𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐌𝐄 ☆ Sirius Black ✔️ *slowly editing*

t w e n t y f i v e

"Do you want to talk about it?" I nervously ask Lily as the Hogwarts Express chugs along the Scottish Highlands. She hasn't said anything about the break-up since we found her, and she's still crying after we tucked her into bed.

Lily sighs, "He broke up. He doesn't want to be with me. What else is there to say?"

"I've seen the boy; he is infatuated with you. There must be a reason," I try to argue with her.

"Well, there isn't. Just leave it," she shoots back.

"Lily..." I reach for her hand to comfort her, but she pulls it away and leans against the cold window.

The door swings open, and Marlene emerges through it. She sits down next to me and mouths 'anything?' to which I shake my head.

"How was Louis?" I ask her quietly, not wanting to upset Lily any further.

Marlene blushes. "We made plans to meet up in London over the summer. Can I stay at your place?"

"Of course. I'll be there all summer."

"You aren't going on holiday?" She asks me back, knowing I had planned to travel with Christopher and Robbie.

I shake my head. "I got a job — only got the news this morning — so I can't take time off."

"So no Italian lifeguard?"

Before I can respond, there is a knock on the door, and I see Sirius signaling for me to step outside.

"Did he say anything?" I inquire as I close the door behind me.

He shrugs. "Nothing specific."

"This is absurd!" I start striding down the corridor...

"The other way."

... I turn and march in the opposite direction, with Sirius closely following.

"Why are you so invested in this?" He questions.

"Why aren't you invested in this? You live with the poor bloke. Do you want James wallowing all summer?" I shoot back, not bothering to look at him. I can already smell his cologne, and I don't need a reminder of his eye colour.

"Fair point."

We discover James in one of the last compartments, sitting with Remus and Peter, gazing out the window with a distant expression. He looks up as I enter, his eyes tired and troubled.

"What happened?" I inquire as I take the seat opposite him.

"I'm an idiot. I spent years pining over her, but she doesn't like me."

"That can't be true. There has to be more to this," I reply in disbelief that Lily doesn't like him. I have seen her write 'Lily Potter' all over her Potion notes. Maybe he has misunderstood her.

He shakes his head. "There isn't. I told her I loved her, and she didn't say it back."

"You what!?!" "She what!?!" Sirius and I say at the same time.

James sighs and leans his head against the window. "I really don't want to talk about it. You can tell her I won't bother her again."

As we leave James to his thoughts, I turn to Sirius, who decides to accompany me back to Lily and Marlene. "Why are you still here?"

"I'm invested now. Besides, I actually wanted to talk to you when you decided to meddle in our friends' love life."

I turn to face him. "Oh. What did you want?"

"I figured we wouldn't see each other until September, so I just wanted to say goodbye."

For the first time since yesterday, I allow myself to look into his eyes. "Are you mad at me?"