~ROAC~ (incomplete)

"Northern downpour sends its love."

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"She just ran."

Sirius shifted where he sat on the end of James' bed. His friend, squinting at him due to lack of spectacles (they were right on his bedside table, but apparently he'd forgotten in his distress), was finishing telling him what had happened at Slughorn's party to leave him wide-awake so late. Even the joy Sirius had felt at kissing Bell's cheek and then her returning the flirty gesture was fading at his best friend's despondent expression. James didn't deserve this. Not after six years of loving Lily Evans and being rejected over and over. Sirius thought they were finally making progress, and now this- no wonder James was in such a funk.

"And then what?"

"I watched her go."

Sirius frowned. That didn't sound like something James Potter would do at all. He must really be hurt.

"And then Regulus came out of the party and I... I asked him what I did wrong."

Sirius was surprised, though he tried not to show it. He and his brother were still on decent terms, despite the rest of his very-strained family connections, but his friends often distrusted Regulus due to the people he surrounded himself with. Except Bell. Bell always saw the good in everyone. Sirius had learned later on from Lily that she'd stuck up for Regulus when he'd come to Sirius' aid in the Hospital Wing that night. He'd thanked his brother later, of course, though Regulus had just sort of waved him off with a 'don't mention it'. For James to ask Regulus something like that of his own free will was a once-in-a-blue-moon occurrence.

"What did he say?"

"That she looked scared."

James didn't mention anything about why Regulus would have noticed this, didn't voice a thought that he was staring at Lily or something of the like, and Sirius was again surprised.

"Do you think she-"

"She's never believed I actually loved her until tonight and now I fucked it all up."

Sirius blanched. James, though it might surprise someone outside of their friend group, employed the least swear words in his common conversation out of all the Marauders (that honor would go to Remus). For him to use that language, in such a sharp tone, made Sirius think he was really, really upset. And there was his phrasing too- he blamed himself. Sirius sighed.

"I don't think it was your fault, James."

James shook his head. "You weren't there. You didn't make a joke about kissing her that got her all flustered. You didn't try to slow dance with her and have her immediately run away. Not walk, run. You didn't see how she stared at you like a scared deer when you tore her cape on accident."

Sirius couldn't help a bit of laughter escape his lips and James stared at him reproachfully.

"I'm being serious right now-"

"No, I am." At James exhasperated look, he shook his head. "That wasn't a joke. I really think I know why she ran."

"Why?"

"Let's review: she got flustered when you joked about kissing her?"

"Yes."

"And you think she was scared when you tried to slow dance with her?"

"Yes."

"What if she was anxious for another reason?"

James blinked.