#prudence and dorcas | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

povofjustme · 2 years ago

Text

CAOS

I want you

Summary: Whatever Dorcas wants, she gets. And She wanted you.

Warning : 0

Length:1673 words

Pairing: Dorcas Night x OC (fem) reader

PS- didn’t PR so have fun with that 🤣

“Jake I already told you I have plans this weekend” Jake Hells once again was asking me to “hang out” this weekend with him. It’s not that I had anything to do this weekend. It’s just that he was one of the horniest guys I ever met. I mean Nick was one but he never harassed someone like this.

“Oh come on, it will be fun.” Jake could never take no for an answer. Never. “And maybe we could- '' He started to raise his hand to touch my hair but I gently pushed his hair out the way. “Jake, I already said I have plans' ' I need to get away from him, and far. But I just can’t. “Right, and with whom you have plans with,again?”

I don’t know why my mind went blank. He was making me uncomfortable. With that he was just getting closer and closer. I had to make up something, ANYTHING!

“She has plans with me, Jake” I couldn’t see who was coming up behind me but I could always recognize that sweet strong voice anywhere. Dorcas. “Yes, I have plans with Dorcas for the weekend” I look to my right and see the redhead. Her hair was in the braids crowns and her brown dress. She had a smile on her face that I couldn’t make out.

“And what plans do you have with a weird sister? I never seen y’all talk, like ever ""Will- I” for being a witch, I can be a bad lair. I started to mess with the bottom of my shirt. And a habit I had picked up over the years. I couldn't think of anything but Dorcas grabbed my hand into hers. Interlocking her fingers with mine.

“If you must know, she’s my girlfriend.” I looked at her with confusion but then I realized Jake was still in front of us. I just kept a smile on my face.

“So she has plans with her girlfriend for the weekend.” Dorcas kept it together. Holding my hand and giving Jake the death stare. At this moment, Jake looks like he is going to shit himself.

“Now if I see you come near or talk to her, well you know what my sisters and I can do. Come on bae, the girls are waiting for us” with another word, Dorcas pulled me with her. Not a single word comes out of our mouth. She still had her hands together walking down the hallway. I thought she was gonna let go once we were out of Jake's sight, but she never did. I don’t understand why I just went with it.

She walked me to the lunch room where most of the students in the academy were. Still hand in hand, she walked me to where her sisters were sitting. She sat across from them. “You can sit down, my love” Prudence and Agatha looked up at me from their conversation with a smile. Jake was right, I never been around the sisters. Let alone a conversation. I couldn’t run and hide. Everyone was looking. So I did what I was told. Why? I have know fucking idea!

“So sister, I see you found her” Prudence was the one to speak.

I was never scared of the sisters, I just know not to cross them. I’m very powerful myself but I never tried to show it. Coming from being a New Orleans witch and a harvests girl. I just come with a lot of responsibilities when people know who you really are. I just try to stay out of the spotlight with certain things.

They kept on talking, I wasn’t paying attention to anything with we’re saying. Until I could feel Dorcas hand on mine again. “Come with us”

Walking down the hallway, they were in the regular formation. I stayed in the back. Right behind Prudent. They took me into their dorm room. Walking in, the door closed behind me. Now that we are behind closed doors, I feel as if I can breathe and speak again.

“What the Heavens just happened?” All three of the sisters of Night looked at me.

“Helping me out with Jake, which I really appreciate by the way but calling me your girlfriend and then holding me hand in front of everyone” I need to get everything out of my chest. If it was a plan or anything going on, I at least had the right to know. “I just want, no. I need to know what that was about”

Dorcas come up to me and put me on the bed. Now she’s standing in front of me and Prudent and Agatha are standing on to the side. “You are my girlfriend now. And it will stay the way from a while” she said with know hesitation. “Why me, you could have anyone. Literally anyone from this academy”

“I wanted you” “why?” “There is know, why?” Am confused, so confused. I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. “Think of this, you can date me. And Jake won’t mess with you know more. Call it a win win” “I never agreed to this Dorcas, don’t get me wrong. You are a beautiful person but I never agree to this. I don’t know you” she got down on my level and touched my knee. Somehow. I got this sense of relaxation from someone who loves to hurt people in their free time.

“Okay, you really want to know?” “Yes, I do. '' Dorcas looked at her sister. They both gave her a head nod, and walked out the room. Once the doors were closed she started talking. “Today in class, I heard some boys talking about how Jake had a special surprise for you this weekend. And it wasn’t good. For some reason I had a feeling to protect you” she stopped mid way to look away from me. “I needed to do something. I overheard them talking about how Jake was going to be the first one to have you”

I have been at the academy for over 3 years now. I keep up with school work. I have only one friend and try to make my family proud. Having to learn double the spells from being a New Orleans witch and A sister of the night. I didn’t want to get mixed in with the people here. And that means dating. I guess the boys are keeping track. I just never thought Dorcas Night would be too.

“I didn’t want that. So I claimed you before anyone else did. So like I said, date me. You are going to be under my sisters and I's protection . And no boy will try anything” I didn’t know how to feel about any of this. But it doesn't seem so bad. But at the same time. I never asked for this. “Am sorry Dorcas but I can’t. Am sure I I’ll be fine” I knew I fucked up when I walked out the door but everything was going wrong for me. I needed to keep my head in the game.

