Fifth Year:
We entered Gladrags Wizardwear.
Okay, fine.
I entered Gladrags Wizardwear and James had to follow me.
I wasn't trying to enter a clothing shop of course, but I wasn't paying to where I was going, so I ended up there. And James didn't even try to argue. He was just following me around with a grin.
I walked around the showcases and ran my hand through the clothes.
A few other younger Slytherins and Hufflepuffs were also in the shop, buying new clothes, hats and robes, having small conversations.
"Oi, Wood. How do I look?" I turned around and looked at the boy with a giant wizard hat covering his whole face.
I smiled as I grabbed another hat from the shelf and put it on. The hat was way too big for my head, so it covered my face until it reached my mouth. It had a small hole just where it covered my eyes.
I could see James was bending over to be in the same height as me. He lowered his head until the pointy part of the hat was hitting my face.
"Hat fight!" He moved his head left and right and managed to hit my face harder.
I lowered my face as well and hit my hat's pointy part to his nose.
My head started moving back and forward, left and right as we continued the small fight. I tried to keep it quiet so we wouldn't get everyones attention, but I don't think it worked.
At the end I got dizzy and took off the hat.
He took off his one as well, but he kept making weird sounds.
"Shh. They will kick us out if you continue." I whispered, putting the hats back to their shelves.
He made the same sound so I put my hands on his shoulders to make him stop.
"I'm not doing it on purpose. It's hiccups."
He was giggling while we got out of the shop and walked towards the Three Broomsticks.
Every five seconds, another hiccup.
"You find us a table I will get the drinks." He nodded and left.
Three Broomsticks was busy as always with students talking loudly, laughing and walking around.
I passed a few younger girls and asked the bartender for two butterbeers.
I grabbed the beer glasses and found James sitting alone on a table right next to the window. I sat across from him and gave him his butterbeer.
"How is your hiccups?"
He took a long sip from his butterbeer. "Better." He had butterbeer around his upper lip that looked like a mustache.
But I didn't feel like telling him.
What? It looks funny.
*****
We drank our butterbeers, and talked about everything and anything.
He told me about the pranks he was planning on doing and I gave him a few ideas. Somehow, we even ended up talking about our families. I told him about how I got the scar on my lip and he told me about the time he accidentally made his dad bald.
Which is weird, because apparently he wasn't even doing magic, or using any spell.
He was cooking?
"I'll get us two more butterbeers." He tried to get up but I leaned over on the table and hold his shoulder.
"Nope. That was enough butterbeer. You still have a quidditch match to win, remember?"
He groaned and sat back down, holding the two empty butterbeer glasses. "Oh, come on. Just one more."
"No. I thought you wanted me to stop you from eating and drinking a lot. That's why we're here?"
He rolled his eyes and put the butterbeer glasses down.
Someone cleared their throat behind me, and I turned around.
It was a boy with curly blonde hair and a younger boy with straight black hair.
Their faces looked alike, so I assume they were siblings.
"Sorry to interrupt. But there isn't any seats left and my brother and I were wondering if we could sit with you?"
I looked at James and he just shrugged. So I turned my gaze back to the siblings with a smile and nodded. "Sure."
They said thank you and the boy with black hair sat next to me, and the blonde sat next to James.
"I'm Lily," I pulled out my hand from my pocket to shake his hand.
"I'm Mattheo and he is Milo."
Ugh, ryming names. They always creep me out. I don't know why, it just does.
James gave them both a small nod. "James."
"I don't remember seeing you in Hogwarts. What house are you in?" I asked as Mattheo took a sip from his butterbeer.
His brother answered for him. "He is Ravenclaw, fifth year, and I'm Slytherin, third year."
I nodded slowly.
This kid is weird. I can't even make out if he's breathing or not. He has a pale skin and black eyes with a pointy nose. You have to come really close to him if you want to make sure he is actually breathing.
"Let me guess." I turned my head to Mattheo as he continued to talk. "Both Gryffindors?"
James said a quick yes and I smiled.
There was a small silence.
I was watching the weird kid breathe slowly, while James was watching me watch the kid (at least that's what I saw with the corner of my eye), and Mattheo was taking a sip from his beer.
"Oh hey Milo, hey Matt." I looked over James' shoulder and saw a ginger girl coming towards us.
Wow, first time seeing a ginger who is not a Weasley or Potter.
The girl stopped in front of our table with her hands on her back, three other girls standing behind her like bodyguards.
"Oh, you have company I see. I'm Jassie, and you are?"
I would've answered but it looked like she only asked to James so I stayed quiet.
"James Potter. Nice to meet you."
Jomos Pottoh noco to moot yoo.
Sorry. Just annoyed.
"A Potter? Cool. Nice to meet you too. Are you here for butterbeer?"
"No, he came to see the live circus show." I muttered, but I think James heard me.
What does she think?
It's a pub.
You drink at a pub. Simple.
"Yes, I came here for a glass of butterbeer. Did you tried it before?"
Why do you wanna know? Are you going to ask her to write an essay about the great experience she had with the bloody butterbeer?
I zoned out without realizing as they went on with talking.
"Are you single?"
I heard James chuckle.
I rolled my eyes and exhaled deeply.
"Why do you ask?" I smiled, and she looked at me for the first time. "Did you -by any chance- find the perfect match for him?"
I saw Milo grin next to me. Wow, he is able to do that? Interesting.
