maeve reads

“Thanks,” you say again, quieter. 

She smiles. “What kept you two?” 

“Transmutation paper,” Remus answers for you, collapsing into the chair next to Sirius’. Your lips tug fondly as you watch how Sirius curls into his side, Remus’ arm coming around the other boy’s shoulders almost unthinkingly. “Our professor’s got his pants in a twist about structure. Wants us to hit every point of the rubric in order.” 

“Tyrant,” Sirius decides immediately. 

“Same one who gave us a paper due during reading week, too.” 

“Knew I hated him. We should spell his shoes into tar.” 

“Do you want me to read it over for you?” Lily offers, while Remus and Sirius sidebar about how a shoe-to-tar spell might be achieved. “I can compare with the rubric if you’d like a fresh set of eyes.” 

“You don’t have to,” you try, but Lily waves you off, beckoning for it. 

“While you do that,” says James, standing, “I’ll go get drinks. Moony, what’ll you have?” 

“Whiskey sour, please,” Remus replies. He’s taking out his own essay, newly paranoid that he’s missed a point. 

“Yuck. And you want a cider, angel?”

You assume for a moment that James must mean Lily, but she already has a drink. He’s looking at you. You didn’t realize he knew your usual order. 

“Yes, please,” you say. 

James goes to the bar, while Lily leans closer to praise you for an apt transition between your thesis and first argument. Her shoulder bumps into yours, a warmth you can feel through the layers separating you. It’s innocuous. But you wonder if Lily would be so comfortable around you if she knew of your giant, shameful crush on both her and her boyfriend. 

It’s hardly your first forbidden crush (you carried a torch for Remus for months after he and Sirius got together) but it’s definitely new for you to have a crush on two people who are in a relationship together. Because fate likes to laugh at you, James and Lily decided they’d like to be your closest friends right around the time you started having feelings for them both. You feel a bit accomplished for having gone undetected for so long. Lily is smart; you thought she’d clock your puppy eyes within a week of getting to know you better, but so far nothing has seemed to deter the couple from wanting to spend more time with you. 

“This is good,” Lily says, still skimming the end of your paper. “I can’t imagine what your professor could fault you for. You’ve laid everything out perfectly.” 

“Ooh, high praise,” James teases, setting down your cider in front of you. A short glass has appeared in front of Remus. James lays his arm across the back of your chair casually. “Give her a break from school, love.” 

“Wait.” Remus sends Lily a sheepish look. “Will you read mine?” 

James laughs. “I think both of my girls deserve a break.” 

“Hear hear!” Sirius lifts his glass, while the words my girls are still echoing around in your head like a song that sticks. “Speaking of, Prongs, do you want to do something off-campus on Friday?” 

“Not this Friday,” James replies unhesitatingly. “We have a date.” 

You turn to him, a bit wounded. “This Friday?” 

James’ eyebrows raise. “Yeah. Did you forget?”

“I just…I thought we were going to the cinema on Friday.” 

“That’s what I meant.” He squeezes your shoulder, giving you a bemused smile. “So like I was telling Pads, we have plans Friday.” 

“Oh, sorry.” You feel silly. “The word ‘date’ threw me.” 

Lily looks up then, her brows bunched to James’ raised. 

“...Why would that be?” James asks. 

“Because…” you say slowly, hoping one of them will finish for you. When they don’t, you flounder. “Well, is it a date?” 

“Of course it is,” James replies. 

You reel. 

“Oh, lovely.” Lily sounds a strange mix of fond and empathetic. “Did you not know we were asking you on a date? What do you think the other night at our apartment was?” 

“Studying,” you say tightly. 

James nods. “A study date.” 

“Right, but—when you called it that, I didn’t take it for—you know, anything. Remus and I have study dates all the time.” 

“You what?” Sirius rounds on his boyfriend, who is doing his best to appear as though he isn’t listening. 

“What did you think was happening between us?” Lily asks you. 

You look at her helplessly. “Friendship?” With the added flavor of one-sided, hopeless pining. 

“Godric.” James runs a hand through his hair. When he breathes out, his lips twitch; it’s like he’s incurable. “Well, would you want to date? Since apparently we haven’t started yet.” 

“How many dates do you think we’ve had?” 

“Four, love.” 

“Five,” Lily corrects him. “You’re forgetting the pond.” 

“Right. Five.” 

You gawp at them, replaying every hour you’ve spent alone together in your head. It did feel strange that they kept inviting you along to things. But you only thought you were their very special third wheel. 

“I’d like to be on a date,” you say.