______

“Okay witches and warlocks, that’s us for today. You may now leave” I grabbed the rest of my things that I had for the day and started to walk out the door. Around the corner, I came to see the one and fuckin only Jake Hells. He was just so pushy. He had his back against the wall with his feet crossed. Once he saw me I tried walking past him. “Hey, Hey, Hey. You’re not gonna say Hi to me”. The more I think about it. Jake is such a pick-me boy.

“What do you want Jake” not even stopping, he was still in my ass. “So, are we still on for this weekend?” “Heavens I could never get a break from you. Why are you so pushy?”

“I know you fake that shit with Dorcas Night, so come on.” I should have thought through what I was going to do next. But I didn’t. I saw Dorcas walking down the Hall with her sisters. I looked at Jake in the face with a good gummy smile. The closer the sister got, I turned my body to the girls.

“Watch and see,” I said to him.

When my back was away from him, I gave Dorcas the ‘help me get this fucker away’ from me eyes. Her and the sister stopped 6 feet away from us. “Hello Dorcas, Hello sisters' ' The girls all said hello at the same time. I walked up to Dorcas, give her a kiss. At this point I wanted it to be real. To get Jake off my back. I even pulled my left hand in her neck to make the kiss go deeper.

I pulled away from her with a soft small smile. She grabbed onto my hand so I could be by her side. “Did my sister worry about what would happen if you go near her girlfriend again?” Prudence started off with. “You can just not take the hint?” Agatha finishes off. “Now we have to go back on my word” Dorcas had a stone cold face.

“Sleep well tonight” they all said together.

Not giving Jake enough time to respond, Prudences pushed him out the way. Not far along, Dorcas had both of her hands on my arm. She leaned her chin on my shoulder.

“So what made you change your mind, my love” she whispered in my ear. I looked to my right to see her with a soft smile. “Maybe this won’t be a bad idea, I just want to know what comes out of it for you” I told her

“Like I said, I want you. And now I got you

Part 2?

127 notes · View notes

persephone-writes · 2 months ago

Text

A Diviner's Guide to James Potter

Chapter Twenty-Six: The Black Lake

James Potter x Fem!Gryffindor!Reader

Chapter Twenty-Five - Chapter Twenty-Seven ☆ Series Masterlist

Description: It seems as though months of secrets, omens, and animosity is coming to fruition, swirling in a storm above Hogwarts.

Word Count: 9.7k

You barely slept on Wednesday night.

Instead, your half-lidded eyes followed the patterns in the woodgrains on the beam above your bed, looking for flowers or waves, anything to lull you to sleep. Dorcas had remembered her silencing charm, leaving the room eerily quiet in your paranoid state. Some relief came when the birds began chirping as the sun cast its rays over the horizon, brilliantly yellow against the cotton clouds. The mountains, now covered in the deep greens of fir-trees and chartreuse grasses, stood imposing and spectacular in the distance. You peeked out your curtain at the sight, splendid as any pastoral scene could be, though you found little happiness in it. The day would seem dreary no matter what the weather was.

Marlene met your eye as you sat on the edge of your bed, knotting your tie as Dorcas and Lily readied themselves in the lavatory. She didn’t need to say a thing, her subtle, supportive smile enough to make you feel just a tad better. You had informed her of your plan a few days ago, asking that she vacate the dormitory at the end of classes so that you could have your talk with Lily. Dorcas would be off at quidditch practice during that time, meaning that nothing could prevent you from getting Lily alone, nor would it allow you the excuse of, as Sirius had put it, chickening out.

“Gracing us with your presence?��

Mary crossed her arms on the table, looking sideways at Dorcas. “Good morning to you, too.”

Mavors Thorne, her boyfriend, was beside her, sticking out like a sore thumb in his yellow and black uniform at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. He had on a polite smile, some of his confidence seemingly practiced just for the occasion. You thought it was sweet, and something Mary would also do if presented with the challenge of meeting a few of the most popular and boisterous people in Hogwarts. From what you could gather from the few times you’ve spoken, and from what Marlene had been able to squeeze out of Mary, he was rather shy.

Mary leaned over the table to look at the guys, who could not easily see her from their places. It was work convincing James not to sit by you, though with Mulciber on the prowl, it needed to be done. Despite your tougher attitude, Mulciber, Wilkes, and Zephyr were worse than before, snickering and casting taunting looks towards you from across the classroom, all with enough prudence to never get caught. Snape, however, remained as impassive as he had been since his conversation with you in April.

Because of their renewed gall, it was imperative that Mulciber have no proof of yours and James’s romance, leaving his suspicions completely unfounded. Peeves was taken care of on Saturday night, thank Godric, meaning that Mulciber would have to tail you or James all day long without getting caught in order to catch even a whiff of the truth. So, James was in his normal spot across the table, which to each of you felt miles apart.

“Hey guys, this is Mavors,” Mary said, falling back to allow Mavors to throw up a hand in greeting. “This is Sirius, Remus, Peter, and James,” she continued, going down the line.

“Hey, kid,” Sirius said through a mouthful of food. Dorcas elbowed him in the side, his fork clattering onto his plate. “What?” he asked, swallowing.

“They’re a year below us.”

“It’s more than that,” he said, his voice rising in pitch. “I’m born in November.”

Lily sighed, looking just about ready to roll her eyes when she glanced at you. “Not this again.”

