Drabble: James notices Y/N’s started wearing glasses and finds himself a little bit distracted.
James, as usual, couldn’t seem to stop going on about Lily. Even on this warm, Friday afternoon, as he and his friends walk through the corridors, looking for something to do, he rambles on.
“We get it, James,” Remus chuckles, “we’ve heard this about a billion times.”
“I would say this specific spiel is more like half a billion,” Sirius chuckles, slinging his arm over James’ shoulder as he nudges him, “he has a wide range of Lily-related topics he likes to bore us with after all,” Sirius laughs.
James pushes Sirius off of him, “I’m in love ok, let me be.”
“Ever one for the dramatics, prongs,” Remus chides, laughing along with Sirius.
Peter, dragging on behind them pipes up finally, “why are we just wandering around? I’m bored.”
Looking back at the whining boy Sirius rolls his eyes, “go find something to do then. We’re not here to put on a show.”
Peter huffs and turns away, starting to lag behind the group once again.
“Hey Y/N,” he yells suddenly, running off and out into the courtyard, over to where their friend is sitting reading a textbook. They look up and smile at the boy running towards them.
James feels his jaw drop without him even realising, looking over at their friend talking to Peter, admiring them. The way their legs cross over each other, the way they run their hand through their hair to smooth it out, the way they lean back and laugh at something Peter said.
And to top it off, those glasses. Oh, those glasses. James has never seen them wear them before, but the frames sit perfectly on their nose, framing their face, and for some reason, James can’t help but stare as his mind wanders.
Not for the first time he thought about kissing Y/N, laughing as his own glasses bump theirs as they lean in, imagining those beautiful eyes looking up at him, magnified by the lenses.
He’s yanked back into reality by a hand pulling at the back of his collar, turning to see himself centimeters away from a brick wall in front of him.
“Merlin mate, watch where you’re walking.”
He can’t even focus on Sirius’s comment, all he can bring himself to do is turn back to watch Y/N talk, marveling at the way they take their glasses off and rest them on top of their head.
“Love?” James brushed his lips against your forehead as you lay against his warm chest. You hummed in response, running your fingers over his ribs. You could never imagine not loving the man who lay underneath you, the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled just at you, his laughter and soft yet almost raspy morning voice.
He pressed another tender kiss to your hairline, morning light breaking through the crack in your living room curtains and illuminating his soft curls. The sofa was tight for the two of you, his arm wrapped securely around your waist as you curled into him.
“I was thinking of making breakfast-”
You cut him off with a shake of your head as you buried your face in his chest, refusing to get up quite yet.
“We have to get up at some point.”
You groaned, looking up at him as pounding filled your head. “Jamie, if you wanted me up at a decent time and in a good mood, you shouldn’t have encouraged me to do 20 shots of Firewhisky last night.”
He laughed, the sound vibrating in his chest and through you as you nestled closer. “I’ll make you breakfast.”
You pursed your lips. “Pancakes?”
“Anything for you.”
“Okay, but stay for a bit. I just want to cuddle.”
James chuckled, tightening his arms as you began to slip over the edge of the sofa. You hooked a leg between his, pressing your lips to his chest. He rested his chin on the top of your head and you huffed a sigh, wriggling your way up his body just to resolve the height difference issue.
You had a clatter in the corridor outside your apartment and rolled your eyes. Your neighbours did not know how to be quiet. James had suggested giving them a taste of their own medicine when you had discovered that your bed liked to bang against the wall, but you had just decided to ignore it in the end.
Returning your head to his shoulder, you murmured something about your love for him, eyes already drifting shut again. James brushed a strand of hair out of your face, and you could picture the soppy look on his face without even looking at him.
The door burst open with a bang, and you jolted out of James’ arms. Remus, Sirius, and Peter strode in as if they owned the place, settling down on your other sofa. You groaned.
“Oi, could you give us a moment?” James sat up, yanking on his trousers with a scowl.
You wrapped the blanket tightly around you, using it as a coverage as Sirius dragged his fingers across your mantlepiece, fiddling with the trinkets there.
Remus turned to you with a soft smile, completely ignoring your very uncomfortable lack of clothing. “How are you, Y/N? How are your parents?”
“Good, they’re good, thank you.” Your returning smile ended up coming out as more of a grimace as you shifted the blanket around to completely cover you. You had never felt quite so exposed in front of James’ friends before.
“Can you give us a moment?” James interrupted, having managed to pull his trousers on with one final huff.
Sirius scoffed, running a hand through his hair. “Well, if you had looked at the mirror at all this morning, we wouldn’t be here.”
Oh, so that’s what the muffled yelling from the other room had been.
“We’ve got news.” Peter chipped in from his seat next to Remus, fiddling with the tassels on one of your cushions. “Kingsley’s got us job interviews at the Ministry. Says it will get us straight into the field if we do well.”
“No fucking way.” James yanked a shirt over his head, arms tangling in the fabric. You laughed at your boyfriend, tucking the blanket under your arms as you got up to help him pull it on. He struggled as you tugged the fabric over his head, and you were tempted to just leave him there, completely bound and sightless. But you couldn’t bring yourself to damper his excitement like that.
“Jamie, how do you still not know how to dress yourself-”
He hushed you, tapping you lightly on the nose and laughing at your pout. You furrowed your brows, jutting out your bottom lip and he pressed a brief kiss to your lips to brush away the expression.
“Prongs, the interview’s at 10.” Sirius interrupted, and you wrinkled your nose. Was there no privacy even within your home?
James glanced at the clock, eyes widening almost comically as he caught sight of the time.
“Shit, let’s go.” He hopped around, laces in hand as he attempted to tie his shoe whilst balancing on one foot. “Y/N, love, I’ll see you later.”
You waved him off with a little laugh, leaning your head back against the sofa as your front door shut.
Sirius and James had shuffled behind Professor McGonagall across the castle to Dumbledore’s office. They had hung their heads low, and kept their eyes on their shoes to avoid getting a sense of what kind of trouble they were in. Based on the way McGonagall had spoken to them, and the way she had practically dragged them out of The Great Hall by their collars – they already had a pretty good idea. Professor Slughorn had assisted in getting Sirius’ victim up to the hospital wing to see Madam Pomfrey, because the boy could hardly even stand on his own two feet.
McGonagall sat Sirius and James down in Dumbledore’s office, threatening them with an even heavier punishment if they tried to escape before Dumbledore could get there. James and Sirius sat in silence while they waited. The incident replayed over and over in their minds as their adrenaline and initial fury began to fizzle out. The longer they sat and pondered, the more worried they became. The punishment that was inevitably coming was nothing compared to the guilt that they felt. The nauseating remorse was punishment enough for what they had done. No, they weren’t guilty for what they had done – rather they were guilty for the effects of what they had done.
Specifically, how it had affected you.
“Did you see the look on her face?” Sirius asked quietly to his friend that was sitting right next to him.
Sirius was beginning to feel really terrible. The stinging pain in his battered nose was nothing compared to the ache of culpability that he felt in his chest. He knew that he had messed up. He had messed up really, really bad.
“Yeah….” James replied simply. “I didn’t mean to upset her.”
James was disappointed in himself. James knew that he could be hotheaded. James knew that Sirius could be that way too. When both of them got revved up and angry at the same time, in most cases, James was usually more likely to calm down before things escalated – and most times Sirius could calm down too as long as James didn’t completely let his emotions bubble over. James had let himself get out of control, and part of him thought that he could’ve aided the situation if he had kept his composure.
“Me either. If that fucking bastard had kept his mouth shut then I wouldn’t have even….” Sirius trailed off from his original thought, because he knew that making excuses wouldn’t help his case. “This is my fault, Prongs. I knew better than to let it get to me like that. I didn’t mean to get you involved.”
James shook his head, cradling and gingerly massaging at the soreness in his knuckles. His hands were mild compared to Sirius – his hands were torn, shredded, and busted to hell.
“You’re not responsible for the way I reacted. My actions were on me,” James dismissed. “It’s times like this that remind me how much better Remus handles stuff.”
Sirius and James shared a light chuckle, a laugh that was more for breaking the tension more than anything else. Their amusement didn’t last long, because the moment that Dumbledore’s entrance was made, they were right back to cowering in their seats.
As predicted, James and Sirius were seriously scolded for what happened – although, Dumbledore’s discipline was much mellower than Professor McGonagall’s. Dumbledore had cut them some slack before, but those instances had always been much less severe. It seemed that Sirius Black and James Potter’s luck had finally run out, because they were sentenced to Friday afternoon/evening detention for the rest of the term as well as hand-written, lengthy apologies. Despite the grueling tedious and two and a half month punishment, the boys had honestly been expecting much worse. To be honest, James and Sirius were notorious for being able to get out of pre-established sentences, so they didn’t sweat it much. Besides, the punishment was the absolute last of their worries.
They left Dumbledore’s office in a hurry, hardly seeing the need to stick around for any longer than necessary. It was fairly late by the time they were finished, nearing around 9’o o'clock or so. The Great Hall was long cleared out, and mostly all of the students had returned to their House towers for the evening. There were a few stragglers here and there as the boys traversed the corridors together to get back to their dorm, but none of them were anyone they were interested in seeing.
“How’s your hand, mate?” James questioned when he noticed that Sirius was cradling his hand that had taken more damage than the other. “We can swing by Pomfrey’s if-”
“No. I can get fixed up in the morning,” Sirius denied. “I want to talk to her first.”
Sirius was determined to get this resolved before it had time to sit too long. Sirius was beginning to think that his whole “do now, ask for forgiveness later” motto might’ve been in poor taste. He needed to explain himself before you had enough time to think on it to get the wrong idea.
Sirius was taking this harder than James was. It was understandable, considering that Sirius had started it. Sirius genuinely and truly had been working on himself. Sirius had been trying to understand his emotions and his short temper better. He had been trying to practice patience and improve his communication skills. In the last few years, Sirius had learned and saw firsthand how his ego could hurt those around him. For the most part, Sirius had improved on all cylinders – but every now and then, he’d slip up far worse than anything he had ever done previously.
Sirius could only imagine you right now. Sirius had undoubtedly made a horrible day even worse. He saw you reduced to a puddle of tears and a chorus of sobs, clinging to Remus for consolation – wailing and blubbering about how much you hated Sirius for being so quick to react in unacceptable ways. That thought alone caused a hot rise in Sirius’ throat. He’d never be able to forgive himself if he was the reason that you ever came to detest him or either of the other two.
It frightened him as well, because that part of himself was something that was hard for him to control.
“Are you sure? To be honest, you really look like shit.” James asked again, continuing to walk alongside Sirius.
Sirius didn’t even have a snarky remark for that. If Sirius looked even an ounce as he felt, then he was sure that James’ statement was true. A bloodied nose and battered face and hands wasn’t a good look for Sirius – no matter how good the glory of a violent victory felt.
“I’m sure. I’ll deal with it later.” Sirius confirmed, and James didn’t ask again.
By the time they reached the dorm, anxiety had done its job of making them both a spiral of nerves. James felt like he was going to be sick, because he truthfully didn’t have even an inkling of what he was going to say. What could either of them say? They had shown a less than pleasant performance, and had gone against your wishes in a way that was far worse than anything you could’ve imagined. They had messed up, and they knew it.
Sirius and James were slow as they entered, peeking their heads around the door rather than entering fully. Sirius’ mental image wasn’t met when they caught the first glance of the inside of their dorm. You weren’t wrapped around Remus in a desperate manner. There were no sounds of crying or obvious upset. The only inhabitant of the room was Remus, who was standing at the circular mirror on the wall. He examined his face, peering at his right cheek that had been struck from a stray punch during the scuffle. Compared to Sirius, it was nothing more than a scratch.
“Where is she?” James asked, not wasting any time getting to the point.
Remus sighed, shaking his head and turning from the wall to look at them.
“I don’t know.” Remus admitted.
Sirius’ stomach sank to his feet and bounced back up into his throat. If you weren’t here, then there was no telling where you had run off to.
“You don’t know?” Sirius questioned. “How do you not know where she is?”
“Well after you two decided to beat that guy to a pulp, I was pulled aside for questioning on your behalves….since McGonagall had you two tied up with Dumbledore, I had to do all the explanations everywhere else,” Remus revealed. “She was gone before I could go after her.”
“Do you have any idea where she is?” Sirius asked next in hopes of Remus maybe having an idea of where you could’ve gone.
“She’s probably with Lily and Marlene. They went looking for her when I got caught up.” Remus answered, his arms crossing over his chest.
James piped up this time. His jitters were so strong that he couldn’t even stand still.
“They’re probably in their dormitory.” James announced, looking at Sirius as if to communicate with him that they needed to go.
Remus caught the look, and stopped them before either of them could even take a step.
“I wouldn’t do that. She’s upset enough as it is. It might be best to let this sit until morning.” Remus advised, and Sirius disagreed.
“Remus, we can’t wait that long.” Sirius argued, his voice weighty and determined.
“Might I remind you that she is not happy with either of you right now,” Remus fired back. “Let it go for tonight. We’ll settle it in the morning.”
Remus had a point, but they really wished that he had been wrong for once. If nothing else, it would give them a little more time to think about what they were going to say.
“It’ll be fine, mate. Just give her some time,” Remus approached them, clapping his hands on each of their shoulders. “Come on. Go get yourselves cleaned up.”
James managed to get washed up much more quickly than Sirius. That wasn’t surprising, considering that Sirius had taken a worse beating than James had. James chatted and talked about anything that he could to anyone that was listening. James talked when he was nervous – the running of his mouth distracted him. James was cleaned and fixed up in about ten minutes, and he looked significantly better. While he looked better, he surely didn’t feel any better. He crawled into his bed once he was washed up, preparing for a sleepless night and several hours of tossing and turning. James could never sleep when he had an anxious mind, and it happened more often than most people would’ve thought.
Remus had gone to bed shortly after James, leaving Sirius to his lonesome to tend to his injuries. Sirius stood at the sink in the washroom, looking at himself in the mirror as he carefully wiped at the dried blood under his nose and around his mouth. As the blood remoistened, it dripped down his chin and soaked into the rag that he was using to get clean. He rinsed the rag out into the sink, watching the pink-stained water flood down the drain in almost an instant. His knuckles hurt the most, and his eyes involuntarily filled with tears when he cleaned them under the stream of water. He winced a few times at the tender, stinging flesh on his upper lip that was painfully sensitive when he touched it. It probably needed stitches, but Sirius didn’t feel much like getting it taken care of.
He couldn’t get you out of his head. Every passing thought was related to you. Your quiet plea to leave the situation alone replayed over and over in his head, like a record needle stuck on the same groove. He couldn’t get the image of your tearful eyes, the same ones that were usually so full of adoration and love, looking at him with horror and disappointment. That was the hardest part of this whole thing for him. He could get over you being mad or you being annoyed with him – those were things that he could come to terms with. But the thought of you being disappointed in him, the mere idea of you having any kind of displeasure for him absolutely killed him. He only had himself to blame for that, and blaming himself is exactly what he was doing.
He glared at his reflection that stared back at him. His swollen eye and busted lip were prevalent, and they were a sight to see. The throbbing in his eye and the heat coming off of it practically unnoticeable compared to the anger that he felt in his heart for himself. He found himself lost in his own eyes, drowning in the pools of gray that he was picking apart every aspect of.
Sirius had messed up so many times, and each time felt worse than the last. He wanted to be a good person. He wanted to be the best man that he could be for you, the boys, and himself – but it seemed that the more time that went by, the more that Sirius realized that he’d never be the man that he wanted to be. Sirius would admit that he regretted more of himself than he praised.
It was moments like this that reminded Sirius Black of the hate that he harbored for himself. Sirius was critical of himself. He could easily write himself off and present himself as a “go with the flow” or a “it is what it is” kind of guy. For the most part, that was what he did. He had painted this picture of himself and constructed this facade for others to view him as confident and sure with everything. That was one of the endless things that he admired about you – you had always been able to see straight through his false image.
He didn’t see anything good when he looked deeper into himself. He saw a hateful, spiteful, and dishonorable man that wasn’t worth the time of day and that didn’t deserve the warm drink of your love that you overfilled his cup with over and over again. Sirius knew that he didn’t show it enough, and he knew damn well that he didn’t say it enough – you meant absolutely everything to him. Sirius couldn’t put it into words, and oftentimes he had a hard time revealing it in his actions. Sirius couldn’t understand how he could love someone so much when his heart was so full of resentment. And the part that he really didn’t understand was how someone with such a pure, loving heart such as you could even spare someone like him a passing glance. You shouldn’t have given him anything. Sirius found guilt within himself that you loved someone like him. You deserved someone better – someone who wasn’t like him.
You were every flower in a summer field on a hot July day. You were the peaceful rainbow after every raging rainstorm. You were the calculated answer to all of his burning questions. In a black night sky full of glittering, dancing stars – you were every single one. After all of Sirius’ wrongs that seemed to outweigh the rights, he hoped and he prayed that he would be even a single being in your universe.
****
As predicted, neither James nor Sirius slept any real amount. They rolled and shifted in their beds all night trying to get comfortable enough to get some sleep – but they couldn’t find a position that slowed their racing minds. For a Saturday morning, they were up and going much earlier than usual. Sirius’ head perked up from his pillow when he heard James’ feet hit the floor, his good eye squinting to peer at him in the morning light. James noticed his stare, and grimaced at how Sirius’ appearance had changed overnight. His eye had swelled and turned a gnarly shade of black and blue, and his lip was red and irritated.
“Did you sleep?” James asked, his voice groggy with exhaustion.
“No.” Sirius replied as he watched James sluggishly pull a t-shirt over his shirtless frame.
“Me either,” James remarked. “Where’s Moony?”
Sirius’ sat up on his elbows to look over at Remus’ bed, and he was surprised to see that the bed was neatly made and arranged as it always was whenever he was out for the day. His Gryffindor robes were draped over his trunk that was stationed at the end of the bed, which was an indicator that he’d be back soon.
“He probably went to get breakfast,” Sirius guessed, groaning at the screaming soreness in his muscles when he sat up completely. “I hurt so bad.”
“I don’t doubt it.” James came to the side of Sirius’ bed, offering a hand to get him on his feet.
Truthfully, Sirius didn’t hurt as badly once he was up and moving around. He slowly dressed himself and was careful not to accidentally aggravate his hand or his face. He felt like he had been hit by a train, and he was sure that he didn’t look much better. James and Sirius dragged themselves silently around as they got ready, not bothering to look overly presentable for a regular Saturday. Their movements were laggy and tortuous as they maneuvered around, because they both hurt something awful. James was positioned on the end of his bed, his left foot cautiously propped on his right thigh as he tied the laces on his shoes. His mind hadn’t stopped reeling for well over twelve hours now, and the longer it went unresolved, the worse that it got.
