Chapter Twenty-Eight
(Super long chapter, yay! THIS ONE IS ONE OF MY ABSOLUTE FAVOURITES AND IM REALLY EXCITED FOR YOU GUYS TO READ IT. also includes two flashbacks. Enjoy!)
--------------------------------------------
Third year
"Merry Christmas, Potter."
James glanced down confusedly at the perfectly wrapped present in her hand, then back up at her stony expression. She continued to hold it out towards him grudgingly, glaring at him in annoyance as if there were a million things she would rather be doing at that moment.
Recovering his wits, he grinned stupidly, taking it from her grasp and holding it up to turn it around in his hands and examine the silver wrapping paper and shiny red bow. "Wow, thanks, Jones." He smirked as he shook it carefully, hearing the satisfying sound of the contents rattling. "I know you love me and all, but you really didn't have to, you know."
"Actually, I did," she huffed irritably, refusing to look him in the eye. "Professor McGonagall said all the third-year Gryffindors were required to give each other presents this year, remember?"
James gave her a blank look. "She did?"
"Yes, but it's not like you ever bother to pay attention to her anyways."
"Oh." He shrugged, unconcerned. "Well, that's too bad then. Seems like none of the third-years will be getting any presents from me this year. Whoops."
"What a bloody tragedy. After last year's incident, they'll be truly disappointed," Brooklyn remarked sarcastically, rolling her eyes. James was prone to pulling off pranks during Christmas by wrapping up explosive items and handing them out to unsuspecting victims. Once, a first-year Hufflepuff had actually passed out from shock in the middle of the corridor after opening one.
He smirked once more. "Don't worry, love, of course I got you something. It's not here, obviously. It's a surprise. You'll have to wait until it's actually Christmas Day."
She rolled her eyes again. "Can't wait."
Not the least bit disheartened by her indifference, his grin widened as he examined his present once again, now holding it carefully like it was the world's most precious jewel (which to him it was, in a way.) After all, it wasn't every day the girl he fancied gave him a Christmas present. Even if she hadn't had a choice.
"So, what did ya get me, Jones?" He screwed up his face in concentration, trying to think. "A wedding ring? Flowers? Chocolates with love potion in them? You know you don't need those. You've already got my heart."
Her face turned bright red. "They're just a measly box of Sugar Quills. I got them for everyone, get over yourself!"
"You should really stop denying it to yourself, love," He teased, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. She knocked it off with an irritated huff. "Denying what?"
"That you're in love with me."
She groaned. "I am NOT—"
At that very moment, Sirius appeared, grinning at both of them cheerfully. "What's going on?"
Brooklyn didn't bother to grace him with an answer. She simply scowled, turned on her heel and marched down the hallway, making sure to bump his shoulder hard as she left.
James turned to Sirius casually. "I'm going to marry her one day, you know."
"Whatever you say, mate," Sirius teased, earning him a shove from James as the two of them made their way down the corridor.
-fourth year-
Brooklyn took another swig of her Butterbeer, but the warm, fuzzy feeling spreading through her body did nothing to make her feel any better. She'd already had two mugs, and yet she still couldn't bring herself to head back to the castle. She was more than aware that her eyes were still red-rimmed and her cheeks still flushed. She knew her friends would have questions if they saw her in such a state, and she really couldn't be bothered to come up with excuses.
"Alright there, Jones?"
Brooklyn closed her eyes at the sound of the familiar voice behind her, clenching her jaw. Just her luck. Of all the people to be in the Three Broomsticks that day, it just had to be him.
She didn't turn to face him, partly because she didn't want to see that stupid smirk of his, but also because she knew he'd take one look at her face and figure out that something was wrong. She resented the fact that he could read her so well, like an open book. It was infuriating.
"Just fine, Potter." She replied curtly, her back still facing him. She hoped that by some miracle, he'd go away, but seeing as this was James Potter she was referring to, obviously that wasn't going to happen.
"You sure?" Was it her imagination, or did he actually sound concerned?
"I'm sure."
"Really sure?" He persisted.
"Positive."
"You don't sound positive." He reached out and placed a finger under her chin, lifting her face up towards him. She pulled away, turning her face, but it was too late.
