the Horcrux Thief, james potter

xxiv. translations and ruin

"Maya is fucking brilliant."

"I know. She's amazing."

"Tell me everything. How did it go? Did you bump into any guards—:"

"Do you know what 'te quiero' means?" James interrupted him. This was a more pressing matter. Besides they'd plan to meet later at the library to debrief the heist to Moony and Pads anyway.

James turned around to see Sirius looking at him with a sly smile on his face. "Why?"

"Do you know what it means?"

"Yes." Sirius let out a laugh. "Has Amaya been whispering sweet nothings to you?"

"It doesn't sound like nothing. It sounds fucking sexy when she says it but it sounds..."

"Where is she?"

"She, uh, she just left. Went to see Marls and Lily."

"Huh."

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing. It's interesting that's all." Sirius looked so smug James wanted to deck him. "Was she off by any chance? Freaked out?"

James sat up on the bed, and felt the blood rush up his neck as he spoke, "I uh, we fooled around in the cellar and she was fine—great actually, she sounded perfect—but then when we uh, finished, she just left."

"Alright, first, less information next time. Second, did she say it?" Sirius asked, looking mildly sick. "Did she say te quiero when you were 'fooling around'?"

"Yes. What does that mean?"

"That means the poor witch is probably freaking out right now."

James' shoulders squared. "What why? Do you think I should go talk to her?"

"No." Sirius stood up, grabbing a rag from his desk to clean his hands. "I'll tell you what it means but you can't freak out, Potter. She's probably already stressed as it is, being that it's most likely the first time she ever felt like this. Mind you, I freaked out too when I came to that conclusion with Marls, ignored her for a week until she dragged me out of here by my ear and forced me to talk to her."

"Oh, so that's why you were shrieking." James stopped. "What is it then? Do you think she'll ignore me for a week?"

"Te quiero means I love you, Prongsie. One of the only things I know in Spanish." Sirius grinned, not aware that James' heart had halted completely.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

James' jaw slackened. "A hundred percent sure?"

"Yes. Unless your accent butchered the phrase, then I can't help you."

James wasn't listening anymore. He ran a hand through his hair before letting out a groan. "Fuck. She loves me and I found out through you?"

Sirius let out a laugh. "You asked, moron. Besides, Amaya told you, you're just illiterate."

"Why would she freak out?" James' breathing was getting heavier. "Do you think she doesn't want to feel like that? Is she going to ignore me for a week? Should I tell her I love her too? Fuck, what do I do—"

"First get a fucking grip, Prongs."

James stopped talking, breathing in deeply.

"Second, enjoy the fact that she loves you as much as you love her."

A smile crept up his face and James sighed like a sappy fool.

"Third, you're not doing shit. Let her come around on her feelings alone. Or the next time she says it, say it back."