“Hey, Pads?” James called, only continuing once he had Sirius’ attention. “Do you think she’ll forgive us?”
Sirius didn’t have a chance to answer, and he was thankful that he didn’t have to. The door to their dormitory opened, and Remus entered with smuggled food balanced in his hands. He had wrapped up some easy breakfast to-go items for the other two, because he figured that they didn’t feel up to sitting down for a meal.
“Hey, Moony.” Sirius greeted casually.
“Hey. I brought you two some breakfast,” He announced, splitting the pile evenly between the two of them. “I figured you were hungry.”
They were starving, considering their dinner was cut short the night before. James needed some nutritional energy to hopefully settle his nerves, his fingers working diligently to peel the skin off of the banana in his hand. As hungry as Sirius was, he was positive that he wouldn’t be able to hold anything down long enough to sustain him with any real nourishment. Sirius’ was visibly troubled as he looked at Remus with a look of expectation. Sirius had waited, and he had waited long enough.
“I talked to Lily,” Remus began. “She said that everything is fine.”
James spoke through bites of banana, his voice muffled as he made an attempt to talk.
“How is she?” James asked, referring to your current state.
“Lils said she’s on and off….and still not happy with any of us,” Remus recalled the information that Lily had shared with him. “But more so with you two.”
“What is she mad at you for?” Sirius’ question fell from his mouth before he had any real time to think about the answer.
“I think she’s upset with all of us for getting involved one way or another,” Remus remarked, and it hurt his heart just as much as the other two to know you were dissatisfied with him. “Once you two finish eating we can go.”
James suddenly finished the last of his curved fruit in one big bite, forgetting about the rest of his wrapped goodies until later.
“Let’s go now.” He gargled through chewing, tying his other shoe quickly and rising to his feet.
Sirius wanted to get this over with. Not because he was dreading it or wanted to get it resolved the easiest, quickest way – but because he wasn’t sure how much longer he could handle the guilt. It was miserably slow as it ate away at him, and he needed to get his sincere apology heard. The boys regrouped with one another and left their dorm, preparing for whatever kind of reaction they were going to get from you. They were quiet as they walked down the boys’ staircase and up the girls’.. There really wasn’t much that could be said, because at this point it had all pretty much been said. Sirius let out a shuddering exhale when your door came into view as they turned a corner. Remus heard his noise of stress, and took a moment to reassure both him and James.
“Take it easy, mate,” Remus smiled at his two best pals. “It’ll all be fine.”
They sure hoped that Remus was right, because if it wasn’t going to be fine – then they had no idea what they were going to do.
Remus took the lead on this. His light knocks on the large wooden door were dulcet in an attempt to avoid making too much noise. It was still fairly early, and most of the inhabitants of the Gryffindor tower were still sleeping. The last thing Remus wanted was to wake anybody up and cause another kind of stir.
James and Sirius shifted on their feet from where they stood behind Sirius. Their fidgeting from the heightened anxiety wasn’t even worth hiding, and hiding it honestly made it worse. Sirius’ heart skipped a couple of beats when the knob turned to open the door from the inside. Lily was the one who appeared in the now open doorway, her emerald eyes looking at the three of them standing together. Lily didn’t bother with a greeting, because none of them were there to see her.
“She’s in bed. She won’t get up,” Lily stated, keeping her voice hushed. “Just….try not to upset her any more.”
Lily was tired. She and Marlene had been up most of the night trying to console you the best that they could. With a little time and patience, they had managed to get you calmed down enough to get some sleep. They weren’t sure how restful it was, but at least it gave you some kind of break.
Remus nodded at her request, taking glacial steps inside when Lily stepped aside to allow them in. Marlene was gone for the morning, and Lily was going to follow suit once you were aware that they were there for you. You were curled up on your mattress, half underneath the sheets with your back towards the door. Lily moved to the side of the bed that you were facing, signaling for the boys to wait for a few moments.
“Hey….” Lily tilted her head as she looked down at you. “The boys are here.”
Lily had honestly expected you to start crying again when your eyes flickered up to hers. They were glassed over with remnants of tears, but the tears didn’t fall.
“They want to talk to you. Will you speak with them?” Lily questioned in her lightest, sweetest tone. Lily glanced up for a moment at Sirius, who was so pale that he looked ghostly. “I think Sirius could use a hug.”
James felt his halfway breakfast churning in his stomach. Now he had wished that he had decided to brave this on an empty stomach. When you sat up from your balled up position, they straightened up and stood a bit taller to look more confident in their presence. Lily smiled at you, and told you that she was going to be heading out for a little while. Once Lily was gone, it was just the four of you in the quiet room. They were frozen still until you looked over first.
Your gaze landed on Sirius first, and you couldn’t help the look of shock and alarm on your expression at his tyrannized face and abused hands. You hadn’t expected him to look so bruised and roughed up.
“Hey there, bunny.” Remus said first, approaching you cautiously.
He sat on the free space on the side of the bed, and Sirius and James didn’t know what to do other than to copy Remus’ motions.
“Hi, puppy.” Sirius greeted as neutrally as he could.
He was nervous, and it was a visible tell.
“Hey, angel.” James offered a small smile.
James was even more nervous, the slight shake in his hands giving it away.
“Hi.” You squeaked, and all three of them immediately felt the tiniest bit of relief.
This felt more standard. The three of them huddled around you in whatever open space they could get comfortable in on the small Hogwarts’ beds. The context of the conversation wasn’t ideal, but at least the familiarity of the positioning offered some delay in the tense atmosphere. The beats of silence that passed weren’t awkward, but rather hesitant. Everything that James and Sirius had come up with to say had vanished into the abyss of their subconscious. They were flying blind now, and whatever they were going to say was going to be whatever they could come up with.
“You look tired.” You spoke feebly, looking at James with the intentions of your words.
James was the most tired of all three of the boys. You weren’t wrong that it showed on his face, and he hoped that this would be settled well enough so that he could sleep the rest of the day.
“Oh, I’m a little tired,” James replied. “Just worried about you.”
The edge of the sheet over your lap was in your hands as you fiddled with it. The fact that all three of them were nervous on different levels made you nervous. Sirius was sitting at the foot of the bed, dragging his fingertips back and forth across the soft material of your blanket. He was doing it as a sensory distraction, and he hoped that it would relax him enough so that he could actually come up with something to say.
“We’ve all been worried about you,” Remus added. “You were very upset last night.”
There was a beat. A silence. And then a response.
“I asked you not to say anything.” You mumbled, toying with the sheet as you avoided any and all eye contact.
None of them knew who exactly you were referring to, but the burning ditch that opened up in Sirius’ gut gave him a pretty good idea. Despite his initial aggravation, Remus knew that neither Sirius nor James had acted the way that they had with the intent of disquieting you. He knew his friends inside and out, and he knew how they felt about you. No price was too big for the sake of defending you. Remus was pretty sure that you knew that as well, but he also understood where you found discomfort with the fact that they had acted that way after you had asked them not to.
“They were saying bad things about you, lovely. We couldn’t just let them say that.” James continued as charily as he possibly could.
He wasn’t trying to argue. He just wanted to explain the situation as coherently as he could.
“I deserved it,” You replied back. “I was stupid during Potions yesterday.”
“You weren’t stupid, and that doesn’t excuse what he said, princess. Never, ever should anyone talk about you like that.” Remus backed James up.
Sirius was silent. There weren’t any words coming to or from his brain. He was so embarrassed and ashamed of himself that he didn’t even know how to articulate anything. All he could do was listen and watch the best that his frazzled mind possibly could. He was so indignant with himself and so dispirited that he didn’t blame you for not accepting his apology.
“You didn’t have to be so….violent.” You muttered, and now the shared spotlight was shining on James and Sirius.
Neither of them really had much of a good explanation for why that was their best resolution to the problem. They could go on about how they could be hot headed and short-tempered….but that wasn’t one of those arguments that would hold up very well. Sirius felt a fiery balloon swelling in his throat – when that balloon popped, the waterworks were going to come with it.
James was handling this much better than Sirius and Remus had expected. He was still very obviously nervous, but he was doing a nice job of communicating his thoughts and feelings.
“I wasn’t trying to hurt anyone, my love….well, I was but it wasn’t for a reason that I didn’t find important to me,” James vindicated. “I care about you and I love you. At the time, that was how I wanted to handle it.”
You didn’t like that answer. The shake of your head and the abrupt sob that escaped your chest let James know that was not a response that you wanted to hear, even if it was the truth. The tears leaked from your eyes and spilled down your cheeks like raindrops racing on a clear glass window.
“But I don’t want you to handle things like that!” You wailed. “I don’t want you to get in trouble because of me and I don’t want you to hurt anyone!”
James felt a pang of remorse for setting you off again, but if it meant getting his point and apology across – then he supposed it was best. Remus noticed something odd in this quick couple of passing seconds. Your tears were notably genuine and you were clearly distressed….but your tears and your reaction seemed to be more of a panic response than anything else.
“Take a breath, bunny. He’s not trying to upset you,” Remus mediated, moving to sit behind you so you could cuddle up against him. Remus rocked you in response to your choked up cries. “What about this has you shaken up so badly?”
“It-It’s just….I didn’t-” You hiccuped. “Sirius was just so mean.”
The balloon in Sirius’ throat exploded at those words. The tears pooled in his eyes and it took everything he had to hold them back. Remus and James felt sympathetic for Sirius, because they knew that what you had said didn’t help how hard he was undoubtedly being on himself. Sirius’ lips parted as if he was going to say something, but the words still didn’t come. Sirius’ lower lip wobbled as he strained to keep the flooding tears from making their escape. There probably wasn’t anything that he could say to make you think of him the same way again.
“I think you’re being a little unfair to Pads, bunny.” Remus admitted.
“He feels really, really bad about all of this.” James piped up.
Remus used his sleeve to wipe away your tears, hoping it would help compose yourself better.
“I was so scared that he was going to get hurt and then it’d be my fault,” You blubbered on. “I didn’t want Siri to get hurt.”
Even after all of this, Sirius’ wellbeing had been the root of most of your concern. Sirius felt like such a jerk. He had done just about everything you had asked him not to do and you still were more worried about him. This was one of those things that Sirius knew to be true about how you felt about him.
Remus cast Sirius a glance, and it stung his heart to see one of his best pals nearly reduced to tears. Sirius didn’t get worked up in this kind of way often – and it took a lot to get him so rattled.
“Siri isn’t badly hurt, darling. And Siri and Jamesie both love you very much,” Remus professed you. “I know that it wasn’t the best decision, but it only happened because we all love you.”
“We love you so very much. It won’t happen again.” James assured you.
Sirius needed to speak. He used whatever brain power he had left to come up with something. A phrase, a word, a noise, absolutely anything that he could. He didn’t care what he came up with, just as long as he didn’t let this moment get away without him asking for forgiveness. If he had to fall to his knees and bawl into your lap and gasp for air between every snivel to show his remorse then so be it.
But that didn’t happen. His shoulder began to quake with the vibrating weep that was so close to expelling from his chest. It wasn’t until your eyes met his, the same dazzling ones that he found so much faith and comfort in, that he let it all go.
“I’m sorry.” Sirius cracked, and he couldn’t hold back his tears anymore.
It felt like such a sore apology. After all he had done and said to lead up to this point, “I’m sorry” just didn’t seem that it was even nearly enough. There were millions of more things that he could’ve and probably should’ve said – but that two word infamous phrase was all he could murmur. But as always, you could see Sirius for who he really was. Now was not an exception to the way that you could flawlessly read Sirius without error or misunderstanding. Despite the simplicity of his words, you felt the weight behind them. You heard the sorrow and the contrition in his voice as he said it. You saw the pleading and the silent beg for forgiveness behind his pupils. Maybe on the surface it wasn’t much, and perhaps to anybody else it would’ve been a shitty apology.
But to you, it was a sincere, love wrapped Sirius Black apology.
You sniffed when you crawled away from Remus, maneuvering the short distance between you. Sirius was stunned at first when you wrapped your limbs around him desperately, but he returned it with grace and another sob of contentedness. Sirius buried his nose into your hair, not caring that it irritated and hurt the tender area. That hug was the best embrace that he had ever been given. It spoke so loud and had so many volumes.
Remus and James shared an alleviating glance. The amnesty was a relief, and while there was some work to be done to get fully back to normal – it was a work that was unquestioned because of its rewarding nature.
“I love you. So so so much.” Sirius cradled your face in his slender, torn hands.
“I love you, Siri.” You replied, turning somewhat to address the other two. “Remy and Jamesie too.”
With that, the four of you fell into a big cuddle pile as the three of them peppered you with kisses and showered you with affection. There was a peaceful, serene vibe in the air – one that was much more welcomed than the tense one from before. Again, there was some progress to be made and some more conversations to be had, but for now the biggest hurdle had been cleared with ease. It was a straight sprint the rest of the way, and with no obstacles in sight – the end goal seemed like a breeze.
This was a major development moment for the four of you. None of you were perfect, and sometimes it took the hard way to learn from each other’s mistakes. This was not a mistake that Sirius or James would make again, and that was a solid fact.
Sirius and James had a basket of things to learn from this experience. It was a lesson learned and it motivated them to be much more cool and calm if something like this ever happened again. Once again, Sirius had been forgiven and given yet another chance.
Was it a chance that he deserved? He didn’t think so. However, it was one that he was grateful for nonetheless.
What ever happened to us will remain a mystery, just like Hogwarts…
I let out a sigh as I walk the silence halls of Hogwarts, it’s witching hours and I’m still wide awake. It’s not easy sleeping when every time I close my eyes, all I see was him. I felt my heart rise as I hear footsteps coming, I ran to the nearest tapestry to hide but I didn’t make it. Soon enough, two figures was standing behind me.
“Y/N?” That voice…
I remember that voice all too well, I hear that voice everywhere. That voice that once soothe me every night, it gave me a sort of calmness in my worst time.
“James?” I turn around to face the man that hurt me, who left me lying weak in the mess he made.
I turn to see him, but he was not alone.
Besides him was the girl I envy.
Lily Evans…
The perfect embodiment of beauty and intelligence.
“Hi, Y/N.” She greets in her cheery voice, I know that she means well but I can’t help but roll my eyes at her. I just nod at her, acknowledging her presence.
“What are you up to?” She questioned with her arms around James.
We used to do that…
I look at James but he refused to meet my gaze.
Coward…
He can’t even look at the eyes of the girl he hurt.
“Just taking a stroll, how about you guys?” I said with all the confidence I have left. I wasn’t gonna let James see that he was deeply affecting me. It did hurt, the pain was still fresh, it still lingered. It’s only been a month and he already moved on.
Who does that?
“Oh, we just came to sneak in to the Astronomy tower…”
I bite my tongue to refrain myself from bursting out laughing. That was OUR thing, he really has no decency left in his body and it seems he also has no originality.
“Is that so?” I glanced at him once again but this time his eyes were looking back.
Those eyes that used to give me comfort, it still does…
“Is it me or am I sensing tension between the two of you?”
James eyes widen, he obviously didn’t tell Lily about us. It’s no surprise, no one even knew that I used to call him mine. He hid me like I was a secret not worth saying. I used to be fine with it because I loved him.
“I-It’s just your imagination.” James finally spoke up, I knew he was going to say that but it still hit me like I was struck by a lightning. Or even killed by the killing curse.
Lily looked at me for some kind of confirmation. I just grin and crossed my arms, I can feel the panic rush through James body.
“No, it’s not your imagination.”
“Oh.”
“Y/N!” James called, I didn’t even bat an eye at him. My eyes were solely focused on LIly.
“Lily, James used to kiss me, he used to fuck me in the tower every night! He begged me to love him and when I did he bloody fucking left me for you! You!”
“Y/N!” James shouts.
I just laugh as tears flooded my eyes, he left me like I was some sort of rubbish. I looked at the two of them. Lily was in some sort of shock while James was just shocked.
“There’s your answer, me and James Fleamont Potter-”
“We were once lovers…”
“Oi! There are students here!” I hear Flinch yells and with that I bolted, leaving the two shocked.
pairing: remus x reader (james and sirius x reader platonic)
summary: you get high with the marauders
word count:790
warnings: drug use (obviously), swearing
♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~
You would have to be naive to expect a bunch of teenagers to stay sober till they turned 18. You had to know they wouldn’t ignore the sweetness of highs and colorful pills. Sure, you were all constantly told not to indulge in these delights but is there anything better than doing what you were told not to?
You would have to argue there wasn’t.
You giggled as James hacked beside you. His eyes watered as he gasped for air, still coughing painfully.
“What, you’re not even gonna clear it?” You joked gesturing to the bong in his hands.
He flipped you off sliding it across the granite floor as you passed him a chilled bottle.
You only laughed harder and took in the remaining smoke of the glass before taking a lighter from your pocket and taking a hit. You held it in for a moment before pushing your tongue to the roof of your mouth and forcing the smoke out your nose.
You then passed it off to Sirius who gestured for your lighter, you shook your head.
“Come on, give me a light.” He whined.
You shook your head again, “No way, you always steal my shit.”
He gasped, “No I do not!”
“You’re a bad liar.” You murmured but passed him the bright pink Bic anyway.
You looked back over at James who had managed to stop his coughing fit and was now messaging his throat.
“Shit burns.” He choked out.
“I thought you said you did this all the time.” You smirked, “Aren’t preppy assholes like you supposed to be like experts when it comes to drugs?”
“Nah.” Remus spoke next to you, “You’re thinking of the wrong thing, rich kids don’t indulge in pot like us low-class degenerates. They do classy shit, like cocaine.”
Sirius exhaled, blowing smoke into the cooling air, “That’s true, I think I saw my mum do a line in our bathroom once.”
You snorted, “You’re fucking with us.”
“No ma’am.” He grinned, “I always wondered why she was itching at her nose all the time.”
“Just so you know,” James interrupted, “I have smoked before, I just always used a bowl.”
“Oooohhhh,” You jeered, “I’m sorry, I should have known you weren’t smart enough to use the complicated mechanics of a bong.”
“Fuck off man.” James laughed, a water bottle hitting your forehead.
It was Remus who was now nursing your glass. You watched him carefully as he inhaled deeply, his shoulders rising slightly as he did. Feeling your stare his eyes flitted up to you.
Your heart raced as he looked at you through his thick eyelashes. You held in a groan as he straightened up, lips parting when he wiped them clean of spit, smoke filtering from them slowly in smooth whisps. He winked at you before he leaned down to clear it out.
You swallowed a giggle and shook your head. Nothing like Remus with a bit of grass in his blood.
