How the Moon Fell In Love With a Star

Chapter 8

Word Count: 2,200

When I had finally calmed myself enough to get off the floor and smooth out my dress, the clock on the wall read midnight. The ball would be over now, but plenty of the older students would be hiding out in the Astronomy Tower, a tradition for those who wouldn't be going back to their date's dormitory. In the hallway, I paused long enough to check on the map that Sirius was indeed in his dorm. The rest of the boys were still in the common room, apparently too full of adrenaline to think of sleep.

Climbing in through the portrait hole with shoes in hand was a struggle. The length of my dress got in the way, and I was exhausted. As soon as I entered the common room, the boys and Lily were all over me.

"What happened?"

"Where's Sirius?"

"Did you tell him? Is it time to thank me?"

The questions come immediately and in full-force. I cover my ears in an attempt to block out my friends' voices. "Nothing happened!" My shout silenced everyone, leaving me in the unfortunate position of having to answer.

"So...?" Remus raised his eyebrows in question. "What happened?"

"Why don't you ask James? He's the one who screwed everything up." I spun around to see Sirius leaning against the wall at the bottom of the stairs. Sirius didn't even look at me, his glare stuck to James like glue. "Well?"

James gaped at his best friend, looking a bit like a fish. Finally he said, "What do you want me to say Sirius? That I'm sorry? Because I am. I'm bloody sorry. Call me an idiot, but Lillie and I thought we were doing the right thing."

"Oh, the right thing? So you just fake every relationship you've ever been in? Is that how it works now? My best mate can't be trusted to be honest?" Sirius demanded.

"You know it's not like that! Lillie and I were just faking it to-" Sirius interrupted James by throwing his fist out, to which James barely missed.

"I never said anything about you two going out no matter how much it crushed me and you're telling me it was all fake?" Sirius took another swing at James. James jumped out of the way but not quickly enough. Sirius' fingers knocked into the side of his glasses, sending the lenses flying toward the wall. Lily gasped. "James, are you alright?"

The dark haired boy nodded, pushing his bangs off his forehead.

He beckoned to Sirius. "You want to do that again? I know what we did, and I don't care if you knock me out because of it."

"Oh, I want to do more than knock you out," Sirius growled, "Right now, I want to murder you." Next moment, Sirius had launched himself at James, and it took both Remus, Peter, and Alice to pull him back, while Frank held James.

"Would everybody just calm down?" Lily yelled. "You lot are acting like five year olds fighting over a stupid toy. Would you look at yourselves? You both are seventeen bloody years old. You," Lily pointed to James, "are a stupid git if you think tricking your best friend was a good idea. And you," she rounded on Sirius, "shouldn't have waited so bloody long to admit your feelings for the girl you've been in love with since first year. And you, Lilliana," she paused, shaking her head. "I thought you were better than this." With that, she spun on her heel and waltzed up the stairs to the girls' dorms, while Alice trailed apologetically behind.

I turned back to the boys. "Sirius, I-"

"Save it, Lillie. I don't want to hear it." He stalked up the stairs, ripping his tie off in the process. The rest of us standing in the common room flinched at the loud slam of the door.