Treacherous | J. POTTER

11 | fist fights

"When do you want to study next?" James asked the girl once he managed to catch up to her in the hall. He had the feeling Del had been avoiding him ever since her birthday. "You've gotten a lot better and with some practice-"

"I don't need your help anymore," she cut him off and he grew confused at this.

"Like I said, you have gotten a lot better but you're not-"

She interrupted him, not sparing him a glance, "Axel is helping me."

"Oh," James frowned. "Alright then, um..." he trailed off, "I have to go." Del watched the boy as he walked away and she couldn't help the dull ache in her chest as he did so.

James wasn't sure why it bothered him so much. Of course she would prefer Axel over him. The two were dating after all. Which, if he were honest, was a whole other level of confusing to the Gryffindor. Even Sirius was confused as to the sudden change of heart but anytime anyone tried to ask the girl about it, she threatened to hex them for not minding their own business.

He had spent the last few weeks trying to figure out what was going on. He hadn't had the chance to give her the birthday present yet because he wasn't sure if it was a good idea anymore.

"Tell us what you know," Sirius demanded as he and James, along with Peter and Remus, had Regulus cornered. "Tell us or I will walk right up to Dumbledore and tell him what you did."

"I don't know much, okay?" Regulus told them quickly. "Mom and dad bought her a pocket watch for her birthday. It said 'Nott' instead of 'Black'. Next thing I know, her and Axel are together. I don't know what exactly happened but she won't talk to me. She won't even talk to Angela and Cynthia about what's going. Even the Hufflepuff kid has been asking questions that I don't have the answer to."

"The Tonks kid?" Sirius inquired. "Is Del still talking to him?"

"Barely."

"Barely is enough for me," he concluded before he turned and walked off.

"We aren't going to jump a kid in a wheelchair, are we?" Peter asked warily.

"No, we're just going to see if he's noticed anything that we haven't."

"You guys go without me," James suggested as he stopped following his friends. They turned to look at him, "I'm going to go talk to Lily."

"Now really isn't the time for you to go flirt with your girlfriend, Prongs," Sirius pointed out, clearly irritated with his friend.

"That's not-" he shook his head. "She's been patrolling with Del. Maybe she knows something. Girl talk or whatever."

"Fine," Sirius huffed. "But if you find out anything-"

"I'll tell you right away."

They parted their ways and James made his way to where he knew Lily would be. At the far end of the lake with Snape. "Lily!" he shouted as he approached them. "Can we talk for a second?"

Lily turned to Snape and she said something to which he nodded before she got up and joined James. "What's wrong?"

"You've been patrolling with Del," he reminded her and she nodded. "Have you noticed anything?"

"If this is about Nott, I really don't think I'm supposed to be talking to you about this," she informed him.

"Please," he tried. "As my 'girlfriend' you should do this for me."

"I don't know much," she huffed. "She seems more distant since they've become whatever they are. She says she's happy but..."

"But?"