“Just eat your food, grandpa,” Remus said, nodding towards Sirius’s plate.

You laughed because everyone else did (other than Sirius, who was quite grumpy), trying to ignore the knot twisting and turning in the center of your chest. You attempted to swallow down the awful choking feeling in your throat with a sip of your tea, reminding yourself that you still had over seven hours until the big event. You had rehearsed for every possible scenario, even the improbable circumstance of Lily being totally and completely fine with everything. When you placed your mug back down onto the table, carefully between the jug of pumpkin juice and jar of strawberry jam, James gave you the briefest of smiles, hidden within a laugh at something else you had missed in your ruminations. It was enough to get you through breakfast without collapsing onto the floor of the Hall, which would have most definitely put a damper on your plans.

You were going to the library with Lily and Marlene third period before lunch, with Lily leaving breakfast to visit Professor Bainbridge for some extra Alchemy practice. Marlene seemed more than happy to have you alone, gnawing at her lip all the way back up to the common room.

“How’re you feeling?” she asked once you were in your dormitory.

You shrugged, sitting down at your desk. “I could be worse, I guess. I haven’t fainted yet, which is a good sign.”

“And you’re joking,” she said happily.

“I wasn’t.”

Her mouth pulled to the side as she strolled over to Lily’s bed, perfectly made, letting herself fall into it. With her arm behind her head, she looked up at you in what you assumed to be an encouraging manner. “Why don’t you and James ever hang out with me? I mean, you wouldn’t have to hide or anything.”

She didn’t sound offended, even if her question suggested that she was. You also weren’t sure how this was meant to make you feel better, though you humored her anyway.

“I don’t know. I think it’s just easier to hide from everyone all at once, that way there's a better chance that we won’t slip up. It’s not personal,” you answered, still staring down at your DADA textbook.

“Yeah, that makes sense,” she said, her gaze flickering up towards the ceiling. “You’ve always had your own world, though, inside your head. It’s not entirely surprising you kept it to you and him. I’ve got nothing hiding up here but song lyrics and that time I got chocolate sauce all over me at my cousin's wedding.” She cringed at the memory, laughing soon after. “But I guess it’s not so secret if you all know about it.”

“I don’t know how true that is,” you mumbled into your palm. You didn’t like to think of your head as anything but perfectly normal.

Marlene sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. You glanced over at her, reminded of how she always seemed like spring personified: spirited, vivacious, girlish in a way that did not make her seem weak, but rather, quite powerful.

She bent forward, her eyes bright as she looked at you. “Are you questioning my judgement?”

You didn’t answer, chuckling despite yourself. She always had been good at making you laugh. Still, that didn’t stop you from folding your arms on your desk, your head dropping into them with a noise of discontent.

“Since it’ll all be out in the open in about, oh, six and a half hours,” she began, her eagerness growing like the building momentum of a train leaving the station, “give me some details. You barely talk about him, and when you do you’re so buttoned-up. I want the love song stuff.”

You picked your head back up, your shoulders slumping forward. For a long moment you mulled over her suggestion, your initial reaction of an astounding “no” seemingly slightly less reasonable as you considered it fully. Never once had you allowed yourself to gush about James, likely for the same subconscious reason that you both never fully allowed yourself to act like a couple around Marlene and Sirius. However, Marlene’s astute observation that this reasoning would be null and void in six hours threatened to open the floodgates of your more immature attributes. You would have to get over the embarrassment sooner rather than later, so why not just rip off the bandaid?

Marlene’s grin slowly returned as she saw your expression change, her lip resting between her teeth.

“Don’t make me regret this,” you said, though your harsh tone did nothing to rid her giddiness.

She laughed in disbelief, crossing her legs as if to settle into a long conversation. “I can’t believe that worked. Am I rubbing off on you?”

You snorted. “Merlin, I hope not.”

When you didn’t speak further her eyes widened, boring into yours expectantly. “Well…” she urged.

“What do you want to know?” you asked, your outward show of annoyance masking the embarrassment festering in the back of your mind.

Her face lit up, thrilled at the chance to steer you in the direction of her choosing. “Is he a good kisser?”

You were scorching hot as if you were standing on the surface of the sun itself, engulfed in its infinite supply of flames. You could feel the heat flooding your face, enough to make the back of your neck sweat.

“Really?” you groaned, wishing you had the invisibility cloak so you could disappear forever.

“Yes, really,” she said with a zippy sort of laugh, bouncing and exuberant. “Fine, I can go first. Okay, lets see…remember I kissed Maxwell in third year playing catch the comet? He was just all right. Eddy was good, a little too overzealous, but I can forgive him for that. Zephyr was okay. And Sirius—”

“I’m begging you to stop.” You put your face into your hands, wondering how you were going to get through this alive. You could hear Marlene laughing, though you didn’t dare look.

“Okay, you don’t have to tell me.”

“Ugh, fine. He’s great. Are you happy?” You dropped your hands, trying your best to glare at her. It was difficult when she was so overjoyed.

“Great-great or just really good?” she asked, so overcome with surprise that you had revealed much of anything that your frown did nothing to damper her enthusiasm.

Her expression slowly broke you down, accessing some foreign recess of your mind. Without warning or intention you began to giggle, confused by your own capriciousness.

“Great-great,” you said, the tightness in your chest beginning to loosen.