He went to pass you the bong but you shook your head leaning in closer to him, “Keep it,” you whispered, “I wanna shotgun.”
His eyes widened a bit in surprise but he complied, allowing you to scoot towards him until your knees were knocking together. You heard the click of the lighter over and over again looking down to see Remus struggling to get a flame with shaky hands.
“Didn’t realize I made you that nervous Re.” You murmured and he scoffed
“It’s not-” it was too late for him to explain now, you had already taken the lighter from his hands.
“Alright pretty boy,” You mumbled, “You just do the easy part and suck.”
He rolled his eyes but bent his head to do as he was told. You struck the lighter and held the flame to what you had ground not but 10 minutes before. You held it there a bit longer than you normally would have, thumb growing hot.
When you finally pulled out the plug Remus gave one last deep breath before turning to you. You leaned in cupping his cheek to pull him close, he opened his mouth and exhaled. You inhaled as he did, only growing closer, lips brushing lightly before you retreated holding the smoke in for a moment to stare at him. He stared right back watching as you eventually looked up and blew at the stars.
“Christ y/n, I think you gave him a boner.” Sirius chuckled and Remus flushed.
“Shut up dumbass.”
“I mean was that hot or what?” Padfoot continued.
James nodded, “Sure was, you guys give quite the show.”
You only laughed enjoying the faint fog which clouded your head and the warmth of Remus pushing against you.
pulled apart seires ~ everyone is lost in the world as the man soon to be called the dark lord rises to power. your parents are already ready to give their life along with your own for this man. you spend your seventh year in gogwarts being pulled apart by the expectations for you and the hope placed in you by your childhood friend sirius and his closest companions. (regulus, sirius, james and remus x reader) ~ incomplete
james potter:
strawberries*~ being a waitress at a high-end restaurant was exhausting, the new line cook seems to make things just a little better though. fluff
best not to cry over spilled milk* ~ being the black house’s heir means you brother hates you. at least his best friend doesn’t. angst
minnie’s daughter* ~ when james finds out his favorite proffesser has a daughter he can’t seem to keep her form his head. fluff
then kiss me again ~ james is just about the worst project partner especially when hes staring at lily all the time, something that makes you want to throw up. fluff
your dog ~ you were sure that sirius had never really liked you, even with all the flirting he did. But when he gets stuck as a dog and ends up in your bed, things might change ~ fluff
magnolia*- royal AU sirius is a prince and your a baker girl who sneaks into his garden part 1-fluff w/ angst ending part 2-angstyishpart 3-final part
i wish- you’re sirius’ girlfriend, but james is pretty sure hes in love with you. angst
heartbeat* (completed) ~ sirius plays a game with a few others to see who can sleep with you first: part 1-angstpart 2-angst w/ feelgoodending
three fatal words ~ sirius sucks at relationships and he lashes out at you when he realizes he loves you. angst w/ fluff ending
never forget ~ you finally your fiance again after 12 years of imprisonment for a crime he didnt commit. fluff
i don’t love ~ you don’t belive in love, you belive in lust and attraction. you’re a heartbreaker through and through, Sirius understands. angst w/ fluff ending
painted books ~ sirius ruins something important to you in a prank, and when he realizes it he tries to apologize. fluff
not so perfect sister* (completed) ~ being a potter is easy until your sorted into slytherin and treated like an outsider by your entire family, even when your brothers asshole friend is excepted: part 1part 2 angst w/ fluffy ending
remus lupin:
stupid dance, stupid teenagers ~ remus watches you form afar and his friends try to convince him to ask you to a dance he doesn’t even want to go to. fluff
deal ~ uou make a deal with lily and when she follows through your left having to confess. fluff
regulus black:
better~ being a muggleborn dating regulus meant you had to keep it a secret. When your older sister finds out she raises fear of heartbreak in both of you. angst
lily evans:
sweater ~ Girls aren’t supposed to have crushes on other girls. so why they hell did you fall in love with your best friend? angst
pulled apart seires ~ everyone is lost in the world as the man soon to be called the dark lord rises to power. your parents are already ready to give their life along with your own for this man. you spend your seventh year in gogwarts being pulled apart by the expectations for you and the hope placed in you by your childhood friend sirius and his closest companions. (regulus, sirius, james and remus x reader) ~ incomplete
james potter:
strawberries*~ being a waitress at a high-end restaurant was exhausting, the new line cook seems to make things just a little better though. fluff
best not to cry over spilled milk* ~ being the black house’s heir means you brother hates you. at least his best friend doesn’t. angst
minnie’s daughter* ~ when james finds out his favorite proffesser has a daughter he can’t seem to keep her form his head. fluff
then kiss me again ~ james is just about the worst project partner especially when hes staring at lily all the time, something that makes you want to throw up. fluff
your dog ~ you were sure that sirius had never really liked you, even with all the flirting he did. But when he gets stuck as a dog and ends up in your bed, things might change ~ fluff
magnolia*- royal AU sirius is a prince and your a baker girl who sneaks into his garden part 1-fluff w/ angst ending part 2-angstyishpart 3-final part
i wish- you’re sirius’ girlfriend, but james is pretty sure hes in love with you. angst
heartbeat* (completed) ~ sirius plays a game with a few others to see who can sleep with you first: part 1-angstpart 2-angst w/ feelgoodending
three fatal words ~ sirius sucks at relationships and he lashes out at you when he realizes he loves you. angst w/ fluff ending
never forget ~ you finally your fiance again after 12 years of imprisonment for a crime he didnt commit. fluff
i don’t love ~ you don’t belive in love, you belive in lust and attraction. you’re a heartbreaker through and through, Sirius understands. angst w/ fluff ending
painted books ~ sirius ruins something important to you in a prank, and when he realizes it he tries to apologize. fluff
not so perfect sister* (completed) ~ being a potter is easy until your sorted into slytherin and treated like an outsider by your entire family, even when your brothers asshole friend is excepted: part 1part 2 angst w/ fluffy ending
remus lupin:
stupid dance, stupid teenagers ~ remus watches you form afar and his friends try to convince him to ask you to a dance he doesn’t even want to go to. fluff
deal ~ uou make a deal with lily and when she follows through your left having to confess. fluff
regulus black:
better~ being a muggleborn dating regulus meant you had to keep it a secret. When your older sister finds out she raises fear of heartbreak in both of you. angst
lily evans:
sweater ~ Girls aren’t supposed to have crushes on other girls. so why they hell did you fall in love with your best friend? angst
Pairing:James Potter x gn!Reader - Marauders x Reader Content
Word Count: 5.9k (jdklfdh im sorry)
Warnings:Underage Drinking, Implications of… yeah. I think that’s about it.
Requested:Yes, a long time (i feel bad for only getting to it but i hope the nonnie stuck around to see this piece) by an anon who asked for James x Reader with childhood best friends to lovers trope.
Summary:In which, James Potter was busy writing himself a message on the wall but was too blind to read what he had to say.
Pictures.
In actuality they were only images. For Muggles, they stood stagnant, for James Potter they moved slightly.
But in deeper meaning pictures were moments in time captured in a frame. They were a personal reminder of things that were, things that used to be and anything else that didn’t fall into one of the other two categories.
James Potter adored pictures. His room was littered with them. A handful were of Quidditch players and Tutshill Tornados merchandise. One picture of him and his parents sat on the nightstand beside his bed. But adjourned on the wall to the left was a mostly blank wall. One small Tornados banner was pinned against the soft red paint and in the middle a picture he was particularly fond of.
The film captured James at the age of four. A broom was clutched in his left hand and a toothy smile on his face as the wind rustled his hair causing it to stick up more than it already did. Beside him was you, your eyes crossed and your tongue licking a swirled lolly.
When his mother had shown him the picture you had just left for home, making a young James quite sad that his friend couldn’t stay just a little longer. Euphemia Potter had smiled, handing the picture to her son. “It’s okay, my love. Now you have a piece of Y/N with you.”
“How?” James had asked, his lower lip jutting out in a frown.
Euphemia laughed. “The picture captures you together. Look how happy the two of you look!” she points at her son’s smile in the photo. “You can do whatever you’d like with it.”
James grinned, his eyes lighting up once more. “I want to hang it, mum!” he dragged her hand into the bedroom with him, climbing on top of his bedsheets and pressing the picture to the wall. “Here. That way I can say goodnight to them even when they’re not here.”
Euphemia Potter smiled watching as her son tucked himself under the covers. “That’s a brilliant idea, James.” With a wave of her wand, two pins fastened themself to the wall, the photo beneath.
That was the beginning of James’s love for pictures. More pictures would accumulate such as the one of him and his father at a Tornados game. Drawings you would give him of flowers and Kneazles. The pictures would come and go but yours stayed the same. An additional picture of you and James would later be added three years later when the two of you were seven. James’s broom no longer sat in one hand, instead was gripped with two and hovering five feet off the ground. He had a wicked smile on his face, his glasses slightly falling down his nose. You sat behind him, your small fingers clutching to his waist as the picture captured you mid-squeal.
Time went on yet the pictures of the two of you stayed the same. Along with your drawings, which had improved dramatically since you were seven, he’d occasionally find a Hollyhead Harpies banner plastered to his wall. When he came to scold you, pink banners adjourned in his hand, you’d laugh at the pout on his lips. He could never stay angry at you and always joined in on your laughter.
The final year before things would slightly change was the year before going to Hogwarts. A third picture was added at the age of ten. The Potter family had accompanied your family on a trip to Diagon Alley in which you had bought your screech owl, Juniper. James had one arm wrapped around you. His hair was untidy and a goofy smile was on his face as his other hand flicked your forehead. Your eyes were closed mid-laugh as one hand pushed his face away and the other perched with Juniper who screeched happily on your available arm.
Again, time went on quickly and changes were made in James Potter’s room but you were not one of them. He packed up his Hogwarts things the night of August 31st, leaving his room full of pictures with a soft smile.
You rode on the train with him, both of you waving goodbye to your loved ones. You grinned at him wickedly, “Excited?” you ask.
“Definitely.” he responded. “Do you have money for the trolley?”
You slide into a train compartment, one small boy already sitting there. “Yeah. Do you need to borrow some?”
James nodded and you rolled your eyes, handing money over to the kind witch who passed by, grabbing pumpkin pasties for you and Bertie Botts for James.
The ride was life-changing as you made acquaintances with similar mindsets. Two more boys entered your compartment and along with the scrawny boy from before, all of you made it to Gryffindor. “Where dwell the brave at heart” as James liked to put it.
First year was an interesting feat with James quickly falling head over heels for Lily Evans. Your friendship never faltered although the thought of her in his life made you feel odd. However, you were sure she wouldn’t be in his life for quite some time seeing as his persistent efforts were met with an equally stubborn rejection.
“She’s a firecracker, that one.” he sighed, walking beside you down the hall after another devastating encounter with Lily.
“You’re just embarrassing yourself now, my boy.” you reply, dubbing his nickname to ease the comment.
He smirked. “Then why do you hang out with me?”
“Because, I’m the one who makes sure you don’t cross the line from embarrassing to mortifying.”
He shakes his head with a silly grin. “I doubt that. You love me. That’s why.”
You laugh, an effective way of avoiding the curious ideas that ran through your young mind. “Don’t throw around the l- word so quickly! You’ve got to mean it.”
James bumped your side. “But I’ve known you for years.”
You ruffle his hair, making it messier than it already was. “Save it for Evans.”
—
The year ended and the two of you went home to Northern England hands overflowing with Gryffindor red, spirits high with a drive for Quidditch practice and addresses from Remus, Peter, and Sirius tucked away in your pockets.
James’s room changed tremendously that first year. Alongside the Tutshill Tornados merchandise were small Gryffindor banners, lions enchanted to roar at the touch. You had given him one of your sketches from the school year, one of Sirius and him laughing in Transfiguration, another of him and Peter skipping stones. The pictures of the two of you still remained, a small collection of dust coating the edges which he wiped away with a smile.
Second year was merry and full of high spirits. James had acquired his father’s invisibility cloak which gave cause to a number of nighttime rendezvous and adventures in the kitchens. Suspicion arose on Remus, whose monthly disappearances came to your attention. With the help of Sirius and Peter, the group soon discovered Remus’s guarded secret and accepted the furry little problem with open arms.
The Lily Evans situation did not get any better with James’s persistence holding up fiercely and her hatred toward him even more harsh. As Sirius had dubbed it, “Mate, at this point you’re never getting married.” Remus and Peter whole-heartedly agreed, sending James into an adolescent spiral.
“What if I don’t get married, Y/N/N?” he confided in you by the shores of the Black Lake.
You chuckled, his delirium quite adorable. “You’re going to get married, James. Trust me.”
He sighed, snapping a twig between his fingers. “It’s not definite.”
“Nothing is.” you counter.
James groaned. “I know. I know. But I would like it to be. Wouldn’t you?”
You contemplated the idea, a thought coming to your head. “What if it could be?”
He stared at you curiously. Your eyes lit up and James grinned. “Hit me.”
“If by the time we are thirty neither of us are married then we should get married to each other.” you propose, a proud smile on your face. “That way we can have a definite of our own.”
James grinned. “I like that idea. But what if one of us gets married before that?”
You frown. “Then I guess it’d be a flop. But it’s better than nothing, right?”
He agreed quickly. The sun was setting into a pond of pink. The wind rustled and birds chirped and the moment seemed picture perfect and James wished a camera would magically pop up and capture the moment so he’d be able to hang it on his wall for years to come. It did not work that way, instead, he turned to you with a smirk. “I don’t have anything to propose with.”
You looked down in embarrassment and gave him a shove. “We’re not getting married yet! It’s just a deal not the real thing.”
He rolled his eyes at you. “I know but it feels as though something special should happen. How about we seal with a spit swear?”
You stick your tongue out and pretend to gag. “Ew! No.” you flick his forehead causing him to wince. He grins before flicking you back, watching as you fall back onto the grass.
“I guess a flick works as well.” he sighs. “Y/N Potter has a nice ring to it.”
Your head falls against his shoulder. “I can’t believe I might be a Potter one day. Sounds disgusting.”
James laughs, the weight of your head feeling oddly familiar against his shoulder. “Oh, shut it!”
—
The years came and went. Third year, James made the Quidditch team and he quickly became a ladies man despite his obvious pining over Evans. You made sure to keep his feet on the ground as you didn’t want his ego to get larger than it already was. You came to all his games, occasionally bringing a camera so that James could add his moments of glory onto his beloved room wall. There was the time he tried dedicating a shot to you and ended up getting knocked off his broom by a Beater.
He made the next one thankfully.
On the other hand, you had earned the title of master dueler amongst the third years for your quick arm and sharp spellcasting. While James was at Quidditch practice: you, Peter, Remus, and Sirius would practice in empty classrooms although after a while they became rather bored as you would always win. James would cheer you on, even when you beat him there was a compliment of your skill and he was more than anything, proud.
The summer between third and fourth year was the year the Marauders got their first group picture together. Everyone had met up at the Potter residence, Euphemia Potter snapping the photo with Sirius and James to the left, Peter and Remus on the right, and you in the middle. James hung the picture on his wall as it was routine by now. The whole gang got to see his famous wall of pictures, his life an open storybook to anyone who looked closely.
Fourth year sparked love, pranks, and new ideas. Peter went on his first date, flaming at the cheeks as his friends waved him off embarrassingly. Group pranks ensued upon Snape whose oily hair was dyed all colors of the rainbow by the end of the first semester. You had gone on your first date as well, Steven Goldstein from Hufflepuff whom James threatened to beat up and Sirius who gave him “a talk”.
Most importantly, the group addressed Remus’s furry little problem seeing as each year he came back with more and more scars than before. Two ideas sparked up from the meeting and both were large feats that every member of the group was willing to take.
“So wait..” Peter asked. “You want to make a map… that tracks everyone in Hogwarts?”
James nodded and Remus shook his head. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. Don’t look at me that way, Remus.”
Remus shoved him lightly. “How would that even work though? Isn’t it a little invasive?”
You smiled. “It most certainly is invasive but think about how awesome it’d be to have something like that. All we would need is…”
“A complex locator spell.” you and Sirius said together.
Everyone grinned. “Pete can do the drawing and sketching. He’s good at that stuff. We should check for secret passageways. All of us could do the magic. We’ve got the brains.”
“I don’t think someone with brilliant magic technique would use the word brain to describe their intelligence.” you point out. James simply flicked you in the head.
“And there’s the Animagi thing…” Sirius added.
“That’s a reach.” Remus replied.
“More than the map?” Peter questioned.
Remus sighed. “You guys don’t have to do that for me. I’ve been transforming on my own for years. No need to have buddies now.”
“Nonsense.” you say. “Anything for you, Rem. This is what you deserve.”
The friends looked at each other silently. “Are we ready to pull off the biggest student feat in Hogwarts history?” Sirius whispered.
“Aye, aye.” Everyone cheered.
Peter grinned. “We’re up to no good.”
James smiled back. “Then let us manage our mischief well.”
WIth that the group commenced, exiting the abandoned classroom they used and taking off to class. James walked by your side as you headed to astronomy together.
“I can’t wait till we pin this down. It’s going to be an epic year.” he grinned.
You chuckle. “I know you’ll end up stalking someone, Potter. Evans by the looks of it.”
He shook his head, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Nope. I’m gonna stalk you instead. See if you’re hiding any secrets from me.”
You smile. “What secrets could I possibly be hiding from you, my boy?”
James nudged your side with a smirk. “You’re telling me a good-looking fellow like yourself isn’t sneaking off with some other lad other than their best friends.”
You shook your head, the word “good-looking” repeating itself in your mind. “No. If I did I would tell you.”
“Good.” he said, starting up the stairs to the Astronomy tower. “I don’t need some arsehole stealing you away from me.”
You roll your eyes. “No one could ever steal me from you, James. I’m not a Quaffle.”
He nods with a grin. “Yeah. I suppose you’re more of a Snitch.”
You laugh, dashing up the stairs in hopes that you wouldn’t be late for your Astronomy lesson.
—
As one could guess more pictures and sketches made their home on James Potter’s wall. It was a cluttered mess but beautiful nonetheless. It was as though the wall had an expression of its own with its array of Quidditch jerseys, photographs, art, and ticket stubs. Nobody touched the wall except James as he liked having every picture in place. His wall organized the way he liked it best… messy.
Fifth year was the first year you didn’t see James every week. He had eagerly signed up for Quidditch camp and had left for Wales with promises that’d you write about the boys and the progress on the map and Animagi projects. The projects went well with Peter completing the outline sketches of the maps, Remus filling piles of papers on Animagi transformations and finally Sirius and you gathering the needed ingredients for the Animagi process.
