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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟓𝟔:
𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖
❝ 𝑰 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰, 𝑱𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝑷𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓, 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍... ❞
「 𝗐: 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗉𝗎𝗋𝖾 𝗃𝖾𝗅𝗅𝖺 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗍𝖾𝗇𝗍 <𝟥 」
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━Euphemia was saddened to say that despite all her luscious foods that she prepares for her family everyday, Stella was not gaining any weight at all. In fact, she was losing weight.
Not that she wasn't eating, because she couldn't resist any of Euphemia's cooking, but because of the stress that was affecting her mind and body.
As the weeks passed by, the more harder it is for Stella to sleep, though sleeping next to James brought her comfort and tranquility, it wasn't enough to bandage the wound on her head and heart that could only be patched up when she was with her siblings.
"Padfoot! if you wake her up, I will not hesitate to throw a whole bag of flour at you!" shouted James from the kitchens.
"I did not wake her up! I was just checking!" defended Sirius. Every single day, he'd check up on Stella if she was still asleep or not. James was always the first to wake up between the two of them and he would always make her breakfast in bed, sometimes leaving Stella alone.
Sirius would find Stella either still asleep or he would her staring at a blank space in James' room and she'd silently let her tears fall and sob.
With Sirius being the big brother he is to Stella, he'd comfort her until she stops crying and either goes back to sleep or lets James hold her.
"From now on, you're prohibited to go in my room without my permission." tutted James as he mixed his cake batter well.
Euphemia chuckled as she could hear her two sons nagging from the kitchens. She left Fleamont in the dining hall and entered their large kitchen.
"Why not?" whined Sirius, messing up with the ingredients that James has prepared.
James glared at the long-haired boy and kicked him, causing Sirius to wince exaggeratedly for Mia to hear. "Because I said so."
"James, don't kick your brother." said Euphemia, rubbing her other son's shoulder and while she wasn't looking, Sirius stuck his tongue out at James. "Are these for Stella?"
Euphemia looked at all the messy ingredients that James was using to make his dish. With a flick of her wand, everything was cleaned and organized. She then tasted the batter which made James glare at his mum.
"It's tad sweet, dear." said Euphemia, before she handed a spoon with the batter on for Sirius to taste.
James nodded approvingly with a proud smile. "Then it's perfect." he hummed in satisfaction. "That's how she likes it." he took one more look at the batter that's now in a round pan and put it in the oven.
"Prongsie, can I have a taste test on the pink frosting?" said Sirius, batting his eyelashes at the messy haired boy.
"No."
Euphemia rolled her eyes at her two sons that were really acting like brothers. Though, there was no denying that she loves having children in their manor, considering that she had trouble conceiving. Just then, a thought occurred to her. "Why don't we adopt Stella as well?"
"Yes!" shouted Sirius.
"No!" shouted James.
"Why not?" frowned Euphemia. She thought that maybe James would get jealous of him not being the only child anymore, even though he has been ever since Sirius lived there.
James was about to respond but Sirius pushed and smushed his face away to explain. "Because mum, Stella would be a Potter someday, not because we adopted her, but because James will marry her."
Stella was wide awake on James' bed, missing the warmth that he provided. She had no plans on getting up or whatsoever, instead she'd like to lay in his bed that smelt of him. His lemon-scented soap and his sandalwood-scented cologne.
Her eyes were heavy and starting to drop when all of a sudden the door flung open. "Rise and shine, Mrs. Potter!"
Stella rolled over to his side of the bed so she was facing down. How can someone be so enthusiastic at 9 am? "Go. Away."
"That's not what you said last night." said James, teasingly. If Stella was in her good mood right now, he would love to ruin it with his mischievous ways by teasing her on how clingy she was every night.
Though, between them... James was definitely more clingy.
"Come on, love. I made something for you." said James, placing the foldable tray table on the edge of their bed.
"If it's not your strawberry cake then I don't want it." dismissed Stella.
"It's your favorite strawberry cake."
Faster than the speed of light, Stella rocketed up from her previous laying position and sat in front of her food. She looked at James for permission and he nodded happily, watching Stella eat the cake that he made.