He frowned. "Doesn't look like it to me. Have you been crying?"
"Does it matter?" she mumbled exasperatedly. She was being crabby, but she just wasn't in the mood for his endless teasing. "I just want to be left alone for a while."
He regarded her soundlessly for a moment. "C'mon Jones. What kind of person would I be if I just left you here all by yourself?"
When she didn't answer, he decided to sit down in the seat next to her. He was quiet for a moment before speaking up.
"I saw Davies just now."
She glanced up sharply at him. "So, you came to laugh at me? Does it amuse you that my boyfriend was literally sucking another girls' face off?"
James' frown deepened as he stared at her. "Look, I— I didn't come to mock you."
She sighed. "Then what? Here to say 'I told you so'?"
"I— I just came to see if you were alright," he mumbled as he fidgeted uncomfortably. He paused for a moment before speaking again in a low voice. "He's a jerk."
"I've already figured that out for myself, thanks," she said stiffly. Her eyes softened for a fraction of a moment as she realised she was being a bitch. "Sorry, I didn't mean to take it out on you.. I'm— I'm just upset. I just want to be alone now."
James hesitated before nodding and standing up. Before he left, he stopped, turning back to look at her with an indecipherable expression on his face. "Just so you know... You're way too good for him."
--------------------------
Brooklyn was screwed. Utterly and completely screwed.
She flopped back down on the bed, sighing as she grabbed a pillow and buried her face into it. She wanted to scream. What was wrong with her?
"Come on, Brook. It can't be that bad. Let's talk about it."
Brooklyn lowered the pillow slightly to give Lily a distressed look. "I've lost my bloody mind."
When James had informed her that he'd invited the girls over for his family's annual Christmas party that weekend, she'd been relieved. She was dying to talk to someone about her dilemma but now that they were actually here, she wasn't even sure what she needed help with.
"Do you want to talk to him about it?" The redhead suggested.
"I— I don't know. I'm so confused," Brooklyn moaned. "I can't stop thinking about him."
Marlene took the pillow out of her hands and gently hit her shoulder with it. "You know what I think? I think you should just tell Potter how you feel."
Brooklyn turned to her, her mouth dropping open in horror. "What?"
The blonde girl shook her head, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "I'm serious. The poor boy deserves to know. He'll be ecstatic."
"How would you know that?" Brooklyn sighed. "We're friends now. I don't want things to get weird between us. What if he just laughs in my face?" She said, panicking slightly.
Marlene groaned. "For Merlin's sake, Brook. That boy is head over heels for you, really. Even a blind person would be able to tell. He's not just flirting for the fun of it, I can honestly tell you that."
Brooklyn couldn't help the tinge creeping up her cheeks. "I—"
Lily cut her off. "Okay. Let's tackle this one step at a time. First of all, ask yourself this, do you honestly, really like him?"
"Yes," Marlene fake-coughed, earning a playful hush from Lily as they waited for her answer.
Brooklyn pondered the thought. Did she? She thought about James, about everything he'd done, his character and who he was as a person. An image of him flashed in her mind, and she couldn't stop the faint smile spreading across her lips. Well, there was her answer.
She felt positively able to write hymns about James' smile, those warm hazel eyes, his deep laughter, everything. God, she was the definition of pathetic.
"You have no idea," she grudgingly admitted, causing Lily to squeal excitedly as Marlene grinned in triumph. "Sorry, sorry," Lily apologised, but she was beaming. "We've just been waiting for this for a long time."
She bit her lip harder with a hint of uncertainty. "Does he..... does he really fancy me as much as you say?"
Marlene groaned again. "Is the sky blue?"
Lily smiled gently. "You might not see it, but everyone else does. He cares about you. You honestly have no idea how much he does."
Brooklyn blushed, feeling her heartbeat steadily rising. "I don't... I don't know what to think."
"It's normal to be scared. But think about it, Brooklyn," Lily said softly. "Who else tries their best to make you laugh when you're upset? Gave you a dozen roses on your birthday? Stayed with you while you were sick in the hospital wing? Who's the person that always makes sure you're okay?"
