#not some egotistical wizard that loves the sound of his own voice

[themightyvibe]

i swear to gods if the bells hells try to fucking talk to ludinus one more time im gonna lose my mind that dude has been talking for too many damn centuries just fucking END IT ALREADY

[lunnybunny12]

Young Snape x Ravenclaw reader

All characters are in their 5th year at Hogwarts. Reader is a ravenclaw (A/N I am a Ravenclaw so...YES!)

"Y/N!" Lily said shaling you violently. "Y/N wake up!"

With a groan, you opened your eyes to see the redhead hovering over you with a mischievous smile on her face. "Come on, were going to Hogsmeade today."

"Who let you past the Ravenclaw knocker, Evans?" you giggled, rubbing the sleep out of your eye and yawning. The Ravenclaw house was infamously known for letting Ravenclaws and ONLEY Ravenclaws into the common room and since Lily was a Gryffindor, she definitely didn't get in on her own.

She faked shock as she dramatically placed her hand on her chest, with a gasp.

"(Y/N), I'm shocked that you assumed I had help."

You looked at her with tired eyes, you knew her too well.

"It was Xenophilius Lovegood"

"Now that makes sense" you replied to her in a groggy tone. Standing up from your bed, you grabbed whatever clothes you wanted to wear that day. "But I can't go, you know my "guardians" didn't sign the slip."

Lily's smile grew even wider as she handed you a piece of paper. You took a glance at the paper and quickly put two and two together.

"Oh my god, you didn't" you said snatching the sheet out of her fingers and opened it.

"No, I didn't. Sirius did."

On a once blank line at the bottom of the permission slip was now filled in with your guardians signature.

"H-how did?.."

"Don't ask me how but... he did. Now hurry and get dressed the boys will be halfway through breakfast buy now"

Time skip (your in your regular clothes and just entered the great hall)

The smell of toast and pumpkin juice hit the pair of you right in the face. It was breakfast time and buy the looks of it most people were still asleep, leaving all of the good stuff for the taking.

As you and Lily walked to the 4 marauders, you felt a pair of familiar eyes watching you. When you saw it was Severus Snape you smiled and gavehim a small wave in wich he shyly gave you one back.

Even as children, you and Lily had always been together. You found out you were witches together and you met Severus together. And despite his home life he was the kindest person you had ever met. When you found out you were going to the same magical school as him you were over the moon and so was he. When you actualy got to Hogwarts the 3 of you became as thick as theaves but when you met the marauders he slowly became distant with you ... it broke your heart.

"Ah here are the lovely ladies now," James said with a gleeful smile.

"What took you so long?" Sirius said, standing from his seat to allow room for Lily and you.

Lily gave them an apologetic smile and sat nest to James who took the opportunity to wrap his arm around her.

"Sirius, I owe you a favour" you said showing him the permission slip with a smile.

He gave you a cheeky smile and said with outstretched arms " How about a hug and we call it even?"

"Sounds like a deal,"you smiled as he pulled you into a hug. It lasted for about a minute until you felt eyes on you again. When you pulled away, you saw that Sirius was looking behind you with a smug grin on his lips. You followed his gaze to see Snape with a broken look in his eyes.

With a hint of anger on your face, you turned back to the curly-haired wizard. " You know, Sirius. Being an arrogant git doesn't suit you one bit" you hissed, tapped Lily on the shoulder, told her you'd see her in Hogsmeade and made your way out of the hall.

After giving your slip to Mcgonagall, you began your walk to Hogsmeade before everyone else. You knew the way since you had been before. The walk was quiet and it was a welcomed breath of fresh air. It was pleasantly quiet and calming, the sun was shining and the wind was whistling through the trees.  

Halfway through your walk you heard some movement behind you, you turned around you saw the familiar black-haired boy you had known for years. He looked somewhat shocked to see you and you too were surprised at first. He never seemed like the type of person to go to Hogsmead, but it was good to see him out of the castle.

"Oh hello Severus, I thought I was here by myself."

His shock was slowly disappearing and he took a few steps to walk around you. "I apologise...ill... get out of your way"

"What? no."  You questioned, taking a few steps to stand beside him.

"Join me. Other than Lily you're the only person I can stand talking to."

When you said this he looked at you in a way you had never seen before. Admittedly, you understood his reaction to some extent. someone you hadn't spoken to in ages suddenly asks you to join them on a walk? very strange.

"I mean if you want to join me.. Id understand if you don't."

"N-no id like that" he quickly interjected. "I would like that."

The two of you started walking, side by side and for the first time in ages you talked. And it felt like nothing had changed between you.

"So... how has school been treating you?"

"Its been the same as every other year, I'm afraid. Very... unfulfilling. What about you?"

You sighed and fiddled with your shirt. "It's been stressful, to say the least, Severus. I'm majorly failing potions and my... friends are jerks."

"But you're friends with Lily and shes good at potions, why don't you ask her to help?"

"Are you kidding me? She's too busy hanging out with James." you chuffed. "And besides I've already asked her."

Another look crossed his face. This time you could practically see the cogs turning in his head before he spoke up again.

"Well... I can tutor you... if you wish."

Of all of the things you expected him to say you never expected that. He wanted to help you?  "Really Severus? Id hate to impose."

"I wouldn't have offered if you were imposing."

A small smile crept onto your face. "Thank you Severus, but are you sure you want to be stuck with me for an hour?"

He gave an amused chuff and answered " I'm sure I will survive."

"Alright well I'm free all day on Sundays so.... does 1 pm work for you?"

"It does indeed, in the library and bring a notebook"

Before you could answer your name rang through the air. It was Lily, James, Peter, Sirius and Remus making their way down the hill.

Almost eminently you saw Severus demeanour change. He became fidgety and his head slowly curled itself to look at the mud path below his feet.

"Listen, Severus, I um... I have to walk with them now so I'll see you tomorrow yea?" you said nudging him and trying yo look him in the eye. when his gaze met yours you offered the tallboy a smile.

"Yes. tomorrow" he said before quickly scampering off down the road.

The group eventually caught up with you and Sirius threw his arm around your shoulders. " Hey, what you talking to Snivellus Snape for?"

Your eyebrows knotted in confusion as you pushed his arm off of you and looked at him. "What did you just say?" You genuinely didn't hear what he said but given his response, it clearly wasn't something good.

The smile on his face then morphed onto fear at the realisation of what he has just said. His eyes scanned his friends faces and they were just as scared for him.

"Severus, Severus Snape. that's what I said" he chuckled. The rest of your friends chuckled with him. You weren't convinced that's what he said but you went along with it since you were in an awkward situation.

"RIGHT LADS, WHO WANTS SOME BUTTERBEER!" shouted Remus pointing his wand towards the Hogsmead.

Everyone cheered and continued walking down the dirt path while you lagged behind, pulling Lily to walk with you.

Time skip to a few months later

As agreed, you and Severus would meet up in the library every Sunday for tutoring and during that time you learnt so much. Not just about potions but about Severus too. This clearly was something he enjoyed doing and he was eager to do.  You also learnt a lot about yourself during this time.

Turns out you had quite a knack for potions when you had the right teacher and your grades slowly got better too.

Unfortunately that wasn't the only thing you learnt during this time. You found out that Sirius had a crush on you. He of course had yet to tell you this news himself. Peter let it slip in one of your charms class and you were shocked.

Then, on top of that, unbeknownst to you, Lily had told the boys what you were doing on Sunday afternoons and Sirius was pissed, to say the least.

This particular Sunday, Severus had asked you to meet him next to the tree across the Black Lake.  He heard it was going to be nice out and since it was just going to be a reading session you thought why not.

On your journey there, you heard yelling and cheering near your destination. As you got closer you began to recognise some voices and when you heard Severus yelling you sprinted towards the tree.

When you exited the shrubbery you saw Sirius and the boys laughing at something above them. It was Severus. Sirius had cast a spell that pulled Severus feet first into the air. Hanging him upside-down.

You felt your blood boil in your veins. You didn't know this was going on or for how long but it stopped right then and there. Within seconds you grabbed your wand and shouted at the top of your lungs "EXPELLIARMUS!".

The amount of fear that glazed everyone's eyes in that seconds, was nothing more than horrifying. None of them expected you to be there (over an hour early) and they definitely didn't expect you to have this much anger pumping through you as you did in that moment.

The spell practically forced Siriuses wand out of his hand making Severus slowly land on the ground.  

You walked right up to Sirius, who was quivering in his boots, and pointed your wand right at his face.

" YOU! You slimy, egotistical, peace of shit!"

"N-Now (Y/N)" He stuttered, holding his hands up in surrender.

"SHUT UP! now you will answer my questions with 100% honesty or I will destroy that pretty face of yours. Understand?"

He nodded his head vigorously.

You didn't need to worry about the others shooting you with their wands because they were just as scared as their precious "Pad Foot".

"Why are you doing this Sirius and for how long?" you seethed.

" B-because I'm in love with you..." He said looking at you with hopeful eyes " and so is Severus. I did it because I was Jesus."

You pushed your wand under his chin " I know the first bit but how long, Pad Foot?"

He went silent and lowered his gaze. "Since our first year"

You sighed and looked at the rest of the group. Your anger was slowly going away.

" You knew about this?" You asked. However, when you didn't get a response your anger quickly returned.

"DID YOU KNOW!"

Simultaneously they all nodded their heads. Your friends.. they were your friends and they purposefully hurt someone so that you would go out with one of them. It made you sick!

You raised your wand and pointed at all of them.

" Don't ever talk to me again or else the next time I see your names on the murders map will be in the dark forest. 6 FEET UNDER THE WHOMPING WILLOW! UNDERSTAND?" you yelled, tears at the corner of your eyes.

Sirius was upset, he took a few steps closer to you. " (Y/N), please"

"WHAT did I just... say?"

As he took another step towards you, you shot a bolt of electricity at his feet. "get out of my sight, all of you."

Within seconds they ran away with their tails between their legs.

Throughout this exchange, Severus was stood right next to the tree. He heard every word that left your lips and felt the emotion on every letter but at the same time, he felt fear. He felt the fear that was radiating off of the murders and he felt a fear he thought he would have gotten used to buy now. The fear of being rejected by the one person he loved more than anyone else. After Sirius had exposed his feelings to you.. that fear almost consumed him. When he saw you fall to your knees and drop your wand on the grass, However, he put the fear aside and went to comfort you.

Your face was already stained with tears. The pain you felt was excruciating and your hands were shaking from the amount of adrenalin. But... despite all of that when you saw Severus face come into view you smiled at him.

" You" you said breathlessly in a calm voice.

He knelt down to your level, with a clenched jaw, worry written all over his face.

With the smile still on your face you looked at him and said "You, Severus Snape are lucky that I love you too"

 Please feel free to drop your ideas in the comments or private messing me. Love ya!!

[tamorapierce]

Tammy's Spring 2020 Reading Recommendations For the Bored

Sooner or later the bookhounds among us are going to start joining my relentless song, from age five on up, of “I don’t have anything to read!!!!”

 I am here to help.  In this space, as I get to it (knowing, as my readers do, that I have no sense of deadline), I will be posting a constant set of collections of book titles by authors my team and I have read and will recommend in a wild variety of genres and for a wild variety of ages.  (And I’ll give a short hint as to the subject of the first book/series—if I did them all I’d never finish this.)  This last is for the many of you who are reading teen and adult books in grade and middle school, and those adult readers who are reading teen and kidlit. These people are for those who love books and don’t care who is supposed to be reading them.  

 Also, you may have to look far and wee, since we will be drawing upon not only recently published books but older ones that we have either read recently or that we read long ago and have re-read or have never forgotten.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you when the writing is archaic.  If you’re a true nutsy reader like the rest of us, you won’t care.

 -Tammy Pierce

                                                        *     *     *

Assume the book came out within the last 2 years unless I put LO next to the title, which means you have to check libraries and bookstores online and paper for copies.

 *     *     *

 Diana Wynne Jones  LO

A generation or two of fantasy writers, particularly those who love humor, bow to this woman as our goddess.  Not only was she out of her mind in a very British and manic way, but with her TOUGH GUIDE TO FANTASYLAND she taught a number of us to ditch some ill-considered tropes of our genre.  If you write historic fantasy in particular, move heaven and earth to track this book down.  There’s a bonus: some of the entries will make you laugh till you cry.

           She is best known for her books for middle grade and teens, but they are enjoyable for all readers.  I cannot list them all here because my fingers will break (curse you, arthritis!), but these titles will give you a jumping-off point.  And remember, authors change with each book, so you won’t encounter the same author with each title as the author you read in the previous one!

           The Chrestomanci books, all in the same universe, in order of story,

                       not publication

Charmed Life  (1977) An innocent lad follows his plotting egotistical sister to live with England’s chief wizard

The Lives of Christopher Chant (1988)

Conrad’s Fate (2005)

Witch Week (1982)

The Magicians of Caprona (1980)

Short stories

 The Dalemark Quartet begins with

The Spellcoats (1979)

3 sequels

 The Derkholm books are

Dark Lord of  (1998)

Year of the Griffin (2000)

  The Tough Guide to Fantasyland is standalone, but is a kind of offshoot of the Derkholm books.  You don’t have to have read the Derkholm books to get Tough Guide!

 There are other books and stories by Jones—I’ll let you find them on your own.

  Philip Pullman

To this day I am unable to call him anything but Mr. Pullman—that’s how much in awe of the man I am.  We’ve had dinner together, talked on the phone, talked at an event or two, done a conversation on audio with Christopher Paolini—it’s still Mr. Pullman to me.  (I was an assistant in a literary agency when I discovered his work, and I never recovered.) He is, in a word, brilliant, and his interests range through all kinds of areas, particularly history and religion.  I could have talked with him forever that night we had dinner, but the poor man had jet lag and I let him go to collapse.  It was one of the best exchanges of ideals, values, and books I’ve ever had.  

