How It All Happened

”Lily fainted...” Sirius teased, he wasn't just being nasty though, he was trying to get rid of the 'silence.' He couldn't stand it anymore, Lily was being very mean to James, only speaking to him to say thins like, “pass the butter” or “please go away, I'm trying to study” Lily being an ice queen was just odd, she was the nicest person in the world and it was just wrong for her to be so cold.

”I did not!” Lily objected

”Did too.”

”Did not!”

”What then?” Sirius was actually getting pretty curious, maybe he had seen wrong...

”I was in shock, it's not every day your boyfriend turns into a blooming horse.”

Lily was clearly upset. Sirius pondered about this and after a second or two began hoping for someone to come, or something to happen to distract her so he could run away, but Sirius wasn't the type to give up and run, specially when it was just nice little Lily...

”so you were in shock and sat down?” He said mockingly

”Yes,” Lily said curtly

James walked in.

”Er, hi Lily... Sirius” He said, looking very uncomfortable, but who cares? James walking in here was just what he needed, now he had an excuse to get out of here, maybe Lily and James could talk things over and everything would be back to normal the next day!

”Hi James” He answered and waved.

Lily ignored him

”hi Lily” James said pointedly

”don't talk to me”

He stood up and left, stopping only to make some really bad excuse for leaving.

”Uh, I need to go do some homework”

They both ignored him, which was good cause if they had been thinking straight they would think he had finally gone mad, Sirius Black doing homework? He was fantastic at excuses when it came to his teachers, but his friends? Forget it.

”Lily, please... let me explain!” James whined, he couldn't take much more of her 'silence' they had always been friends, this sudden change was like when he was small and always knew where the cookie jar was, but then his mother moved it, so it was no more sugar...

”No, you promised you'd never lie to me! I can't believe you, I told you I didn't want any secrets”

What? When did that happen? When did you tell me that? Oh no! How could I have forgotten? Well I was fifteen and very hormonal... Ack! That's no excuse, talking about excuses she waiting for me to say something, oh no she's crying, don't cry. I can't stand it when you cry... he though and conjured up a handkerchief.

”Lily I'm sorry,  but I told Remus I wouldn't tell anyone!” He said and handed her the handkerchief, she pushed it away and got her own from her pocket.

”What has Remus got to with anything?” She asked and dried her eyes (and face)

”Never mind, the point is if I told you I'd be braking a very important promise!” He said getting pretty close to tears himself, who'd think you could feel so torn up, he felt like his heart was getting ripped in two, he wanted to tell her so much, but he couldn't betray Remus, but the real question was, which is more important, his friendship with Remus or the love he shared with Lily?

”a promise more important than our relationship?” She asked, looking deep into his eyes daring him to say something. He knew that if he were to say the wrong thing he'd never get her back.

”No! I didn't say that, I love you” He said, saying the last part very gently, reaching his hand out to wipe away a tear.

”don't say that! How can I trust you? How do I know anything?” She took a step away from him (and his hand)

”Your being a little over dramatic...” He said, getting desperate, he was starting to feel a pain in his chest, like his heart was being ripped in two (or more) pieces.

”No! I just can't have anymore secrets” she wiped her fresh tears away, and tried to compose herself, he could feel tears on his own face, he wiped them away furiously, what would his father say? Men weren't supposed to cry.

”This is the only secret, really!” He couldn't lose her, she and the guys were all he had left and she was making him choose, well maybe she didn't know she was doing, but if you thought about it, that's exactly what she was doing.

”What is the secret about Remus then, or all the little night time disappearing?” She said angrily, her green eyes ablaze.

”I can't tell you” He said, his voice braking.

”Fine, you can't tell me anything, you won't tell me anything and I mean not a word, ever again. We won't speak to each other. Ever!” She said dramatically and then she ran out of the common room.

His thoughts were a jumble, he managed to register the fact that all the first and second years were staring at him, he fell backwards onto a chair, conveniently placed behind him and continued to stare into oblivion. Then small random pieces of fact started to swirl around in his head telling him what had just happened. He and Lily had a fight. They never fought. Lily had broken up with him. He had cried in public. Sirius was doing homework. Sirius was gone. Lily was gone.