You had grown taller over the summer, hair lightening and your features more accentuated. Eagerly you awaited James’s return and when the time did come you had woken up early in the morning to see him arrive by Portkey on the hill. The second he appeared you had rushed over, engulfing him in a hug. You had missed his touch, his constant nagging and overall the James Potterness that followed him around that would never fade with time.
Meanwhile, he was left out of breath, a couple of inches taller and a smile on his face as he squeezed you back. “Y/N/N! I missed you, you lazy hag.”
You laughed, messing up his hair that sat more neatly than in previous years. “And I missed you, my boy.”
The next days before school were spent catching him up on the map and at the pond by your house. With each swim you noticed the changes in James such as the six-pack the tedious trials at Quidditch camp had given him.
“Oi!” you shouted, splashing him in the face. “Whatever happened to the skinny twig that was my friend?”
He smirked. “Oi! Why are you looking?”
You bit your lip, not allowing him to see you flustered. “I’m sorry. You’re my best friend and it’s a very noticeable change!” you pointed at his toned stomach.
James tapped your nose and you stared at him in annoyance. “It’s only noticeable if you want to notice it.”
He turned around, making to walk back to the shore of the pond. You didn’t remember when James had gotten so cheeky although he’d always been that way, just never with you. Wickedly, you took the bucket that floated beside you and dunked it in the water. With a mischievous grin, you snuck up behind him, dumping the bucket of water on his head.
James turned around with a gasp, jaw dropped. You laughed, a wide smile on your lips at the sight of him drenched in his swim trunks. It wasn’t until his arms tucked along your waist, dragging you to the deeper ends of the pond did the smile drop and his return.
“Why you little…” you seethed. “James Fleamont Potter if you-”
It was too late by then, your body submerged in the water and you swam up, his laughter the first noticeable sound. You scowled as he doubled over with laughter on the shore. “I’m never letting you go to Quidditch camp again.”
The two of you walked home as the sun set, many flicks to the forehead ensuing as you did.
—
Fifth year was by far the most epic year of your Hogwarts experience. Everything was prepared for the Animagi transformation and phase two of the map project was ready to launch with Remus having gained access to the restricted section of the library.
It seemed as though the whole student body had recognized the change in James’s physique which only led to an inflation of his ego. The worst part was that Lily Evans just so happened to be one of those said noticers and while her defiance toward him was still strong, she could be caught staring in class much to James’s delight.
The Animagi process began as soon as the September full moon. While Remus suffered in the Shrieking Shack, the four other Marauders set their Mandrake leaves into their mouths preparing for an uncomfortable month of bitterness on their tongues. The leaves were held under their tongues when talking in class and for the rest of the time they resorted to note passing leaving the entirety of Hogwarts wondering why the Marauders went quiet so suddenly.
During the period between moons, they worked on their map. Stacks of books, both regular and restricted, lay among them. Each had a quill and parchment used to take note of spells or pass messages back and forth. As you worked you received a message from James in the form of a crumpled ball of parchment. You smoothed it out with a sigh.
I hate this thing. It tastes like piss and lime.
You held back a chuckle, writing your own message next to his.
You’re not backing out of this, Potter. It’s for Remus.
He stuck the leaf under his tongue in order to stick it out at you and you rolled your eyes. He scribbled a message back.
I know. I know. Doesn’t mean I can’t complain about it.
You smirked, tossing the parchment back to him.
If your scrawny arse can come back from Quidditch camp with abs then you can stomach keeping a leaf in your mouth for a month.
He smoothed it out and you went back to your work only getting in a minute’s reading before the parchment bounced off your head. You scowled at his antics but he only looked at his book with a smirk. Unfolding the paper, James’s messy handwriting took up the last blank space on the parchment.
Nice to know you still think about my abs.
Your stomach squirmed at the feeling that inflamed from his words and the smirk that was on his face. You flicked him on the head, throwing the parchment into the fire before Sirius could ask what it was.
—
It took moon soaked leaves, untouched morning dew and a lightning storm to finally complete the transformations. It was on a late November night that a lightning storm finally struck and in the fifth corridor bathroom the Marauders made their first transformations. For Peter, a small rat with a wriggling tail. For Sirius, a pure black dog. For James, a large stag with mighty horns. For you, a sly fox with sleek orange fur.
Thus that night began the use of the nicknames: Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs and Vixen. Dubbed by James and agreed upon all around. The final full moons of fifth year were spent prancing around Hogsmeade alongside Remus whose scars diminished with each transformation spent with his friends.
The downside of it all was the building tension in the school. With Lord Voldemort on the rise, more and more of your classmates were showing their true colors. Select Slytherins no longer wore short sleeves, their wrists always covered even in the heat of summer. Watchful eyes and protective glares, you went home for summer in worry.
Over the summer, Prongs lost his Pronginess. He wrote to Lily Evans most days of the week and now the things she sent him hung on his wall alongside you and the Marauders. An anticipated change but a scary one still. Every outing with James became more about Lily and less about anything else. You could feel your best friend slipping away and you told him so the night before the start of sixth year.
The two of you sat together in the branches of a tree. The sun hit your skin in rays and clouds passed by over your heads. James’s voice droned on about his darling Lily flower and with an unknowing malice you snapped at him. “Shut it!” you groaned.
His eyes looked over at you, hands holding your head in remorse. “Aren’t you happy for me? You’ve been acting off all summer.”
“I’ve been acting off because you’ve been acting off. I am happy for you but Evans is the only thing you talk about these days. What happened to talking about the Tornados or sneaking out together for milkshakes?”
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “It’s different now.”
“Well, it shouldn’t be.” you exclaim. “I’m not saying you shouldn’t grow up. I support the idea of you no longer being a cheeky bastard. If you’re happy with Evans then I am happy for you. But being with Evans doesn’t mean you have to forget about me or the Marauders or everything else.”
James nodded, a leaf spinning between his fingers as he frowned. “I’m sorry, Y/N/N.”
You shake your head. “I am too. Sorry I snapped at you, my boy.” your head fell onto his shoulder the same way it had done for years only this time things had changed. The weight still felt perfect on his shoulder but now his stomach turned and his breath hitched at the close proximity. Things were indeed changing although the two of you only danced around it, not wanting to address the mess you two had made.
Your head was still against his shoulder as you spoke quietly. “Just remember you’re not a Quaffle.”
He chuckled, stroking your hair affectionately. “I guess I’ll be the snitch then.”
You smiled, swimming in the feel of the James Potter you knew so well. Later that night, the two of you snuck out like old times, sharing a chocolate milkshake and sending each other glances the whole way home.
—
Sixth year was a rollercoaster. The map was finished, all the efforts poured out finally receiving an equally impressive outcome with the parchment branded with the names of the Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs and Vixen. Remus had his first kiss and Sirius decided on leaving home and James welcomed him with open arms.
The other Marauders were not impartial to the changes in your and James’s behavior. The miniscule changes in his face when you napped on his lap or the flush of your skin when he rustled your hair. In all honesty, it was as though the two of you were finally waking up and seeing what they’d been seeing all along. However, your own defiance was strong and love wasn’t simple. James was still under the impression that his heart beat for Lily Evans and you flirted around your feelings as opposed to finally confronting them.
When Gryffindor won the Quidditch season, you were the first one in James’s arms to congratulate him. He spun you around, a large grin on his face. “We won!”
You smiled. “That you did, my boy. Celebration calls and are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
He tucked a stray piece of hair behind your ear. “Hmm? Let me guess… Firewhiskey?”
“That’s my boy.” you cheer, linking your arm in his and dragging him off the field as Lily Evans watched the boy she had taken a chance on run off with someone else.
—
Firewhiskey made for a fine celebration and resulted in James and you collapsed on the floor of the Gryffindor common room at two in the morning. His glasses were crooked as he stared up at the ceiling and your hair fell in waves on the floorboards.
“Blimey, I can’t believe we won.” James chuckled, his words slurring together slightly.
“You deserve it, my boy.” you say, lightly punching his arm. “How are you feeling on this fine evening?”
His cheeks went pink but a smile overtook his features making for a hilarious expression when he shouted out. “Randy!”
You doubled over with laughter. “Gosh, James. I don’t need to hear about this.” you shove his grinning face with your palm.
“What, you’ve never felt randy before?” he asked, a childlike expression on his face juxtaposing such an intrusive question.
You hide your embarrassment behind a grin. “Yes, but I’m not going around telling you about it.”
He tapped your nose with the tip of his finger and your stomach swirled. “And why not?”
You turned over to your side. “I’m not sure best friends tell each other about being randy, Prongs.”
James sighed. “I guess not. But how are you feeling, my little vixen?”
With a swig of your drink and a grin you reply. “Randy.”
The two of you erupt into fits of laughter. James pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “I suppose it’s the whiskey then.”
You stare up at the ceiling. “Yeah, I suppose so.”
Both of you knew that wasn’t the case. You knew that despite the whiskey slowing the gears of your mind you still noticed James’s hand laying by your waist. You could still trace the outline of his chin and the bridge of his nose. James could still see the curve of your lips and the rise of your chest. Firewhiskey was most definitely not the cause of your randiness.
But it was the easiest thing to blame.
—
Your birthday came soon after with the Marauders celebrating in joy. Presents were exchanged with Remus giving you some books, Peter knitted (with the help of his mother) a pair of mittens for you and Sirius had gifted you a record to play on your stereo.
But James had to be extravagant. It wasn’t everyday his best friend turned seventeen and he marked the occasion with something expensive yet meaningful. When you opened the small box inside had been a silver fox ring. It’s eyes sparkling gems that twinkled as if blinking.
“James, I’m going to kill you.” you seethed. “This is way too expensive. I’m turning seventeen not fifty.”
He laughed. “Oi, woman! It’s fine. Nothing I couldn’t handle. Besides, only the best for you.”
You stared at it once more before engulfing him in a hug. “It’s beautiful, my boy. Thank you.”
His arms squeezed your waist, breathing you in and remembering the sweet smells of childhood and friendship rolled into one. His eyes closed and it was as if he had drifted off into a pleasant dream. “Of course, my little vixen.”
You made certain to flick his head after.
He was starting to regret giving it to you already.
—
Sixth year came to a close with an even more devastating end than the last. The war only continued to rage with Muggles being murdered miles away from the school, Muggle-borns driving into hiding. Sirius’s brother was slowly falling into line with the other Slytherins, devoting their hours to the torture of Muggleborns, Lord Voldemort and the likes.
James left Hogwarts heart-broken when Lily Evans broke up with him on the last day of term. “Look around!” Lily had told him. “You’re blind, James. I’m not the person you want and it’d be clear if you’d stop and take a look.”
He hadn’t known what she meant and the first week of summer was spent crying and eating ice cream on the sofa with you by his side. His room had become a mess and Lily’s letters no longer remained on the wall instead crumbled up in a ball in the trash.
Euphemia Potter couldn’t dread to see her son in the dumps any longer and she made sure to tell him so one evening after you had left.
“James, you need to get your life together, my love.” she whispered, rubbing her sons back reassuringly.
His words came out muffled into her neck. “It’s hard.”
“I know.” she soothed. “And I’m always going to be there for you.”
“Promise?” he asked.
“Promise.” she smiled. “Now how about you go clean your room. It’s become quite dirty.”
He nodded, trudging to his room with a broom. Lily’s words repeated in his mind as he entered. “You’re blind, James. Look around!” But there was nothing to look for. All he saw was his wall and a soft smile came to his face as he approached it. The Tutshill Tornado banners clung loosely to the paint and drawings of Kneazles and landscapes and trees. Pictures of the Marauders and Gryffindor lions.
And finally the ones of you.
His fingers ran across the picture in the middle. Four-year old James grinning and you licking a lolly. His eyes moved to the next one, seven years old and flying together on a broomstick. A grin broke out on his face as he saw the one with your owl in Diagon Alley, his fingers flicking your forehead. James’s mind was on hyperdrive as he examined each picture, one common factor in almost all of them.
You.
You were in many of the photos, a smile adorned on your face. If you weren’t in the photos you were the one taking them, knowing how much he adored them. Any pictures that hung were sketched by your hands. Here was James Potter’s open story, the story of his life all plastered to the wall as though it was an empty canvas. Present in every moment, every aspect, had been you. You had been the start of his book, the picture of the two of you as tots still smacked in the middle of the wall. Yes, he realized. You had started his book and had remained in it for quite some time.
Lily Evans must’ve noticed and maybe everyone else had too.
James had been blind to the message that was sprawled across his wall. He had been the one writing it, maybe not knowingly but writing it out all the same. Everyone had seen it except the writer and his subject, the message painstakingly clear years prior to its conception.
He quickly removed all the pictures from the wall, grabbing each one that hung and piling them up in his hand. The door swung open as he dashed out of his room yelling, “I’ve got to go, mum!” before running out the front door. The hills of green were illuminated by the night sky, the stars burned for James as he hopped over branches and boulders to get to you.
Your house was in the distance, your figure standing a few feet away from the home. He called out to you, your eyes turned to meet his. When he reached you, he paused, catching his breath.
“James, what on Earth are you doing here?” you laugh, placing a hand on his shoulder as he breathed.
He stood up straight, panting as he held up a photo. “This is us when we were four. The first photo we ever took together.”
You squinted at him. “Right?”
He shuffled through the pictures, fingers tracing each one. “And this is from when we were seven. That one from when we were ten. You gave me this drawing when we were six because you loved Kneazles and wanted one as a pet. That drawing was from the first year when we went skipping stones at the Black Lake and you sketched me and Peter.”
Your face melts slowly. “James, I don’t understand. You’ve had these for years.”
He exhaled, his eyes lighting up. “That’s the thing. I never saw it till now but Lily said I was blind and that she wasn’t the person I wanted.” You nod, wiping the sweat from his forehead with your sleeve and he grinned. “See that right there. That’s what I want.”
The night air bit at your spine. “You want me to wipe the sweat from your forehead?”
He shook his head with a soft chuckle. “Not exactly. I want you to wipe the sweat from my forehead for the next year and the next ten and then the next fifty. You’ve been doing it for years already and the thing is… I don’t think I want anyone else doing it for me.”
You blinked as he came closer, his palms cradling your cheek as you gazed into his eyes. “You’ve been in my life for as long as I could remember and I want you to stay in it for as long as I live. You told me once to not throw around the l-word and I said…”
“But I’ve known you my whole life.” you mutter.
“I think I’ve loved you for a while. I just didn’t know it yet.”
You shook your head as the wind rustled the branches, the windchime on your porch creating soft melodies. A large grin spread across your lips yet you continued to shake your head. “There’s a war, James.”
He smiled. “Only more the reason to be with me.”
“But I’ve been with you my whole life.” you tease.
“Oh, shut up!” he chuckles, before leaning down to capture your lips. At that moment everything made sense. All the pieces of the puzzle sifted into place and the stars applauded you from the sky and the night gale created a ruckus at your shed blindfold.
“Be my Snitch?” he asked.
You rolled your eyes, “That’s the cringiest thing you’ve ever said, my boy.”
He smirked. “Oh, but you love it.”
“Perhaps I do.” you replied, flicking his forehead for good measure.
—
Let me know what you thought? Send an ask to be added to my taglist!
okay okay so… how would y’all feel if i started writing smut??
i would obviously need to set some boundaries, especially since i’m a minor (17) and all but i see an influx of older minors writing smut and i was wondering how comfortable y’all feel about that
She stood abruptly. The clinks and clatters of silverware hitting plates echoed. The sixth-year Gryffindor stood tall at the side of the table, towering over the rest of the sitting family. The younger boy beside her shrunk in size, watching with terrified grey eyes. The boy across from her watched with determination and a smirk across his lips. The parents at each end of the table stared with distaste.
“You won’t lay a finger or a wand on Regulus.” Y/n said lowly, and Walburga smirked, placing her wine glass on the white table cover, “And who are you to tell me what to do?”
Walburga rose from her seat slowly, both hands on the table, “You’re just the disappointment of the family. The mistake.” She spat, “You are the last person who should be giving an order.”
“Leave her alone!” Sirius exclaimed, “Y/n did nothing, and you know it.”
Orion quirked an eyebrow, “Don’t act like we don’t hear your conversations in your bedroom, Sirius. Y/n here is dating that Potter boy.”
“She is?” Walburga chuckled, “Why, dear, continue to add to your list of mistakes.”
“This isn’t about me.” Y/n growled, “This is about Regulus, and so help me if I hear another word of you turning him into a death eater, I’ll go to Azkaban myself for your deaths.”
Regulus placed a soft hand on hers that laid on the white tablecloth, “Please….”
“I will take my wand,” Y/n continued, “and I will stick it to your throat. Maybe I’ll even do the crucio curse on you a few times so that you can understand what we went through as kids. But it’ll always end the same, with your dead bodies laying on the floor.”
Walburga whipped out her wand, muttering a silent spell Y/n froze, “We’ll see who’ll be giving out the unforgivables, dear.”
Sirius jumped from the table and ran in front of his sister before his mother could perform another spell. Regulus wanted to cry. Why were they going through all of this for him? It didn’t seem fair. Y/n had just blatantly threatened their parents with their deaths, and yet both brothers felt a sense of - what was it - pride? Was that bad of them? They shouldn’t be feeling this way.
“Don’t touch her.” Sirius seethed, “She’s unarmed and paralyzed. That would be low of you.”
“Since when do I care how low I go?” Walburga replied, glancing at Orion; his wand went to Regulus’s neck.
Sirius was panicking, “Take her and yourself up to your bedroom; otherwise, Regulus will feel much more than despair.”
He swallowed but obeyed his mother’s order. Carefully he scooped Y/n into his arms and walked up the multitude of steps. When he entered the bedroom, the door closed behind him immediately, and a click was heard. The door had been locked, and Sirius sighed. He laid Y/n down on his bed. It wasn’t until the following morning that the spell wore off.
Y/n rubbed her eyes and stretched her stiff limbs. It was early in the morning, and the sun was barely rising. Sirius was drawing in a sketchbook Remus had given him. She longed for fresh air, but the window was locked after they attempted to escape back in fourth year. Sirius’ head snapped up at the noise of her yawning.
“Morning, sis.”
“Morning, Siri.”
He hesitated, “How’re you feeling?”
“Stiff.” Y/n continued to stretch her arms, “But nothing I haven’t gone through before.”
Sirius smiled, “Quidditch has helped, hasn’t it?”
“Being the best Gryffindor Seeker takes work.”
Silence filled the room like greeting an old friend, seamless, calm, and straightforward. The Blacks were always well acquainted with silence, the twins more so. After being sorted into Gryffindor, they had to be. Sirius went back to sketching his book. The quill hit the parchment with a soothing scratching noise that Y/n adored so much.
