Status: new story...tell me what you think!
After All This Time
7.
“Just look how smug she looks.” Marlene snorted.
James eyed Lily and Remus, who were walking down the street. Remus was just nodding and looked bored; Lily was rambling as usual. James had noticed she always rambled when she was nervous. It was kind of endearing.
“Don’t tell me you’re falling for her all over again.” Marlene said, disgusted.
James shook out of it. “Shut it.” He snarled.
Marlene sighed. “I thought she was my friend. I thought she cared about me.”
“Well you never did tell her you liked him, did you?” he asked.
She scowled. “That’s out of the question.”
James shrugged. “Just saying.”
Marlene turned to him. “You can’t find any fault in her, can you?” she demanded. “She’s just as human as you and me, Jamie.”
James shook his head. “She’s not human…she’s an angel.” He explained.
Marlene snorted. “Because you know her so well.”
James shrugged. “I think she’s fantastic when she’s not being a know it all.”
Marlene laughed and James smiled.
*~*~*~*
Lily and Remus were standing in front of the Shrieking Shack.
“Do you really think it’s haunted?” she asked, interested.
Remus shook his head dryly. “No, it’s not.”
Frowning, Lily turned to him. “What’s with you today?”
Remus shrugged. “I’m not feeling very well.”
Frowning deeper, she gave him a look. “There’s got to be something you want to do.” She said, throwing her red hair over her shoulder.
Remus gave her an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, I’m being rubbish today Lily.”
Lily smiled and leaned in to kiss him.
Remus jumped away. “What was that?” he asked, shocked.
Lily stared at him. “You think a snog would make you feel better.”
Remus started pacing. “This isn’t good, this isn’t good.” He panicked.
“What’s wrong?” Lily asked. She was about to put her arm around him when he pulled her away.
“Lily, don’t get me wrong, you’re brilliant. I just don’t like you like that.” He said.
Lily’s face fell. “But…we like the same things, we’re both prefects.” She said.
Remus sighed. “Sometimes you need a lot more than that to fall for someone, Lily.”
“You like someone else, don’t you?” she asked.
Remus bit his lip. “Sort of.”
“It’s Marlene, isn’t it?” she asked, holding back a sad laugh.
Not answering, Remus looked at her. “Look, Lily, you’re going to find a fantastic guy who really adores you one day. He’s going to cherish you. I’m afraid that it’s just not me.”
Laughing a bit, Lily hugged Remus. “Even as you’re rejecting me, you make me feel better. How do you do that?”
Remus smiled. “I’ve learned a bit about friendship and acceptance from my lot of friends.”
Lily snorted. “Your lot? They seem like a bunch of daft airheads.”
Remus grinned. “You think you know them, Lily, but they’re actually the most loyal friends I’ve ever had. They’d do anything for me. I reckon James and Sirius would die for me.”
“What about Peter?” she asked.
Remus winced. “He’d have to think about it.”
Lily laughed and smiled. “Marlene really likes you.”
Remus blushed. “I don’t know about that.”
Lily grinned. “How could she not?”
He winced. “I just don’t think I’m her type, that’s all. You saw, she went out with Albertson and Reinhart last year, they were tough blokes! I’m nothing compared to them.”
“Perhaps she wants a change.” Lily said.
“Aren’t you two supposed to be fighting?” he asked.
Lily sighed. “I’m tired of seeing her bed empty. I miss talking to her too. I’ve tried talking with Mary, but sometimes it’s just easier to get a solid opinion from her, you know? Mary’s always being sweet and sensitive…Marlene’s not afraid to lay it thick.”
Remus laughed. “That’s what I’ve always liked about her.”
“What’s that I hear?” she grinned.
“As a friend, liked about her.” Remus said unconvincingly.
Lily shoved his shoulder. “Come off it, you like her!”
Remus grinned. “Alright, I think she’s fit.” He confessed. “Plus, she’s really hilarious.”
Lily laughed. “I’m a prat then.”
“Why is that?” he asked.
Lily gave him a look. “She’s been storming around, yelling at me for asking you out.”
Remus turned red. “ Really?” he asked.
