the Horcrux Thief, james potter

x. can't play this game

As he neared a particularly precarious stack, James spotted a glint of silver. The tiara-like object sat atop a teetering mound of ancient books and enchanted artifacts. He paused, realizing the significance of the discovery.

Carefully, James extended his hand, and as Amaya taught him he focused on his magic before trying to feel the one around him. The moment he did, a surge of eerie energy coursed through him, and his stomach lurched. This had to be the Horcrux. Suppressing a shudder, James retrieved the expanded metal box Amaya had provided. Grabbing a random rag from a shelf, James picked up the diadem, careful not to touch it, and observed it.

The relic was made with silver, and on his surface James could see the words, Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure, etched onto it. Sure that was it, he shoved the diadem inside the box and enclosed the diadem within the magical confines, ensuring that the Horcrux remained contained and shielded from any inadvertent contact.

The journey back through the chaotic room felt like an eternity, each step laden with the burden of the diadem's malevolent aura. James followed the glowy footprints, his senses on high alert, wary of any unexpected challenges that might arise.

When he reached Amaya he grinned her way, winking at her, and her smile was so big it made his heart flutter. "You got it!" she exclaimed, running into his arms with a grin. And James instinctively wrapped his arms around her with a chuckle.

They left the Room of Requirements soon after exploring the room for a bit, as silently as they could with the invisibility cloak thrown over them. James' lips twitched every time he saw Amaya's eyes twinkle with excitement, the box with the Horcrux tucked inside his jacket pocket that Amaya had extended to fit the box without anyone noticing.

They'd agreed to hide the box in the cellar of the Manor warded off, Amaya wanted to create a copy of the diadem and instill it with the feeling of the dark magic so if Voldemort ever checked on the Horcrux he would find it to be there but James said no. He didn't want to risk her being sick by being close to the damn thing, and besides, Hogwarts was the safest place there was, there was no way Voldemort could personally check on the diadem

"We found one," Amaya said for the tenth time since he'd gotten back to her in the room, the smile hadn't left her face.

James smiled in amusement. "We did."

But what he wasn't expecting was Amaya to stop them in the middle of the hallway and launch herself at his arms, again, making James laugh.

"We found one," she repeated, her hot breath against his neck as he wrapped his arms around her and twirled her in the air, making Amaya giggle.

"And we'll find all of them."

He put her down on the ground, only she seemingly didn't want to untangle herself from him and instead just met his eyes, and James found his heart racing when her gaze fell to his lips.

James had half a mind to lean down, closing the gap between them, like he wished he would've done so many times that week, but he was interrupted by a ragged shout that broke them apart. The cloak had pooled by their feet and now Mr. Filch was limping hurriedly toward them on the other end of the hall.

"Shite! Follow me."

He snatched the cloak from the floor and grabbed Amaya's hand in his hand before starting to run down the familiar halls as he'd done so many times before. Only this time, Maya was with him, grinning as they ran. He led her through a less-known pathway off a main corridor and turned a sharp corner until he spotted a statue of a knight, that he knew to have an alcove with enough space behind it. James tugged her behind the statue and pulled her down.