When Elsie woke up the next morning, she was met by an empty bed and the lingering smell of a certain curly-haired boy. She sighed realizing he probably left to get breakfast with the boys.
She laid down in his bed a little longer, reminiscing about the previous night that she was able to remember because of the sobering actions of seeing James cry. She remembered the dancing with James, the kiss with Rory, the way both he and James reacted. Elsie turned over in the bed and shoved her face into the pillow, letting out a muffled and frustrated scream.
Not even a second later, a frenzied looking James came running into the room with only a towel wrapped around his waist. Out of breath he shakily spit out, "W-what.. what happened? A-are you okay?"
He stood there with water dripping down his body, leaving the floor below him a slippery mess.
How does he not realize the things he does to me when I see him like this? Elsie quickly sat up with her mouth open in shock. "Godric James, you look like you just ran a marathon! What's wrong with you?" she said trying her best not to let her gaze slip down his body.
"I w-was in the shower, and... and y-you.. I heard...you screamed! Bloody hell I though you were hurt!" James replied pointing his finger accusingly towards the girl.
Elsie giggled at the frenzied boy and climbed out of the bed to stand up.
"Right, well if you're done scaring me to death with your screams of bloody murder-," James began while running his hand through his wet hair.
"Oh shut it, you drama queen. It wasn't that loud," Elsie cut him off while rolling her eyes and crossing her arms across her chest. James scoffed and went to head back to his bathroom. In the process of turning around, James slipped on the water that dripped from his body and fell to the floor.
Elsie began hysterically laughing and reached out an arm to pull him up. He bashfully accepted her hand and began to stand up, his towel falling off in the process.
Elsie's face flushed completely as she stared down at his now bare body. Bloody hell, he's naked...James Potter is standing in front of me completely naked...
"Shit," James breathed out as he scrambled to get his towel from off the floor. Elsie's eyes were wide with shock, and she couldn't bring her self to look away from the wet, naked mess that was James Potter.
He picked up his towel and immediately placed it over his bare groin, an image Elsie would have engraved in her head for the rest of her life.
"Well.. erm.. I'm gonna go finish...uh," a flustered and red James began walking back to the bathroom barely managing to spit out his sentence.
Because he only had his towel placed in front of him, Elsie still had a complete view of his arse as he walked away. She decided to end the embarrassing situation with with a teasing comment in order to not let things gets awkward between the two.
"James?" She called out. "Erm, yes?" He looked back at her while nervously scratching the back of his neck.
"Nice arse," she winked with a smirk and walked out of the room.
With a blush permanently etched onto her face, she finally reached the Gryffindor common room. Because she woke up early, she had some time before she had to get ready for her classes. She headed up to the boys' dorms in hopes of talking to her friends and distracting her thoughts from what had just happened.
She knocked on their door and an already dressed Remus let her in. He looked at her curiously and asked, "Why do you look like you've just walked in on two people shagging?"
Her face once again blushed red thinking about the naked boy she just saw, and opened her mouth to tell him what just happened. Before she was able to get a word out, the two were interrupted by no other than Sirius Black.
"Oi, have any of you wankers seen my black trunks?" he announced as he opened his curtains and jumped out of bed...naked. Again, really?!?
"Not again!" Elsie covered her eyes with her hands as she shouted at the naked boy.
"Again?" Remus and Peter, who had just walked into the room, asked at the same time.
"He's standing there balls naked and that's what you're worried about?!" Elsie shouted, still keeping her hands over her eyes.
"We're used to it," Peter shrugged. Remus simply scratched the back of his neck and looked solely at the ground, his cheeks tinted pink.
"Awww, no need to be shy sweetheart. Like what you see?" Sirius smirked while casually leaning against his bedpost, not caring to cover up at all.
"I'll see you twats later. Hopefully, you'll be dressed!" She shouted while walking out of the room and going up to hers.
Deciding not to tell her two roommates of the incidents that have occurred this morning, she greeted Marlene and Alice, got dressed, and accompanied them down to the Great Hall for breakfast.
She chatted with her two friends, and eventually Lily who arrived a few minutes later, for the remainder of breakfast. Professor McGonagall came around and passed out their times tables.
"Miss Figg, I trust you will get these to your friends who have somehow managed to show up late to breakfast on their first day of classes," she said while handing her 5 times tables, one for her and each of the boys.
All of a sudden, the Great Hall doors slammed opened and 4 panting boys ran in. She walked over to her four idiot friends, fully planning on making fun of the two naked boys she saw this morning.
"Hello, boys! Good to see you're all dressed," she sent a wink towards both Sirius and James, handing them their times tables and sitting down at the same time.
