【 CHAPTER TWENTY 】
━━━ DRUNK & WILD ━━━
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IT WAS THE NIGHT before the Scamander children were to return to Hogwarts. All of Laurel's things were already packed and she was just getting ready for bed when her father knocked on her doorway.
⠀⠀"Oh, hello, Dad," she said, putting her hairbrush down. "Aren't you supposed to be sleeping? Work is starting again tomorrow, right?"
⠀⠀"Yes, but I just wanted to say good night to my lovely daughter," Rolf said, walking over and kissing Laurel on the forehead. "All packed?"
⠀⠀"Yeah. I finished before dinner," she replied, pointing at her closed suitcase on the floor next to her bed.
⠀⠀"Yeah, I should've realized," Rolf chuckled. "You're a much more productive packer than your brothers."
⠀⠀Laurel chuckled, shrugging. "I get that from you."
⠀⠀Rolf smiled wistfully, moving into the room as his daughter got into bed. He sat down on the edge of her bed, pushing the wisps of blonde hair from her face.
⠀⠀"Sometimes you're still that newborn baby to me, you know?" he said, chuckling a little, ruffling her hair. "But my little girl is growing up, and falling in love."
⠀⠀Laurel scoffed as her father teased her. "I wouldn't say falling in love, Dad. More like, rising into it."
⠀⠀Rolf grinned. "And I raised a wonderful young lady who has a mind of her own. You definitely get that from your mother."
⠀⠀Laurel just smiled.
⠀⠀"He's good, you know — James," Rolf said, his wistful smile back. "Ginny Weasley whipped him into shape, didn't she?"
⠀⠀Laurel laughed. "Harry Potter's not half as bad of a father as you'd think," closing her last bag for tomorrow's return to school. "You know, I would still like him whether you approved of him or not. But I am glad you do."
⠀⠀Rolf smiled. "Again, another aspect of having a mind of your own. Your father's opinion no longer matters."
⠀⠀"It does," the blonde retorted. She smirked. "Just not as much as Mum's."
⠀⠀Rolf cocked his eyebrow and shook his head at what he considered nonsense of hers. They stayed in euphoric silence for awhile, just enjoying each other's company.
⠀⠀"Dad," she asked. He looked up. "When did you know you liked Mum?"
⠀⠀Rolf smiled. And it wasn't his usual fatherly smile. It was almost a boyish smile that looked oddly placed on his stubble-covered face, his complexion turning a little pink, his eyes melting as he thought of a response. It was like his heart was exploding and he wasn't trying to control it. Laurel rarely ever saw her father like this.
⠀⠀"I guess, it was like—" he stuttered to find the words (their family, after all, did not come from a bloodline of wordsmiths). "I wanted to make her happy. I didn't want to be the sole reason she was happy, I wanted my actions for her to make her happy. She didn't need me — your mother rarely relies on other humans — but I guess I wanted to be her constant in her life — her, her...anchor when she did need to rely on another human, I suppose. She almost lost everything, you know?"
⠀⠀Laurel just smiled and nodded. Rolf smiled back, reaching over to ruffle her hair again, bending down to kiss her on the forehead good night.
⠀⠀As he shut the door and she drifted off to sleep, a revelation washed over her like a calm wave hitting the shores of her mind, and she smiled.
⠀⠀Now she knew what love really was.
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THE SCAMANDER CHILDREN USED the Floo Network to get back to Hogwarts, reluctantly leaving their parents behind. The past couple of days had broken them all down only to help them grow together to build back up, and closer than they had already been. Laurel was immensely grateful for that.
⠀⠀The Scamander children were permitted to go back to their dormitories after the new passwords were given to them, requested to rest up for the coming week. They had gone back on a Friday and wouldn't be attending classes again until Monday.
⠀⠀After hugging her brothers as a 'see you later', she easily levitated her things and walked towards the familiar direction of the Gryffindor Tower. It was quite comforting to be back in her second home. She could hear the familiar echoes of students hushed tones in the hallways, the last class of the week was just about to end. The blonde reached the Fat Lady just as students began trickling from their classes into the hallways.
⠀⠀Laurel had a lighthearted conversation with the Fat Lady before saying the password and entering the portrait hole and into the empty common room. The smell hit her in an overwhelming surge of nostalgia, filled with scents of parchment, burnt wood, Chocolate Frogs, and sandalwood. Ah, she felt right at home.
