**DEDICATED TO Theawkwardashleigh FOR WITHSTANDING AN AWKWARD FANGIRL ATTACK MIDWAY THROUGH CLASS, THANK YOU FOR NOT SCREAMING**
LILY AND THE others came to visit him, and for once in their entire lives, James and Lily had a pleasant conversation with each other. It was lovely seeing James face light up as he saw Maia's red headed friend. Lily looked hesitant about talking to her best friends bully, but at least at the end of the conversation she was a little more comfortable.
Previously, Maia didn't know if she liked the idea of James and Lily together, but after James' reaction to her statement, she wanted to help James get the girl. He truly loved Lily, and that itself was enough for Lily's best friend. He wasn't as bad when you got to know him, and if Lily knew the real him Maia would be sure that Lily would be deeply attracted to him. James would protect her, make her feel loved and wouldn't put her in REAL danger. That's all Maia wanted, so she decided after they left, she was going to talk to James about Lily.
"Hey, Maia. You seem hungry, do you want to go get food?" Lily smiled at her. Maia smiled back but politely declined.
"I'll go when we wakes up, which should be soon." James nodded.
"I'm with Maia on this one. I want to talk with him when he wakes up." Maia nodded at him. Lily shrugged and continued to smile.
"Alright, well let's go guys." Peter jumped up and Remus followed, all saying their goodbyes. After a few seconds, it was only James and Maia alone in the room.
"I've seen the way you look at her." Maia started. James looked up and raised an eyebrow.
"Please don't tell me you're going to say that I'm not good enou-" Maia interrupted him.
"I've had a long think about this, and I've decided you'd be best for my best friend." James' face lit up.
"Really?" Maia smiled at him.
"Yes really, now I want to help you." She leaned back on her chair as James shot up out of his chair in excitement.
"Oh, would you? That's amazing!" James grinned at her. Maia sheepishly smiled back and nodded. After a little talk about it, a deep groan emitted from the bed beside them. Both Maia and James' head snapped to the sound. Sirius let out another groan and opened his eyes.
"Wakey Wakey Mr. Black." James goofily smiled at Sirius. Sirius groaned.
"What happened?" He groaned.
"You were hit," Maia started and sighed. "With a non verbal knock-back spell. You hit your head on a pillar and was knocked unconscious. Do you feel alright?" Looking at her and smiling, Sirius nodded.
"I hope you guys beat him until he was black and blue." James smirked.
"We did." Maia confirmed and gave James a warning look. James just annoyingly smiled back at her. Maia rolled her eyes.
"More like Maia gave Venta a beating. He had every hex under the sun thrown at him!" Maia blushed modestly.
"It wasn't that big of a deal. He is a disgusting man." Maia shook her head in disgrace. Both James and Sirius nodded in agreement. After a few moments of silence, James slammed his hands on his knees and got up, saying that he was going to find 'Poppy'. Maia knew it was disrespectful to call an adult by their first name unless they give you permission, so she rolled her eyes and whispered under her breath that it was Madam Pomfrey. Finally they were alone.
"How are you feeling?" Maia sheepishly smiled. Sirius looked at her and shrugged.
"Eh, I'd say not good, not bad. I have an awful taste in my mouth though." Maia chuckled.
"That's the blood replenishing potion." Maia looked down and ran a hand through her hair, laughing shakily. Sirius didn't laugh with her this time and instead decided to look at her, concerned.
"What's wrong?" He asked. Maia's head snapped up and she smiled falsely.
"Nothing's wrong." Maia smiled cheerfully and tried as hard as she could to avoid looking at his face and cracking. Sirius didn't buy into any of that. He may not have liked Maia all that much until this month but he at least knew when she was lying.
"Tell me."
"No."
"Tell me."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"No."
"Yes- dammit!" Maia cussed and Sirius smirked in victory. Giving him a harsh glare, she looked away.
"I feel guilty, is all." She sighed. Intertwining her hands and twiddling her thumbs, she frowned. Glancing down at her worn out leather school shoes, she frowned.
"Why? I'm perfectly fine." Sirius raised an eyebrow.
"You didn't have to defend me. What he said was true, yet you did. You are you being so nice to me?" She whispered the last part softly, hoping he didn't hear it. Sirius perked up and shook his head slightly.
"For a smart girl, you really don't have any self esteem." Maia glanced up and they locked eyes.
