Title: Delicate Treasures

Author: Stardrops

Genre: Romance

Rating: PG 13 (For slash and occasional swearing, precautions only)

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I don't own anything to do with Harry Potter. I do, however, own the plot. I am very proud. But the rest belongs to our creative genius, J K Rowling.

Chapter 12: James vs. Remus

After Remus had left, leaving the other Marauders in mystified confusion, another distraction caught them. On the other side of the table, Lily Evans had had a delivery. James sat up straight in his chair, rubbing his hands together and smirking expectantly.

Lily had just opened the seemingly innocent white envelope, and was about to take out the card inside out and read it, but the pink, heart-shaped card apparently had become impatient with her, because it fluttered out by itself and hovered above her head. It opened its flaps and, to Lily's horror, began to sing in a high pitched, off key voice.

For someone who is as beautiful as you

There aren't enough words to descri –

It was cut off then by Lily reaching up hastily and grabbing it out of the air, slamming it down on the table and holding it shut beneath her plate, which she weighted with a full jug of pumpkin juice.

Peter and Sirius smirked at each other while James beamed at Lily. She had gone a brilliant red, sunk down in her seat and was glaring with all her might at the Marauders as though it might somehow drain the life from all three of them.

"I thought you were trying to romance the girl," Sirius chuckled, half choking on a slice of toast.

James shrugged and looked slightly puzzled. "That was romantic, wasn't it?"

Peter and Sirius snickered into their breakfasts.

&&&

Sirius sat alone by the lake, underneath his favourite tree. It had become a favourite location for him this year. All around him in the late afternoon air, couples were walking hand in hand, occasionally kissing or stopping for a cuddle on the shores of the lake. Everyone was happy and in love. Sirius was in love – but far from being happy. He sighed. Well – there was one consolation. There was no way this day could get any worse.

Remus had avoided all the Marauders all day, claiming to have a headache and skipping the first two periods. After that, he'd sat with them but claimed to need to pay attention with the scary prospect of failing his N.E.W.T.'s. All three Marauders knew this was just a façade, but left him alone as he'd wished. Remus was bound to tell them what was bothering him eventually.

Sirius pondered Remus's reaction at breakfast. He'd been very secretive about the person who'd sent the Valentine. He'd looked pleased up til the point where he'd seen the name. What could have drawn such a reaction?

His heart froze for a moment as he remembered James's words to him this morning. "Don't you even want to see the reaction of a certain person close to your heart?" James couldn't have – James wouldn't have … surely not?

Even as he thought this to himself, he hated himself for not trusting his best friend. James would never go out of his way to cause trouble in Sirius's love life, and particularly not this time because he was well aware how much Remus meant to Sirius and that Sirius wanted to break the news to Remus in his own way. He wouldn't interfere. He wouldn't send a Valentine pretending to be Sirius. Would he?

Even as he hated to admit it, the possibility was definitely there.

He blinked furiously a few times, and as his eyes adjusted, he caught sight of a familiar form standing by the lake not more than a few metres away from him. It was Remus, standing alone. He was frowning and looked more thoughtful that Sirius remembered seeing him for quite some time.

Gathering his courage, Sirius rose and walked slowly towards him. He had to know who had sent the Valentine.

"H – hey," he said nervously. Remus whirled around, his eyes wide and frightened. He relaxed when he saw it was Sirius.

"Oh, hey, Padfoot," he replied. "What's happening?"

Sirius swallowed. "What's been up with you all day? You've been secretive as hell about that Valentine."

Remus visibly tensed and shrugged. "It's just a note from someone. It's nothing special." Sirius couldn't help but notice that Remus's cheeks had turned a shade of pink he hadn't often seen in nature.

"Who sent it?" he asked.

"You know what?" Remus snapped. "It's really none of your bloody business who sent me a Valentine. I didn't ask you who sent you yours."

Sirius took a step back, recoiling. He hadn't expected Remus – cool, calm Remus – to get so worked up over something like this. It rather startled him.

"Whoa. I'm sorry, man. I didn't realise it was such a big deal to you." Sirius turned and began to walk towards the castle, all the way kicking himself inwardly and wishing to God that he'd had the brains to think of a better way of asking than the stupid way he had which had pissed off Remus. "I'll see you at dinner, I guess," he called over his shoulder to his solitary friend.

"No, wait," Remus said. Sirius looked back at him. "I'm sorry, mate, I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just – I don't know how to cope with this."

Sirius's eyes widened and his mouth seemed suddenly really dry. Oh god, he thought. It was James. He did send a Valentine from me. And now Remus is angry and upset because he doesn't know how to cope with me being homosexual and liking him. I am going to KILL James Potter. I'll kill him slowly and very, VERY painfully.