⠀⠀Hurrying upstairs, she entered the dormitory, finding it empty as well, her space the only area that wasn't a mess. Well, Callen's was rather tidy. Dominique's, however, was not, as usual. Laurel couldn't help but smile.
⠀⠀She began unpacking, slowly piecing herself back to normalcy. Everything was placed where she wanted it to be; like shirts in the first drawer, pants in the second, books on one side of her desk, photos on her wall, etc. She cleaned out her desk, throwing out old scraps and finding a few valuable things hidden in the crooks of her desk.
⠀⠀Laurel found an entire box of old photos there, wondering why on earth she never found it before. Perhaps she was just so caught up in the whirlwind of school she forgot photo boxes existed.
⠀⠀Retreating to her bed, she opened the box, finding a photo of her family right on top. Oh, she was so young. It was a photo of all the Scamanders and Grandpa Lovegood together, including her and the twins. She was barely five years old in the picture, standing off to the side, next to Lysander and Lorcan, the biggest smile on her face. She was dressed in a bright yellow flower-patterned dress, her golden locks braided into two matching French plaits. They were all standing in a huddle on a field somewhere, in front of a big oak tree. Oh, she remembered now. It was the old Scamander home, somewhere off in the countryside.
⠀⠀Her grandmother stood closer to the middle, Rolf's arm wrapped around her, both smiling grandly at the camera. Everyone looked happy, even Uncle Rigel looked happy. But that was before life hit him hard in the face.
⠀⠀She stroked the photo, her finger pressed on her grandmother's smiling expression. How badly she missed her. The healing process had just begun, and these photos weren't helping entirely.
⠀⠀The blonde placed the photo to the side, flipping through more of the photos there, picking and choosing which to add to her wall. So many were of ridiculous moments with Callen and Dominique, wondering when on earth she took them. She couldn't help but laugh a bit at the memories attached to them. She came across a few pictures of her and the twins, realizing disappointedly then that the height difference between her and them had never really changed.
⠀⠀Just then the door to their dormitory opened, and her two best friend's came barreling in as they realized she was back. A familiar "blimey!" from Dominique already had Laurel smiling. She was home.
⠀⠀"Laurel!" Dominique and Callen exclaimed, running over and almost jumping in her, their arms wrapping around her in a tight embrace. They were all squealing excitedly, finally letting go of her and beaming at her.
⠀⠀"We've missed you so much," Callen said, hugging her again as they all sat comfortably on Lauel's bed. The blonde realized then how much she had missed the soft and gentleness of Callen Li.
⠀⠀"And I missed you both too," Laurel said, reaching over the squeeze both of their hands, "so, so, so much."
⠀⠀"Is your family holding up alright?" Dominique asked, concern evident on every part of her. For once she wasn't sarcastic. "Are you holding up alright?"
⠀⠀"They're going to be okay," Laurel replied, smiling a little, "I'm going to be okay."
⠀⠀"Good," Dominique said, smiling too. "Take as much time as you need. We'll be here for you."
⠀⠀Laurel just smiled thankfully. She honestly didn't know how else to be. "So how has school been? You two did write notes for me right?"
⠀⠀"I did," Callen said almost proudly as she ate from her bag of pretzel twists. She pointed at Dominique with one of them, her mouth full, "I don't know if she did though."
⠀⠀"I did!" Dominique said indignantly, crossing her arms after throwing a pillow at Callen, who just laughed. "For the most part."
⠀⠀Laurel let out a small laugh. "I'll take what I can get."
⠀⠀"Look — hear me out! As much as I love him, Longbottom was an absolute bore," Dominique said defensively, walking over to steal some of Callen's pretzels. "I could barely stay awake."
⠀⠀"But you don't take Herbology," Laurel realized out loud just as Callen said in unison, aggressively moving her bag of pretzels way from the redhead: "Why are you even taking Herbology? You're studying wizard politics." Laurel made a face that said she was just going to say what Callen said.
⠀⠀"I was just there my free period to take notes for you Laurel," Dominique replied, throwing a playful glare at her blonde friend, pouting a little. "You both are against me for no reason."
⠀⠀"Fair enough," Laurel said, laughing a little as she kneeled on the floor to shove her trunk underneath her bed.
