By headupintheclouds
Jovial but drained, the Maurauders clambered around the final corner before they reached the portrait hole. They stepped a little softer than normal, and kept conversation low, although none feared discovery.
Sirius nodded toward the portrait hole, where a semi-conscious Lily Evans sat, staring across the hall up some stirs, her back against a wall. The look in her eyes was murderous.
James looked at Sirius cluelessly before following his gaze to the almost-sleeping Lily. His eyes widened, and he hushed both Remus and Peter, although neither was making noise. It was silently decided (through a series of glares) that Remus should be the one to approach Lily. He walked slowly up to her, careful to make very little sound on the floors, which echoed so easily.
"Lils," he said, gently shaking her. Her eyes flared a little, and lost their glossiness. Flicking over to Remus, she immediately sprung to her feet, enclosing him in an impromptu hug. Startled, he carefully closed his arms around her, thankful he wasn't facing James.
Then, she hurtled her gaze over to James, Peter, and Sirius, who were shrinking slowly away.
"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!" she shouted, seemingly unaware for the first time of the fact that they were in public, and not presenting a polite front.
"TAKING POOR REMUS OUT, KEEPING HIM OUT UNTIL ALL HOURS, AND-" she paused, but only for breath. She had no lack of things she wanted to say.
"BECOMING ANIMAGUSES AND SNEAKING OUT, AND JAMES, YOU'RE HEAD BOY. WE HAVE TO PRESENT A UNITED FRONT, AND SNEAKING OUT IS NOT SOMETHING WE CAN ENDORSE."
Snapping back to Remus, who was still tentatively clutching her, she backed out of his arms, and her eyebrows crinkled in worry.
"Remus, are you doing okay?" she asked softly, patting his shoulder. Remus started to nod, as Sirius put a foot out to try and sneak away.
"SIRIUS! YOU GOT YOURSELVES INTO THIS, AND NOW I'M GOING TO REPORT ALL OF YOU," she hollered in exasperation.
Sirius widened his eyes, trying to look angelic. Lily made a noise of utter disgust and turned back to a weak looking Remus.
"I'm so sorry- I'll have them punished." Lily assured him.
"No- they were only helping me," Remus assured her, swaying slightly.
"PETER!" she yelled at the scrawny boy, who had been searching the room for something to stare at innocently.
"Take him into the Common Room, and up to the boys' dorms," she told him. Peter nodded joyously; glad to have an excuse to escape her wrath.
Lily turned on Sirius as soon as the portrait had swung closed.
"YOU- YOU CALL YOURSELF A FRIEND?" she asked, enraged. "FRIENDS DON'T GO AROUND MAKING THEIR HURT FRIENDS STAY UP UNTIL ALL HOURS, RISK HURTING THEIR FRIENDS, RO DO ANYTHING LIKE THIS!"
"Oh, shove it, will you?" Sirius asked annoyed, stepping through the portrait hole quickly.
Making another noise of indignance, she rounded on James.
"I DON'T KNOW WHAT DUMBLEDORE SAW IN YOU, BUT YOU ARE MOST UNFIT FOR THE JOB OF HEAD BOY. IT'S JUST THAT- A JOB, SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO WORK AT AND RESPECT."
She paused, as if waiting for a reaction, but James did nothing, merely stared at his shoes.
"YOU ARE IRRESPONSIBLE, BIG-HEADED, PRAT-ISH, AND THE MOST ARROGANT BOY I'LL EVER MEET!" Lily exploded, hoping deep down to draw something out of him. But he just stared at his shoes, making no noise, not even running a hand through his hair.
"I WISH I'D NEVER MET YOU!" she exploded finally. She knew the words were far too harsh, and that she didn't mean them, but the damage had been done.
James finally looked up, and for a moment, Lily hoped she'd gotten through to him. She saw his watery eyes, which shielded the hurt that lay beyond.
"Glad to know you feel that way," he said quietly, before turning and taking off down the hall. Lily knew better than to follow.
She made her way to the Head Common Room, half hoping to find him there, but he was no where to be found. She caught a last couple of hours of sleep, but her own words haunted her.
Light streamed upon her face all too early the next morning, but she hadn't gone to bed until five, so it wasn't surprising.
Poking her head out of her dorm, she felt a flicker of hope, but didn't find James in the Common Room. She turned, walking down the hall to his room, and knocked softly. No answer. She knew better than to enter his room, whether he was in there or not.
Deafeatedly, she headed down to breakfast. James was nowhere.
She hurried to Arithmancy, but was unable to concentrate, wondering where James was. He wasn't with her in that hour, but hopefully she would see him next hour, in Potions.
The hour passed with a dreadful lack of speed, and finally she hurtled down the corridors and stairs to the Potions room, arriving at least 10 minutes early. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door to scan the room. He wasn't there. No one was, though.
She took her seat and craned her neck at each opening of the creaky door, only to be disappointed each time. Sirius looked in the room, not looking at her, clearly avoiding her. Remus turned a disappointed eye on her, and Peter just looked as pathetic and eager as ever.
Class started; still no James.
After class, she approached Remus. "Do you know where James is?" was her first question, not bothering with petty greetings.
"I don't, but I'm not surprised he disappeared. What did you say to him?" Remus asked with concern.
"How did you-" she started, but Remus merely beckoned for her to on with her story, so she sped ahead.
"And then- I told him I wished I'd never met him." She finished, looking at the floor.
After many moments of silence, she found the courage to look up, a question in her eyes.
"You really don't get it, do you?" he asked, unbelievingly.
"Er- get what?" she puzzled.
"James. You. His feelings. You honestly don't get it. The smart girl you are, I thought you were just turning a blind eye; trying to make things easier for both of you. But you're not, are you?" he asked, searching her eyes for some small piece of recognition, but getting nothing but confusion.
"No…" she provided, perplexed.
"James has changed." Remus said slowly.
Lily rolled her eyes and made an unbelieving noise from the back of her throat. When her eyes returned from the ceiling, she saw the serious look in Remus' eye.
A/N: Sucky stopping point, sorry I'm a lazy-butt author who hasn't updated in ages. School has been… being school-like and preventing me from thinking about my writing as much as I'd like. Much as I'd love to tell you that it'll get better, and the past week has been spent perfecting this chapter, I can't lie. This was written on-and-off over the course of 5 hours today, and my homework load is only likely to get heavier. Thanks to everyone for reviewing and being my fans through this all. I'll try to get more out!