Smoke | James Potter

。twenty-six 。

james walked back to the gryffindor common room, muttering the password to the fat lady as he entered. remus was sat on the large sofa in front of the crackling fire, a book open on his lap. peter was fast asleep in the armchair, a DADA book falling from his lap, having clearly nodded off mid-study.

"moony." james said, almost in a panic as he sat down beside remus.

"what?" remus asked, not glancing up from his book as he turned a page.

"i have a problem." james stated.

"if you're here to tell me your glasses are broke again, go to someone else, i'm not fixing them for a third time this week—"

"no! no, it's about astra." james corrected.

"oh? what about her?" remus questioned, still looking disinterested.

"i like her, romantically." james said.

remus glanced up at him then, a bored expression on his scarred face, "no shit."

"what d'you mean 'no shit'?" james demanded, his shoulders slumping.

"it's obvious! you spend your days trying to impress her, staring at her from across the classroom with a dreamy, vacant expression on your face. you always blush when she smiles, even if it's not at you. it's so blatantly obvious, even peter realised." remus explained.

"but what about sirius?" james asked, eyebrows furrowed.

"what about him?" remus said with a raised eyebrow, confused.

"astra's his sister, what'll he think?" james hissed in a hushed tone.

"i'm not sure how he hasn't figured it out yet, but he hasn't. maybe he's been in as much denial as you have. but anyway, what does it matter? his opinion shouldn't control you and it certainly shouldn't control astra." remus hummed, looking back down at his book. "you've gotta ask her out before you worry about sirius' reaction. you might not have anything to worry about."

"i'm not sure if that statement's made me happy or miserable." james grumbled.

on the other side of the castle, astra had found harley sitting on a bench in the corridor. astra got the potion out of her pocket and held it in front of harley's nose, "smell."

"are you poisoning me?" harley asked, skeptical.

"no, smell." astra ordered.

harley sniffed, "it smells like lily."

"fuck. fucking shitting tits." astra sighed, stuffing the cork in the glass bottle to close the potion.

"what is it?" harley questioned.

"amortentia." astra mumbled.

"and why is me smelling lily a bad thing?" harley continued.

"because that means it worked." astra scowled.

"merlin, it's like tryna get blood from a stone. and you didn't want it to work because...?" harley prompted.

"because i could smell james." astra sighed, placing her face in her palms. harley chuckled. "what? what could possibly be funny?"

"the fact you're so angry over something good. he likes you back!" harley exclaimed. "you're both ridiculous, honestly. just kiss already."

"we have." astra winced as harley turned her full body to face her.

"you have? when? where? why?" harley demanded.

"we have. a few days ago. in the black lake. i have no idea." astra answered hurriedly.

"was it good?" harley asked.

"it was great." astra groaned. "it was amazingly great, harls. kill me now."

"it's not a bad thing, astra." harley assured, smiling at her. "it feels good to be in love."

"i'm not in love. do not say that." astra denied. "i can't be. i refuse to be."

harley sighed, "why can't you be?"

"because of everything that happens when i'm not in school. i'll get slaughtered, and i don't even mean that metaphorically." astra said, seriously.

"they don't have to know. if you go out with him, they don't have to know." harley shook her head.

"someone'll tell them. malfoy would." astra said definitively.

"are you genuinely scared they'll find out or are you scared that you like him?" harley asked.

"both." astra grimaced. "merlin, i sound like a 5-year-old!"

"yes, you do." harley agreed. "you might not even have to worry about it. you might not date."

"that's a point. the kiss could've just been a random impulse." astra hummed, relived and saddened all at once. "animals have it so much easier. well, some do."

"stop whining now and let's go to potions." harley stood up, offering her hand to astra, who grabbed it, rolling her eyes dramatically as she was pulled up. "it's nearly valentines, anyway. who knows what could happen?"

astra scrunched her face up in disgust at the horrifyingly pink day, "i hope an explosion happens."

{1221}