⠀⠀"Oh my Merlin!" Callen exclaimed. Laurel got off the floor to see what she was yelling about, finding the raven haired girl staring at all the pictures Laurel had hung up. "When did you put these up?"
⠀⠀"What are you screaming about?" Dominique said, scrambling over, falling on her stomach onto Laurel's bed, looking at what Callen was. Callen just pointed.
⠀⠀"Oh bloody hell," Dominique finally said as she realized what was in the pictures, Laurel laughing. "Is that me from fourth year? In that terrible hairstyle? I can't believe I fell for Aunt Hermione's 'stylish' hairstyle back then! I thought butterfly clips were so cool."
⠀⠀"You looked great," Callen said sarcastically, letting out a guffaw.
⠀⠀"Ugh, Cals you literally haven't aged," Dominique whined. "You're just as pretty now if not prettier."
⠀⠀"Like they say," Callen laughed, "Asian don't raisin."
⠀⠀They all just laughed at the ridiculousness of the phrase, continuing to look at the pictures. Laurel pulled out the box she had placed the others in, all three lounging in her bed, laughing and commenting on the memories the pictures brought back.
⠀⠀The trio let time fly as they went through all the pictures and boxes of cookies. They barely realized the time, noticing that they had accidentally skipped dinner. Never underestimate a group of friends' power to talk for hours.
⠀⠀"Dammit!" Dominique said exasperatedly as they scrambled to run to the kitchen for food. Well, mostly Dominique. "I promised James I wouldn't hog you."
⠀⠀Laurel laughed, pulling on her shoes and attempting to put all the pictures back in their respective boxes. "When ever did you keep any of your promises to that boy?"
⠀⠀"Never," Callen chimed in, laughing along. Dominique still continued to stressfully pull on a sweater of sorts. Somehow, within the process of looking through pictures, her shirt had come off, claiming she was 'hot'.
⠀⠀The redhead shushed them, causing them to giggle again, grabbing their respective wands and heading out of the Gryffindor Tower. The common room was full, but their trio of male counterparts were nowhere to be found. Laurel was excited to see James, but she was more excited to get food with the girls. She had not done something like this in awhile.
⠀⠀They used to run around the castle like this when they were younger, befriending the house elves of the kitchen, getting food at midnight, only to be caught by a prefect. But somehow, they were always let off. Either Dominique knew the prefect, Callen knew the prefect, or Laurel knew the prefect. They could honestly get away with anything, but they knew not to abuse that power (or at least the latter two knew).
⠀⠀And now, it was back to the good old days. They weren't really sneaking around, just heading straight to the kitchens, unnoticed by the passing Hufflepuffs, who were too busy enjoying each other's company to care. Some did notice Laurel, however, and welcomed her back warmly. So much for having an older brother be in Hufflepuff.
⠀⠀They entered the kitchen, greeting the house-elves, who cheerily greeted them back as they ran around, only to find two other individuals there as well, stuffing their faces.
⠀⠀"Evan?" Callen was the first to recognize the two figures. They both looked up at the girls from their chocolate pudding, almost surprised. Laurel quickly realized it was Evan and Asher. But where was James? "What are you doing here?"
⠀⠀"Hullo babe and company," Evan said in the most awkwardly guilty fashion, coming over to kiss Callen on the cheek. Then he realized Laurel was standing there. "Laury! You're back!" The blonde just smiled and chuckled a little as Evan and Asher attacked her in a shared brotherly hug.
⠀⠀"You weren't at dinner?" Callen asked as they all sat down around a table.
⠀⠀"No," Evan replied simply. "Were you?"
⠀⠀"Nope," Dominique said, thanking a house-elf for the sandwiches and chocolate pudding she brought for the group. "Laurel is more important than dinner."
⠀⠀Laurel just chuckled, shaking her head as she reached for a sandwich. "How are you two? And where's James?"
⠀⠀"I'm brilliant," Evan said, smiling giddily with his pudding in hand. "And James...well he's tutoring."
⠀⠀"Who?" Dominique asked defensively. "Mara Zox the Murderer?"
⠀⠀Laurel recognized the name. Evidently, everyone else did as well. Evan and Asher just looked at each other, their pudding spoons in their mouths, eating their pudding slowly and nervously, as if they were children who were found guilty of stealing their mother's special batch of pudding that wasn't meant for them.