James sat beside her, cockily grinning at her which made her eyes roll. "Y'know, this is only a preview of what you'd get once you're my Mrs. Potter."
"Don't ruin the vibe." said Stella, with her mouth full of the cake. Though, she definitely had thought of that offer, she was fine with it until she realized that she'll be stuck with the arrogant James Potter for the rest of her life. Yep, that was definitely a no to Stella.
"Bambi, do you think your mum should be a Potter?" asked James to the mini puffskein and surprisingly, he nodded. "See? Bambi agrees with his dad!"
"Who said you were his dad?" asked Stella. Bambi then jumped onto his mother's hand and laid there as he ate crumbs of the strawberry cake.
"I did." said James. "He was named after me."
Stella rolled her eyes and decided to not quarrel with James for she was too tired. James didn't bother her as well and just hummed ABBA songs, which he knew Stella likes, and stood up once she was finished eating.
"Come on." James took her by the hand but Stella was letting all her weight fall down.
"Where are we going?" sighed Stella, falling back to his bed and covering her self with his blanket.
"I'm taking you out where the sunlight hits your skin."
"James-" Stella frowned. She couldn't go outside without being gossiped about since her face was all over the Daily Prophet and the word of her running away was already spread out.
"I know, love." said James, comfortingly. "That's why we're going on a place where no one knows us."
Stella's blue summer dress was standing out in the crowd Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. James had managed to get her out of bed for a good hour of convincing her, which was a promise that he'll make her a strawberry pasty tomorrow.
Stella could feel James' elated emotion so much that it was starting to get contagious, to the point where it affected her.
When Stella was down and blue, James was too. He was no empath but he always feels what Stella was feeling, and that feeling of hers occurs everyday.
So, for the sake of James, Stella allowed herself to forget about her siblings and all her other problems to enjoy her time with James.
"Ooh! how about these?" asked James, his eyes widening at the white sneakers that were in his hand.
Stella rolled his eyes. She wondered how this was the same boy who wore flannels and managed to look effortlessly handsome in them. "It's too tacky, James."
James pouted, as if he was hurt. "Yeah! but it lights up, love. See?"
James turned the switch on and in an instant, rainbow colored lights lit up the midsole. The shoe was literally for kids, yet James wanted them so bad.
"It's your money." Stella shrugged and James leaped in joy.
"Brilliant! We'll take four pairs!" said James to the salesperson.
"Four? I'm not wearing those!" Stella scrunched her face in disgust. The only pair of shoes she ever wears are Mary Janes. Sometimes boots for winter and for Quidditch.
"They're all for me, love."
"Wha- I'm not even going to question that." Stella dismissed a very happy James and went outside the store first, her eyes looking at the jewelry store from across the street.
"Star, shall we go hom- you want to go there?" asked James, following her gaze as it fell on the jewelry store across them.
The very jewelry store where James bought the bracelets and charms that she was wearing right now.
"Can we check it out before we go home?" asked Stella. One look from her blue doe eyes was enough for James to surrender himself.
"No need to ask twice, love."
When two teenagers entered exclusive store, the old jeweler easily recognized the messy haired boy immediately, the one who bought a very rare blue jadeite pendant necklace and a charm bracelet with 5 charms.
Stella pulled James away to back out. Just from the looks of the exorbitant furnitures and chandeliers, everything they sell was undoubtedly expensive. "James, let's go I don't think our muggle money is enough for any of these."
"Then let's just look around, love." suggested James, looking jewelries. Specifically at couple rings.
"Stop calling me 'love' or 'darling' for Merlin's sake." sighed Stella, some people their age was starting to look at them. "People are starting to think that we're together."
James looked around and people that were on the store really were looking at them, especially that one bloke around their age that's been looking at Stella every since they entered the shop.
James scowled at him, very bitterly. He then held Stella's hand, intertwining it with his. He smirked once the boy look flustered and turned away. "Aren't we not a couple?"
Stella shrugged James' hand off. "We're not."
"Not yet." taunted James.
The boy that heard them snickered a laugh causing James to scowl at him, his deathly glare only got deeper as the boy walked towards Stella.
