"Would you lie with me and just forget the world?" - Chasing Cars, Snow Patrol
Sunday, October 30th, 1977
"Ten points for Gryffindor!" Davie shouts into the microphone from several towers away, commentating for the game that seems to be working out in our favor.
I watch closely as James perks up slightly across the field, his eyes fixated on something I can't see.
We're about half way into the game at this point, and Gryffindor has been utterly beating Ravenclaw's ass. Flying faster than I ever thought possible, James has won at least fifty points for the red and gold team, grinning ear to ear at his adoring fans every single time.
I've never seen him look so natural in all of the time I've known him. Before this, I didn't really like going to quidditch games. From the time I started hogwarts, I thought them to be a massive waste of time, though watching James zoom around the field, hitting the quaffle to his teammates as if his life depends on it, I know I've been missing out on something important to him.
Unsurprisingly, Gryffindor wins the game and hundreds of students go running out onto the pitch to either console their friends or, mostly, to clap James and his teammates on the back for a job well done. Once it calms down a bit, Remus offers me an arm and walks with me towards where James and Sirius stand amongst their friends, excited to have won a game.
James's eyes latch onto me as soon as we break through the crowd, his smile seeming to grow slightly as he launches himself towards me, nearly knocking us both over with a massive hug.
"I'm glad you're here." He whispers to me, so quietly I almost think he doesn't say it at all, though the familiar tickle of his breath on my neck tells me otherwise.
"Paws off, Prongs." My brother chastises after a moment, grabbing his collar and separating him from my arms, though Remus's mood doesn't seem to have an affect on his friend's graceful, slightly lopsided smile.
"Fuck off, Remus." I find myself saying, jumping right back into James's warm embrace without thought. He holds me tightly, his arms wrapped roughly around my torso. "Good job, Jamie. You did amazing."
"Jamie, huh?" He jokes, though there's a slight questioning air behind his humor.
"You call me Cupcake, I'm calling you Jamie."
~☾~
"Phelia, we have to go." he insists, watching me try to tie up my boots for about the fifth time tonight. Every time we get on our way towards the great hall, I manage to trip over the long laces and end up untying them all over again.
"I know, I know." I say, tying them one more time and shoving the knot into the tall boot, along with the strings hanging from it. I do the same with the other before chasing after him, each of us hurrying towards the halloween feast.
"So... McGonagall will be taking names on who's staying here for Christmas pretty soon. You're not gonna change your mind on me, right?" He asks jokingly, though part of me knows it isn't entirely a joke.
"No, I'm not going to change my mind."
"Good. Now pull that necklace out from under your shirt and let's get to the feast, we're going to miss it."
~☾~
"How did you know I was wearing the necklace?" I find myself asking as I take a seat on one of the many couches adorning the common room. Normally i'd sit across from him at the chess board, though right now I'm achy and tired and I just want to lay down. My fingers move up to my neck absentmindedly, feeling for the dainty chain which holds the sunflower charm he bought me.
"It fell out of your shirt on the quidditch pitch, I saw it then."
"I'm sorry, I know you meant for me to wear it on new years-."
"Fuck, honey, seeing that around your neck last night was more than I could have wished for when I bought you that necklace." He says, nearly growling out the words.
"Will you stop talking to me for another week if I ask you to come hold me?" I find myself asking, the words seeming to escape without my permission. James takes a deep breath, resetting the board and making his way over to me, maneuvering me on the couch so he can comfortably lay behind me, my back pressed into his chest.
"I'm not going to stop talking to you unless you want me to, Cupcake. You've got me hooked." He says, his words sinking into my heart just as his breath tickles the side of my face. It smells of fresh peppermint, leading me to think he'd brushed his teeth before coming down here this morning.
I move my hips slightly to get comfortable, resting my head on his arm and attempting to find the perfect cuddle-position. My bottom scrapes against something rough as I maneuver myself and James lets out a small hiss.
"Who the hell keeps their wallet in their pajama pants, James?" I question without thought, moving even further so that the thing isn't poking into me anymore, until it is.
Then I realize it.
"Fuck, Cupcake, you gotta stop movin'. You're killin' me." He groans, tucking his nose into my neck. "Fuck."
"James, are you hard right now?"
"With your pretty little ass grinding against me? Yeah, Cupcake, I'm rock hard." He says, letting out a bitter laugh as I completely still. His hand finds my hip with a firm touch, moving me slightly so the flesh of my thigh is the only part touching him.
His hand doesn't leave my hip as the poking-thing slowly begins to stop poking me. Finally, I turn myself slightly to find that his eyes are scrunched closed.
"What are you doing?"
"Thinking of Padfoot in a tutu. Or my aunt Genevieve on a pony. Anything but having you this fucking close to me, Cupcake."
"'m sorry, James. 'I Didn't mean to-."
"Hush, angel, you didn't do anything. You're just so fucking gorgeous, it's not your fault. I'm sorry if it made you uncomfortable, I can leave if you want me to. Just say the-."
"James." I cut him off, pressing my lips to his cheek in a surprising– both to me and to him –show of affection. "Shut up."
"Yes ma'am."