⠀⠀"That means yes," Callen said, sighing as Dominique let out a louder sigh, her hand flying to her face.
⠀⠀"I told him to stay away from her!" Dominique exclaimed angrily, startling some of the house-elves, immediately apologizing. "She's up to no good. I know she hasn't—" she drew quotation marks in the air with her fingers "—changed like everyone claims."
⠀⠀"We said the exact same thing," Asher said. "But he's just too nice and won't fucking listen."
⠀⠀"Mara?" Laurel asked, quietly. "Mara Zox?"
⠀⠀"You know her?" Evan asked.
⠀⠀Laurel nodded. "Erm — she's the girl Liam cheated on me with."
⠀⠀"Oh."
⠀⠀Laurel just nodded, looking at her pudding. "Anyway, how are you two?" She smiles at Evan and Asher, but everyone knew something else was on her mind
⠀⠀"Oh fine," Asher said first, noticing the need for a discussion topic change. "Though—" he waved the spoon he was using at Laurel before digging back into his pudding "—I am reconsidering my career choice."
⠀⠀"As an Auror?" Laurel asked. "I thought you loved it."
⠀⠀"I do but not as much as I'd love being an Herbologist," Asher said, shrugging. "I don't know. It's just a thought."
⠀⠀"Maybe you could be an Herbologist Investigator," Dominique perked up, putting a fourth sandwich into her mouth. "And yes it's a thing," she added, after they all looked at her as if she were crazy. "The Auror department is making so many new kinds of jobs nowadays. The pay isn't terrible either."
⠀⠀"Well then what do they do?" Asher asked, looking at Dominique. For once he was more interested in the topic than he was in her. Even oblivious Laurel noticed that.
⠀⠀"They basically run tests when it comes down to faulty potions and what Muggles call 'drug tests'. They work with Investigative Healers for crime scenes with murders and what not," Dominique said nonchalantly. "And you'd find it funny how there are more murders with real blood than murders because of spells nowadays."
⠀⠀"Investigative Healers?" Laurel perked up. That sounded interesting.
⠀⠀"Mhm," Dominique acknowledged. "Both positions are trained in the watered down versions of the defense courses Auror trainees take. It's still something though."
⠀⠀They were all somewhat stunned to silence at the moment.
⠀⠀"Looks like our future Minister of Magic knows her stuff," Evan joked, rolling his eyes. "I honestly just want to run my father's Quidditch products business and somehow bring it to Latin America to help the magic families there who can't afford to send their children to magic school. You know—my mother is from there and she was just so fortunate and lucky to come to Hogwarts."
⠀⠀"Aw," Callen cooed, reaching over to cup his face in her hands, pecking him on the lips briefly, "you're the sweetest."
⠀⠀Evan just leant in closer to kiss her longer, leaving everyone else to watch and roll their eyes (well, just Dominique and Asher; Laurel was too focused on how jiggly her pudding was. Was that even possible?).
⠀⠀"The most interesting career choice is probably Callen's," Dominique said after the couple pulled away from each other. "Don't you want to be part of the Wizard Ambassadors in the Ministry?"
⠀⠀"Honestly, the Ministry sucks," Asher said, shaking his head. "Our government sucks."
⠀⠀"Just shut the fuck up and eat your pudding, Ashtray," Dominique snapped at him, causing them all laughed at the spontaneous nickname, even Asher laughed a little.
⠀⠀"Anyway," Callen said after finally letting herself breathe from laughter, "Wizard Ambassadors work as mediators between the Muggle government and the Ministry. They also work in networking between wizarding countries. It's quite brilliant in my opinion."
⠀⠀"You'd be amazing at it," Laurel said, smiling. Callen just beamed back at her, reaching across the table and squeezing Laurel's hand.
⠀⠀They all continued a lovely lighthearted conversation for another hour or so, or at least until most of the pudding was gone. Most of it was eaten by Laurel, the Pudding Queen herself. Though she did wish her Pudding Boy was around.
⠀⠀Hers? She couldn't say that. He was not hers. And she was not his. Laurel just wondered if anything was going to happen between her and James. Part of her wanted something to happen, and the other part was afraid. And now that he was tutoring Mara Zox, she grew even more anxious. The girl could snatch James away. Just like that. But was James like that? Wait, wait, she couldn't think like this. James didn't belong to her. If he wanted to date Mara then he should. Laurel was in no position to stop him.
