Breakfast was going as normal. Kate finally got her egg on toast with tea.
"I'm happy now." Kate stated before she took a bite of her breakfast.
"Good, I don't like dealing with you hangry." Dorcas said.
Kate rolled her eyes and flipped her off.
"Is anyone expecting any post today?" Alice asked.
Mostly no's and shaking of heads were the answer.
"I think my parents are due to send me some stuff." Lily said.
"I'm still not used to the fact that owls bring the post, I'm constantly scared they're going to shit in my food or drop the post right on my head." Kate said. "But they're cute so that's a plus."
As if on cue the owls flew through the windows and rolls of the daily prophet, letters from friends and packages were dropped. Suddenly 3 owls brought in a big bouquet of assorted flowers. Everyone was confused on who it was for, it then started heading towards the Gryffindor table.
"Who the fuck is that for?" Marlene asked.
"Someone with a boyfriend." Dorcas said.
The owls let the beautiful bouquet drop in front of the five girls. It was filled with red roses, daises and delicate flowers littered through it. The sweet smell drifted through the air. The smell of fresh flowers was always amazing. The bouquet was huge, more on the expensive size, the flowers fresh and vibrant.
The daises still had some pink throughout the petals, the roses the same shade as the London double decker buses, baby breath spread in between the bigger flowers.
Lily grabbed the tag on it, her face scrunched up in confusion.
"Who's it for?" Alice asked.
"It's for Kate."
"What?"
"It says Kate on the tag."
Her mouth dropped open. She was speechless, why had he gifted her such a beautiful arrangement, just to announce to the Hogwarts community that they were together.
She new exactly who it was from. Looking over to James, only to see he was already walking towards the group. No backing out now. He was really doing this in front of the whole school, at least it was a quick way of getting everyone in the know.
"Why is James coming over to us?" Alice asked then turning to Kate. "Why is James coming towards us."
"No reason." Kate answered with a small smile on her face.
"Oh my god, no way. No way." Dorcas said.
Complete, pure shock crossed all of their faces as they pieced together what was happening.
He'd finally reached the group.
"Do you like them?"
"Yes, they're beautiful, thanks."
"What the fuck is happening?" Lily stated, the first one to say anything.
"We're dating." James answered.
"What?"
"How?"
"When?"
Questions were bounced around the group becoming a big jumble of noise as James slid onto the space next to Kate, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, allowing her to lean into him.
"We've been together since the Halloween party." Kate shyly stated.
"That's why you've been so smiley." Alice replied.
"Maybe."
Suddenly, the rest of James's friends forced the group sat next to us to move so they could sit down, instantly bombarding the two with questions.
"When we're you planning to tell us about this?" Sirius asked.
"They didn't tell you either?" Dorcas butted in and the three boys shake their heads.
"You bitches!"
"What? We just wanted to keep it private for a while." Kate answered.
"Exactly." James added on with a smile and pulled Kate into his side tighter.
The rest of breakfast was spent idly chatting between the two groups, the friend groups bleeding together.
Now the news was out, James and Kate, Dating.
-
Kate spent her day being berated by her friends for information on her and James.
"Is he a good kisser?" Marlene asked with a smirk on her face.
She'd never been on this end of the conversation before, usually being the one prying at her friends. Feeling the heat creep up her neck to the apples of her cheeks she lowered her head.
"Yes."
"So you have kissed?"
"Shut up Marlene."
Kate bought her hands up to her face and groaned for falling for the question.
"When did you guys kiss?" Dorcas inquired.
"During the halloween party." Kate said to the girls as they looked shocked.
"But no one saw you?" Lily butted in. "The common room was packed." She added.
"It was in the corridor outside the common room." Kate replied.
"That was you! Me and Amos saw a couple kissing in the corridor but it was too dark to tell who it was." Lily exclaimed.
Kate felt quite overwhelmed with the newfound attention she was getting just walking around the halls. She wasn't used to being in the spotlight. More boys decided to finally notice her now that she was dating the most popular boy in school. Girls glared at her, and turned their noses up, jealous that Kate Taylor of all people had gotten with James Potter. She heard whispers when she walked past, her relationship being the new Hogwarts drama of the week until something more interesting was filtered through the rumour mill.
"Man, she's so fit, not fair that James gets all of the hot girls."
"I don't know what he sees in her, she's boring and not all that good looking."
She didn't mind the comments, it meant that they were successfully tricking everyone that they were actually dating. However, Marlene did try to fight one of the girls that made a comment about Kates looks.