Read his work carefully, because what he discusses is never just the story on top.  No matter what he writes, he is making strong points about social justice, human nature, religion, and history without preaching.  He is one of the few male writers out there who can write female characters as people, not Something Different.  And you never know, with his work, where he will go next.

 The Ruby in the Smoke,

book 1,  the Sally Lockheart mysteries

Victorian mysteries with a female hero and male assistants,

           The Book of Dust and sequel,

first 2 books of The Secret Commonwealth

           His Dark Materials trilogy

                       The Golden Compass

                       2 other titles                

           THE COLLECTORS

           LYRA’S OXFORD

           THE WHITE MERCEDES

           FAIRY TALES FROM THE BROTHERS GRIMM

           I WAS A RAT!

           TWO CRAFTY CRIMINALS

           COUNT KARLSTEIN

           (I will stop here and let you find the rest. Most are available as Nook books.)

  Sharon Shinn

I discovered Sharon Shinn with JOVAH’S ANGEL, but a shortage of funds left me unable to pursue my interest (I am an economic disaster with libraries, so I buy rather than borrow) until, with a job and money to spend, I spotted THE SAFE-KEEPER’S SECRET.  It is the story of a medieval-ish world and a small village where a baby was left with a childless couple.  She is raised as their daughter and discovers, as she grows, that her mother is an important, a Safekeeper, the person to whom a secret can be told, relieving the person who told it of the weight of guilt from it, to be carried by the Safekeeper until the owner either decides to tell or dies.  (And if they die without giving permission, the Safekeeper never reveal the secret.)  The baby who is adopted by this town’s safekeeper becomes the safekeeper in her turn.

           The next book is THE TRUTHTELLER’S TALE, about a girl who acquires the gift (??) of telling the truth, whether the person she tells it to wants to hear it or not. The third book is The Dream-maker’s Magic.  The three main characters now learn why they have been brought together over the course of the two earlier books, in what I thought was a satisfying, if unusual, conclusion.

           And there’s more!  I just did the two I love best!

             THE SAFEKEEPER’S SECRET (book 1, two sequels)

           ARCHANGEL (4 books)

           TWELVE HOUSES (5 books)

           ELEMENTAL BLESSINGS (4 books)        

SHIFTING CIRCLE (2 books)

           UNCOMMON ECHOES

           GENERAL WINSTON’S DAUGHTER

           GATEWAY

 Daniel Jose Older

 I was a Daniel Jose Older fan before I was sent DACTYL HILL SQUAD for a blurb (preodactyls in flight!  Of all sizes!  Confederate spies!  Thuggish bigot northerners!  The backlash of Gettysburg and the forced recruitment of blacks for the war effort! And strong, smart, fierce kids of various ages, sizes, colors, national heritage, and skills doing their best to help the war against the slaves, keep escaped slaves safe, duck the cruel managers of the homes and jails where they are being kept, find a half-decent meal, free other kids in trouble, learn who’s killing their friends, and help the dactyls!  That’s part of it, anyway!

Yeah, I loved it.  And there’s at least one new book, and once I’ve mowed though that, there are his older teen books, and his grownup mysteries, with their half-dead taxi driver who doubles as a part-time troubleshooter for the undead powers in his Bone Street Rhumba series.  {happy sigh}

  Edgar Allen Poe

Yes, some of these are reminders of why we ended up to be the readers we are and to nudge us to corrupt—I mean, “introduce”—­new readers to the glories that are our legacies.

­

THE COMPLETE TALES AND POEMS OF EDGAR ALLEN POE

           Here are the greats:

poems like “The Raven,” and “Annabelle Lee”

stories like “The Fall of the House of Usher,” “The Telltale Heart,” and  ::shudder:: “The Pit and the Pendulum” (yes, a deep pit and a swinging pendulum topped with a razor-edged blade will be featured in this story).  

My dad would read these to us on dark and stormy nights when we lived near the Pacific ocean, when the fog came rolling in, softening every sound, when there were no cars driving by and no other sounds in our house but his deep voice and the crackle of the fire in the fireplace.  We would listen, soundless, as he wove the stories and poems around us and the foghorn sounded offshore.

           That’s the power of Poe.

  N. K. Jemisin

I think I began with Jemisin’s THE HUNDRED THOUSAND KINGDOMS, soon followed by its sequel THE BROKEN KINGDOMS.  The series ended with a third book, THE KINGDOM OF THE GODS.  She presented a rich and varied world from the aspects of people of different classes, showing the growth of societies and their formation.  I have a secret passion for society-building and social interaction, and whether or not a book is difficult to read (as Jemisin’s books are in spots because she refuses to insult a reader by talking down to them) is immaterial.  I want the world and I want the characters, and with her far-reaching mind and her respect for her characters she delivers each and every time.  I have read almost everything she’s written since that first trilogy: if I’ve missed something, it’s because I was in the middle of a deadline and on the road and somehow didn’t see it.  I’ll catch up!  This is just a sample:

           For readers of all sexes and adult reading skills

 The City They Became (pub’d April 2020)

 The Inheritance Trilogy:

           The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, 2010

           2 book sequels

Novella: The Awakened Kingdom, 2014

                       Triptych: Shades in Shadow, 2015 (3 short stories) 

             The Dreamblood Duology:

           For readers of all sexes and adult reading skills

           The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, 2010

                       Two sequels

 The Broken Earth series:

         The Fifth Season (August 2015)

                       Two book sequels

And there are plenty of short stories out there.  I may even have missed a book or twelve!

For those who prefer to hear my ramble in person, a video!

[amarauder]

chapter nine ❥ | original

Y/n dragged her trunk as she looked up to the familiar Hogwarts Express sign above her head. She heaved it into an empty compartment and began to wait for her friends. Several minutes later, three girls stumbled into the compartment, laughing like crazy. Arabella's brown curls were loose and tumbling down her shoulders, while Jennifer's length blond hair was frizzy.

"Where are on earth were you three?" asked Y/n, frowning. "And why are you laughing?"

"Oh Y/n," said Arabella gleefully, with tears in her eyes. "Snape...he just said to the whole train that he was in love with you! Then Malfoy dragged him off somewhere else, muttering something about Snape getting drunk. It was priceless!

"Bella," sighed Y/n.

"Didn't think Snape would still like a thing like you, L/n," came a familiar voice. All four girls turned around to see the famous Marauder and heartthrob of Hogwarts, James Potter, along with the rest of his gang.

"Shut up, Potter," snapped Y/n.

"Not again," said Violet, moaning. "Y/n, why can't you and James be friends and get it done with?"

"Because, Vi, I am not becoming friends with an egotistical jerk like Potter," snapped Y/n angrily. "You know, James, life would be a whole lot better if you didn't strut around the school like you owned the place. Really, why can't you be more like Harry?"

"Because my parents aren't dead because of some psychotic wizard, that's why," said James nonchalantly.

"How dare you!" growled Y/n.

"Will you guys grow up?" asked Jennifer, rolling her eyes. "Really, N/n, I expected you to be together with James. After all, you guys are in your third year already! And we're starting new subjects!" she cried gleefully.

"Yes, Divination and Care of Magical Creatures," said Y/n happily. James' jaw dropped.

"No way am I going to be in my two new subjects with you!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Sirius, Remus, Peter and I signed up for the same subjects too!"

"How dare you!" cried Y/n, yet again.

"It won't be so bad," said Jennifer, staring dreamily at Remus.

"Well, at least your enemy isn't in all your classes!"

"That's because, apart from all the Slytherins, I don't have any enemies, N/n. Unlike you, making enemies as you go along."

"And it's because you and Remus will be snogging the whole time during Divination. I wonder who's the Divination professor."

"It's that fraud, Trelawney," said Sirius, informing them all. "She's the idiot who tells everyone they're going to die."

"Well, I don't need to be told now that I'm dying, since I already know," said Y/n grumpily.

"Arabella?" They all turned around to see Amos Diggory standing near their compartment door, and realized that they were having such a heated conversation that they barely heard the door slide open.

"Hello, Amos," said Arabella coldly.

"I was wondering if we're still on," he said sweetly.

"And you would think that, why?"

"Because no girl dumps me for very long," he replied smugly.

"Well, I'm together with Sirius again, and nothing's going to pull us apart," said Arabella, smiling at Sirius.

Amos scowled. "You little rat. No girl dumps Amos Diggory. I'm supposed to be the one who dumps them!" He suddenly clapped his hand over his mouth, realizing what he had just said.

"Don't you dare call her a rat, you...you..." Y/n struggled to find words to describe him.

"Ah, Y/n, I suppose you would like to go out with me to Hogsmeade? After all, you are a third year this year and perhaps we can get a bit of butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks."

"No thank you, Amos, I think I'll pass on the offer," said Y/n coldly.

James breathed a sigh of relief, but unfortunately, everyone heard it. Sirius and the girls, minus Y/n, sniggered loudly, and Remus and Peter smiled thoughtfully. Y/n, however, was blushing as red as James was.

"Why would you care, James? You don't even like her!" snapped Amos.

"Well, we're getting along better than we used to, Diggory," said James, frowning.

"Whatever."

"You sound like a girl when you say that, Diggory," said Sirius angrily.

"So do you, Black."

"Well, I don't say 'whatever' all the time, Diggory."

"So...James," said Amos, sneering. "You like Y/n, huh? I thought you only went for the (not your hair color)."

James reddened. "Shut up, Diggory. I've never dated before in my life."

"What about Miss Deanna Jackson?"

"She was the one who gave me a Love Potion!"

"Yes, yes. And now y/n has caught your attention?"

There was a tense silence as James' knuckles tightened. Sirius squirmed uncomfortably and Y/n's e/c eyes were wide. When James was mad, he would take any action. To their surprise, his arms lowered, though still glaring at Amos.

"Get away, Diggory, before you'll be sorry."

Amos' eyes looked frightened, as he slid open the compartment door and slammed it shut behind him.

"Bloody brilliant, Jamie-boy!" cried Sirius, impressed. "You didn't even use violence?"

"Why would I, Sirius? It would frighten the ladies." He smiled warmly at the girls, who were hunched back near Remus and Peter, shaking.

"Are you all right?" he asked worriedly.

Arabella smiled. "Yeah, James, we're fine. Thanks."

"For what?"

"For not using violence in front of us. You know—er—how we don't exactly like violence."

"Y/N LOVES JAMES!" cried Sirius suddenly, startling them all.

"Er—Sirius? That was totally random," stated his girlfriend, wrinkling her nose.

"I know that, Bella dear, but I am a random person, after all."

"And I don't love Y/n," added James grumpily.

"Yeah, you do," said Remus, now joining the conversation.

"Why are all you guys' favorite conversations about us?" asked Y/n rather snappily. "Do you ever give us any peace around here? And we're not even at Hogwarts! Goodness!" She collapsed into the chair again and took out Hogwarts, A History.

"Why do you bother reading that stuff?" asked James lazily, as he stared into the clear, blue September sky. "It's so...boring."

"It's fascinating, once you start reading it," mumbled y/n, her nose almost touching the page.

"Don't you read it every year, N/n, on the Hogwarts Express?"

"Well, you should re-read books, you know. It's good for the soul."

"I think that Quidditch Through the Ages is a good book," said James proudly. "I've read it twice."

"I've read Hogwarts, A History twenty times," said Y/n loftily, her nose still in the thick book. "Of course, I would have read it twice as much if you didn't bother me at Hogwarts twice as much..."

"Twenty times? Bloody hell, that's too many times!" cried James. "Why don't you have fun in life? Haven't I showed you fun yet this summer? I told you on the train home in our second year that I'd invite you over the summer to show you what fun really is about. And has all that time been wasted by schoolwork?"

Y/n slammed her book shut and opened her mouth to speak, but then clamped it shut. It was true that she had learned what fun really meant that summer—and all thanks to James.

"Fine, I admit it, I did learn what fun really meant, James. All thanks to you." With that, she hugged him briefly and returned to her book, smiling slightly with red cheeks.

Everyone else tried not to laugh at James' open mouth and red face. His face took on one of those dreamy looks reserved for Y/n, and he sighed happily. Arabella, along with Jennifer and Violet, had burst out laughing. The boys were still silent, smiling at their friend. Yes, James was definitely in love all right. They could all see it in his eyes and his every move. It was too obvious, though he wouldn't admit it at all.

"What all you all laughing at?" he asked, confused. That made them laugh harder and James more confused.

Y/n was blushing like crazy. "Er—you know, guys, maybe you should stop laughing."

Arabella grinned at her best friend evilly. "C'mon, N/n, kiss Jamie."

Y/n's smile faded. "WHAT?"

"Kiss him."

"NO WAY AM I GOING TO KISS JAMES POTTER! WHY THE HELL WOULD I DO THAT?"

"Geez, don't get so touchy, she was only joking," said Sirius, grinning.

"Well, she had better be!" exclaimed Y/n. "I'm not kissing Potter. Never."

"Is that a promise?"

Y/n hesitated. "No. Because I know we'll probably end up 'loving' each other. Just not now."

"Sirius Black, how can you eat so much?" asked Arabella, staring at her boyfriend as he gobbled down everything there was on the table.

"Hey," he said through a mouthful of pudding, "at least you don't have to worry about me becoming anorexic."

James and Remus snorted into their own Yorkshire pudding and Jennifer frowned.

"That's not a joking matter," she said firmly.

"Jen, don't worry, Sirius was just fooling like always," said Remus, a plead in his gray eyes as he reached out for her hand. "Don't take it seriously."

Jennifer smiled. "I suppose."

"Good."

James groaned. "You guys are always sweet on each other. Why don't you just get married and begone with it?"

They both glared at him. "Because we're way too young." Jennifer and Remus looked at each other in surprise.

"Y/n, why aren't you eating?" asked Violet, concerned.

