Author's Note: Yeah I know it's about time but I've been busy getting situated with all my new classes and attempting to give the illusion that I'm smart. Lol oh yeah just to let you guys know there will be another update over the march Break but I'm also going to go through and revise the other chapters and add in details where I see fit. In the upcoming chapters you'll be made aware of those revisions. Ps. A lot of you seem interested in jenny finding out about Remus's coughconditioncough don't worry that'll be coming up in later chapters, not to worry. I wonder how she'll find out.
Disclaimer: As always I own nothing except the plot!
Chapter 17 Getting caught up
"Seriously mate" said James as he sat bent over a star chart for divination for the fifth time scrapping his parchment and throwing it into the Gryffindor fire, watching it curl around the edges. In frustration he threw his book aside and took out a chessboard gesturing for Remus to play. "What's wrong with Padfoot," James asked perplexed "what exactly did I miss last night?"
"I honestly don't know for sure," said Remus as he moved his knight to the left taking down three of James's pawns, but he barely noticed "but I sure as hell have a good idea."
"Well" said James sarcastically as he cursed under his breath at losing another two pawns "don't feel rushed to tell me, take all the time you need, I'm really in no hurry."
"Okay" said Remus as he leant closer to James, though there was no need, for they were the only ones in the common room except for a group of third year girls. The majority of the students still being in the corridors or down for a late dinner.
"Last night Jenny and I were just in the common room on the couch." At this comment James raised his eyebrows but Remus brushed it aside and continued. "Everything was fine everybody was gone, you guys were out for your walk" there Remus used air quotes doubting that was all they were doing. "Sirius was at detention, I don't know where Nikki was but I have a feeling they ran into each other at some point."
James interjected his brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of what Remus was saying, "why do you think that for?"
Remus went on to describe last night's events and how distraught each of their friends had seemed. James paid attention to his words transfixed trying to contemplate how he had missed out on all of this, which according to Remus was quite obvious.
However he knew the answer to that…Lily God she was so beautiful, the way her fiery red hair cascaded down around her shoulders framing her face elegantly and those piercing green eyes that danced with fire when she was angry or passionate about something. James snapped out of his riviera to find Remus staring at him quizzically. He was spared the embarrassment of having to admit he hadn't listened to the last five minutes of the conversation but a few random words by the backside of Sirius who seemed to be conversing with some girl on the other side of the portrait hole.
He turned to Remus and raised his eyebrows as if to say I think he's gotten over the whole Nikki thing.
Remus gave him an I doubt it look and they both watched as Sirius waved to his friend and strutted into the Gryffindor common room. James could have sworn he saw a group of third years begin to converse in a deep huddle casting numerous looks over their shoulders at the boys. James getting irritated gave them a mock wave and they took off almost synchronized in a mad dash for their dormitories. Sirius laughed beside him as he flung himself onto an armchair in front of the amber flames of the Gryffindor fire.
His arms were flung over the sides as if he didn't have a care in the world his legs sprawled as he ran a hand over his lips a cocky smile on his face.
"And what is it that seems so funny?" Asked Remus quite honestly annoyed at his friend's constant mood swings.
"Nothing" muttered Sirius innocently the same cocky smile on his face as he watched the long forgotten chessboard.
"Where were you anyway Padfoot?" Asked James, though from the smell of daisy's radiating from Sirius's robes he thought he had a pretty good inclination as to the answer.
"Just with a friend" he answered coyly shrugging his shoulders. For acting so cocky he wasn't really keen on the subject James to himself.
"Seriously though" said Remus his eyes boring into Sirius's "what were you doing?"
Down a staircase and three corridors away Jenny and Lily were occupying the library each working tirelessly to catch up on the weekends homework, a concept all too new to the studious Lily Evans.
"How can Sirius and James do this every week?" Lily muttered to herself frustrated that she kept re-reading a passage on properties of wolf's bane and its' theoretical basis not to mention it's properties had yet to sink in.
Across from her Jenny was allowing her gaze to wander from the neat circular tables to the rigid chairs sitting around them and finally to the front desk where Madame Pince sat perched at her desk her figure rigid as her eyes wandered over all who dared to touch her precious books. Normally Jenny would have laughed at the sternness of the librarian who seemed to be causing a group of second years' great distress but something was on her mind.
" What do you think of Brandon?" She asked as she placed down her quill and directed her gaze at her friend who didn't seem to be having much luck with her potions essay.
Lily looked over the top of her text her eyebrows raised at her friend's sudden question, "what do you mean?"
"Well" said Jenny leaning forward in her chair slightly, her wavy brown hair falling across her face and obscuring her eyes slightly. "Doesn't it seem a little fast?"
Lily sighed and shut her book, being careful to mark her page. She turned to her worried friend and smiled, "I know it may not be the ideal arrangement or pace for that matter." Started Lily casting around for the appropriate way to word what she wanted to say. Truth be told she was concerned as well about how fast her friend seemed to be developing a relationship with Brandon.
"Lily there was no pace, it just happened!" said Jenny throwing her hands into the air and receiving half a dozen glares from a group of surrounding third years. Lily smiled to herself; Jenny was so concerned for the well being of her friends it was so sweet.
Jenny turned to Lily and rolling her eyes whispered "it just seems a little weird."
"Weird?" Asked Lily clearly perplexed. "She's done this before, she just wants somebody to have a little fun with and he seems like a really nice guy. Besides it's Nikki, I doubt she's looking for a serious relationship, it's good to see her having a little fun.
I mean you and I have Remus and James but she doesn't really have anybody. At this comment Jenny rolled her eyes. Lily couldn't comprehend why her friend appeared so visibly upset. "What's wrong?" She asked as she moved her chair closer to her friend.