If Y/n closed her eyes, she could remember being in the library with James for the first time. She could remember how messy his hair looked, how he tucked his teeth into his plush bottom lip, how his hands held the quill and wrote smoothly across the parchment, how his cheeks flushed a brilliant magenta when he caught her staring at him, how his hazel eyes glittered with mischief but admiration at the same time.
“Thinking about him again?” Sirius broke her out of her wistful reverie, “I haven’t gotten in contact with him over the mirror before you ask.”
Y/n shook her head, “I wasn’t gonna ask that. I just hope they don’t hurt him.”
“They won’t.” Sirius assured, “James is well protected between Euphemia and Fleamont. He’ll be fine.”
“What about Rem?”
“What about him?”
Y/n gave him a look, “Don’t act like I don’t know. I know you better than myself.”
“I trust Moony.” Sirius blushed, “Nobody knows other than you and James, not even Peter. I won’t let those bastards get ten feet from him.”
Y/n stood up from Sirius’ bed and sat beside him on the floor. Their backs against the wallpaper-covered canvas. Her head lay on his bony shoulder, and he wrapped a skinny arm around her shoulders. Y/n looked in his sketchbook. He was sketching the five of them together at the Black Lake. It was beautiful.
James was laying on the ground, golden snitch flying above him - the snitch being the first one Y/n caught. Remus against a tree mere feet away from James reading a book, Sirius under his arm, not unlike how the siblings were sitting at present. Peter and Y/n engaged in what appeared to be a challenging chess game. The lake was sketched with ripples and sparkles. Remus had almost every scar visible - it wasn’t hard for Sirius to study him but lacked studying any subject.
Y/n had thought about what it would like in color. The pear-colored grass, the sapphire sky, and the cotton-like clouds. Sirius’ alabaster skin, dark chocolate hair, and slate eyes. James’ walnut-colored hair with caramel highlights, tanned skin, and vale eyes. Remus’ sandy blond hair, olive eyes, and beige scarred skin. Peters peach skin, his buttermilk-colored hair, and arctic eyes. Her s/c skin, e/c eyes, and h/c hair.
She could envision the snitch’s golden glistening color. The color of their clothes. The red and gold of the Gryffindor tie. The golden rims around James’ glasses. Remus’ pink cheeks. The brown logs and the jade leaves falling from them—the deep blue color of the Black Lake. The white highlights of the images show the glittering and rippling effect. Suddenly, she knew why Sirius liked drawing.
“Like it?“ Sirius nudged her shoulder.
Y/n nodded, “Yeah, looks beautiful.”
“Thinking about maybe painting it on one of my canvas’. Do you think it’ll come out good?”
“I think it would look gorgeous.” Y/n confessed, and Sirius’ cheeks flushed, “If you don’t mind, I’d like to buy it from you.”
Sirius chuckled, “Siblings get it for free.”
“Do we now?” Y/n smirked, “I will definitely take advantage of that.”
“I’m sure you will.” Sirius laid his head on top of hers and continued to draw.
A couple of days later, when Sirius began painting the picture on his canvas, the mirror had started to flicker. He grinned like a kid on Christmas and placed it on a table where James could see himself painting. Y/n was in the corner reading a book but perked up after hearing her boyfriend’s soothing voice.
“How’s summer going, Blacks?”
Sirius smiled, continuing to paint, “It’s going great!”
James deadpanned, and Y/n almost laughed, “How’s it really going, Pads?”
Neither of them answered, and James surveyed the room, “Did they lock you in your bedroom again?”
“Fuck no!” Sirius replied matter-of-factly, “We can go wherever we want to.”
“You’re stuck in your bedroom.” James sighed, “But you can keep lying to yourself to keep yourself from hurting those around you.”
James took in Y/n’s sorrowful e/c eyes and Sirius’ reflex to run his fingers through his hair when nervous. He could see how messy the room had gotten and how skinnier they looked. Sirius’ cheeks were caving in, and Y/n’s body became less curved. It broke James’ heart a thousand times over. On selfish days James thought it hurt him more than them.
“Come on, let me break you out of there.” James begged, “Please?”
Y/n shook her head, “You can’t, James.”
“Why not?”
“They know about us.” Y/n informed, and James’ face softened, “I can’t let them hurt you.”
“But- But they aren’t even feeding you guys!” James exclaimed, trying to make some form of an argument.
“They give us small portions,” Sirius mumbled.
“To share.” James rolled his eyes, “Please! I’ll do anything. Just let me break you guys out.”
Tears collected in Y/n’s eyes, “You can’t. And we won’t leave Regulus behind.“
“To hell with it! Bring Regulus with us!”
“James,” Y/n began softly, “This fantasy you’re having of helping us escape the old evil witch is going to get you nowhere. We’re stuck, and we can’t leave our tower.”
“No,” James shook his head, eyes filled to the brim with tears, “I will come for you guys, and- and I won’t stop until you’re home.”
Sirius wrapped an arm around his sister, “We love you, mate. But Y/n’s right. We can’t go anywhere but here.”
“I won’t take no for an answer.” James retorted, wiping his tears, his eyes filling with a determination Y/n and Sirius saw when he began a prank, “I will get you three out of there. No matter what.”
“Whatever you do,” Y/n sniffled, “Be careful.”
James smirked, “Always.”
The mirror went blank again, and they only saw their reflections. Y/n wiped her eyes and went back to sitting on the bed, a book in her lap. Sirius put the mirror face down on the night table and released a breath of relief. He resumed his position in front of the canvas with his paintbrush in hand. It wasn’t acrylic paint. It was watercolor.
It was days before the painting was finished. Sirius’ focus didn’t stay long after being malnourished for almost two weeks now. Y/n ended up spending most of her time studying or reading the Muggle books Remus provided. They still hadn’t heard any sign of James, which could’ve been bad or good. Sirius decided to stay optimistic.
The days grew longer and more drawn out the longer they were stuck in Sirius’ bedroom. Most days, they couldn’t drag each other out of bed. Sirius would lay on her while she read out loud whatever paperback Y/n had been fascinated with at the time. They weren’t allowed to shower, and Sirius’ hair went greasy. It was gross.
Finally, after a month, they heard movement. It was late at night, and the sky was covered with clouds. Bright light flooded the small room that Y/n groaned at. Sirius rubbed his eyes and sat up to open the curtains. When he opened the curtains, he wasn’t met with the sun but rather a flashlight in a boy’s hand. The boy’s mouth was moving, but Sirius couldn’t hear a word.
The boy - who Sirius now recognized as James - motioned for him to move to the side. Sirius sidestepped, and James pointed a wand at the window, allowing the window to unlatch. It made a cringe-worthy noise. Sirius opened the window quietly, and Y/n sat up.
“What the bloody hell are you doing, Sirius?”
James snorted, “Well, isn’t she pleasant.”
Y/n jumped up at James’ voice, “What’re you doing here? You need to leave! Go!”
“Relax, I’m here to get you out of here.” James smiled, “Get your trunks. I have a port key outside.”
“James,” Y/n said softly, “Regulus, I won’t leave him.”
James placed both hands on her shoulders, “It’s time to pick. Either you get out of this miserable mess with Sirius, or you stay here with Regulus.”
“And I hope,” James continued, “That you finally choose yourself.”
She shook her head, pushing him away, “Take Sirius. Go anywhere. I won’t leave without Regulus.”
“Sis-“
“No.” Y/n stood her ground, “Reg and I will leave eventually but not now.”
Sirius packed his trunk. It was filled to the brim with books, journals, and clothes. It was hard to close, but Sirius got the latches to click. He stared intently at it, almost debating on whether or not he should do it. He’d be leaving both his siblings behind. Y/n hugged him tightly.
“Go,” She whispered, “Get out of here. You’re dying to explore. Remus and James will give that to you.”
He nodded and kissed her hair before throwing his trunk out of the window. Sirius landed on the soft grass, and James was left standing in the room. His hazel eyes filled with sorrow and despair. Y/n was his princess, and he couldn’t save her no matter how much he wanted to.
“I’ll find my way back to you,” Y/n assured, “I always do.”
James wrapped his arms around her tightly, “I’ll see you on the train.”
“I’ll see you.”
They pulled away, laying their foreheads together. James nuzzled his nose gently, making her smile at the soft gesture. His lips caught hers in a passionate, gentle, and loving kiss. James’ lips were so smooth, and they always had a tint of cherry chapstick. When they parted, his lips were pink and parted. Y/n smiled.
“Go,” Y/n pushed him away gently, “Go help my brother.
He nodded, and before he could jump out of the window, “James,” He turned, “This isn’t the end of us. I will get out of here if it kills me.”
“That’s my girl.” James smirked, “You escape this place even if you die trying.”
“Always.”
He gave her one last smirk before jumping onto the soft grass where Sirius was waiting. James grabbed his broom, and Sirius grabbed his trunk. They both placed their hands on the dirty sock, and within seconds they were at the Potter Manor at Godric’s Hollow. Y/n closed the window and locked it again as she watched them disappear.
It wasn’t until the start of the year when they unlocked Sirius’ bedroom to notice him missing. Regulus was heartbroken, and Y/n got the blame for it, which resulted in her being the receiver of many curses. They boarded the Hogwarts Express together for the first time since Regulus’ first year. Slytherins and Gryffindor were not supposed to be found together.
The siblings sat together alone in a compartment. Y/n didn’t miss how happy Sirius seemed now. His cheeks were whole again, and his ribs weren’t on full display—James’ arm around him and Remus. Y/n put an arm around Regulus, holding him close. Regulus allowed himself to melt into his older sister, his protector. James saw them, and he saw the bruises on Y/n’s cheek. If only he could see what was beneath her robes.
Hogwarts seemed dull. Not much happened between Y/n and the marauders. Her full-time job had become taking care of her little brother’s broken heart. Nothing happened between her and James other than small exchanges between classes, sex in broom cupboards, or kisses in the Astronomy tower. They spent very little time together but made it work.
The summer approaching her seventh year was dreadful. Y/n didn’t get locked in her bedroom this time, but the dinners were horrendous. It was silent, and the only noises were culinary on plates. Regulus looked terrified, and their parents looked to be communicating with their eyes or telepathically. Orion set down his utensils and crossed his arms.
“I believe we have a decision to make.”
“Pardon?” Y/n queried quietly.
Walburga took a sip of wine, “I believe it’s time you pay your duty to the family name.”
“Pay our duty?” Y/n asked, setting down her fork, “What are you on about?”
Orion pulled up his sleeve, and Regulus shivered at the black ink embedded in his father’s forearm, “After supper, you both will pay your duty to this family.”
“What if we refuse?”
“Are you sure you want to do that?” Walburga questioned, an eyebrow raised, “I assure you your punishment will be ten times worse than getting the dark mark.”
“Okay.” Y/n agreed, “But I go first.”
“Beautiful.” Walburga smiled.
The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. Regulus kept staring at his older sister with an incredulous expression. She had never been one to give in, but she was also willing to do anything for Regulus, even if it meant ruining her relationship. Before the ceremony, Regulus pulled her aside, and Y/n cast a silencing spell.
“You aren’t going to do it, are you?”
“Of course I am.” Y/n replied, “You aren’t doing his alone.”
“What about James? And Sirius?”
“They’ll understand.”
“No!” Regulus cried, “They won’t!”
Y/n looked around before gripping Regulus’ forearm tight, “Go, run. Anywhere. I promise I’ll find you.”
“No.” His eyes hardened, “I won’t leave you behind.”
“Regulus, I’m begging you.” Y/n pleaded, “Leave this house. Take the Knight Bus to the Potters. Find Sirius and stay there.”
His eyes filled with tears, “But- But-“
“No.” Regulus had never seen her be so brave, “You need to go.”
Before he could refuse, Y/n kissed his forehead and pushed him near the door, “I told Kreacher to let you go. He won’t say anything.”
“You have to promise to come back to me,” Regulus begged, holding his sister’s hands.
“I can’t promise you.” They both heard footsteps, “Go!”
Y/n pushed him out of the door and closed it behind her. Hastily she riddled the silence charms. Walburga smiled at her and laid out her hand for Y/n to take. Releasing a breath, Y/n took it. Walburga’s hands were soft and pale. They had never seen a day of work in their life. The only thing they ever picked up was a wine glass.
She led Y/n to the main room. Inside was not just Orion. It was the entirety of the Black family inside that hadn’t been banished. There was a chair placed in the middle of the room. It had dark green patting and dark oak wood. Hesitantly Y/n sat with her left forearm facing the feeling when Narcissa spoke up.
“Where’s Regulus?”
Y/n shrugged, “I don’t know. I couldn’t find him after dinner.”
“No matter.” Walburga smiled happily, “Y/n here will replace his spot.”
Bellatrix looked at her stupidly. Y/n was a Gryffindor, not a Slytherin. Narcissa didn’t seem to mind, but Lucius looked like he wanted to spit at her feet. Andromeda wasn’t there, a sign of her being burnt from the tapestry just a couple of years ago for marrying a Muggle named Ted Tonks. Andromeda had always begged Y/n to take care of her younger brothers. That promise was getting fulfilled now.
“Are we ready?” Orion questioned, and a round of agreements went around the room.
He placed his wand against the skin of her left forearm. Orion muttered something, and immense pain filled her body. It ached, and it felt like her bones were shattering beneath her skin. The feeling of being hit with a thousand pins hitting her skin where the new black ink was going into her skin. Her body shook, but within seconds it was gone. Now the only remembrance of doing the ceremony laid on her left forearm. Claps echoed through the main room of the Black family home. Y/n swallowed.
At least it wasn’t Regulus.
Regulus had run as far as he could before calling for the Knight Bus. Unknowingly his pockets were filled with galleons that Y/n must’ve shoved into his pockets. He paid them twelve and sat down on a bed while they brought him to the Potter residence. He felt guilty for leaving her behind, but she had been so insistent.
It was dawn when Regulus arrived at the brown wooden house in Godric’s Hollow. The neighborhood was calm and homey. The weather was humid, and Regulus felt sticky when he left the bus. But he looked around until he found the last name Potter on the mailbox. The driveway was an abundance of stones in different directions. The house itself looked similar to a typical suburban home, but Regulus knew looks could be deceiving.
Hesitantly he knocked on the door and waited to hear footsteps. After a minute of standing, the door opened wide, and familiar grey eyes stared at him. Sirius. His hair was longer, and he looked to have grown two inches. His cheeks were full and pink. He was wearing red pajama pants and a plain grey tee. Regulus assumed that Mrs. Potter gave him a new wardrobe.
Sirius looked around before talking, “Where is she?”
“She-“ Regulus swallowed, “She took it.”
“N- No, you’re lying!”
Regulus shook his head, “She told me to go, to leave.”
“James!” Sirius yelled, and a tousled James stood beside him, looking at Regulus in shock.
Without a word, James pulled him into a tight embrace. Regulus was just a tad shorter than James, and he rested his chin on James’ shoulder. James had his arms wrapped tightly around the younger Black brother’s body, not wanting to release him. He saw Regulus’ look of guilt and pity for James when he did.
“Come on, inside.” James ushered them in, “It’s gross outside.”
They walked into the house. Regulus was surprised at how big the inside was. The outside made it look no bigger than a suburban home, but the inside rivaled a mansion. The first room on the right was a sitting room, and the first room to the left was the kitchen. Further back, there appeared to be a dining room. Stairs led to the second story and stairs leading down to a basement.
James went into the sitting room, and Sirius followed. Regulus took his time in following after them. The hallway had family photos of the Potters all together, smiles on their faces. Regulus could remember the Black family photos, sitting straight, shoulders back, and not smiling, looking into the lens. He hated those pictures. Sirius called for him softly, and Regulus took a seat in an armchair.
“So,” The room was unbearably stiff, “Y/n has the dark mark.”
“Yes.”
Sirius ran a hand through his hair, “I shouldn’t have left her there.”
“It’s not your fault, Pads.” James assured, “If I’m honest, I’m glad it’s her.”
Both brothers stared at James as if someone had died, “Y/n’s capable of defending herself. She’s been top of our year since first year. I trust her to make the right decisions.”
“She’s on the opposing side!” Sirius exclaimed, “If she goes through with this, she’ll be at our wand point!”
“I know that.” James said calmly, “But she makes the right decisions. Maybe she can become a spy for us.”
“If she gets found out, they’ll kill her.” Regulus interjected, “It’d be putting her in more danger.”
Sirius looked ready to cry, “She’s my little sister. I was supposed to take care of her! Protect her!”
“You did.” James replied, “You did the best you could. She told you to leave, and she took the mark for Regulus willingly. She would’ve never let either of you get the mark.”
“I just,” Sirius sounded breathless, “I don’t know what to do.”
James put an arm around his shoulder, “We’ll figure it out together.”
It wasn’t until seventh year when James saw Y/n again. James, Sirius, and Regulus saw her with the Black parents, who looked highly proud of their only daughter. Y/n boarded the train alone and sat in a compartment alone. Regulus joined his older brother in the Marauders compartment where he could laugh freely.
Y/n had been given strict orders to stay away from James and every other blood-traitor alike. That was the expectation of a Death Eater.
Months later, when the war finally began, she was requested at the Malfoy Manor to supervise a captive. The Death Eaters were unaware that Y/n was working as a spy for the Order of the Phoenix. When she entered the room, she saw two familiar faces. One man with tousled sandy-blond hair and tired green eyes. Another with dark brown mussed hair and a muscular build.
“Here you are, dearie.” Bellatrix smiled, twirling her wand, “They’re all yours till the morning.”
Y/n gave a courtesy, “Thank you, Bella.”
Bellatrix walked out of the room with her hips swaying. The room itself was dull and had no windows. The walls were white but appeared grey with the darkness of the room. Y/n whispered ‘Lumos,’ lighting up the tip of her wand to see the conditions of the two captives. Both men were tied at the wrists and ankles. They also had blindfolds across their eyes.
“Who-“ Remus coughed, “Who’s there.”
Y/n didn’t answer, “You have a familiar scent.”
Remus would be correct. After hanging around him for six years at Hogwarts, she would have a familiar scent. James didn’t say anything and allowed Remus to take the lead. Despite not seeing, Remus continued to smell the air trying to remember who’s scent was currently in the room. Y/n knew they had to leave tonight.
The full moon was tomorrow.
“I promise I’ll get you guys out of here.” Y/n whispered, and James visibly perked up at the sound of her voice, “Y/n!”
“Shh,” Y/n hushed hastily, “You can’t be loud of they’ll check in on us.”
Remus whimpered, “Please, you have to get me out of here the full-“
“Yes, the full moon is tomorrow.” Y/n interjected softly, “I won’t let you hurt anyone. I promise.”
