Wonderwall || James Sirius Potter

24.

James woke up to a tapping on his window. His eyes remained squeezed shut stubbornly. The tapping continued. It was persistent and became louder by the second. James flipped himself over, still keeping his eyes firmly shut, and clamped his hands over his ears. This wasn't as helpful as James had hoped, he could still hear the tapping loud and clear.

Finally, James convinced himself to get out of bed. He dragged himself over towards the sound. He blinked his eyes partially open and found an owl tapping it's beak against the window. He recognized the owl instantly as Teddy's.

He wondered why the owl was at his window so early on a friday morning. Why hadn't the dumb owl just dropped off his letter at breakfast like all the other owls? He thrust the window open and allowed the offending owl into his dorm. He glanced at his still sleeping roommates and the barely lightening sky outside. He scowled at the owl.

"You've always been a rather impatient thing." He muttered in annoyance. Teddy's owl had landed on James bed post and sat there blinking at him. It screeched at him. "Alright, alright. Be quiet would you? You'll wake everyone in the castle." James muttered at the owl and untied the letter. The thing let out one last screech and flew out the window. James shook his head and closed the window after it.

He opened the letter from Teddy and read.

Jamie,

Hope we are still on for Hogsmeade next weekend. I was thinking we could meet at the 3 Broomsticks around 11:30? I promised Vic I'd see her at 2 so I'll have to leave before then.

See you,

Teddy

James rolled his eyes at Teddy's words. Of course he was going to run off and do whatever Victoire wanted. He'd been like that for awhile. Ever since Victoire and Teddy started dating a couple years ago they'd been practically inseparable.

James knew it'd be impossible for him to get back to sleep at this point and decided to go to the quidditch pitch. The sun had just began to rise and he liked the idea of flying with the pink and orange hues of the sky.

He grabbed his broom and ran for the pitch. He'd write Teddy and confirm they were still on after breakfast, but for now all he cared to do was fly.

Cassie was eaves dropping. She wasn't proud to admit it, but honestly she had no other choice. After all Marie Selwyn had said the words "James Potter" and "sexy" in the same sentence. As one of James' best mates Cassie owed it to him to listen and relate the conversation to him later. Really, she was honestly only interested in being a good friend.

Her ears were strained so that she'd be able to hear the rest of Selwyn's conversation with her friends.

"Maybe if I were to like shorten my skirt and drop something in front of him…" Selwyn mused.

"Please, James Potter wouldn't notice you if you stood in front of him naked and tap danced!" One of her friends sighed in disgust. "He's way too obsessed with himself-"

"Or with following Cassiopeia Malfoy like some sort of lost puppy." Another of her friends chimed in. The group of 5th year girls all muttered upset agreements at that. A couple of them snuck glances Cassie's way. She quickly averted her gaze to her food and pretended to laugh at something Layla had said. She scooped some of her food into her mouth and prayed to Merlin that the girls hadn't seen her gaze on them. It seemed they hadn't as they continued their conversation, cluelessly.

"Maybe I could slip him some love potion." Marie spoke thoughtfully.

Cassie hoped her friends would tell her she was crazy. However, she was unable to find out the other responses. A group of boys sitting between the sixth year and fifth year girls had began a small, but incredibly noisy food fight just at the wrong time. Their racket interrupted Cassie's eavesdropping completely. Cassie cursed the 2nd year boys in her head for being so immature.

Cassie scowled at the boys and stood from the table. Hannah and Layla glanced up at her in question. She shrugged and waved at them as she left the room. They glanced at her, but merely shrugged and went back to their food.

The girls knew that Cassie wasn't a person who needed much prompting to talk usually, so if she didn't talk, then clearly she didn't want to and it wasn't their business to ask. Cassie was grateful for friends who knew her so well.

She had to find James. He had left breakfast before his friends that morning and she had no idea where he'd gone. She froze for a minute and began wishing she had the Marauders Map. Of course to get the map she needed James...

Lucky for her, Alfie came around the corner at that moment. Sometimes she loved how things worked out.

"Alfie!"

"Hey Cassie." He walked over with a grin on his face. "What's up?"

"Do you know where James is?" Her question was more forceful than she'd intended it to be.

"Uh yeah, I think he went to the owlery, he was in such a hurry he knocked his pumpkin juice all over me. I had to go ch-"

"Thanks!' Cassie cut off Alfie with a slightly apologetic smile. "See you later." She remembered to call over her shoulder as she ran towards the owlery.

She was incredibly out of breath by the time she'd made it to the owlery. She ran smack into James as he was preparing to leave.

"Cassie?" He asked her in surprised confusion.

"I- I- One sec." Cassie panted out. She held up a finger asking for patience. James stood and waited with interest. After she'd managed to catch her breath she linked her arm through James' and began to walk slowly down the stairs.

"Why'd you come all the way up here just to turn around?"

"I was coming to find you." Cassie told him.

"Oh?" He waited for her to continue, as he knew she would.

"I overheard something…" Cassie started, "Marie Selwyn, she's a 5th year in Slytherin, intends to feed you love potion."

James eyes widened incredulously. Then he chuckled.

"Seriously?"

Cassie nodded. "Yeah, I heard her say so."

"You sure she wasn't joking?" Cassie shrugged at James inquiry. "All the same I'll make sure to avoid anything given to me by a Slytherin." He chuckled.

"Okay…" Cassie let out a breath of relief.

"Are you alright?" James asked in concern.

"Fine, just didn't want you to drink love potion." They'd reached the bottom of the stairs. "I'll see you after lunch?" She waved good bye at James and ran off.

She wasn't sure why she'd felt so suddenly determined to find James. She always saw him at lunch and surely she could've told him about Selwyn then, surely she could've waited rather than run across the castle to find him. Cassie frowned in confusion at herself. She had some things to figure out.