It's Nice To Have A Friend

45 - Teardrops On My Guitar

Mallory walked with the Marauders out of their final exam, finally feeling as if she could breathe after the hours of studying they all had to undergo. "We did it!" she exclaimed, pulling the closest boy into her.

Peter laughed softly before pulling himself away from her. "Are we having a sleepover tonight?" he asked the others.

"Obviously!" Mallory beamed, her smile unable to fade.

Sirius ran a hand through his hair. "I can't make it," he admitted softly. They all looked over at him but didn't say anything. They all knew why he couldn't make it. He was going out with his latest fling. It hurt Mallory, but she was able to keep her smile prominent, shaking away the feeling of her heart being crushed to dust. She didn't need Sirius anyway. She had three of her best friends with her.

Marlene ran up beside Mallory, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Come on, Mal! Let's go up to our dorm!" she said, pulling her away from the boys. Mallory laughed and waved goodbye to them.

"I told you that he didn't like me," Mallory muttered as they reached the dorm. "I told you!" she couldn't help but raise her voice in frustration as tears lined her eyes.

"He does," Marlen argued calmly. "But he's also a boy. You need to take that into consideration."

"Who?" Alice asked from her bed. "Marls, do you know who Mallory fancies?"

Marlene smiled sheepishly over at Mallory who shrugged it off. "It's fine. I don't like him anymore," she muttered in response, crossing her arms over her chest and wiping a tear from her cheek.

"She fancies Sirius," Marlene informed Alice.

"Fancied," Mallory corrected. "He's an idiot. I don't fancy him anymore. I'm over it."

"You fancy Sirius?" Alice squealed excitedly, clapping her hands together. "That's adorable!" Alice got up from her bed and wrapped Mallory in a hug.

"Did you not hear me? I don't fancy him anymore," Mallory replied as Alice pulled away, frowning at Mallory.

"That's not how it works, Mal," Marlene said with a laugh.

"Why don't you fancy him anymore?" Alice queried.

"Because he flirts with me and then he gets a girlfriend. It's just..." Mallory trailed off, wiping at her cheek again.

"You know that you don't deserve that," Marlene stated. Mallory nodded at her silently. "Personally, I would never do that."

Alice smacked Marlene and sent her a glare. "Mallory, give him one last chance to prove himself," Alice told her as if she knew something that Mallory didn't. "Promise me that."

Mallory looked at Alice, pressing her lips into a thin line. "Fine," she grumbled. "Just not now. I'm still mad at him."

.

Mallory was sitting in the Common Room after she had calmed down. She looked up from her transfiguration book as Lily stormed into the Common Room, mumbling under her breath. She stormed up the dormitory stairs and Mallory heard the door slam as she reached their room. Mallory debated following after her but decided against it. She'd let Lily calm down before she tried to talk with her.

Mallory turned back to her textbook as she heard four noisy boys walk in. She looked over her shoulder as they muttered amongst themselves.

"I just don't understand," James stated.

"She's a woman, Prongs. They don't make any sense," Sirius assured him. Mallory nearly started laughing. Women didn't make sense? Sirius Black did realize he was a man, right?

"No," Remus spoke up. "You're just a git."

"I'm going to get some treats from the kitchens for the sleepover tonight," Peter added softly, obviously not having any input on whatever was going on. He quickly scurried away.

"Mal!" James suddenly shouted as he spotted her on the couch and ran over. He wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"Hey, Jamie," Mallory replied with a small laugh.

"Get off m'girl, Prongs!" Sirius yelled. He pulled James away before launching himself on Mallory.

"Oi! Idiot! Go get your girlfriend!" Remus teased, pulling Sirius off of Mallory. Sirius softly laughed, pushing Remus off of him.

"Girlfriend?" Mallory queried, noticing how Sirius didn't deny Remus's wording. She smiled, hoping he couldn't see through her and hoping that he didn't know that she was dying inside.

"Yeah, and Padfoot loves her," Remus continued, making kissy noises.

"Sod off!" Sirius grumbled, pushing Remus further away. Again, Mallory noticed how he didn't correct Remus. Mallory wanted to die. Her heart had sunk to her stomach and was surely getting digested by now.

"I don't know about love," James mumbled.

"Prongs, I heard you two talking last night. He told you how much he loved her!"

"Sirius!" James suddenly shouted, making the other three teenagers jump slightly. "You should go get ready!"

Sirius started to walk to the boys' dormitories, but he stopped and turned back to face Mallory. "Are you alright, Mals? You're very quiet," Sirius spoke, keeping his eyes on Mallory.

"I'm fine," she stated simply, trying to not let her smile waver. She couldn't let him see how hurt she was. She couldn't let him see how she'd fallen for his flirty behavior.

Sirius stared at her for a moment longer before he nodded. "I should go get ready then." He ascended the stairs and Mallory let her face fall from its smiled. She rested her elbows on her knees and stared at the floor, attempting to calm herself down.

"Wouldn't want to disappoint Wendy, would we?" Remus joked as Sirius softly laughed. "For your date," Remus then added. Mallory pretended that every word he said, didn't feel like a knife twisting in her chest.

"You are a bloody idiot, Moony!" James suddenly yelled, turning to face Remus. "You're such a pain in the arse!" James turned to Mallory and wrapped his arms around her as she fought the urge to cry. "Are you alright?" he asked her in a much softer tone. Mallory nodded into his chest, biting on her bottom lip.

"What happened?" Remus cluelessly asked.

"Merlin, Moony. You're so insensitive. You know what happened," James muttered. Mallory pulled away from the hug, keeping her gaze on the floor.

Remus's jaw dropped. "You fancy Sirius?" he asked Mallory. "Actually?"

Mallory flickered her gaze to Remus. She quickly looked back to the floor as her chest tightened and she could feel the tears starting to arise. "Who were you guys talking about when you walked in?" Mallory asked them, changing the conversation from her. She wouldn't let them see her cry.

"Lily. She's a bit angry with us," James admitted.

"Why?"

James sighed softly. "We were being arseholes to Snivellus and she got angry with us. Basically told me that she would never dream of dating a git like me," James explained quietly, his face dropped and his eyes glazed over.

"I'm sorry, James," Mallory told him, sending him a sympathetic smile.