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Chapter Seventeen

James was quiet the next day, much quieter than usual and it certainly didn't go unnoticed. Remus had been shooting him odd looks all through breakfast but James was glad that Sirius at least appeared too preoccupied with his thoughts to notice anything that was going on around him.

Lily grabbed a slice of toast from the table as she sat down beside him, "Hey Rem, Frank has called a prefect meeting tonight at eight."

Remus groaned, "What for?" He wanted to know.

"Apparently we need to rearrange the schedule" she shrugged, "Did you finish that Potions essay James?"

James felt as though he had been punched in the gut at the sound of his name from her lips, but he forced himself to sound normal as he said, "Just barely" then paused before ploughing on, "I suppose yours is top notch with all the help you've been getting from Belby."

Lily frowned, "I told you I was helping him with a project."

"You two did look very cosy."

"You almost sound jealous" Lily sniped.

"He is jealous" Sirius laughed as he interrupted them and reminded James there were other people in the room, "And you're an idiot for hanging around with Slytherin's considering everything that's happened."

"Damocles isn't like that" Lily pointed out before turning back to James, "And you have no reason to be jealous, me and you do Potions work together all the time."

"Are you sure that's all you and Belby are doing?" James persisted, finding he just couldn't help himself. He had made himself a promise that he wouldn't meddle if he was sure Lily would be happy, but he found he couldn't help himself when she was sat beside him and he could smell her hair.

"I'm going to be really angry if you make me say it again, Potter" Lily fumed.

"Better shut up Prongs" Sirius grinned, "She's not a pretty sight when she's angry."

"I disagree, Padfoot" James smiled, "I happen to think she's always a pretty sight."

Lily blushed scarlet.

"You two are killing me with cuteness" Sirius shook his head and went back to his breakfast.

"Can I interrupt?" A voice from behind them got their attention and they all turned to see Daisy with slightly pink cheeks, nervously twisting her hands together. "I was just wondering if I could speak to James."

"Yeah sure" James agreed, moving over so she could take a seat next to him

"I have to go" Lily mumbled, eyes cast down as she stood up and grabbed her bag. "I told Damocles I'd meet him before second period."

She turned to leave before anyone could stop her.

"Wait up, Evans" Sirius called, standing up and grabbing a piece of toast. "I want a word with you."

She didn't stop to wait for him so he was forced to run to catch her.

Remus cleared his throat and elbowed Peter in the ribs, "We should go and work on that essay too" he said.

"What essay?" Peter asked, oblivious as he continued to eat his porridge.

"That essay we were just talking about" Remus said more forcefully, standing up and grabbing Peter under the arm, "Catch you later, James."

With that the two of them left the table too.

"Sorry about them" James said, turning back to face Daisy quickly. "What's up?" He asked.

She cleared her throat awkwardly, "I just wanted to apologise for Gemma yesterday" she said, "For what she said."

"You seem to be making a habit of apologising for her at the minute" James pointed out.

"Well she did have a point" Daisy countered.

She quickly backtracked when she saw the anger in James' eyes.

"I don't mean about the blood status stuff" she said quickly, "I just mean that you should never have asked me out when you clearly have feelings for someone else."

"I didn't-"

"James you don't have to hide it" Daisy laughed, "You're really not very good at it."

"I asked you out because I like you" James said.

"I know that, James" Daisy smiled in a sad sort of way. "Just not as much as you like Lily Evans."

"It's not like that between us" James insisted, "I'm just sorry you had to get caught in the middle of it."

"I'm not" Daisy said before standing and placing her hand on James' shoulder, "You deserve to be happy, James."

With those as her parting words she gave him one last smile before turning and walking back to her own table.

James signed and ran his fingers through his hair. He'd known it had been wrong to ask Daisy out when he'd done it. Nothing good could have ever come from asking one girl out when he couldn't get his mind off another.

James abandoned his breakfast and negative thoughts in favour of finding his friends. He left the Great Hall without looking back and headed in the direction of Gryffindor Tower.

As he walked back he mulled over what Daisy had said to him.

She was right really, he did deserve to be happy. So why was he so obsessed with the idea that his future happiness lay with Lily Evans?

She seemed happy now, or at least happier than she had been back at the beginning of term. If she could be happy with their friendship, why did he still want something more?

Maybe this had more to do with Daisy, she just wasn't the right girl for him. He'd be better off asking someone else to go out with him.

After all, there were more girls than just Lily Evans.

Weren't there?

He pondered this as he gave the Fat Lady the password and stepped through the portrait hole.

What he found in the common room he did not expect. It was practically empty, even though it was coming towards the end of lunch time. The few people remaining were gathered around arm chairs or tables in small groups, throwing sheepish glances at the centre of the room and trying to look as though they weren't listening.

James found Lily and Sirius in front of the fire in the centre of the room, stood five feet apart screaming at each other. Remus was stood behind Lily trying to hold her back and Peter was stood next to Sirius nervously chewing his fingernails.

"How dare you?" Lily screeched.

"How dare I?" Sirius bit back, "You're the one hanging out with people who hate you over people who actually care about you."

"You are being such an ass, Sirius Black!" Lily yelled.

"Well maybe you need to learn who to stay away from!" Sirius bit back.

"I am so sick of you boys sometimes, I can't do anything without being criticised!" Her voice wobbled as though she might cry but her eyes were hard as shiny emeralds.

"Then why don't you go and hang out with those Slytherin's you love so much?" Sirius continued, "You probably don't even care what they did to that second year."

"Sirius" Remus said warningly.

"What?" Sirius snorted derivatively, "You think she shouldn't know what sort of people she's hanging out with?"

"Belby isn't-" Lily started.

"Belby's a Pureblood Slytherin" Sirius pointed out, "Or were you hoping that if you hung out with him then the rest of them will let you in the gang?"

"Sirius" James implored, unable to take his eyes off Lily as the first tear broke free of her eyelashes and slid silently down her cheek.

"That's it, isn't it Evans?" Sirius practically roared, "You're hoping if you get chummy with Belby the rest of the psychopaths will forget about your filthy blood status."

"Sirius, enough!" Remus shouted.

But the damage was done, James could see it in Lily's green eyes and the still wet tears that lingered in her eyelashes. She took a very deliberate step towards Sirius, looked him straight in the eyes and said very quietly, "Never come near me again, Black."

Before any of them could even try and stop her she had turned on her heel and disappeared up to the girl's dormitory.

"Sirius!" James snapped the minute her robes had whipped out of sight, "What in Merlin's name is going on?"

"I'm just sick of her fawning over Belby like he's the greatest person she's ever met" Sirius heaved, his cheeks slightly red and his voice breathless.

"She doesn't fawn over him" Remus countered.

"You were out of order saying those things to her" Peter said quietly.

Sirius glanced from James to Remus then finally to Peter before he narrowed his eyes and said, "Fine, but when we have another Snivellus moment, she better not come running to me!"

Then he too turned on his heel and disappeared up to their dormitory.