Losing Game/// James Potter

Chapter 42

"Prat," the red-head laughed while shaking her head at the boy.

"Don't worry, Padfoot. You'll always have a place in my heart," James reached over the table and grabbed Sirius' hand while winking, "but bloody leave so we can finish our date."

"Yeah, yeah," Sirius grumbled while getting up from the table and walking out of the Three Broomsticks, finding his three other friends in Honeydukes. When he walked into the store, he was met with a very unusual sight.

Elsie was standing in front of Remus with her arms crossed and her foot tapping, looking at him with a knowing expression. Remus was grumpily pouting while looking anywhere except at Elsie as Peter was laughing at them. Next to Elsie stood a little girl who couldn't be older than 10.

"Remmy, you need to share," Elsie spoke out to Remus while pointing to the little girl, "She just wants one!"

"Come on, Moony," Peter chuckled out, "She's a little girl."

"A little girl who's trying to steal my chocolate," Remus grumbled under his breath while crossing his arms over his chest, holding three bars of chocolate in his hand.

"Remmy," Elsie said disapprovingly while continuing to stare at him until he broke.

"Fine," he grumpily sighed while begrudgingly handing the little girl a bar of chocolate, glaring at her as she happily skipped away with it.

"Good boy," Elsie chuckled while placing a kiss on his cheek.

"What the bloody hell did I just walk in on?" Sirius laughed while raising an eyebrow at the grumpy werewolf next to him.

"Moony took the last three milk chocolate bars and the little girl wanted one, but someone didn't want to share," Peter snorted while using his thumb to gesture to Remus.

"Well, she should've came earlier if she wanted one," Remus pouted, thinking about the one less bar of chocolate he would have now.

"Anywaysss," Elsie rolled her eyes playfully at the pouting boy and looked at Sirius, "How was your date?"

She slipped her empty hand into Remus' and gave it a squeeze, letting him know she was only asking to be nice.

"Good," he replied, avoiding the way Remus was now sulking in his place, "We got drinks with Alice, Frank, James, and Lily. Nothing too big."

"It sounds sweet," Elsie sent the boy a warm smile while paying for Remus' chocolates and walking out of the store. With the other 3 following her, she began leading them to the Three Broomsticks for a round of Butterbeer.

"Where is Prongs?" Peter questioned while looking at Sirius.

Sirius pointed down the road towards the Three Broomsticks as he said, "Still there talking,
I assume."

As they reached the door to walk in the pub, Remus grabbed Elsie's hand and whispered to her, "We can go somewhere else if you're uncomfortable."

Elsie appreciatively smiled up at her tall friend before squeezing his hand and responding, "It's okay, I have to move on. There's no point in avoiding the inevitable."

An unreadable expression flashed across Remus' face as they followed Sirius into an empty booth, waving at James and Lily as they walked passed them. While watching them talking and laughing with each other, Elsie's mood sank further and further. She knew she had to get over James, but she didn't realize how hard it would be to see them actually being together. Every laugh that escaped Lily's lips was like a dagger to her chest, stabbing her over and over again. And so, Elsie excused herself and told her friends she was heading back to the castle in order to clear her head. Nobody asked her why because all they had to do was follow her sad gaze to find James at the end of it, so without any protests Elsie began walking away.