”James” a gentle voice said.

He looked up, not really seeing whoever was talking to him, he could just see Lily's face. Had they really broken up because of something that small? It wasn't something really big, it wasn't like he had cheated on her...

”James!” The voice said more sharply

He blinked a few times and tried to match the picture in front of him with a picture from his memory.

”Misury?” He tried. Misury was a fifth year who was known for her huge crush on Sirius Black and for her name, which was pronounced: Misery. But she was actually really funny and the opposite of her name, kind of like Sirius...

”What happened? Did you just brake up with Lily?” She asked, her brown eyes wide and questioning.

”no, she broke up with me.”

”oh, I'm really sorry... do you want a chocolate frog? I just bought a bag at Hogsmade, so I have plenty! Have one”

He took the frog she offered and popped it into his mouth. He glanced at the card.

”Who'd you get?”

”Merlin...”

”Don't you just hate how the muggles illustrate him? I mean he doesn't have a long white beard and blue eyes, that's Dumbledore! Merlin was so handsome, I think he had a Philosophers stone, to keep himself alive for that long...” She was just trying to distract him. He knew and he appreciated it. He looked at the picture. It showed a handsome intelligent old man, he had red hair and green eyes... like Lily.

”I'm fine. You don't have to sit here and try to cheer me up, if you want to help find Sirius”

Misury seemed a little to eager to help after he named Sirius, she was off like a shot. She returned a short while later, Sirius helped her in throughout he portrait hole, they paused and he was saying something to her, she was smiling and twirling her light brown hair around her finger. He tried to hear what they were saying, but only caught a bit of their conversation.

What Sirius was saying sounded like, “you - gonna - Hogsmade - next” And what she said sounded like, “asking - sure - go - you”

Misury walked up the stairs to the girl dormitories and disappeared from his sight. Sirius came towards him.

”Lily broke up with you” Sirius stated in a disbelieving sort of way.

He couldn't say anything, it was like having his heart broken all over again just thinking about it, his throat tightened and he knew if he tried to do or say anything he'd start crying again. He just nodded and sniffed miserably.

”but, you're so great together! You never fight, you are the dream team...”

He couldn't take it, he ran up to his dorm and started sobbing. He didn't want to but he just felt so bad, how could they have broken up because of something so stupid? The were perfect together and he had ruined it, he was a horrible boyfriend, Lily deserved so much better, but he needed her, he felt worse than dying, how could she overreact like that? Why was everything so unfair? He calmed down after a moment but crying didn't make the pain go away.

”I'm only sixteen. This isn't fair.” He whispered into his pillow.

”James? Are you okay?”

Probably Sirius... he didn't want to talk to Sirius, Sirius would probably make him start crying all over again, he needed to be alone, that meant lack of Sirius.

”I'm fine, I just need to be alone”

”All right, can't I do something?”

”Yeah, you can leave me alone please”

Sirius decided it was best to leave him alone, he knew James better than anyone else, the two of them had been friends since they were toddlers stuffing sand down each others trousers. When James was like this he needed to mope and wallow and feel sorry for himself and blame himself and then blame everyone else. James was a great friend, but in these situations Sirius couldn't stand to be around him for long... the sad atmosphere was intoxicating. So he left. When he got back to the common room he quickly spotted Misury. She was really pretty, maybe not half as pretty as Celestina, or as nice nor did she have sparkling blue eyes and beautiful honey colored hair... but Misury liked him not Celestina. Celestina probably liked Remus, he'd heard her once, talking about how adorable Remus was... no. He had promised himself he wouldn't be jealous of Remus.

”Sirius, want a chocolate frog? I've got loads of them”

He planted himself next to her on the sofa and had some of her chocolate.

”Thanks” He smiled at her and she smiled back, she had a really nice smile and really nice lips, if he couldn't have the prettiest sixth year, he'd have the prettiest fifth year.

”You have something on your face” He said

She smiled and blushed a bit. “Where?”

”right here” He said and attached himself on to her lips.