"Nothings wrong" answered Jenny shrugging it off "it just seems too soon." Lily was caught off guard at her friends comment and furrowed her eyebrows "did you expect her to wait until marriage until she starts dating?" What do you mean too soon?"
"Well after Sirius you'd think that she'd take a while to sort out her feelings regardless of whether or not it was a relationship.
"Yeah" mumbled Lily to herself in a semi-daze. Then Jenny's words registering with her she jerked her head forward nearly knocking over her ink well with wide eyes she asked "Sirius?"
"Listen Mate" started Sirius clapping his hand on Remus's back with a somber expression. " I know it's been so long since you've had one but, I just have something called a social life. Which requires me to not spend every waking moment of my life playing chess and discussing the various things I've done wrong in my relationship. "Now if you two married men will excuse me I'm going to go to bed.
He smiled widely at James who returned the gesture then turned to Remus who smiled back. However he was troubled by what he saw in his friend's eyes. Behind the laughter he saw a flash of something. A deeper sorrow and what he thought may be pain or even regret but as quickly as it had appeared it was gone and replaced with Sirius's unperturbed, determined smile.
Sirius was the first to break the gaze; he didn't like the feeling of Remus's penetrating stare. He felt as if his friend could see right through him sometimes and he didn't want to give Remus the opportunity to see what was really going on. It was none of his business anyway. Although as he made his way slowly up the stairs he wondered if Remus already knew.
"Yes Sirius" said Jenny as she began to gather her books in her arms (Madame Pince was beginning to shoo stragglers back to their common rooms.)
"What are you talking about?" Questioned Lily as she too gathered her abundant amount of books and shoved them into her bag and followed Jenny out of the library, "there was never anything going on between Nikki and Sirius."
"Believe me" replied Jenny turning to her friend half way through the corridors "I didn't think much of it at first, but there was definitely something going on there."
"Are you sure?" Asked Lily a skeptical expression on her face "how do you know, what happened?"
"Nothing huge" said Jenny reassuring Lily as she rounded the corner passing Filch's office "just a lot of little things.
"Remember when you guys were at Hogsmeade and you and James went off to do God knows what." Here Lily was about to open her mouth to correct her friend but Jenny just smiled and waved her arm to stop any of Lily's defense. "What you and James were doing in Hogsmeade is not the discussion we're having now, though I would like to talk about that some time," she added as an after thought.
"Anyway when you and James were paired off that left Sirius and Nikki to fend for them selves, and you know what they're like I can only imagine what happened there."
Lily looked guiltily at her friend, "You don't know that's what they did."
" No not at first anyway" said Jenny giving her friend a warm smile "the day after Hogsmeade when you were dealing with whatever it was you were going through with James Nikki spent much of the day in this state of bliss or something she seemed extremely content. I was so happy for her but she wouldn't really tell anybody what exactly was making her so happy she was just in a good mood, and supposedly so was Sirius or so Remus was telling me."
"Jenny just because two people are happy the same day doesn't mean it's because of each other." Said Lily placing a hand on her friend's arm trying to find the logical explanation for what she was saying.
"I know" Jenny intervened "but it's not just that" and she went on to explain the previous nights events "and this morning I was talking to Remus and he said Sirius was going through the same ordeal and wouldn't talk to anybody. Not to mention the fact that he came in about a minute after Nikki had."
Lily let loose the breath she had been holding their entire conversation in a heavy sigh facing the fact that her friend as probably right "God I can not believe I didn't realize this, I am so stupid!" She pinched the bridge on her nose as if she were experiencing a headache.
"No you're not, you were just preoccupied, you and James just got together not to mention you've been grinding your nose to the ground studying Defense against the Dark arts theory. I'm surprised I even noticed." Assured Jenny as she readjusted the strap on her book bag. Suddenly shooting out her arm to stop her friend from walking anywhere. Lily cast Jenny a questioning look and mouthed what?
Jenny just pointed straight ahead. Lily followed her finger and blushed at what she saw.
Nikki seemed to be saying goodnight to her friend outside of the portrait hole though Lily wondered how they could possibly be saying goodnight when they seemed joined at the lips. As they parted from each other Nikki said a quick goodnight and disappeared through the portrait hole. Leaving Brandon alone his mouth still mid sentence as he turned to go back to the Ravenclaw common Room
"Really seems to be more of a physical relationship doesn't it?" Murmured Jenny.
"I can't believe this" Lily muttered under her breath as they approached to portrait hole. "Nikki and Sirius…Nikki and Sirius? They've got to be the two people who would never even consider getting into a relationship."
"Must be something in the air this year" commented Jenny "I mean first you and James, now Nikki and Sirius?"
And that night as the rest of the Gryffindor's were sleeping peacefully with nothing but thoughts of drowning Sarlo (the Potions Master) in their potion cauldrons six very distressed Gryffindor's lay awake. All of them pondering on thoughts of what would happen next. Each worried for their friends and concern of whether or not they would do something they would later on regret.
Jenny: God I hope she knows what she's doing.
James: I can not believe I haven't noticed any of this, well Lily…
Lily: Tomorrow is definitely going to be awkward.
Remus: God I hope he knows what he's getting himself into.
Sirius: I'm too sexy for my shirt la la la.
James: Cocky Bastard!
Author's Note: I know it was a long time coming but now it's March Break so you guys can be expecting another update by the end of the week no worries. I greatly appreciate all of your guys' feedback, and if you don't mind could you tell me your preferences on one thing. Do you guys want the fic to end after their seventh year or go until L/J's deaths? If you could inform me I'd greatly appreciate it thank you. As always if you guys have any questions about this story what so ever just leave it in a review or just E-mail me and I'll reply as soon as possible. My readers are very important to me and I appreciate all comments suggestions and interest in my story. As well I have many one-shots you're welcome to check out. Regards, jamesnlily4ever.
