Startling Image

Eventually I had to go to Diagon Alley myself to get new robes and the second I told Sirius, Remus and Peter where I was going, they insisted on accompanying me. I didn't think much of it at first, but once we got there I noticed that they kept looking around, as though expecting a bludger to suddenly attack them in the middle of the alley.

I decided to comment on it when Sirius almost cracked his neck by turning his head to quickly after he heard a dead tree branch break.

"Sirius".

He turned his head to look at me even more quickly than before. "Is there something wrong". He said that very quickly and his voice was higher than usual.

I stared at him suspiciously. "My words exactly. What's wrong with you lot?"

He coughed for a few moments before answering. "Nothing's wrong. Why, does it look like something's wrong? Where did you get that idea?"

I stared at him for a while but didn't comment on their odd behavior. I was going to find out sooner or later. And it looked like sooner by the way Peter was behaving: opening his mouth every ten seconds just to get an elbow in his ribs, courtesy of Sirius.

After I got my robes and a few books I needed, all four of us sat at an ice-cream parlour. The other three seemed more relax, but still tense.

"Okay, now do you want to tell me what's going on?"

"What are you talking about?" Sirius replied quickly, beads of sweat forming just above his eyebrows.

"You lot have been acting weird for some time now, not to mention you're being really obvious about it. Whatever it is I'm going to find out about it sooner or later, so why not just tell me now?"

"In this case 'later' is better than 'sooner'. OWWW!" Peter finally managed to say something only to receive two elbows in his ribs and two identical glares.

"C'mon, what is this about?"

"Nothing. Say, did you see the Falcons' last game?"

I gave Remus a pointed look for that poor attempt to change the subject, but I still went along with it. How bad could this be anyway?

It was about half an hour of mindless chatting later, that I noticed something that caused my heart to stop beating.

A redhead was coming out of a bookstore, staring at a book in her hands. I immediately recognized her, obviously. She was more beautiful than ever. Her hair was shorter, cut just above her shoulders. She was taller as well. Her eyes were still the same though. Light, sparkling green.

I felt three years of longing bursting through me, the only thing that was stopping me from jumping out of my chair and running to her was the shock at the abruptness of the situation. I was just about to do just that when I saw a guy I vaguely recognized as a Ravenclaw coming up behind Lily and kissing her on the cheek.

I frowned, anger and jealousy consuming me. My frown only deepened when Lily turned and smiled at him and I stopped breathing altogether when she kissed him back. On the lips.

At that point, Sirius, Remus and Peter noticed my silence and all three of them turned around in their seats to see what I was glaring at. I didn't expect their reactions.

Sirius bit his bottom lip and frowned. Remus sighed and slowly turned around to look at me, looking worried. Peter paled and stared at his shoes.

It was possible that what they were dodging from telling me was just that.

I cleared my throat and they all looked at me.

"Let's go to my house. The three of you have a lot of explaining to do".

"They have been going out for two and a half years and through all that time and all those letters you sent me you weren't able to mention it?"

I was angrier than ever, it took all my will power not to punch at least one of them.

"We thought it would be better if you didn't find out until you got here, so you could deal with it properly. Besides, It's hardly something I would want you to find out about in a letter".

I stared at Sirius incredulously. "What do you mean 'deal with it properly'?"

"Well…"

"It's more complicated than you realize" Remus intervened "We don't know all the details ourselves. We didn't want you to develop a false idea about the situation. It's better to discuss it face to face".

"How did it happen?" I asked after a moment of silence.

"We don't know" Peter mumbled instantly.

"What do you mean you don't know? How can you not know? It had to start somewhere, right? It's not like one spring day they suddenly started dating".

"Actually, it's exactly like that" said Sirius.

It took a moment for that statement to sink in. I frowned and stared at Sirius. "What are you talking about?"

"He's right, it was very sudden," said Remus "One day they just walked hand in hand to the great hall for breakfast and sat together at the Ravenclaw table, as though they do this everyday".

"I think it was about April 20th, or 21st," said Sirius as an afterthought.

I froze. April 20th was the day she was supposed to receive my last letter. Could it have been possible that she was so angry with me for ruining our friendship that she started going out with that guy just to spite me? I immediately disregarded that possibility. Lily wasn't like that.

"You don't anything about the situation?" I asked, desperate.

"No" said Peter, looking quite sullen for such an oblivious person in general. Suddenly he brightened, looking anxious. "But her friends do".

Lily had, besides us four, two other friends in Gryffindor. Two girls she shared a dorm room with. They never got along well with Sirius, Remus, Peter and I. Especially Sirius.

"They do know what's going on" agreed Sirius "at least more than us. But they weren't very cooperative when we politely asked them about it".

Remus raised an eyebrow and looked at Sirius. "Politely?"

"Yah, I was perfectly polite," said Sirius, sounding offended.

Remus just stared at him.

"Okay, so I guess I shouldn't have threatened them to tell to us".

Remus still stared.

"Or interrupted their conversation".

Remus still stared.

"Or said those four-letter words".

"Basically, it wasn't polite" commented Peter.

"Obviously" I said dryly.

"I'm sure they'll give in after some begging," said Sirius.

I stared at him surprised he would suggest it. He never liked apologising, especially to girls. He gave a long speech about the superiority of men to women in second year in the common room and probably would have gone on forever if Lily hadn't kicked him, rightfully contradicting his entire speech without saying a word.

"You're suggesting we beg to girls?"

He looked at me as though I've gone crazy. "No. I'm suggesting you beg to girls".

I should have seen that coming.

AN: Hey 'whoever-is-still-reading-this-fic'. I will be gone for a while; I'm going to the U.S, YAY! I'll be back sometime in august and I'll try to get some extra writing done while I'm there. I hoped you like this chapter and, again, I'm sooo sorry for confusing the chapters.