Chapter Two

James was standing in the usual place in the middle of the common room with Sirius, "working the crowd", as they called it. The Snitch was flitting quickly around their heads, flashing golden in the firelight. Everybody was laughing loudly at a joke Sirius had just told, when James found his eyes drawn to the girls' staircase. Lily. She was walking peacefully down the stone steps, hands in her pockets, eyes searching the room.

"All right, Evans?" he called hopefully, feeling his face take on a red tinge. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Pad luck, Prongs," Sirius, who was also watching Lily, muttered in his ear.

Frank Longbottom had claimed the spotlight now, reenacting for the umpteenth time the last Quidditch match against Slytherin. Frank played Keeper on the team, while James and Sirius played as Seeker and Beater. The one Frank was acting out was a memorable match, one James himself didn't mind retelling; but tonight—tonight his mind was elsewhere. He watched bitterly as Lily Evans, the most beautiful girl in all of eternity (as he thought her), went to sit by... Remus. Remus. Remus Lupin, the bookworm. Remus Lupin, the good boy. Remus Lupin, the Prefect. Great. Just great.

He started to walk over there, to break up their little pow-wow in the cozy armchair, when Sirius grabbed a handful of his robes.

"Prongs, be reasonable," he hissed quietly, "She's only a girl, Prongs. Look at Moony. He's smitten with her, leave... them... be!" he said, restraining his friend with difficulty.

"Padfoot, let go!"

"No, James. Not this time." Sirius muttered. It was more the use of his given name than anything else that made James stop. Sirius never called him that. He turned slightly as Sirius released his robes, and saw his friend's eyes flashing with a protective anger. Protective of whom? Moony? Yes... yes. Padfoot was protecting Moony. Remus. Of course. This realization, the fact that Sirius was not with him on this one, made him stop and think.

Sirius was right. Let Moony have his fun. He would get his chance with Lily. Later. She obviously thought Remus was better for her. Alright then. She would learn. His anger faded, and the smile returned to Sirius's eyes. James still had to use every ounce of self control that he possessed in order to not shoot jealous glances in their direction every two seconds. But about an hour later, when there was a lull in the general activity of the common room, he gave in to temptation and glanced at them: only to be stung by the sight of her beautiful head rested on his shoulder, her small hand in his, a small smile on her sleeping lips.

He didn't know how he would have reacted if Remus hadn't been one of his dearest friends. Even so, he suddenly lost every urge to be in the common room, to be with people at all.

"I'm tired," he lied to the room at large, getting to his feet. He trudged up the stairs to the boy's dormitory, ignoring Sirius's puzzled grey eyes.