Chapter Text
“I look at you all, see the love there that's sleeping while my guitar gently weeps. Look at you all… still my guitar gently weeps.”
Lily continued humming the Beatles ballad as she entered the Gryffindor common room. It was well after curfew, but her meeting with Professor McGonagall had gone on longer than expected. She abruptly stopped her singing, though, when she saw James sitting in front of the fire, his face buried in his knees and his arms hooked tightly around his legs. As Lily cautiously moved towards him, she could see him slightly rocking back and forth.
“James?” she called out softly. As soon as he heard her voice, James jumped up and after a quick glance at her, he turned his head away from her and brushed his face with his hand.
“What were you doing out so late? Not very responsible for a prefect,” he said in a weak attempt to distract Lily from seeing him in that state.
“James, why are your eyes so red? Were you crying?” Lily asked. She wasn’t going to let him get off easy.
“It’s nothing,” James mumbled and sniffled.
“It’s obviously not nothing. Just tell me what’s wrong,” Lily persisted.
“It’s none of your business! Leave me alone!” James exploded and ran up the stairs to the boys’ dorms.
Lily stood paralyzed, partly out of shock that James had reacted like that and partly out of fear that all of Gryffindor house had been woken up. Once she had regained herself, Lily couldn’t stop herself from wondering what could have made James act like that. Even though they had only become friends earlier that school year, James wasn’t one to hide his feelings, and the fact that he had done so was enough to convince Lily that something was very wrong.
But what could it be? Suddenly, Lily remembered something. It was March 27th, James’ birthday. But then again, why would that have anything to do with it? Your birthday was supposed to be a happy day. Although, his smile had seemed strained at his party earlier that Lily, Mary, and Marlene had helped the boys throw for him.
Lily yawned, making her realize just how tired she was. She would get to the bottom of this tomorrow.