Everything to Me

17.

"What's going on with you 2?" Remus asked putting down his fork, when James was out of earshot.

"What do you mean?" Juli asked, not quite meeting his eyes.

"You know exactly what I mean." He intensified his gaze on her. She shook her head and turned away. "Fine! I'll ask James." He said, getting up. Sirius instantly pulled him back down onto the chair.

"You wouldn't!" Juli gasped.

"Try me!"

"Remus..." She lowered her voice looked at Sirius. He nodded at her so as to encourage her to go on. "We kissed." Her cheeks turned red and she grinned, reliving the moment.

"You WHAT?" He exclaimed.

"Keep it down. It was only once."

"Does James know?" He asked, almost knowing what the answer was. "And Lily?"

"Lily has an idea, James doesn't. And we don't plan on telling him because there is nothing to tell. It was just a kiss, nothing more will ever happen." She said, sadly.

Sirius' stomach turned into knots when he heard those words. He already knew this and yet, it hurt him every time to acknowledge it. Juli sighed and got up from the table, not wanting to talk about this anymore.

Remus looked at Sirius and asked softly, "What's the matter, Sirius?"

Sirius scribbled on the chalkboard around his neck and gave it to him to read, "I like her, Moony. A lot." He looked dejected.

"I know. I am so sorry." He had never seen him look so upset.

* * * * *

"Why are you doing this, again?" Remus asked Juli once more.

"Rem, it has been 4 weeks. You stayed for a week, went back home and now we are going shopping together. How many times do I tell you?" Juli sighed, half annoyed, half amused. They were in Diagon Alley at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. "They wanted to prove to the world how dry it is without their beautiful voices." The 3 boys with chalk boards around their necks nodded furiously.

"Actually, it is much more better now." Lily said, hugging Juli from behind. She hugged Remus, too and saw Sirius writing something on his chalkboard. He held it under her nose so she could read, "You'll see."

"Sure. My bad." Lily chuckled. "Let's go. There is so much to buy."

The boys looked at Remus expectedly.

"What? I won't be your mediator like Juli. Keep writing." He said.

Lily linked her hand with Juli's and they went to buy books. She turned around and shouted, "Congratulations for making Prefect!"

"To you, too!" Remus shouted back.

The girls turned back and left for Flourish and Blotts.

"You know James will lose his mind if you don't congratulate him for Quidditch Captain, don't you?" Juli laughed.

"Sounds fun." And the girls burst into a fit of giggles.

"Is that Regulas?" Juli asked Lily, looking at a raven haired boy in the shop. His hands were loosely in his pocket and he was looking at shelves of books.

"Yeah. Him and Sirius have similar features." Lily confirmed.

"I have seen him around but never talked." She remembered all those times when she would come across Regulas sitting quietly by the Lake or reading in the library. "I'll go talk to him."