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chapter twenty;
dating an idiot
"Te quiero."
Te quiero? What the hell was she thinking?
The answer was she wasn't. Why would she have told him that? Well, Amaya was sure she felt love for him, how could she not? James had shown her what having a family felt like, what unconditional love was and she loved him for it.
She just wasn't sure whether that love was... Was she in love with James Potter?
For the past few days she'd been trying to figure that out, or at least allow herself to do so. That day they were interrupted in the kitchen by Ninny who'd pretended she didn't just see them snogging each other silly against the wall and demanded they go set the table for dinner.
Both of them couldn't stop smiling like giddy fools every time they looked at each other. Everything was on the table now, well nearly everything, and there was no more dancing around the subject of them.
That night, after dinner, Amaya left the bathroom after getting ready for bed and found James leaning against the bed, reading one of the books he'd gotten her (of which she'd read about half of one, whilst he'd gotten through a couple of them). She couldn't help the smile on her face as she saw him.
She'd crawled through the bed, sitting in his lap as she straddled his thighs and James had stopped reading looking up at her in amusement. "Can I help you?" he'd said teasingly, setting the book aside as his hands settled on her thighs.
"Yes." Amaya had to bite down her grin as she tilted her head at him. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Shoot."
"Now that we're... dating," she said, leaning in closer to him, her hands on his shoulders, his muscles bunching up beneath her fingers, "Shouldn't we go on a date? I've never had one."
His brows shot to his hairline. "Never?"
Amaya's nose scrunched up and she shook her head. "Not really. Unless parties with strangers count. And nothing we do together has officially been declared a date."
"We're definitely fixing that," he'd said with no hesitation pulling her closer, his eyes glinting. "What would you like to do, love?"
Thinking for a second, Amaya ended up shrugging her shoulders. As long as she spent time with him and had fun she wasn't picky. They could simply go outside and watch the stars and she'd be happy. "I dunno. Where do you usually go on dates?"
James shrugged too. "Last date I was on, darling, I was sixteen and took a girl to a joke shop. She didn't appreciate it too much. I had to buy her a butterbeer after and pretend that was the original plan."
Amaya let out a laugh. "Smooth, Potter."
"You're my girlfriend, Maya," James said with a grin, "You'd know about it."
"Alright. Where would you take me?"
He was quiet for a few moments, staring at nothing in particular before his eyes lit up and he smirked up at her. "I have an idea."
"And...?"
"It's a surprise."
Her shoulders slumped and Amaya narrowed her eyes at him. "Really?"
He grinned with a nod. "Yes. I'll take you to lunch, and then the surprise."
"Which is?"
"A surprise."
"But what is it?"
"A surprise." James was smiling like an arse. "Have you suddenly gone deaf? Or does your English knowledge not cover the word surprise?"
"You're so funny," she said deadpan, and James let out a laugh. Amaya threw her head back in exasperation, before looking at him again. "Please tell me. I hate surprises."
"Too bad," he said tugging her closer and covering her lips with his before Amaya could complain some more.
"I don't like you," she mumbled against his lips as kissed him, and he smiled against her mouth, his hands trailing up her thighs to her hips and pulling her to him so she was sitting right on top of his erection. She moaned against his mouth, grinding against him.
"Are you sure?"
Amaya shook her head, not able to form words as his mouth started trailing a path of kisses down her neck, her breathing growing more and more shallow as they went on. "James?"
He hummed in response against her skin, his hands slipping between his t-shirt that she was wearing as pajamas, fingers trailing her skin. Only before she could say anything he stopped.
Pulling away from her he smiled softly, placing her shirt back in his place, and dropped a kiss to her lips, a strange look of discomfort in his eyes as he set her on the bed and stood up. "I'm going to get ready for bed, I'll be back in a second, love."
And he slipped into the bathroom leaving Amaya beyond confused, hot, and bothered. And when he came back, he only tugged her close, wished her goodnight, and went to sleep.
And now, after a few days, Amaya wanted to kill James Potter.