After an hour, Y/n gave them both some water from a glass and her wand. Her shift was up when the sun began to rise in five hours. At every hour mark, Y/n would give them something or help them somehow. At two o’clock, it was loosening their ankle ties. At three o’clock, it was giving them some solid food. At four o’clock, it was taking off their blindfolds. At five o’clock, it was loosening their wrist ties. Finally, at six o’clock, she gave them their wands.
“You have everything to protect yourself. I will leave this room in just two minutes, and Narcissa will be outside waiting. In that time, I will try to stall her so you will have maybe a minute at most to apparate out of here.” Both men nodded, “Then I won’t be responsible because I’ll be talking with Narcissa.”
When two minutes passed, Y/n walked out of the room. Both men heard her greet Narcissa, and they quickly apparated out of the building to the safehouse. Y/n had walked away by the time Narcissa entered the bare room. Her gasp could be heard from across the Manor. She reported it instantly.
Y/n was never seen as a suspect because of her alibi, and technically, the men were under Narcissa’s watch at the time.
The next afternoon, Y/n apparated to the safe house. The atmosphere inside the safe house was much more welcoming than the Malfoy Manor. Compared to the manor, the safe house was a breath of fresh air. When Y/n entered the house, she was greeted with laughter coming from the sitting room where she saw her husband and child on the ground playing together.
Remus was sitting in an armchair, watching them. Sirius was lying on the floor with James and Harry. Regulus was in the kitchen making conversation with other Order members. James turned when he heard the door open and smiled brightly when his wife entered the home.
“Look, Harry, mumma’s here!” James said, pointing at Y/n, taking off her coat.
Y/n smiled and walked toward them on the couch. She took Harry in her arms, making him giggle happily. The Marauders sat together in the sitting room until it was time for Remus to leave for the Shrieking Shack. Regulus was on Harry duty while the other three - Peter was busy on a mission - went out with Remus.
The following morning, they were all exhausted. Remus was sleeping in a bedroom, and Y/n sat beside him while the other slept. Y/n held his hand soothingly. It was just past midday when Remus muttered something that Y/n barely caught.
a/n: Trying this format out bc there are a surprisingly low number of gifs of ATJ smiling. Both reader and James have glasses in this. This is for the glasses wearers!
summary: James finds you that morning struggling to cook breakfast. Among helping you, he realizes you may need to get new glasses and he gets very comfortable in helping test out his theory. Close is not close enough when it comes to James Potter
word count: 2.2k
James walks throughout your home, feet padding against the floor. He rubs his eyes, attempting to wipe away the drowsiness of having just woken up.
Hearing the clanging of pots and pans, his attention moves toward the kitchen and his heart skips a beat. He knows you’re in there, trying once again to cook something. He grins, breathing in deeply and brushing a hand through his hair to ruffle his uncontrollable locks.
Walking into the doorway, he leans a shoulder against it, crossing his arms and smiling at you as you try and figure out a box of waffle mix. Your brows were furrowed deeply as you attempted to read the instructions.
“But if I wanted to make more servings, how many extra eggs would I need? You don’t tell me that now do you, you dumb box of trash,” you murmur through gritted teeth. James let out a few silent laughs before heading over to you.
Your gaze moves towards the sound of feet moving and you inhale deeply at the sight of James, as if just his presence was a breath of fresh air. He hums as he slides up behind you, his arms curling around you and pressing against your stomach so that your body molds against his. You sink back into the hold, resting your head against his shoulder and smiling up at him.
“Good morning, love,” you say softly as James starts swaying you both back and forth. He leans down and gives you a soft kiss.
“Good morning. How’s breakfast going?” He asks amusedly, his lips still brushing against yours as his face remains centimeters away. You snort, shaking your head lightly.
“As if you don’t already know,” you say, eyes narrowing playfully. James’ face breaks out into a wide grin as he visibly holds back his laughter.
“Alright, move on over,” he says, squeezing your waist before his arms leave you. You jump as he gives your butt a few light pats, looking over your shoulder to grin at him before you move away from the burner, turning around to face him fully. You see him pick up the box of mix and your brows furrow.
“What are you doing?” You ask, shoulders tensing as his hand fiddles with the edge of the skillet. He looks up, noting the ingredients you had already gathered.
“I’m making breakfast, what does it look like I’m doing?” He murmurs, his attention on the food. Your jaw drops as a small sound of disbelief falls out. You step forward, placing your hand on the box, effectively getting James to look at you.
“No— James! I wanted to make you breakfast,” you argue, brows set in determination. James grins, appearing amused and you don’t entirely appreciate it. He turns to you, hip leaning against the oven, box still held in both your hands.
“I think we’d both be happier if I at least helped,” he says, smugness dripping from his tone and expectations clear in his gaze. Your face drops as you stare at him. You both silently watch each other, your eyes narrowed slightly.
Eventually you sigh, hand dropping from the box mix. You blink back, breaking the stare down.
“Fine,” you mumble, moving to cross your arms. James smiles, laughing and shaking his head lightly.
He moves quick, his hands grabbing onto your waist and before you know what’s happening, he’s lifting you up into the air before plopping you down on the counter. His hands move to the outside of your legs as they begin caressing up and down your thighs, hands slipping past the edge of your loose pajama shorts. You stare at him wide-eyed as he smiles brightly.
“There we go, dove,” he says softly, squeezing your thighs before letting go and moving back to the waffle mix. You lean back against the cupboards watching his hands as they move around the ingredients.
“I guess I’ll just sit here and make unhelpful commentary that you pretend to take into consideration before you ultimately ignore it, which is usually for the best if I’m being honest. But I seriously don’t know what’s wrong with a pancake omelette—“ you start before James interrupts you.
“Love…” he says, trailing off with a tone of confusion. You look up to meet his gaze, noticing his furrowed brows and the concern edging along outside of his eyes as he holds the box of waffle mix in hand.
“Yes?” You ask cautiously, not knowing what could cause such a wariness in James.
“Are your eyes alright?” He asks, looking between them as if simply gazing at them could help him spot a possible issue. Though there were none you knew of.
“Yeah, why?” You respond with a nod, curious as to why this was brought up. James brows furrow further, his gaze sharpening as he looks at you. He holds up the box next to him.
“Because the instructions for additional servings are right here in block letters,” he says plainly, shaking the box slightly. Your lips part and your hands start to move toward the box but James is quicker as he brings it close to your face.
You push your glasses back up your nose as you both hold the box close. Eyes narrowing, you notice now the letters are quite blurry.
“Oh,” is all you can say once James taps his finger against the area that held those specific instructions and you realize you just weren’t able to see it. Your cheeks burn with embarrassment.
James tugs the box out of your hands and sets it on the counter. He then taps at your knee, silently instructing you. You spread your thighs, allowing him to step into the space between them.
“Might have to get you checked out soon. Here,” he notes before moving. He takes off your glasses and you let him, sitting there as you come to terms with your vision worsening. With your glasses off, everything is basically a blur. But you can see James spread his arms out to the side. “Am I more blurry than usual?” He asks, head tilting. You grin and mentally promise yourself that you won’t let this news ruin your morning.
“Mmm, I don’t know. Come a bit closer,” you request with pursed lips and a dubious expression. James listens, coming closer. You shake your head. “Closer…” you trail off, needing him close and unsuspecting. Once James inches close enough, you smirk and jerk forward, arms darting out and snatching his glasses right of his face. “AHA!” You shout, hiding them behind your back. James leans back, shocked.
“Are you serious right now?” He asks, a grin threatening to take over. You laugh, shaking your head.
“No, I’m not Sirius!” You deny, causing James to break out a few hearty laughs.
“You know what I mean,” he says, voice serious but expression delighted as he knows that joke will never get old. You raise a brow at him, inclining your head forward.
“Do you want your glasses back?” You ask, changing the subject as you fiddle with them behind your back before placing them on the counter, still behind your back. James swipes his tongue over his teeth as he grins wide.
“Yes, in fact I do,” he says with a floppy nod. You bite your lip, noticing his attention flicking down to the action.
“Then come take em’” you whisper the challenge. But James merely leans back looking curious yet pleasantly surprised.
“You’re in a playful mood,” he notes, finding it odd given the breakfast and glasses situation. Your playfulness lulls as you stare at your boyfriend fondly, his words echoing in your head. You shrug before responding.
“I’m just trying to be happy about this,” you state, voice quieter than before. James’ features soften. His hands move from his side to hold your waist, tugging you close to the edge of the counter.
“I love it when you’re happy. I love it even more when I’m the one making you happy,” he expresses lowly, appearing exposed and sincere, yet comfortable looking so. You smile.
“You always make me happy, James,” you whisper. James inhales sharply and his shoulders rise as if a huge weight has been lifted off his back. He exhales as he moves closer, not stopping till he’s nose-to-nose with you.
“Can you see me now?” He asks as his face comes into focus. You nod, expression dazed as you remain shocked by how beautiful this man is.
“Crystal clear,” you whisper breathlessly as you gaze deeply into his eyes. James does the same, both of you needing and wanting to be this close in order to see each other perfectly.
“Merlin, you’re beautiful,” James compliments after a few moments of silence. You let out a small laugh.
“How would you know? You’re practically blind without your glasses,” you tease, knowing what he meant. But James scoffs as a smile lights up his face.
“Glasses get in the way. I see you most clearly when I’m close to you, just like this. And suddenly my vision has never been better because you are the most gorgeous thing I have ever seen or could ever imagine in my entire life,” he speaks, the words flowing out of him like he didn’t even need to think about it. They were just there, on the tip of his tongue, waiting to be spoken. And they stole the breath from your lungs. You leaned back against the cupboards, staring at him fondly.
“You’re in a romantic mood,” you note, repeating similar words to what he had said just minutes ago. James’ eyes spark to life with mischief and mirth.
“I’m just really in love with you,” he responds, playing along. Your heart skips a beat as you’re filled with a warmth by his words. Your teeth nibble on your lip as you try and reign in the smile that threatens to break loose.
“I love the way you speak to me, and I love that it’s me making you feel this way,” you continue, scrunching your nose toward him, feeling cheeky. James stares, eyes flickering between your eyes and your lips.
“I wouldn’t want it to be anyone else,” he says absentmindedly as he slowly starts to lean in. You smirk, following his lead.
“Neither would I,” you say, matter-of-factly. You lick your lips, your breath hitching as James’ hands move to your waist.
He stops a hair’s breadth away from you, his eyes locked onto your lips. You watch him closely. His hands squeeze your waist before he leans down, taking your bottom lip between his teeth. Your heart seizes as he tugs on it. You shudder slightly, grip tightening on the edge of the counter.
James releases your lip and before it can even fully snap back in place his mouth is on yours, kissing you deeply. You groan into the kiss, hands darting to bury themselves in his curls. You tug and he grunts, responding by teasing his tongue against the seam of your lips. Opening your mouth you meet him in the middle, tongues taunting each other, fighting for dominance.
Spreading his hands across your stomach, his thumbs brush the underside of your breasts and you exhale shakily into his mouth. You melt against the cupboard, letting him take dominance over the kiss. You internally curse him, both of you knowing that was one of your greatest weaknesses.
You kiss until your chest tightens and your throat starts to burn. James starts to break away, taking your bottom lip in his mouth once again and sucking on it before letting it go with a pop and fully breaking the kiss. You whine, sinking deeper against the cupboard as you look at him with wide eyes. His eyes slide open, meeting yours with a smirk already decorating his face.
“Now how about some breakfast and then I can make a call and schedule your appointment?” He offers, fingers brushing across your torso before letting it go, hands moving to rest on the counter.
“Deal,” you say breathlessly with a light nod. James huffs out a laugh, his smirk widening as he looks over your slacked form, gaze zoning in on your eyes and swollen lips.
“Right then,” he affirms, starting to move in again. You sit there stunned as he gives you two more quick kisses before stepping out from between your legs and grabbing the box of waffle mix once again. He looks back at you and raises something in the air. You narrow your eyes before picking up your discarded glasses and putting them back on.
With your vision restored, you look to see James holding up his glasses that you had stolen. Your jaw drops.
“How did you get those?!” You ask, demanding answers while trying not to laugh in disbelief. You glance back behind you, seeing there was nothing there. When you meet his gaze once more, he has his glasses back on but you can still clearly see the mischievous glimmer in his eyes.
“I’ll never reveal my ways,” he whispers conspiratorially, eyes narrowing. He turns away, heading toward the fridge to gather the additional ingredients you must have forgotten.
“Now wait a minute—“ you start, even jumping off of the counter to follow him before being cut off by James’ boisterous laugh. You stop in your tracks, your heart fluttering rapidly at the sound. James glances at you from over his shoulder, his smile wide. He pushes his glasses up his nose and you mirror the action by instinct.
His smile softens before he turns back to the fridge. You shake your head fondly before moving back to sit on the counter, waiting to watch him cook breakfast.
Pairings: James Potter x reader, Marauders era Warnings: Fluff, implied smut, very light smut, erotic tones Word Count: 3,440 A/N:Obviouslyyyyy this is based on the sketching scene in Titanic with Jack and Rose. I just watched it last night and just haddd to write a fic off it. Jamesy just gives me the soft boi vibes needed for a scene like this
With his mussed hair, swaggering stride, and infectious personality, James Potter was undeniably attractive. With Sirius by his side, the two were unstoppable. Sirius was as dark and mysterious as James was light and boyish–the two complimented one another perfectly. Together, they held every eye in the room.
Everybody knew James was a Quidditch star, one of the best Seekers the Gryffindor house had ever seen. He could’ve been just as good academically if he could sit still long enough, or if Sirius would let him alone long enough to study for any measurable amount of time. However, luckily for him, his natural skill saved him. He lived to make people laugh, even out of exasperation if necessary–even McGonagall fell to his charms on occasion. But most people didn’t know about his true gift. It seemed he liked to keep it a secret.
To be clear, you weren’t a stalker; you didn’t have their class periods sketched out in a notebook, you didn’t trail behind them in the halls, you didn’t eavesdrop on their conversations, it just seemed you and James preferred the same section of the library at about the same time. He’d turn the corner, find you seated on some sort of plush seating and give you a small smile before commandeering the table in front of you–James couldn’t be anywhere without demanding some sort of attention.
James’ secret was what you looked forward to most each day; James could draw. Not just stick figures, or abstract pieces that could probably qualify as art by definition, but truly beautiful work. Throughout the years, he drew many things, the towering shelves, the roaring fireplace, the Hogwarts grounds through a windowpane, and even caricatures of mean old Madam Pince as her beady eyes scanned for book abusers. Over the years, you watched his talent grow and his subject preference change. As he improved, he moved towards people. Girls studying with their hair tucked behind their ears, boys looking disgruntled as they glared down at their homework, eventually groups of them, working quickly to capture all of them candidly before they lost focus or left. Slowly, though, his subject and medium became slightly voyeuristic. Though he still drew in the library, usually choosing a pretty girl to sketch, the setting changed. From studying solemnly in their robes in the library, they were drawn looking up provocatively from their studies, their robes slit in promiscuous areas. This year, though, this year they become true art. His linework was precise, his shading improving as his shoulders hunched over in concentration, his head flicking up every so often to perfect an aspect of the portrait. You began to memorize his back, the way he’d tilt his head when he was unsatisfied with proportions, the way he’d roll his neck after finishing a section, the way his shoulders would tense when he’d have to leave before completing a sketch.
It was just as you were watching him now that he rolled his neck around and stretched. Lifting up the piece, you about dropped your book as he spoke to you.
“What do you think?” he said, without looking back. His voice was quiet enough to not disturb anyone, but loud enough to know it was for you.
The drawing was of a brown-haired girl sitting across the library at one of the open tables, but it was only her wild curls that told you it was the same girl. She didn’t sit at the table in front of you, studying. Instead, she lay splayed out lazily on one of the armchairs in the common rooms, her elbow resting on the arm, her hand in her hair. Her legs were splayed open; the only thing covering the apex was a conspicuously placed cat laid on her lap. Completely nude, the woman in the photograph was beautiful, without a doubt.
“Sorry?” you coughed, shocked. Bewildered in every way, you couldn’t help but stare at the woman in the photo, the expression on her face, the honesty and peace in the way she laid, the curvature of her breast, the lines of her hips; the clear adoration in the drawing made your cheeks warm.
“What do you think? Hard to tell what you women look like sometimes underneath the robes. D’you think it’s accurate?” he tilted his head as he spoke, his back still to you.
“Er,” you furrowed your brows. The art was gorgeous; how could you tell him any different? “It’s gorgeous.“
“But do you think it’s accurate?” he asked again, this time turning around in his seat and looking at you.
“Er, dunno. Haven’t exactly seen her naked,” you shrugged.
“Me neither. Bit funny, really. Drawing nude women without ever actually having seen one,” James said, grinning a half-smile.
“Why do you, then?” you asked, closing your book. James was simply not someone one skipped out on a conversation with. The way his hazel eyes gazed at you, you could feel the intensity, and it made your heart thrum.
“Can you think of anything better to draw than beautiful, nude women?” he asked, grinning a full grin now.
“No, suppose not,” you agreed, smiling softly. “We are mesmerizing.”
“You’ve no idea,” he grinned cheekily.
“Prongs! There you are, should’ve known,” Sirius all but yelled, striding over to where James sat with you. Ponce could be heard ‘shushing’ him from rows away. “Oh, and who have we here?”
Sirius smirked down at you from your seat on the floor, and the sole attention of both boys was simply too much for you. You could feel the heat in your cheeks.
“Y/N,” you breathed, eyes bouncing between the two beautiful boys.
“Y/N,” Sirius repeated. “Beautiful,”
The blush in your cheeks was absolutely blazing at this point, and it was all you could do not to hold the book over your face.
“Well, if you’re all done, Picasso, we’re gonna be late for practice,” Sirius sighed, picking up the most recent drawing and giving a complimentary nod towards the picture and the subject in front of them. “Though I do think she’d have a bit more of a tummy, those adorable little cheeks of hers can’t be the only extra there.”
“See?” James said, turning back to you. “Anyway, suppose I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
“I’ll be here,” you said quietly, watching their backs as they walked out of sight.
The next day, it was all you could do to get through your classes, to get back to the library in hopes James might talk to you again.
You needn’t be told you were hopeless; it was obvious.
In a moment of courage, you steeled your spine and chose the side opposite of James’.
Pulling out your Herbology textbook, you got to work on writing the essay about the Tentacula plant.
“You changed spots,” a deep, warm voice suddenly rang out. WIth your beat skipping into a frenzy, you looked up at James coyly. “Careful, with a look like that, you’ll get your very own page.”
Forcing yourself to breathe regularly and appear poised as though this occurred everyday, you decided to go for a playful response.
