"Stop doing this to yourself," Sirius had said. "It's not worth it," he had said.
Why hadn't James listened to him? The only answer he could come up with was that he was masochistic. But she had always been nearly civil to him. But he had apparently pressed one button too many this time.
He had worn through her last nerve.
He had been in love with her since he met her.
Wait, scratch that.
First year, he wasn't in love with her, he simply thought she was beautiful.
Second year, he wasn't in love with her, he simply realized how smart she was.
Third year, he wasn't in love with her, he simply realized how kind she was to everyone.
Fourth year, he wasn't in love with her, he just realized how perfect she was.
Fifth year, he started to notice her flaws. How adorable they were.
Sixth year was when he fell. And he fell hard. He realized he could notice everything about her. She bit her thumbnail when she was nervous. When she was angry, her eyebrows pulled together. When she was concentrating, she didn't notice the way her hair slowly inched forward, until it was covering whatever she was reading.
Seventh year, well, he was gone. He was past being able to get over her. He was past caring what anyone else thought. He was past noticing any girl but her.
And now, she hated him.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed her enter the common room. He didn't look at her. He refused to let her see how upset he'd made her. He was sure he had done a good job of hiding it.
I desperately wanted to go say something to her. Say hello, or maybe ask her about our homework. Anything to hear her voice. I'd been avoiding her, and anytime she was near me, she'd gotten very quiet.
"Ignore her Prongs," Sirius said under his breath, not looking at me. All I could see was the back of my best friend's heads, and I realized they'd all turned to look at her. She looked away, and I could swear I saw tears in her eyes as ran up to the girl's dorm.