INSTEAD, james potter [1]

Chapter Fifty-Four

Hogwarts was a bit of a drag, honestly. Day in and day out were all about studying and hanging around other Slytherins, when Lyra found herself craving the company of someone else. Not that her other friends were unpleasant, it was just that she didn't really feel like snogging any of them.

The one person Lyra wanted to snog was her boyfriend, who was in another house and who wasn't actually her boyfriend in the eyes of the world. Only to her, him, his parents and their few shared friends. 

For two months, he was always around. Wherever she turned, whenever she had a nightmare, whenever she was lonely. He was always there, and she missed it dearly. Snogging in broom closets or talking in empty classrooms was no longer enough. 

That didn't mean she wouldn't do it though. On yet another day, Lyra found herself with James in a broom closet instead of going to lunch, since Lucinda had promised she'd bring her a muffin to Charms. 

Lyra breathed in the feeling of her hands wrapped in his messy hair, James's arms wrapped around her waist and their lips connected passionately until they had gone so far that they had to catch their breath. 

She had to treasure every moment they had together, because they never knew when they would have time to themselves again. So she pulled away from him, reaching out to hold his face in her hands. 

James frowned down at her, wondering what could ever compel her to stop snogging him, when that was usually their favorite activity, especially when they couldn't do it that often. "What are you doing?"

"I just have to remind you that I love you," the blonde sighed, smiling softly as she caressed his cheek with her thumb. "A lot. Even if it's hard to remember sometimes when we spend more time apart than together. 

"I love you, too. As if that isn't obvious enough," the Gryffindor grinned goofily. She then wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly as she rested her head on his chest. "Are you alright, love?"

She nodded, although it was a bit uncomfortable with her face smashed into his chest. "I just miss the summer holidays, spending all of our time together. Now we barely see each other, and when we do we just don't talk to each other."

"Well, Hogwarts is almost over. There's less than a year left, and then we'll have the rest of our lives to get sick of each other," he comforted her, lovingly running his hands through her blonde locks.

Lyra finally pulled her face away from him, and beamed up at him. She looked at his face, thinking about how much she loved him and how much that love had changed her for the better. "I'll never get sick of you."

James raised an eyebrow at her, doubtfully. He had never heard anybody say that he wasn't very tiring to be around, and he knew she wouldn't be the first to say so. "I know that's a lie because I can be pretty annoying."

The Slytherin girl tilted her head in agreement, raising her eyebrows. "You know what? You're right, you really are."

James gaped in mock offence. "Hey! That's not very nice!"

"Oh, shut up!" Lyra giggled, grabbing him by the neck and pulling his lips to hers to make him do just that. James did not argue with her silencing methods.

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Lyra had never been as thankful for her friends as when Lucinda sat next to her in Charms class with a muffin in her hand. Not only a muffin, but she had saved Lyra's favorite, chocolate chip, which were usually all taken within the first five minutes of the meal. 

She sat with the muffin under her desk, so that Flitwick wouldn't catch her snacking in class, which he had never been too fond of. At least, if she was caught, she wouldn't get into as much trouble as she would have with McGonagall (although she was still her favorite teacher).