Brooklyn was silent. She knew the answer. Of course she did. If she was being completely honest with herself, deep down, she'd always known. And it scared her senseless.
-------- later that night---------------
Brooklyn tucked back a wisp of hair and smoothed down the gold fabric of her dress as she walked into the Potter's spacious living room. It was decorated lavishly for the Potters' annual Christmas party, with red, gold and silver streamers, a snowflake-speckled ceiling and glittering ornaments. Brooklyn walked over to where Mrs Potter was fussing over a flower arrangement on one of the glass tables.
"I love your dress," Brooklyn noted, smiling. Euphemia beamed at her, clasping her hands together as she took in Brooklyn's appearance. "Why, thank you, dear! I must say, you look absolutely gorgeous. James was right, you really are a head-turner."
Brooklyn blushed, feeling her cheeks grow warm. "Oh..well, your son does tend to exaggerate most things."
Euphemia chuckled. "A trait he's inherited from me, it would seem. We all know I'm the drama queen in this family," she winked, causing Brooklyn to laugh. "Speaking of James, he was looking for you earlier. I think he's out in the patio with the boys."
Brooklyn nodded. "Thanks, I'll go check. The place looks amazing, by the way."
Giving Mrs Potter a small wave, she made her way outside.
The outside was set up just as elegantly as the inside of the house. Twinkly lights cast a soft silver glow over the place, giving everything a dreamy, ethereal look. Brooklyn spotted the marauders lounging near the patio and made her way over to them, her heels clicking softly against the stone floor.
Sirius spotted her first. His eyes lit up and he grinned, nudging James who had his back towards her. James turned, and Brooklyn felt her heart skip a beat as she locked eyes with him. She cleared her throat softly, nodding in greeting. "Hey."
James appeared slightly stunned. He took a while to respond as he took in her appearance, eyes wide. Mouth a bit dry, he blinked, feeling nervous all of a sudden. "There you are. You- you- er- you look-"
"Beautiful," Sirius finished for him, a smirk settling over his face. "Remember to save me a dance later. That is, if I can manage to pry you away from Prongs here," he teased, causing James and Brooklyn to both turn red simultaneously.
"Oi, watch it, Padfoot," James warned, hitting Sirius on the head lightly. Brooklyn's mouth lifted in a smile. "We'll see. Let me guess, the matching tuxes were your idea, Sirius?"
Sirius scoffed. "You're just jealous of my style."
James, who seemed to have recovered from his earlier daze, straightened up a bit, smoothing down the jacket of his tux cockily. "Well, only people as dashingly handsome such as ourselves could ever manage to pull this off, you know."
She smirked. "Whatever you say, Bambi."
Sirius snickered at the look on James' face. "Thanks, Brook, I'm gonna use that one next time."
James opened his mouth to retort but was cut off as his mothers voice rang out from inside. "James, darling, could you come in here for a second?"
"Sure, just a sec!" He called back. He turned to the other marauders. "Party should be starting soon. Mum wants us to stay out here and greet the guests, I think. I'll be right back." He turned back to Brooklyn, grinning slightly. "Anyways, Merry Christmas."
"Christmas is tomorrow," she pointed out.
"Well, yeah, but I wanted to be the first to wish you."
With that, he bounded back inside the house, and she had to force herself to wipe the smile off her face.
-----------2 hours later --------------
"Brook, there you are!" Lily grinned excitedly, her cheeks flushed. "Are you having fun? Did you see that cute Italian boy that just arrived with his parents? Merlin, his cheekbones! I heard Italians are great dancers."
"Hmm?" Brooklyn murmured distractedly, her eyes scanning the room of people. So far, she'd danced with James' dad, a boy from Durmstrang, the Potters' neighbours son and even Peter, but she hadn't seen James since he'd wished her on the patio.
"Ah, looking for Potter?" Lily teased knowingly. "I think he's in the kitchen."
"Thanks, Lils." Brook gestured to where Remus was sipping a glass of Butterbeer by himself, looking a little bored. "Remus looks a little lonely, don't you think?"
Lily turned bright pink. "Shut up, Brook."
Laughing, Brooklyn made her way to the kitchen.