⠀⠀Laurel's thoughts finally stopped when she saw everyone looking at her. "Hi?" she asked, awkwardly, giggling a little, innocently eating her pudding.
⠀⠀"Earth to Laury," Asher said, waving at her. Then his attention averted, as did everyone else's. "Potty!"
⠀⠀Speak of the Devil, Laurel thought as she felt her heart skip. Her head snapped towards where everyone else was looking. Then she saw him. She saw him.
⠀⠀Yes, Laurel had just seen him a few days ago, but every time she saw him it was like she saw him for the first time. It was like he was a walking galaxy, and she couldn't tear her eyes away from him.
⠀⠀Her affection for him was bursting at the seams and she was pretty sure he noticed.
⠀⠀She almost smacked her cup of pudding on the table, running out of her seat and straight into his arms. Four days had been too long for either of them.
⠀⠀Laurel could feel his arms wrap around her tightly. She could feel him sigh with relief. She could breathe his familiar scent. She could kiss him at that very moment. But she didn't. Of course she didn't.
⠀⠀"Hey," he said softly in her ear, gripping her golden locks. God, he would probably melt right now if it weren't for her arms keeping him together.
⠀⠀She pulled back (even though he didn't want her to), her hands going up to his face. Her blue irises bore into his brown ones, and he couldn't look away. At that very moment, everyone thought she was going to kiss him. He wanted her to.
⠀⠀But alas, she didn't.
⠀⠀"Hey, Pudding Boy." Laurel almost whispered it, smiling. "Come for a bit of pudding?"
⠀⠀James just nodded, chuckling. She pulled away, linking their fingers loosely as she lead him to the table. Unfortunately, the only available seat left was from across from her, but they would live.
⠀⠀Evan just pushed a bowl of pudding at the four-eyed boy, just to break the moment and make it all of theirs. "How was tutoring?" He said 'tutoring' like it was a curse. Mara Zox was nothing short of one anyway.
⠀⠀"Surprisingly smooth," James said, chuckling a little as he ate his pudding. They were all slightly surprised except Dominique and Laurel.
⠀⠀"You bloody wanker," Dominique almost snarled, banging the table, startling the house-elves yet again. "I told you not to help her anymore. She's. Up. To. No. Good!" She smacked her hand on the table with every word.
⠀⠀"For Merlin's sake, Dom," James said irritably, everyone, including himself, moving instinctively away from her until she stopped, "you're worse than my own mother!"
⠀⠀"Well I'm sorry she's not here to watch out for you," Dominique spat, her angry Veela side emerging from the fire in her blue eyes. Blue was, after all, the hottest of the flame. "I just don't want anything to happen to you. Don't you get it?" Laurel found it quite odd that her best friend was so worked up about Mara. The girl had stolen Laurel's ex-boyfriend, but even Laurel herself wasn't so worked up about Mara.
⠀⠀"I can take care of myself, thanks," James said curtly, almost glaring at Dominique, whose stubborn stance was unwavering. Then he softened. "I love you, but you need to stop worrying about me."
⠀⠀"Just wish you'd listen to me that's all," Dominique said, softening as well, the tension of her shoulders subsiding as she shrugged.
⠀⠀"Do you listen to him?" Evan broke in, receiving a smack from Dominique for the comment, making everyone laugh.
⠀⠀"No one asked, you prick," Dominique quipped. But she was smiling.
⠀⠀"We should probably go," Callen suggested. "The house-elves seem to be getting a little...on edge about us being here." She motioned at Dominique's hands. The redhead just rolled her eyes.
⠀⠀"I'll just take this bowl of pudding with me then," James said, as all of them agreed.
⠀⠀"They allow that?" Asher asked, as they all got up to go. "Wait — right. You're Harry Potter's son."
⠀⠀"Shut up," James snapped lightly, throwing an apple he found at his best friend. "You know I hate that."
⠀⠀"I apologize, mate," Asher said, raising his hands in surrender.
⠀⠀Laurel just smiled as she grabbed an extra spoon. Perhaps she could share with James later in the common room or something. If he should allow it.
⠀⠀They all snuck back to the Gryffindor Tower, for it was half an hour after curfew, and they couldn't let the prefects or heads know (otherwise they'd lose points they needed to win for this year's House Cup), running around the corridors until they reached the Tower. The Fat Lady let them in, and they rushed to the common room, finding it loud and stuffy. Ah — a party. One of the seventh year's must've thrown it.
