ᴅᴀᴛᴇ ғᴏʀ ғᴀᴋᴇ → ᴊᴀᴍᴇs ᴘᴏᴛᴛᴇʀ

↳ 15: LUCKY

MUCH TO FREYA'S DISAPPOINTMENT, HER mom had sent her and James to walk the family dog while she and Froyce prepared lunch for the four of them. Her mom seemed enthusiastic about cooking seeing as she only always microwaved food for herself. Freya, however, was rolling her eyes at how amusedly James was with walking the family Rottweiler.

"You never mentioned you had a dog," James commented, a mischievous grin etched on his face as he and Freya walked side by side, the dog on the leash which he was holding.

Freya rolled her eyes. "We thought it'd be better if Mom had someone with her when both of us are away for school or at dad's. It's nerve wrecking to think of her all alone. So, we bought a dog. But I've never been fond of dogs, anyway."

James grinned wider. "Never fond of dogs, eh?"

"Do not even insert Sirius in this," Freya warned, making the bespectacled boy holler in laughter.

"He's at home, you know. He lives there, you know. And you're going to be staying there tonight, you know." James said, wiggling his eyebrows at the brunette who only rolled her eyes again.

"I know."

However, Freya suddenly changed emotion and she bit her lip. "Can I be completely honest with you, though?"

James shrugged, slightly walking faster to keep pace with the Rottweiler. "Sure, I guess."

"I don't even think I still have feelings for Sirius."

James raised an eyebrow. "Why so?"

Because I'm starting to have feelings for you. "I don't know. And even if I did or even if I still have feelings for him, it wouldn't matter anyway. We clearly aren't going to be together just as I wanted."

"So, you're saying we should stop pretending to date, now?" Freya wanted to ask why James looked so bothered with his own question but decided not to. Instead, she shook her head.

"No. I mean, we've gotten this far. You've already met my mom and I'm going to meet your parents so it would just be a little off to end this now. A little more time, I guess. Just to appease our families." Freya shrugged. "And besides, I don't know if you have been noticing but Lily has been being insanely jealous of us."

"I know. I knew this would work." James said happily to which Freya only smiled at. She felt a tug on her chest - a tug that somehow saddened her. Either James was daft or he just acted daft. He looked at Freya and matched her small smile. "She could be confessing her love any moment now, don't you say?"

Freya only hummed. She wanted to slap James for being so oblivious of her feelings. She wanted to slap herself for being oblivious of her feelings. But she wouldn't admit to being hurt. Because she felt like she wasn't although it was pretty clear she was.

Because how lucky Lily Evans was for having this amazing boy to be in love with her? Because how insane Lily Evans was for ignoring this mesmerizing boy? Freya Merse wanted to be Lily Evans, for a moment there, solely because she holds James Potter's heart and although she still would fully admit to it, she wanted it to be her holding his heart.

James noticed this and stopped in his tracks. "Hey, are you feeling, alright?"

Freya halted as well and looked at James Potter. She stared at his tall figure, his thick tousled hair, his brown eyes, and the permanent mischief twinkling in his eyes. She thought of how the whole school knows they're together. She realized how his family takes her as the official girlfriend. She pictured how those muscular arms of his were wrapped around her waist, her shoulders, and her body. She remembered how their hands intertwined as if they were made for each other. She envisioned how his lips were on her cheek, on her temple, on her forehead, on her neck, and on her lips. Even just for pretend, James Potter was hers. And though it seemed to feel selfish - thinking of her best friend as such - Lily Evans didn't stand a chance at that.

So, Freya smiled and nodded. "Never better."

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"BEHAVE YOURSELF THERE, FREYA MERSE." Fiona said as she fixed her daughters sweater, much to Freya's embarrassment, and much to James' amusement.

"Mom, I'm not a child. Stop pulling my sweater." Freya grumbled, stepping away from her mother.

"Hey, James," Froyce spoke and James turned to him. "Take care of her, okay?"

James wrapped an arm around Freya and pulled her close. "Will do, brother."

"Well, we'll be off now." Freya said a little awkwardly at how the goodbyes were being said as if she was going to move out the household. "Wouldn't want to keep the Potter's waiting."

"Someone's excited." James muttered in her ear - making Freya's body hair tingle and to subconsciously elbow James at the side.

James chuckled and looked back at Freya's mother. "It was so nice meeting you, Fiona."

"Likewise, James. I hope to see more of you soon." Fiona said with a smile.

"Bye, Mom." Fiona untangled herself from James' embrace' to kiss her mother by the cheek. "I'll be back by two days."

"You better or I'd be thinking you've eloped." her mom faked warned, making James smirk knowingly at Freya.

"Oh, trust me, Mom." Froyce spoke with a smirk. "That would never happen."

"O - kay!" Freya spoke abruptly, cutting her brother off. "We really should be going. Hun, let's go."

Freya basically dragged a chuckling James to the fireplace. They squeezed each other inside - (un)comfortably - and looked one last time at Fiona and and an amused Froyce. "Do the honors, love."

Freya rolled her eyes and scooped up some floo powder and spoke clearly, "The Potter Manor."