Y/n sighed. She just wasn't in the mood to eat. Her thoughts were all jumbled together as she poked her fork into her potatoes, and bit her lip. The future. It was what was tormenting her and James' lives. If only they didn't get married and get on to hating each other for the rest of their lives. Then Harry would no longer exist and defeat evil...Oh, it was all so confusing!

"Are you all right?" asked Remus quietly.

"Oh!" she cried in a high-pitched tone. "Yes, yes, I'm fine."

"You don't sound like it," said James, frowning.

"Why would you care?" she snapped. "You hate me."

"I don't—" he began, but she cut him off and started to eat furiously, an appetite that would rival Sirius'.

"Whoa, slow down there, Flower!" he exclaimed, staring at Y/n. "You eat more than I do!"

"I don't think that's possible, Sirius," she said, grinning. "Want to have a contest?"

"You're on, girl."

Ten minutes later, Y/n was smiling triumphantly at Sirius, who was groaning over a bad stomachache.

"Go to Madame Pomfrey," she suggested, her eyes softening at the groaning boy.

"No, she'll perform surgery on me," he said, clutching painfully at his stomach.

"I'm sorry for making you do the stupid contest," Y/n offered.

Sirius shook his head. "Nah, I was too thick to accept the dare."

Arabella and James cleared their throats and Y/n jumped.

"What?" she asked, annoyed. "What did I do now?"

"You do know you guys are flirting, right?" asked Bella, rather testily.

"Uh...sorry Bella, that's your area of expertise. I don't 'flirt' with boys."

"Well, thanks for lying to me, James," said Arabella angrily, as James started to crack up, causing all the other Gryffindors to stare at them. "Now my best friend is mad at me and my boyfriend thinks I'm cracked."

"S-so sorry, B-Bella, b-but it's j-just t-too funny!" choked James, still laughing.

"Er—" It was one of the fifth year prefects, and she was looking at James like he was crazy.

"What?" he asked.

"Er—you know everyone else in the Great Hall already left, right?"

James looked around. Surely, everyone did leave, even Sirius, Remus, Peter, and the girls. He quickly rushed out of the Hall, and stopped in front of the Fat Lady, who sighed at the sight of him.

"Password? Dear me, it's another year, isn't it, James Potter?"

"Er—Sherbet Lemon?" he asked tentatively. It had been the password on the first day last year, so he assumed it would be this year, too.

"Certainly not!" the Fat Lady exclaimed.

"Er—oh damn, where's that prefect I was with a minute ago?"

"You mean me?" The girl was standing there, her prefect badge shining down all the way in the corridor.

"Yeah. What's the password?"

"Cornish Pixies," the girl said to the Fat Lady. The portrait swung open, revealing the old portrait hole leading to Gryffindor Tower.

"Jamie-boy! Where were you?" Sirius was running towards him, looking rather worried.

"All right, why'd you ditch me, Sirius?" asked James loudly.

"I didn't. Dumbledore announced something and told us to all go to bed. We all got up, and you were still zoned out somewhere, so I poked you. You said something about coming up later, so I went with the others. Then when you didn't show up later, I thought that you and Snape were dueling in the dungeons or something." He shrugged. "Where were you, anyway?"

"Trying to get into Gryffindor Tower. I didn't know the password."

"R-ight. Well, we'd better go up to bed, Jamie-boy. It's going to be a long day tomorrow. But we get to visit Hogsmeade this year!"

"Yeah. That's the only good thing besides Quidditch. And...our secret plan to become you-know-what."

"If Trelawney predicts my death one more time, I swear I'll kill her," muttered James, as he stared blankly into his star chart.

"What does it all mean?" asked Sirius, poking the same chart in front of him with his wand. "It makes no sense at all."

"That's because there is no sense to it, Siri-boy. So we'll make it up."

"Jamie, that's a genius plan! Ah, what would I do without you."

"You wouldn't be able to do anything, because I'm your savior."

"Er—right. So let's get started."

Half an hour later, both boys brandished their parchments, which were filled with fake predictions, proudly to the girls.

"Isn't it brilliant?"

"'Next Thursday, I will be attacked and eaten by the giant squid in the lake'," read Arabella, peering at Sirius' parchment. "Er—Sirius, it's too obvious that none of this is going to happen. You go to Azkaban because you betrayed James? That's ridiculous!"

"Maybe not." He shrugged. "Hey, I was running out of ideas! Let's see how you girls are going to bluff up the homework that Trelawney gave us."

"We don't have to," said Y/n practically, as she joined them. "We finished it two days ago. And it's all accurate too."

"You understand what the mad woman's trying to make us do?" asked James, his mouth sagging open?

"Yeah. Even though it's all a bunch of nonsense, we still know how to do it." Violet rolled her eyes. "It's not that hard."

"All you do is choose the planet that's two squares away from the one you're doing," said Jennifer, trying not to laugh. "It wasn't too hard to figure out."

"What? How come we never knew that?"

"I told you, Sirius, but you wouldn't listen," sighed Remus, shaking his head.

"You mean you finished too?" asked James furiously. "And you never told us how to do it?"

"I tried," said Remus, shrugging. "You two wouldn't listen, though."

"We would too!" exclaimed Sirius, pretending to look "injured".

"You said it was a bunch of crap," he said seriously.

James' eyes widened and he put his hand on Remus' mouth. "Sh...don't say it, Remie."

"Thanks a lot, Remus," said Sirius sourly.

"Well, it is a bunch of crap," admitted Jennifer, trying to save her boyfriend from getting killed.

"Well, I'm glad you think so, Jen, because it's the truth," said Sirius proudly. The other three girls rolled their eyes.

Y/n and James were off in their own worlds again. It happened quite frequently, now that they started to have those dreams about Harry again. When James looked over Y/n, his stomach lurched. It had been two years since they've known each other, and they were already in their third year. He thought of Y/n as a friend now, not someone he hated. Of course, it was a ridiculous notion, for Y/n hated him, and he still didn't like her too much to be her friend. No...he wasn't ready just yet to become friends with Y/n.

"Hello? Earth to Y/n and James Potter!" said Sirius, waving his hand in front of their faces.

Both turned extremely red. "We're not Y/n and James Potter."

"Then who are you?"

"Y/n L/n and James Potter."

"You mean Y/n soon-to-be-Potter and James Potter."

James sighed, exasperated, and Y/n rolled her eyes.

"Talk about idiots," she muttered.

"James!" exclaimed Sirius suddenly, scrambling to his feet. "We—have to work on the potion."

The girls gave them quizzical looks as James' face went white. He dragged the other three boys with them to their dormitory, while Jennifer raised her eyebrows.

"Do you guys have a feeling they're not telling us something?"

"I always have that feeling with them," said Arabella, rolling her eyes.

"Probably doing something against the school rules...again," said Y/n, bored. "Is it ever surprising, Jenny? They're born troublemakers."

"Yeah...but I have a feeling that they're doing something, well, illegal," said Jennifer uneasily. "I'm going to spy on them."

"Whatever you say, Jen," said Violet, staring off into space.

"Are any of you coming with me?" asked Jennifer incredulously. Her face fell when the three other girls shook their heads.

"What's the point?" asked Arabella lazily. "They're probably plotting their next prank on Snape."

Jennifer left and returned five minutes later, her face looking disappointed.

"Well, what did you learn?" asked Y/n, her nose buried in Hogwarts, A History.

"Nothing," she replied grumpily. "Even Remie wouldn't tell me anything, and he always tells me something about what they plan. They all told me to go away and mind my own business when I asked."

"Potter's going to be in for it," said Y/n, through gritted teeth. "Oh, how I'd love to get my hands on that ego of his and shrink it so he'll feel so ashamed of himself that he'll—"

"N/n, I'm surprised at you! After actually staying at his house over the summer and sharing a bed with him, you still hate him?" Arabella put on a surprised face. "How could you?"

"First of all, Belle, I did not share a bed with James Henry Potter. Second of all, I—"

"What's this about Jamie-boy's middle name?" asked Sirius curiously, as the boys came into the common room.

"What's it to you, Black?" snapped Jennifer. "You're the ones who kicked me out when I was just wondering what you were doing."

"Yeah—um, that's what we—er—came here to talk to you about." Sirius shifted nervously and glanced over to Remus.

"Jenny, you know I'm a"—he kept his voice down—"a werewolf."

"Yeah?" Jennifer was squinting at the foursome suspiciously.

"So—the guys decided to do something to help me," he continued nervously. "And—well—" He stared around at his three friends. "Guys, I can't do this."

"Then don't," said James, stepping forward. "Look, girls, we'll tell you when we're ready, but what we're doing is really dangerous, and we can't have you know just yet."

Y/n, Arabella, and Violet shrugged, but Jennifer still looked between the four.

"Why can't you tell us?" she asked, biting her lip. "Is it that important that you can't even tell your friends?"

"Look, Jen, we don't really care," said Arabella, standing up. "When they're ready, they can tell us, but for now, just let it go."

"You know, Remus means a lot to me," continued Jennifer, ignoring Arabella. "If you don't tell me what's wrong with him..."

"There's nothing wrong with him!" said Sirius quickly. "You know, we're just trying to help him during his transformations and—" He clapped his hand over his mouth in horror.

"You're trying to keep a werewolf in check?" asked Jennifer in disbelief. "You could get killed!"

"Jen," said Y/n softly, also stepping forward. "They're big boys, they can handle whatever they're going to do."

"I know, but they're so foolish, and Remus could bite any of them..." She trailed off, and ran to the girls' dormitory, tears spilling from her eyes.

Arabella rounded on the four boys like an angry hippogriff. "Thanks a bunch, you two." She, along with the other two girls, ran up to comfort Jennifer.

Remus stared at his friends, his eyes blank. "Now she hates me," he said bluntly.

"Remus, Jen will get over it," said James, trying to feel as confident as he sounded. "Er—it just needs time, like with Sirius and Bella."

"They were different," he said quietly. "Jenny, she can be stubborn sometimes."

James laughed uncomfortably. "Sirius and Bella are more stubborn than anyone we've known."

"I know. But still."

"We know, Remus. We'll help Jennifer understand."

"Those bloody prats," growled Arabella, putting her arm around Jennifer. "Why, I ought to kill 'em all. Especially that bloody Remus, oh how he'll get it..."

"Bells," said Y/n sternly. "Jen doesn't need this now."

"R-Remus, w-why won't he t-tell me w-what they're up t-to?" sobbed Jennifer.

"Because he's a bloody prat," said Arabella bitterly. Y/n glared at her.

"Maybe it's too important for them to tell us, Jenny. You know how they are, secretive about everything. Besides, we can't know everything about their personal lives; they're bound to have some privacy." She chuckled weakly.

Jennifer sniffed and wiped her eyes, smiling. "You're right Y/n. I shouldn't be moping around here, crying my eyes out for my own selfish reasons. Remus is a sweet guy; how can I ever dump him just because he won't tell me what he and his friends are up to? Oh, I'm so ashamed!" She buried her face in her arms, very red.

"Don't worry, Jen, Remus is the good sort," said Y/n comfortingly, "he'll forgive your little outburst."

"Thanks N/n, I'm going to go and find him."

Then everything ended just fine for both thirteen-year-olds.

Winter had arrived, and the eight teenagers often huddled near the fire when they did their homework. On this particular night, however, Arabella Figg was completely fed up with her life.

"Maybe I'll burn myself like they did in the Witch Burnings of the Sixteenth Century," she said gloomily.

"You're thirteen and you want to commit suicide?" asked James in disbelief. He was sitting next to the fire (literally) and reading 101 Ways to Improve Your Quidditch Skills.

"I just can't wait until the holidays," she said, looking depressed.

"Mum is actually letting me stay for the holidays," said Y/n, looking cheerful.

James groaned. "I'm staying too. That means I have to be with you for two weeks?"

"How pleasant," said Y/n sarcastically, sinking into her chair again. "Well, I still have to finish my Charms essay."

"Are you kidding me?" asked James incredulously. "You already have two rolls of parchment! How much more do you have to write?"

"You see, Potter, this is why you're failing Charms," said Y/n practically, scribbling on her parchment. "You never go the extra mile."

"What mile? Is this some sort of race?"

Jennifer and Arabella both slapped their foreheads at the boys' confused faces. "Daft," they both muttered.

"It's a figure of speech," said Y/n, rolling her eyes. "Going the extra mile means doing more than required."

"Oh...well, in that case, no, I never run the extra mile," said James, obviously still confused. Arabella burst out laughing.

"So this is how daft you've become!" she exclaimed, chuckling.

Y/n smiled, shaking her head. What idiots for friends I have, she thought. Poor Potter – though he does look kind of cute when he's confused. Yeah, I think this is from lack of sleep.

Y/n was twisting and turning as she tried to sleep. Suddenly, the world became blissful for her as she dreamed she was bouncing on clouds, and she sat up straight, drenched in sweat.

"I have to go back to sleep..." she mumbled to herself thickly, as she drifted to sleep again.

"Y/n, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off..."

It was the sound of James panicking and Y/n crying as a jet of green light burst through and James hit the floor, dead.

"JAMES!" Y/n screamed, jumping out of bed. Arabella, Jennifer, and Violet woke up, their eyes wide.

"Y/n? What's wrong?"

"James...he's dead...he's dead..." mumbled Y/n. "He's dead, I have to go see him. He protected me and Harry, and he's dead."

The three other girls exchanged dark glances at each other.

"It was only a dream, Y/n," said Arabella quietly. "Maybe you should go see Dumbledore again—"

"Good idea, Bells, I'll do that," said Y/n quickly, and tore out of bed. In the common room sat James, wide-eyed.

"James? What are you doing here?" James turned around, surprised to see Y/n.

"Y/n? What are you doing here?"

"I had a dream," they both said in unison.

Y/n stared at him. "James—you're alive," she choked.

"Why wouldn't I be?" he asked, confused. "You're alive."