And sure, perhaps whilst they were in the middle of a heist in the most secure bank in England wasn't the best time but she could do it. Just push him off the cart. That was all it would take.
He was pissing her off and acting oblivious. The thing was, since they officially became well, official and started dating it was like they took ten steps back.
He was sweet in the beginning, adorable even when he introduced her to his parents as his girlfriend despite the fact it was a surprise to no one, and only left Amaya slightly mortified before Euphemia had smothered her in a hug. He had a huge grin on his face as he sat down next to her at breakfast, making a show of throwing his arm around her chair that made Amaya roll her eyes although she didn't protest.
And he'd been right about the date. The surprise was amazing. They'd gone out to lunch in a Muggle restaurant since Amaya was still in danger, ever so cautious and then James had taken her to a Quidditch Stadium where the Puddlemere United played and practiced. And better, he got one of his old Hogwarts mates who was playing for the team to let her play with them whilst James stood by the bleachers watching with pride on his face.
Amaya had never felt so free flying with the team, and she wasn't such a Quidditch fanatic like James. All the players were nice and kind, but most of all athletic machines, and so much more advanced at playing and tactics than Amaya thought was possible in Quidditch. She played as a seeker for two of the games they played, and despite the competition, she was a bloody good flyer and caught the snitch both times, through the second one she did so by throwing herself off the broomstick, spinning in the air and landing on the broomstick on both feet.
That had gotten her a wave of silence as all of them stared at her in awe. And only when James started clapping and whistling did everyone join in and AMaya was sure her face looked as red as a tomato.
That night had been a dream come true, and seeing James on the bleachers cheering her on made her heart flip. Because he'd brought her there for her, it didn't matter whether he was a massive Puddlemere fan, or that he would've geeked out should he be able to play amongst professional players, who in Amaya's opinion he was at the level of. He just did it for her.
So it was stupid that she was mad at him now. It was, and she knew it. What annoyed her though, was very simple. James was not touching her. He was being fucking weird. The night of the date, Amaya wanted to thank him for everything and he just said she didn't need to and they went to sleep.
He'd kiss her. He'd hold her hand and drag her into his arms at night, but the moment Amaya tried to do anything more he'd find a way to avert it and shift her focus elsewhere. Or he would start something and abruptly stop.
In the beginning, Amaya wasn't sure what was happening, why he was rejecting her all of a sudden but if he wasn't comfortable she didn't want to push anything. She still didn't. But the matter of fact was she could see he wanted more, that he wanted exactly what she wanted and was purposefully denying himself.
Amaya didn't know whether it was some sort of test for himself, or perhaps he truly didn't want to touch her, and she would understand that. But he didn't tell her anything. It was like something switched and suddenly he halted all the sex they'd been having. To a place they were, back when they were barely more than friends.
And yes, perhaps it was strange that she felt so strongly about it, that she wanted to shove James off the cart as they settled into it in Gringotts intending to go to "her" vault. But the fact was, he'd made her a whole speech about wanting her and now he wouldn't touch her. And every time he rejected her, it stung. Was she not good enough anymore?
They got into the cart and Amaya was sure even the goblin could tell the tension between them.
It so happened that James was pissed at her too.
For an entirely different and absolutely unreasonable reason. He was mad about the stupid Horcrux Compass.
When Remus and her finally finished building the blasted thing, they showed it to Sirius and James, throwing jazz hands in the mix. James had narrowed his eyes at her as Amaya and Remus explained they studied the Horcrux's magic to create the compass and even replicate it on a shallow scale.
When they finished James and Sirius blew up, telling them how the Horcrux could've poisoned them both and how they could've asked for help. Then, Remus and Amaya got mad too. Safe to say, planning the heist was no easy feat when everyone was pissed.
"Can we go slower?" asked Amaya to the goblin handling the cart.
The goblin stared at her blankly. "I'm not allowed—"
"I'll return to you the goblin-made dagger I have in my vault," Amaya interrupted him, seeing as the goblin's eyes turned greedy and he nodded.
