It All Fell Down | A Marauder's Story

Twenty-Two

"And as you sit there, thinking of everyone's feelings but your own, you wonder if the moon comes up at night so the stars don't feel alone." -Rink

     The first month of seventh year passed quickly as the leaves turned to stunning warm colors and left their trees behind to decorate the grass below. The time, however, did not pass without pain. The professors seemed to think that even with the N.E.W.T.s looming over head, that was not an excuse to let up on homework. If anything, they thought they needed to assign more work in the name of preparation. The group of seven were drowning between the course work and the extracurriculars and life in general. 

     James seemed to be dragging the most. Somehow, without anyone noticing, James Potter was handed the most responsibility of all of them. Between homework and being quidditch captain and Head Boy, he seemed to have received permanent dark circles under his hazel eyes. 

     The Head Boy in question was leaning against a wall of the corridors outside the library, eyes tightly shut. He had finished rounds not long ago, and he was waiting for Remus so they could study together. He wasn't sure he could make it through a whole study session without passing out. 

     "Hey, Potter, you alive?" 

     He didn't have to open his eyes to know who the voice belonged to. It was easily his favorite voice in the entire world; he'd recognize the sound anywhere under any circumstances.

     "Barely, Evans."

    He opened his eyes, no matter how reluctantly, to see her smirking at him. Her eyes softened ever so slightly, and she asked in a gentle voice, "Are you okay?"

     "Just tired," he shrugged, heart warming at her genuine concern. "Always tired."

     She nodded, understanding. 

     "How are you?" He asked. 

     "Tired," she sighed with a smile. "But, once I get passed this upcoming charms test, I'll be better."

     He nodded. He wanted to say more, to talk to her more. He wanted nothing more than to keep hearing her voice, but he hesitated. Even though they were friends at this point and had been for some time, he was never positive he wouldn't say something that would upset her for the umpteenth time. He didn't want her to fall into her old ways of hating him; he wasn't sure he could take it if she hated him again. 

     "You've gone quiet," she noted. She tried to keep the disappointment from her tone. 

     He smiled. "Probably coming in and out of consciousness."

     She smiled back at him. They both stared into the other's eyes with stupid grins on their faces, so oblivious of what was going on in the other's head. They were so engrossed in the other, they didn't hear someone else arrive. 

     Charlie smiled to herself. She was used to these moments; they had become more and more frequent over the past month. The pain with these moments had begun to dull, and she could never resent them for any of it. Hell, she had broken up with James for this exact reason. So, she pushed whatever residual pain was left way, way down. 

     "Am I interrupting?" 

     They both jumped at their new participant in the conversation. Lily smiled at her. "Of course not. You ready to study?"

     Lily didn't wait for a response, she turned and made her way into the library. 

     "Mhm," Charlie answered, lingering behind giving James a smug, knowing look.