This Time, Last Time (A Harry Potter Universe Fanfiction)

13.

Like I told you, don't look backwards.

Cause now I see you here, nothing else matters.

-"Waking Up Slow," Gabrielle Aplin

July 2018

Raigan's living room had never felt more inviting than it did that Thursday night. She had the windows open so they could hear the crickets and they'd only turned on the lamps so the room seemed warm and relaxing. About ten o'clock, Piper announced that she was going up to bed. She shut her book and stood up. James sat forward, motioning out to her. She gave him a brief hug and let him kiss her on the top of the head and then went to hug her mom.

"Goodnight sweetheart," said Raigan, giving her a squeeze.

"Love you mum," she said.

"Love you too." Raigan smiled, leaning back into her chair.

Piper went into the kitchen for a glass of water. James heard her clinking around in the glass cupboard and then her footsteps going up the stairs and finally the click of her door closing.

He sunk down into the couch cushions, throwing one arm over his eyes. His other hand twiddled his wand aimlessly.

"Stop," said Raigan, "You'll set my couch on fire."

James smirked and let go of the wand. It rolled a few inches away from his finger tips down the slope of the seat.

"Rai," he said. "I have a big problem."

"Let's hear it then," she said.

James took a deep breath and let it out in a huff. "I don't know how to have a normal conversation with her."

Raigan sighed and James was pretty sure she was smiling which he found very annoying so he uncovered his eyes to check. He was correct.

"It's not funny. This is a serious issue."

"I don't disagree," she said. "I'm just not surprised is all."

"Alright, well I don't need you to agree with me. I need you to help."

Raigan laughed, shaking her head. "You've got more sass than Pipe, you know it?"

James started twiddling his wand again for something to do. He couldn't stop thinking about Elise. It was driving him mad. He'd been without a girlfriend for so long now he'd forgotten what a distraction it could be to have any sort of romantic interest in someone.

"So explain to me what's happening," said Raigan.

"I just don't understand," James began slowly. He sat up a little and frowned in thought. "I don't understand why the first time I went over to our house- I mean her house... it was so easy. And now I say hi to her and then it's like I go blank. We have nothing to talk about. Absolutely nothing."

Raigan considered him in silence. She crossed her legs and rested her elbow on the arm of the chair, leaning to one side to put her chin in her hand. "We haven't talked about this in depth, and I'm not gonna ask unless you want to tell me, so bear with my limited knowledge, alright? In my understanding, you were talking about the past, weren't you? Wrapping up what happened before?"

James frowned. "I mean, I guess so. Yeah. But what does that have to do with anything?"

"Everything," she said. "That was a conversation that probably should have happened a decade ago, but it didn't so a version of you two as a couple was still in existence, just waiting to be taken care of. But James, you're not the same person. I haven't talked with Elise, but I doubt she's the same either. You've grown up."