She forced you to tell her about the night after the party, though you were able to keep the vast majority of details to yourself. Disappointed by your lack of willingness to share, she moved on to rhapsodizing about the times she’d seen him dance with you. As you listened to her speak you were practically running a temperature.

“He is a good dancer, but he looks even better with you. Dorcas said something to me about it after you two left the common room—”

“She did?” you all but shrieked.

“She didn’t say anything to Lily,” Marlene assured. “It was just one of those stupid things she says. I think she was joking, anyway.”

You were more irritated than anxious, deflating as you asked the dreaded question, “What did she say?”

“That Steven was shooting daggers at James,” she snickered, “and that he looked positively devastated when you left together. But it’s Steven, so I’d hardly worry about it.”

Steven Byrne was the least of your worries, though it did remind you of something James had said on Saturday to which you’d given only fleeting thoughts: you should’ve heard my thoughts before we kissed. Instead of wanting to hex every guy who looks at you, now I just wanna gloat.

“I don’t care about Steven,” you began. “Though none of this will really matter by dinner, will it?”

Marlene's eyes softened, staring at you for a long, almost tranquil moment. She was looking at you the way a parent looks at their eleven year old at platform 9 ¾ , just before they get on the train.

You furrowed your brows, now laughing in confusion. “Do I even want to know what you’re thinking?”

“You’re really in love, aren’t you? Like death-do-us-part, let's buy fancy china and not worry about who really owns it love.”

She spoke with such fervency, such pleasant astonishment that it was nearly enough to knock you off your chair.

You nodded, almost as shocked as she was. “Yeah,” you sighed. “I mean, we’re not engaged, but yeah.”

“I knew you were, but I guess I just didn’t,” she stopped, still looking at you in a warm kind of amazement. “Godric, if I were you I’d never shut up about it.”

“Believe me, I know,” you said, shaking your head at her, sending you both into another fit of laughter.

⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓

From across the table, you watched Lily and Remus scribble down symbols onto their parchment, some of which you vaguely knew the meanings of. Ancient Runes always seemed to be incredibly archaic, impossible to fully grasp. How could you ever interpret a language so old and complex, never truly knowing if you were right or wrong? You supposed it wasn’t unlike Divination in that sense, constantly subject to reinterpretation. Still, Divination seemed more forgiving. If your prediction didn’t come to fruition, all you needed to argue was that the future is fluid, never set in stone. In Ancient Runes you had no such crutch. You were either correct or incorrect, though it was quite possible to go all your life believing you were right, when really, you are wrong. For reasons even unknown to yourself, that fate, that type of failure, seemed like an insurmountable burden.

Every once in a while they’d compare something to each other’s work or whisper a question, though for the most part, they were silent. You were trying to do your own work, though Defense Against the Dark Arts was the furthest thing from your mind. You had passed overwhelming anxiety and moved into reminiscing about simpler times, long before Lily even considered going out with James. Then, he was just some overly energetic boy you knew who’d sometimes pester your friend enough to get her livid. A few memories were tainted with Severus, always quiet and meek, though never unkind…then, at least. He’d even help you with potions if you asked.

What you remembered most out of everything else was never being alone. You had come to Hogwarts expecting one thing, to be sorted in the house of your father, where everyone thought you’d belong, only to receive another. Even when the Gryffindor’s cheered for you as you approached their table, you’d anticipated a certain degree of exclusion. Lily had changed your mind. Even as you grew more independent of each other your bond never weakened or became obsolete. It only changed shape, adapting and shifting, entirely unrigid.

Your lips quirked up when you remembered something silly you and Lily had done when you were younger, something so innocent yet entirely based on love. When you left the library to go to lunch you mentioned it to her. “Do you remember when we used to say we were fifteenth cousins?”

Lily laughed, her gaze drifting off as she recalled the memory. “Of course, I do. We spent half the summer trying to figure out who the squib was in my family.”

The logic your twelve year old minds were running on was not entirely unsound. There must be a squib somewhere in Lily’s ancestry, for all muggle borns are descendents of one. You each gave your best attempts at formulating a comprehensive family tree in an attempt to find such squib, though after a certain point most people, muggle or wizard alike, didn’t keep very good records, leading to dead end after dead end. You were each hoping to find that your family trees both led to the same squib, thus making you distantly related. The disappointment over your failure to find any wizard connection between you was great, though it didn’t stop you from believing that perhaps, however unlikely, you were still sort of like sisters.

“I think I still have one of your letters,” you chuckled. “I’m pretty sure it's when we thought it might’ve been your great-great-great uncle Leland.”

“Godric, yes! I forgot about uncle Leland. He was just a bit strange, though.”

Remus, who had been trailing close behind, let out a snort. “Unsurprising.”

Lily rolled her eyes, looking up at him with a blank face. “I would appreciate it if you didn’t insult my relatives, no matter how long they’ve been dead.”

Remus smirked, sticking his hands into the pockets of his trousers. “I apologize.”

“You’re forgiven.”

It was sixth period. James, Sirius, and Dorcas went off to quidditch practice, Remus and Peter to do who-knows-what, and Marlene to “meet with Professor Sprout”. You were already in your dormitory, pacing back and forth in front of the stove taking deep breaths, though it was of little use. You were a jittery mess, your hands moving from place to place, never comfortable in one spot. When the door finally opened you took them from your pockets, your arms at your side for a brief moment before they came to rest on your hips. Lily noticed your odd disposition, giving you a look of puzzlement as she shut the door.