“You know, it is a bit weird,” you smirked, your tapping pencil the only giveaway of your nerves.
James pulled his seat out and sat across from you, smirking back. “What’s weird?”
“Drawing naked schoolgirls, without their knowledge. Bit voyeuristic,” you teased.
“It is not! I don’t actually spy on them while they’re naked, or doing anything naughty,” he added, winking at you.
You banged your knee on the table as his foot touched yours under the table. Blushing violently, you worked to quickly recover.
“Maybe not, but do you really think girls want you sketching what you think they look like naked?” you asked, setting down your pencil.
“Er,” James looked awkward for a moment, “yeah?”
You had to reward him with a small laugh.
“Besides, not as if I’m going round with them on display. Pads sees them, but it’s downright difficult to keep things from him, haven’t got the time. And you’ve seen them, but that’s just because you’re nosy,” he teased back, grinning slightly.
“I am not!” you hissed, offended.
“Are too! Been bloody watching me for years,” he grinned fully now, loving the way your blush lit your cheeks.
“Have not! Besides, I think you have a very skewed vision of women,” you said, straightening your papers haughtily, desperate to get the attention off you watching James.
“What?” he said, fully buying into your distraction.
“We don’t all look like that, you know, Sirius was right,” you grumbled.
“Sorry?” he scoffed, looking bewildered.
“It’s just,” you thought about how best to say it, “we don’t all look like bloody adult film stars. Breasts don’t usually sit like perfectly symmetrical balloons on the chest. Hip dips are a thing. Body hair? Women have it too, not all of us spend hours plucking ourselves bare.”
“Hang on,” James said, ruffling through his bag and pulling out a piece of parchment. “Alright, asymmetry, less perfection, hip dips, hair. This is good. This is what I was talking about. What else?”
He seemed hungry for how to improve, looking at you eagerly.
“I dunno, er, some women have a bit of a tummy, large thighs,” you wracked your brain for more, “I could probably show you better than I could tell you.”
As soon as the words left your mouth, your eyes grew in shock at your own forwardness. Hoping he would just think it a turn of phrase, you steeled yourself for his response.
He relaxed his quill and looked up from his notes.
“Show me, then,” he all but purred. Your heart sprinted at an unbelievable pace, your stomach bubbling nervously.
“Alright,” you breathed, surprising even yourself.
“Alright?” James repeated, his pupils blown instantly.
“Alright,” Sirius repeated cheerily, seemingly popping up out of nowhere. Jumping slightly, you cursed yourself and turned back to your books.
“You’ve really got to work on your timing, mate,” James huffed. Sirius looked put out at his friend’s reaction.
“Maybe if you could keep track of time yourself, I wouldn’t have to. Quidditch,” Sirius said, gesturing to the large clock on the wall; one of the many hands was Scarlett red and pointed at the Quidditch field.
Grumbling and stuffing the parchment into his bag, James turned back to you.
“Tonight, here, 2am,” he commanded.
“In the middle of the library?!” you whisper yelled. Laughing at your reaction, he waved you off.
“It’ll be empty, I’m sure of it,” he reassured you.
“What’s at 2 am?” Sirius asked quietly as the two of them walked away once more.
“Doesn’t matter,” James shrugged. “Listen, I need the library empty tonight, don’t ask questions…”
His voice trailed off as the two of them disappeared from view, and you couldn’t believe yourself as you sat alone with your courageous words.
Wrapping a scarlet satin robe around yourself a bit tighter, you silently paced the room as your bedmates slept on, the nervous energy reaching a height.
“What the hell is wrong with me?” you cursed at yourself, biting your lip anxiously.
You’d barely even had a full conversation with a man, let alone James. And now you were about to strip nude in the middle of the bloody library so he could sketch you?
Casting another nervous glance at the clock, you held your breath as the clock struck 1:50. Cursing quietly and half hoping he wouldn’t be down there, you began your descent down the spiral staircase and out of the common rooms into the drafty night. Hugging the walls, you kept a keen ear out for Filch and an eye peeled for his dreaded cat.
Finally, after 10 anxiety-filled minutes, you reached the library; your anxiety only increased tenfold.
Padding silently through the spacious room, you headed towards your corner.
“James?” you whispered in the darkness. No response. Steeling yourself this time for rejection, or his absence, you called out once more. “James!”
Suddenly, a hand touched the small of your back, and the other hand quickly came up to your mouth.
“Hello,” he whispered into your ear, causing a fresh wave of goosebumps to cover your skin. Moving his hand, you smacked his chest.
“You scared the bloody hell out of me,” you sighed. “What’s this?”
It seemed he’d brought one of the black velvet sofas to your section and had it catty-corner with the shelves, the smoldering fireplace in the background. The table seemed to be providing the light, with several candles lit on it.
“Thought you could lay across it,” he said, scratching the back of his neck.
“Alright,” you said, breath oddly becoming more calm as the moment came closer.
Turning around to see him for the first time that night, you nearly melted there. He had a simple shirt and trousers, but his sleeves were rolled up a couple times to expose his forehead, his hair looked as though he’d just rolled out of bed–as it always did. He seemed to be nervous as his hands fidgeted with different parts of himself. Sitting in the seat he placed facing the couch, he grabbed his parchment and splayed his pencils out on the table next to him.
“Whenever you’re ready, then,” he said, grabbing a pencil.
Taking a deep breath, you walked towards the couch and turned back towards him. Lifting your hands, you brought them up to the sash tying your robe together, and grabbed an end. Pulling, the robe fell open, and you shook it off your shoulders, standing utterly bare in front of James. He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, pulling slightly at the crotch of his pants.
His reaction only boosted your ego, and you found yourself almost at ease.
“Draw me like one of your french girls, James,” you simpered, unable to miss out on the opportunity.
“My French girls?” he questioned. Remembering he was brought up in the Wizarding world and wouldn’t understand your reference, you waved it off. “Er, just, er, go ahead and lay across the couch.”
Lying slightly on your side, you began adjusting yourself when James began ordering your pose.
“Lay your arm like you had it,” he directed, and you moved how you thought he meant, but his facial expression told you that wasn’t it.
“Come pose me, James,” you whispered. It was hard for you not to speak seductively in such a setting. He cleared his throat once more.
“Alright,” he placed his parchment on his seat as he walked towards you, and you were pleased to see his trousers looked a bit tight.
He gingerly grasped your wrist and draped your arm over your head. His hand then went to adjust your knee, and you jumped slightly at what could only be described as electricity brushed your skin. Bending it slightly, he straightened out your other leg slightly and turned to your other arm, bending the elbow so that your fingers lay against your head.
It was all you could to not point out the irony.
“Perfect,” he said under his breath, clearly assuming you couldn’t hear.
He took back his seat and bent over his parchment, his wrist moving slightly as he began his sketch.
The library was utterly silent aside from the flickering of the flames and James’ pencil as it moved across the page. After several minutes, you couldn’t take the silence.
“How’s it coming?” you asked quietly.
“You’ll see,” he smirked. “Now, stay still.”
“Sir, yes, sir,” you grinned slightly before relaxing your face once more.
His hazel eyes zeroed in on your chest as he drew, determined to do his muse justice.
“I see what you mean, about the asymmetry,” he murmured, almost to himself. Suddenly self-conscious, you began to adjust yourself.
“No, no,” he held up his hands to stop you. “It’s natural; it’s beautiful. Trust me, darling, the real thing is so much better.”
His words calmed you, and you shook your head slightly, trying to get out of it. Settling back into your old pose, you instead focused on James. It was odd, almost, seeing him sketch from the front. The way his head tilted when he was unhappy with something was accompanied by a furrowing of his brow, his eyes flitting quickly from you back to the page as he figured out what was wrong. His hazel eyes seemed almost brown in the darkness of the empty library. His breathing was steady, his face poised in what only could be described as intense concentration. He switched his legs back and forth as time wore on, shading more closely now–he must be finished with the linework.
“Move your hair forward a bit,” he directed, and you pushed your Y/C/H onto your face a bit, so that your fingers on your other hand brushed it.
His face returned to the intense concentration, and you suppressed a smile as his tongue poked out of his lips as he clearly focused on one detail.
Finally, his constant movements slowed, and he began to straighten his back more regularly, his eyes flitting back to you and the paper as he checked over his work.
“So?” you breathed, unable to hold yourself back any longer.
“I think this might be my best work yet,” he smiled lightly, his eyes now steadying on you more frequently. “Having a real model instead of an idea in my head is so much better.”
“So I don’t disappoint, then?” you asked, fully aware you were fishing.
“Disappoint?” he breathed, looking mildly bemused. “It’s all I can do to remain seated professionally in this chair right now.”
Your heart thrummed in your chest at his words.
After a few erasings and redo’s, he rolled his neck.
“All done, then?” you asked. He nodded, still studying his work. Sitting up, you rolled blood back into your stiff limbs. “Well, go on then, let’s see it.”
He stood up and walked over to the couch. Handing you the sketch, it took you several seconds to comprehend that it was you.
The woman in this photograph was stunning. Her curved, nude body quietly dominated the scene. The swell of her breast was accentuated by the sharp peak of the nipple as the cold castle air blanketed her body. The curvature of her hip contrasted greatly with the vague shadowing of her ribs as she stretched her body. Her legs draped along the couch like a string of pearls, eye-catching with a ghostly shine on the pale tone of her body. Her hair cascaded off the side of the couch like flowing water, shining in the candlelight. Her face told you she knew she was beautiful, she knew she had the full attention of the man in front of her, and she knew what to do with it. Her thin lips pulled into the slightest of smirks. Yet, her big Y/C/E eyes held an innocence in direct contrast with the confidence her entire face held. A quiet feminine dominance spilled from the page, infecting you.
This was a mythical siren, her beauty so enticing, so fully encapturing; how could anyone deny her?
“James…” you breathed, sudden tears beginning to pool behind your eyes. You sniffled, and he looked up in horror.
“Oh, Godric, you hate it,” he moaned, trying to pull the sketch from you.
The fact that you were still completely nude seemed long forgotten as you reached a hand up to pull his face back towards you. To make him see these were happy tears.
“This is really how you see me?” you asked, smiling softly with watery tears in your eyes.
“I can only draw what I see,” he answered.
“Oh, James,” you all but sobbed, wrapping yourself around him.
The feeling of his shirt on your bare breast was enough to shock you back into reality. Pulling back slightly, his hand on the small of your back was enough to keep you from pulling away entirely.
As if on cue, a candle on the table faded to blackness as the wax ran out. You didn’t need to look to see within seconds the rest would be out too. His eyes held you too intensely for you to look away. Reaching up, you traced his lips with a brush of the pad of your finger. As his eyes slid closed in temptation, yours fell to his sketch once more.
The woman in the drawing grinned coyly at you, her nude frame emboldening you just as the last candle burnt out, plunging a very naked you and James into complete darkness.
Pairings:Sirius Black x reader, Young Sirius Black x reader, Marauders x reader Warnings:language, fighting, very very slight hints of smutish behavior Word Count: 2,721 A/N: The next story I will be uploading a part for is ‘A Shit Tutor’, so all my fellow Draco stans, fear not, more is on the way. Anywayyyy hope you all enjoy this chapter, enter Lilyyyy!
Ch 3: Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff
Just then, a group of Hufflepuff girls came walking down the aisle, and after having made eye contact with a smirking Sirius, all started giggling and whispering intensely, shooting off random bright smiles as they passed. Peter smiled at one in the back hopefully as they slowed, and to your intense surprise, she smiled back timidly.
“Emmaline Nelson, Hufflepuff obviously, she’s in our year. I believe we have Transfiguration together this year if you fancy talking to her,” you pushed to Peter, who blushed something awful and stared at his feet.
“Aaaand, here we go,” James sighed playfully as Sirius beckoned one forward with his finger. She and her friends had evidently been pondering entering and stood in wait at the door. They all watched with jealous eyes as she approached him.
“Hello, love,” Sirius said, donning the silk voice he always did when talking to girls. A bitterness seemed to fill you entirely.
“Hi,” she giggled, going red in the face, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.
“Something you needed?” Sirius asked, grinning cockily at her.
“Uh,” she stuttered, giggling more.
“I might be sick,” you rolled your eyes as you looked at James, who made a gesture of agreement.
“Not really. Just, I mean, if you ever like, want a study partner or something, or whatever,” she seemed to be losing her nerve as Sirius continued to rake his eyes over her. “You can just let me know, ya know if you want.”
Leaning back, feeling suddenly intensely annoyed and wanting to look anywhere but at the two of them, you got out Jinx and began stroking him as he perched on your knee.
“Pretty bird,” the girl breathed, smiling at Jinx. You pulled a face in response, but hers told you it came off ruder than you intended.
“To study?” Sirius smirked, looking at her accusingly.
“Yeah, or whatever,” the girl smiled, grasping the ends of her hair nervously. It was simply more than you could take.
“Happy as I am the two of you are going to, er, study, perhaps spare us from the rest, yeah?” you quipped as Sirius smirked and opened his mouth to silkily retort.
Everyone’s eyes fell upon you, and you curtained your hair over your face, returning to stroking Jinx.
What the hell was that? Girls flirted with Sirius all the time; there was never a moment you didn’t catch at least one set of eyes on him. Sirius was hot, cocky, sexy, arrogant–but with the talent to back it up. And top it all off with a gorgeous set of dark curls framing a shadowed, structured face with high cheekbones and dark eyes. It wasn’t hard to see why he encaptured the attention of so many.
Face burning, you realized you found him hot too. Incredibly so.
The girl then looked at you, affronted, but turned nonetheless and stormed from the compartment.
“The bloody hell was that, Twitch?” Sirius said in an offended tone, gesturing to the storming Huffelpuffs shooting you dirty looks.
“Nothing, I don’t know,” you said quickly, tearing your eyes from the group of them. All four boys were peering at you confusedly, and you stood up sharply, causing Jinx to fall from your lap. Hissing in pain, you looked down to see three claw marks on your knee as he was shocked by the abrupt change. He hooted sharply at you and went back into his cage, turning away from you. “I uh, have to go to the bathroom.”
Face and knee burning, you walked with your head down to the bathrooms, mind reeling the whole time.
Sirius was no stranger to being flirted with, regardless of present company–hell, last year, he’d taken to snogging several on the couches in the common room as the younger years trailed off to bed. You remembered feeling annoyed when he did so, but that was logical, right? Who the hell wanted to watch that? Especially week after week with girl after girl. Perhaps you were just being prudish; sure, all the experience you had involved Alekand Nole, a dare, and a broom closet, but surely it was abnormal to blow through girls like that? Or do those kinds of things in front of prying eyes, right?
Pushing open the bathroom door, you groaned internally as you saw the same girl whispering angrily with her friends. Their looks turned murderous as you walked in.
Great. Well, too late now.
Trying to be quick about things, you almost made it out without a scene, but just after washing your hands, you were stopped.
“Oi, what the hell is your problem, Y/N?” the girl asked, her blonde hair shaking as she rolled her neck angrily.
“Excuse me?” you said, turning around to face them, temper already flaring.
“You heard me. What do you care what I do with Sirius, not like he’s your boyfriend or anything.” her friend giggled ruthlessly as she sneered, “Tell me, how is it that you’re best friends with the bloody Marauders, the hottest guys in our year and you can’t get even oneof them to snog you?” she said, laughing haughtily as her friends howled. Your blood boiled as their biting laughter filled the little room. “Not even that trail along. What’s his name, Peter?”
At the jab of both you and your friend, you snapped.
“See,you, unlike me, are a whoring slag who can’t wait to be the latest notch in his belt. AndI, unlike you, have self-respect, love. It’s quite simple,” you all but growled, turning to walk out of the room. You heard the outraged noises and almost made it back to the compartment when you felt a harsh tug on your hair.
“The bloody hell?” you yelled, jerking backward as she pulled, pain rippling from your scalp.
“I am notawhoring slag, you bitch!” she screeched, lifting her arm up to strike you. Seizing your chance, you bent and rammed your shoulder into her stomach, knocking her wind out and sending her flying onto her back.
After years of having an older Muggle, boy cousin who tormented you for sport, you learned how to take care of yourself.
“Y/N?” you heard Sirius’ voice sound out suddenly. In the midst of it all, the girl had gotten an iron grip on your hair and was now using her legs to kick angrily at you from the floor as her hands held you in place by your hair.
“Let go of my hair, you cheating whore!” you screeched, trying futilely to pry her deadlocked fingers from your hair.
Footsteps sounded down the compartment hallway, followed by various annoyed noises as they were pushed against the sides, Sirius barrelling down the hall to reach your voice.
“What the hell?” he questioned. “Let her alone!!”
For a wild moment, you thought he was telling you to leave her alone, but a second later, you felt a pulling sensation around your midriff. Yelling out, you reminded him of her grip on your hair, and he yelled out an apology and dropped you, warning James as he came skidding to a halt seconds later.
“What in the bloody–” Remus cut off, seeing the girl kicking at you like a monkey from her back.
“Little help whenever would be great, boys!” you called, scratching at her arms and wrists to loosen her grip on your hair. “Only bitches pull hair!”
“Stupefy!” someone called, and suddenly you were airborne. As you flew back, you noticed several strands of your Y/C/H hair had come loose in the girl’s fists.
You hit the ground with a thud and gasped as you fought to force air back into your stunned lungs.
What happened next was utter chaos.
Spells went flying from behind you at all angles as each of the boys shot a different hex at the wand that’d sent you flying. Various crowd members who had poked out to figure out what all the noise was about began screaming and jetting off in different directions in the cramped hallway space, trying to dodge the bouncing hexes. Spells then started flying towards the boys in retaliation, and finally regaining your breath, you got to your feet and pulled your wand to help.
“What in the hell is going on here?” you heard the voice of Lily Evans enter the scene, and James immediately straightened and fluffed his hair before she came into view. Finally, she broke the crowd and turned, glowering at the group of you.
“Should’ve known you gits were involved, honestly Remus, you’re a Prefect!” she hissed, scolding the boys, who all began to interject.
“Y/N? What’s happened?” Lily asked, walking concernedly over to you as you sopped the flow of blood free-streaming from your nose. Seemed the twit managed to get one good hit in.
“Thatslag attacked me; evidently, somebody’s a little sensitive,” you sneered, lowering your eyes at the girl in front of you who was now sporting an ever-growing nose as small antlers were making their way out of her head. Looking down, you saw her hands twitching violently and smiled at the boys in front of you.
“Is that true?” Lily turned to the girl, who was bright red with embarrassment and fury.
“I wouldn’t have had to if the stupid bitchhadn’t poked her nose where it doesn’t belong!” she screeched, pointing her finger at you accusingly.
