Two weeks passed and it was nearly Christmas. James Potter had still not spoken a word to Sirius Black, and he had to admit, he was struggling, but he knew it would take every bone in his body not to punch the boy again. Eloise convinced her brother not to tell their mum and dad about the break up in fear that their father would seriously maim or injure the boy. Reluctantly the Potter boy agreed.
He was in his dormitory rummaging through his trunk making sure he had everything packed ready to leave for Christmas the following morning. Peter and Remus were already packed so left the room to grab some snacks from the kitchens. So, James was alone in the dormitory, placing his cloak and the map carefully on the top of his pile of clothes in his trunk he closed the lid locking it securely, when suddenly the door opened and someone stepped into the room.
Noticing James was there Sirius awkwardly stood in the doorway neither of the two saying anything as they looked at Each other the thick tension penetrating the air. "I can uh-come back later" said Sirius awkwardly
"No, it's fine" shrugged James the award silence filling the air once more.
"Have you-?' said James at the same time as Sirius said "I'm sorry-"
"You go first" said Sirius
"Have you packed everything for Christmas?- Mum and Dad are excited to see you and El...they uh heard about the patronus'" said the Potter boy awkwardly.
Sirius stood there flabbergasted for a moment opening his mouth "You didn't tell them what I did?"
"No." James shook his head "El didn't want me to, said she knew I'd regret it if I did" he shrugged
"Oh." Sirius' heart ached at the mention of Els name realising he'd have to spend two weeks with her in the same house, and what would have been their one year anniversary. "I'm sorry"
James sighed hearing the boy apologise "I know." he said "But it doesn't fix anything" shrugged James "You knew what you were doing. And it's not like you just did it once. You were doing it for three months. Three months Pads! thats a really bloody long time. Sorry is just a word after three months..if you were that sorry you would've stopped after the first second. Not after you got caught. That's the only reason you're sorry, because you got caught. You hurt my sister Padfoot, so you hurt me." By now James was crying "My fucking sister Sirius! I've never seen her so..so..hurt. I'd do anything for my sister, even if that means life in Azkaban or being tortured into insanity. I would do anything to protect her, I just never thought I'd have to protect her from you.."
"I do love her James"
"No. You love your pride more, your reputation. It's who you are, Sirius Black, the heartbreaker, the player, the bad boy. And thats who you'll always be"
"I don't care about that anymore!" he exclaimed desperately "I just want her.."
"Well I suppose you stopped caring too late."
"Do you hate me?"
"I could never hate you. You're my brother. I'm just really fucking hurt by you..and El...oh El" he shook his head sadly
"Does she hate me?"
"She loves you. And for that reason she hates you. You hurt her, in a way that no girl or boy should ever be hurt by someone who claims to love them. She loved you more than you loved her. And I guess thats the problem. She hates you because she loves you, and she can't stop loving you. But you hurt her, and no matter how hard she tries she cant stop wanting you. You're soulmates. She hates loving you."
"Will she ever take me back?"
"I don't know mate. I don't know" he shrugged sadly "She told me to talk to you, you know?"
"She did?"
"Yeah..said that I should forgive you..told her she was mad, but she said to me I was being ridiculous and that you're a mess without me and vice versa. So I suppose you can thank her for my forgiveness"
"You're forgiving me?" Sirius asked shocked
"Just because I'm forgiving you doesn't mean I'm forgetting what you did, I'm still angry and I'll never stop being angry but your my best mate and I've missed you"
"I've missed you too" Sirius said teary eyed
The two boys pulled each other in for a hug after almost three weeks of not speaking. The dormitory door opened again to reveal Eloise who walked in on the two boys embracing. James pulled away from the hug seeing his sister at the door. She made eye contact with Sirius they stood silently for a second just staring at each other until James broke the tension.
"El? What do you need?"
"Oh Remus, Peter, the girls and I are going to the room off requirement you know few drinks and snacks they told me to come get you."
"Oh yeah, I-uh alright." nodded James waving goodbye to Sirius and following his sister out of the room.
Sirius stood there heart aching as he stared after the girl. What would they tell her parents? Would she ever forgive him? Did she love him still? And it was then, that Sirius Black decided he was going to win Eloise Potter back, even if it took him until the day he died.