The cart started moving, and jerked as it did, causing Amaya to grasp James' arm subconsciously for safety. He laughed. She glared at him and let his arm go as the cart moved, fast but not deadly. It was enough that they could talk. Enough that they would have time to stop right after the Thief's Downfall.
"You know, I don't know why you're mad at me," James said after a few moments, his voice in disbelief.
"Well, maybe that's the problem." Amaya rolled her eyes, not looking at him. "Or perhaps, I'm mad that you don't trust me to care for myself."
Her eyes flickered to the goblin and Amaya noticed him paying close attention to them.
"You know that's not what I meant," he said, turning in the cart next to her. Amaya kept stubbornly staring ahead.
"No?"
"No. I do trust you to take care of yourself. But you hid this for me cause you knew I wouldn't agree—"
"Yes. I did. It wasn't your choice to make."
"But we're supposed to be in this together—Maya, please look at me."
Amaya shook her head staring ahead, spotting the waterfall ahead of them.
"Come on, love." James cupped her chin and turned her head. Amaya closed her eyes and heard him sigh in exasperation. "Seriously?"
She opened her eyes, meeting his hazel ones and for one second she wanted to just give in. But the truth was, James promised her everything, and now he was pushing her away. Or perhaps she was exaggerating, but it did hurt every time he'd reject her. Every time he'd give her a soft smile as he stopped them, like she was broken almost, before going on with whatever they were previously doing.
"I'm mad at you," she whispered and James smiled.
"Good. I'm not the only one."
"Your reason for being mad at me is stupid," she said promptly.
"It's stupid that I don't want you poisoned? Or sick?"
"Yes. I'm fine."
"Now you are. Remus told me you threw up the first time you opened the box."
Amaya scowled, about to say something, when they were hit by the waterfall. Amaya felt its magic wash over them, the stripping powers of it trying to steal away her magic, or any enchantment. Amaya made sure it couldn't touch either her or James with its thieving waters.
Her eyes met James' as soon as they were past it and he nodded.
Quickly and subtly, Amaya placed her hand atop the cart, reached for its magic, and stopped it in its tracks. It jerked slightly before stopping altogether, right after the waterfall.
The goblin looked confused for a second and then he just collapsed in his seat unconscious. Amaya looked at James with a reluctant smile. "You're getting better at wandless magic."
He shrugged. "I have a good teacher," he said leaning in to kiss her, only Amaya pulled away before he could.
She only smiled at him, like he usually did to her, and took the broomstick they'd brought (shrunken inside the pouch she'd taken from the vault the last time) They put it back to its size and Amaya made sure the cart and the goblin would remain asleep as she took the compass out of the pouch and James mounted the broom, hovering over the cart, the invisibility cloak he'd stashed in Amaya's bag in his hands.
"Are you not thankful we have this?" Amaya muttered, hopping on the broomstick in front of him, allowing herself to melt against him as James wrapped his arms around her to grab onto the broomstick, the invisibility cloak around them.
"I am," he whispered against her ear, making Amaya shiver, "I'm not thankful though that you went behind my back and got yourself hurt."
"I'm fine."
"Merlin you're a menace," he huffed. "Tell me where to go."
Amaya looked down at the compass in her hands, seeing the pointers flicker for a bit until they steadied. She told James to head down and left towards a row of vaults. They flew for a few minutes finding the right direction amongst the staggering underground web of vaults that Gringott's was and finally landed on a little platform, in front of the vault that must've belonged to Bellatrix Lestrange.
Quietly, they hopped off the bike, not seeing any guards anywhere and Amaya stumbled onto the ground her stomach already flipping with the magic in the air. However, the cup didn't seem as powerful as the diadem. James grabbed her by the arm.
"You're fine?" he asked with a scoff and Amaya rolled her eyes at him, straightening her back and pretending that she was fine because she was, she just felt nauseous.
Without speaking to each other, they moved under the cloak, James carrying the broomstick and the pouch Amaya handed him so she could focus. Amaya approached the door, so different from her own vault's door, and pressed her palm to it, closing her eyes tightly.
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