Mistaken signs

As his friends threw food into their mouths at an alarming rate, Remus scanned the Gryffindor table. He wasn't surprised to see Lily was absent. Her friend Allie was gone too. Had they finished? Or not come down yet? Remus suspected they had finished, though he hadn't seen Allie come down to the common room once Lily left.

Something hit him in the face, he swung round, incensed, to find James and Sirius laughing at him. James was holding half a sausage roll in his hand, and Remus suspected he knew what had happened to the other half.

"Who're you waiting for?" James grinned at him with a mouth full of food.

"Nobody." Remus mumbled and turned back to his bacon. James looked like he wanted to say something, but Sirius, still staring at Remus, quickly changed the subject. As Sirius and James debated something and Peter agreed with both of them, Remus let his thoughts wander.

That morning had shaken him more than he had let show to Sirius. Of course, Padfoot always had one girl or another hanging off him adoringly, and half of the year would gladly go out with James. He had never found himself in that situation.

He didn't, he decided, want it to happen again. He wouldn't know what to say, or what to do. And besides, James was obsessed with her and they were best mates. No, it was best to stay away from her.

Sirius nudged him in the ribs "Oi, Potions" he muttered. Remus followed him from the hall to the classroom. Taking a free chair by James he glanced forward as he dumped his bag. There she was, her red hair falling down the back of her chair. And sure enough, next to her were the brown curls he had come to recognise. Lily and Allie; the inseparable pair.

After Potions the four had a free period. Startled into movement by James kicking his chair as he rose, Remus realised none of the lesson had sunk in. Sirius muttered something to James, who left with Peter in tow.

Moving forward, Remus found himself face to face with Sirius, who looked annoyed. Startled, Remus stepped backwards.

"You and Lily?" Sirius's voice was low and dangerous.

"What?" Whatever Remus had been expecting, it wasn't this.

"I saw you, you haven't taken your eyes off her for the last hour. I never thought you'd do this to James."

"Sirius, no it's not Lily, I mean- no- I wouldn't do that to him. Lily's lovely but it's A-" Remus paused, not sure how much he should let slip here.

It had been enough. Sirius grinned at once. "Sorry, mate. Charmed you has she?"

Remus said nothing but turned a brilliant shade of red. Sirius threw an arm round him, chucking and guided him from the room.

Sirius was still smiling as they reached the common room, and Remus had begun to smile again. Kicking open the portrait hole the smiles fell off their faces in a way that could have been comical if anyone had been paying attention. The common room was almost deserted, and all faces were turned to James Potter.

Smoothing his hair, James was literally strutting around the common room by the fire, playing with the snitch he always kept in his pocket. Sitting at a table a few feet away was Lily, studiously ignoring him whilst reading a book and looking agitated.

"Damn." Sirius charged forward, grabbed James by the arm and dragged him into a chair. "Mate, what in the name of Merlin are you doing? Sit down and stay down."

James seemed to know he had met his match and sat there, still plating with his match and shooting furtive glances at Lily. Remus bit back a smile as Lily returned them, less frequently, but surely it was a matter of time before they caught each others eye.

Lily has long since stopped paying attention to her work. She forced herself not to go red as James Potter kept glancing at her. Looking up for a moment she found Remus looking at her. He smiled and raised his eyebrows at James. She knew what he was trying to tell her, but she couldn't see this other Potter, he one his friends seemed to know. All she could see was the arrogant toerag who did that annoying thing with his hair and the snitch.

The next time she looked up her eyes met, not Remus, but James. She felt herself go red as his eyes looked into her. Picking up her bag she felt her face burn red, and fled to the safety of the dormitory.