It was a little crowded, with people milling around chatting amongst themselves and nibbling on delicacies. Festive music played softly, and the cheerful mood of the whole place was enough to bring a smile to her face. That is, until she spotted James.
He was chatting animatedly to a girl, laughing good-naturedly as he leaned back against the kitchen counter. They seemed familiar with each other, she noted. She watched as James smiled teasingly at the other girl. Brooklyn bit her lip, deciding that maybe it wasn't the best time. She turned to leave but he'd already spotted her.
"Brook! Over here!"
He gestured her to come over, which she did reluctantly.
"Hey, there you are! I was just about to go look for you." He grinned, gesturing to his companion. "This is Charlotte. She's an old family friend."
Brooklyn smiled politely. "Its nice to meet you."
Charlotte beamed, flicking back her golden blonde hair. With her startling grey eyes, ivory skin and petite nose, she was gorgeous. "Likewise. James and I have known each other since she were kids, we grew up together. We used to have sleepovers all the time. He'd have to sleep with a night-light on or else he'd cry," she teased, nudging James slightly and causing James to chuckle.
"She doesn't need to know that. Anyways, I'm not the one who got pumpkin pie stuck in my hair," He snickered.
Charlotte gasped, shoving James playfully. "We agreed never to speak of that!"
Feeling a little left out of their childhood reminiscing, Brooklyn quietly excused herself and left them to continue their banter by themselves. As she was leaving the kitchen, she bumped into someone.
"Oh, sorry!"
She looked up to see that it was just Sirius. He gave her a charming grin, angling his head slightly as he ruffled her hair. "Hey, Brooklyn. Looking for James?"
"Found him, actually," She said, lifting a shoulder in a nonchalant shrug. Sirius followed her gaze, and pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Oh, that's Charlotte Hemstone. She comes from a long line of purebloods, her parents went to school with James' mum and dad. James used to fancy her when they were kids." He noticed that Brooklyn was silent and as his gaze flickered back to her face, he noticed her biting her lip as she watched the pair. Realisation struck him and he shook his head, trying not to smile. He'd witnessed James getting upset over Brooklyn with other guys loads of times, but to see Brooklyn feeling jealous because of James was definitely something else.
Well, he better fix this before James screwed up.
"So, how about that dance now?" He asked, turning her away from James and Charlotte as he led her back to the living room. Brooklyn sighed, a small smile flitting across her lips. "Why not?"
----------------------------------
James scanned the crowd, frowning as he tried to spot the familiar dark hair. He hadn't seen Brooklyn since she'd disappeared suddenly while he was talking to Charlotte. He'd been hoping to spend some time alone with her before they went back to school, maybe dance a little. But first, he'd have to find her. He spotted Lily and Remus talking nearby and was just about to go ask if they'd seen her when he was blocked by a petite figure.
"James, there you are!" Charlotte flashed him a bright smile.
He inwardly groaned. Seriously, he thought he'd gotten rid of her. She'd been clinging onto him like a leech all night, and he was starting to get tired of her. Sure, they used to be close and he might've had a minuscule crush on her back then but that was when he was ten. He forced a smile. "Hey."
Not noticing his lack of enthusiasm, he grabbed his arm, tugging him towards her slightly. "Come on, my parents want to speak to you, they haven't seen you in ages! I think they're out in the garden."
He was itching to go look for Brooklyn but he reluctantly let himself be led outside. He promised himself, as soon as he got this over with, he would go look for her.
As they stepped outside, James glanced around, his eyebrows furrowing. "I thought you said they were outside."
Charlotte pursed her lips. "Thats odd. I swear, they were here five seconds ago."
"Maybe they went back inside. We could go look," He suggested, but really, he was just trying to escape back to the living room. He was pretty sure he'd caught sight of Brooklyn talking to Sirius on the way out.
"I guess so."
He turned to move but found that his legs refused to budge. Something was preventing him from moving, it was like he was rooted to the spot. He frowned. "What the-"
"Look."
Confused, he followed Charlotte's gaze upwards to see a small sprig of mistletoe dangling above him in the doorway. He turned bright red as he realised what was happening.
