Title.Mishmash
Chapter Two - Friends?
"What was that, Pete?" Remus asked the ever-so confused Peter.
"I do not know. I think you're right Re. I think she likes me! Or did like me. But why don't I like her?"
"I don't know, she is funny, smart, outgoing and absolutely gorgeous. I think there is something wrong with your head - you are so lucky!"
"WHAT?!?" Michelle screeched. Remus could have kicked himself - he forgot that she was there.
"I mean, uhhh, from another's point of view, sweetie! You are so much more pretty than Lily."
"So now you are insulting my friends? YOU ARE SO LOW!"
"I am NOT insulting your friends! What in Merlin's beard do you want me to say?"
"Hmmmm..." Michelle started sarcastically, "you could try 'I am sorry for that horrible thing I said about your friend and you and will you please, please, please forgive me even though I don't deserve such kindness from the most beautiful girl I have ever seen and if you won't forgive me I should have to kill my self because if I can't live with you as my girlfriend I shouldn't live at all!'"
Peter giggled but Michelle shot him a nasty look.
"I am sorry Michelle." Remus said meaningfully, and pecked her on the cheek. "I love you, you know I do, but I want to be your friend."
"What do you mean?" whispered Michelle, her eyes welling with tears, as she knew full well what he meant.
"I mean, Mich, these last three years have been the best of my life, but I told you I was not good at commitment, and I want to get to know another person well now."
"Who?" she mumbled, as a tear or two guided their way down her cheek.
"Actually, she happens to be a friend of yours, but I don't want you to tell her."
"Who?!" she demanded, becoming impatient with her former love.
"Lily." Remus said, so quietly Peter didn't hear, though he already knew.
"Lily?" she repeated.
"Yeah, Lily."
"Well, I hope Lily and you make it because I love you enough that I don't care how, I just want you to be happy. But I do want you to know that if you ever want the three best years back, you can have them all over again." Said Michelle, with a small, teary smile.
"Same to you. I want you to be happy."
As the compartment fell silent Remus and Michelle silently embraced each other.
"I really do love you, as a friend." Remus whispered.
"Ditto."
All the while Peter sat their quite quietly, thinking. 'It is quite clear that they have split. And it is quite clear that Michelle will probably need some comforting - I am not that stupid. So this is my chance to show her that I care, that I would never leave her. Remus has left her in a perfect position for me. Thank you Remus.'
* * * * * * * * *
"What was that Lils? I don't think I caught it." James asked, possibly a little to harshly.
"Couldn't he see she was hurting?" Dallas thought, furiously.
"It's ok Lily, you don't have to tell us." She said, comfortingly.
"No Dal, it's alright. I will tell the whole world if I have to, but at least now I know, and I cannot deny that I tried and that I didn't hesitate to do what I felt."
She looked around at the four faces crowding her. All looking expectant.
"I kissed peter." She said, and then hid her face in her hands, but quickly she took them out and said, more boldly, "But I didn't feel a thing, and, quite frankly, I am over him. I actually feel kind of mad at him that I didn't feel a thing - maybe I just want to find some one I can fall in love with."
"Oh Lils! It is alright! You were brave and now you can move on!" Steph said, encouragingly.
"Yeah Lily. I am sorry. I find you annoying and uptight but I do wish you better luck next time. I mean, we're friends, right?" James said, truly feeling sorry. Lily looked at his sincere face and, smiling, she nodded.
"Sure. We do have to work together as head girl and head boy, right? We just have to stand each other, not like each other."
"Yeah. we'll survive. just don't kiss peter again - while you were in the washroom we were talking and he said he didn't like you - he likes Michelle!"
"Really? Well it is OK cause I do not like him as more than a friend."
"Well, glad that's settled!" Steph exclaimed.
"Yeah. we're HOME!" Sirius agreed, as they hopped off towards the castle. Lily walked past peter and whispered in his ear, "I'm sorry Pete. It won't happen again, ok? No feelings, good or bad?"
"Yeah." He whispered back, "It's fine."
* * * * * * * * *
That night they all thoroughly enjoyed the start of term festivities, except perhaps Stephanie. She was glad to be back, but she knew she could not string Sirius along, especially since Dallas admitted to liking him. Steph loved Sirius, and she loved being with him, but she knew that it wasn't fair to be with him when only part of her was focused on him. She decided, finally, to tell him before bed.
"What's wrong?" Michelle whispered in her ear, as a tear silently stole down her face.
"Nothing." Steph said. "You'll know later."
Michelle had a feeling she knew what was wrong. She was good at interpreting people's feelings.