"And I'm supposed to be dead?"

"I had a dream about you trying to protect Harry and then...dying, trying to risk your life saving him."

"I had a dream about you trying to hold off the wizard who killed us and give me time to take a run for it with Harry."

James held on to Y/n tightly. "Look, Lily, we're both alive, and that's a good thing. Now, let's get back to bed before we fall asleep in Transfiguration tomorrow."

Y/n chuckled. "Let's."

"N/n, are you okay?" asked Arabella, as she nearly pounced on her best friend. "You—you just disappeared and I was so worried and..."

"It's all right, Bella, I'm fine," said Y/n, getting choked by her friend. "Now, if you'd let go of me..."

"Oh—right," said Arabella, blushing.

The next day, Y/n and James weren't talking. They had just had an intimate talk last night, and James had gotten himself his very first girlfriend, not counting Deanna. He had finally noticed how many girls there were at Hogwarts, he told Sirius, and how many he'd have to go through to find his "true" girlfriend. Y/n was furious about what he had said, and didn't talk to him for the rest of the week. She hated Melissa Andrews, the girl James was currently "dating".

"He chose that little idiot after all the nice girls he could have chosen," said Y/n furiously. "What about Lucieta Samson? She's in Ravenclaw and the nicest girl ever!"

"James is an idiot, Y/n, what's said is said," said Arabella practically. "He only goes through the idiotic girls in this school and would never look at someone like poor Lucy twice. I wish he'd look at you like he looks at Andrews, Y/n. You're perfect for someone with a big ego like him."

Lily laughed bitterly. "I would never want James Potter to look at me that way. Who'd marry him anyway?"

"Well, you are," admitted Jennifer, trying to look for her wand.

"Who knows, maybe he finally grew up when I married him."

"James Potter, grown up?" exclaimed Violet, surprised. "What madness is this?"

"Good job, Vi!" cried Jennifer in approval. "Let's claim this day as 'Speak-Ill-of-James-Potter' Day!"

Y/n snorted. "You guys are such dorks."

Jennifer, Violet, and Arabella linked arms. "Aren't we though? Dorks and proud of it!"

Y/n laughed.

"Hey Y/n, can I talk to you?" asked James nervously. He knew that Y/n was furious with him and was afraid to "liven" her up, as Sirius called it.

"No," said Y/n angrily. "Go away Potter."

James grinned. "Oh, touchy. Come on L/n, you can't hide away from me forever."

"Oh, yes I can," said Y/n defiantly. She pushed him away and walked off to her next class—Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Hey! Wait! I haven't finished yet!" Y/n heard James calling her, but she ignored him completely. Why would she want to talk to him? He had the biggest ego in the world, not to mention having about groups of twenty girls swarming him every day. She was sick of it all.

"Why would I want you to finish?" she asked him coldly, as James caught up with her. "You have the biggest ego out of every male there is in this school, and you take advantage of all the girls who swarm around you. What's your problem?"

"Y/n, I—"

"Stay away from me, James Potter. I don't want to be involved with players like you. Who knows, maybe I'll be in one of those traps of yours like all those other girls." She swung her bag over her shoulder and entered the classroom.

"Am I late, Professor?" she asked, ignoring James' feeble protests.

"No, no, Y/n, you're right on time," replied Professor Wickham, smiling at his student. "Now, where is Mr. Potter—?"

As if right on cue, James burst into the classroom. "Professor," he gasped. "I—I hope I'm on time."

"Yes, James, right on time. However, I would advise you and Ms. L/n to maybe arrive a little earlier next time." His eyes twinkled as he winked at Y/n and James as they sat down.

"Yes, Professor," said Y/n politely. James grunted and took his seat beside Sirius, while Y/n sat next to Arabella.

"Where were you?" mouthed Arabella, as Y/n sat down.

"I'll tell you later," Y/n mouthed back.

As class started, Y/n took her dutiful notes as usual, while Arabella slept (as usual). Remus was too absorbed in his note taking, and Peter too absorbed in sleeping, to notice Sirius and James' serious (no pun intended) conversation.

"What was that all about?" whispered Sirius, as he took some random notes about goblin rebellions.

James was trying his best to avoid the topic. "Sirius, why are you writing about goblin rebellions?" he asked hastily. "This is Defense Against the Dark Arts, not the History of Magic class."

"What—oh! Well, you know, all the notes are the same, so you may as well say the same thing," said Sirius complacently. "Now, about you and Y/n..."

"She won't listen to me," confessed James. "She totally hates me."

"She's always hated you, Jamie-boy," hissed Sirius, rolling his eyes.

"She's disliked me, not hated me," corrected James.

"You even said it was the same thing." Sirius' voice was dripping with sarcasm and boredom.

"Well, I don't blame her," said Sirius, surprising James. "I mean, you totally ignored her today at breakfast when you guys had your little 'conversation' last night. Then you called her a you-know-what, and I would be upset about it, too."

"I apologized," argued James.

"So? You're not acting like you're sorry, James."

"You sound like you're on her side," said James grumpily.

"That's because I am on her side, Jamie." Sirius' voice was very serious now and very unlike his usual playful tone.

Across the other side of the room, Y/n and Arabella were having their own note-passing conversation (Y/n had pointedly refused to talk in whispers).

You can't stay mad at James forever, Y/n.

Oh yes I can, Bells. I can stay mad at him until the end of the world.

But Y/n, if you stay mad at him forever, what about Harry? He'll never be born! And it's his destiny to live in this world.

::sigh:: Yeah, you're right, Bella, but...I just can't forgive him now. Do you know what that idiot called me?

What?

Five letters, begins with a 'b'.

He didn't!

He did.

Why, that little...

Sh! Bella, quiet!

Why? This is written on paper, Y/n, not said out loud. ::rolls eyes::

Yeah, you're right. Hey, Wickham is looking our way. Let's ditch this paper.

That would be a very good idea.

"I'm dying to know what they've written about," said James eagerly, as the bell rang. He grabbed the piece of parchment that the girls carelessly threw in the wastebasket and read it, dropping it back afterwards.

"What did it say?" asked Sirius curiously, looking from the basket to James' red face.

"L/n told Arabella what I told Y/n," said James, shaking with anger. "Why, that little—"

"James, you've been treating Y/n horribly," said Remus quietly. "Tomorrow is the first day of the holidays, and I suggest you go apologize to her."

"No way will I spoil my first day of the holidays apologizing to her."

"Come on, four-eyes, give in." They turned around to see Arabella glaring at all four of them.

"You hate me now," said James bluntly.

"No." He turned to look at her, surprised. "You just don't get it yet, James Potter. I know you'll give in to Y/n someday, and do whatever she wants, but not yet. You need time, James. Time is what's pushing you and Y/n farther than you should be." With that said, she left without another word.

"That girl really never ceases to amaze me," commented James, still dazed after Bella left.

"Yeah, isn't she great?" asked Sirius dreamily. "I am so glad she's my girlfriend. We belong together; I know it."

"So does the rest of the school, Sirius."

Sirius whacked James in the head. "Hey, shut it Potter. I have a proper girlfriend, unlike that Melissa Andrews. What were you thinking, dating something like her?"

James shrugged. "I'm planning to dump her tomorrow anyway. Bella is right, Sirius. The only thing that's standing between Y/n and me is time. And I'm not going to let it stand there forever."

Y/n was awake early the next day. Christmas was in one week and she would spend it without her family. Of course, she was slightly unhappy that her parents wouldn't be there, but joyous that Petunia wouldn't. And none of her friends had left for the holidays, which was a good thing, for they could spend it all together.

"I'm glad—and surprised—to see you up early, Bella," she said, grinning, as her half-awake friend stared across the table. Y/n looked over to see what she was staring at and saw Melissa Andrews crying by herself at the Hufflepuff table. She rolled her eyes and started to eat, ignoring the blue-eyed blonde crying her eyes out.

"I'll bet you Potter dumped her," she informed Arabella. "He could never keep a girlfriend, ever."

"I actually feel a bit bad for Andrews," said Arabella. She slapped her forehead and grinned stupidly at Y/n. "I think I really needed that."

Y/n rolled her eyes just when the rest of her friends and the Marauders entered the Great Hall.

"Oi! Potter!" she called, as he passed her seat. "I suppose even Melissa Andrews isn't good for you, huh? I guess you'll be going through the Slytherins next."

James glared at her and sat down next to Violet. "I didn't know she was that evil. I think L/n could pass for a Slytherin," he said, to no one in particular.

Violet gasped and glared at him, moving to a different spot. He heard Peter sigh audibly and looked around at everyone.

"Why is everyone so mad at me?" he asked Sirius.

"Because you've been acting like a great prat, James, no offense."

James turned to Sirius and said quietly, "I'm going to apologize to her right now."

He got up and walked to where Y/n was sitting. Her three friends looked up and saw him towering over them, and nodded their heads, smiling. James cleared his throat just when he reached Y/n, but Y/n jumped up and ran out of the Great Hall. He sighed, and followed her, assuming that she went back to Gryffindor Tower.

"Password?" the Fat Lady asked as he approached the portrait, panting.

"Pig snout," he gasped, clutching his chest for breath.

He rushed up to the girls' dormitory where Y/n was sitting on her bed, staring at nothing in particular.

"Y/n, you have to forgive me," said James, a pleading look in his eyes. "I—I broke up with Melissa. I knew she wasn't the one for me, I just wanted to impress you."

Y/n's head shot up and stared into his eyes. "To impress me?" she croaked. "Why?"

"I have no idea," admitted James. "I've been a great prat, I know, and I'm really sorry. Please forgive me."

Y/n sighed. "I may as well, since you're giving me no peace at all. I forgive you."

"Thanks." James breathed a sigh of relief. "Friends?"

"In your dreams, Potter."

They walked into the Great Hall together, where their friends were eagerly discussing something in whispers. They grinned when they saw Y/n and James standing next to each other.

"Are you guys friends?" asked Violet hopefully.

"Nope," they said in unison. "But we don't hate each other anymore."

"So do you like each other?" asked Sirius, confused.

"Nope."

"Then what are you guys?"

"We dislike each other," they said together. Everyone rolled their eyes and laughed.

"Well, I guess some things never change," said Arabella, looking hopeless.

"That's a good thing," replied Remus, grinning.

The six friends smiled at Y/n and James chatting and arguing together, knowing that the two would give in...someday, if not now. And they would be in for a love story greater than life itself.

tags; @thecurlyhairedwinchester

masterlist

[royal-writer]

Irreplaceable

This was definitely supposed to be a mini wth why’d it get so long???

“What about Matilda?”

Essätha watched the contemplation shift over her Lord Amon’s face as he leaned into the sofa pillows. She loved the way his eyebrows furrowed; the creased lines of concentration in his expression as he thought deeply. It was a small thing among many that was so adorably irresistible about him. These little bodily quirks and tells; and the way his gaze went far off as he sank into another realm where everything around him seemed to fade off.

“It’s not my favorite,” he finally admitted. The circling motion of his pads continued to stroke against the back of her hand even as he pondered. She his anchor; and his touch a marvelous flame coaxing against her skin. Tingles raced after where he touched her so gently.

��Charlotte?” she prodded.

“I like that one. I’m not fond of the nicknames usually representative of Charlotte, though.”

“Like what? Carly?”

Amon’s expression shifted slowly, his eyes trailing back to her face. He wore a smile effortlessly as he gazed upon her through the dark pools of his regard. His fingers swept over her hand as he raised it gently, placing a kiss over the top of her knuckles.

“I often heard Charlie, actually.”

She stuck her tongue out slightly at the remark. Definitely not.

Her Lord sniggered at her distasteful expression, and lowered her hand back into his lap.

“Well we can’t just consider girl names,” Essie scolded, flipping her hand over to grasp his palm. “I know you’re adamant they’re a girl, but there is a possibility it’s a boy.”

It was impossible not to laugh at the snorted sound of disbelief that he gave now. She couldn’t tell if he was really so stubborn to believe himself incapable of being wrong, or if there was something unspoken in his certainty. He accepted her teasing with good-nature and understanding, but a small part of her couldn’t help wondering if perhaps his longing for a daughter was partly interweaved with the loss of the young Marie who he’d adopted as his own years ago.

After a deep brooded sigh, Amon finally relented with a grumble: “I do like the name Johnathan.”

She offered a playful little smile, cooing, “Not Amon?”

“Pelor no,” he chuckled, squeezing her hand.

“Mmm. Perhaps you are right,” Essie agreed. “The name is quite irreplaceable.”

He scoffed at her quietly. His free hand reaching up, framing the side of her face as he leaned in.

“Come here, you devious little flatterer.”

A wild grin of excitement flashed across her face. She held her breath with anticipation as she leaned forward. Eyes closed; listening rather than seeing. Feeling the faint billow of her husband’s breath fan over her as she shivered, and the way he hitched for air as he came short of her lips. The rasp of his beard against her; soft and well-groomed as he pressed a delicate kiss lightly to her mouth.

She shivered instinctively. A heavenly wreath surrounded him so close that smelled of all things that brought her home. Loving invitation curled in the ghost of a smile held to his face even as he held her steady and kissed her with such tenderness that everything else seemed to dissolve away.

Essätha exhaled slowly as he pulled away; aware of the shakiness in her lungs. Her eyes opened slowly to meet a gaze so familiar to her heart now that she adored with everything she had.

“You are cute,” he remarked with mirth, “but I am neither egotistical nor cruel. There is expectation enough, being born with noble blood. Being called the senior or second of a man’s name with a reputation such as I would be a cruel burden. Besides that, I like the challenge of picking out something special for our little one.”

Our little one. She could almost sob at those words. It was still such a new and fresh concept to her mind that it brought butterflies surging into her tummy. She didn’t think she’d ever get used to it. This was her life. Every day was a new day to love and appreciate; surrounded by people who cared about her, with friends and family on every side. An endless sense of support and devotion. A man who she loved and valued more than all life’s frill and gold; more than the air in her lungs or the beat of her heart.

