Disclaimer: I own nothing except for my original character April.

Requested by anon on my tumblr siriuslysnuffles.

–

'You're an idiot,' were the first words Sirius Black said to his best mate upon seeing him in the common room. Sirius accompanied such a statement with a whack to the head.

'Bloody hell, Padfoot,' the twat said rubbing the back of his head, 'What was that for?'

'For being an idiot,' he told him, irritated at his mate's denseness. But James' focus had already drifted from him, zoning in instead on a pretty redhead by the name of Lily Evans who had quickly murmured something to her friend April upon entering. She quickly disappeared upstairs. 'James,' he growled.

'Hmm…'

'You and Evans,' was all he said.

'Oh,' James sighed, running his hand through his hair in slight annoyance. 'You spoke to Lily.'

'Yes,' another whack to the head.

'Sirius, stop it,' he pouted up at his mate. 'You're on her side?' James' eyes were wide in surprise. For all the years he had known James, Sirius had never not been on his side. 'Are you serious?'

The corner of Sirius' mouth twitched in self-restraint. 'Yes, you're not the one who was crying,' Sirius said bitterly.

'She was crying?' James asked softly.

Sirius face paled, 'Er, no,' he backtracked.

'Sirius,' James' voice was soft, pleading with him to tell him it wasn't true and mean it. But he couldn't, 'I found her crying in a cupboard when I was hiding from Mrs Norris.' He looked up at James sadly, 'Scared the poor thing. You told me you two would be studying–'we aren't shagging'–in the Heads' office today, so I was surprised to find her there with her eyes all red. She told me it was nothing, that everything was just fine.' He scoffed, 'Lily Evans doesn't cry over nothing. She confessed you two got into a big fight.' He paused for a second, hesitantly, 'Said you broke up with her.'

'What? I did not!' His voice was high and alarmed.

'Your exact words weren't "I'm done," before leaving her alone in the corridor?' Sirius' voice was skeptical.

'Oh,' was all he said for a moment, 'I didn't mean I was done with her,' he responded quietly. 'I just did want to keep fighting.'

'Over Snivellus?' He asked innocently.

'She's always going to believe him over me, he told her that I've been hexing the poor thing for no reason at all.' He sound bitter and angry. 'And she believed him, she brought it up when we were walking over to the Heads' office. Said that she thought I was better than that, and she asked me why I couldn't just grow up.' His eyes met Sirius', they looked heartbroken, 'She'll always pick him over me, Padfoot,no matter what he's done to her.'

'Do you love her?'

'Yes,' his answer was instant.

'Are you going to clear up the misunderstanding or let it be the truth?'

He took longer this time, 'I don't know.'

'James,' Sirius warned.

'She didn't even ask me what happened. She just assumes that he's telling the truth. That I must be the one to start everything.' He laughed bitterly, 'You very well know that I've only done anything when provoked, I'm not going to let that twat verbally abuse Peter or Remus, I'm not going to let him hex or hurt any of my friends.' He took a deep breath, 'I'm not the kind of person who will take that lying down, Pads.'

'I know, Prongs, but you don't realise the hold people can have on others. You've always had stable relationships with your family and friends. Lily hasn't. You think he didn't mess her up by betraying her the way he did?' His voice had gone soft, 'Of course she has trust issues, Prongs. Her ex-best friend calls her a mudblood–'don't say that word,'–and breaks her heart, he picked his Death Eater friends over her. Her sister treats her like shite, like she's not even worth dirt. She's waiting for you to mess up, Prongs, she just doesn't know it.' He saw James about to protest, 'It isn't fair to you, but you can either be like them who let a good person like Lily go or you can be a smart person who helps her deal with what those arses made her go through.'

James sat there dumbfounded for a moment, 'What if I'm scared to, what if I'm scared of being broken?'

'The choice is yours, James. I'm not going to tell you what to do, my job as your best friend is to tell you when you're an idiot. So you're being an idiot. You're both capable of breaking one another, but you're also capable of helping one another and being in love.'