⠀⠀"Hey!" one of them (Laurel forgot his first name but she knew his surname was Finnigan) came over, wrapping his arm around James. He has a heavy Irish accent. "Potter and Co's joined the party!"
⠀⠀The dancing crowd yelled in excitement. James just went up to stand on a chair (with his pudding), watching as everyone went silent to wait for his announcement, like a king giving a decree. Laurel watched in awe as she realized a prince was subconsciously turning into a king.
⠀⠀"Hello everyone," James said, bowing a little. "I won't keep this long. But whatever this party is for, I wish you well! Enjoy yourselves tonight and let's get this party going!"
⠀⠀The Gryffindors at the party cheered and James hopped off his chair, greeting everyone until he was at the side of the room, eating his pudding quietly, then grabbing a cup of Firewhiskey that was charmed to refill itself. All his friends joined the dancing, all except Laurel. But was she really just his friend?
⠀⠀"So Mara Zox, huh?" Laurel commented over the loud music, taking a sip from her Firewhiskey.
⠀⠀James looked at her oddly and chuckled, taking a gulp of Firewhiskey that somehow ended up in his hands. "You surprised?"
⠀⠀"Is she your friend or—?"
⠀⠀James let out a low chuckle, which was close to a scoff. "Friend? We're — nothing close to that."
⠀⠀Laurel cocked her head to the side, looking at him as he took another gulp of his drink. He was visibly getting drunker. She, on the other hand, had only finished half (and she was feeling a bit out of place, but she was much more sober than he was). He slumped a little, sliding to the floor and leaning his head back. He was clearly avoiding the question, watching as Laurel sat down next to him. She didn't press.
⠀⠀They sat in silence between each other for the next fifteen minutes, both getting too drunk to even realize it, cracking stupid jokes and making fun of people dancing.
⠀⠀James slumped a little. "Wanna go for a dance?"
⠀⠀Laurel looked to the crowd, waving sloppily at it with the hand she held her cup in. "With all those bodies? It's a bit too — claustrophobic for me."
⠀⠀"Nah," James said, waving his cup at her, "I meant somewhere else. Slow dancing perhaps. You'd better—" he burped, Laurel yelling gross! "—you'd better be able to slow dance, Rels."
⠀⠀Yep, he was definitely drunk. Laurel laughed, feeling oddly warm all over as she took another downing of her drink. "James, how is it that you're already this drunk after only three cups of Firewhiskey?"
⠀⠀James let out a small burp, and then laughed loudly and childishly as Laurel grimaced. "That's one too many!" His words were almost slurred. "You took just as many."
⠀⠀Laurel just let out a laugh. She didn't know if he was wrong. "So are we going to dance or not?"
⠀⠀"Not here," James said, gripping his cup and grabbing her free hand sloppily, tugging her away from the loud common room.
⠀⠀They headed to a staircase leading out of the common room, into a small space with a window that overlooked the snow-covered west courtyard. The cold air struck her warm body, and she felt like she could finally breathe. Parties like one happening right now were never her thing (so Dominique never understood how she had been sorted into Gryffindor). Everything was louder but also quieter. She could still hear the music from the other room, and everything was a little fuzzy. She felt too warm for it to be normal, and she felt like laughing (she was actually giggling for no reason).
⠀⠀"Been here before?" James asked, his hand still in hers as he lead her to the middle of the small room, placing both of those cups to the side.
⠀⠀Laurel just shrugged, giggling as he turned around, grabbing he other hand. He was so visibly drunk, she wondered if he would remember anything in the morning. She wondered if she would remember this. She could barely remember how she even got there.
⠀⠀"How can we slow dance if there's no music?" Laurel asked, laughing.
⠀⠀"There's music playing," James replied, as if it was obvious, using his finger to tap his temple. "Don't you hear that song?"
⠀⠀"Oh," drunk Laurel said. She laughed. She could hear it! "Oh."
⠀⠀James stared at her and then laughed. "Just kidding, silly!" Oh, no, now she couldn't hear the music. He pulled out his wand and whispered something under his breath, and music, almost from nowhere appeared. It was slow dance music, but none like she had ever heard before, coming from every direction of the room. It was possibly Muggle music.
