James sat waiting in a small muggle cafe. It was quite cute and cozy and he wasn't surprised Cassie had suggested meeting there. Everything about the place screamed Cassie. There was a string of green and white lights along the walls, a candle at each table, and paintings decorating the walls. It was cute and had a homey feeling to it. The scent of coffee wafted through and filled James' nose entirely.
Cassie was just finishing up in line and was glancing around for where James had sat. Her eyes met his and she grinned widely. She hurried over to their seats as best as she could with coffees in hand. She handed James his and warned him it was hot. He took a sip anyways and let out a hiss as it burned his tongue. Meg shook her head at him, laughing.
"How's your day been so far?" Cassie asked as she blew on her coffee, before taking a sip herself. She didn't even wince as the heat met her tongue.
"Good. I've got some news." James leg was bouncing with excitement. Cassie smiled hesitantly and grabbed his hand.
"What is it? Is it about try outs?"
James nodded, causing Cassie to give his hand a squeeze and bite her lip. "Well go on then." She encouraged.
James smiled at her and took a deep breath. Cassie was looking at him in a way he couldn't describe and James wanted to lean in and kiss her forever, but he knew he had to tell her first. They could kiss a bunch afterwards, after all. Maybe not for forever though, they would need air eventually and they would need to get back to their actual lives.
James was mostly fond of their actual lives, although he could think of a couple complaints. Not getting to see Cassie 24/7 was at the top of that list. Cassie was finishing up her year at Hogwarts and was currently on Easter holiday. She was eagerly awaiting a reply from a couple different wizarding hospitals where she'd applied for internships.
James on the other hand had been training for quidditch and had just had try outs not too long ago. Meaning he hadn't gone back to finish his last year at Hogwarts, and more importantly meaning that he and Cassie were mostly long distance. Although they managed to meet up every Hogsmeade weekend, and many weekends that weren't too busy, they still missed each other greatly. Despite the fact that they constantly wrote each other and once a week one of them would floo their head to the other's fire place in order to see each other in person, or as in person as possible.
"I've gotten a couple offers from teams." James finally spits out.
"James that's amazing!" Cassie squeals and bounces a bit in her seat.
"The Kenmare Kestrels want me as a new beater. Initch just left to play for the Falcons, so I'd be playing with Hunter."
Cassie stood from the table and pulled James into an enthusiastic hug.
"Puddlemere also wants me, but I'd only be a reserve for them. But it's Puddlemere." James groaned and Cassie just smiled. She grabbed for both of his hands, holding them tightly.
"James you want to play quidditch, not just watch it, right?" She asked. He nodded.
"Well of course, but-" He stopped himself. As much as he loved Puddlemere, Cassie had a point. James wanted to play, not just sit and watch his team play, he could watch them play anytime really. So, he knew which team he was going to pick. As much as he loved Puddlemere, the Kestrels were going to be a better option for him. Plus, he'd already played with Hunter before and they seemed to work well together. At least better than Hunter and Initch had ever worked together. He and Hunter had dominated against Cassie and Hannah for a majority of the game that they'd played a couple days ago at Cassie's house. Hannah had claimed it was unfair as Hunter was a professional player, and that an infant would win as long as Hunter was on the team with him. James had rolled his eyes at her sentiment, but Hunter had appreciated it enough that he called a forfeit so that he and Hannah could go snog in the living room.
"I'll let them know my decision tonight." He told Cassie. She grinned in response and gave him another large hug.
"I'm so proud of you!" She squeaked. James tightened his hold on her and kissed her hair, closing his eyes and enjoying just holding her, taking in her smell.
After what felt like not nearly long enough they stopped holding each other and sat back down to drink their coffee.
Cassie jumped into some story about Hannah and Layla having a hilarious and ridiculous argument where one of them ended up with whip cream in her face and the other with green hair. James can only half listen as he watched Cassie wave her hands about as she tells the story. He watched her lips pull into a smile and heard her emit laughter. He grins at that noise. He loves her laughter.
"Merlin, I love you." He interrupts her, but she doesn't seem all that upset about it.
"I love you too." She says with a slight bit of amusement. "Couldn't wait to tell me until I finished my story?" She jokes. James shakes his head and shrugs.
"Nah."
Cassie leans over the table and kisses him briefly and then continues telling her story.
Their date ends much too quickly as James has to get to the Kestrels' practice that night if he wants to join the team. Cassie has to get back to her part-time job at the ministry, in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, that she'd picked up for the holiday. They'd already stayed longer than her break really was, but luckily the cafe was very close by. He and Meg kiss for a long time before breaking apart.
