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CHAPTER TWENTY TWO - 🍂 ୧ problems and. . .
fake flirting ও🦌

THEY HAD FOUND ELLIOT AND LILY shortly after their return to Hogwarts. However, they noticed the pair seemed somewhat detached from each other. They furtively exchanged perplexed glances, wondering about the reason behind the distance between the two.

Despite remaining silent about their concern, Raven and Autumn continued to walk together with their other friends, making brief observations about Elliot and Lily's distance. They acted normal in front of others but stayed aloof around each other. After witnessing their behavior, both girls began to wonder if something significant had occurred between Elliot and Lily, leading to their unusual demeanor.

Patience seemed to be the key approach to understanding what had happened between Elliot and Lily, as the girls avoided questions. Their first week back at school had grown tense due to the strained relationships between the two. Autumn mostly stuck with Elliot, while Raven stayed close to Lily. The separation between the group had become apparent.

The Marauders couldn't help but notice the split within their friend group, as they observed peculiar pairings forming. James appeared particularly displeased about Autumn sitting with Elliot, witnessing how she spent most of her time at the Slytherin table.

Raven was paired with Lily, and the usually talkative Gryffindor was unusually quiet.

Autumn and Raven, aiming to restore normalcy to the group, decided to swap places one day. Although they considered it a brilliant idea, the attempt was thwarted as Lily and Elliot made it impossible for them to switch back.

James grew increasingly frustrated with the unusual division within their friend group, which had persisted until now. He longed to talk to Autumn, but Elliot always seemed to whisk her away.

Turning to Remus, James sought his help in freeing Raven from her equally bizarre pairing with Lily.

Remus harbored some skepticism about the plan James had devised.

Remus whispered in response, "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

James nodded, and the two boys waited behind a pillar, patiently biding their time, looking for the ideal opportunity to intercede.

Autumn and Raven walked out of their common room, their steps carrying a hint of hesitation. They expected to be split up by their companions, but before that could transpire, they were each seized by the arm and quickly pulled into the hallway, catching them both off guard.

Realizing that their unexpected captors weren't Elliot and Lily, they relaxed, a smile of relieved recognition gracing their faces.

Raven breathed a sigh of relief, asserting, "I've never been so glad to see you two."

Autumn concurred, adding, "I agree." As James moved his hand from her arm to her palm, her heart skipped a beat for a moment.

The boys' sharp eyes had picked up on a potential problem just as it was about to unfold.

Remus spotted Elliot approaching, while James noticed Lily closing in on their group. The boys hastily devised a plan, quickly pulling the girls behind a tapestry and into a secret passageway.

Remus pushed on the wall, triggering the reveal of the hidden pathway, and the four friends rushed into the secret space. James closed the door discreetly behind them.

As the door was carefully shut, a collective sigh of relief settled over the room, allowing them all to catch their breath after their narrow escape.

Autumn released a weary sigh, expressing her thoughts as they all took a moment to regain their composure in the secluded nook. "I swear, this isn't what I envisioned our school year to be like," she said.

Raven nodded, indicating her agreement. Remus quickly flicked his wand, uttering, "Lumos," causing the area to instantly illuminate. He then gestured for the group to follow, silently instructing them to move.

guess we've never noticed this before."

Raven chuckled softly and added, "We've scoured this floor and still missed it?"

Remus turned to them as he posed a question, "You guys often come across secret passages?"

As he approached Autumn's side, James inquired on her previous remark, "Wait... you've discovered the hidden passage under the Whomping Willow..."

The boys' interest had been piqued by Autumn's words, and they were particularly intrigued by one potential piece of knowledge.

"Does that mean you know about any other passages?"

With a slight pause, Autumn answered, "Well, there's the room of requirement, which you already know about, but yeah, we've discovered approximately 10 passages so far." The boys were utterly astonished by the number she had just revealed, as it far surpassed their own knowledge.

Remus halted abruptly in his tracks, causing Raven to walk into his back. He promptly turned to her and inquired, "Are you alright?"

Raven laughed lightly, confirming she was fine and unhurt after the collision.

"Te-TEN?!"

James's voice reverberated with astonished shock as Autumn revealed the number of secret passages they had discovered. He exclaimed excitedly, "How in Merlin's name did you guys find more than us?!"

"Well, Autumn found most of them," Raven chimed in.

"It wasn't that difficult," Autumn responded casually.

James's response was a mixture of embarrassment and disbelief, his face reflecting his surprise and disappointment.

"How many did you guys discover?" Autumn inquired, meeting each boy's gaze.

Remus added, joining the group and walking closer to them, "We've only found seven secret passages."

Raven expressed her desire to temporarily put the passages discussion on hold and reverted to the primary issue at hand.

"Alright, fellas, we can chat about the secret passages another time," Raven stated firmly, her voice tinged with a sense of urgency. "For now, how about we focus on what to do about Lily and Elliot?"