----
The next day students were boarding the crimson train excited to see their families again for Christmas. Students were rushing onto the train searching for compartments. Eloise was sat with Lily, Alice, Marlene and Mia; who had now become an official couple and were absolutely adorable together, but the girls were the only ones who knew.
"How are you feeling El?" said Alice
"Better..it's gonna be hard though, he lives with us, cant exactly hide from him and haven't told mum and dad yet."
"Has James forgiven him?" said Alice with furrowed brows confused that he was still spending Christmas with them.
"Yeah.."
"He what?!" said Lily angrily "Oh he should've nutted him in the head! Should grabbed him and twisted him and snapped him and crushed him and bent him up like a pretzel!-"
"Bloody hell Evans calm down" said Marlene with wide eyes
"I told him to forgive him it's fine Lils, I don't like seeing James sad and without Sirius as much as he hates to admit it. He was a mess."
"Fair point, but that doesn't change the fact I think that Potter still should have mangled him up."
The girls in the compartment let out a laugh at Lily's words the red head eventually joining in, in the laughter. But it was disturbed by the head of a familiar Slytherin pushed up against the glass of the compartment window making faces at the Potter girl. Only making the girls wheeze more.
"R-Regulus!" Eloise gasped with teary eyes laughing so much. The Black boy pulled his face away from the glass opening the compartment door and poking his head in grinning.
"Hi."
"What are you doing here?" she giggled regaining her composure.
"I have a proposition" he said placing himself opposite the girl.
"Right and what does this 'proposition' involve"
"You me, Hogsmeade and maybe a four poster bed at the end..depends what day of the week it is"
Eloise laughed loudly along with the girls "As tempting as that sounds reggie I'm going to have to decline your offer."
"Oh come on Potter, go out with me. just to spite my brother."
"I'm gonna need more convincing than that"
"Well you do know I'm a spectacular snogger"
"Touché"
There was a knock on the door of the compartment James and the Rest of the marauders; including Sirius standing behind the window looking inside the compartment. Sirius' eyebrows were furrowed and he felt a pang in his chest on seeing Eloise laughing at something that the girl was saying. It was no secret that Regulus fancied the girl, but seeing her with someone else hurt him. Especially when that someone was his brother. Seeing him staring at the girl and the boy Peter stomped on his foot harshly. "Ow! What was that for?"
"You know what!" he whispered harshly through gritted teeth.
Noting the arrival of the boys Regulus stood up to make an exit but not before turning round to Eloise "I'll leave you to consider my offer" he winked walking out of the compartment acknowledging his brother and his friends "Pettigrew, Potter, Lupin" he nodded "Brother"
"Regulus." nodded James the boy smirked making eye contact with his brother before walking back to his compartment.
"What was that all about?" said James
"Don't you worry your little cotton socks Jamsie" Eloise said pinching the boys cheeks
"Right..anyway, have you got any every flavour beans?"
"What happened to yours?"
James went wide eyed as he remembered the incident that happened moments ago.
"Wormtail pass me another one!"
Peter handed James another Bertie bot bean laughing as the boy put the bean in a straw blowing them out the window of their compartment.
"Last one!" said Peter handing James another
As he blowed the bean it shot through the air and hit a bird...in the egg hole.
"It uh- doesn't matter..but have you got any?"
"No" laughed the girl
"Dammit..what about caramel cobwebs?"
"Absolutely not! You are not having my cobwebs!" said the girl getting rather defensive
"Please?"
"No."
"Just one"
"Piss off!"
"Ugh! You're rude" he huffed like a toddler
Eloise stuck her tongue out at her brother scrunching her nose as she did so.
"And immature" he scoffed again "You act like a child."
"Takes one to know one motherfucker" retaliated Eloise
"Does not!"
"Does too!"
"Does not!
"Does too!"
"Does not!"
"Does not!"
"Does too!-wait fuck!" said James in defeat
"Ha!" cheered Eloise smugly "I win"
"Shut up.." he grumbled
"Are they always like this?" Alice muttered to Remus
"Pretty much" shrugged the Lupin boy watching the twins bicker. Alice noticed Sirius sitting quietly watching Eloise longingly, as if he was hoping for her to acknowledge him but she never did.