"I'll see you in a couple days." She tells him.
"Definitely." He tells her and then because he can't help himself, he pulled her in for another kiss. This one is over a lot quicker.
Love you." He told her as he held her hand. She attempted to walk away, but glanced back at him one last time.
"Love you." She says as her hand pulls from his and she sends him one last smile, before hurrying back to work.
James apparates back home to grab his things and get dressed and then headed to the Kestrels' practice. When he arrived with a pop, the first person to see him is Hunter. Hunter grinned widely and practically jumped on him. He engulfed James in a bear hug.
"We got Potter! Suck it Puddlemere!" He began shouting, causing the rest of the team to look at him. Some shook their heads and others chuckled fondly.
"You are here to join the team right?" Hunter whispered to James a bit prematurely. James nodded.
"Yeah, luckily." He commented. "After that reaction even if I hadn't been planning to originally I guess I'd have to, huh?"
Hunter nodded very seriously at James.
"C'mon, let's get you to coach."
As James followed Hunter through the crowd of Kestrel players, the team shouted their welcomes, the ones close enough even patted him on the back. James grinned as he realized, he was really part of a professional quidditch team, and they were excited to have him. This was his real life and he couldn't believe it.
Cassie was at school and she was currently contemplating how much damage would occur if she jumped out the window of the Ancient Runes classroom. She probably wouldn't die, maybe break a few bones. Although, if she landed just right on her neck or back….
"Miss Malfoy, are you ready to begin your classwork, or would you rather Ieave and come back when you're done daydreaming." Professor Acker was standing beside Cassie's desk with pursed lips.
"Sorry Professor." Cassie chimed and turned to her work. Everything was review lately as the N.E.W.T.S. were coming up and the professors were trying their hardest to prepare their students. Cassie just wanted to get the stupid things over with and get to the part where she was graduating in all honesty.
Everything seemed to be harder to deal with especially since she rarely got to see James. Don't get her wrong, she loved Hannah, Layla, Lily, Albus, Scorpius and Alfie, but hanging out with them wasn't always what she needed. Sometimes she needed James to do something completely idiotic to distract her from everything else. She also just missed him in general. She missed his tendencies to just stop whatever he was doing suddenly and kiss her for no particular reason. She missed his ability to discuss quidditch with her at great lengths, like no one else would. She missed his jokes, his messy hair, and his goofy grins.
When class finally ended she went to lunch with Hannah. Her feet felt like they were dragging. Cassie only felt like this some days, so she knew it'd pass. After all she would be in the Hospital wing in a couple hours and she loved helping out there. She just had to make it through class before she got to check Derek Hanes bandaged hand. He had a nasty bite from some creature in the Forbidden Forest, she was sure that she could properly diagnose it if she could look at it one more time.
"You missing yours as well?" Hannah asked as she saw Cassie's slightly down face.
"Yeah." Cassie sighed. "Stupid boys, off living their dreams and making money."
Hannah snorted loudly at that. "Tell me about it. I just want a couple nights alone with Hunter." Hannah winked at Cassie. "If you know what I mean."
"How could anyone not know what you mean Han." Alfie had come and sat beside the girls at some point during their conversation. "I miss James too." He remarks at the end.
"I never thought I'd say this, but I miss my stupid brother too." Albus plops himself beside Alfie, while Scorpius places himself on the other side of him.
"Where's Layla?" Albus glances around the tables.
Probably studying in the library with an apple and a croissant." Hannah remarks with a roll of her eyes. "She thinks that's enough to last her until dinner, but I assure you in no world is that enough food."
The others chuckle at that. Cassie had to agree with Hannah though, so she pocketed a sandwich wrapped in a napkin that she'd give Layla in Transfig.
As they chatted and ate, Lily came to join them. She sat herself down beside Cassie and across partially from her brother and partially from Scorpius. She gave Scorpius a large smile and began to talk to him quite rapidly. Cassie smiled a bit at that, and considered making a remark about how the two should just date or kiss or something, as they'd been getting awfully close as of late. However, she was interrupted by an owl swooping down in front of her face at that moment. A letter drops into her lap and she quickly opens it up, curiously.
Cassiopeia Malfoy,
We are excited to inform you that you have been accepted into the vigorous internship program at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries this summer. You may begin on the morning of the 23rd of June at seven o'clock sharp.
Please send in a confirmation that you still plan on attending the program by the 16th.