“Is something the matter?” she asked, moving to toss her bag on her bed.

You swallowed, your eyes darting away. “I need to talk to you.” It was a great effort just to get yourself to speak, though a good sign you’d been able to do it at all.

Lily stopped, standing by the foot of her bed as she stared at you. “What’s wrong?”

Your throat began to burn, though you pushed the feeling down, your eyes lifting to look at her through your lashes. “I want you to know you’re my best friend in the whole world, okay?” your voice trembled slightly, weak with every word. “And I love you to death.”

She said your name, coming to stand in front of you, clearly concerned.

“Of course, I know that,” she said, trying to calm you. It only made the guilt rise up again, for in a moment you knew she might regret every moment of kindness she ever spent on you. “What’s this all about?”

Three loud bangs sounded on the door, both your heads whipping in its direction. It nearly knocked the wind out of you, sending your mind spinning out as the pounding continued. Lily went to open it, revealing Agnes Waters with her fist raised for another knock.

“It’s Peeves!” Agnes said, her eyes like saucers. “He’s in the ground floor corridor near the Entrance Hall with fizzybombs—”

“Merlin’s beard,” Lily gritted, glancing back at you as she moved past Agnes. “I’m sorry, Y/N—”

“No, go,” you said, following behind. If you weren’t in the middle of a mild panic attack, you may have found the irony of the situation hilarious.

You ran through the corridors and down the grand staircase, the sound of surprised yelps and cackling laughter echoing off the marble as you moved into the Hall. Smoke was billowing out of the adjacent corridor, a few students scurrying out and across the room. The pitter patter of their steps melted into a cacophony of chaos, sending Lily bounding forward.

When you turned into the corridor you saw Peeves floating above a crowd of students, his grin wicked as he held a pile of fizzybombs in his arms. A student tried to knock him down from the air with a spell, though Peeves only lifted away, whizzing through the air as he tossed another bomb down onto the floor. It exploded with a pop, sending an array of sparks shooting into the air followed by a plume of smoke.

“Peeves!” Lily shouted, pushing through the scuffle.

Peeves only snickered, blowing a raspberry at Lily before swooping down to ruffle her hair.

She craned her head to glare up at him, looking back at you in complete exasperation. “This’ll be a while. It’s best just to go back to the room so you won’t be tortured.”

You nodded, coughing as Peeves tossed another fizzybomb right by your feet, the smoke choking your lungs. Another set of shouts ensued from the students, mostly first-years, Lily telling them all to head to class with no shortage of annoyance.

You took her advice, leaving the corridor to go back up to the room and wait. Your plan of keeping her in a good mood was utterly failing, the universe practically mocking your efforts. As you agonized over the unfortunate turn of events, you hardly noticed a pair of steely eyes staring at you from the wide marble staircase. The moment your gaze found his a chill like death ran down your spine, setting your body rigid and your heart racing. His hand gripped the railing, his hair hanging into his forehead as he continued to lour. Whatever you had seen within Mulciber before was not darkness, for you never saw the true meaning of that phrase until now. It erased all reasonable thought from your mind, replacing it only with the impulse to flee.

You spun, bolting across the Entrance Hall and out the door, flying down the front steps in a frenzy. You took your wand from your pocket, looking back when you heard his growling voice calling out your name. You stopped along the main path between the two hillocks, each covered in little, delicate flowers, spinning around to take a defensive position, the one you had practiced with James.

“You’re a sneaky thing, aren’t you?” he spat, his face contorted into a haughty grimace.

His voice dripped with a loathing that seemed as though it had been brewing over much time, leaking from the walls of his cool exterior. He took a step towards you, though you did not move. His sneer turned into a smirk, his eyes roaming over your figure, entirely motionless.

“How’d you find out about our plan? Was it Peeves, or your little boyfriend?” He taunted you now, his shoulders rising as he took another small step. “For a while I thought you two had broken up, but you must’ve worked things out, by the looks of it,” he paused, laughing to himself. “Does your friend know, the mudblood? Doesn’t seem as though she does.”

Blood rushed to your ears and face, though you only hardened your expression, your hand clenching around your wand. You saw something in his eyes so horrid, so unspeakably venomous that you knew at once what he wanted to do. It petrified you, though you could not allow him to see it.

“We’re on Hogwarts grounds,” you began, forcing your voice not to waver, “you won’t get away with killing me here. You’ll be sent to Azkaban to rot.”

He laughed again, a horrible sound. “We’ll see— Expelliarmus!”

You blocked his spell, stumbling back for a moment before regaining your footing. “Impedimenta!”

“Protego!” His eyes narrowed as you dashed to your right towards the lake in the hopes of finding some shelter behind a line of trees. “Confringo!”

A blast of fire burst towards you, nipping at your heels.

You turned fast enough to block most of it, the flames bouncing off your shield and ricocheting over your head. As it faded you ran further, hugging the bushes growing along the shore. You looked back again, seeing Mulciber raising his wand.

“Expulso!”

A blue light streamed towards him, exploding out into the space before you. When it reached Mulciber he flew back, landing hard against the ground. Despite his fall he gave you little time to think, sitting up and flicking his wand with a biting scowl.

You were knocked down, your hand catching you on the grass. Your heartbeat had become loud in your ears, your breath uneven as you scrambled to stand. “Expulso!”

