INSTEAD, james potter [1]

Chapter Thirty-Eight

It was finally here. The day Lyra had been dreading for a year. February 14th had crept up on her and she wasn't ready. Mostly because she was terrified about what could happen and what kind of embarrassing situations she could end up in. 

Last year, James had made three completely different spectacles for her, each one more embarrassing and attention-seeking than the last. Now that they had gotten even closer lately, she was more afraid than ever. She might even go so far as to call them friends. 

She felt jumpy at breakfast, preparing for anything to jump at her and sing You Charmed the Heart Right Out of Me for her. It didn't help that James hadn't even looked at her throughout the meal, and she was getting more and more worried. 

Rabastan was sitting next to her, apologizing for leaving Lyra on her own. "Sorry that we can't have the same arrangement as last year. Platonic Valentines are hard to manage when you've got a non-platonic one. Lucinda is very persistent."

"You're joking!" Lyra giggled, only to see him grimace. He wished he was joking, too. "Lucinda Talkalot and Rabastan Lestrange. I knew she had you on her short-list, but I didn't think you'd ever say yes."

Rabastan groaned, resting his head on the table, right next to his eggs and bacon. It would have been much funnier if he had thrown his face in his food, in her opinion. "That makes two of us."

"I can't wait to see what that wedding will like. I'll be maid of honor, of course. I can imagine Lucinda will be such a... well... not the easiest bride then," the blonde teased, thinking the idea of the two together was hilarious. 

"Don't kid yourself, Lyra." Rabastan lifted his head from the table, staring straight forward. There was a seriousness in his voice, meaning an uncomfortable conversation was coming. "She doesn't have the guys to live through the life I have planned."

At that moment, Lyra felt herself hoping for a James Potter spectacle, just to keep the cruel reminder of the Death Eater life her friend had planned for both himself and her away. Then she mentally slapped herself from wishing that embarrassment on herself.

Suddenly, she realized she had been looking at the Gryffindor table, in James's direction. Before he could notice that, though, she turned away. She looked at Rabastan, trying not to think about the awkward silence between them. 

Because while Rabastan was prepared to do bad things, she didn't believe he was a bad person. She had a feeling that he just wanted to get out of his brother's shadow.  She wondered if he imagined she felt the same way about Bellatrix. 

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Lyra's worry was only getting worse and worse throughout the day. Every time she turned, in every class, she kept stealing glances at James. The strange thing was that he never look back. Not even once. 

James was completely calm and suave, smirking as he got hit on by girls or received a love letter. It happened a few times. Every time, it seemed like he got more smug. Lyra was just wondering why he was acting like she didn't exist throughout all this. 

It seemed like the only boy at Hogwarts who got more attention than James was Sirius, which she found disgusting. Her cousin couldn't be happier as he got several new love letters every class.

Remus got a bit of attention, himself. He couldn't believe that he had been asked out five times before lunch, always having thought girls found him unattractive because of his scars. Lyra knew otherwise, she had heard girls talking about him, finding the scars incredibly hot. 

Not even Peter was safe from the Valentine's craze. She was sure she had seen a girl or two talk to him, flipping their hair and handing him little love notes. Honestly, she was happy he didn't have to feel in the shadow of his friends anymore.