Scars and Bruises

Bittersweet

REMUS.

He was tired and wanted to go to sleep, but Remus had promised to James that he would wait for him when he would return from his Head Boy and Girl meeting. Book that he was reading was not that interesting anymore, that's why Remus looked around the common room. It wasn't that late and common room was quite occupied with Gryffindors. He looked at Peter who sat by the table and did some homework. Remus considered that he could maybe help him because Peter looked miserable, but he felt too tired to get up from the couch.

He looked to his right and saw Alex and Sirius playing wizard's chess. Alex sat in the armchair with her legs crossed and looked bored, she waited for Sirius to make his move, but Sirius sat on the floor and looked at the chessboard with despair in his eyes. Sirius ran his hand through his hair and bit his lip, Remus studied chess board and realized that Sirius was doomed, Alex was ready to make the final move if Sirius didn't came up with something good. Remus chuckled a bit, he knew that Sirius was great chess player but apparently Alex was better.

Remus unobtrusively watched them for a while; he could not believe how Sirius had changed. During this term, Sirius had only been together with two girls and it was ages ago. Usually around Christmas time there was at least twenty girls in Sirius's used girls list, not even mentioning reoccurring subjects. Sirius really liked Alex and that was not a joke, all Marauders had concluded it.

The most unusual thing was that Alex too liked Sirius, but she didn't wanted to be in the relationship, because she was afraid that Sirius would break her heart. Remus understood her doubts, but she did not knew how much Sirius had changed. Remus thought that Sirius himself didn't even realized how much he had changed – sleeping in one bed with a girl you like and not trying to make a move, that was something only new Sirius could do, not the old one.

Remus was worried that it might be Alex who would break Sirius's heart, not the other way around, how it was expected.

"POTER!" Remus's contemplations was interrupted by Lily's shriek, it came from the portrait hole. "YOU ARROGANT IDIOT! THAT WAS SO RECKLESS YOU COULD HAVE BROKE YOUR NECK!" Lily shouted entering the common room, James followed her, but he did not looked angry at all.

"Evans, nothing happened," James said running fingers through his hair, "I don't understand why you are shouting."

"You are so presumptuous! You really thought that I would go out with you if you will threaten me to jump off the Astronomy tower if I say no?!" Lily continued to shout but in much lower level. All common room looked at them, Remus was surprised by James actions to get Lily go out with him.

"But at least I tried," James answered stubbornly and smirked. "Just stop it Evans, I really didn't meant it," he added trying to calm Lily down.

"Oh, just this little innocent statement that you would plunge towards your death if I say no," she stared angrily at James and crossed her arms across her chests. Remus was not sure that James would actually do it, but it did not matter.

"Fine, I give up," James waved his hands in surrender, seemed like all common room was holding their breaths. "Would it be so hard to go out with me on one, little, innocent date?" he just simply asked, emphasizing one, little, innocent with a pause between them.

"Why are you not leaving me alone?" Lily was still mad, it was clear that she was fed up with James's childishness.

"Because I like you very much," James slowly started to go towards Lily who now looked angry and thunderstruck at once. "And when you are angry you look just amazingly beautiful," his voice grew more silent with each word he spoke. James was already in front of her, it was possible to feel the tension in the room.