Less than a week until the Halloween Ball and James Potter was miserable.
He had thought that asking Harthwood to go with him would provide the perfect opportunity to invite her to Hogsmead the next weekend on a date.
A true and proper date.
But the stars were not aligned, and she had already said yes to Blaze.
James gritted his teeth in frustration. If only he had been quicker to realize that he wanted Harthwood.
He was a blasted idiot for thinking someone else wouldn't ask her, but why did that someone have to be Jaxson?
Leaning back in his chair, he stared at the embers simmering in the Gryffindor Commonroom fireplace.
It was nearing midnight, and most of the other housemates had gone off to bed, so he was alone with his thoughts which was never a good thing.
But leave it to good old Sirius Black to perpetually interrupt one's quiet moments.
The inky black, curly hair that adorned the boy's head was ruffled and looked as though he had been running his hands through it.
"Ah! Prongs! Thank Godric that you're here! I was about to go searching the castle for you!" Sirius cried dramatically, throwing himself into a chair across from James.
Raising his head and peering over his glasses at his friend, the boy crooked a dark brow at him curiously.
"Worried 'bout me, mate?"
"You? Merlin, no! Your personal safety is not my top priority right now, Prongs."
"Well .... thank you for being honest."
"You're quite welcome. Now help me figure something out, will you?" Sirius said, putting his elbows on his knees and huffing in annoyance.
"It's not schoolwork, is it? Because I think you are better off asking Remus or Lily for help with that," James said.
"What? No "Lily-Flower" or "My gorgeous Evans"? Sirius asked in bewilderment.
Heaving a great sigh, James' hazel gaze drifted away from his friend, and he seemed to sink in his seat.
"No, no more of that," He replied quietly.
"Harthwood?"
"Suppose so."
"Suppose so? What does that mean?" Sirius asks incredulously.
"It means, that she most likely doesn't want me back," James said morosely.
"Why do you think that? You are James-Effing-Potter! The King of Gryffindor!"
"She said yes when Jaxson Blaze asked her to the Halloween Ball."
"BLAZE! Good Godric! Why would she go with that idiot and not you?" Sirius questioned, his grey eyes wide.
James shrugged. This was the first time that he had felt this way.
Sure, Lily did push him away and reject his advances more times than he could actually count, but that had always felt more playful when he asked her out, he wasn't even sure if he ever expected her to say yes.
He had loved the idea of Lily, but he had not loved her.
He never felt so utterly depleted when Evans had said no, as he had when Harthwood did.
The sharp blast of ice that had rammed through his heart when the words started to exit her mouth had shocked him.
James didn't want to talk about it.
"Weren't we talking about your problems?" He asked his friend.
"I have a vast number of problems, so be more specific," Sirius said, putting a hand to his forehead in exhaustion, the conversation before nearly forgotten.
"The problem you were about to go looking for me to help you solve. It's not schoolwork, right?" James reminded him.
"Oh, yes! That! Righ, well, there is this girl," Sirius trailed off, unsure how to proceed.
"Hufflepuff?"
"No."
"Ravenclaw?" James asked warily.
"No. Everyone else has fallen for a Ravenclaw, so I figured I needed to be the one to break the streak."
James rolled his eyes.
"Gryffindor then. Who?"
"She isn't a Gryffindor."
"Not a Slytherin!" James bellowed, his voice echoing through the almost empty common room.
"Yes, her name is Wren, and she is wonderful!" Sirius said dreamily.
"How long have you fancied her? I don't think I recall the name," James said, trying to remember the person in question.
"About five days. She's in our year but I've not met her before."
"Wait, five days?"
"Yupe."
"Okay, so tell me about her," James urged his best mate on, sitting up and paying close attention to him.
"Well, she had black hair, but it has streaks of purple going through it!"
"That's cool!"
"Yeah. And her eyes are dark, I wasn't sure what color, but they were beautiful!" Sirius sighed.
"Have you two talked much?"
"She threatened to hex me several times the other day."
"Sounds like a nice girl."
"I think she's friends with Marcello and Harthwood, so she helped Peter set up his grand plan on the Pitch," Sirius explained.
"Oh! Wren Gerrwick, right? I remember her from herbology last semester," James said, snapping his fingers at the thought.
"She was in our Herbology class last year?" Sirius shouted in surprise.
"Yeah, I think so."
"Blimey!"
"I guess we are both unobservant fools."
"Seems like it, Prongs."
"Say, what did you mean when you said we all had fallen for a Ravenclaw? Does Remus fancy someone?" James asked, his brow scrunched.
"What, you haven't noticed Moony and Lark eyeing each other lately?"
"Huh?"
"We really are unobservant fools," Sirius said with a shake of his head.
"Remus likes Lark?" James asked stupidly.
"Yes, I think so very much."
James was silent for several seconds before his face broke out in an elated smile. "Well, it's about time! Good for Moony!"
"Cheers to that!" Sirius voiced his agreement.
"I guess I just have to figure out a way to get my Ravenclaw then," James said quietly, sinking back into his chair with a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Don't worry, Prongs, we'll think of something! Harthwood won't be able to stop from falling in love with you!" Sirius said confidently.
Glancing up at his friend through his round glasses, the boy grinned, all the while hoping beyond anything else that the statement was correct.
James wanted her to fall in love with him, and when James Fleamont Potter wanted something, he could be unrelenting.