*

It had been almost a month and it was almost time for their end of term tests. Lily and James still weren't talking. They hadn't said a word to each other. If they needed something they'd always talk through him and it was really annoying. He had a huge row with Remus, so he got ignored by Remus for two days, but he had crawled to Remus and apologized, since he didn't want to be alone all the time. James turned into a zombie, hardly talking to anyone except the teachers and drowning himself in schoolwork. Lily and Celestina kept to themselves and didn't talk to any of the marauders except Peter who they helped with schoolwork. Peter and Remus were always together, playing chess or studying. So he ended up spending most of his time with Misury. She was a great girlfriend, but he sometimes felt like he was being used. She kept showing him off like some trophy, and getting him to help her with her schoolwork. She wasn't very smart, so most of his energy went into her schoolwork. But despite her name she was hysterically funny and she was a great kisser, so he wasn't complaining... but still he never felt quite right when he was with her.

”James, hand me that quill, will ya?” He said as he sat in the common room helping Misury with her Transfiguration homework. But James didn't seem to be in the room, let alone on the same planet. James just wasn't the same without Lily...

He stood up and fetched the quill himself. Sitting down back with a thud. Something had to be done. He had to talk some sense into Lily.

That evening Sirius located Lily in the library 'studying'

”Lily, why did you brake up with James” He said, it was probably best to get right to the point.

”Go away”

”Not until you give me a proper reason for you two splitting up! You're both miserable! You have to get back together or... I don't know what happens, but I'm pretty sure it involves you and James growing old wondering, 'what if?'” He exploded, and to his surprise Lily burst into tears. She sobbed hysterically into the Charms homework, creating big inky blotches.

”I'm sorry, I didn't mean it...” He tried to say but she stopped him.

”You're right, I am miserable, but I can't trust him, he won't tell me anything... I just can't live my life like that, if my mom and dad had told me they were going to Diagon Alley that day... I could've done something! I could have stopped them from going, I could've...” She broke off when a fresh waive of tears washed over her face. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a used handkerchief, she used it to dry her face and then she did her best to compose herself.

”If James wants me back he'll have to come here himself and tell me everything”

That's never gonna happen, he thought. James is true to his word, he wont tell her about anything unless he feels comfortable or permitted to tell her... I've got to get him to tell me, what it is she wants to know.

The next evening Sirius had formed a plan in his mind, now that he had the information he needed from James...

”Hon, we haven't finished my Transfiguration homework yet, you know how important it is, I have my OWL's soon, I need good grades” Misury said to him before he could tell her his idea, she sounded very much like a mother scolding her child.

”Sorry, but I have to fix James and Lily”

”Yeah, Celestina and I were just talking about that...”

”Why weren't you doing your homework instead of chatting away with Celestina?” He asked sternly.

”Oh, I was doing that as well...” She said and smiled, then she aimed for a kiss, but he dodged her and went to Celestina.

”Cel, do you know where Moony and Wormtail are?” He asked, trying to sound cheerful. She looked so pretty with her hair like that, it was falling in her face, probably because she was bent over... Misury's homework! But that didn't matter, he wanted to push her hair out of her face and, better not continue that thought.

”We're behind you”

He looked over his shoulder, they were sitting in armchairs opposite from each other playing chess, he just hadn't noticed them or something.

”Well, come over here, I need to talk to all of you” He said making a gesture with his hand signaling they should come join him.

”What is it Sirius?” Peter asked curiously, his watery eyes wide with wonder.

”Wait and you'll see, now Celestina, has Lily mentioned anything about something James won't tell her?” He already knew, having pumped James for information before, but never the less, he wanted to know if Lily had told Celestina.

”Yeah, she says he won't tell her something about Remus... and why you guys always sneak out at least once a month...”

”Remus, do you think it's okay for Lily to know?”

Remus shivered and looked out the window, it was almost time for the next full moon since the whole Snape thing...

”Yes. If it fixes James than he can tell her, but only Lily, some other people can't know.” Remus looked pointedly at Celestina.

