𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗹𝘆, james potter

˗ˋ 24

"Really?" Tiger smiled for a moment, before frowning. "I think I look like a weird creature they tried to crossbreed but it went wrong."

James laughed, the antlers he was wearing jingling because of the tiny bells. "A cute weird cross-breed creature. Promise me you'll wear them?"

"And what will I get in return?" Tiger crossed her arms over her torso, looking up at James expectantly.

"My mum sends pumpkin cookies every year. We usually eat them in our room at midnight along with loads of Hogsmeade sweets and butterbeer." James started, and smiled when he saw the interest begin to grow on Tiger's face. "Suppose you'd like to be invited?"

"Suppose I would do. I'll see you later James." Tiger smiled, turning around and heading back to her seat.

"If I see you without them you will be uninvited." James called after her, and Tiger turned around, laughing.

"I would like to see you try and uninvite me Potter." The girl replied, once again making James laugh, and the tiny ring of his antlers could be heard.

Once having finished breakfast, Tiger would head to each class of her day, and not once was she seen without the headband, no matter how much she hated it.

The only time the boys saw her without it was when she appeared in their dorm, as the clock neared midnight. "I'm sorry why do you have tinfoil in your hair?" Peter asked, as Tiger entered the dorm, dressed in the same clothes which she would later fall asleep in.

"I'm half way through dying my hair." Tiger showed them the pot she was holding, then pointed up to the knot of hair that was balanced on the top of her head. "I don't know whether to fully dye it or just leave the bottom coloured."

"Do the stripy thing." James suggested, looking over. "Where's your headband?" He asked, pouting, but smiling when Tiger pulled it out of the small bag she was holding.

"Why I wore it all day, I really don't know." Tiger sat down on one of the beds, her legs crossed. "Can I dye one of you lot's hair. Rem or James? Peter and Sirius have too nice hair."

"I'm good thanks Tig." Remus replied, looking as if he had just been told to explain the meaning of life. "However, I think James would be happy to."

"Are you really-" James started, then sighed. He stood up and went to the bathroom for a few seconds, returning. "Just one little bit, ok?" He said, sitting in front of her. "I can't believe I'm letting you do this."

"It'll be fine Prongsie." Tiger giggled, pushing James gently off of the bed and onto the floor, sitting above him. "You're too tall." She grumbled, as she began to apply the mixture from the small bowl to his hair.

"You two look grossly.. domesticated." Sirius commented. "Like an old married couple." He added. "And you bicker like one too."

"So you think I'm old?" Tiger asked, not looking over at Sirius but focusing on applying the dye. "And James it won't be very bright, just saying."

"That's fine." James said, at the same time he was glaring at his best friend, who only smirked and winked at him. "And Sirius doesn't think you're old, he just doesn't have a sense of humour."

"I beg to differ." Sirius sounded more offended than Tiger had ever heard, and she could help but laugh. "My sense of humour might consist of fabulous jokes, as well as self-deprecating stuff as well because of the trauma, but it is flawless."

"Of course it is, Pads." Remus laughed, looking over at his best friend, then his cousin and James, before looking at Peter. He hadn't entirely expected it to go like this, Tiger becoming more a part of his group of friends.

He had known that she would easily get on with all of his friends, but he hadn't expected her to do it so easily, and so far, perfectly. Of course, there was no chance of James ever provoking her, and Sirius and Peter seemed to be just a comfortable with her as they were with each other.

But he hadn't expected them to grow so close so quickly, and for their usual tradition on the night of Halloween to be joined by his cousin. He hadn't expected James to ever let anyone touch his hair, but there he was.

"So how about them pumpkin cookies?" James said, when Tiger had applied the dye and covering it with the foil. "And Tiger, do you definitely know what you're doing?"

"No not really. I've never looked at the instructions." She shrugged, slipping off of his bed and placing the bowl of dye on the side. James looked shocked, and almost like he was ready to fight Tiger.

"No pumpkin cookie for you." he announced, walking over to the box of them on the table. "And to think I asked my mum for extra just for you."

"You did?" Tiger went from smirking to puppy dog eyes in seconds. And Remus held back his laugh, watching as James almost melted. And she wasn't even putting them on, she tended to have this reaction for anyone doing anything for her.

James didn't say anything, not trusting himself to speak as he gave Tiger a cookie, blush spreading over his cheeks as he offered everyone else one.

Remus hadn't expected it, but he was happy with the outcome. Probably happier than he had ever been.

The four people who cared about him the most, minus his parents, sat in one room, laughing and joking and just happy.

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