Chapter 45: Group library date conversation

By Friday everyone had work due the following week. So James, Lily, Sirius, Jamie, Remus, Ambre, Ivy, Cory, Peter, Tori, Ryley, and Mary pushed together a couple of tables and took their seats. James and Lily sat at one table, with Ambre and Remus across from them leaving Peter and Tori to sit across from each other at the end. At the other table, Sirius sat on the end so he was beside James, across from him was Mary and on the other side of him was Jamie. Ryley sat next to Mary with Cory on his other side and Ivy across from him next to Jamie.

Tori, the Slytherin girl, had black hair that was cut short, her skin was pale but her eyes were a dark blue. Peter continually glanced up at her, but never uttered a word to her. She wasn't too keen on talking to him either. Remus was still tutoring Ambre in Transfiguration, the one subject she struggled in. So they, too, were rather quiet. When they did speak it was in hushed tones.

James had an essay due soon. Lily, figuring she wouldn't get any work done during the huge group date, had finished all her work the night before so was helping James finish his. But it really felt like babysitting and keeping him working. Lots of page tapping, punctuation adding, spelling corrections, and telling him to get back to work. She knew he could do the essay well and quickly, but he was taking his time and finding reasons to talk.

At the other table it was louder. Mary and Ryley were flirting, with lots of butting in from Sirius. Jamie was yelling at him, or hissing really since she had to be quiet, saying he was being obnoxious and rude. Cory and Ryley had a tic-tac-toe game running on the sidelines and Ivy was chatting with Cory or Jamie and managing to get her work done.

Madam Pince was not happy with their group arrangement. She hovered nearby putting books away and growling at them to keep quiet. This would only get her in a small uproar. They would whisper to each other complaining about her.

"Lily," Jamie hissed leaning back and calling to her past Sirius and James. "Lily,"

"What?" Lily asked leaning back herself. Jamie looked up at Sirius who was desperately making conversation to Mary.

"Hang on," Jamie mouthed. She stood up walking past the two boys to where Tori sat. "Trade me spots for a sec." Jamie said. Tori glared shaking her head..

"Please?" Jamie asked. But again Tori shook her head. She didn't want to be there, that much was clear, so she wasn't about to be inconvenienced by moving. Jamie growled, but went to Peter.

She wasn't so nice with him. "Move it." She told him. He cowered a bit at first, then sat up straighter. He piled up his things and moved to sit next to Sirius. Jamie, determined to sit next to Lily, pulled out her wand, then with it, moved all of Tori's things across the table to where she sat..

"Trade me," Jamie threatened. Tori shot daggers at her but moved.

"What do you have to tell me?" Lily asked. Jamie opened her mouth but then stopped. Lily looked behind her at James.

"I'll be right back. I need to find a book." He told her.

"Okay." Lily agreed. He pushed out his chair and left, asking Pince to help him find it before he disappeared completely.

"Lily," Jamie began getting her attention again for Lily had begun reading over James' essay.

"Hmm?" Lily asked.

"I need to tell you something. About me and," She paused struggling with the name."Sirius."

"What?" Lily asked still not looking up from the essay.

"Me and him, are, um, F-W-Bs." Lily looked up.

"You're what?"

"You know, Jack and Nancys." Jamie whispered awkwardly. Lily frowned not understanding.

"Spooners." Jamie explained slowly, "Friends With Benefits?" Lily shook her head still not getting it. Ambre however, gasped and looked up. They both looked at her and Remus tapped her paper, silently telling her to concentrate. Ambre looked back down at her parchment reluctantly.

"You mean like study buddies?" Lily asked. "What subject are you studying?"

"Um," Jamie laughed awkwardly. "Not that kind of buddy, and not a subject taught here."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, erm. We...um...are in a noncommittal hate relationship." Jamie said slowly. Lily frowned.

"Bed buddies?" Jamie said.

"Oh my goodness! You've been sleeping with Sirus!" Ambre shouted. Lily's eyes widened as everyone in the library looked over at their table. Mary looked at them, then across from her at Sirius. No one moved or said anything, but just stared.

Then all at once Mary was pushing out her chair loudly storming from the room just as Ambre covered her mouth realizing her mistake and Madam Pince was hissing at them to be quiet, for the library had broken out into a loud buzz.

"You what?" Lily demanded.

From the other table Sirius breathed, "Shit," and then was calling after Mary. Jamie watched him follow her out. Her eyes showed that she felt awful for what she did.

She sucked in a breath closing her eyes. Lily looked past her at James who was looking at them curiously holding a book in his hand. Pince was scolding a group on the other side of the library that hadn't quieted down yet.

"I'm having sex with Sirius." Jamie repeated. "That night when you came in with Remus, he was in the closet. We had just...done it. And I've been lying about going to the library. It's been getting out of hand and he still likes Mary. It's been driving him mad that she's going out with Ryley. Or at least since he found out."

"Why would you do that?" Lily asked quietly.

"Because," She took another deep breath, "I..." she stopped shaking her head.

"Jamie,"

"I'm stupid Lily. I'm a horrid friend. And I couldn't stand the guilt of it. I had to tell you." Lily stood up.

"You have to talk to her." Lily told her.

"I can't. Please, you have to explain."

"There's nothing to explain. You've been sleeping with your best-friend's ex-boyfriend. From what I've gathered you only want to stop because he still likes her."

"At least I want to stop." Jamie said.

"You said you'd stop just kissing him months ago. After that game."

"I know, but it just kind of happened."

"Explain that to Mary." Lily said walking from the room. She couldn't stand to be near her.