Metanoia | J. POTTER

9 | hook-ups

Rose had come to the vast conclusion that maybe her and James were not destined to be in each other's lives. Because every time they fought and made up, something would happen to put them at ends with each other. Or maybe that was her instinctual self-preservation.

"Are you okay?" Tonks asked the girl warily. The Hufflepuff knew of the argument that had occurred between James and Rose. The entire school had because there had been some nosey third years listening in.

"I'm fine," Rose replied but by the sound of her voice, she was anything but fine. "Just peachy."

She slammed her books down on the Hufflepuff table causing those around her to scootch away. Tonks mumbled an apology to her fellow housemates before focusing her attention on her friend.

"Rose," Tonks said with a frown. "Maybe you should head back to your common room and get some rest. You look exhausted."

She opened her mouth to protest but she had been completely right. She had been up all night with James Potter stuck on her mind. She would give anything to forget his existence as a whole.

"Yeah," she agreed with a sigh, shaking her head slightly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Tonks smiled tightly before the redhead walked out of the Great Hall without another word.

As Rose made her way back to the Slytherin common room, someone latched onto her upper arm and pulled her into an empty class room. She moved to elbow the perpetrator but they easily caught her arm before she could. They released her and she immediately made her way to the door to leave.

"Talk to him!" Sirius shouted at the girl, clearly exasperated by the situation. She turned to face him with an irritated expression and he cleared the area between them in seconds. "If I have to hear one more word about you from him, I'm going to rip my eardrums out with my bare hands."

She crossed her arms over her chest and looked up at him defiantly. He towered over her easily, standing close enough to her that she could smell the smoke from the last cigarette he had still on his breath. "What makes you think I'm going to listen to you?"

"Because I'm asking nicely," he informed her, taking a step closer to her. She stood her ground and his voice dropped so only she could hear. Not that anyone else was around. "And I don't ask for things more than once."

She rolled her eyes, "Someone never learned manners."

"If you knew my family, it makes perfect sense," he replied. "Now get over yourself and make up with your best friend."

"You don't know what you're talking about," she informed him, shaking her head. "You don't know anything."

"That's what this is about?" he huffed. "It's because he told you he loved you and now you're having some existential crisis and you've come to realize that maybe you're in love with your best friend? News flash, Rose: You are in love with him!"

It took her by surprise that he even knew that had happened. She hadn't told anyone other than Tonks and as far as she was concerned, James still hadn't remembered. She scowled, "You've lost it, Black."

He had her pressed up against the wall in seconds, "See, now you're lying to me and yourself." He leaned closer to her, his breath tickling her neck as he spoke, "And if there's one thing I hate more than cowards, it's liars."

She pushed him off of her before grabbing the front of his shirt and moving him back so the back of his legs hit the desk, "Please, we're going to just ignore the fact that you've fancied Marlene for ages now and haven't said a word?"

He swiftly spun her around so that she was the one pushed against the table, "Then we're both lying to ourselves. What difference does it make?"

She scanned his face for a moment before she leaned up slightly and pressed her lips to his. He immediately kissed her back, easily lifting her up and setting her down on the table.