chapter 3
The next day, Sirius wakes up with marlene’s hair in his gob and thinks, god, nothing is more bloody insufferable, before realising this is probably the last time that he gets to wake up with marlene’s hair in his gob. He decides to take a good, deep, sniff of her blonde (for lack of better word) tresses. He waits for the heartbreak to unfurl deep in his stomach. He knows what it should feel like.
It panicks him, a bit, when he doesn’t feel it. He brushes it off. Maybe he wasn’t in love with Marlene, but he liked her. A lot. He thinks, anyway. When Marlene wakes up, she smiles up at him. She looks properly happy, for the first time. He realises that she’d been wrestling with this for a while. Their whole relationship, probably. He doesn’t let himself think about how he’s been ignoring his own questions, too.
***
James Potter wakes up to far too many missed calls from his nearest and dearest, Sirius black. Sirius black, who he loves more than life itself sometimes. James often wonders to himself how far Sirius would have to go before James would stop forgiving him. He doesn’t think he’ll ever find out. Kill his entire family, probably.
But James also knows that he is sirius’ sun, the one who found him underneath the elitist freak that his family had turned him into. So he knows that however much Sirius is lashing out, he would always find his way back to James with his tail between his legs. And James would always let him in, he muses. He would always fix things for him.
Today was not sirius’ day, though.
“She broke up with you? For no reason? I think that’s a good enough excuse to make sure marlene mckinnon never sees the light of day again, I will be having some words with her, pads, she’ll take you back before the end of the weekend, don’t you worry-”
He held his phone to his ear with his shoulder as he looked through the piles of papers on his countertop, trying to find the name of the girl that Remus had sent over to be his roommate.
When Sirius had announced he was moving out, James asked Remus if his friend from home still needed a place to stay in the city. The rent would be practically non-existent, considering his parents already owned the flat and they only really needed to pay for utilities. He also knew that if he was alone for that long, every day, he would surely drive himself insane.
Sirius was, surprisingly, in a good mood that morning. Considering he had just been broken up with by his girlfriend. Who he was infatuated with.
“Sirius, mate, are you sure you’re okay? Like, you sound fine and everything, but c’mon man. She was your girl, and now she’s not.”
“Jamie, my beloved, I am not feeling the heartbrokenness that one should feel after being broken up with. In fact, my biggest concern is my lack of living accommodations.”
“Oh, there it is. Lily Evans. Pretty name. Says she's in medical school, would barely be in the flat, just needs a place to sleep basically. Great. Just what I wanted.”
He mutters the last part. What's the use of having someone else in his flat if he’s just going to be alone anyway? He wanted someone who he would be able to talk to, spend time with. Not someone who he would barely see once a day. He’s never had to eat his dinner alone before.
Sirius pauses for a moment, as if trying to think about how to ask what he wants to ask. James laughs at this, internally. Sirius has never been afraid to ask for what he wants. To take. Sometimes, he just doesn’t know how to stop. Remus knows that better than anyone, James thinks. He really hopes that one day the two of them can be eachothers’ again, and he can finally stop feeling like his family has fallen apart.
“You think you can kick her out before she even moves in? Send her to go live with Moony or something.”
“Ah, sirius, my morals are just too strong for that. Plus, I live, like,on the road that leads to the student hospital. Trying to get there from Remus would take ages and cost too much. She shouldn’t have to pay extra just because I can’t keep to my word.”
“I always found a way there.”
“Not everyone walks for 40 minutes every day for fun.”
“Jamieeee, pleaseeeee, Where the fuck am I going to live???”
“Mate, I love you, but my hands are tied.”
“You haven’t even met the girl and she’s already replaced me. ‘Hands tied’ my ass.” but James can hear the smile in his voice.
“I promise, you’ll find somewhere to live. You could ask mum and dad for some money for a flat if you really need it.”
“I know, I know. I’ll text you and let you know if I find anywhere. I love you, bye.”
James hangs up. Not even seconds later, the front doorbell rings, and he rushes to open it.
Outside the door is the most beautiful girl he thinks he has ever seen.
His heart is stuttering .
He rubs his hand behind his neck, thinks briefly about the fact he’s wearing his rattiest pyjamas.
She looks up at him with emerald green eyes, and he is about to start to introduce herself before her lips part and she says, with a voice that makes his knees just a little weak,
“Oh, god , not you.”