Lions Inside¹ | James Potter

three

"Thanks. Sofia is my grandmother and Mia is inspired by Euphemia. I'm glad I didn't get the full name though, that's a bit of a mouthful," Andrea said, heading for her trunk and opening it.

"As in Euphemia Potter?" Corinna blurted out, making everyone turn to her. She rolled her eyes. "Oh, so what I know James' mother's name. Our parents are friends!" she defended. Andrea chuckled and lifted the lid off her trunk, pulling out the things on top. Marlene pulled the desk chair over and peered into the trunk with her.

"Yes. Exactly like Euphemia Potter. My mum and she are best friends," Andrea explained. "So that's how you know heartthrob Potter?" Marlene asked, picking up a picture of Andrea with her parents. Andrea snorted at the nickname.

"Heartthrob? Hardly." "No. He really is," Mary added. "Him and Black. Although Black is much, much worse. Isn't he Marlene?" At the question, Marlene turned red and busied herself with helping Andrea pull out pictures from her trunk to hang on the walls and her picture frames.

"I don't know. When you've seen someone cry because their sneeze made them blow out their birthday candles before they could make a wish it's hard to picture them as anything other than a big cry-baby," Andrea considered, thinking back on her memories with James.

The other girls laughed at the insight into James' childhood. They controlled their laughter and Lily sat down on the bed next to Andrea's.

"OK. Important question; was this from an age where crying over candles is appropriate or was it like, two or three years back?"

Even Andrea chuckled lightly at that, picturing a thirteen-year-old James crying over his cake. "No. I think we were about five at the time, maybe six." Andrea thought back, trying to remember when it had happened.

"Wow. You guys have known each other for ages," Mary said, whistling lowly. Andrea nodded. "Ten years, to be exact. We celebrated our ten-year friend-aversary when he and his family came to visit us this summer."

"Answer me this, how were we stuck in a compartment together for that many hours and you failed to mention that you knew the most popular boy in our year," Lucretia said, dramatically falling onto Andrea's bed.

"Second most popular. I'm pretty sure Sirius is more popular," Marlene argued, blushing slightly.

"Who cares?" Mary groaned. "The important question is, what dirt do you have on Potter that we can eventually use against him," she said, trying for an innocent smile as she wrapped her arm around Andrea's shoulders, only her innocent look failed as her malice showed in her smile.

"More dirt than I care to admit. And I'll probably spill for the right price," Andrea challenged back. "Wanting something in return. Respect," Mary said, nodding along with her.

Marlene picked up a framed photo of Andrea and James covered in birthday cake when they celebrated their fourth birthday together.

"Aw! Look at cute baby Potter with frosting up his nose!" Corinna cooed, grabbing the picture from Marlene. "I know. He looks so cute there. What happened?" Andrea said, shaking her head.

"Whose birthday are you celebrating?" Mary asked, studying the framed photo with Marlene. Andrea looked over. "Both of ours. James is born one day after me, so we celebrated most of our early birthdays together," she explained to the group.

"Woah. You've been connected for life," Corinna chuckled. Andrea pulled a Quidditch poster out of her trunk and smiled to herself. "As long as I can remember."

Andrea went back to unpacking and the others kept chatting away, teaching her about the different Houses, Professors, couples, and their dramas, and best of all, how they get to visit Hogsmeade now that they were in Third Year. As it got late, they all bid her goodnight and headed to their own dorm.