Unrelenting Fate: A Marauders Era AU

Chapter 25

Two weeks.

It had been two agonizingly long weeks since James had last seen Harthwood, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could go without seeing her face.

In truth, he had seen her, but he had worked extremely hard to keep from making eye contact, or any sort of contact for that matter.

Staying away from Harthwood was pure torture, far worse than any Cruciatus Curse could ever be.

But how was he to interact with her now that he knew she didn't feel the same way he did.

Harthwood had chosen Blaze; he had to accept that fact.

Remus and Sirius sat across from him at breakfast that morning, and they were watching him with concern in their eyes.

They didn't know how to help him, how to soothe his heartache, and it was worrying the two to see the normally mischievous and carefree air about their friend completely vanished.

 Before they could say anything to the sulking boy, Lily Evans plopped down next to James.

"Morning all!" She said cheerfully, a bright smile on her face.

A few months ago, her sitting next to him would have had James grinning like a maniac, but now he barely noticed her presents at the table.

"What's up with Mr. Grumpy?" Lily asked, shooting a confused glance towards the bespectacled boy.

Remus sighed. "Harthwood and Blaze are dating."

"Prongs is depressed," Sirius said bluntly.

"Well, no shit Sherlock!" Remus sarcastically shot back.

"Sherlock? Who?" Sirius questioned, his brow raised in bewilderment.

"Never mind, idiot," Remus muttered.

"Right. Where is Peter?" Lily asked, ignoring their antics.

"Oh, lover-boy Pettigrew is sitting with his girlfriend at the Ravenclaw table. The traitor!" Sirius said with fake hurt, earning himself a couple of eye rolls.

"Good for him! Maybe I should just go sit with Sev? It would be so much more relaxing than this," Lily said with exasperation, giving James a pointed look.

"I wonder if Gerrwick would hex me if I showed up at the Slytherin table?" The curly-haired Gryffindor thought out loud, resting his chin on his knuckles.

"If you go over there, she will probably hex you to oblivion!" Remus scoffed.

"I'm willing to take that risk!"

"Whatever. It's your funeral."

"Make sure there are white orchids at the service."

"Sure. And no inviting your cousin."

"You got it!"

Lily chuckled. The Marauders always managed to make strange conversations sound weirdly normal.

James had yet to say a single word.

"Right, so, Evans, we going to visit our Slytherins?" Sirius asked, an excited gleam in his gray eyes.

The redhead nodded in agreement, then turned to the sulking boy next to her. "If you are so upset, why don't you just talk to Adelaide? I know for a fact that she likes Jaxson, but she isn't in love with him." After she finished, Lily and Sirius stood and made their way to the table on the other side of the Great Hall.

Remus waited patiently for his friend to say something, and when several minutes passed without a word, he huffed and said sharply - "Can you please stop acting like a crybaby!"