They were sharing a life, together. And they had made life, together. There was nothing in the world she wanted more. She would exchange none of it, then or now, if it meant giving up an ounce of the endless happiness she had now.

“Johnathan’s nice,” she agreed, scooting across the sofa to lean further into her husband. “How do you feel about Rainier?”

“My honest opinion?” he inquired through a large grin.

“That bad?” She pouted, reaching up to guide her fingers through his mane of black hair.

“Atrocious.”

With a sharp inhale, she pulled away and wrinkled up her nose. The only link between them now was her fingers still wrapped between his, resting upon his leg.

“How callous of you.”

“You wanted honesty, my Lady.”

“Gandalf, then?”

“Sounds like a wizards name.”

“Willen?”

“He was a nice fellow, my darling Essätha, but it is a rather tasteless name.”

He was goading her. She could see it in the grin plastered on her face. A mocking taunt as her cheeks inflamed to glower at his amusement.

“Barnabus,” she countered proudly.

Amon gave pause, much to her pleasure. She leaned back further against the couch as the gears of his mind virtually seemed to turn before her.

“I think not,” he finally announced. “I do love the gesture, Essie, but it doesn’t roll off the tongue very well.”

They fell silent. Mulling in a mute void. Pondering names to themselves, where one would nearly open their mouth to a suggestion and a pointed finger before sinking back into their seat with a huff, the idea tossed aside. Filtering in the hush, and coming up blank.

Essätha hesitated. She clenched to Amon’s fingers, dragging his attention from the floor he’d been analyzing in a daze back up to her.

“… What about Fontane?”

The curious joy in his face collapsed faster than any catastrophe she’d ever seen in her life.

A taste of iron burned on her tongue. Whispers turned to roars in the back of her cascading thoughts. She could make little out from the wall he put up between them. She was shuttered out of her house; the window of his soul, quick as a jolt of lightning. A handsome mask stood between her, and her endearing husband.

Pain. Anger. Hurt. Repudiation. Vexation. More distress, and a quiet rage.

By the Gods, what had she done.

“M’lord-”

He released her hand, and a shard of ice plunged into her heart. She fell helplessly. Swallowed by darkness as she reached out for him, but even beside her he was already too far away to reach.

“No,” he bit out harshly; his voice thick as he began to rise up from the cushions.

“I will not name our child after that- that-”

He cast a glance her way, and she flinched. He was nearly unrecognizable.

With a curse in elvish muttered to himself, the Lord of Briarton turned away from her. His cloak whipped out; snapping in the air with finality. His boots were heavy on the floor. Each one a strike driving in the stake wedged between her ribs as she turned her head to watch his retreat for the door.

“M’lord, I’m sorry-”

She didn’t know if he heard the words, yanking the door open to step out.

It closed with ominous gentleness behind him.

Ashamed and drowning in guilt, she reached out for the pillow he’d been leaning against with trembling fingers. Placing it to her chest, she rested her chin against the plush fabric, trying to control the instability of her breathing as tears crowned the ends of her lashes. They wettened the top of the pillow as she buried her face within it, and the comforting smell of woody earthen cologne.

“I’m so sorry,” she mumbled; choking into the pillow which gave no response to her apology.

She should have known better. Not all wounds ever healed. Not all things could be forgiven. It had been a terrible, awful presumption to think that maybe, just maybe he could try remembering the man’s name in good light if it was placed upon someone he already loved. A way to honor someone gone too soon.

Curling around the pillow, Essie dropped onto her side, sinking into the upholstery.

All she could do, was hope he would be okay.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It would be supper soon. It was almost the same time, every day.

She saw Amon only once since earlier. Passing by the window, she spotted her beloved husband knelt down in the soil of the garden. He was ridding it of weeds in with more brutality than necessary. A grim line on his face; sweat and dirt speckling his brow. Though his eyes were too far away from the second story to read, she could imagine clearly the look upon them.

Seeing him like that brought back a strange wave of daje vu that made her stomach drop through the floor.

Not wanting to kindle the wrath of his sorrow, Essätha tasked herself with working on the crochet blanket she’d gathered supplies to make a few days ago. It was a mindless task, and so much easier than sewing up clothes or making a quilt. It held little rules or qualifications, and she’d had some practice working on place sitters to get the feel for it prior. She might not be the best artisan, but she was going to try her damndest to be the best mother she could be.

The pattern looped under and around with ease. Delicate pale colors woven together with the tug of each piece of yarn. She was thankful to keep her hands busy, and much of her mind. When she fell too absent of her work and began to wander back to the tension in the air as Amon had left, her careful work began to unravel and she was placed back into her focus once more.

It felt the opportune time to work on something new to her. She still had a lot of learning left to do, it seemed. A weight on her shoulders as much as her spirit.

The door to the sitting room creaked softly as she worked on the tapestry.

“I’ll be down shortly,” she uttered softly; her eyelids hanging low as she droned on the task.

Feet scuffled against the floor, and the door closed softly.

Her hands fumbled with the hook; feeling an unmistakable jolt in her heart.

Ignoring the painful twist in her gut, the Lady of the Emerald Expanse went back to her crocheting with quivering fingers. Her teeth clenched and released nervously and furiously on the blanket.

The thump of boots moved slowly through the room. The vibrations echoed into the soles of her shoes, and straight through her.

A large shadow moved past the sofa, quiet and slow. It approached the front of the coffee table, and leaned down slowly.

Essätha glanced up as the hourglass vase was sat upon the middle of the small stand before her. Sitting arranged in a tight bouquet within the vessel stood a mountain of flowers from the garden, all preened and picked at the peek of their bloom. Their scents wafted up to her nose; a mingling of sweet tones.

“I’m sorry.”

She lifted her head at the husky voice, sliding the folds of the blanket made so far off her lap and on the couch.

Her Amon’s eyes were downcast; shrouded in a cloud with eyebrows pulled low.

Slowly, he stepped around the table. She held her breath, wringing her hands as he came to sit beside her.

“You don’t-”

“No, I need to apologize,” he stated softly, reaching out for her hands. Her shaking stilled as he cupped them in his own. A firm grasp, but no less careful of her delicate features. His fingers caressed over the back of her hands as he brought them to his face, lacing kisses between her fingers and down her hands.

With a sad smile, she unfurled one of her fingers to stroke along the inside of his cheek.

“I’m the one who should be sorry,” she disagreed. “I made a thoughtless suggestion without thinking of how it would affect you, or how you’d feel about it. I shouldn’t have brought it up. It wasn’t my place. If you’d had the idea, it would have been different. My love I’m so sorry, I never meant to cause you agony-”

“It’s okay,” Amon whispered softly against her hands; luminous eyes upon her. “I don’t hold it against you, Essie. I know that your intentions were in the right place. You don’t need to apologize.”

“You were only trying to mend and bring peace; to help people here and here no longer. I understand, because I know that is who you are. You care deeply about those around you. You want to build bridges, not tear them down. You were only trying to help.”

“But I do need to apologize. I should never have walked out on you as you did. It was a thoughtless action. I’m sorry if I worried you, my dear. I’m even more sorry if my brazen foolishness hurt you in anyway.”

Wearing the faintest smile, she continued to pet along the shape of his cheek as she murmured, “I would rather you take the space you needed in the moment, then say something difficult to take back later, my heart. I was worried; I am worried, but I understand that I pushed where I should not have. I’m sorry that I hurt you.”

Amon’s gaze dropped from hers, to their hands. His rough fingers sat wedged between hers; wriggling as though they could be any closer. The haze that lay upon his gaze still a lingering shadow of old wounds.

“You did not know Fontane as I did,” he stated. “I do not blame you for not understanding my reluctance and aversion to the name. The man; or ghost, you met was a mere short span in time compared to my years I lived with him. They are not memories I can simply forget, Essätha.”

“I am sorry I was so ill considerate of your feelings, and your past connections, m’lord,” she repeated, feeling the tug of remorse gnawing at her once more.

A waning smile grew on his face. “If it comforts you, you are forgiven my darling. Though know there is nothing to forgive.”

“I could say the very same,” she echoed, her smile growing by a fraction.

A deep hum resounded in Amon’s throat, and he released her hands. His body inclined towards her slowly as he reached out timidly for her.

She scooted closer, happy to sink into his warm embrace and strong arms once more. Breathing in the smell of sweat and woody notes on his skin. A blanket of light and warmth surrounding her once more, melting the aching shard of ice that felt like it had settled into her chest much of the day.

As rhythmic circles worked against her spine, a tender voice tickled close to her ear: “Let’s go share some dinner. I don’t want little Essie to get hungry, and start a fuss.”

Snorting with her giggles, Essätha gently swatted him upon the shoulder.

“We are not naming them Essätha.”

“You’re right,” he agreed; his voice almost proudly snotty as he nuzzled into the crook of her neck. “That name is irreplaceable. Angels do not share names, after all.”

“Shush your mouth,” she scolded, her eyelashes fluttering as Amon pulled her slowly into his lap to hold her to chest.

“What about Hepsiba?” he mouthed against her throat, a smile searing into her skin.

Snickering as the brush of her husband’s whiskers teased her torso, Essie reached up to cradle his head beneath her chin. She hummed softly into his hair, a sudden wave of emotions prickling tears to the edge of her vision.

“I love it.”

[imaginejamesandsirius]

There are not enough stories out there to satisfy my craving of James/Sirius. Any chance for a story where things speed up from canon and instead of Harry being the BWL, somehow it is James Potter instead. That James' life changed the summer before his sixth year and that is when the war really hit him. Of course Sirius and Remus are by his side every second and when they discover Riddle's horcruxes, the three go on the hunt together. I am such a dreamer. Please continue to feed my obsession.

Combined with the prompt “Marauders discovers horcruxes!!! Would love to read about them going on a hunt and of course about prongsfoot!” 

James was in St. Mungo’s, and they wouldn’t let Sirius through to see him. They weren’t letting Remus or Peter either, but that wasn’t the point. He’d had a sodding Killing Curse cast at him, but he wasn’t dead and they weren’t telling them anything, weren’t even telling them if James was still alive.

Sirius had half a mind to hex them and find James himself, but Remus and Peter had taken his wand when he wasn’t paying attention. Or maybe they’d just asked for it? Hell, Sirius was so distracted he very well might have handed it over without a first thought, let alone a second one.

Sirius was back to arguing with the Medi-Wizard, and Peter could tell he was all of three seconds away from hauling off and punching him, so he intervened.

“What’s the trouble?” he asked, putting a hand against Sirius’s chest and pushing him back a little.

“As I was telling him, it’s family only.”

“We are family!”

The Medi-Wizard glared at him, clearly past the end of his patience. “Blood relatives only.”

“His only blood relatives just died, we’re all he has. What’s the worst that could happen if you let us see him? We’re not going to hurt him, we’re causing more trouble this way, there’s literally no downside.”

The Medi-Wizard just walked away.

“Well. Maybe I should have let you hit him,” Peter said, watching him leave, the bastard.

When they were eventually let in, Sirius rushed to James’s side. “Hey sweetheart,” he said, covering his hand with one of his own, and using the other to brush James’s hair away from his face. “How do you feel?”

His eyes filled with tears. “Mum and Dad-”

“I know. I know Jamie, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” He held James while he cried, waited until he started sniffling instead of sobbing. “He’s gone though. Voldemort’s gone, Mum did something and he’s gone, you’re going to be fine. You’re safe now, we’re all- we’re all going to be safe.”

There was commotion outside, and Sirius took his wand in hand and watched the doorway warily. Voldemort’s gone, it’s true, but all those Death Eaters were still out there and if word had started to spread, his promise to James may have been premature.

Through the wall they heard someone yelling, “No you don’t understand! I need to speak to him right now.” It sounded like someone tried to reason with him, but it didn’t work. “No I can’t come back later! What part of right bloody now did you not understand, I need to talk to Sirius!”

“Is that Regulus?” James asked.

“That’s… what it sounds like,” Sirius said slowly, glancing at his friends as if expecting them to disagree with him-- they didn’t. He looked at the door and gnawed on his lip as he thought. Regulus was here and wanting to talk to him, and he wasn’t the sort to attack or otherwise trick him. Merlin but he didn’t want to leave James right now, not when he’d come so close to losing him.

James made the decision for him. “Go on. I’ve got Peter and Remus, I’ll be fine.”

Sirius still hesitated, pressing a kiss to his lips and lingering longer than he’d meant to. “I’ll be quick.”

“That’s not something a fella wants to hear,” James quipped, having the desired reaction of Sirius laughing, even if it was only for a moment.

He put his wand back in his trousers before he left but remained alert, just in case.

Regulus looked relieved to see him, so much that it would have made Sirius laugh in any other case. “Sirius, I need to talk to you.”

“Why, upset that your side didn’t deliver on its promises?”

“What?” Regulus said, looking thrown. “No, what- that’s not what this is about. For Salazar’s sake Sirius! Can we talk for just two minutes?”

