Written for the Secret Battle Competition (Take two)

Prompts used: Era: Marauder

Genre: Romance

Words: Wonderful

Characters: Sirius Black

Dialogue: "That isn't even funny." "I often wonder why I love you." "You're giving me a headache."

AUs: Muggle Boarding School!AU

Pairings: LilySirius

"That isn't even funny," Sirius said, a frown covering his usually cheerful features. "Why are you doing this?"

Lily sighed, her emerald green eyes shining from the tears she was trying to hold back. "I often wonder why I love you," she began.

"Why do you wonder? Isn't loving me enough?" Sirius snapped. "I don't want this to end, Lils."

"Sirius, we've gotten too comfortable. We were each other's first loves, but... well, we both know that we don't love each other the way we used to. Things have changed, Sirius. We've changed. You've changed."

"What does that mean?" Sirius asked.

"It means that I'm not the one for you anymore, Sirius. It means that we've not been right for each other for a long time, but neither of us have been able to admit it before now. You know deep down that I'm right."

"But I can't lose you," Sirius whispered, taking her hand in his.

"You won't. We'll be friends still. Not in the way that other people say it when they break up, we'll actually be friends, I promise. You don't think I'd just abandon you, do you?"

"You swear we'll stay friends?" Sirius asked and Lily nodded.

"Do you want to stay here a bit longer before you head back to school?"

Sirius nodded his head, pulling Lily into his arms and not letting go. Once he did, they would be only friends and he wanted to remember how she felt in his arms.

...oOo...

Flashback

"Remus, what's going on with your hair?" Sirius asked, twisting around to get a better look at his friends hair. "It's looking like James' and that hairstyle doesn't become you. You look much better with your hair how it usually is."

Lily watched in confusion as Sirius leaned in close to Remus, his fingers running through Remus' hair, fixing it into place.

"That's much better, that's my Moony right there," Sirius said, finally moving away.

Lily's eyes darted to the satisfied smile on Sirius' lips and the blush on Remus' cheeks. She sipped the milkshake in front of her, her eyes on the two guys in front of her.

Over the last three months, things had changed. Lily had noticed Sirius' eyes seeking Remus out whenever they were all out together, or if Remus had come down to the town from the school that weekend too. She watched the affectionate ways Sirius touched Remus. To wipe something off the corner of his mouth, to push his hair from his eyes and that moment there when Sirius spent longer than necessary running his hands through Remus' hair.

She could see clearly that the quiet and shy boy had feelings for her boyfriend. Feelings she was certain he had never acted upon. She couldn't blame him for having a crush, as long as he never tried it on with Sirius.

But watching Sirius with his friend, Lily found herself questioning his sexuality, his feelings for Remus and his feelings for her.

It took her a long time to work up the courage to tell him, but they had to end it. The relationship wasn't going to work out between then and she knew it was best to end it as friends than for Sirius to break her heart.

...oOo...

"Mate, what's wrong? It's been a month now and you've just been moping. Remus said you'd talk to us when you are ready and to not bother you, but I can't help it anymore. You were miserable for a few weeks but whatever it is, is still bothering you. Talk to me."

"Me and Lily... There is no more me and Lily," Sirius muttered, laying on his bed. There were two bodies there, one on each side, stopping him from escaping.

"Bloody hell," James replied, shocked. He had thought that the pair were unshakable. "What happened?"

"She said that we haven't been right for each other for a long time. That she's not the one for me, and she knows that we don't love each other like we used to."

"How do you feel about it all?" Came Remus' soft tones.

"She's right," Sirius admitted. "I was angry, upset at first, but I realised that she's right and I've accepted it. I just needed to get it straight in my head."

"So, are you two just going to be friends or you going to avoid each other?"

"Friends," Sirius said, firmly. "I've known her for years, and I don't want to throw away the friendship that we had before we began to date."

...oOo...

Flashback.

"You're in love with him, aren't you?" James asked, as the pair of them ate their lunch, their table giving them a clear view of one on the other side of the pub.

Remus' eyes darted from the table he had been watching to James.

"I'm not the only one in love with someone I shouldn't be in love with," Remus replied, with a small sigh.

"You need to be better at hiding it, mate," James suggested. "Lily watches you. I think she's starting to figure it out."

"I'm not doing anything wrong," Remus said, quickly.

"I know," James replied. "I just don't want there to be any problems. What if she tells Sirius? What if she tries to get you both to spend less time together? She's an amazing girl, but you don't know how she'll react when she works it out."

"You're right," Remus sighed. "But you need to stop staring at her with that dazed smile. Sirius won't be as forgiving to you. You know how protective he can be."

...oOo...

James wasn't one to go after his friends ex-girlfriends, no matter how amazing Lily Evans was. No matter that he almost walked into a lamppost when the wind blew her hair, sending the smell of blueberries at him, distracting him.

Or the way she would excitedly grab his arm, dragging him around the funfair or carnival with her, or even into a shop. He knew he should be walking with Remus and Sirius, but he couldn't say no to the excitable redhead that had latched onto his arm.

Not Sirius' and not Remus' arms. His arm.

