【Ｌｏｖｅｒ Ｂｏｙ ↠ Ｊａｍｅｓ Ｐｏｔｔｅｒ】

{CHAPTER FOURTEEN : POTIONS AND PORTRAITS}

LOVERBOY

{JAMES FLEAMONT POTTER}

The next morning, Maeve's first lesson was Potions. That meant a whole hour sitting next to the boy she had so abruptly walked away from the day before. Breakfast had gone by in a blur, everyone else had been talking about the Valentine's Day dance Slughorn had announced at the feast the previous evening, but Maeve remained in her own thoughts. When she looked up the table to where the Marauders sat, James wasn't in his usual seat next to Sirius. Lily called on her and Alice to accompany her down to the dungeons for their lesson. Maeve hesitated, was he not going to be there either? Had she upset him that much?

"Are you okay, Maeve? You've barely spoken a word all morning." Lily asked concern lacing her voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Lily gave her the 'I know you aren't fine' look and Maeve gave in. She told Lily and Alice all about her 'date' with Davey and her conversation with James afterwards.

"You just walked away?" Alice enquired.

"I didn't know what else to say. Like I told him we haven't known each other very long so what's the big deal?"

"Maeve, you know that's not true. There's just something more there." Lily said.

"Lils, I don't know if there is."

"He wouldn't have been so upset about the date if there wasn't," Alice stated.

"I just wish he'd tell me these things instead of expecting me to just know how he's feeling. I'm sick of having to piece together looks and gestures." Maeve ran her hands through her hair frustratedly.

"Did you try and speak to him about any of this?" Lily asked.

"Well... no, but I'm more forthcoming than he is." Alice was about to respond, but she was cut off by the bell for the first lesson.

Maeve took her seat beside James, he didn't look up and smile like he normally did. His eyes were laser-focused on Professor Slughorn's directions, he copied down every sentence from the chalkboard word-for-word. He didn't look over at her once. Maeve was so encapsulated staring at James that she hadn't taken in a word of what the Potions Master had said.

"Miss Brody, I am sure that Mr Potter's ear is lovely to look at but could you maybe turn your attention to Golpalott's Third Law, as it is quite a tricky concept." Professor Slughorn reprimanded, not even this warranted a glance from James.

Maeve apologised quietly and began to scribble down the notes furiously.

"You can borrow mine to copy up after class. We both have a study period next, don't we?" James whispered his eyes still not wavering from the board.

"We do, thank you. You're a lifesaver." A small smile formed on the speckled boy's face.

At the end of the lesson, Slughorn announced that each pair would need to research and do a presentation on a poison and its antidote, Maeve and James were assigned Weedosoros. As the bell went to mark the end of the Potions class, Lily rushed over to ask if Maeve wanted to join her in the Library for the next hour. Maeve apologised and explained that she was going to go with James, Lily raised her eyebrows in surprise. After what the brunette had told them before the lesson, their studying together was certainly not what she expected. Lily and Alice walked out together, leaving James and Maeve alone in the classroom.

"I assume you don't want to go to the Library."

"If you want to go there we can." His eyes wandered around the room, still refusing to meet hers.