Sirius looked at Regulus, taking in the nervous energy surrounding him and his disheveled clothes. He nodded.

~~~

That little conversation turned into a big conversation, turned into the five of them researching horcruxes and Tom Riddle.

“Are we sure he has more than one?” Remus asked as they pored over books.

“I’m sure he’s full of himself to the point to think that he could make more than anyone else ever has,” Regulus said. “He wouldn’t stop with one.” His eyes were deep-set and haunted in his face as he stared at the page he was currently on.

“He used Slytherin’s locket,” Peter said suddenly.

The rest of them exchanged looks. “Er, yeah Pete,” James said. “We know that.”

“No, I mean, that’s pretty damn egotistical of him, don’t you think?”

“He a very egotistical person,” Regulus said, none of them seeing his point.

“Exactly, he’s on a personal power trip. He wants to remind everyone that he’s powerful by birthright, so we should be looking at his lineage and seeing if there are any other family heirlooms.”

Remus had to swallow several times to find his voice. “That’s bloody brilliant.”

This revelation found them in an abandoned shack, a black stone on a ring the highlight of the one room. “Well,” Regulus said. “This doesn’t look like a trap at all.”

“Should we be expecting more Inferi?” Remus asked, half-joking, half-serious.

“I don’t think he’d like to repeat something like that,” James said. “He wants to appear more clever than that, y’know?”

Sirius took a step forward, stopping when all of them yelled at him to. “What?” he asked, annoyed.

Regulus was about to answer, but froze as a gigantic, unnatural snake slithered into view, its too bright yellow eyes focused on Sirius. Dozens of snakes followed behind it, all of them too large, too brightly coloured to be innocent.

They all backed up automatically, crowding around the door.

“Time to go,” Remus declared, opening the door and pulling everyone out faster than they could notice. He slammed the door closed, and they all continued to back up instinctively. “Any ideas?”

“Er, the original one?” James ventured.

“We don’t even know how to destroy a horcrux,” Peter reminded them. Well, that wasn’t precisely true, but it wasn’t a method any of them had access to, so it didn’t count. Regulus wouldn’t have that damn locket with him otherwise.

“Right. About that--” Sirius got cut off as the door broke down from the weight of some of the snakes banging into it.

“I do not think this is how normal snakes behave,” Regulus said nervously.

“Toss the locket in there.”

“What?”

“Throw the sodding necklace in, Reg,” Sirius growled, gripping his wand tightly in his hand as he stared at the shack.

When he fumbled with it, James took it from him and threw it.

Sirius stepped a few paces ahead of the rest of them and…

…

Fiendfyre. Sirius bloody knew how to cast fiendfyre. Animals made of fire destroyed the dingy building, consumed the enchanted snakes and the two horcruxes that went to their death screeching. A quick motion from Sirius’s wand and the fire receded, leaving only smoldering remains.

~~~

“I didn’t know you could cast fiendfyre,” James said later, when they were in bed. Rather, he was laying down and Sirius was sitting on the edge procrastinating. They were home, and even though they were still shaken from today, they felt safe. The Potter parents were gone now, but the mansion was still home. Right now it was housing all of them, and honestly James didn’t see that changing any time soon. He and Sirius were already living there, Regulus couldn’t go to any of the Black’s even if he wanted to, Remus didn’t like being alone, and Peter’s mother had passed just after the latest school year started.

Sirius shrugged, his shoulders tense. James reached out his arm so the back of his hand was on Sirius’s back.

“Love you.”

“I left the dark arts because I didn’t like them, not because I was bad at them.”

“Okay.”

Sirius looked over his shoulder at him incredulously. “‘Okay’? That’s all you have to say?”

“I mean. Yeah.”

Sirius blinked at him, then started laughing, finally laying down. “I love you too.”

“That’s not what I said.”

“You said it earlier, it counts.”

James hummed, pushing Sirius’s hair away from his face then resting his hand on Sirius’s neck. “At least you won’t have to do it again, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Hey…” Sirius made a little questioning noise. “Marry me?”

“James, we’re barely seventeen.”

“Fine, then don’t marry me until we’re barely eighteen.”

“Oh no, you don’t get to decide that. You proposed, now deal with the consequences of marrying before we’re out of school.”

“Oh sure. The horrible, horrible consequences of being married to you. What ever shall I do.”

[seriouslyblacklikemysoul]

“Brisé, pourtant vivant”- Part I - S.B.

A/N: Hello people! This is my first attempt writing fan fiction. So, naturally, Sirius Black it is.(x OC) I would love to receive any kind of feedback! Feel free to drop by and let me know if you liked it. Also, you can send me your requests.  [Warnings: Firstly, my English…since it’s not my native language. And then we have triggering thoughts(maybe?) and swearing. (Age gap?) Let me know if there is anything else] {I don’t own the gif/ Credits to the original owner. Also… to her highness J.K Rowling.}

PART II 

I looked up at the night sky. Times were getting dark again.I was around 8 years old the last time I heard that name. Before today, that is. It has been fourteen years since then. Voldemort is back. And so is the Order. I wasn’t aware of Tonks talking to me. I wasn’t paying any attention. My mind was wondering in everything awful I had witnessed. Two bodies. Two innocent Muggles. Murdered by Deatheaters. My “parents”. Poor excuse of a family.     “Trueblood, are you even listening?”, Moody’s voice said rushing me out of my mind. Of course I wasn’t. How could I be? Without waiting for an answer, he turned to the others and explained every detail of his master plan to get Harry to Grimmauld Place.     “Trueblood wait for us there”. After all this time, you would think that I had developed immunity to all the horror my family was spreading. But no. I couldn’t seem to be able to handle it. And that’s why I wasn’t even thinking about rebelling against his words. I was not okay. I just nodded, gaining a few worried glances. They were preparing for departure. I turned around, ready to apparate. “Rose are you alright?”. I turned on my heel and saw a very concerned Remus. “Yeah”, I simply answered, forcing a small smile. But it was too painful, that it fell almost immediately. Which didn’t go unnoticed. “It’s not your-”. I did not give him a chance to finish his sentence. “fault? Yeah”, heard it all before. But it was my fault. So fucking much. I shrugged it off and apparated inside the Grimmauld Place.     I was greeted by the most awful sounds. Walburga’s portrait was screaming once again. “Shut up” I spat out, in such a flat tone that I barely recognized as my own. Much to my surprise, she did. And she never shuts up. Ever. “That’s a first”. I didn’t have to turn around to realize who it was. I felt silly. Like I- “Hey” was all I could master. I knew that it’s kind of rude to have your back turned on people… Merlin, why was it so difficult? Reluctantly, I faced him. That was a mistake.     His gray eyes were piercing through mine. But not in the way I wanted. “What happened?” he asked in a hushed voice so Walburga would remain quiet as he gestured away from the portrait and towards the kitchen. I nodded and followed suit.     Another unpleasant voice. Kreacher. “Filthy little blood-traitor. As good as a mud-blood. My poor mistress…” he murmured to me. I just sighed. That was something I could take. However, Sirius… not so much. “Out” he ordered him. After a hateful glance, Kreacher left… probably to go and adore Walburga. “I’m sorry about him” he said sincerely. “It’s okay. I mean, in order to get offended by him, I would actually have to value his opinion. Which I don’t” I simply stated while I sat down.     For a brief moment, I felt his gaze upon me. It sent shivers down my spine. But the moment passed. “So… who killed those Muggles?” he asked casually, while he poured himself a fire whiskey. I needed something much stronger if I was to survive this. “My beloved parents”. My tone might have been casual but I felt like someone was ripping my heart out, forcing my lungs to shut down and stop working.   Let me explain. I am a Trueblood. Once, I belonged to the most ancient house of pureblooded wizards and witches. “Toujours sang royal” was the moto I had to keep living up to for so long. The Trueblood line is a bloodline of queens and kings. Royalty. Crème de la crème. All of them were always sorted into Slytherin. Always. They also had a tendency to be extremely good at mastering the Dark Arts… meaning that when Voldemort rose, they were by his side. Every time he was on the rise… every time he was in the fall. Unlike a Malfoy, a Trueblood will stand their ground. So damn proud, egotistical and evil. They enjoy torturing innocent people… they enjoy killing without second thoughts. They enjoy being… exactly who they are.     And then, there was me. I wasn’t sorted into Slytherin but Ravenclaw, while my best friend was a Weasley. First strike. I never gave a flying fuck about blood statuses. Second strike. I refused to become a Deatheater. Third-and final-strike. I ran away when I was sixteen. I got disowned. I never wanted to see them again. Yet, here I was, trying to ignore the familiar pain. Even though they had used the cruciatus curse on me many times, I still struggled to recollect myself every time I knew they used it on someone else. Blood purity and bullshit. Why couldn’t they see that we all bleed the same red, sticky substance? What else was there to it? I was so lost in my thoughts…which, of course, led me to stare into space. Eventually, I gained conscience, blinked a few times and looked at Sirius, only to find his eyes already fixed on me. I shrugged and tried to look anywhere but near him. “You do know that this is none of your fault, right?” he asked-stated, his eyes spreading fire inside my mind. I finally found the courage to look at him. It was my fault. It was every bit my fault.   “But it is. I had a chance to… to eliminate them… and I didn’t” I said in what came out as almost a whisper. His eyes widened instantly. And I looked away once again. It was true. I had a chance to kill them, a year ago… but I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t bring myself to actually do it. “Rose”. The way my name sounds falling off of his lips… demanding me to look at him. But I- how could I? “Rose”. I wanted to scream at him to stop. Stop torturing me. Because I was an idiot. Out of the blue, a firm hand grasped my chin, forcing my head up. I was electrified by his touch. “I am weak” I blurted out, keeping my eyes closed. His hold on my face tightened. “You are not weak. What was asked of you was simply wrong. You are not weak Roza”. My eyes shot open at the sound of my nickname. Well, it was only him, who called me that, anyway. I got lost in his eyes. For a split of a second, I almost forgot. And then everything came back in waves. Wave after wave… crushing me. How could anyone see me like that? Moreover, how could he? I had to constantly remind myself that he only saw me as a friend… at best. How could I be so stupid? How could he actually return any of my feelings? He was thirteen years older than me…and he was Sirius Black for fuck’s sake. I didn’t even stand a chance. I never did and never will. And that was going to be okay at some point. I guessed.   I removed myself from his grasp and stood up, trying too hard not to touch him, even by accident. I must have looked stern, to say the least. But it was better for him to think that than anything else. La douleur exquise… It felt just like drowning but you won’t fucking die.   “Les rois et les reines sont condamnés à perdre la tête. Tellement pour sang royal” I said, sarcasm dripping from every word, as I made my way out of that kitchen, which all of the sudden seemed too small. I could feel how confused he was but he didn’t do anything to stop me from leaving. And deep down, I wanted him to stop me. Who was I kidding? So much for royal blood, Rose.

Brisé, pourtant vivant = Broken, yet alive Toujours sang royal = Always royal blood Les rois et les reines sont condamnés à perdre la tête. Tellement pour sang royal = Kings and queens are condemned to lose their heads. So much for royal blood 

Part III

Part IV

Part V (smut)

[amarauder]

chapter twenty-two ❥ original

it’s a hate-love thing original version.

james potter x reader.

"I got fifteen O.W.L.s!" gushed y/n, as she hugged Alice at King's Cross. "Can you believe it? FIFTEEN!"

"y/n, calm down," laughed Alice. "It was obvious that you'd get the highest number of O.W.L.s. Be happy that you don't have to take the N.E.W.T.s this year." She made a face.

"And you made Head Girl! That's wonderful!"

"Yeah, but guess who's Head Boy?"

"Who?"

"Longbottom! As if he hasn't already caused me enough pain, the git."

"Are you still going out with Sturges?" asked y/n nervously.

"Well, duh. I really like him. I mean, I know I'll never be able to love him like Frank, but he's all right."

"So will you say 'yes', if you asks you to marry him?"

Alice furrowed her brow and thought for a moment. "Maybe."

"Oy, n/n!" cried Arabella, waving her arms wildly at her friend. "Alice! C'mon, the train's leaving in five minutes!"

The three girls hurriedly went through the barrier between Platforms Nine and Ten, and hopped onto the scarlet train just in time. They found Jennifer and Violet already in a compartment, and joined them.

"Fifteen O.W.L.s, y/n?" cried Jennifer excitedly. "Oh Merlin, that's fantastic! I got twelve."

"That's great. What about you, Vi?"

"Eleven. I didn't get an O.W.L. for Transfiguration, Divination, or Potions, though."

"We get to choose our classes this year," continued y/n, her e/c eyes sparkling with excitement. "I'm going to choose Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, and Potions. I am so glad that I can ditch Divination."

"I'm not taking Potions or Transfiguration," said Violet dismally. "But I got high grades in Care of Magical Creatures, and that's perfect for working in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures."

"That's what Amos is going to do, too," said Arabella disgustedly.

Violet turned white. "Well—er—that doesn't mean I like him, you know," she responded quickly.

"Of course you don't. Who would?"

"You did," she pointed out.

Arabella scowled. "Yes, well, I did. I don't anymore, now, do I?"

"Of course not. You love Sirius. And now you can't say that you only like him; he said himself that he loved you."

A warm flush rose to her cheeks. "Yes, I love Sirius. Jen loves Remus. Y/n loves James. It's all good, right?"

Y/n choked on the sandwich that she had brought from home. "I love Potter? As if!"

Jennifer rolled her eyes. "Not this again. Anyway, how many O.W.L.s did you get, Bella?"

"Twelve, like you. I'm going to work at the Department of Magical Games and Sports. What about you?"

"Department of Mysteries. I'd love to be an Unspeakable, you know. It sounds fascinating, and you get to learn all sorts of, well, mysteries that are concealed to normal witches and wizards."

"That's very dangerous," warned Alice. "Many an Unspeakable are being killed by Voldemort and his Death Eaters. I hear that the Dementors from Azkaban are also his followers."

"You're going to be an Auror," Jennifer pointed out. "That's even more dangerous. You're going face-to-face with Voldemort himself, or along those lines, at least."

"Yes, but the best thing about being an Auror," interrupted y/n, "is that you get the pleasure of knowing that you can save many lives by risking your own. It takes a lot of endurance through the training, but it's worth it."

"It's a great sacrifice," said Violet softly. "Are you sure you want to become one, Y/n?"

"Of course, Vi. It's been my dream. Too bad I have to go through training with Potter."

Arabella laughed. "Go through training with him? You'll be married to him by the end!"

Y/n shot a look at her best friend. "Will not."

"'Course you will. You're destined for each other, and you know it."

"I know it, but I'll do anything to prevent it from happening."