Charlotte laughed slightly. "Its charmed, it would seem. Just our luck, huh?"
He could've sworn that the mistletoe hadn't been there earlier.
"Oh- I- uh.." He ran a hand through his hair in discomfort, not really sure what to do. She was looking up at him earnestly with her large, pretty doe eyes, waiting. "It's a tradition, right?"
He inwardly winced. "Um, yeah."
"Wouldn't want to break tradition." She smiled flirtatiously.
He nodded, smiling tightly. It wasn't like he had much of a choice. Deciding that he would just get it over with, he leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers as quickly as possible. It would've been short and simple, but she leaned closer as he pulled away, kissing him a little longer than necessary. James wasn't sure what to do, if he leaned back any further, he would fall over. He stood there uncertainly, still kissing her until he came to his senses and geently pried her away with as much force as he could muster.
She looked up at him breathlessly, her pale cheeks flushed. "That was-"
"Great, I'll see you later," He hurriedly said and quickly went back inside before she could corner him again.
Inside, he searched for a whole 5 minutes before he found Sirius flirting with a redhead near the fireplace. James hurried over, interrupting whatever smooth line his friend was about to use. "Padfoot, have you seen Brooklyn anywhere?"
Sirius nodded. "Yeah, she went back to her room a few minutes ago, said she was tired. She seemed upset over something."
"Got it, thanks." Without wasting any time, he hurried away.
A few moments later, he was knocking softly on Brooklyn's door, patiently waiting. No answer. He knocked again, a little louder, but still nothing. He hesitated for a moment before slowly turning the handle.
The room was silent, there was nobody inside. James took a step forward and noticed a figure standing outside on the balcony. He bit his lip, running his hands through his hair in an attempt to save his appearance before slowing making his way towards her.
"Hey."
She didn't turn at the sound of his voice, but she replied him nonetheless. "Hi."
He moved to stand beside her, leaning against the railing. She seemed uncharacteristically quiet, her dress swishing soundlessly as she stared at nothing in particular. It was a few moments before she finally spoke. "Why aren't you downstairs?"
"I was er- looking for you. Thought you might like to dance or something."
She shook her head tiredly. "That's alright, I think I've danced enough for tonight."
"Oh." He swallowed his disappointment. "Okay."
It was silent again. He tried to think of something to say. He wasn't sure why, but she'd been acting weird around him lately. She was quieter, she joked with him less than usual, and she always seemed like she was uncomfortable around him. Had he done something wrong?
"She's beautiful, by the way."
James frowned, confused. "Who?"
"That girl you were kissing," Brooklyn said nonchalantly, refusing to look at him. James felt his face grow warm. "You saw that?"
She shrugged, an unreadable expression in her eyes. "Unintentionally."
James rubbed the back of his neck, sighing. "Just so you know, it was a misunderstanding. It didn't mean anything."
"Its alright, I wasn't... I don't care." There was an edge in her voice, like she didn't fully believe herself.
James frowned. Was that why she was acting so odd? "Are- are you sure?"
"Pretty sure."
James felt his frustration rising. "Then why do you seem so upset with me? Maybe its just me, but I feel like you've been avoiding me all day. If I've done something wrong, anything, enlighten me, because I-"
Brooklyn cut him off. "You didn't do anything wrong. Its.. it's not you, its me. Honestly, don't worry about it, its nothing."
"No, its not. Why can't you just tell me?"
"Because I just can't, alright?"
"But I want to help," He argued, taking a step closer towards her, and she visibly flinched, still not looking at him. "I told you, its nothing."
"You're a terrible liar."
"And you're terribly frustrating."
James was bewildered. "What? How am I the frustrating one here?"
Brooklyn couldn't stand it anymore. She groaned, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "Because! I hate your- your stupid laugh, and that stupid way you mess up your hair and that stupid way you fold up your sleeves! It drives me crazy!"
Stung, he drew back, feeling like she'd just slapped him. "Well if you hate me so much why did you even agree to come here?" He argued back, his voice rising.
"Because I like you, alright?" She exclaimed loudly, unable to stop herself.
"Well, if you- Wait, what?"
