Portraits of a Flower in Bloom | Jily

9: Charmante, Charmante, Charming

~ Monday 12th September, 1977 ~
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The school day had finished and Sirius and James were hanging out in the Gryffindor boys room; as much as James' new, private dorm was nice, it was nothing compared to the silent comfort of the dorm they'd shared since they were kids. Sirius was leaning against one of the posters on his bed and James sat crossed legged on Peters.

"Oh come on!" Sirius was poking James to tell him more, "your completely smitten, and if I know my Jamesiepie then that wasn't the end."

James blushed and tilted his head away from Sirius, "I told you that was all that happened." He raised his hands, attempting to show his innocence.

"You just gave her the sweets and moved on? No... asking her out? No declaring your burning love for her?" Sirius mocked him, half playfully but half sincerely.

"I swear to you Padfoot, I just joked that it was a date and then moved on," he looked his friend in the eye and shrugged his shoulders.

"Well then congratulations, you seem to have graduated from Prat school," Sirius patted his friend on the back and James groaned, "nay, Prat University! You have a first-class degree in No Longer Screwing Up Your Romantic Life."

"Ha ha," James replied sarcastically, "seriously though, I think she's starting to like me," Sirius exchanged a doubtful glance and James rolled his eyes, "okay maybe not like that just yet but... as a friend, maybe?"

"She's yelling at you a lot less," Sirius suggested, adding to himself under his breath, "and you've stopped flirting like a fool which helps."

James hit him over the head with the magazine in front of him, "I heard that," he said sternly.

"Alright jeez no need to try and kill me," Sirius dramatically dropped onto his bed.

"So," James hesitated to ask, "you have a special someone this year?"

Sirius propped himself up with his arms and James saw a thoughtful look cloud over his face, "I- I don't know, I see some glances that make me feel something, but I think... well I don't know."

Sirius was picturing Marlene, he was conflicted about his feelings for her, sometimes he felt like he liked her in that way but sometimes it was just as friends. He flopped back down and continued this ambiguous monologue, "I mean sometimes she gives me these playful looks and I mean, I know she's flirting with me but I dunno..."

"Well love's supposed to be like that, you know-"

Sirius cut him off carelessly, James didn't even think Sirius had heard what he'd said, "plus whenever she makes a joke she'll always look at me to see if I'm laughing," he frowned suddenly. One second he was picturing Marlene's beautiful, warm brown eyes and the next a more rugged set of amber eyes.

His mind has randomly diverted and he was now thinking of Remus who Sirius would always check was laughing when he made a joke. He flopped back onto his bed, blaming his wild, intrusive thoughts.

"You were saying," James prompted, after Sirius had just stopped mid sentence.

"Right, yeah," he shook his head and continued, "but he- she looks at me all the time... I think she likes me... urgh I dunno, man."

James didn't reply to this vague ramble, and Sirius sighed, giving a non-committal laugh, "I mean who wouldn't though right?"

James laughed halfheartedly but his eyebrows furrowed, Sirius was clearly hiding something, he'd always become cocky and deflect when he was keeping secrets. However James decided not to push, he found out the hard way that Sirius always needs time, and it's best to wait for him to come to you.