Untangle Me

"Come onnn Fifi, this is my last shot to win Evans' heart. You have to help me! Pleaaaase, I'm begging." James whined down my ear.
"Okay, okay! Fine." I sighed exasperated. "I'm going to tell you the way to win over Lily, and you must do exactly as I say, okay brother?"

We were currently serving a detention for Professor Flitwick for transfiguring his chair legs into horse legs and having it gallop him out of the classroom and straight into a suit of armour. It was only writing lines over dinner time which was easy enough with a bewitched quill to do it for you. My parchment was already half full of "I must not abuse my magic", written over and over again. The irony.

"Stop with the big grandiose gestures and declarations, it's embarrassing for her. Just act normal. Help out with prefect duties more. Actually talk to her about stuff she likes and for Merlins sake, would you please start calling her Lily!"
"Right." James nodded, "So less is more. Got it. Thanks sis."

I leaned back in my chair with my feet up in the table infront of me. I wonder if I'd be able to sneak down to the kitchen after detention. I'd skipped dinner to go flying for a while before afternoon lessons so I was starving.

"You know, Sirius has been asking about you." James told me, with a very forced air of innocence about it.
"Has he now?" I mused. "What, dumped his latest bimbo has he?"
"Rebecca Partridge was a lovely young lass!" James laughed.
"Jay, she was stuck to him like the giant squid in a wrestling match! Don't think I've ever seen so much snogging in my life!" I said pulling a disgusted face.
"I wouldn't be so sure, I hear you two did your fair bit."
"Shut up." I said closing my eyes and attempting to drown out my brothers drivel with humming a Celestina Warbeck song I'd heard over Christmas.
"He's serious about you Fifi. He wants to make things right with you. As his best mate, I'm just passing along the message. I mean, of course I don't approve. I'm your big brother after all but I'd rather see you with a tosser I know than a tosser I don't." shrugged James.

I didn't understand boys. When James told us he knew about us back in sixth year, he only didn't speak to Sirius for a week. They were lost without eachother. He didn't speak to me for a whole two weeks. We even went home for Easter break and he still didn't speak to me until I gave him his Easter egg.

"Look Jay, I don't know what Sirius has told you but he's harbouring on to old feelings. He proved he didn't care about me when a few days later I saw him snogging the face off of Melanie Critchen down by the lake." I replied coolly.
"Yeah," laughed James, "Padfoot is certain his tongue has never felt the same since you hexed him."
"Good."

The bell chimed through signalling that dinner was over and there was an hour before curfew. Right on time, Professor Flitwick entered the class room. I handed him my parchment and exited the class only to walk straight into someone and be knocked to the floor.

"Watch where you're going to bloody troll!" I cursed.
"Speak for yourself Fifi."

I looked up to see Sirius holding out a hand to help me up. Rather than take his offer, I brushed myself off and stood up. James stood in the door way sniggering having seen the whole debacle.

"Shut your mouth, James." I mumbled.
"I wasn't laughing at you, honestly." He replied still laughing. "Fancy a little midnight excursion, dear sister?" He said pulling the invisibility cloak that we shared out of his jacket pocket.
"I think I'll pass.." I replied.
"How about you then, Padfoot?" he said turning to face Sirius.
"Would I ever say no?" Sirius grinned, "You sure you don't want to come, Ophelia? It's been ages since you've been out with us!"
"With good reason. Now I'm going to the common room. You two try not to get yourselves expelled or killed. Goodnight." I bade them goodbye and made my way to the common room.

With it being a Friday night, the common room was packed and far too loud for my liking when I got there. I found Lily and Ayesha, another Gryffindor who shared our room, chatting in a corner. After shoving persuading a first year out of my favourite chair, I pulled it up to join them.

"How was detention?" Lily asked as I sat down.
"Had my lines done in about a half hour so I spent a good two hours listening to James talk about you and his boyfriend. It's given me the worst headache." I complained. "And then, as soon as I walk out of Flitwicks classroom, I walk straight into fucking Sirius who knocks me to the floor!"
"I don't see why you two don't just talk it out." Ayesha offered, "He is very persistent."
"So is James and look how far that's gotten him!" I said motioning to Lily.
"That's different." she defended. "You and Sirius already had a thing, me and James however will never be a thing. No offence but I think he's the most insufferable person I know. Worse than Petunia!"
"Look, I don't really want to talk about it. I'm just going to go to bed I think. See you in the morning."

I climbed the stairs to my dorm and changed into my pyjamas. It was empty but there was a note on my pillow case.

I love you too.

S.

Great, he could tell me he loved me two years too late. I tore up the note, knowing that my dreams would be plagued with the stupid, beautiful face of Sirius Black.