I Fancy You: James Sirius Potter

46. In the Forest

Daniel acted like nothing happened the next day. He was typical sweet, affectionate Daniel. I still feel like shit for hurting him though.
"What's wrong?" He asks when he's kissing behind my ear before potions.
"I still feel bad about yesterday," I tell him. He wraps my arms around his waist and kisses my neck up and down.
"Ellie, I know you didn't mean to hurt me."
"But I did hurt you. My intentions don't matter when I end up hurting you."
"Hey," he says with his finger lifting my chin. "Everything is okay. Okay? I still lo- I still want to be around you okay?" My heart nearly jumps out of my chest when he almost says it. He smiles boyishly at me and leans down for another kiss.
"Let's go lovebirds, we're skipping class," James says quietly while grabbing our arms.
"What? What are we doing?" Daniel asks.
"We're going to go investigate the forest."
"What?" Daniel and I both yell in very different tones, mine excited, his terrified.
"I got one of the aurors to give in and let us go with him into the forest today. Ellie, I want this to be your safe way to explore this issue okay? After this you will not go into that forest for this purpose." James turns to me to have some verbal conformation that I understand the deal.
"Okay!" I jump up and hug James around his neck and feel him squeeze me tightly. When he puts me back down he has the biggest smile on his face that disappears quickly upon looking at Daniel.
"Let's go," James says after clearing his throat.
I look over at Daniel who's clenching his jaw and looking straight ahead.
"Is this okay?" I ask him quietly.
"We promised to keep her safe, James. Both of us. You think this is safe?"
I look between both of them.
"This is the safest way for her to get this out of her system," James says.
"Going in there at all is going against what we said we'd do."
I sigh and sit on the grass while they argue. After a minute of back and forth between them, Daniel decides to just shut up and do this since it's what I want.
We meet up with an auror named Roger at the edge of the forest. He explains how dangerous this could be so to stick close to him and keep our wands at the ready. James and Daniel keep me behind Roger and in front of them.
For most of our walk we see and hear nothing but normal forest sounds. But then I see a flash of white scales slithering behind a tree. I nudge Roger and point to the tail disappearing behind the tree. He nods and signals for me and the guys to stay back. Both James and Daniel grab each of my hands. Roger comes back with a snake that isn't fully white like the one I've seen before. In fact this one looks friendly and sweet.
You're a friend? I ask it.
Yes. Please tell him to let me go. I don't want to hurt anyone, the little snake tells me. I smile and take the snake and set it down. Thanks, it says before slithering off.
"That little guy was just heading home or is out hunting. My snake is all white. I guess she's not going to show her cowardly face today!" I yell the last sentence. James and Daniel flinch.
"Okay, let's get you kids out of here," Roger says.
Just then my ankle is grabbed and I'm being dragged further into the forest. I scream loudly and hear the three guys behind me sprinting to keep up.
"Daniel!" I scream.
"Ellie!" I hear him speed up. Suddenly his hand is in mine, pulling me back towards him. My ankle is released and I'm crawling into his arms when Roger races past us to go find what caused that. "Are you okay?" Daniel has my face in his hands.
"Yeah I'm fine but we should probably go help him!"
"He's a professional he's fine, we need to get you out of here."
"Ellie!" James yells, he's been thrown to the ground and is being dragged now. Daniel and I jump up and race towards him. It can't drag him as easily as me because he's bigger. James holds onto a tree long enough for us to catch up and I send a stunning spell past his ankle.
It releases James and in a plume of black smoke shoots backwards. I run after it.
"Ellie no!" Daniel chases after me.
I jump over tree roots and vines with the black smoke in my sights. Suddenly I'm being pulled back by a set of strong arms. It's Roger.
"Get the hell out of here!" He screams while pushing me back to Daniel and James who grab me. James throws me over his shoulder and Daniel leads the way, both of them running as fast as they can.
"The snake!" I warn James. He quickly dodged a strike from the all white snake. Daniel shoots back a spell and the snake goes flying back. We finally reach the edge of the forest and we all fall forward in the grass, James and Daniel gasping for air. I take out a little cup from my bag and use a spell to put water in it. They take turns gulping down water.
We all lay down on our backs, the guys still fighting for deep enough breaths. Roger comes out of the forest looking defeated. I offer him some water and he gratefully accepts.
"If anyone asks, you three followed me in without my knowledge," he says staring back at the forest. We all agree then the three of us head back towards the castle. By this time, classes are done for the day and everyone is making their way to the great hall. As we all walk slowly, our heads down. I feel as defeated as Roger looked.
"Are you okay?" I ask them.
"Yeah, are you?" Daniel asks me.
"I'm fine." I look up at James who still hasn't spoken. "James?"
"I think I'll skip dinner tonight. Goodnight," he says walking towards the Gryffindor common room. Daniel and I stare after him.
"He'll be okay, Ellie." Daniel puts his hand on my shoulder. I can only hope he's right.
When we get to dinner I tell the boys and Alli everything that happened. Albus looks around for his brother so I let him know James went to bed.
"No more going to the forest," Scorpius tells me. "There's all kinds of dangerous things in there."

*v*mit tw*
James's Pov:
When I get to my dorm I rush to the bathroom and immediately throw up. I'm clutching the toilet so hard my knuckles hurt when I'm done. I sit on the floor for a minute to collect myself.
We almost lost Ellie. They almost got me. For whatever reason I'm way more freaked out about almost losing Ellie. When I get up, my head feels like it's spinning. I sit on my bed, head in hands.
"James?" I look up to see Ellie peaking through my door.
"How did you get in here?" I ask.
"Desmond let me in. Are you okay?" She sits next to me, laying a gentle hand on my knee.
"I don't know. I feel so weird." I look over at her and my head starts spinning again. "I almost lost you."
"I'm right here. I'm okay." She scoots closer to me, her hand travels up my leg.
"Ellie?" I'm a little surprised when she leans in to kiss me but I don't mind at all. I grab her and pull her on top of me. This is right. This is what I've been missing. My Ellie. She's mine.
She lifts my shirt and takes it off and I do the same to her.
When her shirt goes over her face though she turns into someone else. Long black hair covering her face, her curves are gone, her skin is pale. When I realize this isn't Ellie I throw her off of me and try to run but she has my ankle and pulls me back.
I have you now, James. You'll be lucky to survive.
"James!" Desmond is shaking me awake. I realize my throat is sore from screaming. "What happened? What's wrong?"
I look in his eyes, I look around, down at my hands. I was dreaming. Like Ellie. "We have to go find Ellie," I tell him.