* * * * * * * * *
Chapter Two - Friends?
"What was that, Pete?" Remus asked the ever-so confused Peter.
"I do not know. I think you're right Re. I think she likes me! Or did like me. But why don't I like her?"
"I don't know, she is funny, smart, outgoing and absolutely gorgeous. I think there is something wrong with your head - you are so lucky!"
"WHAT?!?" Michelle screeched. Remus could have kicked himself - he forgot that she was there.
"I mean, uhhh, from another's point of view, sweetie! You are so much more pretty than Lily."
"So now you are insulting my friends? YOU ARE SO LOW!"
"I am NOT insulting your friends! What in Merlin's beard do you want me to say?"
"Hmmmm..." Michelle started sarcastically, "you could try 'I am sorry for that horrible thing I said about your friend and you and will you please, please, please forgive me even though I don't deserve such kindness from the most beautiful girl I have ever seen and if you won't forgive me I should have to kill my self because if I can't live with you as my girlfriend I shouldn't live at all!'"
Peter giggled but Michelle shot him a nasty look.
"I am sorry Michelle." Remus said meaningfully, and pecked her on the cheek. "I love you, you know I do, but I want to be your friend."
"What do you mean?" whispered Michelle, her eyes welling with tears, as she knew full well what he meant.
"I mean, Mich, these last three years have been the best of my life, but I told you I was not good at commitment, and I want to get to know another person well now."
"Who?" she mumbled, as a tear or two guided their way down her cheek.
"Actually, she happens to be a friend of yours, but I don't want you to tell her."
"Who?!" she demanded, becoming impatient with her former love.
"Lily." Remus said, so quietly Peter didn't hear, though he already knew.
"Lily?" she repeated.
"Yeah, Lily."
"Well, I hope Lily and you make it because I love you enough that I don't care how, I just want you to be happy. But I do want you to know that if you ever want the three best years back, you can have them all over again." Said Michelle, with a small, teary smile.
"Same to you. I want you to be happy."
As the compartment fell silent Remus and Michelle silently embraced each other.
"I really do love you, as a friend." Remus whispered.
"Ditto."
All the while Peter sat their quite quietly, thinking. 'It is quite clear that they have split. And it is quite clear that Michelle will probably need some comforting - I am not that stupid. So this is my chance to show her that I care, that I would never leave her. Remus has left her in a perfect position for me. Thank you Remus.'
* * * * * * * * *
"What was that Lils? I don't think I caught it." James asked, possibly a little to harshly.
"Couldn't he see she was hurting?" Dallas thought, furiously.
"It's ok Lily, you don't have to tell us." She said, comfortingly.
"No Dal, it's alright. I will tell the whole world if I have to, but at least now I know, and I cannot deny that I tried and that I didn't hesitate to do what I felt."
She looked around at the four faces crowding her. All looking expectant.
"I kissed peter." She said, and then hid her face in her hands, but quickly she took them out and said, more boldly, "But I didn't feel a thing, and, quite frankly, I am over him. I actually feel kind of mad at him that I didn't feel a thing - maybe I just want to find some one I can fall in love with."
"Oh Lils! It is alright! You were brave and now you can move on!" Steph said, encouragingly.
"Yeah Lily. I am sorry. I find you annoying and uptight but I do wish you better luck next time. I mean, we're friends, right?" James said, truly feeling sorry. Lily looked at his sincere face and, smiling, she nodded.
"Sure. We do have to work together as head girl and head boy, right? We just have to stand each other, not like each other."
"Yeah. we'll survive. just don't kiss peter again - while you were in the washroom we were talking and he said he didn't like you - he likes Michelle!"
"Really? Well it is OK cause I do not like him as more than a friend."
"Well, glad that's settled!" Steph exclaimed.
"Yeah. we're HOME!" Sirius agreed, as they hopped off towards the castle. Lily walked past peter and whispered in his ear, "I'm sorry Pete. It won't happen again, ok? No feelings, good or bad?"
"Yeah." He whispered back, "It's fine."
* * * * * * * * *
That night they all thoroughly enjoyed the start of term festivities, except perhaps Stephanie. She was glad to be back, but she knew she could not string Sirius along, especially since Dallas admitted to liking him. Steph loved Sirius, and she loved being with him, but she knew that it wasn't fair to be with him when only part of her was focused on him. She decided, finally, to tell him before bed.
"What's wrong?" Michelle whispered in her ear, as a tear silently stole down her face.
"Nothing." Steph said. "You'll know later."
Michelle had a feeling she knew what was wrong. She was good at interpreting people's feelings.
* * * * * * * * *