Wasting Time

12

The next morning, Emmeline came storming up to me in the common room. I hadn't seen her so angry. Ever. Once she reached me she shoved me backward.

"What the hell is your problem Em?"

"What's my problem? What's your problem?"

"I didn't have a problem until now. Seriously, what's going on?" I was hungover and I was confused. And Emmeline didn't seem to want to give an explanation.

"You kissed my boyfriend last night!" It was only our friends in the common room, or we would have drawn a crowd by now.

"What?" I thought for a second. "Oh no, Em that wasn't what it looked like, I swear! Didn't you and Remus talk about this? Sirius and I were fighting, I was drunk."

"So that makes it ok to kiss my boyfriend?"

"No, obviously not. I'm sorry. I just want you to know that it wasn't anything. I was just being and bitch and trying to get back at Sirius. I'm so sorry Em."

"Just because your relationship is fucked up doesn't mean you get to go around messing with other people's. You're so up yourself!" I heard Lily, James, and Sirius all make audible sounds of disbelief. I glanced over to see Remus with his face in his hands, rubbing his temples.

"Excuse me?" I asked incredulously. This was a new, nasty side of Emmeline, one that I didn't like.

"You heard me! You and Sirius can't go a week without breaking up, I'm sure you'd love it if Remus and I broke up as well."

She pushed my shoulder again. Everyone was watching with their mouths agape but no one was quite sure what to do. No one in this group questioned who would win in a fight here. But they were all silently praying it didn't come to that.

"Emmeline, Im not trying to break you guys up. I was drunk and I fucked up and I'm sorry but I can't change it now. It was my fault."

"You could stay away from my boyfriend. That might fix it." I actually audibly scoffed at that.

"That may be a tad difficult, considering we share a friend group and classes."

"You're just a self-centered slag. Marlene. That's what you are. You've probably shagged your way through half the school by now." And she pushed me, for a third time.

I really, really wasn't going to fight her. I wasn't. I had fucked up, and I had to take the blame. But that comment did it. I pushed her back, and in an instant, all hell broke loose. Hell really hath no fury like a woman scorned. We weren't fighting for long before Remus grabbed me by the waist and pulled me away from her.

"Hey now Moony, i thought we said we'd never break up a girl fight!" Sirius protested in a half-mocking tone.

"Yeah, well, yours is gonna kill mine," Remus replied.

He handed me over to Sirius, who then pulled me towards the boys dorms, James and Lily following close behind. He got me into the dorm and Lily closed the door behind us. I was still visibly fuming, and they knew it was going to take a tag-team to cool me down.

"You okay love?" Lily asked cautiously.

I was pacing furiously around the room, my curly hair flying around me.

"No! I fucked up, but I was going to find her and apologize! She didn't even care what I had to say. It's like we weren't even friends. After that, she can go to hell. Am I crazy?" They all shook their heads.

"She shouldn't have talked to you like that. It was out of order," James said.

"What do you think?" I turned to Sirius.

"I mean, I'm obviously not happy that she talked to my girl like that. I understand why she was mad but she shouldn't have tried to pick a fight with you. Anyone with half a brain knows you'd win. I'm sorry I didn't help you but I didn't want to fight Moonys girl and I knew you could handle yourself." He put his hands on my face and kissed me quickly.

He sat on the bed and I sat on his lap, my head nestled into his shoulder. His hand was rubbing my back, something he knew I found comforting, and his other hand was on my leg.

"I just can't believe it happened. We're all supposed to be friends." Lily shook her head in disbelief.

"I think...I think we'll be friends again. When she's ready. Now isn't the time for burning bridges." I glanced at Lily. "Well, for burning non-death eater bridges." She shot me a small smile. James sniffed dramatically.

"My little Marleys growing up." I made a rude hand gesture at him and Sirius let out a bark like laugh. I was fine.