the second last ending

four - the marauders stir some emotions

I wonder who I should tell about Mitch sitting with me. Is it really true? That's all I think about while I play wizard chess with Lily, who's an absolute legend with it.

As the game progresses further, I see an impish expression on her face that I only see when she's about to win. What? Where?

"Knight to B7."

Shit.

"Checkmate!"

I groan in defeat as my king drops its sword and the knight destroys it.

Before Lily can gloat, Sirius and James swoop in, their expressions equally mischievous.

"Say, Rose, who were you sitting with on the way to Hogwarts again?" Sirius smirks, looping his arm around mine and pulling me up.

"I think it started with an M, didn't it?" James chuckles, also hooking his arm with mine.

They begin to walk, but I have no idea where they're going. However, after several twists and turns throughout the corridors, it seems as if they have no destination in mind.

"Mitch, I think? I vaguely remember him being in there when I went to give a little visit."

"And what was the thing McKinnon told us afterwards, James?"

"Ah yes, something about him sitting with someone he actually fancies?"

"And what was the other thing, James?"

"The fact that McKinnon had already told her dormitory!"

"And who's also in her dormitory, James?"

Oh, they're annoying the shit out of me.

"Maia Rose!"

They finally stop walking as they cross their arms and grin at me cockily.

"Okay, fine, yes, I did know about that," I admit, mimicking their positions and crossing my arms as well.

Sirius and James both press their lips into a tight line as they study my face closely, putting on their false thinking faces.

"I could definitely see you two together, don't you think, Sirius?" James smirks.

"Oh yeah, for sure," Sirius agrees, smiling his idiot beautiful cocky cute smile.

It hurts on a new level when your crush thinks that you should date someone else.

"It was nice chatting with you Rose. I, unfortunately, have some business to attend to. Give it some thought!" Sirius grins, waving and leaving me and James there.

As soon as he's out of earshot, I smack James' arms. "You prick!"

James rubs his arms as he pouts at me. "First of all, ouch. Second of all, you should be thanking me, I'm helping you. You need to get over him, and the-"

I quickly silence him by holding up my hand to his face.

"Hold on, why do I need to get over him?" I ask, putting my hands on my hips and stepping closer to him.

James fidgets his hands nervously and says, "Well, it's been almost three years, hasn't it? You've liked him since the second year. And nothing's really happened, so I thought-"

I shake my head and say, "No, why now?" My voice begins to crack and waver as I demand, "Why do I have to get over him, James?"

James looks at me for a good thirty seconds, deciding his next words very carefully.

"Sirius is gonna ask Marlene out. She already told Remus that she fancies Sirius. Remus told Sirius. I think they're going to last a while," James confesses apologetically.