Whilst she had a hold of his arm, he was willing to follow her anywhere. Book shop? Definitely. Clothes shops? Of course. Off the top of a bridge? Without a doubt.

But there was no way he could let Sirius know that his feelings for Lily were that strong.

There was a bro code after all, and you don't break the bro code.

No matter how wonderful the girl was.

...oOo...

Things carried on as before. The three of them and Lily would sometimes meet in town, but instead of Sirius and Lily sitting close together, Lily would choose the seat next to James, leaving Remus to sit next to Sirius instead.

Lily was sad about the end of her relationship with Sirius. They had been together over a year, friends since meeting in the town when Sirius first started the boarding school, and she wanted to stay his friend.

More than anything, she wanted Sirius to be happy, and she suspected that his happiness would be found with Remus Lupin. They had always had a special bond, one she never really paid attention to at first.

Maybe it was strange that they stayed good friends and still spent time together, but Sirius wasn't the only one that needed Lily's friendship. She needed theirs too. She liked her boys, and cared about them. Remus being in love with her ex made no difference. He couldn't help who he fell in love with, just as no-one could stop Sirius Black from falling in love with him.

...oOo...

Sirius sat on the bed facing James', waiting for his friend to wake up. He had been sitting there for ages now, thoughts rushing through his head since the day before. How had he not seen it before.

Finally his friend stirred.

"Potter, get up," Sirius yelled.

James rolled over and glared at him. "You're giving me a headache."

"How long?" Sirius asked, ignoring what James was saying.

"What?" James replied, his voice groggy and full of confusion. It was too early to deal with Sirius when he was in a mood.

"How long have you wanted her?" Sirius asked. On the bed behind Sirius, Remus froze.

"Her?"

"Lily. My ex. How long have you wanted her? What makes you think you're good enough for her?"

"Since before you started asking her out," James snapped. "I was going to ask you if it was okay, but I never got a chance. Next thing I knew, you and her were dating and I missed my shot. I was in love with her since I was about fourteen."

"Love?" Sirius repeated. He hadn't expected it to be love. He thought James only fancied her.

"What did you think? That I wanted to just shag her? I haven't made a move or anything. I haven't gave her any idea I have feelings for her, so can we drop this? I'm planning on staying friends with her. Just friends. I haven't broken the code," James replied.

Sirius stared at him for a long time, trying to sort out his thoughts.

"So, she doesn't know? She didn't break up with me for you?" Sirius asked.

"You are a bloody idiot. She broke up with you because she thinks you're falling in love with Remus," he shouted.

"What?" Sirius asked, his head shook slightly as he tried to make sense of James' words. "Moony?"

"Yes," James replied. "Lily noticed it. She thinks you're in love with him. She said it wouldn't have worked out between the both of you anyway, but that's why she pulls me along all the time, trying to give you some space. She's convinced that you'd be truly happy if you and Remus were together."

Sirius was silent for a long time, but both boys knew better than to move from where they were. They had to wait to see if Sirius exploded and needed to be calmed down, or if he had any questions.

"Remus is straight," Sirius finally said. It was true that he had contemplated his feelings for Remus and knew there was something strong there. He wouldn't have cheated on Lily with him, Lily was too good to be treated like that, but he knew that his feelings were too much for someone who wasn't single.

When he found himself single, he didn't know what to do about the feelings for Remus. They weren't love, but... there was something there. Something he knew he wanted to explore. When he was with Remus, he couldn't stop himself from touching the other boy.

"I'm... gay," Remus admitted, softly. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything before. I just was more focused on you because you were unhappy that -"

"It's okay, Remus," Sirius interrupted before silence surrounded them again.

"You love my ex?"

"I really do," James said. "You know I care about her and I'd look after her. I couldn't admit that I loved her to you because of the code and I thought it was too soon and everything, but -"

"If you hurt her or break her heart, I'll kill you. I'm not saying that how other people's families say that, I'm actually going to let myself get put in prison for killing you, and I'll rely on Remus to protect Lily in my absence. Do you understand?"

James nodded his head.

Sirius turned around.

"You like guys?"

Remus nodded.

"Do you find me attractive?" he asked. "Am I your type? Bear in mind that I've only ever been with one girl and never with a guy."

"Yeah, you're attractive," Remus admitted, blushing.

"James. I was supposed to meet Lily later. You go on ahead. I... Remus, do you want to hang out with me... just the two of us?"

"I'd love that," came Remus' soft voice.

James grinned and got up to get ready. His gaze fell on his two friends as they shared a smile and he knew it was going to be a brilliant day for all of them.

...oOo...

James walked back into the boys dorm room that evening wtih a grin. He had asked Lily out on a date, and she had agreed. Years of dreams had come true for James as they sat in the dark cinema, a bucket of popcorn on their laps and his arm around her shoulders.

A soft kiss on the lips and a promise of another date left James the happiest man in the world. He had thought so until he returned to find Sirius and Remus fast asleep, fully clothed on Remus' bed. They were laying facing each other, fingers entwined with each others between them.

James realised he wasn't the happiest man in the world. He would have to share that title with his best friends.

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