James was eager to address the subject, as it had been weighing heavily on his mind for some time. With curiosity in his voice, he inquired, "What actually happened between them, anyway?"

The girls exchanged puzzled glances and shrugged simultaneously, signaling their mutual lack of understanding.

"Your guess is just as good as ours," they responded in unison, expressing their shared puzzlement.

Remus leaned against the wall, wand in hand, casting a soft glow. He mused, attempting to uncover the reason behind their friends' recent distance.

"Well, did something happen over the summer?" he inquired, as his friends turned their gaze toward him.

Raven gazed down, her mind evidently working as she pondered an answer.

"Well, when we went to America, they were kind of close," she said, her voice trailing off as she contemplated the possibilities.

James chimed in, jesting, "So, like a summer romance or something?" The others silently absorbed the implications of his words, realizing he might not be far off the mark.

Suddenly, Raven gasped, covering her mouth in surprise as she grasped the potential truth behind James's offhand remark.

Autumn wavered slightly on her feet, trying to recall the details of her conversation with Elliot. She continued with her explanation, "Well, the only thing I got from Elliot was that he did something bad to Lily..." Her words hung in the air, grabbing the attention of the others.

Raven muttered to herself under her breath, proposing a somewhat unorthodox solution, "We could just lock them in the same place and make them sort it out," her voice barely audible.

Remus chuckled at Raven's suggestion, seemingly entertained by the idea. "As tempting as that may sound," he teased, "probably better to just ask them."

James chimed in with a scrunched nose and an exasperated tone, "Yeah, neither of those sounds like a smart move."

Raven's voice turned argumentative as she continued, a hint of frustration in her tone. "Well, then what do we do?"

"Just wait it out, huh?" Raven retorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "That's what we've been doing, and it's gotten us nowhere."

Silence filled the room, and then Autumn finally spoke up, her face breaking into a small smile as a thought seemed to strike her. She snapped her fingers, a proud expression on her face.

"I think I have an idea," she announced, successfully captivating the others' attention.

...

James' distaste for the idea was evident on his frowning face. "I hate this idea," he grumbled, a hint of reluctance in his voice. "I dislike it very much, but it seems like the only solution that might work."

Remus stood beside James, observing the scene unfolding before them. Raven gave him a sympathetic look, fully aware of his predicament.

"Do you truly believe this will work?" James asked Remus, desperation laced in his question.

Remus's gaze turned to the courtyard, his eyes scanning the area until they fixed on Autumn, who had started talking to Elliot.

The plan involved generating jealousy, and Autumn proposed pretending to flirt with Elliot and Lily to spark their envy. James, however, was not keen on the idea, uncomfortable with the thought of pretending to flirt with Lily, given his past feelings for her. He found the whole idea awkward.

The group had settled on Autumn taking on the role of "flirting" with Elliot to ignite jealousy. However, the plan went beyond a simple pretense. Autumn was simply instructed to converse with him, while Raven was set to share a distorted truth with Lily.

James turned to face Raven, a hint of irritation in his voice as he posed his question.

"Why couldn't you do this, Raven?"

Raven retorted, "No, thanks. Besides, Lily knows how close I've been with Elliot while we were in America. She'd easily notice if I suddenly started acting romantic with him. Conversely, Autumn has always been by Elliot's side, so it's more natural for her to do this.. And this is our last option, as you had declined, any flirting with Lily"

James chimed in, offering his own viewpoint, "I've made it clear that I have no feelings for Evan anymore. If I pretended to flirt with her, everyone would think I've moved on to Autumn as a replacement. And I definitely don't want anyone getting that idea because it's not true."

Remus asked, "Why would anyone assume that?"

James responded bluntly, "Because people have thought so before," he explained, his irritation palpable. "They started that speculation when I no longer pursued Evan. And the way they shifted that focus to Autumn being my consolation prize really ticked me off."

Raven couldn't help smirking as she teased James before posing the question that was undoubtedly on everyone's mind.

"So, everyone's aware, except Autumn," she stated rhetorically, leaving no room for misinterpretation. Then, in her characteristic Raven fashion, she inquired, probing the question they all wanted answered.

"When are you going to tell her how you feel?"

James exhale, his voice soft yet serious as he explained, "Not yet. I want to wait a little longer. I want to spend more time with her first."

"I mean, if she rejects me..." he continued, his voice carrying a sense of vulnerability, as his thoughts trailed off, "I don't think I'll be able to handle it."

Remus and Raven exchanged a brief glance, as if silently empathizing with James's predicament.

Raven whispered, her voice carrying a tinge of certainty, as she shared another glance with Remus. This time, their shared look seemed to indicate a conviction that if James revealed his feelings, there was a high probability that Autumn would reciprocate.

"She likely won't," Raven comforted, her tone reassuring, expressing her belief in Autumn's probable response upon discovering James's true emotions.