A/N: Okay, the seventh chapter! I've been busy with my mid-sem, and then promptly followed by me falling sick during my break, which sucks. And, even more, I've got three projects which are due as soon as my one week break was up. My life sucks, I know. Thus, this chapter took this long to come out. I do apologise for this. I seem to be running on a pattern, aren't I?

Hugs to all those people who reviewed! c:

THE STAR AND HIS MOON

Chapter 7

"Sirius, I don't understand! Why are you and Tim being like this with each other?"

Sirius refused to budge from his position on the bed; turned away from Remus. He didn't have to see Remus' face to know that the other boy was frowning worriedly; his tone of voice was a giveaway. After studying the other boy for so long, Sirius could tell Remus' expressions with his eyes closed.

He knew he was going to feel so much guiltier if he so much as caught a glimpse of his best friend's face. Right at this moment, it felt as if his stomach had turned into stone and lodged at the bottom of his feet already.

In turning himself away from that handsome face, he could find the courage to stand firm in his cold attitude, "Why don't you ask Jennings about it instead? He'll surely give you a good reason," he mumbled darkly.

"Well, that's just it! He wouldn't tell me what was wrong either and the two of you are driving me mad!" The exasperated voice shouted. It was very unlike the quiet werewolf to raise his voice; the fact that he shouted must've meant that he was standing at the edge of his rope of patience.

"I'm sorry if I don't feel like divulging this information to you, Moony, but it's not exactly something that I could explain to you without you reacting negatively."

Sirius could hear footsteps moving around the room and, upon feeling the curtain of his bed shifting, automatically opened his eyes; only to find himself suddenly face to face with Remus who was kneeling at the side of his bed; his expression pleading.

"Can you at least try to get along then? Just like before? Because the gap between the two of you are making everyone worry."

"He doesn't like me, Remus, so I don't see the point. I did try to befriend him before, as you'll recall."

Remus sighed; his face looked tired and worn out. It seemed like the cold war between Jennings and himself affected Remus more than they initially expected.

After their confrontation in the Great Hall a few weeks back, Sirius had tried his best in treating the Ravenclaw boy with the same manner as before. He could also see Jennings trying to do the same; both boys didn't want to hurt the one boy who held both of their affections.

But two weeks in, which was last week, Jennings seemed to have given up in his charade in befriending Sirius. The black-haired boy didn't know what caused it, but it was the start of the fallout that occurred between the two boys.

Sirius mentally sighed, already knowing the outcome of any attempt he could've made to become close with the other boy again. It was useless. Jealousy is an ugly thing that won't leave the person it possesses so easily.

"I can try. Mind you, Remus, try. But if it doesn't work out, it's not my fault. I warned you already and I'm not taking responsibility."

Remus nodded enthusiastically, simply happy for having his request listened to.

'Well, at least I proved that I was right.'

Just as he had predicted, trying to befriend the Ravenclaw had been a very bad idea. The other boy had been suspicious when Sirius greeted everyone (himself included) instead of individuals' names like what he had been doing the past week or so.

When Sirius acted as if their cold war had never been there and tried to strike up a conversation, Jennings had been less than happy. Remembering what had happened brought a headache in the size of Hogwarts even now.

"So, Jennings, have you finished your Divination essay?"

Jennings turned to look at Sirius suspiciously, "Yeah. Why?"

"Nothing. Just asking," Sirius replied easily with a shrug of his shoulders.

"What are you trying to do now, Black? I'm not buying your innocent act even the slightest bit."

"Godric, I can't even be friendly with you without your sharp tongue attacking, can I? Remus was worried about us, he doesn't want us to keep on fighting anymore. I don't get why you're still pissed at me. I thought we agreed on a truce?"

"Oh, I see your real motive here. You must be trying to get into Remus' good grace. What are you planning to do by being nice to me? Use it to your advantage when you feel like badmouthing me? Wanting to be seem like the nice one out of the two of us, don't you?"

Sirius had groaned in exasperation and muttered a quietly annoyed, "Just do and think what you want. I don't want to have anything with you anymore," before promptly walking off.

"Well, I don't want to have anything to do with you either!" Sirius heard upon walking further away from the other boy.

He sighed for the umpteenth time.

This is what he gets for agreeing with Remus' request.

"Okay, Padfoot, we really have to do something about the sub-zero temperature present between you and Jennings," James, who was currently sitting on the edge of his bed, stated.

This time, Sirius released a long and pained groan out loud.

"What? I think my request is reasonable."

