I Was Made For Loving You - James Potter

03: hogsmede

Don't ask Elodie how she knows all that.

"Els! Fancy a swim?" He stood up from the chair, smiling widely. Her heart dropped into her stomach, not swimming. Not. Swimming. From the look on his face, James could probably tell she wasn't too keen of the idea.

"I can't swim." She mumbled. Sirius snorted. "Okay, Regulus."

"Regulus can't swim?"

"Tried to take him once before Hogwarts, idiot nearly drowned in a 4ft pool. Been terrified ever since." He responded, not looking up from the ceiling. Elodie hummed, not really knowing what to say to that.

"Okay, no swimming. Got it. We'll go to Hogsmeade then." James said, taking her hand.

"At half six? We won't be able to get in and out of Hogwarts unnoticed, surely?" James just smirked and rushed up to his room without saying anything. "Weirdo." El whispered, standing around aimlessly in the Common Room.

A minute or two later, he returned holding a piece of parchment and a cloak of some sorts. "What in Merlin's Beard is that." She gestured to the cloak. "It's an invisibility cloak." James responded, like it was clear as day. Elodie laughed out loud.

"Yes, and I'm Godric Gryffindor. Seriously, James it looks dirty." He shrugged his shoulders, wrapping the cloak around him, and suddenly James Potter's entire body vanished. "What. The. Fuck." She said slowly, utterly gobsmacked. He laughed quietly. "Shall we go then?"

She gingerly took the cloak off of James, and wrapped it around. She was expecting an itchy material on the inside, but it was surprisingly silky. And sure enough, when she looked down, she was completely invisible. Elodie sighed. "Back before 9?"

"Meeting a boy I need to worry about, love?" He raised an eyebrow, grinning like a menace. Because he is one. She thought. "100%, it's... Severus. I have just been so in love with him since I first laid eyes on him in 1st year." She fake sniffled, making James laugh loudly.

"Okay, under the cloak, Juliet." She smiled at him, joining the boy under the magic cloth. "Later, Padfoot!" He called out. "Bye, Prongs. Don't get caught!"

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

"Why do your friends call you Prongs?" The two were in the streets of Hogsmeade, lights glimmering against the thin layer of snow. Elodie had been picking at a chocolate frog James had bought her when the question came to mind.

"It's just a little nickname we gave each other. Sirius is Padfoot, Remus is Moony and then Pete is Wormtail." He responded half-honestly. Sure, him being an Animagus was his secret, but he didn't want to spill too much out and reveal anything to Elodie.

"Wormtail? Pete drew the short straw, then." He grinned. Yeah, poor bastard's a rat. Though, being a small rodent has more perks than a stag, he's guessing. "I'd certainly say so." El cleared some snow off of one of the benches, and sat down to finish her frog. James followed suit, lighting a cigarette instead

"Can I?" She gestured to the cigarette. Merlin, if her parents could see her now - with James Potter, offering her a cigarette. Fuck them, she thought. She's already shaming them by breathing. May as well go the extra mile.

James handed over the cigarette, and she reluctantly took a drag, almost immediately coughing it back up. He laughed slowly, getting a glare in response. "Here, imagine it's like, a straw. But inhale after you've done it." She reluctantly followed his instructions, finding it much easier, though the tingle in her throat screamed at her.

She breathed out, watching the smoke leave her lips. "Good?" He asked. She took another drag, this one feeling much easier, and exhaled. Handing him back his cigarette, she nodded. "Not too bad."

The bell chimed, earning the attention of Elodie and James. "If you want to be back by nine for your greasy boyfriend, we best be going now." James stood off the bench, offering his hand to El. "Why thank you, your highness." She spoke elegantly, taking his hand. "Of course, my fair lady."

They eventually wound up at the castle, walking closely under the cloak back to the common room, and James escorted her back to her dorm room. "Thank you for today. I know it might not have meant much to you, but.."

"But?"

"But it was nice." She backtracked. "Goodnight, James." She smiled, and stepped away from him, closing the door behind her. Both teens, despite feeling like they both hadn't said enough, walked away from one another - knowing full well they'd lose sleep over the encounter.

——————————
!AUTHORS NOTE!
i feel like im making them catch feelings too fast but i need to move the plot