Another wave of blue light surged from your wand, though he was able to block it. You knew he would, only needing enough time to pluck a small wildflower from the grass and transfigure it into the first thing you thought of. From the thin stem and white petals grew an eagle, its yellow eyes dazzling against the brown of its feathers. “Oppugno!”

The massive bird screeched as it took flight into the air, shooting towards Mulciber. You saw his eyes widen as he began hurtling spells towards it, though it danced around him, evading his attacks. Its beak snapped as it continued to squawk, its talons reaching down to slash at him.

You didn’t pay close attention to their battle, bolting away across the field. You thought of nothing, only getting as far away from him as you could, keeping your legs moving and your eyes sharp. You were able to make it near the edge of the lake before you heard his voice again, your body sent into a state of shock soon after.

“Flipendo!”

You hurtled through the air, spinning a few times before you slammed into the rocks on the shore of the lake. Your hands were cut by the jagged stones, your head hitting hard on the ground. You felt like a bell, your ears ringing a single, shrill note, your eyes unfocused and blurry. You tried to blink it away, flipping yourself over and grappling for your wand.

Mulciber was running towards you, so close you could hear his ragged breath. His left arm was limp at his side, his sleeve red with blood and nearly torn to shreds. It dripped down his fingers and onto the ground, the metallic scent mixing with the fresh perfume of the grass.

Above your heads, you heard the call of a single crow, its black mass swooping down as it gave out another cry. Mulciber briefly glanced up, watching as it circled just as the eagle had, inky against the blue sky. With the distraction you were able to grab your wand, your hand shaking as you pointed it at him, only to find he had done the same.

You challenged one another, each of arms outstretched and ready to strike. Never had you seen an expression so filled with rage, blinded by complete and utter repugnance. Under it you started to cower, the noise of the waves and your breath fading, leaving nothing but his hatred and the sudden reality of your impending death.

You have to have confidence, even if it’s fake. You can’t be scared of your wand. You just have to tell it what to do, even if you aren’t sure you got the stuff to do it. It doesn’t know the difference.

“Crucio!”

“Expelliarmus,” your voice came out weak, though it was enough to sustain your spell, clashing with his. You could feel the magic running through your body and down your arm, directed through your wand in a single, powerful force. You had felt something similar before, though it was different now. Your wand was not an extension of yourself, bending to your uncompromising authority. Rather, it was more like a friend, loyal out of choice and not necessity, extracting every ounce of force you had into your spell.

You each seemed to cancel the other out, both of your spells entirely ineffectual against the other, though it was enough to stop the unimaginable pain from wracking your body. Despite your success, dread swept through you like never before as you took in Mulciber’s face, the face of someone who wanted you to suffer.

You flicked your wand again, feeling the same alliance as before, Mulciber’s twirling in the air until it landed by the shrubs nearly fifty feet away. For a brief moment he seemed confounded, though fear soon took over as he bolted towards where his wand had fallen. Behind him, you caught a glimpse of a lingering figure behind a cluster of birch trees near the water's edge. You saw that it was Severus, sticking out like a black smudge within the pale white of the bark. He seemed to notice you looking, turning to run further into the thin treeline that curved around the shore. You nearly called out to him, forgetting your opponent who was growing closer to obtaining his wand.

You stood, your desire to escape growing and your options quickly dwindling as Mulciber picked it up. You glanced behind you at the lake, its waters dark and uninviting. Mulciber’s lips began to move, time slowing as your feet took long strides, throwing yourself into the abyss.

You swam furiously, thrashing as you dove under to move farther from the shore. Already your clothes were dragging you down, your hand holding your wand slowing you even more. Bright, yellow light flashed upon the surface, illuminating the depths below. You looked up, seeing fire dance across the water before it fizzled out. You swam deeper to escape the heat, a second flash coming soon after.

Your lungs began to burn, though you continued farther, hoping to get a few more yards between you and Mulciber before you were forced to come back up. Your head was light when you eventually breached the surface, the lake a blur around you and the field just a stroke of greens and browns. In only a short second after you came up you felt a sharp sting on your calf, jolting you enough that you nearly let your hold of your wand slip. Still treading water, you spun around, spotting Mulciber on the other side of the lake. You ducked back under, your leg pulsing with pain.

You were growing tired from all your effort, kicking off your shoes with another shock of pain in your leg, worse than before. It felt as though your mind was screaming, the sentences overlapping, jumbling together until you could understand none of it. Out of the corner of your eye you caught a subtle movement, bright within the murk. It passed you again, and while its shape was blurry, you recognized the red and purple color instantly.

You rose up in horror, your arms waving wildly until your head was above the surface once again. You gasped, panting as you performed the bubble-head charm, relief washing over you when it formed around your head. You fell below the water as fast as you had risen, seemingly quick enough to elude Mulciber’s probing sight.

With crystal clear vision and the ability to breathe, you looked down at your leg, seeing an angry gash across your calf. You recognized the spell well, the Severing Charm, knowing you were more than lucky Mulciber had been so inaccurate in his casting. If it had been more skillfully directed, you weren’t confident even the best doctors at St. Mungo’s could’ve saved you.