"No, it's not, James. Not when the said boy does not want to accept any token of friendship from me. Just leave it. I tried few times already, but it's not working."

"Hmmm, and why is it not working? Is there something you're not telling me here, Pads? If he was simply jealous from his paranoia at seeing you and Remus being cozy in an alcove, it shouldn't stay this long."

"Remus and I weren't being cozy! How many times must I tell you that before the concept goes into your head, Prongs?"

"Yeah, yeah. So you keep saying. But that wasn't my main point, was it?"

"Well, nothing really happened. I think he's being childish."

"Mm-hmm. Are you sure it's only him being childish? It's not because you might've told him something to make him act this way?"

"What? What made you think so?" Sirius could feel nervous sweat starting to gather on the top of his head. He really didn't need James to find out about his confrontation with Jennings; because it'll lead to him finding out about Sirius' more than platonic feelings towards their mutual best friend.

"Well, I really don't think Jennings is that unreasonable. There must be a deeper reason than his paranoia... Unless, said paranoia is not a paranoia? Sirius?"

Sirius had gone from healthy, flushed pale into ghostly pale in a span of a second.

"So there is something of a truth in that... Padfoot..."

"Drop it! James, just...drop it. Please..."

This surprised James, because while Sirius does occasionally beg for something in a joking manner, it had never been like this. Sirius was completely serious. And while this pun usually made James smiled and tease the other boy, this time it didn't elicit the same reaction.

"Sirius, you know that you can trust me...right? You know that you can tell me anything and I'll be sure to never tell a soul about it if you ask me to."

Sirius' bowed head silently nodded.

"Well then, you should also know that I would never walk away from you? That I'll always be on your side no matter what happens?"

"Well, yeah, but..."

"Then no buts. If there is something that's bothering you, you should always tell me! You do trust me, don't you?"

"Well, of course I do! You're a brother to me, Prongs!" Sirius replied quickly and firmly.

"Now that's settled, you should tell me what this whole mess between Jennings and you is all about then."

Sirius moved to open his mouth, only to close it back again. He was in loss for words. He wanted so badly for James to understand and accept him if he revealed his hidden secret, but even though he trusted the other boy with his life, he still didn't want to blurt out the fact about his affections towards their werewolf friend in a sudden manner.

"Well, James, don't be too freaked out by this, but I think I'm in love with-"

"Remus?"

He shot his head towards the direction of his best friend's face; the disbelieving expression painted on his feature being the opposite of his friend's knowing smirk.

"You...knew?"

"Well, I've been wondering for a long time. Then there were signs that made me almost a hundred percent sure all this time. But no; I never knew without any doubt. I simply assumed through watching you."

"You- You- And yet you made me worry all this time as to whether knowing this will make you hate me or not! Why didn't you hint it or something?"

"Well...It's not easy opening up a conversation like that between the two of us, you know. I just didn't know how," replied James with a sheepish scratching of the back of his neck.

"Oh, Bollocks." With that statement voiced in an incredulous tone, Sirius threw himself backwards onto his bed. He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath in relief.

"Well, now that this is clear, I'm assuming Jennings somehow knew about your feelings? Is that why he'd been acting like an ice pole towards you?"

"Well, yeah. He confronted me about my feelings because he felt suspicious. I didn't deny it. Thus, we got to this point, Mr. Prongs."

"Don't be a smart arse. We got to this point due to your and Jennings' childish dislike towards each other. Seriously, I thought this sort of mess was over once we turned ten."

"Tell that to yourself, Mr. I-don't-like-snivelly's-attitude."

"Shut up. That's different. He was the one getting too friendly towards my beautiful Evans."

Releasing a snort of disbelief, Sirius started his trek to take his afternoon shower, "Believe that if it'll make you feel better, Prongs. I'm going to go take my shower now," before promptly closing the bathroom door.

"Hey! Sirius! We haven't finished! Come back here!"

Ignoring the cries coming from the other direction, the raven-haired boy started his shower routine.

'Serves him right for wanting to know about everything. Even if it's because he was worried about me.'

He somehow knew that this whole mess was going to come into a big confrontation as its climax, he just never expected it to happen this soon.

Now he ended up risking the loss of his most important person.

TBC

Okay, apology for the lateness! It's been a month and I haven't updated1 I'm so bad. D: I didn't quite finish this chapter; it was meant to be longer, but I think I should update now. It'll become clearer in next chapter. Sorry for the shortness of the length!

Reviews please? To make me feel better about procrastinating my essay to update this for you guys. ;D