bruises - james potter

one hundred and four

Alice smiled at all her friends, a big cheery grin that reached the apples of her cheeks and shone in her eyes.

"Ten year old me wouldn't believe I have such great friends."

"We are pretty great." Cassie muttered with a smile, the others nodded and murmured in agreement.

"Ten year old me would be happy to know I fit in." Peter squeaked, Cassie sent a small smile in his direction and Peter blushed ever so slightly before looking away from her - Cassie didn't see that.

"Ten year old me would be amazed that I'm even in a school full of magic." Lily said, looking down at her wand that was resting in the green grass just besides her.

Cassie thought for a moment.

There was obviously a lot that ten year old her would've found amazing about her current life, everything about it was just the life she had dreamed for every night growing up.

There was so much that she had achieved that she didn't think she ever would've in her wildest dreams - she'd left Grimmauld Place; she'd made amazing friends and she had an amazing boyfriend; but most of all, she'd actually lived past the age of seventeen.

She was happier than she'd ever been.

"I'd punt ten year old me over a fence."

･・･☽✥☾･・･

"I'm half naked - why are you all staring at me?" Cassie asked with furrowed eyebrows as she stared over at Lily, Marlene and Alice - who were all staring at her with shocked expressions on their faces.

She was only standing in a bra and a pair of James' red gym-shorts. There was a Gryffindor lion embroidered just under the waistband and they hung low on her hips.

The four of them were getting ready for their last night in the Castle before they went back
home for the summer the next day, Cassie had stolen as many as James' clothes as she could seeing as she was going to stay with Lily. Half her trunk was full of red jumpers, random tops, shorts and grey-sweatpants that she had taken from him.

Little did she know that James had been leaving them out for her to take.

"Ladies please, I know I'm attractive but you don't need to stare." Cassie poked her slightly- bloated stomach with a small giggle.

The three Gryffindors shared a quick look before they all looked back at Cassie's stomach.

Cassie looked up at them and an uneasy smile graced her face.

"Right, you're creeping me out now." Cassie muttered and she went to pull a top on over her head but she stopped when Marlene spoke.

"Turn around."

The raven-haired girl slowly turned around so that her back was on show.

"You got a tattoo!" Marlene exclaimed, her tone a mixture of excitement and awe.

Cassie looked confused for a moment before she made an 'o' shape with her mouth and tried to look over her shoulder at where the new tattoo rested.