on his face.

"Densaugeo!" Sirius shouted suddenly. Benjamin's teeth started to enlarge with rapid speed.

"Mr. Black! Detention, tonight, my office!" McGonagall said, running over to the fight. She helped Benjamin get to the infirmary, while Sirius dropped his wand and was breathing hard. He looked up and met Ariel's eyes for a moment, before she turned away.

Melissa, James, and Remus ran up to Sirius.

"Are you alright?" Melissa asked, looking him over. "You seem to be…"

"Yeah I'm fine," he said, waving them off. Melissa looked over at Ariel who was trembling. She slowly walked over to them.

"Sirius…Sirius are you okay?" she asked quietly. Sirius looked over at her.

"Yeah," he said, smiling slightly. "Yeah I'm fine."

She looked at him for a brief moment and then ran into his arms.

"I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have blown up at you like that," she said, sniffling. Sirius grinned.

"That's okay…I have you back now," he said, brushing her hair with his fingers. "So…what are you going to do about Bucktooth Benjamin?"

She slapped his arm playfully. "I don't know, Sirius."

Melissa smiled and crossed her arms.

"About time," she said, while Remus and James laughed. Ariel looked back at Sirius and smiled.

"Love you," Sirius said.

"Love you too," she said, kissing him. James, Melissa, and Remus turned to go chortling silently to themselves.

"Well that solves everything," James said happily.

"Yeah," Melissa said, sighing. "It does."

A/N- I decided to update quickly just to get this all over. Next is Valentines day, yay! Review please!!