⠀⠀Laurel looked at him, puzzled. James just chuckled, moving his hands to her waist, her arms around his neck. They swayed to the same beat, Laurel's head cocked curiously to the side as she stared at him inquiringly.
⠀⠀"Made up the charm," James finally said, his face so close to hers she could smell the Firewhiskey in his breath as he spoke. "Don't tell anyone."
⠀⠀"Won't tell a soul," Laurel promised, giggling as she realized how big of a secret he entrusted her with — a crime for Merlin's sake! "Am I aiding a criminal?"
⠀⠀James chuckled again. "How'd I taint my family name if this secret got out! Oh! — what a scandal!" He feigned shock, causing Laurel to laugh. "So yes, you are aiding a criminal."
⠀⠀"A pretty handsome one for that matter," Laurel flirted, almost whispering, letting out a quiet laugh, briefly brushing noses with him. Her eyes were drooping, ready to fall asleep. "We could be like...Bonnie and Clyde."
⠀⠀"Who?"
⠀⠀"A notorious American Muggle couple who was responsible for multiple murders and other crimes," Laurel blurted, they were getting oddly close. How did drunk her know that much of Callen's American Muggle history rambles?
⠀⠀"Living on the wild side?" James asked, almost huskily, though he was genuinely pondering over it. Their lips were only centimeters apart.
⠀⠀Laurel didn't respond, waiting for him to kiss her. The smile on her face seemed to fade as she remembered the question she wanted to know the answer to.
⠀⠀"James, how do you know Mara Zox?"
⠀⠀James pulled back, completely away from her. "Rels." From the way he said her nickname, she honestly couldn't tell if he was angry at her. There were too many emotions in his voice for her drunken self to process. But she knew enough that they weren't positive ones.
⠀⠀He sat down where he had placed their Firewhiskey cups, taking a sip from what was hopefully his. His happy-go-lucky drunk expression was gone as he partially sprawled where he sat, leaning on the wall. The music was still playing.
⠀⠀Laurel sat down carefully next to him. Taking her cup, she took a sip, watching him cautiously. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."
⠀⠀James heaved a sigh, looking at his cup and rotating it in his hand. "Rels." The way he said her nickname this time though was different. It was gentler, but still full of scattered emotions. It almost made Laurel want to kiss him then and there, but she put her cup to her lips instead. He paused for awhile before speaking again. "I'll tell you."
⠀⠀He took another swig, looking off into the distance, Laurel continuing to sip, looking at him, carefully pushing a loose piece of hair behind her ear. Then he looked at her, and even drunk Laurel could see the amount of emotion screaming in his chocolate eyes.
⠀⠀"She's my ex," James almost whispered. He looked back down at his cup again, unwilling to look at Laurel. Sober James would never speak of these things, but alas, here sitting next to Drunk Laurel was Drunk James.
⠀⠀"She—" he let out a soft burp and Laurel couldn't help but laugh a little. He looked at her, laughing softly as well. But his expression turned somber right after, his gaze returning to his refilling cup. "She...well...she cheated on me."
⠀⠀"Oh, James," Laurel said, sadness filling her, reaching over to touch him, her hand going to touch his face. "I'm—I'm so sorry."
⠀⠀He smiled weakly. "It was just last year, actually. We had been dating since my fifth year, her sixth year, and you know, I lost my virginity to her—whatever—and then just last year, just last year, she cheats on me. And I don't even know with who. Not that I want to know." He sounded utterly defeated.
⠀⠀"Oh, James," Laurel said, completely at a loss for words, rubbing soft circles on his cheeks with her thumb. He finally looked up at her, only for her to find tears welling up in his eyes. Drunk James' emotions only got progressively worse with every sip he took of Firewhiskey.
⠀⠀Tears began to fall uncontrollably, and all Laurel could do was wrap her arms around James' shaking body as he burrowed his face into her. He was so drunk. How odd to think that only a few days ago, she was in his exact position.
⠀⠀"I'm so sorry," she said, running circles on his back. How she had enough energy for this was out of the question. She was so sleepy. "Don't think about her, okay? Don't be nice, don't tutor her. She can find someone else." She honesty couldn't tell if it was Drunk Laurel or Sober Laurel speaking. Or maybe Protective Laurel?
⠀⠀He pulled away from her, sniffling as he wiped his eyes. "You know," he said, "she hates your guts."
