A Siriusly Good Prank (Marauders/Jily/Wolfstar)

13-You're Supposed To Be My Brother

"Hear ye. Hear ye."

James rolled his eyes and sighed, staring up at the tall ceiling of the History of Magic classroom. Having to listen to the famous Troll Convention Speech of 1351 was torture enough; having to listen to Binns reciting it in his monotone was worse.

James felt a thwack on his wrist, glanced down long enough to see a slender hand holding a quill vanish back to its owner.

"Pay attention," Lily hissed.

"It's so boring," James complained in an undertone.

Lily huffed. "You still need to focus."

"It doesn't matter. I'm not getting a N.E.W.T. anyway," James said.

"Well, not with that attitude." Lily flipped her straight red hair over her shoulder. "Or that handwriting," she added, regarding his notes. "What's that drawing? A Snitch?"

James reddened, tucked the scrap of parchment under a few others. "Nothing."

Lily raised an eyebrow, but returned her attention to the ghost at the front of the room.

"Oi." Sirius, sitting in front of James and a seat to the left, leaned back so that his hair was obliterating Lily's notes. "What d'you say we can convince Moony to ditch—"

"Absolutely not," Lily hissed, trying fruitlessly to brush Sirius's hair away from her notes. Sirius only tossed his head and continued.

"—History of Magic and head up to the common room for a meeting?"

"No," Lily said before James even opened his mouth.

Sirius turned. "Nobody said you were invited, Evans."

Lily reddened, but James shot bolt upright.

"She's always invited," he said. "That's not what she meant, anyway. She wants me to not get in trouble."

Lily kept her eyes firmly glued to the desk.

"It's a Marauders meeting," Sirius growled, checking to make sure Binns wasn't listening.

"She's my—" James stopped himself. Lily took a deep breath and looked up.

"I'm not going to go to Hogsmeade with you," she told James.

James's heart dropped about a mile.

"What?"

"I'll explain later." She angled her body away from him, even though Binns was on his side of the room.

Sirius looked a little stunned. "Evans," he began, but Lily silenced him with a vicious glare.

At the end of class, James stood up, practically stumbling over his chair. "Lily, wait!"

"You can call me Evans," she said.

Her words hit James like a blow. "Lil–Evans, what did I do?"

Lily sighed, then turned her chin up to face James.

"Black doesn't like me," she said. "For some reason, things between you and your friends are tense when I'm around." She held up a hand. "These are your best friend, James. I couldn't take that away from you."

And she walked off.

James stared after her, gaping, dumbstruck, unwilling to believe that Lily Evans had just walked away.

He was going to kill Sirius.

............

Lily waited outside the portrait hole.

After five minutes, it setting open and Remus popped his head out. "Lily?"

"I'm here," she said.

"Let's go." Not bothering to wait up for her, Remus strode forward.

"Wait up!" Lily hurried after him. "Remus. What's wrong?"

Remus didn't answer.

"Remus Lupin, you talk to me or so help me—"

"Do you have any idea what you did to James?" Remus interrupted.

Lily blinked. "James?"

Remus shook his head, walking faster.

"Remus!"

"This is a boy," Remus said slowly, "who has had feelings for you for so long. This past year, through all the witty banter and arrogant hair-tossing, he has hoped every second that you'd return his feelings. And you did."

Lily waited.

"And then you decided that you didn't want to deal with his friends and left." Remus snapped his fingers. "Instead of even trying to talk to Sirius. Do you know how upset Sirius is? He won't even talk to James, because he thinks he's ruined everything. And that's what James thinks too. I've heard the words 'you're supposed to be my brother' too many times today to count."

Lily took a deep breath. 

"I'm not trying to force you into a relationship with James," Remus said. "But I can tell you like him. And I know how he feels about you. And you are a bloody idiot for doing what you did today."

"Enough," Lily said sharply.

Remus finally looked at her. "Lily—"

"Why don't you take that side of the castle," Lily said, trying to keep her voice as normal as possible.

"I—"

But Lily had already hurried off in the opposite direction, trying not to think about James, or Sirius, or Remus.

Trying not to think about anything.