Thank You,
Mannon Hartridge
Head of the Young Wizard and Witches for Magical Medicine Internship Program
Cassie couldn't speak, she just gaped at the letter.
"What's up? Cassie?" Hannah waved her hand in front of Cassie's face. "Hello, is everything alright?" Hannah's concern caused the rest of the group to stop talking and stare at Cassie.
"I…." Cassie just shook her head in disbelief and handed the letter over to Hannah, whose eyes raced across the words on the paper.
"Merlin!" She let out a loud squeal and jumped up. "You got in!"
Cassie nodded and allowed for Hannah to yank her up as well. Something clicked in Cassie's brain. "I got in. I got in!" She began chanting. Both girls began jumping up and down and squealing. At some point during their happy dance, Professor Longbottom had made his way down towards them.
"Ladies, I'm going to have to ask you to calm down. You are causing quite the disturbance." He was smiling when he said it, so they knew he wasn't too serious about it, but they still quit their high pitched noises and jumping about.
"Sorry Professor!" They chimed together.
"Cassie got into the internship program at St. Mungo's." Hannah blurted out in explanation. The rest of their friends, who previously had been very confused, now jumped up from their seats.
"You what?" They shouted. Then they were all racing to Cassie and yanking her into hug after hug as they shouted their congratulations.
After a couple minutes of loud celebration, Professor Longbottom cleared his throat. The rowdiness died down and the others turned to their Professor a bit sheepishly.
"Congratulations, Miss Malfoy." Professor Longbottom winked at her, before he walked away from them and exited the Great Hall.
Hannah let out another squeal and yanked Cassie in for a tight hug.
"I can't believe it. I mean I knew you'd get it, you're you, but still. Ah!" Hannah jumped up and down a bit more.
Cassie couldn't quite believe it herself in all honesty.
James had just gotten back to his newly rented apartment, one that Cassie had helped him pick out over a couple weekends, and his eyes instantly landed on the owl perched on the dining room table. He opened the letter and saw hastily scribbled in all caps:
JAMIE,
I GOT IN! I'M INTERNING AT ST. MUNGO'S! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!?
FLOO ME!
LOTS OF LOVE,
CASSIE
James chuckled at the obvious excitement that Cassiw must've been feeling when writing the letter to him. He ran to the fire place, only to find that her face was already looking back at him with a huge grin.
"I knew you'd get it!" He yelled out. She just laughed a bit at that.
"I wasn't sure if you'd read my letter before or after you saw my face." She told him.
"How long have you been waiting there?" He asked her, suddenly feeling bad that he probably kept her waiting. Practice had ended almost 40 minutes later than usual that day. James had just been so focused on perfecting the Dopplebeater with Hunter that he'd lost track of time. They'd successfully pulled it off a couple times before James decided it was good enough for that night.
"Only a couple minutes. I thought you'd want to take a shower after practice, so I was trying to give you enough time for that."
James grinned and knelt right beside Cassie's face. "Sorry, Hunter and I stayed a bit later than everyone else."
Cassie rolls her eyes fondly at him. "Of course you two did. Hannah's gonna kill him for being late to their Hogsmeade date tonight." She adds on.
"Oh, I didn't realize that was tonight." James frowned. "It's Friday already?"
Cassie nodded and chuckled. "I take it you've been rather busy this week?" She asked mostly rhetorically.
"Yeah, it's been crazy. Our first game of the season is in a couple weeks so I've been working really hard. I don't want to mess it up." James was incredibly nervous for the first game of the season, because it would be his first professional game ever.
"Don't worry. You'll do great, the Kestrels have a great team this season. I heard they've recruited a new player that was one of the best beaters at tryouts this year." Cassie winked at him.
"Yeah, what's his name? I wonder if I've met him?" James grinned as Cassie giggled at what he'd said.
"I'm pretty sure you should know everyone on your team by now."
He shrugged in response.
"Alright enough of me, back to you." He crowed. "You got into St. Mungo's Intern program. Merlin, that's the most intense program out there isn't it?"
"One of them." Cassie nodded. "I sent them my response already. I was so excited that I could barely sit through the rest of my classes." She told him.
"I'll bet." James nodded along as Cassie continued talking. She quickly spewed out her words, beginning to relate her week to him and he listened very closely.
They talked back and forth for awhile before Cassie stopped them at some point.
"It's getting pretty late." Cassie sighed as she saw James yawn yet again.
"No, no. It's fine we don't have anything tomorrow. It's Saturday." He insisted, attempting and failing at hiding another yawn.
