The Marauders: Year Six #Wattys2017

A Sure Bet

A Sure Bet

Sirius Black clutched her shoulders as he led Lily away from the Three Broomsticks, on down the path, past the Hog's Head and the turn for the Shrieking Shack. The path ran off into the woods and he only stopped when the terrain had gotten fairly rough and started to incline around the curve of the mountain, a sheer face of rock to one side and thick trees to the other and an old peeling post pointed back toward the village read Hogsmeade, pointing the way back. He stopped and let go of her and turned 'round to face her instead. "Alright Evans," he said in a grand tone of voice. "Let's get on with this."

She stared up at him with question in her eyes.

"Did we not just have a conversation about you fucking up Prongs's heart? Or am I mad?" Sirius requesed.

"You're barking," Lily replied.

Sirius cleared his throat, "While I appreciate the pun, I'm not amused Evans." He sighed heavily and rolled his thickly lined eyes and shook his head. "Why can't you just leave him alone? You know he's head over heels for you - why would you use him like you've done? That's right - he told us the whole sordid story! How you snog and how you let him spend the whole night comforting you on about Jasper Odair being arrested and you still think he's rubbish. What sort of horrible demon-woman are you?"

"I don't think he's rubbish."

"Then why would you use him like that?" Sirius demanded. "Using him up and throwing him away."

Lily flushed, "I don't."

"You do, though!" Sirius argued. "You lead him on and then break his heart. It isn't fair! Unless you like him, you ought not to be making him think you might."

She looked down at her maryjanes.

There was a long pause.

"Do you like him, Evans?"

"Maybe," Lily murmured. She could feel Sirius's stare burning into her. "Sort of. Y-Yes, yes I do."

"Just to clarify... as a friend or...?"

Lily looked up, "Sirius, please," she had tears pouring over her cheeks. "Please. Don't make me say it. I don't want him to end up hurt. I don't. Don't you understand?"

"No."

Lily swept the back of her hand across her eyes, "Sirius please."

"I don't understand why you have to hurt him! I won't ever understand! He doesn't deserve to be treated like that. You think he's such a horrible person, but you're wrong. James Potter is the best person there is, Evans! And if you can't see that then you're just blind! You're breaking his heart! You have no idea how much so! You have no idea how sad he looked and sounded when he was talking about it, Evans. No idea! He's so great but you never see that, you only ---"

"He is great, he is!" she said sharply, cutting him off. "I can see it and I don't want to make him sad. I don't. But I don't want to hurt him and I'm no good for him, Sirius. I'm no good for him. If I love him something terrible will happen."

"What terrible thing will happen, Evans, what?" Sirius demanded.

"I don't know," Lily said, "But something will."

He stared at her, one eyebrow raised. She stared back. Her face was just so... serious. "You mean it," he said, and he started to laugh.

"Oh - don't, Sirius, don't laugh," she pleaded, her eyes sad.