"It was – well, it was from …" Remus faltered. Sirius braced himself, ready to hear his name.

"I don't know how he's ever going to forgive me for this," Remus blurted out, his eyes downcast and sad. Sirius's heart dropped. Remus was going to reject his Valentine. He knew it. It was a lost case.

"I swear I never flirted with her. Or at least – not purposely. I thought we were just good friends," Remus said desperately, seeming to be craving understanding from Sirius. Sirius's mind was otherwise engaged though. She? Wait – that can't be me. So what has anyone else got to do with this then?

"Remus, just get it over and done with. Who sent it to you?" Sirius asked, unsure if he wanted to know the answer to this.

"Before I tell you, you have to promise that you understand that I never intended anything more than a friendship by having a friendship with her. I thought it was a strictly Prefect – Prefect thing last year, and this year I thought it was just a work and a mates thing. But apparently – well – I don't know…"

Remus looked so wretched that Sirius wanted to reach out and hug him. Instead, he grabbed Remus's shoulder and forced him to look up. "I promise not to think any worse of you for being sought after by a girl," Sirius joked.

"Oh Sirius, I don't have a clue what to do." Remus looked like he was about to collapse into a heap where he was standing, his face was pale and he was practically oozing tension. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it. Sirius turned to see what he'd focused his attention on, and saw James. He was running towards Lily who was standing with two of her friends.

Sirius laughed when he saw James standing in front of Lily, who was obviously very displeased. He was holding his arms out to the side as if to say, 'What!' There was a heated discussion happening, but Sirius had been sidetracked. He turned and stared at Remus's miserable face.

"No way," Sirius said slowly.

Remus just looked down at the ground, offering no defence.

Sirius's mouth dropped open. "Oh, no. No, no, no. Are you serious?"

Remus nodded.

Sirius half laughed, half gasped. This was bad. This was really, really bad. Oh, there was going to be fireworks tonight.

He half smirked as he realised how wrong he had been. This day had just gotten much, much worse.

&&&

After coaxing Remus to leave the lake after more than an hour, Sirius watched him edge anxiously towards the door of the dormitory. He could almost hear in his mind the excuses Remus was going to make to exit the conversation.

James and Peter were arguing over the effect James's singing Valentine had had upon Lily. James was irritated with all three of the boys because they hadn't given him strict enough guidelines when telling him to romance Lily. It was often better to let James let off his steam first, even if it meant being blamed for something stupid James had done.

James broke into a smile. "She did look pretty horrified, didn't she?"

Sirius and Peter snorted. "That's an understatement," said Peter.

Remus hadn't been there, obviously, so although he'd been filled in on all the gossip, he couldn't imagine Lily's face. And quite frankly, she was really the last person he wanted to talk about.

Thankfully, the subject changed. James turned to Sirius. "So, who sent you those two Valentines?"

Sirius blushed slightly and looked down, hiding his face with his long hair. "I … haven't opened them yet," he mumbled. James frowned at him.

"What do you mean, you haven't opened them yet? Have you suddenly gotten all shy on us?"

Sirius shrugged and looked up. "I'll open them later. It's not that important to me."

James rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He flicked his gaze to Remus. "What about you? You seemed really touchy after getting that one that you got. Who sent it to you?"

Remus immediately flushed. "Oh, no one important. I'm pretty sure it was just a joke anyway. It's nothing, honestly."

James smirked. "All right then, if it's nothing important, you can show it to us. I wanna know who fancies our precious little Remmie." He winked at Sirius, though he knew from passing notes in their History of Magic class that the Valentine hadn't been from Sirius.

Remus looked desperately at Sirius who shrugged helplessly back. "Uh – I'd really rather…"

"Oh, come on!" Peter urged him. "Otherwise we'll just go through all your stuff to find it."

"If it was nothing, and you've got nothing to hide, why won't you show us?" teased James. "I think there's more to this than you're letting on, Moony."

Remus breathed out and said weakly, "I haven't got anything to hide, and there's nothing more to it than I'm letting on. I'd just rather keep these things to myself."

"Pathetic excuse, Moony," said Peter. "Right, where's your trunk? I'm searching for it."

At that moment, both Remus and James looked to Remus's bedside table where the pink notepaper lay. James's eyes lit up when he saw it. Remus's however simply widened with terror. They both lunged for it at the same time, but to Remus's dismay, James got there first. Remus made a futile snatch and missed. James rolled over onto the other side of the bed and landed on his feet on the floor, clutching the note victoriously.

He cleared his throat, opened the paper and held it out in front of him like a scroll. He then opened his mouth to read it aloud, but Remus dived over the bed and crashed into him, snatching part of the letter and tearing the piece into two parts – the one James held was much smaller to his relief.

