𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞 - 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫

28 - 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜?

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James was running out of ideas. He knew Aquila wouldn't forgive him until Regulus did, and he knew Regulus would only forgive them if Sirius apologised. In a way, Sirius was supposed to care more than he was right now. Why didn't Sirius care? James looked at him now, lying back down on his bed and popping truffles into his mouth like they were grapes. Seriously, did this boy care about anything?

Well, James knew that was unfair. Sirius cared more deeply and truly than anyone he knew, mostly because his upbringing had been very distant. His parents weren't the coddling type (unlike James') and they did not hesitate in 'correcting' their son's behaviour.

What the real question here was, why was Sirius not caring about the fact that number one, their map was incomplete and number two, his siblings currently hated him. James had no siblings, and he knew that a little sibling rivalry was quite normal and expected, but not the pure loathing he'd felt radiating from both Regulus and Sirius in the dungeon room.

He'd been hoping that Aquila would help him reunite the brothers together, but that was clearly not the case as Aquila sat in the same boat as Regulus. Which sucked. Big time.

"Wallowing again, James?" Peter asked as he walked into the room. James and Sirius immediately got up and looked at him. Peter sighed and dropped on his bed.

"He's having temper tantrums again. Almost hit me on the head with a flask and his eyes did the thing again. Poor Remmy," Peter said with a pout on his face, rubbing a hand across his face as he swung his feet off the bed again, sitting up abruptly. "Did you talk to the twins?"

Sirius coughed pointedly and went back to his box of truffles. James rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Peter raised an eyebrow and then groaned.

"Do not tell me you did not apologise to them," he said. He turned to James. "You felt really bad. Is that the extent of your guilt?"

Sirius looked up, annoyed. "I don't see you falling at their feet, brother. And you were as much of an accomplice as us," he scowled.

"And I didn't see you getting punched by Remus in the Hospital Wing. Box of truffles run out, Sirius?" he shot back.

James immediately frowned in concern and went to Peter. "He punched you? Where?"

"It's alright, I'm fine," Peter said, but leaned back to let James examine his jaw all the same. While James was going all mother hen mode on Peter, Sirius sat up in his bed. Sirius was many things, but oblivious he was not. He knew that the group of them expected him to go to Aquila and Regulus to apologise but why him? It wasn't as if Saint James and Saint Peter weren't involved. Especially considering James and Aquila were all buddy-buddy now. Wasn't he supposed to apologize? He looked over to where James was pointing his wand at Peter's jaw and Peter had an alarmed look in his eyes, insisting that he was alright and trying to push James' wand away from his face.

"Why don't you go talk and apologise to them, James?" Sirius said abruptly. A tense silence fell over the room. Peter looked nervously between James and Sirius, the former of which had anger on his face and the latter stubbornness. James sat up slowly and removed his wand from hovering around Peter.

"You think I haven't tried?" James hissed. If Sirius was taken aback, he certainly didn't show it. "You think I haven't been chasing your sister down every corridor, staying outside the dungeons hoping she'll come out and talk to me? You think I haven't felt like crying when she ignores me and goes away?"

Peter opened his mouth. Then closed it. Perhaps it was unwise to speak to an emotional James.

Seeing Sirius' indifferent expression, James huffed out a small, humourless laugh and left the room.

- - -

Maybe Aquila was overreacting, and she knew she was being selfish. To be honest, she rarely got into fights with Rowan or Adrian where they would want her company so much so that they would apologise. They never had fights that severe. And even if they did, all of them were cut from the same cloth. They never apologised.

Was Aquila wrong in enjoying someone genuinely wanting her company for once? The only one who wanted and could handle her nasty moods was Regulus, and it sucked having to spend time with him 24/7. James and her hadn't known each other long, but she enjoyed his company. Much more than she'd like to admit.

So, like a woman on a mission, she got up from her bench at the courtyard and went towards the Quidditch pitch, where Gryffindor practice was currently going on. There were a few people in the stands, Lily Evans was there, beside her friend Alice Fortescue. Marlene McKinnon also seemed to have joined them in a huge black coat that made her look like a black snowball. It seemed like the sort of thing her mother or Narcissa would wear. Speaking of, Narcissa was also in the stands, surprisingly. She didn't seem to be watching the practice though, her head was bent over and she was scribbling furiously in a notebook. Faintly, some part of Aquila's brain wondered if she was writing to Aunt Druella informing her of Aquila and James' friendship.

Looking around, she looked for robes with 'Potter' written on them. When she didn't find any, she counted the flying figures. It was more difficult than she had anticipated considering they were flying and, therefore, moving.

Six. There were only six players in the field. Just her luck. The one day she wants to talk to James Potter is the one day where he drops off the face of earth. It was a stupid idea, anyway.

She turned back around and started walking towards the lake. There was this little hidden off area that everyone knew of but no one went into. It was hidden behind the hanging thingies of a banyan tree, and looked terrible. That was perhaps why no one visited it. But Aquila needed to be alone, and she knew it was the only place she could find solace, even with the castle mostly empty.

"Aquila!" Or maybe not. Ah, speak of the devil.

James Potter, Gryffindor fourth year, Quidditch player extraordinaire, stood behind her, breathless, as if he had run a huge distance from somewhere. Maybe he had.

Aquila opened her mouth to say something, but James held up a hand.

"No, I'm sorry, but I've got something to say," seeing Aquila pause, James resumed in getting his breath back. He stood tall to his height now, having regained his breath.

"I'm sorry, okay? I'm so sorry you have no idea. I know it was wrong of us to trick you, and I know you deserve more than a shitty apology in this hideous place. But thing is," he seemed to be struggling with his words. "The thing is, I don't know how to make giant gestures for my friends. I've never had to. I could make you breakfast in bed like I do with my mother, but that's a little overboard, even for me. I could get you a box of your favourite chocolates like I do with Remus, but I'm sure you already have them anyway. These are really the only two people who I have to do something for. I don't-" he ran a hand through his hair, streaking it with dirt. How had he gotten dirt on his hands?

"It's only been like half a day or something but I can't handle it. I can't handle you being mad at me, not talking to me, not wanting to look at me. We made you spend your Christmas here even though you were probably excited to go back to your home and spend it with your family, but you stayed for us. And this new found friendship of ours - I don't want to - I can't risk it. I know that eye contact thingy was really more than some random eye contact, and I fancy thinking you do, too. Please, it's making me so guilty I can't breathe, and I hate it when I can't breathe. It makes me hate myself because I know you would've tricked us without blinking an eye, but I'm not that sort of person. I can't handle this, and I really meant it when I said that I want to see where this goes. We're amazing together, we'd be amazing together, and you know it, Aquila. One more chance. That's all I'm asking."

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༻hy༺