"Hello." spoke the boy in perfect Scottish accent, facing Stella.
James noticed that there were boys glancing at Stella wherever they walked by, but they didn't have enough courage to speak to her, except for this boy.
"Hi?" said Stella, in a rather questioning tone.
"I was wondering if you'd like to have tea with me by any chance?" asked the boy, sheepishly as he scratched the back of his neck, his cheeks burning red.
"She hates teas." glared James.
"Perhaps a coffee?" asked the boy again. Feeling hopeless as a tall messy haired boy glared at him.
Just as Stella was about to answer, James cut her off right to it. "She doesn't like coffee either and you're disturbing our shopping moment so, bye!"
James then took Stella by the waist and walked as far away from the boy as possible. Stella shot the boy a sympathetic look before shrugging of James' hand that was snaked around her waist.
She really was going to reject the boy anyway, so she decided not to argue with James.
A good 15 minutes was all it took until something caught Stella's eye. "Did they restock the lion charms?"
The old jeweler nodded.
James gulped, yet he still nodded. Though, the lion charms weren't out of stock in the first place. He just wanted to buy them matching charms for her bracelet when he gave it to her almost 2 years ago.
"We'll get the lion charm." said James. The old jeweler smiled then nodded and packed the silver lion charm before he gave it to Stella who thanked him.
"What an adorable couple you two make." complimented the old jeweler.
Stella widened her eyes and shook her hands and her head. "No, we're not-"
"Thanks." said James, smirking at a grumpy Stella. "We really are."
"We're really not-"
"Perhaps you'd like to try our new couple promise rings? they've only arrived this morning." The old jeweler slyly smirked. He knew what was up with Stella and James. He decided to help the latter and be his old wingman.
"Actually, that's not necessa-"
"We'll take those too!" exclaimed James, happily. He ignored Stella's deathly state until they both payed and exited the shop. Leaving them with just enough money for the train.
The old jeweler smiled sweetly at a now bickering teenagers. "Ahh... young love."
"I'm not wearing that." said Stella, sternly. She kept pushing the rings away. The only rings she was wearing were the rings that Collette and Belle gave to her.
James showed her a mischievous smirk. He knew that Stella knew that he gets whatever he wants, by either forcing her to do it or by bargaining with her. "I'll cuddle with you everyday?"
"No."
"I'll bake you strawberry pasties everyday?"
"No."
"Fine. I'll just shout then." James shrugged. He put his hands on the corner of his mouth to make an oval shape and took a deep breath. "ATTENTION EVERYO-"
Stella's hand was clamped instantly to his mouth. Her blue eyes widening at how ridiculous this boy could get. "Fine! I'll wear the bloody ring, just don't embarass us!" whisper-yelled Stella while muttering apologies to the passerbys.
James showed her a toddler-like smile as she let him put the couple promise rings that were styled as deer antlers on her ring finger. "I promise that I, James Potter, will marry Stella Rosier someday."
"Take that back." muttered Stella in disbelief. She hit James' shoulder as he didn't listen to her and wore his ring to himself. "Take that back, James Potter!"
"No."
He smiled once more before pinching Stella's cheeks so tight that it became red before running away from her.
"You arrogant toe-rag arsehole!" shouted Stella as she chased a very childish a James Potter all the way to the train station.
Once she thought she could get him, James easily swooped her whole body lifting her into the air with her arms tucked in to prevent her from hitting him.
"You're an idiot, James Potter."
"Not just any idiot, your idiot." said James as he slowly put Stella down.
On the way back to their destination, Stella couldn't help but glance every now and then to her new ring before shifting her gaze to James' ring, slightly smiling as she did so.
-and didn't knew it yet, but it was only a matter of time until James Potter makes his promise come true.
author's note
here's what the rings look like. just all gold though.
was it too much jella?? i can cut off some of their scenes if it's too much.
But just to let you guys know that i'm adding these jella chapters as it's the start of stella's liking to james.
I'm also making these jella moments before snivellus comes and interrupts them.
i hope you enjoyed today's chapter <3
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