'I thought you didn't believe in love?' His friend looked at him skeptically.

'Well, I believe in you.' He ruffled up James' ebony hair. 'And I believe in Evans, and if anyone has a chance at being happy and in love, it's you two.'

—

'Hey, April,' James said standing across from her as she sat down at the Gryffindor table.

'James,' her voice was cold.

'Have you seen Lily?' He would have checked the map had Sirius not have let Lily borrow it.

'Last time I saw her, she was still in our dorm crying over some bespectacled prat breaking up with her.' Her brown eyes showed her anger at him for hurting her best friend, 'why do you care?'

'I want to apologise to her. I was a jerk, I overreacted.' He didn't bother correcting her on the breakup element. 'If you could, tell her I'll be in the Heads' office if she wants to talk to me.' He ruffled his hair awkwardly, 'I'll understand if she doesn't.'

'I'll give her your message, but I'm going to make one thing clear.' She pushed a strand of blond hair behind her ear, 'You'll never do better than Lily, James, and, perhaps, she'll never find anyone who will care enough to put up with the damage Snape did. So thank you for trying at least, but hurt her again, and I'll make sure she's not the only one in pain. Understand?'

'Yes,' he said seriously. 'I didn't mean to hurt her, I was just…'

'Trying to protect yourself?' He nodded. 'I know.'

–

He had been sitting on the sofa in the Heads' office for three hours until he heard the sound of a door cracking open. He saw the red hair he'd fallen in love with day and night for the past few years. He saw the green eyes that were looking up at him, puffy green eyes that caused him pain to look at.

'Sorry, April just gave me your message.' She closed the door gently. 'She said you wanted to talk.' Her eyes hesitantly met his again. 'Did you?'

'Yeah,' He got up from his seat and walked towards her. 'I wanted to apologise.'

She observed him, tilting her head, 'I don't understand, you were so mad.'

He laughed gently, 'I'm an idiot, Lil, I overreacted.' He ran his hand through his hair, 'It just feels like you'll always take his side before you take mine.' She began to protest, 'I know you don't mean to, but sometimes you act like he's still the boy you knew and if I'm still the child you knew.'

'I'm sorry,' she mumbled.

'Don't apologise, it's in your nature to try to save others, but you can't save everyone.'

'I didn't mean to make you feel like I was siding with him, I was just…'

'Yeah,' he said, urging her to continue.

'I realised something, and I think I wanted to find a reason to fight with you.'

His hazel-eyes watched her curiously, 'What did you realise?'

Her eyes began to water, 'Lil,' he stepped closer, placing a gentle hand on her cheek. She closed her eyes, letting the tears trail down her face. 'Lily?' he asked as he pulled her to his chest. 'Shh, s'all right, love.'

She snuggled closer into his chest, mumbling something into his robes. 'Yes, love?'

He saw her hesitate for a moment, 'I love you,' she said, shocking him. 'That's what I realised, and it scared me.'

He simply nodded for a moment before bending down and kissing her. She let out a small gasp, allowing him to deepen the kiss. She returned the kiss, equally as passionate. Her hands tangling up in his hair, pulling him closer to her. 'Lily,' he moaned, sending shivers up her spine as his hands lifted her up, legs wrapping around his waist.

'I love you too,' he mumbled against her neck. Her head was dizzy, 'truce?'

He laughed against her neck, pulling away to kiss her lips once more, 'truce,' he agreed. 'We'll talk about it later, yeah?' She nodded before kissing him again.

And that's how Sirius found them three hours later, both half-dressed in the Heads' office, mumbling to one another. James' hand tangled in Lily's red curls, Lily's head on his chest.

'Not shagging my arse,' Sirius said to the room before walking out, head thrown back in laughter as he left the two blushing seventeen-year-olds to adjust their wrinkled clothes that had been scattered around the room during their makeout session.