"Yeah, but practice has worn you out today. Go take a shower and then get some sleep."
James pouted. "Fine, mum." He muttered out.
"Go on, you stink." She told him.
"I don't!" James argued indignantly.
"You really do sweetie. Love you." Cassie told him.
"I love you too. Sleep well." He told her, knowing very well Cassie would be kept awake most of the night from her excitement.
"I'll try." She told him. Then her face was gone. James groaned and stared at the fire. He wanted nothing more than to hold Cassie and cuddle with her as he fell asleep.
He made his way to the shower and turned it as hot as it would go so that it would loosen up his sore muscles.
All James could think about until his head hit the pillow, was Cassie.
Cassie glanced around her dorm one last time, not only checking for anything she might've missed when packing, but also reminiscing.
She saw a bra strap peeking out from Hannah's bed and grabbed it for her, she added it to the bag of other things that Hannah had forgotten. That girl was always forgetting something, so much so that Cassie had a whole bag of things Hannah had left behind. It was good that Cassie was last to leave, otherwise those things may have remained there forever. She'd stayed behind a bit longer than everyone else so that she could say good bye to Miss Pomfrey. She'd already arranged for her mom and dad to meet her in Hogsmeade and help apparate her and her things home. It was always nicer to travel with someone.
"You got everything?" The voice shocked her, no one was supposed to be here and it was distinctly male. It caused her to jump a bit. She whirled around, whipping out her wand.
"James?" She was shocked to see her idiotic boyfriend leaning casually against the doorway. "What are you doing- I almost blew your face off!" She gestured to the wand in her hand. James shrugged and pushed himself off the wall.
"Thought I'd come help you with your stuff." James grabbed her trunk and shouldered one of her bags.
"My Dad-"
"Is at work, I told him I'd get you. Don't worry I actually planned things out." James grinned, quite proud of himself.
"I guess there's a first for everything." Cassie joked.
"Oi, Uncalled for!" James yelped in mock outrage. Cassie smiled and was suddenly overcome with how much she'd missed the bloke. The Hannah bag fell from her hand as did her wand and she threw herself into James. Then she started crying.
James was so shocked that for a moment he didn't move. Then he released her trunk and wrapped his arms around her. He shooshed her and stroked her hair for a couple minutes.
"Why are you crying?" James asked worriedly. Cassie sniffed into his shirt and held him tighter.
"It's all so…. It's just, I'm never coming back here. We are done forever and I've missed you so much and I just, everything's changing. So I'm happy, but I'm also sad. It's just so- bittersweet, I guess?" Her words poured from her mouth so quickly that she suspected it was hard for James to keep up with it all. Somehow he must've understood though.
"Yeah, it is, it really is." James remarked and tightened his hold on her. They stood like that for a while, engulfed in each other, saying nothing, but thinking of a lot of things.
Finally, James broke the silence. "Cassie? I- uh. I wanted to ask you something…. It's part of the reason I offered to help with your stuff. You see, my apartment feels pretty empty, I'm used to the whole Potter clan living with me and then family and friends always coming in and out. So I was thinking- I mean that's not the only reason I was thinking about it, because I love you and well-" James was just babbling at this point so Cassie thought she'd put him out of his misery. He would never be very good at this stuff she suspected. Even though he knew she loved him.
If you're trying to ask me to move in James, I'd love that. I mean I love that apartment after all, and I guess you're pretty alright as well."
James let out a big breath of relief, but then scrunched his eyebrows together.
"Merlin, you're so mean to me, why did I want you to move in with me again?"
Cassie let out a loud laugh at that. "I think you said you love me." She suggested thoughtfully.
"Ah, that's right." James grinned at her. "I guess I do. Damn."
Cassie hit his chest playfully. "Alright, come here." She yanked him down into a kiss.
When they pulled away, Cassie's eyes searched her dorm for the final time, this time purely to keep it in her memory, she'd already grabbed everything that had been left behind. She smiled sadly at her bed where she and Hannah and Layla had cuddled together whenever one of them had been sad. At her curtains that had a suspicious stain in the top left corner from that time that Hannah had chucked some nail polish at her a bit too enthusiastically. The bathroom where she'd held back Layla's hair as she puked in the toilet because she drank a little too much for her first time. The dresser with a chunk missing from it from that time the girls had been playing truth or dare with alcohol and things had gotten a little crazy.
"You ready to go home now?" James cut off her memories. Her eyes met his. He was watching her so adoringly that she couldn't help but grin. She picked up her stuff and grasped his hand.
"Yeah let's go home."