Curiosity Killed the Stag || Jily || ✔️

Part 6

Immediately, James picked himself off the ground and glared down. Sirius jumped to his feet and gripped James by the shoulder. "Prongs, I can explain!"

"I didn't even know you liked her!"

"I don't, James!" Sirius cried out. "I don't like her like that at all, I swear! And the kiss was nothing! It was so terrible and it was three years ago! It was absolutely terrible! It lasted for maybe half a second! It was literally the worst kiss ever and did I mention how terrible it was?"

"I don't care if you made out with Lily!" James exclaimed, the two of them still standing in front of the girls' staircase. "I'm mad that you didn't tell me!"

"That's the thing, mate! We never made out, I swear! It was just a peck! And I was thirteen!"

"How am I supposed to believe you?" James growled.

"Cause it's true," Lily interrupted the bickering friends. She stood three steps above the boys, hands on her hips, a smug smile resting on her lips.

The two boys whipped their heads to the sound and gasped, their mouths agape and eyes wide open, like two fish out of water.

"You boys are so dumb. I didn't even need to see you to know you idiots were there." She focused her gaze on James and he shrunk under her look. "As if I couldn't smell your cologne from a mile away."

"So you knew we were there?" Sirius repeated slowly.

"Obviously," she drawled out.

By this time, Marlene and Alice had also begun to stumble down the steps to enter the scene. They took in Sirius and James at the foot of the steps and how Lily stood over them with her cheeky smile and the pieces slowly started falling into place.

Marlene rubbed the back of her neck. "So all those things you were saying about Sirius being the sexiest Marauder..."

"Ha!" Lily laughed. "As if!"

Squinting his eyes in annoyance, Sirius grumbled, "You don't have to say it like that."

"So you really don't like Sirius?" Alice needled.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Not like that, of course. We were in third year and it was only a kiss. And Sirius wasn't lying when he said it was terrible. I mean, I think I had a bruise on my nose for a week."

"Ah," Sirius cringed. "Sorry about that."

With a wave of her hand, Lily dismissed it. "Eh, it's all in the past. Plus, I'm pretty sure I tried to eat your teeth."

"Yeah, that was pretty weird," Sirius agreed and the two of them chuckled at the memory.

During the entire exchange, one person had remained silent: James Potter.

Realizing this fact, Lily turned to face him, stepping down the last couple of stairs until she reached him.

"Alright, Potter?" she asked him, an inquisitive look on her face.

There was silence for a little longer and the other four students held their breath in anticipation to see what his reaction would be.

James let out a huff of breath and then a little laugh. A laugh that got louder and louder, more and more wild with each passing second, until James was hunched over with his hands on his knees.

"I don't think he's okay," Sirius commented.

"I am more than okay!" James said, wiping a stray tear from his eye. "I'm relieved! I thought I would have to be best man at my best friend's and the love of my life's wedding."

Alice snorted and whispered to Marlene, "You know, I always knew James was overdramatic, but it's always interesting to see it so up close and personal."

Marlene whispered back, "I'm just annoyed these three bozos didn't realize we told them that Lily actually likes James back."

"Wait, what?"