I woke to a crash outside scaring the shit of me. My body jerked up and i glanced around.
My eyes shot open blinking to adjust my eyes to the dark room. I could hardly see. Just pitch black darkness or the red bedroom.
The only source of light was from the windows that shone through the moonlight, making the raindrops on with glass shimmer.
It was just thunder.
I sighed in relief and looked around the bed.
Ayla was cuddled up to Luca's chest who had an arm around her protectively. James was facing me fast asleep with one of his arm laid under my pillow.
I carefully laid back down on my pillow, making sure not to wake him.
I can't sleep on my back. Never have, never will. I flipped over to the face the opposite way of James and shut my eyes.
Roaring of the storm echoed through the room, bouncing off walls, and landing in my ear with a crash. How was no one else awake?
I fiddled with my fingers as i waited for myself to get tired again. I counted them up and down, bending and twisting them in the dark.
I lifted my head and positioned it on my pillow multiple times trying to find a new position which would be hopefully more comfortable.
Still couldn't sleep.
Counting sheep jumping over a fence didn't work, nor did counting back from ten.
Maybe if i tried the other side.
I flipped over to face James. A James with his eyes opening staring at me with annoyance.
I jerked back in horror, then realised that it was okay.
"Ants in your pants?" He asked in a low voice not moving from his position.
My head shifted back to its position on my pillow, "No?"
"No? What's causing you toss and turn on my poor arm?" He retracted his hand from under my pillow. The only way i could see was the moonlight casting through the room.
I smiled awkwardly and took his arm into mine hand,
"I'm sorry James' arm that i can't sleep." I kissed it gently then through it back at him.
He put his arm back under my pillow, "Why can't you sleep?"
I pointed up to the ceiling. As if i was Zeus, another thundering cry echoed through the cold room.
"Ah..." James replied after a second or two, "Well, have fun with that." He shit if eyes and sighed as he tried to go to sleep.
"Okay then. Be a dick." I muttered as i shut my eyes following his lead.
Every time a thunder of clouds of a flash of light flew through the room, my body jolted in shock and fear.
I laid there, silent. Trying to sleep for atleast 10 minutes until i heard an exaggerated sigh from in front of me.
"Scarlet?" A familiar voice called out quietly.
I hummed in response.
"I can't sleep." James admitted as i felt the bed shift. I opened my eyes and saw him perched up on his elbow facing me.
"Turnabout is fair play." I mumbled as i opened my eyes to stare up James who was looking down at me.
His tongue rolled on his bottom and, and he sat up.
"I'm going to the lounge room. Feel free to join." He rolled off the bed and walked out of the door.
As the door shut, i looked over to Luca and Ayla who were still sound asleep with all the ruckus.
Wish i was them.
I stayed in the bed until another blared through my brain. Loudest one the lot. I practically ran out of the room to lounge room downstairs.
"Took you long enough." James laughed as i ran toward him.
His face staunched up in confusion as i stopped infornt of him, and sat myself on the couch beside him facing the warm fire. "Wow, what's the matter with you?"
"Give me that." I whispered as i took the other half of the blanket that laid over his body.
"What happen?" He asked as i thrashed the blanket onto me.
I curled up to James who sat on the love seat, "Thunder happen."
He looked down and raised an eyebrow, "Thunder? Since when we're you scared of thunder?"
"Since now."
He looked back to the fireplace, "Wow. You know, you always had some Gryffindor in you. Don't know where that went."
I turned him abruptly and saw a smirk playing on lips.
"I am not a Gryffindork." I spat as i glared daggers at him.
He turned his head to face me, "Eh, might have lost your spark now that your scared of harmless storm."
I whacked his arm in protest and sat their silently.
We winced, rubbing is arm then putting it back under the blanket.
"Why didn't you use the serum?" I asked to break the comfortable silence.
He snorted and stared blankly into raging fire, "Wouldn't want my little secrets to slip would i?"
I bit my lip in deep thought of what he could be hiding.
We tell each other everything. What little secret does he not want uncovered.
"I suppose not." I replied quietly.
Silence emitted the warm lounge room, only being broken by the crackling of the fire james and I both stared into.
"What were you going to say before you snapped out of the trance?" He queried.