-
Kate had departed from the group, having some time to herself and going down to the kitchens. Climbing through the opening behind the painting and flicking on the small kettle on the counter. The routine had been familiar since third year, when she had discovered where the kitchens were. Go to the kitchens, and make a mug of lavender tea. The hinges of the portrait opened.
"How do you always know that i'm here?" Kate asked as James clambered through.
"Just get a feeling." He lied. He had used the map, showing Kate in the kitchen. Sitting opposite Kate he continued. "People believe that we're really together."
"I know, people have been doing what they do best at Hogwarts, gossip." Kate answered with a smile. "How'd your friends take it?" She asked.
"They were annoyed that i didn't tell them that i even had a crush on you, but they got over it pretty quickly, you?"
"Well they were pretty angry at me , but when i brought up the fact that we'd kissed they then quickly got distracted." Kate said, sipping her tea.
"What did you tell them?" He asked with a smirk.
"That we kissed in the corridor at the halloween party."
Winking at Kate he asked. "Did you tell them it was good?"
"Obviously." Kate rolled her eyes at him. "I couldn't tell my friends that my boyfriend that he was bad at kissing, what impression would that make with Lily?"
"Thank you." James said as Kate finished the last sip of her tea.
"Do you want to go on a walk? Be seen in public, instead of hiding in private?" Kate asked and rinsed her mug out in the sink.
The pair were now making their way out into the corridors. Face the beast that was the judgment of the Hogwarts students. Digging their teeth into anyone they could. Nobody having shame, releasing their harsh opinion right in your face, making it inescapable. Caging you in.
"Hold my hand."
Kate slid her hand down is arm and into his palm, their fingers interlocking. Her fingers just barely reaching over her knuckles, while his consumed at least half of the back of her hand. Looking up at him, Kate stated.
"You have very large hands."
"And you have small ones." He replied.
"Tell me about yourself, James Potter." Kate said dramatically and waving her hand in a mystical way.
"Well, i'm 16, a pureblood,
my birthday is the 27th of March. I'm a chaser in quidditch, I enjoy pranks."
The two were walking slowly strolling through the corridors, people looking at them as they walked back.
"What about your family?" Kate asked.
"I live with my Mum, Euphemia and my Dad, Fleamont. Sirius has now also moved in, after running away. They're incredibly kinda and I'm very glad to have them as my parents." James answered.
"Now your turn." He said.
"I'm also sixteen, a muggle born, my birthday is June 15, I love lavender tea, I like to read in my spare time."
"What about your family?"
"Well, I live on my own now, I have a one bedroom flat."
"How come you don't live with your parents?" Kate felt James grip onto her hand a little tighter.
"They don't really like the fact I'm a witch, and kicked me out as soon as I turned 16." Kate answered. "It's nice though, the independence."
"I'm sorry that happened."
"When is the first quidditch game of the season?"
"Two weeks, Saturday."
"What's your shirt number?"
"07. How come?" Kate avoided the question.
"When we win, do you want me to come down to the field?" Kate asked, she had seen some of the girls with quidditch boyfriends do the same.
"If you wouldn't mind."
"Yea, I don't mind." She replied.
The couple had now reached the common room, and walked through the portrait hole, coming into the light, all of their friends were all sat together on the big centre sofa in the common room.
"And where have you been?" Sirius asked with a hand on his hip.
"Yea, where have you been?" Marlene asked smirking at the pair.
"I went on a walk." James said.
"I also went on a walk."
"Then we ran into each other."
"So we walked together."
Kate then quickly dropped James's hand and joined her friends on the sofa. James however, sat right next to her and leaned into her ear.
"Watch Lily." He whispered quietly and wrapped his arm around Kate's waist.
She had no reaction to it, it was Kate's turn to lean into him.
"She's still in the honeymoon phase, thinking he's nice." Kate told James.
"What are you two whispering about?" Lily interrupted.
"Yea! don't leave us out." Sirius added.
Their heads whipped around to the group.
"Nothing!" Both of them said at the same time.
"Alright. No need to shout." Remus said.
"Shut up Rem." James answered.
The whispering made Kate realise how close her and James were. Their thighs pressed together, her head rested on his shoulder and his hand gripping her waist. Quidditch had done him good, his muscles very easy to feel through his clothes. Kate's body began to heat up from their close proximity, not being used to touch this much of someone in front of a crowd.
"Well I'm going to head up, quite tired." Kate peeled James's hand off of her and quickly kissed him on the cheek then headed up the dormitory stairs.
-
an/ hello humans, and others.
just to clarify, in my brain james is around 6'0 and kate is around 5'3
because james potter gives off huge himbo.