Potter | 𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 171

Jenna stared at Sirius in disbelief. She didn't know whether she should've been angry at him for assuming such thing, or shocked that he even knew about her old feelings for Remus in the first place.

"How — how did you know —?" she muttered under her breath.

"So it's true, then," said Sirius, his gaze becoming even colder. "I could see the way you looked at him back then."

"Sirius, that was years ago!" Jenna retorted. "It was just a crush for back when I was fifteen! It means nothing to me now! How — how could you possibly suggest such thing!? We're engaged! How do you think this makes me feel!?"

"And how do you think it makes me feel, knowing that I was never your first choice!" Sirius yelled.

"Well, maybe if you weren't such a player back then you would've been my first choice! You were a heartbreaker, Sirius! I'm sorry if I wasn't drooling after you like all the other girls at school!"

They both fell silent, glaring at each other. The only sound that could be heard was their rapid breathing.

But Jenna shook her head at him and broke the silence, saying, "I'll come back whenever you decide to grow up."

And without waiting for Sirius's respond, she grabbed her coat and wand and immediately left the house, Dissapparating.

Once she appeared in the village of Godric's Hollow, it was already past midnight, meaning that it was now Christmas.

Jenna placed her hands in her coat's pocket as she stepped by Lily and James's doorstep, knocking. She waited there some while under the white snow, until James finally opened the door, his wand in his hand just in case.

"Hey, J.P," said Jenna, grinning up at him. "Want a guest?"

"Sure, come in," said James, stepping aside for Jenna to go in, frowning suspiciously at the expression on her face.

"Merry Christmas," she whispered as they brought each other into a warm hug after James had closed the house's door.

"You okay?" James asked as they pulled away, looking at her worriedly.

"It's a long story," Jenna muttered, looking around. "Where's Lily?"

"Putting Harry to sleep. He's been with Bathilda all day while we were away," James explained. "Make yourself at home. I'll go call Lily down."

"Thank you." Jenna forced a smile at him as James went upstairs and so she took out her coat and sat down on the couch in the living room.

Jenna watched their cat as it was purring before the fireplace, sleeping cosily on the rug in the warmth, unaware of everything that was going on.

"Jen?" Jenna's head shot up at Lily's voice, seeing her and James walking downstairs into the living room.

"Hey." Jenna smiled at her best friend. "Did Harry go to sleep?"

"Yeah, a few minutes ago." Lily nodded, sitting beside her and so James took the seat opposite them on an armchair nearby.

But Jenna suddenly realized that Lily's eyes were red and puffy, as if she had been crying recently.

"Everything okay?" Jenna asked them.

"Yeah, nothing to worry about." James shook a hand at her reassuringly. "So what brings you here?"

"What? I can't visit my brother, best friend, and nephew on Christmas?" Jenna grinned, but both James and Lily gave her a knowing look, making her huff and roll her eyes. "Fine. That's not the only reason..."

"What's wrong, Jen?" Lily asked her worriedly.

"Sirius and I had a small fight," Jenna finally explained, sighing. "I'm sorry to bother you at this hour. But I couldn't go to Mum and Dad's house. That place is haunted for me by old memories... I couldn't bear to go there."

"It's okay, Jen." Lily smiled at kindly, bringing her into a side-hug. "You know you're welcome here any time."

"Do you want me to kick Padfoot's arse for you?" James suggested with a grin, making Jenna chuckled.

"James!" Lily scolded, shaking her head at him in disappointment before turning to face Jenna again. "So what have you been arguing about? What happened?"

Jenna hesitated at first, not sure if she could tell them. Bur mustering all that she had in her, she took a deep breath and finally said, "Sirius thinks Remus is the traitor in the Order."

But Lily and James's reaction was unlike Jenna's expectation. They only remained quiet, sharing uneasy looks.

"What?" Jenna questioned, looking between the two. "Okay, what's going on? You two are acting really weird."

Lily and James looked at one another again, before Lily turned to face Jenna again, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

"W-well," she started, "after the Order meeting today, James and I asked Remus to come to our house for Christmas Eve. He's been so lonely lately, and we wanted to cheer him up. But — but we got to talking and — and —"

But before she could finish her sentence, Lily had burst into tears. On cue, James got to his feet and sat on the couch next to Lily, wrapping a comforting arm around her, kissing her head. But she just wouldn't stop sobbing.

"What happened?" Jenna asked anxiously, frowning.

"Remus thinks it's Sirius," James said through gritted teeth and Lily sobbed even harder at those words.

"What!?" Jenna exclaimed, jumping to her feet automatically. "But that's insane! Why on earth would he think that!?"

"He thinks it's because of the family Sirius comes from," said James angrily, his arm still around Lily who was crying quietly.

"But he knows that Sirius always hated his family!" Jenna argued.

"I know that, Jenna," said James firmly. "That's what I told him too."

"You d-didn't tell him that, you yelled at h-him," said Lily between sobs.

"I was trying to bring some sense to him, Lily!" James reasoned. "There's nothing more dishonoring that mistrusting your friends!"

        "B-but Remus was here for comfort! A-and we drove him away!" Lily sniffed. "Th-this is t-too much! The war is bad enough without all of us t-turning against one another! I've had enough."

       With that, James huffed, got to his feet, and grabbed his wand, making his way over the front door.

      "Where are you going!?" Lily called after him as he opened the house's door, letting the bitter cold creep through the living room.

      "To try and bring some sense into Sirius," said James and with that, he closed the house's door shot behind him, and they soon heard him Dissapparate.