Happy Memories // James Potter

vii: 10.8.1977

"And little by little, she found the courage for it all." - JH Hard 

Saturday, October 8th, 1977

I can hardly see straight as I make my way back towards the castle, small tears having dripped down my face and clouded my vision annoyingly.

"Ophelia, wait." Someone calls after me, a voice I can't help but recognize despite the considerable distance.

Without thinking, I turn around and run towards him, throwing myself into his arms at a considerable speed, nearly knocking him off his feet.

"'m sorry, James." I find myself whispering to him lightly.

~☾~

JAMES POTTER'S PERSPECTIVE:

"'m sorry, James." she whispers, her head falling on my shoulder as I allow myself to hold her close to me. I don't know what she's apologizing to me for, not in the slightest, but I can't bring myself to say anything as I feel her tighten her arms around me. This is the second time today I've found myself holding her like this, with tears on her pretty face, and all I can think about is how desperately I want to get rid of them.

and of everything making her cry.

"Can we go back to the castle, please? I just want to lie down and forget all of this ever happened." She says after a moment, wriggling out of my hold and entangling her fingers with mine. She seems to be deflated, her snarky demeanor gone as she holds on to me and we walk back to the common room. She lets me pull her up the stairs of the boys dormitory and down the hallway to a room now familiar to me as my own, which I share, in many ways, with the others. There are four beds in the small room, each one in a different state of disarray.

I lead her back to the corner where my own bed sits, made sloppily with a blanket tossed over the end haphazardly, though it's still much better than Sirius's.

"Come'ere, cupcake." I say, sitting down at the edge of the bed and watching as she does the same, leaving a healthy four inches between us, though her hand stays held in my own. "Do you still wanna lay down?"

She nods simply as I peel back the blankets on my bed for her, watching her take a deep breath and wriggle down between the covers, though she stays sitting up. "Can I... Uhm... can I have a jumper or something? This shirt isn't very comfortable to sleep in..." She says quietly, looking anywhere but at me as I hop up and rush to my dresser, grabbing the first jumper I can find and handing it to her, then turning around as she changes into it. When she tells me I can turn back around, my eyes are almost immediately drawn to the sight of the garment sitting right beside my bed.

Or, garments. Her bra sits right on top of the blouse she was itching to get out of.

Oh fuck.

She blushes slightly as she sinks between the covers, her head resting on the pillow and her eyes shutting slightly.

"James?"

"Yes, cupcake?" I question, my voice sounding slightly different than before, though I can only hope she doesn't notice the change.

"Will you... uhm, never mind."

"What is it, sweetheart?" I question and move a bit closer to her, softening slightly as her hand reaches to connect with mine.

"I just... I feel weak... right now. Will you just... hold me? Please?"

"Of course, Cupcake. Always." I find myself saying without thought, sliding into the bed beside her as she scootches over to make room for me kicking my shoes off before laying down beside her. She turns into me immediately, letting her head rest on my bicep and urging my arm around her waist. "Go to sleep, 'Phelia. I'll be here when you wake up." I tell her, laying a kiss to the top of her head.