But then, to his immense discomfort and panic, James had the end of the letter with the writer's name.

James ran across to the bathroom and slammed the door shut, locking it with his wand. "Ha!" he yelled. There was chortling from the bathroom as James regained his breathing from the exertion. A silence fell while he paused – presumably reading the letter, and then nothing. Sirius and Peter waited with bated breath to hear what James's reaction to whatever was written there – Sirius knowing and Peter not. Remus hung his head and slid down the wall, defeated.

The silence seemed to stretch out for eternity. Then the bathroom door opened, and James came out, his face blank and his fingers holding the letter as though it were dirty.

"What is this?" he asked in disgust.

Remus cringed. "It's the note I was sent this morning. I'm sure it was a joke though, and I promise you that she doesn't mean anything that was…"

But James wasn't listening anymore. James was incensed.

"What the hell does this mean?" he yelled. "You've been making moves on her, haven't you? Behind the back of one of your mates – you are a low life scum, Remus Lupin."

"No – honestly!"

James's face had turned an interesting shade of crimson, and his eyes were narrowed with a mixture of hurt, disappointment and rage. "You knew I liked Lily, you bastard."

Peter was taken aback. "Whoa. That note was from Lily?" He whistled softly, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Yes, it was. From Lily Evans, the same girl I have been trying to romance repeatedly for as long as I can think of! She is the only girl I've ever really been serious about, and you went and made a move on her. I can't believe this!"

Remus protested weakly, "I never did anything to encourage her, I swear! Believe me, I'm your friend!"

James threw the remainder of the letter at Remus's head. It fluttered a little in the air and landed at James's feet, having travelled approximately three centimetres in the desired direction. James stomped on the note and then turned to leave the room. He paused in the doorway. "Friend, Lupin? I think not. Not anymore."

He slammed the door, leaving a very hollow silence and three shaken Marauders behind him.

TBC

A/N: Well, I know this was short, only really four pages, but it is better than nothing. I wanted to put something up because it's been a while and I know how frustrated I get when people don't update for really long times. So here's a little bit and more will come, but it will be slow because I have to do lotsa school stuff too.

Thank you so much to EVERYONE who reviewed. You are all incredible, wonderful beings. This update is for all of you, because you gave such wonderful feedback. Don't keep your reviews from me! Let me have it: P

Ronin Daiymo: Sorry, I said I'd send you the chapter, but you weren't online when I finished it and I wanted to put it up today. Hope you liked it … it isn't what you guessed! Hehehe!

RoschLupin-Black: Is the angst alert still going haywire? Poor Remus. The things I do to him.

Grimy Grunhilda Grunt: Remus is even more morose now, and Sirius will be too because he's sad that Remus is in trouble. What a tangled, tangled world. :D

Miss Anonymous Hp: Is this even worse than the Valentine not being delivered? I thought it was…it wasn't initially what I was going to do but I though, hey, why not? It was me in a bad mood pretty much. Remus just got in the way. Poor boy. I do feel sorry for him. :P

Carpe-nox-sulum-nox: No! Not the bunnies! Anything but the bunnies! Thank you so much, darling, you boost my ego wonderfully. :D

ILoveMoony04: Welcome back, friend! I'll have to read your Remus/Sirius fic, I'll do that right after this. Promise!

KCEstel: It was your review that made me change what was going to happen. You guessed exactly what I was thinking, and I was like noooooo! It has to be something completely surprising! So I changed it. You're a smart cookie! Hugs to you!

LythTaeraneth: Of course he'll feel the same way. Let me know how it went! Are you in the sizzling pits of a passionate romance? Or is he a dead beat?

SirilovesRemi: I will definitely see this one through to the very end. I like writing stories that other people like, it makes me feel happy to do something that other people enjoy reading. So continue to read, and let me know how it goes, okay? Hugs!

Siriuslydelusional: Thank you:D It has gone kinda angsty now…but I'll get it fluffified soon for you!

IsisFireDancer: I didn't say how soon, though, so maybe not for a while … but I don't think it will be able to drag out much longer. Sirius is sooooooo in lerve … damn Remus is lucky:P

Waffle Avenger: I'm glad nothing needs improving, and even more glad that you enjoy reading. Keep reviewing, you're keeping the story alive!

Fraust fairy: Well, here's something to take the focus off Sirius and Lily and put it more on Remus and James. I'm looking forward to writing the next chapter! Hope you enjoyed reading this one!

Nessa: Glad you enjoyed, hope this was up to your standards!

Jenny C: Well, if you say so, then I guess I can't! I live to serve! Here's another chapter for you. Hope you like!

XXOO to all of you!