"Nothing you didn't like seeing, love."
"I know you enjoyed the view, sweetheart."
James and Sirius spoke at the same time while similar smirks formed on their faces, before looking confusedly at Elsie.
"Wait, him?!" They asked in unison.
Elsie started laughing while explaining both situations that happened this morning to all the boys. She began to worry when she noticed a sly expression forming on Sirius' face.
He leaned forwards and rested his elbows on the table, as he smirked at the girl. She took a sip of her water as she began getting increasingly nervous about what he was going to say.
"So, darling," he started looking directly at Elsie, "who was the better view?" Elsie spit out her water, landing right on Peter.
She apologetically offered a napkin to him, and then looked between both James and Sirius. Both boys had large, goofy grins stuck on their face.
She leaned forward as if she was going to answer them, but instead whispered, "wouldn't you like to know," with a wink. The two boys pouted, as Remus and Peter chuckled along with Elsie.
"Well, Prongs, maybe if you're lucky you'll be able to 'slip' in front of Evans, too," Sirius chuckled. Elsie laughed along with the others half-heartedly.
Hearing her name, Lily turned and faced the group. "Did you call me, Sirius?" she asked innocently.
"I was just saying how James would love to see you-," he started but was cut off by James kicking him under the table. "Ow! Bloody hell, Prongs," he grumbled to James.
"We were just talking about how beautiful and wonderful and amazing you are, my dear Lily-flower," he stated convincingly. Lily's cheeks flushed red as she turned back around to talk with Marlene.
"Did you hear that, Prongs? She didn't call you a toe-rag this time!" Peter excitedly whispered to the group.
"Yeah... I think you're growing on her, Prongs," Elsie said with a fake smile on her face. James responded and the conversation continued on, but Elsie didn't hear any of it.
She was stuck thinking about how she truly believed what she said to James. James was growing on Lily. Ever since the fallout between Lily and Severus Snape, a Slytherin half-blood who called Lily a mudblood last year when she was trying to defend him against James, there was nothing stopping Lily from actually getting to know the Head Boy.
Lily was Snape's best friend, she avoided James as much as possible. But now that Snape is no longer friends with her, nothing is stopping her from getting closer with James. She didn't yell at him as much, despite the incident at the party, and she even responded to a few of his letters over the summer. Elsie truly believed Lily was starting to come around to James. Of course this sucked for Elsie, but Lily makes James happy. So, Elsie was happy too... or at least she tried to be.
I'll just have to get over him, she thought as someone caught her attention. "Els?" the voice asked.
Elsie looked up to find Remus staring at her with concern written all over his face, "You okay?"
"Oh...erm, yeah. Just thinking, that's all," she softly replied with a small smile. He grabbed her hand from across the table and nodded at her reassuringly. She knew that Remus knew she wasn't okay, but that he didn't want to push her. That's just one of the reasons why she was always so fond of her scar-faced friend. He knew when to push and when to let it go.
Elsie was grateful Remus had interrupted her thoughts before someone had noticed she was being quiet. She didn't realize how long she was zoned out for, and she hoped no one else did either. But, just like on the train and at the party, someone did notice. And once again, they were curious. Yet still, Elsie failed to realize this.
After breakfast ended, Elsie and her friends left the Great Hall and started their classes. Because today was the first day, Elsie decided she didn't have to pay attention. Most of the classes were just introductions, where the teachers assigned them seats and went over the expectations for the course.
She had gone through most of the day so far without any other hiccups, and she only had one class left to attend: Transfiguration. She strolled into the classroom to find James and Lily sitting next to each other. She considered walking over there and saying hi to her two friends, when she noticed they were actually enjoying talking.
James had just said a joke. Elsie knew this because whenever he told one, his chest would puff out and he would give whoever he's talking to a glance to see how they would react. And surprisingly, Lily was laughing with him.
Elsie wanted nothing more than to walk all the way back to her dorm and stay under her covers, but this was something she had gotten used to. Whenever James talked about Lily, talked with Lily, or even just stared at her, Elsie would force herself to be okay. She loves him, but he loves her, and she knew that. There was no other option because him and Lily were bound to happen. Elsie had to be okay with it.
She sadly walked over to the empty table in the back, watching the two of the them interact with each other. She sighed and started biting her bottom lip, hoping class would start without them realizing she was there. Elsie didn't want to go through the process of making up an excuse as to why she didn't say anything to them.
Class had started and Professor McGonagall welcomed all of her students. Elsie still sat alone at the desk in the back.