You didn’t have time to think much of this, for flashes of fire still rippled across the surface in a haphazard pattern, sending fish fleeing from the heat. Soon after came a booming splash as if a boulder had been flung into the lake, erupting a few times before the fire returned. In a craze you searched for the fish, though there was no sign of your omen amongst the school of others rushing past. Abandoning your fruitless hunt, you swam farther, though you soon realized that the flashes and rumbles of Mulciber’s attacks had ceased entirely. You waited, your heart pounding so quickly that you could hear the blood rushing past your ears, thrumming like a line of drums. It banged against your ribcage with such force you were beginning to worry your bones may break under the hammering.

For a split second you contemplated waiting until someone came to retrieve you, pondering the possibility this may be a ploy to get you to reveal yourself again, though you didn’t consider this for long. Perhaps it was foolishly risky, something a Ravenclaw would shake their head at, though you were not a Ravenclaw.

You emerged, spinning around to search the shoreline for every possible place he could be hiding. You saw a yellow burst of light out of the corner of your eye, the chill of the lake doubling, almost freezing against your skin when you spotted its source. Whatever you had been expecting to find paled in comparison to the terror that gripped you like a hand around your throat. Someone with a mop of curly dark hair was sprinting towards Mulciber from the quidditch pitch, followed closely by another with longer, black hair, each wearing their scarlet uniforms. They were shouting, though you could hardly make out what they were saying. Their exchange of spells collided with one another like fireworks, bursting in blinding explosions. Mulciber was casting spell after spell, his onslaught unforgiving and messy as he dodged those thrown towards himself. A ways away, Sirius was putting up defensive spells, James’s lightning fast flicks of his wand able to permeate Mulciber’s constant barrage.

Practicing with him was one thing, though seeing James in action was another. His feet were firmly planted, though they still seemed feather light on the ground, taking steps to the side, moving backward and forward with sharp precision. His hand never had to move much, doing only what was totally necessary. There was no flare to it, no dramatics or theatrical displays of his talent. It was efficient, tight, and perfectly clean. It stood in stark contrast to Mulciber, who seemed to move in uncoordinated, unplanned hops and jumps, making it seem as though at any moment he could trip, leaving him vulnerable to James’s quick reflexes. Sirius had his own peculiarities, for he always took a half step back before casting a spell, thrusting forward as he waved his wand. It slowed him down slightly, though like James, he was far less sporadic than his opponent.

You were frozen for a moment, unable to get yourself to do anything but tread water and hold your wand despite your immense desire to help. Your eyes darted between James and Mulciber, James’s mouth thrashing as he continued to shout.

Swim, you idiot!

You swam without any degree of elegance towards the shore, your feet slipping on the mossy rocks as you clambered onto the bank, your bubble-head charm already reversed. You were panting, watching as they continued to duel, entirely unaware of your presence.

“Where is she?”

James’s voice was loud and seething, ringing clear now that you were far closer. His face twisted in rage, though his eyes never left Mulciber’s figure, piercing and hard. You realized now that they were going easy on him, allowing him to stay conscious out of fear they would be unable to find you unless he told them.

You scurried forward, nearly falling to your knees as you ran towards the duel. Still, no one noticed you, James bellowing again.

“Tell me!”

A roar erupted, booming like the screech of a dozen dragons calling out all at once. It seemed to roll over itself, moving outwards in waves, though it only lasted a few seconds. James and Sirius stumbled back as a burst of amazing, billowing flames erupted from Mulciber’s wand, swirling into the air in a gigantic puff. You felt the heat reach you, nearly forcing you to close your eyes and shield yourself against it. Still, you were unable to look away, mesmerized in utter horror as the inferno continued to grow in size, scorching the grass as it neared James and Sirius. It danced in the air, unruly and quaking with power. Mulciber almost seemed pushed back by his own wand, both of his hands gripping it as it whipped around, jerking him back and forth.

Suddenly, from within the flames rose a burning serpent, twisting upwards with no clear direction. You had never seen anything like it in your entire life, the dashing, licking flames something out of only your darkest nightmares. The serpent's head aimed itself at James and Sirius, who each were on their feet again, furiously shielding themselves from the blaze. In a moment of panic you screamed, blood curdling and with all the pain you had ever felt.

“No!”

The serpent's head twisted again, its orange eyes finding yours. Its mouth opened to reveal fiery fangs, making a single, abrupt move to strike. You held up your wand, prepared to fight off the unknown enemy, though there was no need. As quickly as it came, the fire was gone, entirely taken from the world as if it had never existed. Beyond the blackened grass of the lawn like a shining pillar of bright, white light, Professor Dumbledore stood with his wand raised. Behind him, Professor McGonagall and Taurisus lingered with the same look of fright you likely wore.

Mulciber, whose eyes had been glaring at you when the serpent made its target, were ripped away as he turned to the Headmaster. His whole body shook as he lurched towards him, the breath ripping from your lungs.

“Avad—”

“Stupefy!”

Mulciber instantly fell to the ground in a heap as the beam of red light hit him, his wand rolling from his hand. All eyes fell onto you, gasping as your arm dropped down, your gaze still trained on Mulciber’s motionless body as if you expected him to wake.

You barely noticed James flying towards you until his arms pulled you into his chest, your name falling from his lips over and over, broken and wretched. You curled into him, dazed and in disbelief. The cut on your leg throbbed, though it was easy to ignore as James’s hands came to the side of your face, pulling away to meet your eyes. He was looking at you as if you were a ghost, the color all but drained from his face.