”Okay, now we have to tell James you're okay with him telling Lily about You Know What and then we have to make sure they talk. Moony, you better talk to James... I know a spell which can fake handwriting, Celestina and I are gonna write letters to both James and Lily telling them both to come to the same place at the same time. They'll have to talk. Wormtail, go get the marauder map and find a good place for them to meet on, and Wormtail, make the place really romantic or something, get Misury to help you with that” After he said all that he took a deep breath and looked around for their responses.

They were all nodding.

”All right, Celestina come with me, you guys, you know what to do” with that, he stood up, closely followed by Celestina and he told her to go straight for Lily's schoolbag. When she found it, she should get a sample of Lily's handwriting. Himself, he went for James' bag and got out some old piece of homework, he smiled to himself as he noticed the “A+” written in red ink. He had told Celestina to meet him in the library, so that's where he headed. Upon his arrival he noticed that she was there already and hurried over to her.

”Do you have it?” He asked her eagerly.

”Yeah, how about you?”

He nodded and reached into his pocket, finding his wand he got it out and gestured for her to do the same.

”Point at the paper and say, 'rectum copyo' kay?” He told her.

”All right” She answered, looking a little confused.

They both pointed their wands at the respective pieces of paper and told their wands the magic words. The parchment started glowing a feint blue glow.

”Now, get a quill and repeat the words” He commanded.

They both charmed their quills and they started glowing as well.

”Okay, we're done, these quills will write in James and Lily's handwriting for the next two days” He stated triumphantly.

”That's such a cool spell, where'd you learn it?” Celestina said, her blue eyes bright.

”Uh, I just found it somewhere, and it kind of stuck in my memory” He said, hoping she'd buy it, he just couldn't tell her about the book room... it was a marauder thing, but if this didn't work, there might not be any marauders again, they just fell apart without James, he had been the glue.

”Okay, can I say something to you?”

”you just did, but you can say more things if you want”

”I think it's really sweet of you, what you're doing for Lily and James I mean... I didn't know you had that side of you...” she moved a little closer to him, she was leaning towards him now, he was leaning towards her too, wait. What about Misury? If he kissed Celestina, wouldn't he be cheating on Misury? This was way too complicated. He stood up suddenly.

”What?” she said, looking rather disgruntled

”We have to go meet the others” He said, changing the subject.

”oh” she said in a small voice, now she was looking more hurt than annoyed. Why were things so complicated? He asked himself again, if she had only done this a month ago, everything would be fine!

”Come on” He pulled her out of her seat and they started towards the Gryffindor common room, they were quiet the whole way, each thinking about the same thing... Misury.

When they got to the common room, the only one there was a very pale looking Remus. It was probably because it was the full moon in three days, Saturday. Or maybe it had to do with the conversation he probably just had with James...

”Did you talk to James?” He asked

”yeah” Remus answered, “it took me a while to get him to understand, he was being such a martyr, sacrificing his love life for me, I was a bit flattered, but they need each other, and besides, he has to stop moping before the full moon, or we won't be able to have any fun!”

He smiled at Remus, he was a good friend, he may be quiet but he was never a drag or boring (A/N or like Percy Weasley will be like, lol) but he did get less detentions then the others. Whatever that tells you.

After ten minutes or so, Peter and Misury walked through the portrait hole. They walked over to where he, Celestina and Remus were sitting and sat themselves down. Peter pulled the marauder map out, but the girls didn't know that, to them it just looked like a blank piece of parchment. But Peter didn't say the password to open the map but he did say this,

”The old Charms classroom”

”You mean the one where Flitwick used to teach but couldn't anymore cause we were interrupting the owls in the owlery?”

”Yes. That one”

”That's a great idea!” He said, Peter was looking really smug, and his smirk widened (if even possible) at that comment.

”I know” He simply said, trying to sound nonchalant, but the huge happy smile on his face betrayed how happy he was.

”I fixed the place up, it looks magical!” Misury said and grinned.

”ha ha, we have to write these letters now, so everyone except Celestina and I. Shoo! Go to sleep, it's late anyway.” So with a kiss goodnight from Misury, he was left alone with Celestina.

”Do you have the quills?” He asked after Peter had disappeared up the stairs to the boy dormitories.

”Yeah, I'll write the one from Lily” Celestina handed him the quill with James' handwriting and they got to work.