"Welcome, everyone, to N.E.W.T.s level Transfiguration," she started talking, "I must trust that you will be on your best behavior during my class." Her eyes fell on James Potter while saying that last sentence, while he simply winked at the teacher.
"Now, being in this class means that you wish to pursue a career as an Auror or-," she was cut off by a student walking in late. "Mr. McLaggen, nice of you to join us. Please take a seat and next time refrain from being late to my class. I will excuse you just this once," the professor sternly said to him. "Yes, Professor. My sincerest apologies."
Great, just what I needed righg now. Elsie frustratingly looked down at her desk, hoping he wouldn't see her and sit down somewhere else. A few moments later, she heard the empty chair at her table squeak next to her. Fuck.
"Hey, Princess. Thanks for saving me a seat," he winked at her as she shifted her gaze to meet his. Rory sat down next to her, his eyes glued on hers. "Bugger off, McLaggen," she grumbled.
"That's not what you were saying last night when we kissed," he whispered with a smirk growing on his face. "I mean...I know I'm no James Potter, but-," she cut him off with a confused tone.
"Why do you keep doing that? Why do you keep bringing up James?" she angrily whispered back at him.
"Isn't it obvious?" he scoffed. "He's a bloody idiot. If I were him, I would never-,"
"Mr. McLaggen, I have dismissed your lateness, but please do not take my kindness as weakness. One more disruption from you and it's a detention!" Professor McGonagall strictly said, interrupting the conversation between the two students.
He waited a few more moments until she was distracted to begin talking with Elsie again.
"I dated you for an entire year. You think I don't know?" he whispered, looking at the girl.
"Know what!?" she replied, frustrated. "That James Potter is a bloody idiot. I thought I just told you that?" he replied mockingly.
"You barely even know him. I don't see why you don't like him so much!"
"I don't know him well, but I know you."
"What does that have to do with anything!?" she angrily smashed her quill onto the desk in front of her.
"Because! Like I said, he's a bloody idiot if he doesn't like-," McLaggen's voice got progressively louder in frustration.
"MR. MCLAGGEN AND MS. FIGG!" Professor McGonagall interrupted them for the second time, "That is surely enough disruption from the two of you! Detention tonight at 10 with myself!"
Hearing Elsie's name made James turn to face the girl. When did she get here? Why didn't she say anything to me? What is she doing with HIM?
His eyes locked with an embarrassed Elsie's, before she looked away in shame. He then glanced over at the boy sitting next to her, an obvious smirk on his face. Godric, how I hate him. I have to remind myself to prank him with Elsie and the boys later.
James glared at McLaggen, but the boy's smirk only grew wider.
"Mr. Potter, I would expect that as Head Boy you would be paying attention to my lectures and not looking around the room," James turned back around as he heard McGonagall speak.
When class ended, Elsie quickly gathered up her things and left the classroom. James was about to chase after her when Lily called out, "What was that about?"
James gladly accepted the subtle invite to have a conversation with her, and he walked back to their dorm with Lily by his side. But, he still had the lingering thought about if Elsie was okay in the back of his head. I'll check in with her at dinner, he thought while staring at the red-head speaking casually next to him.
Elsie swiftly said the password to the Fat Lady, the portrait guarding the Gryffindor tower entrance, and walked into the common room. She spotted Marlene and Alice sitting on the couches by the fireplace, and walked over to join them.
"How about we just hex him and make him miss detention? Yes, perfect! Then, he can't bother you there," Marlene exclaimed dramatically waving her hands in the air, after Elsie told them what happened in class.
"Marlene, we can't just hex him! Even if he is an arse, that's not going to make Elsie's detention go away," Alice explained to her friend.
"It'll be fine, Marlene. Godric, you're such a drama queen. You're like the epitome of Sirius Black in a girls body," all three girls laughed at Elsie's statement.
"Anyways, I think I'm just going to nap before detention. If the boys ask, tell them I'm okay, just tired," Elsie sighed, standing up and beginning to walk to her room. Alice and Marlene wished her luck as they headed down to the Great Hall for dinner.
A few hours later, Elsie woke up from her nap and remembered her detention that she had to go to. She sighed in frustration as she left her room to head down to McGonagall's class.
"Prat. Wanker. Git. Twat," Elsie began grumbling with her arms crossed over her chest, "...making me get a bloody detention on the first day."
"I love it when you talk dirty to me," a snarky voice started from behind her. "Ready for detention tonight, love?"
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AUTHORS NOTE:
YAY! Chapter 5 is out! I really hope you like the story so far. Get ready for a whole lot of character development and plot twists.
Comments and/or feedback?