My head turned to look at his face that looked orange by the only light source, "Wouldn't want my little secrets to slip would i?" I mocked him.
He turned to look at me, "Touché."
Once again, a comforting silence fell in the room, although this time, neither of us were looking blankly into the fire. We were looking at each other, taking in all the details of each others faces. All the little freckles are scars. Lines and colours. The way his eyebrows move slightly when he finds something interesting.
A russell of footsteps echoed through the hall thats led to room we sat in.
My head spun around to scan the doorway to see if anyway stood suspiciously watching us.
A warm finger touched the side of my chin, tearing my eyes away from facing behind me, "It's just someone going to get some water."
James looked down at me with a smile. Not a smirk, or crooked smile trying to lead onto a crood matter.
No, this was a grin of realisation and adoration.
But why?
Before i could ask, a small piece of paper flew through the room, landing on the coffee table in front of us.
This time James was the one to look at the door circumspectly before picking up the note.
He put it in front of us as opened it,
"Oi dickheads, look up,
Your favourite match maker xox"
The both of us lifted our heads to the ceiling. A red light shot out from the dark onto the ceiling where we store.
A small green leaf appeared, followed by a red berry.
The plant kept growing to the size of pan then stopped.
"Is that fucking mistletoe?" I snorted as i squinted to try and make it clearer.
"Suppose so." James looked down to face me and i followed,
"Wouldn't want to break Christmas tradition would we?"
I narrowed my eyes, then looked down to his watch,
"It's 4:36am." My eyes found his again and i pouted sarcastically, "No longer Christmas."
He imitated my expression,"You wouldn't want to break my heart..."
"Ah, but i would." I smiled up at him.
He hand raised and landed on waist, "I won't let you."
Ever so gently, his lips fell onto mine. My body automatically leaned forward to the touch and reciprocated him movement.
His hand went around my head to pull me closer, deepening our kiss that i could tell i was going to regret later.
What was i doing?
Why are butterflies fucking breading in tummy?
He pulled away smugly and looked at my confused face.
The smirk flew off his lips and got replaced by sadness,
"Shit, i'm sorr-"
The rest of his apology died on his lips as I resumed what he started.
I felt him suck in a breath of shock. The hand that was already on the back of my head, once again pulled me closer deepening the kiss.
He slowly leant back to lay down, resting his head on the armrest, making me follow him as his hands had managed to snake around to the small of my back.
I gracefully laid on him as we... what would you call this?
Snogged?
I'm snogging fucking James.
This isn't right.
Am i gonna stop?
No.
He is an exceptional kisser.
A couple minutes in, i swear both of us were lacking oxygen. I lifted my head to catch my breath.
I could feel my cheeks were red from snogging and being out of breath, and as i looked down to an overjoyed but horribly hiding it James, he was too.
We stared at each other for a second, trying to consider we just did. I noticed one of my hands had a part of his shirt scrunched up in my palm on his chest, and the other was in his crazy fluffy hair.
One of his hands sat on the back of my head, in my hair, and the other on my lower back. Lower lower back.
"Right." I took my hand out of his hair, and rested it on his chest with the other that i had detached from his shirt.
I sat up, making me, well, straddling him.
His smirk grew as his hands fell to hips.
"That was, better to put it, following christmas rules." I bluffed looking down to the boy.
He traced mindless shapes on my hips with his thumb as he looked up at me, breathing heavy,
"No, the first one was following christmas ruled, the second one was on your own record."
"Was no-"
"Don't try. I was going to apologise, but you just couldn't resist." He cut in biting his lip trying to hold back a smile.
I narrowed my eyes, then swung one of my legs to the floor.
"We better go back to bed."
His face furrowed for a second, but quickly changed to a cold expression and nodded,
"Yes. T-They might be wondering were we are."
He followed me out of the room, and into his room.
Ayla and Luca had shifted from when i left. They now did big spoon little spoon. Luca bring little spoon because... honestly no clue. Depression? Fuck knows.
I crawled into bed first, and James followed back to our normal positions.
We laid there awkwardly, both facing the ceiling.
I heard two little huffs that sounded similar to someone trying to hind a snigger. Maybe James?
Once we had both finally shuffled around and found a mildly comfortable position James whispered,
"Good night Scarlet."
"Goodnight James."