attached | james potter

twenty-four: going home

"Actually, it was the Astronomy tower," a familiar voice interjected from her right, and she turned to see James plopping down into the seat next to her, taking a bite of his toast nonchalantly. Sirius and Peter both sat down across from her, nodding in greeting.

"Speak of the devil," Brooklyn sighed, rubbing her forehead as she gave him an apologetic glance. "Um, what exactly happened last night? Please tell me I didn't throw up in front of anyone."

James shook his head, chuckling a little. "Don't worry, love. I took you back to your dorm before you did anything too drastic."

Brooklyn raised her eyebrows in surprise, taking in what he'd just said. He'd taken her back to her dorm? Merlin, she didn't remember a thing, but it made sense now that she'd woken up in her bed without any recollection of how she'd got there. She had to admit, that was quite sweet of him. Now that she thought about it, it suddenly struck her how James was pretty much always there to look after her when she needed it, she'd just never really realised. It made her wonder if he actually genuinely cared for her, in his own infuriating way, of course.

James furrowed his eyebrows, giving her a questioning look. "So... you really don't remember?"

She shrugged, waving her hand vaguely. "Not really. Just.. bits and pieces. It's all very hazy though."

He seemed hesitant. "So you don't remember saying anything in particular? Anything specific?"

"No, why?" She bit her lip, getting slightly worried. "What did I say?"

"Nothing," he said hastily, his expression unreadable as he turned his attention down towards his food. He seemed to be mentally debating something, but in the end, he decided against it and kept silent. Brooklyn raised an eyebrow, wondering why he seemed so distant all of a sudden, but she resolved not to ask.

James, on the other hand, felt like someone had just punched him in the stomach. He should've expected it, really. It wasn't surprising that she didn't remember telling him, she hadn't even known what she was saying at the time. People tended to blurt out ridiculous things under the influence of alcohol, and she probably hadn't even meant it. After all, why would she ever admit to having feelings for him? The mere idea that Brooklyn Jones would ever reciprocate his affection towards her was unthinkable. He'd been an idiot to get his hopes up for nothing.

A slight nudge on his shoulder brought him out of his self-pity. "Everything alright?" Brooklyn inquired curiously, biting her lip as she looked at him. "You look a little shaken."

James nodded quickly, trying to muster a convincing smile. "Fine."

She studied him for a moment before hesitantly nodding. She knew something was off, but she decided not to pry. She cast her gaze around the Great Hall, which was mostly empty. Majority of the students had already left, except about one third of them. "What time is the train leaving later?"

Remus shrugged in reply. "After noon I think. Have you packed?"

"Not yet," she admitted, shaking her head as she got to her feet. "I completely forgot about that. I should probably do it now, I'll catch up with you guys later, alright?"

"If you're late, we're leaving you here," Sirius reminded through a mouthful of bacon, somehow still managing to pull off a perfect smirk at the same time. Brooklyn nodded, rolling her eyes, and with a quick wave, she hurried out of the Great Hall.