Determination

LXIV: Climax

January 1977

Sirius flew down the stairs of Gryffindor Tower, and he looked for his best mate in the exact spot he'd been finding him a lot as of late. James was sitting on the same couch as every other time Sirius had come to see him, surrounded by Charms books and spare parchments of paper, all containing notes of some kind. Sirius slowed his approach as he walked behind the couch and his oblivious friend, who hadn't even noticed his presence, and picked up a random assortment of parchment strewn in front of him.

Some of the parchments had notes on different charms, what they did, wand movements, and proper incantations. He rifled through and found other parchments scribbled with notes on Blueberry, including things she was doing well, areas she could improve, and things she and James needed to review in their next session. The last bits of parchment were the most interesting to Sirius, though.

"A bit traditional of you." 

James jumped upon suddenly hearing his voice.

 "Didn't know you'd be the type to want her to take your name." Sirius teased.

James's head whipped towards him suddenly, his eyes wide in panic.

"Not playing it very chalant here, prongsy, a bit obsessive if I might say. Have you been at this for hours again?" He asked, though Sirius already knew the answer.

James snatched the paper away from his friend's hand. "I'm just trying to be the best tutor possible; she trusts me."

Peter piped up as he made his way closer to the two. "Right, and it has nothing to do with trying to prove yourself the better choice against Gideon."

James glared at Peter as he approached. "We're just friends, the same as you lot-"

Remus scoffed from his place, reading in a chair, not too far off. "'Us lot' haven't been obsessively researching every possible way to help the girl, that not even two months ago, you were claiming to be your future wife."

"-and I want her to do well,-"

"You want to replace Gideon, snogging her in a broom closet."

James turned horrified eyes on his best mate. "WE ARE JUST FRIENDS!" He exclaimed.

Sirius couldn't help chuckling as he, Remus, and Peter watched wryly from their place at the Gryffindor table that evening. James and Blueberry sat at the Hufflepuff table across the great hall, notes and books scattered in front of them, glancing at each other when the other wasn't looking; 

"'Just friends' my ass," Remus snorted quietly to the two.

"Like he thinks we wouldn't know any better." Peter continued.

Sirius sighed as he stopped watching the two unknowingly flirt with each other.

"Yeah, but it's all about Blueberry, right?" He started, "I mean, James is in it for the long haul. He loves her, he's going to take whatever she's willing to give, and he's not going to try to influence her choice. He wants her to be with him because she wants to be, not just because of how he feels."

The other two at the table went silent again as the trio watched Gideon's hesitant approach to the Hufflepuff table. The seventh-year Gryffindor and their mate exchanged rather awkward smiles as they took turns switching the other's place. James quietly gathered his things as an endearing blueberry urged him to stay. Their mate gently shook his head, made some excuse for leaving, and made his way back towards the rest of his mates.

James had a sort of downtrodden look on his face as he came to sit down again. The trio of troublemakers all immediately sat up to lend him words of encouragement, but their leader promptly shook his head before they could start.

"Don't guys, it's alright. For now, I'm just her friend helping her pass charms, and that's enough." He told them morosely.

Sirius knew he was bluffing. James had a habit of believing that if he said something enough, it'd ring true. He knew it wouldn't in this instance. They needed to find a way to figure out if this blueberry and Gideon fiasco was the real deal or not.

Sirius looked at his mate sitting across from him, sadly poking his food around his plate with his utensils. Sirius looked over towards the Hufflepuff table again, as from the corner of his eye he saw a familiar set of green robes approach. He watched as Severus Snape stopped short of the table and made scathing eye contact with Blueberry as she sat next to Gideon. Sirius noticed as the two exchanged curious looks with each other, like they were communicating without words. 

An idea crossed Sirius's mind. 

As the group of four had somewhat roused James into a happier mood by the end of dinner that evening, Sirius stopped Peter and Remus before they could follow up the staircase to Gryffindor Tower. 

"I have an idea, but we have to be quick." He explained. 

"What is it, Padfoot?" Peter asked. 

"Moony d'you and Snape get along well enough, you think he'll tell you anything?" Sirius asked quickly. 

Remus looked at Sirius in surprise as he caught on to what he was saying. "I'm not sure, definitely enough that he'll stop, but I think I've been around him and Mas enough I can read between the lines of what he doesn't say."

Sirius' grin widened.

"Wait, why would Snape tell us anything?" Peter asked, "He hates us." 

Remus calmly started to lead Peter up the staircase as he quickly explained, while they were still out of earshot. "He hates us, but he hates me slightly less because of Mas. If Anyone was going to know anything about Mas, it's him."

"You think he's just going to tell you if she's in love with the person he hates the most?" Peter asked. 

"No, he'll absolutely avoid it, the wanker, but I'm hopeful Remus can use that beautiful big brain of his to figure out what he isn't saying," Sirius answered from behind. 

"OI!" they heard shouted from up ahead, "If you three go any slower, you're going to miss the stairs to the tower, and I'm not jumping down to join you!"