"Hey." she whispered to the boy "She'll come around"
"Nah she won't.." he shrugged "But that doesn't mean I won't try."
Alice gave the boy a sad smile daring to ask her next question "Why did you do it?"
"I don't know. He shrugged. I was stupid, cared about my reputation too much and lost the best thing to ever happen to me. If I could take it all back I would. In a heartbeat. I love her."
"I wish you could take it back too" said Alice "But if Frank ever cheated on me for three months..well I dunno what I'd do, I'd want to forgive him. But I'd be humiliated..if she does forgive you..it won't be for a really long time."
Sirius didn't respond to that but instead asked the girl "What did my brother want?"
Alice hesitated on answering not knowing if she should tell the boy or not. "He uh..-"
"He asked her out didn't he?" sighed the boy "What did she say?"
"Well she didn't say yes.." said Alice sheepishly making Sirius let out a breath of relief "But she didn't say no either.."
That was it, Sirius' heart dropped again. He was slowly but surely losing Eloise forever, and his chances to win the girl back were becoming slimmer and slimmer with every second that he spent waiting. She wouldn't even look at him let alone speak to him. But if his brother got the girl..he would surely lose all chances.
His thoughts were interrupted by Davey Brinkman knocking on the door making him scowl in annoyance. "Ladies, Potter, Lupin, Pettigrew, Black" he greeted then noticing James and Sirius sitting near each other he smirked "Say Potter I didn't know you forgave Black?"
"He's like my brother..I'm still angry, I've forgiven him but I haven't forgotten what he did." James defended
"Well..if someone did that so my sister I wouldn't be so kind...don't think it would be fair on her to be honest"
"What are you implying Brinkman?" said James through gritted teeth
"Oh I'm not implying anything..I'm just giving my opinion on the matter."
"Well it's a good thing no one asked for your opinion then isn't it?" Piped in Mia
Davey ignored the girl smirking slightly deciding to rile up James even more. "It is truly a pity. Says a lot really...about your relationship with your sister..if you chose a boy who cheated on her over her."
"He didn't!" said Eloise getting angry at the boy
"Are you calling me a bad brother?" seethed James
"And what if I am?" said Davey smirking maliciously getting closer to the boys face. "You hang around with dykes too..so I can't say I'm surprised with the company you keep"
That was it Sirius stood up ready to hit the boy, alongside James but Eloise beat them to it. In seconds she was on her feet and colliding her fist with the taller boys jaw knocking him onto the floor. "If you ever. talk about my brother or any of my friends like that again I'll fucking kill you." she seethed
Davey laughed clutching his jaw "Whatever." storming out of the compartment.
Eloise was stood in the middle of the compartment with her friends staring at her in shock. Panting heavily her body rushing with adrenaline.
"That was hot" whispered Remus earning himself a glare from Sirius but he couldn't do anything about it.
"That was-" started Marlene
"Fantastic!" squealed Mia
"Damn Ellie since when could you punch?" said James proudly
"Not a Scooby." shrugged the girl sitting back down her knuckles bruising slightly.
"Normally I would scold you for that but...he deserved it" shrugged Lily "Here, give me your hand...episkey"
"Who are you and what have you done with Lily Evans?" Laughed Eloise
Everyone joined in on the laughter apart from Sirius who admired Eloise and the way her nose scrunched up as she laughed, and her eyes crinkled sparking as the light hit them. Her radiant smile was of an indescribable beauty. But all he could do is watch from afar. He couldn't hold her close anymore or call her his, he couldn't kiss her forehead or make her smile, he couldn't kiss her soft lips ever again. Now all he could do was watch, sadly. Feeling a pang in his chest every time he heard her melodic laugh, knowing that he was not the one causing it. Or when she smiled her beautiful smile and he was not the one putting it on her face. He just had to watch as she moved on, laughing happier than him. Happier without him. or so it seemed.
But little did he know, her smile wasn't real, her laugh was forced. And although she had moments of happiness..she longed for Sirius to hold her again, to kiss her, to make her smile. She wished he could tell her it was all one big messed up prank and he didn't really cheat on her, he still loved her and they could be happy again. But, we don't always get what we wish for do we?
So all they could both do was watch from afar.