⠀⠀"Why?" Laurel asked, her eyes dropping slightly. She cringed at the music. Why was it so loud? She didn't care much for why Mara hated her. Well — Drunk Laurel didn't.
⠀⠀"Because of me," James replied, edging closer. She could see the droplets of tears on his eyelashes, and some part of her wished she could kiss all his problems away. But even Drunk Laurel didn't give into her impulses. Not really.
⠀⠀"What do you mean?" Laurel asked, their noses brushing.
⠀⠀"Because literally everyone knows I fancy you," James said, simply. "More than just fancy, if we're being honest." Drunk James did not have a filter.
⠀⠀Laurel didn't reply. All she let out was husky chuckle, their lips now only centimeters apart, playing a game of who would give in first. They stayed like that for too long, their fingers interlocking on their own, but their lips never touching.
⠀⠀"Living on the wild side," James muttered loud enough for her to hear, brushing her nose with his. He paused. "Would kissing you fit into that category?"
⠀⠀Laurel only chuckled again, letting go of his fingers, reaching for his neck. "Do I kill you every time you see me?"
⠀⠀James didn't answer for a moment, his arms snaking around her waist. "Yes, you do. I melt. I suffocate." He paused again, chuckling as his eyes roamed her face, lingering in her lips. "Just thought you should know."
⠀⠀She grinned, pulling back as she looked at him fully. He was so beautiful that she almost couldn't fathom it. She pressed her nose back to his again. "Then that's wild enough."
⠀⠀James pulled her in, pressing his lips softly onto hers, his hands snaking under her shirt, her hands running through his hair. His touch sent electricity down her spine, causing her to shudder. The kiss was passionate, it was full of fire, and they could feel it burning through their throat and their stomach, the way Firewhiskey would if you drank too much too fast. Kissing him felt so good. Laurel could hear him moaning quietly into her mouth as she moved her legs around his hips to straddle him.
⠀⠀He moved from her mouth to her neck, sucking hard on her skin like there was honey on it, as if he were so thirsty, he'd die. She was a breathless beauty on top of him and all he could think about was her lips and her body. And just her.
⠀⠀James pulled back from her neck, returning to her lips. She kissed him back, digging her fingers into his black hair, her own golden locks ticking his face. She could taste the Firewhiskey on his tongue, and the fingers threatening to pull of her shirt. He felt so fitting to her body, and for once she didn't find it odd that there was something growing on him in between her legs. He was perfect and there was a blazing fire between them at this very moment that couldn't be put out.
⠀⠀Suddenly, she felt this horrible feeling in her stomach, like everything was about to come up. She pulled back quickly, practically rolling off of his body, retching.
⠀⠀"Rels?"
⠀⠀Oh, everything did come up. Her stomach could only hold so much Firewhiskey. She had forgotten, and was in between drunk and completely wasted. Her tolerance level could only handle so much. James had suddenly sobered up enough (the kissing has done its job on him) and ran to get their friends for help, finding the party had died down a bit since he and Laurel and left.
⠀⠀By the time they came back to the small room, they found the blonde passed out on the floor, right next to everything she had regurgitated. After drinking a enough water supplied by Asher to sober himself, James managed to clean up their mess with a wave of his wand. "Scourgify!"
⠀⠀He carried her easily in his arms, climbing the stairs back to the common room. He put her down on a couch in a quieter area of the common room (as quiet as it could possibly get), Callen and Dominique fussing over her. The whole process of figuring out whether or it to bring her to the hospital wing was a blur to him. Maybe he wasn't completely sober yet.
⠀⠀He honestly didn't know what their final decision was because his mind was everywhere but the present.
⠀⠀James could remember every single thing that had happened tonight. He could remember how her skin felt under his fingers, the way her fingers danced across the skin of his neck, the way she kissed him, like she was on fire. He still felt so flushed from it all. And even though she was drunk (so drunk), he knew she meant every single second of it.
⠀⠀But deep down somewhere, he knew the truth and he didn't want to believe it.
⠀⠀There were two truths from tonight.
⠀⠀Number One: tonight, she had just been another drunk and wild teenager with a poor stomach. But mostly, she wouldn't remember a single thing. Not the way his lips tasted or how her heart felt on fire whenever they touched.
⠀⠀And Number Two: the fact that Number One shattered his heart. Quietly.