"Well, no. But..." I cut her off.
"But what?" I looked as sweet and kind as possible.
"Well, my friends are waiting. So I should go."
I slowly nodded and put on a fake smile. "Yeah, you should." I nodded my head slowly as she left our table.
She was completely gone when I got up.
"It was nice to meet you Mattheo, Milo." Mattheo smiled and his little brother didn't even lift up his head and just waved slowly.
James followed me out of the pub and we started walking around the streets.
"Good butterbeer." He said.
"Mhm."
"Milo was weird."
I lowered my voice. "Mhm."
I got distracted over the tree that had red flowers on them.
Maybe you can even put them in you hair. But if they have bugs that would be a problem. Once when I was 4-
"Were you jealous?"
I zoned back in and looked at James. "Of what?"
"The girl talking to me?" He had that scary smile on his face that made me slide a little further away.
"Pfff." I laughed and looked at him once again. "Why would I be jealous. I don't even care."
"Mhm" his walking slowed down so I had to go slow, too. "She was nice wasn't she? A good face to, I must add."
I rolled my eyes in my head, so I wouldn't show emotions outside.
"She was an ordinary girl. I don't even know what you found in her."
"Well..." we were now standing next to a smaller alley. "Her hair was nice. Straight ginger."
Once again, another eye roll inside my head.
"You liked her because her hair was straight? And ginger?" I put my hands in my pockets.
"Nah, not the straight part. That's a bit boring don't you think?"
"How am I suppose to know? My hair is bloody curly." I mumbled and continued walking slowly.
"Gingers are hot."
Ugh, the urge inside me to grab my wand and just... Avada Ka-
"Huh. So you think she was hot?" I asked, turning around and walking backwards to face him.
He shrugged. "I never said that."
I walked towards him with my eye brows raised. "You just said gingers are hot! What color is her hair? Oh yeah, ginger."
He only smiled so I thought I should continue my talking.
"Are you colorblind? Really. Or memory lost maybe. You said she had ginger hair, then you said gingers are hot, then you said you never said she was hot, but you just said gingers are hot. Make it make sense, James. Really, explain it to me. Cause I wanna know."
He looked at me really calm. "You know who else is ginger?"
I thought about it.
"Your mom? Fred? Ghost Fred? George? Luna? Molly? Arthur? Percy? Charlie? Bill? Ron? The girl we just met?"
Geez, that is a lot of gingers...
"Wood. It's free to use your bloody brain, you know?"
I crossed my arms in front of my chest. "I am using my brain. You know what- forget it. I should probably go back to Hogwarts before the urge inside me takes over and hexes you."
I looked around the alley and saw the way back to the school. I looked back at James and patted his shoulder before leaving.
I walked maximum 10 steps before my anger came back.
"And by the way-"
James is kissing me.
James is kissing me.
James is kissing me. James is kissing me. James is kissing me. James is bloody kissing me.
Wait, why is he kissing me? Why is-
How did he- when did he?
Why am I standing there like a tree. I'm just standing... What? Hold on, my brain-
Okay, okay calm down. Okay.
One of his hands was on my face holding my cheek, while the other one was on my lower back. My eyes were wide open, while his ones were close, his whole body leaning on me.
Do I kiss back? But why are we kissing in the first place? The 'doesn't count' thing counts now. So maybe because it's-
Oh for Merlin's sake! For once. Just shut the hell up!
I managed to quiet down my thinking and hold his face with my hands, also closing my eyes.
I don't know how people explain a kiss. It's so weird.
His lips are soft, warm, and sweet. His hair -that is falling down on his forehead and touching mine- is also soft. I can still smell his perfume, a nice scent that is hard to explain. But I can also smell his own smell.
Which mostly smells like... wood and home.
Wood. The ones my dad and I used to cut for the fireplace. Those days would be the best kind of day to stay home and feel relax and safe.
This will sound so weird and stupid.
But he really does smell like home and safety. Like I said... stupid.
And cringy.
Our bodies were touching even more now, and it almost felt like we were hugging.
I pulled away to catch my breath and opened my eyes to look at him. "What...why are you- what are you doing?"
Great, even my sentences doesn't make any sense.
He let out a breath. "Kissing you."
I looked around and slowly nodded. "Okay."
He started kissing me again and I made sure I was close enough to him.
Please don't ask the reasons behind my actions right now. Because I do not have an answer.
Do I see James as the enemy of my prank war?
Yes.
Do I like seeing him angry?
Yes, most definitely yes.
Do I like seeing him shocked after a prank?
Of course.
So I like having the same friend group with him?
Yes.
Do I like seeing him everyday?
Well, it's not that I like. It's... that I prefer. There is a difference.
Do I like the way he looks?
Okay yeah, he is kind of... beautiful and handsome, sometimes.
Do I like him?
We pulled away to get some air, but not so far away. Our bodies were still touching, but our face was looking to the ground with -at least my- eyes closed.
He inhaled. "I like kissing you."
Do I like kissing him?
Okay, yes, I do.
"Yeah, me too." I whispered back.
I lifted up my head and looked at his eyes.
One last little kiss won't hurt anyone.
I -slowly- tiptoed and I reached for his face. But he grabbed my lower back and pulled me to himself faster.
"AH COME ON! ARE YOU BLOODY KIDDING ME?! MY EYES!!!"