How the Moon Fell In Love With a Star

Chapter 4

Word Count: 977

"I can't believe him." I paced back and forth in front of James's bed. He lay on his back tossing a Snitch in the air and catching it before it could fly away. "He said I was his best friend. He friend-zoned me. After all that and he still thinks of me as his best friend."

"Maybe he doesn't," James mumbled.

"I'm sorry, what?" I spun to face James, narrowing my eyes. "Maybe he doesn't? You're his best friend, you know all about what he thinks of me, don't you?"

James stared wide-eyed at the ceiling. "I...um." He licked his lips and propped himself up on one hand. "I wasn't saying that he... doesn't think of you as his best friend. More that he thinks of you as...more?" James tilted his head at me. "You know, the way I feel about Lily."

"Alright," I said slowly. "But Lily knows how you feel about her. Has since you met. Besides, you two wouldn't even be friends if it wasn't for me. You're welcome by the way."

James shot me a grin. "That's it! I haven't always been friends with Lily so it's been obvious to her that I've liked her all these years. You, on the other hand, have always been friends with Sirius so you haven't always been able to see how he feels about you," James reasoned.

"Prongs, you aren't getting it. He said I was his best friend. That doesn't exactly leave room to say, 'Oh by the way, I love you even though you're my best friend and I probably made this super awkward.'" I resumed my pacing. I sighed. "This is pointless. You're no help. I need something to do." My hand was on the knob when the door pushed open suddenly. I jumped back as if I had been burned and came face-to-face with my brother.

"What are you two doing up here?" Remus asked. I shot a look at James, who rolled his eyes.

"Talking," I replied as James said, "Studying." Remus gave us a look and shook his head. "Right. Anyway, Sirius is looking for you James."

James hauled himself off the bed, muttering, "What on Earth does he need me for?"

The door closed with a satisfying bang. "Right then. Now that he's gone, are you going to tell me what you were talking about?" Remus asked with a pointed look.

I huffed a sigh. "I'm in despair, Remus!" I threw myself face-down on his bed. I muttered something incoherently, to which Remus said, "Pardon?"

Turning my face up, the light from the setting sun blinded my eyes. The rays streaked through the clouds, painting a picture of a blue and orange sky. When my eyes finally refocused, they met the identical eyes of my twin. "The sky is beautiful," I stated.

"Yes, it is. Now are you going to tell me what you just said?" I shook my head and let my eyes droop, staring sullenly at the trunk with a gold insignia of the Hogwarts crest and a messily carved 'SOB' on the lid. Remus followed my stare. His shoulders slumped as he looked back at me. "I hope you are surprised one day." And with that, my brother stood, straightened his sweater, and limped out of the room, wincing in pain.

The last full moon had been extremely difficult. James and Sirius had barely been able to control both of us, and all five, werewolves and Animagi alike, were in pain.

At least Remus, Peter, and I didn't have a Quidditch game tomorrow.

----

James practically bounced around the common room the next morning. I yawned as I rounded the turn at the bottom of the dormitory stairs.

"Today is the day, lads!" James exclaimed. He threw an arm around my shoulder and tugged me to his side. "Today is the day we finally beat Slytherin." I rubbed my eyes and leaned away from James's loud talking.

"It's barely 8, James. Can you quiet down? I'm going to get a headache."

"Better not go to the game then, Lillie," Peter suggested. I shook my head.

"I should go for you guys. I want to be there to support."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Really? I thought it was just because you wanted to see me shirtless at the end of the game." My cheeks reddened.

James and Sirius had a tradition. After winning a Quidditch game, they would pull off their robes and painted across their chests were the words 'Gryffindor dominates the field! Potter and Black dominate your hearts!' They started the tradition in third year when they found out that half the girls in the school were crazy about them. Remus thinks it's ridiculous. Peter wants to join in. I try not to care that all the girls swoon over a shirtless Sirius Black.

"Fine. I'll go. But I won't like it."

----

Ten minutes into the game, rain started pelting the castle grounds. Peter, Remus, and I huddled under an old cloak Lily helped me enchant to repel rain. After getting ripped apart by werewolf claws and stitched back together, it wouldn't have been wearable anymore, so it became our rain cover.

Gryffindor was up by 130 points. Slytherin did not have very good chasers this year. The first game for our House and we were probably going to win. Which meant after party. Which meant I sat in the corner and ignored everyone.

James scored three more times in a two minute time span. Then the Slytherin Seeker, Regulus Black, snagged the Snitch and the game was over. Like I thought, Gryffindor won by 10. True to tradition, James and Sirius pulled off their robes. The paint on their chests was just streaks of color from the torrents of rain.

All of Gryffindor left for the common room. The party had officially begun.