“Well, it looks like you’re about to do the same, Pinnochio,” you jeered, causing her to pounce once more, this time being dragged back by the male Hufflepuff Prefect.
“Alright everyone, show’s over! Back to your compartments before I hex the lot of you nosy sods!” Lily yelled at the onlookers, causing all to duck back into their compartments, shutting the doors tightly behind them.
“Excellent handling of the situation, might I say, Ms. Evans,” James simpered, already kissing Lily’s arse.
“Potter, you are downright shameless,” she said, lowering her bright green eyes at James as he grinned back boyishly, “And you, Remus, been shirking on responsibilities again, have we? I’ve just finished situating the first-years when I hear what sounds like a fightat the Gryffindor end of the train! Honestly, theleastyou could do is control yourlittle friends if you’re going to leave the rest to me, yeah?”
“Right. Sorry Lily, most rude of me…” Remus nodded solemnly, feeling as though he wholeheartedly deserved her reaming. Lily seemed to soften slightly under Remus’ guilt, and she breathed out, relaxing her shoulders and unclenching her fists.
“Well, I dunno about everyone else, but I’m starved,” you said, pulling your sleeve back to see the bleeding had finally ceased.
“Come here, Twitch,” Remus beckoned, pulling out his wand once more, “Tergio.”
You felt the funny sucking feeling of all the blood leaving your face, and you wiped a spot to find your fingers clean.
“Cheers, Moony!” you smiled as he blushed slightly and grinned back.
“I could’ve done that,” Sirius said, sounding oddly annoyed, “Come on then, here comes the trolley.”
Sure enough, you heard the comforting voice of the old woman with the Honeydukes trolley wafting down the hallway as she made her way down the train.
“Care to join us?” James asked Lily hopefully, gesturing forward with his arm. Not bearing to see your friend’s crestfallen face when she likely refused as always, you intervened.
“I’ll make sure he’s on his best behavior,” you pushed, looking at her meaningfully. “C’mon, Lils, he’s really not thatbad…”
And to your intense surprise, she caved.
“Alright,” she sighed, stepping into the cabin. You didn’t need to be part psychic to feel the excitement rolling off of James as she stepped by him, sinking into the seat next to his.
“Didn’t even know Hufflepuff’s fought,” Remus sighed, collapsing into his seat.
“Haven’t even made it off the train, and little Twitchy is already getting in duels,” Sirius jeered, knocking your knee with his hand. A rush of heat flooded you, and you blushed, hoping the others would take it as embarrassment about the fight.
“Well, if you’d stop entertaining rubbish like that, I wouldn’t have to,” you quipped, glaring at Sirius before offering him a small smile. Peter giggled at your comment and kept checking the window every few seconds, anxiously awaiting the trolley.
“Oh, believe me, I’ve learned my lesson,” Sirius said, looking at you rather intently. Before you could blush again or give yourself away some other way, Lily spoke.
“Oh, I see. So I tell you off about those girls of yours for years, and you can’t get it through that thick skull of yours, but Y/N gets in one little row…” Lily shook her head, leaning back before she could get her temper going again.
“Amazing, isn’t she?” James said quietly, his voice in awe as he gazed, mesmerized at Lily–who blushed pink at his comment.
“Oi, Prongs, mate. We can all hear you,” Sirius laughed, whispering playfully at his friend. Everyone’s laughter was interrupted at the arrival of snacks.
“Anything from the trolley, dears?” the old woman smiled sweetly at the group of you.
After spending most of her time there dolling out Peter’s numerous sweets, each of you had your treats, and she was off to the next compartment.
“Coconut ice and cauldron cakes?” Lily laughed as you happily sucked on a coconut cube. As you sheepishly looked around, you caught Sirius watching you, his eyes seeming darker than usual, somehow.
“What? They’re my favorite!” you defended, loving the way the sweet spread across your palette. After months of your grandmother’s unimaginative cooking, this was heaven–it had to be.
“Oooh, can I have a chocolate frog?” you asked, seeing Sirius’ stack on his lap.
“Help yourself, Twitch,” he shrugged, opening one of his own. “Alberic Grunnion?”
“Oh, you boys best stand up and salute!” Lily laughed as Sirius read out the name. The boys merely shared confused looks.
“The maker of the dungbomb!” you explained, to which they all erupted into a chorus of ‘oh’s’ playfully gave a salute to the card in Sirius’ hand.
As you leaned in to grab a chocolate frog, you caught a whiff of the new fragrance potion he must’ve been trying out. He smelled of pine, smoke, and something sweet you couldn’t quite name. As you were distracted, your hand brushed across the seam in his jeans, and the both of you met eyes, you blushing a furious shade of red.
“New potion?” you pushed after a second, unable to bear the awkward silence between the two of you. He nodded imperceptibly and smirked slightly.
“Very nice.” you complimented. He shot you a small smile, and James turned to Lily.
“Have a good Holiday, then?” he asked her, looking hopeful.
“‘Was alright, try as Petunia might to make it hell. I wish Muggle schools and Hogwarts had opposite schedules,” she sighed, drawing one of her long legs up onto the seat.
“My god, could you imagine? Virtually never even having to see Blakely anymore?” you said, painting a dramatic look of longing on your face.
Everyone laughed, Peter actually choking on the three cauldron cakes he’d stuffed into his mouth.
“Apapneo,” Lily said, pulling her wand. Peter coughed once and looked up at Lily.
“Thank you,” he wheezed, smiling as he dabbed at his now watery eyes, bits of chocolate spilling from his mouth.
“Uhm, Lily Evans? Y/N Y/L/N?” a small girl in blue-lined robes asked, looking wide-eyed at the boys around you.
“That’ll be Slughorn, then?” Lily said, rising from her seat.
The girl nodded and ducked off, running back to the Ravenclaw section of the train.
“What’s he want with you?” James asked bluntly, looking put-off that she was leaving.
“Charming, Potter. He happens to like me. And Y/N, evidently.” Lily said, smiling at you. “Let me just get my robes,”
Using her wand, she sent her robes flying from her trunk, and you dug yours out.
“Have fun, girls,” Sirius said as the two of you made to leave the compartment.
“See you there, boys,” Lily sang back.
“Save us a carriage seat,” you said, turning back to shoot a wink at Sirius. His face looked funny for a minute, but he recovered quickly and shot one back.
Needy James is my religion, can i get an amen? Pls how is he so pretty
Warning: 18+
—
Something soft was rubbing against your throat. Opening your eyes you realized that James was smearing his lips over your collarbones, his dark hair tickling your chin.
“James” You chidded, carding your hands through his hair softly, “Go back to sleep, my love.”
“Can’t” James whined quietly as to not wake the others, “M’not tired anymore..”
Obviously you knew what he wanted from you, but teasing him seemed a lot more fun then getting straight to the pleasure. His head hidden in the crook of your neck, lips leaving delicate, barely-there kisses along your juglar, one hand already slipping between your bare thighs to play with the waistband of your panties.
“Need you” He simpered, lifting his head to cast you a pleading look, “Please?”
His voice had that lovely lilt to it whenever he got espacially needy and let you know that he was in the mood to be submissive. His face was the picture perfect representation of desperate, red glistening lips jutting out in an adorable pout, blue eyes twinkling with adoration.
“Hmm” You let out gently, “Tell me what you want first, darling.”
James groaned and let his head fall against your chest, lips locking around your exposed nipple. He suckled gently and you let him, breathy sounds escaping you when he used his tongue.
“Wanna make you feel good” He mumbled, voice slightly muffled by your soft flesh between his lips, “Can’t stop thinkin’ ‘bout you, please..”
You felt his fingers push your underwear aside, fingers tracing the up and down your slit, before they settled on your clit. James glanced up at you through his lashes, still sucking on your nipple.
“Want you to kiss me down there” You commanded, but kept your voice down. You had to be quiet.
“Thank you, thank you” James purred, kissing his way down and settled between your open thighs, holding them open firmly with his muscular arms.
James rubbed his nose along your inner thighs before he pressed the tip on your clothed center, inhaling your scent. Letting out a breathy whimper he pushed the fabric aside with his teeth, breathing turning to pants when as he watched you move your hips slightly.
“James” You gasped, “Don’t tease, you know what happens when you do, right pretty boy?”
James nodded quickly and pressed his mouth on your clit, tongue sliping down to lick at your entrance.
Back arching your let your eyes drift close, focusing on the way James‘ mouth made you slip in a state of pure bliss. The pleasure steadily building up in your veins you let out soft moans, praises slipping from between loose lips.
„That’s it love“ You muttered, staring down at him.
James preened at the praise and went harder, two fingers slipping inside to make you cum faster. He was wanted to feel you clench around him as you came, wanted to taste you.
„Please cum in my mouth“ James begged, groaning when you clenched at his words, „Please let me taste you“
„Oh oh James there ah-“
James curled his fingers and sucked hard on your clit, his free hand pinching your nipple. Locking your legs around his head you pressed him so close you were sure that he couldn‘t breathe, cumming so hard that the only sound you had energy for was a choked whimper.
James let out throaty moans, lapping your cum up eagerly and you let him clean you up.
„So good“ James whispered, kissing his way up to your lips to kiss you.
You basked on his kiss for a while and calmed yourself down, trailing your hands up and down his smooth back.
„Let me-“
„No“ James declined and gave you a soft grin, „Don‘t want anythin‘, jus‘ wanted a taste.“
You pulled him close to you, forcing him to rest his weight on your body and fell back asleep.
It’s 03:43 and I missed writing James, uf i love this one
Warning: 18+
—
Oh, James is a breathtaking sight. With his dark hair and twinkling eyes, his tall toned body and charming smile. His smooth voice and irresistible accent. He is the whole package.
Lost in thought you imagined him fucking you against the wall, his big hand over your mouth to contain your moans as he pounded you aggressively-
„Hey“ Lily chirped, leaning over the table to give you a friendly hug, „Sorry I‘m late, head girl shit.“
You hugged her back, acting as if you didn‘t just imagine getting absolutely railed by the fellow head boy.
„Don‘t worry ‘bout it. Haven‘t been long anyway.“
Lily rolled her eyes and gave you a teasing smile.
„Knowing you, you probably showed up fifteen minutes early to be polite. You can give me shit you know, I deserve it.“
You laughed lightly before you furrowed your brows dramatically and held up a finger much like Professor McGonagall when she lectured the marauders again.
„Lily Evans you little shit. Hopefully you will have a long dreadful nightmare for the shit you put me through!“
Lily smirked at you and nodded, impressed with your choice of words.
„That would be James trying to hug me again, so no thank you.“ She clapped her hands. „Right, lets start.“
You couldn‘t help but think of just how fucking hot it would be to be in James‘ strong arm. Breathless moans and impatient hands tugging down your skirt. His hands all over your body, slowly moving down towards your-
Fuck.
—
Sometime during your meetup Remus appeared and sat down with you. Then came Peter. With him Sirius and of course James.
„I swear Black if you don‘t shut the fuck up“ Lily said forcefully, very close to yelling, „I‘m gonna beat your stupid face with this book!“
Sirius’ wand fell from between his clenched jaw, he was trying to impersonate a growling dog, and he rolled his eyes.
„Calm down, Evans. Besides, Remus would totally not appreciate that, considering my face is number one in his list of“, he cleared his throat theatrically, „Reasons why Sirius Black is the most enchanting being I‘ve ever fucked.“
Remus, already used to Sirius‘ crude remarks, just continued to read his book, his index finger tracing shapes on Sirius‘ palm absentmindedly.
„I agree“ Remus mumbled, missing the way Sirius blushed and melted with his next words, „Sirius is enchanting.“
Sirius, content with the attention he got, leaned his head against his boyfriends shoulder and finally shut his mouth. Lily smiled gratefully at Remus, who send her a wink, the corner of his lips pulling up slightly to show that he had said it on purpose. Not that they needed to know just how accurate Sirius had been with the list.
You threw a glance at James and saw him engrossed with his potions textbook, lips moving silently as he read through the pages. Taking the time to admire him from up close, you watched how his brows would furrow and ease up whenever he worked out a problem, how he would bite his lip in concentration or scratch his nose and push up his glasses when they slipped down his nose.
Truly handsome. Sex on legs.
Fuck why can‘t he just touch you already.
For someone who flirts on the daily he sure was oblivious to girls who were actually interested in him. And not gay, unlike Lily, who literally had a pin on her bag with the lesbian flag on it.
Might get a pin with “Fuck me James“ printed on it. Maybe then he‘ll know, you thought bitterly.
You had already planned a whole color scheme for the pins when a foot nudged your shin under the table and forced you out of your head.
„Need help“ James whispered and slid his worksheet over to you, „Please?“
Oh hell yes. No need to beg, Potter.
„Sure“ You said, congratulating yourself for sounding confident, „Give me a min.“
Reading through the question your took a moment to think about the answer, scribbling it down yourself instead of telling him. You weren‘t sure how long you could gaze into his eyes and act like you didn‘t have wet dreams about him.
Satisfied you looked back up and noticed him already looking at you, or more specifically your mouth.
A devilish idea crossed your mind. Oh, yes.
Acting as if you were still thinking, you bit your lip softly, tracing your bottom lip with your tongue to leave it glistening pink. James swallowed, hand loosening his tie and he lowered his head with blushing cheeks.
„Here“ You smiled, gently sliding the paper back to him and shivered a little when your fingertips touched.
His fingers had to business being so close to the top of the sheet, considering he was sitting across from you and could have just grabbed the bottom part. Hope flared in your chest when you saw him just as taken aback by the touch and you basked in the radiant grin he shot you from under his mop of hair.
Your stomach swarmed with butterflies and you let out a small breath, thighs clenching.
Oh James.
„I should get going“ You said after a while, not in the mood to study anymore.
James‘ head whipped up and he got up as well, packing his bag in time with you. Your eyes widened in surprise, but you refrained from making your excitement too obvious.
„Yeah me too, I‘m tired. Goodnight.“ James rushed and gently pulled you along by the strap of your bag.
The others just grumbled in response, Sirius fast asleep and drooling while Remus waved his hand dismissively. Lily muttered a quick, „I‘ll join in a few minutes“, which actually translates to hours.
Since the others aren‘t here I could have some alone time with James.
Oh shit, there goes your brain. It was really creative when it came to imagening James‘ moans, considering you never heard them before. Or his dick. Fuck.
You silently made your way upstairs and sadly it was an awkward one. Frankly you blamed James for being so hot that you literally had no clue what to say, not knowing that he thought the exact same thing. Sure he is all for, „Everyone can wear what they bloody want“ and he had proven that point by wearing skirts multiple times, but fuck-
You in that skirt has to be criminal by some kind of law right? Has to be a sin in some kind of religion? And don‘t get him started on your lips-
James shook his head to get rid of the mental images and focused on his breathing. Praying that you wouldn’t see his boner.
Somehow you had made it to the empty common room and turned to each other at the same time to say goodnight. Both of you had not considered the distance between your faces, which proved to be extremely short with your noses bumping painfully.
„I‘m so-“
Your words died down when James kissed you hard, his big hands - oh those big, callous hands you‘ve been dreaming about for weeks finally touching your cheeks to pull you impossibly close.
Stunned by his sudden desire to kiss you, you pulled your head away to look into his face and what you saw made you smash your lips on his and his back against the wall.
His quiet, absolutely submissive noises shot straight into your blood and you press your hips against his to hear more of it. His arms were wrapped around your neck, hands buried in your hair as he opened your legs with his knee to press his thigh between your legs.
The rough fabric of his pants made you shudder and your hands slid down his upper body until you got to his cock. James head sank against the wall with a dirty moan as you put your hand in his pants to touch him. Shit, his skin was so soft and hot and he already has precum on the tip.
James lips met yours sloppily as he pushed you backwards onto the couch and sank down between you legs on the ground, moving your feet to rest on the cushion. He clearly didn‘t have any more patience in him and made quick work of pushing your panties aside to rub his fingers against your soaking entrance.
„Come on, James“ You moaned, bucking against him when he finally pushed two fingers inside.
„Mmm look at you“ James groaned out, leaving kisses along your inner thighs and let out wanton sound when your cunt clenched around him.
You didn‘t care about anything but his fingers fucking you at this point, whining when the cool metal of his ring pressed against your clit. You jerked at the hot sensation of his tongue curling around your clit, greedily sucking your pussy lips into his mouth.
„Oh James!“ You whimpered breathlessly, pulling his face so close that his nose was smushed against your lower belly, feeling the vibrations of every moan he let out shoot directly to your cunt.
Pulling him up by his hair you kissed him again, panting into his open mouth when he kept pistoning his fingers into your cunt.
„Please let me fuck you“ James begged needily, brows pinched in longing to feel you around his throbbing cock, „Please I can‘t wait anymore!“
Instead of answering, you pushed his pants down with your heels and trapped him between your legs. James hissed in relief when he felt some kind of friction on his cock and eased himself inside.
„Oh“ James let out a broken whimper, head thrown back in sheer bliss, „Feel so good.“
You couldn’t answer, way to enamored with the way he stretched you open so deliciously, watching his cock push into your body. Oh fuck, the sight was so dirty and crass and yet you couldn‘t take your eyes off him.
„James“ You gasped with difficulty, „James please ‘m‘gonna cum!“
James bend your legs so they were over his shoulders and pounded you harshly, face screwed up in ecstasy with the way you cried out his name. Your moans cut off only to be replaced by sobs when the tip of his cock hit your g-spot over and over again.
„Yes yes yes“ James chanted, pressing his forehead on yours to stare at your dazed expression, „tell me how you feel!“
Your shook your head quickly, signaling him that you couldn‘t possibly form a coherent sentence, but his persisted.
„Tell me how you feel!“ James hissed, thumb suddenly on your clit and you broke.
„Good good so fucking good“ You cried, latching on his body to encourage him to fuck you harder.
„Prove it“ James moaned brokenly, „Cum for me!“
His other hand wrapped around your delicate throat and squeezed firmly, making you tip over the edge and cry out your release. James‘ orgasm made him tremble so violently that he couldn‘t hold himself up anymore, collapsing on your chest with a deep throaty whimper as he filled your cunt with his hot cum.
„Fuck yes“ James ground out, hips still pushing in and out of you, like he couldn’t bear the thought of stopping. He raised his head to watch you, his pupils still dilated, pink lips quivering with aftershocks.
James looked absolutely wrecked and satisfied. He stared at you as if staring at a goddess, nuzzling close to hear your heartbeat.
„You okay?“ James asked quietly and tucked himself back in to help you clean up.
„Yeah, perfect.“ You grinned, letting him help you up and pull you towards his dorm.
He gave you a playful smile, but you saw the slight nervousness in his eyes.
„Stay?“
God, yes. Finally. Fuck those pins, who needs them.