After about fifteen minutes he was done, but she wrote for about a minute longer and then set the quill aside.

”I'll read you mine” she said before he could open his mouth to speak. “here goes”

”Dear James,

I know I said I'd never speak to you again, and I won't, but I'm giving you one more chance to be honest with me. Meet me in the old Charms classroom at eight o'clock, Friday night and tell me everything, if you don't show up. I promise I'll never look, talk, or even smell you ever again.

Lily”

Celestina looked expectedly at him.

”It was good, wanna hear mine?” He said.

”Read away” she grinned.

”Dear Lily,

I can't do this anymore, it hurts so much. Just seeing you every day, remembering how things used to be, I have to have you back. And if it means betraying my friends I'll do it. I can't live with out you. Meet me in the old Charms classroom at eight o'clock, next Friday evening and I'll tell you everything.

All my love, James”

He looked up from the parchment, Celestina was staring into space with a dreamy expression on her face.

”Sirius, I didn't know you had it in you” she said and blushed deeply.

”I guess I'm just a romance buff at heart...” he said and grinned, he was feeling very torn. He wanted Celestina and she seemed to want him at the moment, he could just... no. He couldn't do that to Misury even if she used him a bit, she was a really nice, funny, pretty and overall great girl... why was this so difficult?

”I guess we'd better go to bed” She said, after a glance at her watch.

”together?” He asked playfully, god why was he doing this to himself? It was torture just thinking about that... Thankfully she just laughed and walked towards the girl dormitories.

”Goodnight Sirius”

”Goodnight Celestina”

*

James woke up to Sirius shaking him rather harshly, he thought.

”I'm up, stop it” He said, sitting up and rubbing the sand out of his eyes.

”Lily asked me to give this to you”

He froze when Sirius mentioned Lily's name, his eyes were closed and he hardly dared to open them, in fear of this having been a dream.

”James, come on, take the note, I promise I didn't read it” Sirius shook him again.

He opened his eyes slowly, waiting for everything to dissolve into darkness. It didn't happen, and he could see Sirius' cheerful face before him, waving a piece of parchment in front of him. He snatched out his hand grabbing the note from Sirius' grasp. He unfolded the note and read it. He could feel his mouth falling open, another chance, and he had Remus' permission to tell her... this was to good to be true! Of course he'd meet her there, he had to, he had thought the pain in his chest would go away with a bit of time, but it only got worse. He'd tell her everything, they could never be apart again, he'd die.

”What does it say?” Sirius asked excitedly.

”She's giving me another chance” He said, in truth he was surprised he could say anything at all, he was speechless with happiness. He couldn't wait for Friday. But of course, like with everything else you really want to happen as soon as possible, it takes forever to happen. He couldn't focus in any of his classes and when Friday evening finally rolled around he was very hyper and very nervous. On his way to the old Charms classroom, he got lost a few times even though he had gone there countless times and should be able to walk there with a blindfold, he was just to... something. He got there a few minutes early even though he had been getting lost a lot... it probably had to do with the fact that he had left the common room at six o'clock. The room wasn't exactly like he remembered it being though, it was filled with candles and everything smelled really nice. There were to comfortable looking cautions on the floor, each on the opposite end of a low table, which was decked with a white tablecloth and there was a very nice looking dinner, he suddenly realized that he was very hungry ((he had forgotten dinner, he was to anxious to get to Lily) but he waited. He sat there for five minutes, staring at the door intently, when the clock struck eight it opened.

”Lily” he whispered.

She looked about as shocked as he had been about how the room was looking, which he thought was odd because she had done it after all... hadn't she?

She didn't sit down, but she did look at him, as if daring hi to say something. He realized she wasn't talking to him until he had told her about Remus. So he took a deep breath and told her, he told her everything. About how he and the others had found out about Remus being a werewolf, how they had found the book room, how they had become Animagi to help Remus, how Rita had tricked them into helping her as well. And lastly, he told her how much he loved her.

When he was done, she was close to tears, but she held them back. He loved her that much. She hadn't realized he loved her as much as she loved him. He was staring at her, his eyes large and full of hope.

”James, I've missed you so much” she said and walked into his embrace.