James froze, his jaw hanging open shock. Brooklyn's eyes widened as her hands flew up to cover her mouth, realising what she'd just done. Shit.
"Fuck," she whispered, running her hands through her hair in distress. "Fuck, fuck, fuck."
"What- what did you just say?" James asked weakly, not sure if he was hallucinating. He could hear his heartbeat pounding in his ears, adrenaline coarsing through his body.
"Nothing. Just- just forget it." She turned to leave but he panicked, catching hold of her wrist. "Brook, wait."
She shook her head, desperately trying to get away from there as quickly as possible. "No, I really shouldn't have said that." She tried to pull away from his grasp but he refused to let go. "James—"
"Stop. Just— just listen to me," he pleaded, releasing her wrist slowly. She hesitated, studying his face, before nodding shakily. "Alright."
James took a deep breath, steeling himself. When he spoke, his voice was ragged but laced with determination.
"You have no idea what you do to me, do you?" He murmured, the words hanging in the cool night air. "Do you remember when we first met? On the train?"
She nodded soundlessly.
"Well, we were only twelve back then, and I was hardly mature for my age. But.. I could tell there was something special about you, something different. I— I can't explain it. It's like, I saw you, and I just thought, 'That's it. Her. I have to have her.' But I had no fucking clue that I'd get so attached. Do you have any idea what kind of effect you have on me? It was like, suddenly, every other girl paled in comparison. None of them mattered anymore, none. Except you." He took a step closer, making her breath hitch in her throat as his voice lowered.
"You never saw me the way I saw you. The worst part was, I knew you didn't feel the same way. But I couldn't get over it, no matter how hard I tried to convince myself. I've told myself so many goddamn times to give up on you. But truthfully? I don't think I will. I don't think I'll ever get over you, Brooklyn, and to be honest, a part of me doesn't want to."
Brooklyn's eyes felt prickly and hot, she could feel herself tearing up. "James—"
He didn't notice her trying to speak and rambled on, running a hand through his hair the way he always did when he was frustrated. "All those times I asked you out, did you really think they were just jokes? I've never felt this way with anyone else. Not for the past four years, not even before that. And I don't think I've ever been so sure of anything in my life."
Brooklyn's throat constricted, and her heart was palpitating so fast, it felt like it was going to explode. She wanted to say something, but her mind was a fucking blank. James still hadn't looked away from her, and his eyes were as breathtaking as ever.
"I guess, what I'm trying to say— what I've been trying to say for years..." he took another deep, rattling breath, and even though his next words came out softly and his voice cracked mid-sentence, she heard every word.
"I think... I think I love you."
...............................................
Brooklyn stared at the ground for a moment before lifting her gaze, her eyes damp. "James."
"Yes?"
"Shut up," she breathed out softly as she closed the space between them in one split movement, tiptoeing to take his face in her hands, and kissing him full on the mouth with all the strength and energy that she could muster.
For a nanosecond, he froze, caught by surprise, because Brooklyn fucking Jones was kissing him, but pretty soon, he regained his wits and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss gently.
They kissed in the dim light of the moon for what seemed like a lifetime, an eternity.
She didn't know exactly how to describe kissing James without making it sound like any other kiss, but it wasn't. Sure, it was everything it was supposed to be; searing hot fireworks, soft lips, and complete dizziness, but it wasn't just that. It was indescribable, something so special that it could only be thought and felt, not put into actual words or sentences. It was the kind of kiss that made other people sigh longingly and wonder to themselves, 'Why can't I have that?'
It was extraordinary.
They pulled away at almost the exact same time, both of them breathing heavily and flushed red. The tingling sensation hadn't left her lips, and her head was spinning uncontrollably, but in a good way.
"Bloody hell," he whispered, staring at her with such intensity that it made her heart pound. "How the hell did you manage to top my expectations?"
Biting her lip, she smiled cheekily. "Talent, I suppose. What now?" She inquired, tilting her head slightly and giving him a questioning look.
"Well, to be honest, I want to keep kissing you," James admitted rather sheepishly, and she grinned.
"Nobody's stopping you."
Their lips met again for the second time, and he could've sworn it was even better than the first.