willow───james potter

07 | wallflower

'AND AFTER THAT, the plan worked perfectly! Gwenog passed the Quaffle to me and wham! Another goal! And then -'

'Good job, mate,' Sirius interrupted with a laugh, breaking off James' fourth retelling of tonight's Quidditch match. Isla was tugged into the crowd as she fought her way across the common room; she was nearly at the stairs when a hand brushed against her wrist, and she was spun around to be faced with James.

Although he seemed rough and boyish on the outside, along with the arrogance lining his collarbones, every time he touched her, it was surprisingly soft. It ignited the memory of her crying into his arms, the recollection warming her cheeks like a hot, sensual flame.

They had, of course, never mentioned the incident in the library - she had taken the book and shoved it under her bed, planning to deal with it when she was ready, and she and James instantly snapped back to normal (he'd winked at her from across the classroom and she'd told him to jump off a cliff). Still, every interaction seemed laced with something delicate, something warm and vulnerable under the surface.

'So,' he said, jolting her from her reverie, 'you're coming to the afterparty, right?'

She hesitated. 'Oh, I don't know ...'

'Come on,' he grinned. 'What, you have a hot date tonight?'

'Sure,' she played along, a cool glint in her eye while her pulse spiked wildly. 'He just turned up earlier than I expected.'

James took a step back, eyes sparkling in surprise with a Venus iridescence. 'Are you flirting with me?'

'What?'

His face lit up with the predictable hint of amusement. 'Oh, no - don't stop now, I liked it.'

'Don't get your hopes up, smartass,' she glowered. 'I don't flirt.'

'So, this is how you talk to all guys? I'm starting to get a little worried here, Vix.'

She let out an irritated huff. 'Give me a minute,' she murmured, voice slightly too breathy for her liking. 'I'll be downstairs in a moment.'

The boy grinned and tucks a stray curl back behind her ear. 'Come back to me, Isla.'

Once up in her dormitory, it took Isla a moment to regain her composure. Because James kept messing with her head, and she was positive he was messing with her feelings too, because, well - it had been over a week, and he still hadn't given up this charade.

Dangerous.

She took a deep breath and walked down the stairs, finding the party in full swing. The sound of a Muggle band washed over her senses - courtesy of Sirius Black, she assumed. As she was tugged into the push and pull of the crowd, she had to physically shake her head to rid herself of the image of James smiling softly at her, his touch lingering under her jaw as he tucked her hair behind his ears.

James. Where was he?

'Hey,' she called over the music, fighting through the crowd to find Remus and Sirius. 'Have you seen James?'

Remus shook his head. He still looked slightly ill, the enchanted light falling on waxy skin and tired eyes, a few fresh scars lining his body in thin pink ribbons. 'We assumed he was off somewhere bothering you.'

'But then again,' Sirius said lightly, 'he's been less predictable these last couple of weeks. Like a different person.'

Isla laughed slightly. 'What do you mean?'

'Since you come to Hogwarts, it's weird ... he's acting different now.' Remus shrugged. 'Less of a prat.'

She inhaled sharply, feeling her cheeks colour. 'I doubt that has anything to do with me,' she said.