AN: Well, I might have waited longer, just to be evil (XP), but I'll be nice and publish this now. I had to rework it from the original chapter, and so it's a bit longer than most of my others, but I think you'll like it. It shows a lot of, I dunno, growth or something in the character's personalities.

Chapter 4: An Argument

James' POV:

"Look, Prongs, I'm sorry, it just happened."

Ignoring Padfoot, I continued to plow through my 14 inch Charms essay.

"She was the one kissing me, alright?"

"Padfoot, shut up!" Moony was coming to my defense now.

Padfoot, momentarily shocked at Moony's choice of words (he never said shut up if he could help it) continued apologizing.

Finally, I got tired of sitting there and started shouting at Padfoot.

"Look, Padfoot, I was watching from a window! I saw you snogging her!"

"But-" He began to protest, but I plowed on.

"'She was the one kissing me!'" I imitated his voice, "Well, maybe at first, but you could have broken away quickly! You were snogging her back and you were at it for a few minutes!"

Sirius' POV:

"Well maybe Lily doesn't like you, and she likes me!" Prongs was surprised at my outbreak, and narrowed his eyes, "And I can't helping if I like her back. So deal with it. Give up on her. She's never going to like you, James."

I could hardly believe what was coming out of my mouth. Yesterday, before the kiss, I couldn't have cared less about Lily. It wasn't that I didn't think she was nice, or pretty, but I thought that she was just another girl.

But when she started kissing me, I knew why Prongs so relentlessly pursued her. Well, it wasn't just the kiss, but I remembered little quirks that she had, like biting her pinky nail when she was thinking, or the way her eyes sparkled when she laughed, and I thought that she was wonderful.

So now, I felt protective.

He began yelling louder. "I thought you were my best mate!"

"I thought I was too!" I yelled back.

"Well, best mates don't go snogging the other mate's girl!"

"She wasn't your girl, James!"

"Yeah, well, you knew I liked her, Sirius," he shouted, emphasizing the last word bitterly.

"Well, Potter, she thinks you're a git and will never, ever, love you."

He stared at me, astonished. We had often used our first names when we were mad at each other, but we had never stooped to last name level. I had cringed inwardly when I had said it.

Both breathing heavily, we glared at each other.

"Well, Black," he said, pointing his head at someone behind me, "Have fun with your girl, then. 'Night, Moony, Wormtail."

I turned around, and realized that Lily had been standing behind me, her eyes wide with shock.

3 minutes earlier, Lily's POV:

As I walked up to the (what I hoped to be) deserted common room after an evening of studying in the library, I thought about what had happened that day.

Sirius had been kissing me back, yes, but when the kiss was over, he had broken away and walked off. What did that mean?

Lost in thought, I didn't hear the Marauders' voices until I had reached the Fat Lady's portrait.

"-from a window! ! I saw you snogging her!" James voice was clearly audible. He was shouting. How had I missed this? I listened more closely.

"But-" Sirius was protesting, but James continued.

"'She was the one kissing me!'" James imitated Sirius' voice as I crept quietly into the common room, "Well, maybe at first, but you could have broken away quickly! You were snogging her back and you were at it for a few minutes!"

They were talking about me.

"Well maybe Lily doesn't like you, and she likes me!" Sirius had suddenly started shouting back, "And I can't helping if I like her back. So deal with it. Give up on her. She's never going to like you, James."

No, I had never said that, this is going to tear their friendship apart! Oh, I didn't want this!

Yes you did, a little voice in the back of my head whispered to me, You wanted Sirius all to yourself, you wanted James out of the picture.

Go away, I thought, as James started yelling again.

"I thought you were my best mate!"

"I thought I was too!" Sirius yelled back.

"Well, best mates don't go snogging the other mate's girl!"

Oh, no.

"She wasn't your girl, James!"

"Yeah, well, you knew I liked her, Sirius," he shouted.

"Well, Potter, she thinks you're a git and will never, ever, love you."

My eyes widened. Sirius called James "Potter?" But they were best mates. They are best mates. I hoped.

They both stared at each other, and I thought for a moment that James' hand reached for a wand, but instead he lowered his voice and said one last remark.

"Well, Black," he said, pointing his head at me, "Have fun with your girl, then. 'Night, Moony, Wormtail."

Sirius turned to find me, eyes wide, staring at him.

"Sirius, I- I'm so sorry," I managed after a few seconds.

"S'all right, Lily, s'all right," he murmured, coming over and hugging me.

"I'd best be off to bed, then," I said, quickly kissing Sirius and waving to Remus and Peter, not wanting them to see the tears that had formed in my eyes.

Once I was up in my dormitory, I began to cry quietly. Luckily the other girls were already asleep. I changed and crept into bed, and began to cry in earnest into my pillow.

This wasn't how it was supposed to happen, I thought. Sirius shouldn't have lost a friend, even if it was James.

What had I done?

AN: So, what d'you think? Reviews are welcome (as always)!