"What about poor Harry then, huh? Will he never live?"

"He may as well have a different Mum, if I'm concerned," she snapped back.

Alice looked taken aback. "Oh, so you want James to marry someone like Deanna?"

"Her? I don't give a damn—"

"Ha!" cried Jennifer triumphantly. "And you call us with bad language!"

Y/n glared at her. "Oh, shut up, Jen."

"I won't!"

"Jen..."

"Oh, shut it, both of you," said Arabella wearily.

"May we join you beautiful ladies?" said a familiar voice from behind them.

The five girls turned around and saw the Marauders and Frank standing right outside of their compartment.

"Sirius!" Arabella flung herself into her boyfriend's arms, and crushed his body onto hers painfully.

"Bellsies—can't breathe—"

"Oh, right." She let go looking flustered and ignored the snickers that followed. "Hi, Frank." She waved to the gangly-looking Head Boy behind Peter.

"Arabella," acknowledged Frank with a nod of his head. "Y/n, Jennifer, Violet...Alice." His eyes brightened.

"Well, I'd better get to the prefect carriage," said Alice quickly, standing up and letting her loose golden curls fall onto her shoulders. Her blue eyes scrutinized Frank carefully. "You'd better go, too, Longbottom; you're the Head Boy."

"Right." He nodded and followed her out of the compartment, waving after the eight sixth-years.

"Poor guy," sighed James, shaking his head slightly. "His heart's breaking every moment of this."

"Didn't know you cared, Potter," said Y/n coldly.

James turned his hazel eyes onto Y/n's e/c ones with a fixed look that made her shiver. "I'm not as cold-hearted as you think, L/n. I have compassion, and I have care. Frank has been my neighbor and good mentor and friend for nearly my whole life. I care about how he feels; and right now, he's feeling terrible and guilty all at once."

The girls stared at him in awe, while the other three Marauders exchanged approving looks with each other and simply beamed at James, who was still staring at Y/n intently.

"Stop staring, Potter," she ordered, after a while.

"Why?"

"Why are you staring at me?"

"Because you're beautiful." James smiled sadly. "Can we share this compartment with you?"

"There are others. Why don't you share one with your fans? They'll be more than willing to make room."

He shook his head again. "I don't care about those girls; they're idiots with empty heads, all of them. Besides, we let you share our compartment last year on the train ride back home, remember?"

Y/n did indeed remember, and she silently cursed James for remembering as well. However, it wasn't only his sharp memory that she was in a quandary about; it was his attitude itself. He no longer had that egotistical and condescending personality, which usually made people around him feel more inferior. No, he had a brisk and genial air about him now. He walked confidently, yes, but didn't have that cold stare when passing by people who dressed shabbily; in fact, he had something in his eyes whenever he passed the less fortunate ones—pity. Y/n found it exceptionally hard to adapt to this immediate change.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked softly.

"Doing what?" said James, looking thoroughly confused. "I didn't hex Snape or anyone coming here, if that's what you mean."

"No, no." She shook her head firmly. "Why aren't you acting all snooty and patronizing?"

James blinked. He knew that he had this question coming. But what really puzzled him was the realization that he had acted all bratty throughout his last five years at Hogwarts. And that people expected it of him as well. A guilty feeling spread through him as he saw Y/n, the love of his life, thinking how he had suddenly turned nice. But hadn't he always been nice? The Marauders liked him—and many of the girls at Hogwarts had crushes on him. But he realized that the latter only liked him because of his looks. He sighed dismally.

"What's wrong?" Y/n pushed.

"I just...never knew that I've acted like such a prat for the last five years. I mean, you've told me that I've been a prat for hundreds of times, but those comments just bounced off me. And now I guess I'm more sensitive."

She snorted. "You, sensitive? I highly doubt it." But Y/n regretted saying it when she saw the apparent hurt in James' eyes.

"Well," said Sirius, breaking up the "moment", "can we share this compartment with you or what?"

"Yes," said Y/n, her eyes still glued to James' sad eyes.

"Thank you. My legs were about to fall off."

Arabella punched his arm. "Don't be so tactless," she hissed. "Can't you see that Y/n and James are having a moment? It hasn't happened since first year!"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "They were snapping at each other again. Some moment."

Remus gave Arabella a "don't even bother" look, inclining his head toward Sirius.

"I don't like you," said y/n flatly.

"I know you don't," replied James airily. "Why should you? I've been an arrogant and bullying prat for the last five years. I'm surprised that Remus and Peter can still handle Sirius and I." He winked at his best friend.

She narrowed her eyes. For a minute there, she had thought that James had changed. But he had that same egotistical aura.

"You haven't changed a bit," she spat.

He merely shrugged and smiled again. "You can't expect me to be studious and staid all the time, do you? We Marauders need to have fun in life...and I intend to have it while my life lasts. After all, I only have five years left of my life."

"As do I," said y/n in a hard voice. "But I prefer spending my life on grades."

He stared at her in disbelief. "That's boring!"

"Oh? And I suppose you find it great entertainment to be torturing Snivel—Snape."

James grinned roguishly. "Nah, torturing Snape doesn't mean much to me now. Why bother the git? He'd be wasting my time anyway."

"Since when have you been so philosophical?"

"Will you guys shut up?" growled Sirius, rubbing his forehead. "I never knew you were so boring, Prongs. We should be talking about those hot girls from Hufflepuff."

James rolled his eyes. "First of all, Padfoot, you have a girlfriend. Second of all, there are girls here, and I'm sure they wouldn't take too kindly, hearing us talk about girls. Third of all, I've no interest in those girls that you call 'hot'. You know my heart belongs to one beautiful Gryffindor, and her only."

Remus, though keeping a calm composure on the outside, was grinning like mad on the inside. James was doing a wonderful job not being so arrogant, that the former actually wondered if James had really changed, instead of just keeping an affected personality to gain y/n's love.

"Has my best friend gone mad?" whispered Sirius, poking Remus.

"He's changed," said Remus softly, "for the better. His love for y/n made him more humble."

"But—but—" spluttered Sirius. "Prongs isn't supposed to be humble! The Potters are one of the most prominent and wealthiest pureblood families in the Wizarding world. He has everything he wants. Why is he humble?"

"Because y/n's unrequited feelings for him is making him realize that even the wealthiest people cannot get what they want all the time. He wants y/n to love him, but y/n's playing hard-to-get. That's what's making him be—well—like a normal guy, instead of stuck-up like you, Padfoot."

Sirius scowled. "Hey! I'm not stuck-up!"

Jennifer snorted. "Yeah, right."

"I'm not! And you belong to Remus."

She raised a blond eyebrow. "Is that so? I'm a piece of property, like a wand? That's nice to hear."

Remus couldn't restrain himself any longer; he burst out laughing before all eight of them.

Peter looked positively alarmed. "Am I missing something?"

"Moony's gone mad," said James in wonder.

"I have not!" exclaimed Remus, still chuckling.

"Then why are you laughing?" asked Violet skeptically.

"Can't a wizard laugh once in a while?"

"If he has a reason, yes," said Jennifer coolly.

Remus promptly shut up. "I'm laughing because of you, Jen."

Her eyes widened. "Oh, yeah? So you're laughing because I'm hurting. Thanks, Remus."

"No, no! It's not like that—"

"Than what is it like?"

"I love you," he said quietly, that they could barely hear.

The Marauders' jaws dropped open, while the girls' eyes shined with tears.

"Wait to go, Moony," muttered Sirius. "Announcing your undying love in broad daylight. Such a romantic."

James worked very hard at keeping a straight face after that comment.

"You don't," said Jennifer, her blue eyes filled with tears.

Remus looked highly alarmed. "W-What? Of course I do! How can you say that, Jenny?"

She flinched at his pet name for her. "Don't call me that," she said in a steely tone. "Why did you break up with me? So you can go for another prettier and smarter girl in Ravenclaw."

"How can you even imply—"

"How can I?" she nearly screamed. "How can I? You broke my heart, Remus, with your stupid letter. I'm sorry that I sent you a Howler; I really am. But is a stupid envelope really worth a break-up?"

Remus hung his head in shame. "I'm sorry, Jenny. I just got carried away, I guess. But I guess we're a perfect couple now, since we've had a fight of our own." He smiled slightly.

Jennifer returned the smile and went over to hug her ex-boyfriend (or, rather, boyfriend). There was a chorus of "Aww's" and sniffles between the other six friends who watched the scene with great interest.

"Moony's lucky," said James to himself. "He has the girl of his dreams. So does Sirius. Only I don't."

"Who is the 'girl of your dreams', Potter?" asked Y/n curiously.

"I don't think you'd care if you knew," he replied. "You'd laugh."

"No, really."

"I won't tell. It's a secret between us Marauders and Frank, though your friends could probably guess within a nanosecond."

Y/n leaned over to Violet and whispered, "Who does Potter like?"

Violet looked at her with interest. "Oh, you mean love?"

She rolled her eyes. "Potter can't love."

"Yes, he can."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Who is it?" demanded Y/n impatiently.

Violet gave a toothy smile. "You."

"Excuse me?"

"James loves you, Y/n. Has ever since our fifth year, when you told him to stop hexing Snape in the corridor, and when you accidentally told him that you 'liked' him."

Y/n's mouth dropped open in surprise, as her e/c eyes widened. Whatever Violet was about to say, she was definitely not expecting this.

Potter likes me, she thought dully. Out of all the girls he could've fallen in love with, he chose me. Bookworm Y/n L/n, who studies too much for her own good. He just had to choose the girl who hated him.

"Y/n?" Violet peered at her. "Hello?"

"Wha—What?" Y/n jerked out of her daze, startled. "Where's the Snitch?"

"Excuse me?" She laughed. "Were you thinking of Jamie dearest again?"

"I'd never!"

The compartment slid open, revealing a handsome boy, whom they vaguely recognized as the Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain, and in the same year as themselves. He smiled at the girls, but his warm gray eyes were fixed steadily on Violet with a look of admiration.

"Hello, Violet," he said, his eyes still fixed onto hers. "Would you like to—maybe—go out with me sometime?"

Violet's eyes widened. "You mean...like a date?"

He smiled sheepishly. "Er—yeah. Will you?"

"Sure." She shrugged. "You're Jackson Bradley, right? Sorry, but I'm not too good with names."

Jackson grinned widely. "Yeah. You will? Really?"

Violet shrugged again. "Sure."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" He looked as if he were going to burst out singing, but decided against it after seeing the Marauders in the same compartment. He didn't want to tempt blackmail from the pranksters.

"James," he said, with a slight incline of his head.

"Jack," greeted James cordially. It was obvious that they were good friends.

Y/n smiled at her friend as Jackson left with a huge grin plastered on his face. "See, Vi? What did I tell you? Lots of boys like you! Jackson's had a crush on you since fifth year."

"Well," she said dreamily, "I guess you're not the only ignorant one."

"What's that supposed to be?" asked Y/n with a frown.

"Nothing." Violet gave James an encouraging nod of her head as the train continued to move steadily.

Y/n, to her horror, found herself staring at James Potter for the past ten minutes in the library. She scolded herself mentally for not paying any attention to her Transfiguration essay, and continued to read the extremely tedious passage about human transfiguration and how to transfigure your head into that of an animal.

"I'm glad you find me extremely charming, L/n," said James with amusement, as e/c eyes met his hazel ones.

She flushed. "Well, I am extremely sorry, Potter, to say that I don't find you attractive at the least."

James turned crimson. "Are you having trouble?" He changed the subject abruptly.

"I am, as a matter of fact. Are you here to taunt me of my poor Transfiguration skills?"

"Nah. I was just wondering if you need help. I mean, I'm fair at Transfiguration, since I have a fortunate wand."

"Fair? You get top grades in it in our year, and you've never hesitated to tell everyone that."

"Well, it's not too nice, is it? Bragging about one's accomplishments and making people feel bad."

Y/n frowned. "But that's what you're all about, Potter! You've been showing off all your life."

He was starting to lose his temper. "Oh, so that's what you think of me, eh? Someone who lives in this world just to show off his achievements and accomplishments? Well, let me tell you something, L/n. I happen to care about my family, friends, and grades as well. Sure, I don't look as if I care about my grades, but I do. I guess I just don't study too much because all this stuff comes naturally to me, as my parents and teachers say. I care about my mum and dad, and I care about Sirius, Remus, and Peter. They're like my brothers, especially Sirius, who's living with us from now on. And I care about y—" He stopped, his eyes widening and his cheeks flushed.

"Me?" said Lily gently.

James shook his head vigorously. "It doesn't matter."

"Violet said that you love me. Is it true?"

"What's it to you? You hate me."

Those words tore at y/n's heart more than she had imagined. She was hurt that James thought that she hated him...but she did, didn't she? But recently, James' unusual behavior went out to y/n; maybe the arrogant derk really did change for the better.

"I'm sorry."

"You're what?" repeated James in disbelief.

"I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? What for?"

"For hating you," she replied softly.

His angry expression disappeared. "You don't have to be sorry for hating me. I mean, I never apologized for hating you, did I?"

"No, but you've fallen in love with me."

"Don't bring it up, y/n...please."

"Why not?"

"Look, it's hurting me enough that you don't love me, or even like me, back..."

This broke y/n's heart even more, for unknown reasons. Why was she feeling this way? She hated James Potter...or so she thought. But it hurt her to hear James suffering through all this, thinking that she didn't care at all.

"Look, James, I love you," she began, "as a friend," she added, as she saw a glimmer of hope in his beautiful hazel eyes.

James smiled. "It's all right, y/n, I understand. After all, I've been a great prat; who wouldn't hate me?"

"You can have any girl you want, Potter. Why me?"

He opened his mouth, prepared to give a whole hour speech, but y/n sensed that he was going to talk a lot.

"Look, don't answer," she said hastily. "I know you're going to tell me stuff about my eyes and smile. I'll think of your offer if you can prove that you love me."

