the girlfriend experience ━━ james potter ¹

v. pranks and penalties

James took no hesitation to make himself comfortable. As soon as Andromeda was gone for good, the boy strode into the girls' shared dorm, with his chin held high. Bronwyn shut the door and when she turned around, James had spun on his toes, his hands locked in front of his ribs, with a disgusting sense of authority.

"How did you even get in here?" Bronwyn asked since it was the only question that had passed her mind since Andromeda had announced his unexpected arrival. "Isn't this what you imagined Hell to look like, Potter?" she gestured around to the sea of green that made up their dorm room, especially the banner above her headboard with the words Slytherin Quidditch Team printed in big, bold, silver letters. "A frail soul like you wouldn't even dream of passing the Gates of Hell."

James took a second to scan the room ─ with a hint of disgust, is important to add. Not any less than Bronwyn expected, however. "Maybe in my nightmares," he mumbled, although it was perfectly clear what he had said. He recollected himself and looked to Bronwyn. "My sources are not to be revealed right now, so let's get to the point, shall we?"

"If we must."

"Remember how you questioned why I hadn't gone to McGonagall about your spying act?"

Bronwyn's head tilted to the side as she had done earlier, and her eyes squinted at the ceiling, "Not a spying act, but yes, I vaguely remember," she added bored.

"Right," James replied. "And remember how I said I didn't end up snitching because I'm a nice person and couldn't be bothered with the hassle?"

"I don't quite remember me admitting you are a nice person," Bronwyn said, her head now lolling forward as if she was about to fall asleep, "but I won't go there seeing as I would love for you to get to the point."

"Well," James nodded his head once and Bronwyn could have laughed at how high pitched his voice had got from his attempt to present himself as put together. "I have since decided to revoke my niceness and blackmail you instead."

Bronwyn gasped dramatically, placing a hand on her chest mockingly, "James Potter, what a lovely human being you are."

James now crossed his arms, "I won't tell McGonagall that you're conniving, cheating rat if you help me out with something."

"Dear, dear, we do need to get you some lessons in decency," Bronwyn said, before walking over to her bed, and resuming the position she was in before James Potter ruined her afternoon. "I'm not doing anything for you, Potter, so I suggest you leave now before I scare you off with the den of snakes from down below. Sound like a plan?" she smiled caustically, picking up her book, bringing her knees to her chest, and stuffing her head in her pages, with hopes he might see her as preoccupied and leave her alone.

"Need I remind you," James continued on, strutting over to the foot of Bronwyn's bed so that he could address her dead-on, "that McGonagall is particularly protective over her Quidditch Squad. I hardly think she'll let a cheat like you off easy. You did after all jeopardize her team."

Bronwyn sighed, and flicked over a page uninterested, "You are insufferable, you know that right?"

"It's my speciality."

Bronwyn would have liked to have said that she immediately said that she didn't care before kicking him out and feeding him to the gang of Slytherins in the common room. But she did care because he was right. Fuck it, he was right. Ex Gryffindor Quidditch Chaser, Minerva McGonagall wasn't going to let a Slytherin spy off easy. Even if Bronwyn wasn't spying ─ which she totally wasn't ─ the Transfiguration teacher was obviously going to favour James over her, no matter if old Minnie denied her favouritism. If Bronwyn wasn't careful, she could lose her Quidditch spot.