Where It Stays | J. POTTER [1]

7 | revelations

"This is the most confusing day of my entire life," Sirius informed them as he rested his head in his hands.

They had, in a manner of speaking, decided to tell Sirius about their relationship. And by decided, it means Peter caught them kissing and he can't keep a secret for the life of him.

"I know I'm supposed to do the whole 'if you hurt her you're dead' speech but I also feel like I'm supposed to do the whole 'if you hurt him you're dead' speech."

"Take your time to process," Maya suggested with a comforting nod. "It'll be..." she trailed off, looking for the right word that wouldn't send him over the edge, "It'll be an adjustment."

"Wait a minute," he shook his head and Maya couldn't help but grow worried. He looked over at James with an accusatory expression, "The girl from the party...my sister?"

James was at a loss for words as he tried to formulate an excuse. His mouth opened and closed repeatedly as he tried to think of something that would placate his best friend. Before he could come up with anything however, Sirius lunged at the boy and Maya's eyes widened.

"Stop it!" she shouted at her brother as she tried to pull him off the boy, "Would you-Enough!" Maya had startled herself when she had shouted the last part. Sirius had frozen in place and Maya felt all the color drain from her face.

Because she had sounded all too familiar when she had yelled at the boy. She had sounded like the one person she swore she would never be like. She had sounded like her mother.

"Sirius, get off of him," Maya requested quietly and the boy stood up slowly. He brushed off his clothes as James sat up, looking between the siblings in confusion. "It happened, there is nothing that will change that. Not that it matters because it doesn't exactly concern you but you're going to have to get over it."

Sirius opened his mouth to respond but Maya shot him a look that shut him up. "Go find Remus and Peter or something. I'm going to teach this idiot how to keep up a poker face."

"Hey!" James exclaimed, "I have a great poker face." Both Maya and Sirius raised an eyebrow at James and he frowned, "Nevermind then."

Sirius looked between the two of them before his nose wrinkled slightly. He left the room without another word, leaving the pair alone.

"That went surprisingly well," Maya announced, joining him on the couch. James pulled her closer to him, "I thought he was going to kill you."

"He probably would have," James agreed before he frowned slightly. "What exactly happened there?"

Maya's breath involuntarily hitched in her throat. "There was a familiarity in what I had said is all," she explained after a moment. She rested her head against the couch next to his shoulder as her legs rested over his, "It doesn't matter anyway."

James nodded slowly before resting his head against the couch as well and watching her. She tried to fight down the smile that was making its way onto her face, "What?"

He shook his head, brushing her hair behind her ear, "Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Mmhmm," he replied as he continued to watch her closely. "Just admiring how beautiful you are."

"I knew you were only in this for my looks."

James rolled his eyes, "If anything, it would be you who is in this for my looks."

She raised an eyebrow, "What makes you so sure that that's not why I'm in it?"

"Because if that were the case, we'd be doing a lot less talking and a lot more kissing," he pointed out.