"Huh? What offer?"

"You always ask me out, silly." She winked.

His jaw dropped open and he looked as if he was going to faint.

"Prongs?" said Sirius urgently, looking at his friend in alarm.

"What?"

"You look like you're going to faint, mate. Need me to help escort you to the Hospital Wing?"

"I'm fine," he insisted.

"You're not fine, Potter," snapped Y/n.

"Oh?" He sneered. "And how do you know, Ms. L/n?"

"Because I've known you for the past five years, and I know when you're not fine."

"She's right, Prongs," said Sirius.

"I'm fine," he said, yet again. "Leave me alone!" He jumped up and ran out of the library, to Gryffindor Tower, no doubt.

Sirius looked critically at Y/n. "What did you do to him?"

"Nothing!" she exclaimed. "I just told him that I'd consider his offer if he'd stop being a prat."

"What offer?"

Her cheeks turned pink. "When he asked me to go out with him numerous times last year."

Sirius grinned widely. "Oh, you are falling for my best friend, L/n. Now, don't deny it; it's so obvious. You are head-over-heels for James Henry Potter!" He said this a bit too loudly, and everyone in the library turned to look at him, including Madam Pince, the strict librarian.

"So," said Juan Demise, raising an eyebrow, "don't think I'm good enough, eh, L/n? Going for the purebloods, are you?"

"Oh, shut up, Juan," snapped Y/n impatiently. "I'm not falling for Potter! Sirius is just being—well—Sirius. And when have you ever asked me out?"

"Last year," he replied brusquely.

"Oh, that. Well, it was because you couldn't get my best friend, so you decided to ask me, so that you can get Arabella."

Juan blushed, cringing at Sirius' cold gaze. "You're lying."

"I, a Gryffindor Prefect, lie? I though you knew me better, Demise."

"Go out with my best friend."

"What?" Y/n was taken aback. "Who's your best friend?"

"Frank Longbottom. He's just broken up with his girlfriend of two years, Alice, and he's feeling awful."

"He's with Trish Vance," said Y/n pointedly.

"So? Alice is with Sturges Diggle and Frank's about to dump Vance anyway. Since Alice is going to marry Diggle, you may as well be with Frank. He's a nice kid, he really is!"

"You're mad, Demise," commented Sirius in awe.

"Thank you, Black." He smirked. "'Sides, L/n, Frank fancies you."

"He does not! He loves Alice, and I think that they should get together. If you were his real best friend, you'd think so too."

This struck a chord in Juan, for his face turned pale white. "I've been his best friend for seven years."

"Potter's known him since birth, and has been a better friend to Frank than you."

Sirius cracked a smile. Y/n is sticking up for Prongs...that's definitely a first. Wait until I tell him!

"What are you grinning at, Black?" said Juan sharply. "Find this discourse funny, do you?"

"Leave him alone!" shrieked Y/n. "He didn't do a thing to you!"

"Oh, I thought you'd never cheat on your best friend, L/n. Now you're going out with Black?"

"I am not," she said coldly. "Sirius is my friend and nothing else."

"You are pathetic, L/n," spat Juan. "No wonder you've never gotten a boyfriend before. If it wasn't for Potter in love with you, you'd be even more down in the social status of Hogwarts."

"Out of my way, Demise." Y/n pushed past him and ran to Gryffindor Tower, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Thestrals," she said to the Fat Lady, who allowed her entrance into the common room.

"L/n?" said James gently, as he saw y/n come through the portrait hole. "What's wrong?"

"Demise..." she began, but didn't finish; she started sobbing loudly.

"It's all right, L/n." James wrapped his arm around her and let her sob into his chest. "What did Juan do?"

"Being a prat again." Y/n looked up and gave him a watery smile.

James chuckled slightly. "Figures. Don't let the git get to you."

"He said that I was pathetic, and that was the reason why I've never had a boyfriend in all my years at Hogwarts." She conveniently left out the part where Juan mentioned James.

"Don't mind him. He's just an idiot, is all. You're perfect, and I think that every guy is mad for not liking you."

She smiled. "He's right, though. I haven't had a boyfriend since...well, I've never even had a boyfriend before, period. Maybe it's time that I do loosen up and get one."

James' eyes widened. If he couldn't get y/n to be his girlfriend, then no other guy should have her, either. But before he could say another word, there was a blinding flash of light. The whole common room illuminated and three figures stumbled out of nowhere. The two sixth years stared in surprise and confusion as the light disappeared, revealing two boys and a girl.

"We're from the future," said one of the boys. "Dumbledore sent us along, 'cause—" He looked at the other boy for support.

"Because Dumbledore wants us to see the past, or something like that," said the girl quickly.

James raised an eyebrow. "Er—hello, then. I'm James Potter." He extended a hand.

"Y/n L/n." Y/n stuck out a hand as well.

One of the boys' eyes looked shocked. On closer inspection, James realized that he had the same startling green eyes as Y/n.

"You're Harry Potter!" he exclaimed rather loudly.

Y/n gasped and clutched James' arm rather tightly, though the latter secretly enjoyed it.

The redhead boy, whom they recognized to be Ron Weasley, looked over at the couple with a critical eye. "You two are supposed to hate each other," he said bluntly.

"Ron!" cried the bushy brown-haired girl sharply. "Excuse him; he's not much to manners. I'm Hermione Granger."

"We know," said Y/n, nodding, "and the red-haired boy is Ron Weasley, correct?"

"How do you know all this?" asked Harry suspiciously.

"Dumbledore told us," was said with brevity.

"How does Dumbledore know?" queried Ron, squinting. "You know, I don't think you're Harry's parents."

James rolled his eyes. "Oh? Then who is? Arabella Figg and Sirius Black?"

Y/n snorted, while the other three stared in shock, and glanced at Harry nervously.

"Oh, sorry," said James, noticing the look on Harry's face. "Sirius died, didn't he?"

Harry nodded mutely. "He was like—like the father I never knew. He was both my mother and father, and my mentor. He was always there for me and never kept me waiting. And he was killed by Bellatrix Lestrange in an attack in the Department of Mysteries."

Hermione gasped and put her hand on his mouth. "Harry!" she hissed.

"My best friend was killed by his damn cousin?" said James incredulously. "Well, then, we'll just have to Avada Kedavra Bellatrix the next time we see her."

"Potter!" exclaimed Y/n. "It's bad enough that we know this piece information! But to actually change the future—?"

"All right, sorry. Anyway, I'm James Potter, and this is Y/n L/n, my future wife. Need to know anything else?"

"Was it true, what Snape said before?" asked Harry quietly.

"Snivellus? That git? I don't know, what did he say?"

"You've always hexed him at Hogwarts," continued Harry, unfazed. "Was it true that Mum hated you?"

James glanced at Y/n and then back at his future son. "Well—er—she still hates me at this moment, but—"

"I don't hate you," Y/n interrupted, blushing.

"You don't?"

"No. I told you I loved you as a friend, didn't I?"

"See, Harry," said Ron, looking delighted. "I told you your mum and dad never hated each other. You're just worrying about nothing. See, your dad, he's a nice guy. Snape was just being a slimy git as usual."

"You cursed Snape near the lake in fifth year for no reason," accused Harry, turning to James. "And y/n intervened, and she was yelling at you like mad. She tried to help Snape, but he called her a you-know-what."

James turned red. "I'm not proud of it, mind you, Harry. I'm sorry if that was the only memory that you've had of me. I'm sure I'll get better as the years pass. I'm not doing too bad myself right now."

Suddenly, the portrait hole swung open, revealing Sirius and Remus, grinning.

"Moony, Padfoot," greeted James.

"Hey, Prongs, you'll never guess what happened! Bella, Jen, and Vi all got a detention because of us! Oh, it was brilliant."

Y/n sniffed indignantly. "Only you'd think that, Sirius."

"Oh, hello," said Remus politely, seeing the future trio standing beside his friends. "Are you new? I've never seen you in Gryffindor before."

"They're the future people, Moony," said Sirius, staring at Harry in awe. "You look just like your dad, Harry."

"Sirius!" Harry flung himself onto Sirius, and the rest of them snickered at Sirius' stricken face.

"Er—why are you so happy? Oh, I'm probably dead, right?"

Harry let go of Sirius and smiled at Remus indulgently. "Hello, Remus."

"Hi, Harry."

"Where's Wormtail?" spat Ron.

"He's in detention with the girls," replied Sirius, grinning once more at the memory.

"Good."

"Ron!" chided Hermione, yet again.

"You guys would make a great couple," said James, before he could help himself. "Fight all the time, just like Y/n and I."

Harry laughed at the expressions on Ron and Hermione's faces. "That's what I keep telling him."

"Oh, yeah?" retorted Ron. "What about you and Ginny, huh?"

The Boy-Who-Lived turned crimson. "What about Ginny and I?" he said carefully.

"Oh, pur-lease, Harry! I see the way you look at my baby sister."

"Who's Ginny?" wondered Remus.

"Oh, she's my little sister," informed Ron.

"What does she look like?"

"Bright red hair, brown eyes."

"You're a very cool kid, Harry," said James reverently. "Youngest House player in a century? Unbelievable."

Harry blushed. "Thanks, James—er—Dad. What do you want me to call you?"

"James would be fine. Or Prongs. You know about the whole—er—thing, right?"

"Yeah. It actually saved Sirius from rotting in..."

"Harry!" said Hermione, glaring at the messy-haired boy.

"Sorry, Hermione," apologized Harry nervously.

Y/n smiled. "How many O.W.L.s did you get?"

"I got fourteen," said Harry, "and so did Ron. Hermione got fifteen, the highest number."

"Oh, yeah," said James suddenly, "you're the future L/n."

"The future what?" said Hermione, confused.

"You're just like L/n: studious, top grades, perfectionist, stuff like that."

"You're a close second, Potter," teased Y/n, grinning. "Top Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts in our year."

"You're top Charms."

"You two don't hate each other," said Ron suddenly. He had been silent the whole time.

y/n and James looked at each other and shrugged. "We used to."

"Why?"

"Hey, we were first years," said James defensively.

"We still hated each other in our fourth year, too," admitted Y/n.

"But why?"

"I don't know! 'Cause we were stupid."

"We have to go soon," said Hermione sadly. "Dumbledore only wants us to stay for a few hours. Time-traveling is dangerous."

"Don't go!" said James, looking alarmed.

"We have to. I'm sorry."

"B-but you can stay here forever!"

"Voldemort's in full power now," said Harry softly. "We have to help defeat him. Or, at least I have to, in order to fulfill the prophecy."

"He's gaining power now as well," said Y/n, her eyes darkening. "I thought you defeated Voldemort."

"Well, he was never really defeated when I was a baby; he just lost his body. And now that he got it back, the dark times of twenty years ago are back."

"I'm sorry," said James, "for ever being a prat. I'm really sorry, Harry. I gave you the wrong impression of how a father really should be."

y/n's heart went out to him when he said this. She knew, finally, that James Potter had really changed, but she was still uncertain that she liked him, or if he liked her. Many people nowadays told Y/n that James loved her, but she refused to believe it more than just a simple teenage crush. How little did she know that she was extremely mistaken, but it would be a year from now before she would even consider her feelings for James as love.

"It's all right," said Harry. "I'm sorry that I thought you were an arrogant person. I didn't think. But it was wrong of you to bully Snape like that."

"Yeah. It was. But I just can't help it sometimes. I mean, he's a Death Eater, for Merlin's sake..."

"He turns to our side," interrupted Hermione. "He's a double agent, spying for us."

"Really?" James looked amazed. "Never knew Snivel—Snape had the guts to do that. Wow. He should be a Gryffindor."

y/n giggled. "I never thought I'd see the day when you said that, Potter."

"We have to go now," said Ron, looking downcast.

Hermione smiled, taking a small square from her robes and held it to Harry and Ron. The three of them grabbed it, and the same bright light bounced against the room, and disappeared along with the trio.

"I'll miss them," said y/n, sighing.

"Yeah. It was great to see Harry. He looks just like me, but he's got your eyes."

"Hey, guys." Arabella, Jennifer, Violet, and Peter came into the common room, looking rather disgruntled.

"Hey. How was detention?"

"Boring and futile. What else? We did it with Wickham, so it wasn't so bad. But imagine if it was Hurst, though; it would've been hell."

"What did you guys do?" asked Violet curiously.

"Oh, nothing much. Just talked."

"Without any pranks or insults?" said Jennifer, looking surprised.

"Yeah."

"Whoa! That's way too much for me to handle."

"Oh, shut it, Bella."

"Where's Pad—Sirius and Remus?" growled Peter. "I need to get revenge on them!"

"Don't worry Peter," said James airily. "I'll help you."

y/n looked disgusted. "I thought your pranking days were over, Potter."

James tutted. "My, my, l/n, I thought you would've at least known that my prank days will never be over." With a swish of his wand, y/n turned into a toad.

"Potter!" screeched Jennifer. "Turn her back! NOW!"

"Don't be a spoil-sport, Jennifer. After all, the color suits her, don't you think?"

y/n croaked loudly, her e/c eyes burning into James'. The latter could tell that she was angry, even if she wasn't human.

James laughed, and turned her back into a person again. When Lily was back to normal, she was about to through a diatribe at James, but seeing his head thrown back in laughter and mirth, she decided against it. After all, it would be a long time before they would be smiling again.

So instead, being the good sport she was, she laughed with him. This surprised their friends, who were expecting a full-blown tirade from y/n as soon as she turned back to normal.

"Well," commented Remus, "this is different. Y/n L/n not yelling at James Potter for a prank."

"D'you know what it means?" said Violet, her eyes shining.

"What?"

"Things are looking up for both of them, just like we always wanted it to be."

Y/n and James looked at each other again, fully aware of their friends' mutterings.

"Some things never change," said Y/n to herself, smiling.

tags; @theredheadedwinchester

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