~☾~
JAMES POTTER'S PERSPECTIVE:
"Seriously, Pads? I haven't gotten detention once this year and you just have to go and get us caught? I was supposed to eat dinner with 'Phelia tonight." I complain, scrubbing at one of the many trophies we've been tasked to clean. Peter sits beside me, wiping the suds off of each golden piece as I hand them to him.
"She'll be fine, James, she's got her friends."
"No, she doesn't! Seraphina is with Slughorn for a personal study session and Davie has been hanging out with that girlfriend of his... what's her name? Parks? It doesn't matter, she's alone for dinner! She probably thinks I stood her up!"
"Relax, Prongs! Remus has the map, he'll tell her where we are. It's not a big deal. Plus, I'm sure you've got plenty of wanking material already, no need to eat meals with her." Sirius says nonchalantly, making my blood boil.
"Fuck off, Padfoot." I retort.
"What, like you don't want to fuck her dumb? Prongs, you've gotta quit this, you're just leading her on. She needs to be thinking about her brother and her future, not your dumb ass."
"I'm not leading her on, Sirius. I'm not leading her on, so just fuck off and stay out of it. Not that it's any of your business, but I've been interested in her for months!"
I regret telling him that the moment he drops his sponge, making his way over to me and sending a quick jab into my stomach. The pain is instant and stinging, leaving unpleasant tingles in my body.
"You'd better pull your head out of your ass, Prongs. You will not go messing up your relationship with Moony over some girl! Don't you see how much of an idiot you're being? Godric, James, learn to think things through! Just go back to Lily and let it go!"
"I can't, Sirius."
"Why the fuck not? What reason could you possibly have, James? What, she just gets you too fucking hard, you can't leave her? Go cry about it!"
"I'm falling in love with her." I shout at him, shoving him out of my face with a harsh movement. "I'm falling in love with her every fucking day and I can't stand it because she's off-limits, Padfoot. I'm falling in love with her and I don't even know when it started, but I'm falling in love with her."
"Fine, James. You go run away with Moony's sister and leave us behind. Not like we're your best friends or anything. You just go on ahead and blow us up because you think you're falling for her!"
~☾~
Her lips are soft against mine, her thighs melding in my hands as I hold her close to me. Her voice drowns out every single thought in my head as I hold her. Her hands slide down my chest, her lips down my neck. I want to be in this world forever. She pulls slightly at my shirt, trying to get it off. I slip my fingers under the edge of her tank top.
So fucking perfect.
"James?" She squeaks out, her voice nothing but a pained whimper.
"What's wrong, Cupcake? Did I hurt you?" I question, trying to think of what I could have done to hurt her as I try to pull my hands away.
"James... James! JAMES!" She cries out over and over again, her kisses turning to tears on my face as she sobs and writhes around in my arms. Glancing down, I find my own hands raking over her thighs and stomach uncontrollably, leaving behind cuts in their wake. I try to stop them, but I can see the claws that have taken purchase where my nails once were. "James, James. Make it stop, James!"
Her voice sounds further away from me now, getting further and further until it's just a whisper. I can't feel her anymore, and suddenly, I'm alone in the darkness of the dream.
"Ophelia! Ophelia! I'm so sorry, Cupcake, please! Please come back to me!" I shout over and over again, glancing down at my bloodied hands. All that's left of the damage I've done, though, is a sunflower charm tangled between my fingers, its clasp broken and unusable.
~☾~
"James! James, wake up!" She shouts. My heart beats erratically as I come to, finding the very subject of my nightmare standing in front of me. I'd fallen asleep on the couch in the common room hours ago, and it seems that the others just left me here. Normally I'd be annoyed, but not now. Not with her right in front of me.
There isn't an ounce of blood on her and her neck is still adorned with her lovely necklace, just as it was the last time I saw her. I can't help myself as I pull her to me, basically into my lap. Her arms wrap around my neck immediately, holding me close to her.
"Did you have a nightmare?" She questions. I only nod, knowing she can feel it. My face tucks safely into the crook of her neck, inhaling her sweet sweet scent and letting it float away the bad thoughts. "I'm sorry, baby. I'm sorry you went through that."
If it were any other time, I'd be freaking out about the small nickname, but I can't seem to focus on it as the tears leak from my eyes and into her jumper. If I weren't so upset, I'd take the time to notice that the jumper is eerily familiar, though I can't seem to pay attention to it as she runs her fingers through my hair, holding me tightly as I shake in her arms.
~☾~
OPHELIA LUPIN'S PERSPECTIVE:
"I'm going to be honest with you, Ophelia. I didn't take you as careless." Sirius says, walking up to find me curled up on one of the couches in the common room, James laying between my legs with his head resting on my chest as he sleeps. My fingers have been lazily moving through his curls for a while now, though they still as soon as I hear Sirius.
"My brother won't be up for another hour and a half."
"Yeah, but everyone else will. You ought to wake him up before someone sees you and goes blabbing to Remus." Sirius explains, smiling slightly at me,
"And how do I know that you won't tell Remus?"
"I haven't yet, have I?"
"That doesn't mean you won't."
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