"None of that stuff was true, and you need to be more confident. You're a pretty girl, flaunt it." Maia felt her face burning more than it probably should have. That compliment, which was probably worth nothing in Sirius' eyes, was worth so much in Maia's. It made her feel wanted.
"We're back!" James sang, walking up to us with Madam Pomfrey close on his tail. She looked in between relieved and annoyed; which the later wasn't uncommon when around James (when he was being annoying). Maia looked away and tried her hardest to stop the heat in her cheeks. Madam Pomfrey noticed the blush and raised her eyebrow lightly but ignored the situation. Facing Sirius, she politely smiled.
"Mr. Black, luckily Mr. Potter and Ms. Sterling brought you here in time or you would've stayed a lot longer. Once I check the cut, you're free to go." Sirius whispered hallelujah under his breath and let Madam Pomfrey give him a check up before letting him get his shirt on (he was shirtless because the blood was getting on the shirt) and ushering them all off with a warning. Walking the halls, James whistled a cool tune in which Maia swayed to. James was in the middle on either side of them, which in Maia's case, was a fantastic way for a distraction from what the shoulder length charming boy said.
"Oh hey, Maia, you needed to talk to Sirius real quick?" James walked ahead and around a corner out their line of sight. Maia cursed herself and gave the space where James was a harsh glare. They were alone.
"So..." Sirius started. Maia flinched at the awkward communication techniques.
"What'd you need to talk to me about?" Sirius asked with a smile. Maia shook her head.
"I don't need to talk to you, it was an excuse to stay." Maia rolled her eyes. Sirius raised an eyebrow at her.
"Firstly, why couldn't you just say no? Secondly, why'd you stay with me?" Maia gave him a incredulous look. Was he an idiot?
"Well, I'm nice. I don't like saying no. I already told you." Sirius snorted.
"Maia, feeling guilty requires actually caring about me." Maia gave him another disbelieving look and shook her head slowly; as if questioning the existence of his brain.
"I do care about you." Maia sheepishly said, playing with her hair. Sirius stopped and Maia looked back at him, three meters away. His face was something of a tomato, which Maia had never seen before. His eyes had a weird glimmer in it, and he for once he hid behind his untameable locks.
"O-Oh..." He just replied. Maia raised an eyebrow at him.
"Are you alright?" She asked. Sirius seemed to snap out of it and blinked.
"Yeah." He shook his head wildly, as if to murder his thoughts. Maia looked on and sighed.
"I care about you. I don't know how I did or why I came to but I do. So is it wrong to worry?" Maia peeked a sideways glance at him. Once again his face had gone red and she saw him fumble with his hands.
"Are you actually alright? You seem flushed. Do you need to go back to Pomfrey?" Maia asked before whispering to herself: "Oh, I knew he shouldn't have been checked out just after he woke up." Sirius smiled almost affectionately but covered it up by his hair once again.
"No it's fine, I'm just a bit hot is all." He spoke softly. Maia stopped her worrying and almost sighed with relief. Walking again, they turned a corner. Sirius was confused about why he was suddenly red in the face on that statement. He was Sirius Black. Of course girls cared about him! They'd fret about him and flirt with him. So what made Maia so different? That question was one of the world wonders with Sirius at the moment, so decided to just let it go.
"Why'd you think what Venta said was true?" Sirius blurted out what was on his mind before he could stop himself. It had been on his mind ever since she said it. It was bugging him. Maia's shoulders tensed.
"It's nothing, really." Maia sighed. Sirius raised his eyebrow at her but she refused to meet his gaze.
"It has to be something Maia, if it's making you act like this?" Maia's head shot up and for the first time in weeks, she gave him a glare that was playful.
"Making me act like what?" Maia's harsh voice shot into his ears at an alarming rate, causing Sirius to nearly flinch. He slightly cowered under her stare and stayed silent.
"What am I acting like Sirius?" She advanced toward him.
"A wimp? A coward? I'm sorry I'm not up to your standards, Black but sometimes even I get hurt, as much as your tiny brain disproves it." Maia sneered at him with much dislike.
"Maia..." Sirius trailed off. Maia stepped back and gave him one last reproachful look.
"No, Black. Just- just- just leave me alone." Maia sped away down the corridor and before Sirius could process what had happened she'd already had been across the school.
"Damn it." Sirius cussed.
_____
**EDITED**