Lily smiled and put an arm around him. “I’ve got some apologizing to do.”
James eyed Lily and Remus, who were walking down the street. Remus was just nodding and looked bored; Lily was rambling as usual. James had noticed she always rambled when she was nervous. It was kind of endearing.
“Don’t tell me you’re falling for her all over again.” Marlene said, disgusted.
James shook out of it. “Shut it.” He snarled.
Marlene sighed. “I thought she was my friend. I thought she cared about me.”
“Well you never did tell her you liked him, did you?” he asked.
She scowled. “That’s out of the question.”
James shrugged. “Just saying.”
Marlene turned to him. “You can’t find any fault in her, can you?” she demanded. “She’s just as human as you and me, Jamie.”
James shook his head. “She’s not human…she’s an angel.” He explained.
Marlene snorted. “Because you know her so well.”
James shrugged. “I think she’s fantastic when she’s not being a know it all.”
Marlene laughed and James smiled.
*~*~*~*
Lily and Remus were standing in front of the Shrieking Shack.
“Do you really think it’s haunted?” she asked, interested.
Remus shook his head dryly. “No, it’s not.”
Frowning, Lily turned to him. “What’s with you today?”
Remus shrugged. “I’m not feeling very well.”
Frowning deeper, she gave him a look. “There’s got to be something you want to do.” She said, throwing her red hair over her shoulder.
Remus gave her an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, I’m being rubbish today Lily.”
Lily smiled and leaned in to kiss him.
Remus jumped away. “What was that?” he asked, shocked.
Lily stared at him. “You think a snog would make you feel better.”
Remus started pacing. “This isn’t good, this isn’t good.” He panicked.
“What’s wrong?” Lily asked. She was about to put her arm around him when he pulled her away.
“Lily, don’t get me wrong, you’re brilliant. I just don’t like you like that.” He said.
Lily’s face fell. “But…we like the same things, we’re both prefects.” She said.
Remus sighed. “Sometimes you need a lot more than that to fall for someone, Lily.”
“You like someone else, don’t you?” she asked.
Remus bit his lip. “Sort of.”
“It’s Marlene, isn’t it?” she asked, holding back a sad laugh.
Not answering, Remus looked at her. “Look, Lily, you’re going to find a fantastic guy who really adores you one day. He’s going to cherish you. I’m afraid that it’s just not me.”
Laughing a bit, Lily hugged Remus. “Even as you’re rejecting me, you make me feel better. How do you do that?”
Remus smiled. “I’ve learned a bit about friendship and acceptance from my lot of friends.”
Lily snorted. “Your lot? They seem like a bunch of daft airheads.”
Remus grinned. “You think you know them, Lily, but they’re actually the most loyal friends I’ve ever had. They’d do anything for me. I reckon James and Sirius would die for me.”
“What about Peter?” she asked.
Remus winced. “He’d have to think about it.”
Lily laughed and smiled. “Marlene really likes you.”
Remus blushed. “I don’t know about that.”
Lily grinned. “How could she not?”
He winced. “I just don’t think I’m her type, that’s all. You saw, she went out with Albertson and Reinhart last year, they were tough blokes! I’m nothing compared to them.”
“Perhaps she wants a change.” Lily said.
“Aren’t you two supposed to be fighting?” he asked.
Lily sighed. “I’m tired of seeing her bed empty. I miss talking to her too. I’ve tried talking with Mary, but sometimes it’s just easier to get a solid opinion from her, you know? Mary’s always being sweet and sensitive…Marlene’s not afraid to lay it thick.”
Remus laughed. “That’s what I’ve always liked about her.”
“What’s that I hear?” she grinned.
“As a friend, liked about her.” Remus said unconvincingly.
Lily shoved his shoulder. “Come off it, you like her!”
Remus grinned. “Alright, I think she’s fit.” He confessed. “Plus, she’s really hilarious.”
Lily laughed. “I’m a prat then.”
“Why is that?” he asked.
Lily gave him a look. “She’s been storming around, yelling at me for asking you out.”
Remus turned red. “ Really?” he asked.
Lily smiled and put an arm around him. “I’ve got some apologizing to do.”