“Are you all right?” he asked, the words rushing from him so fast he was nearly indistinguishable. “What happened? What did he do? Are you hurt?”

You were shivering now, your clothes still soaked and your feet covered in mud. You opened your mouth to speak, though your words caught in your throat, only a small noise escaping. James ran a hand along your head, stopping at the top of your forehead.

“You’re bleeding,” he gasped, tender as he touched you.

“It doesn’t hurt,” you said, your mind still fuzzy.

He glanced down at your leg, another wave of worry washing over his expression.

“I barely feel it,” you said, your jaw quivering as you grabbed at his arms in an effort to get him to look at you again. All you wanted to see was his face, to know that he was really here, that he was safe, that he was yours. Your hands scrambled further up towards his shoulders when he finally obeyed, his glasses slightly askew where they had fallen on the bridge of his nose. You let out a delirious laugh, straightening them. “There,” you whispered.

“Mister Potter.”

The voice was even and of a low register; serious, though not unnerving. You each knew it quite well, James turning to see Dumbledore looking at you both. He stood beside Mulciber, his pale grey robes brushing the charred ground. Your classmate was still unconscious, his face smoothed of all its rageful lines, peaceful as if he were asleep. Binding his wrists were a pair of handcuffs, his wand nowhere in sight. Still in the place where you had last seen him, Sirius was standing, his eyes flickering up from the grass towards the pair of you, then to Dumbledore. He seemed as stunned as you were, his mouth ajar. He had a speckling of burn marks on the shoulder of his robe, exposing his jersey beneath. The same could be said for James, whose uniform looked worse for wear.

James put his arm around you, letting you put your weight on him as he kept you on your feet.

“Take Miss L/N to Madam Pomfrey’s at once,” said Dumbledore. “Mister Black, if you’d come with me.”

McGonagall scurried around him towards Mulciber, motioning for a silent, unmoving Taurisus to follow.

James turned to look at you, his eyes warm and worried. “Can you walk?”

You nodded, though you made no move to step out of his arms. His lips were pressed as his eyes darted back down to the cut on your leg, though he didn’t argue, leading you back across the lawn towards the castle. It was only then you noticed what seemed to be half of the Hogwarts student body gathered about two-hundred yards away by the main path, looking like a dark sea of bobbing heads. They did not speak in murmurs but at full volume, doing nothing to conceal their raging curiosity. You shrunk further into James, your legs like jelly beneath you.

Ahead, Dumbledore was taking long strides towards the masses, his arms stretched out like great wings.

“Return to your common rooms, everyone,” he bellowed, his tone so strict that no one dared defy his order.

In a renewed wave of chatter, the massive group rushed down the path towards the castle, save for five students shouting as they burst through the crowd. They looked like madmen, sprinting across the lawn towards Dumbledore as they continued to call out, though the Headmaster did nothing but drop his arms. Soon enough you recognized Remus’s wiry run and Lily’s copper hair, Dorcas still wearing her quidditch gear.

As they neared you made out what they were saying, mostly yours, James’s and Sirius’s names, with a few choice expletives from Dorcas when she got close enough to see the blackened earth and Mulciber, who to anyone else may have seemed dead. Remus got to you first, taken aback either by the sight of drying blood on your face or James’s total dishevelment, or maybe both.

“Bloody hell,” Peter said, coming to a stop not far in front of you. He stared at the ground, caught in the sight of it for a moment before looking at you and James.

“He’s not dead,” you croaked, your throat suddenly dry. Dorcas made a grunt as if this news was not ideal.

Lily was almost in tears as she rushed towards you, her hand coming up to touch your face, but stopping inches short. “Godric, what happened?”

“I’m all right, I’m all right,” you said to her, trying your best to calm her down, though it seemed impossible.

Marlene stared at you a moment before looking to Mulciber, her face contorted in loathing as she took a few hard steps towards him. Sirius caught her arm, not allowing her to shake him off.

“He’s in cuffs,” Sirius said under his breath, looking straight into her eyes. They stared at one another a moment, Marlene in a ruthless challenge and Sirius in a solemn warning. Eventually, Marlene took a deep breath, still glowering as she gave up the fight.

“Miss Meadowes,” Dumbledore said, his tone entirely calm.

Slowly, Dorcas looked to the Headmaster, swallowing nervously. He was an imposing figure on the lawn, devoid of his usual aura of gaiety.

“Did I not give you explicit instruction to stay inside the castle?” he asked, not seeming angry, but rather disappointed. Even though she wasn’t faced with the full force of his anger, it was still unsettling to be on the receiving end of Dumbledore’s displeasure, no matter how mild.

Dorcas’s shoulders dropped, her head dipping just a bit lower. “I’m sorry, sir.”

Dumbledore turned, his eyes piercing behind his half-moon glasses. “Mister Lupin, please ensure that all Gryffindor’s find their way back to the common room. Miss Evans, if you’d aid the prefects in the other houses do the same, it would be much appreciated.”

Lily, whose hand now rested upon your shoulder, turned to look at him, her mouth opening and closing a few times, though she never spoke. She gave you a pained, apologetic look, her hand falling from you in a sad, lazy motion.

“Mister Potter, to the Hospital Wing,” Dumbledore finished, his eyes meeting yours rather than James’s.

James brushed the side of your head, careful to not hurt you. “C’mon,” he muttered, his voice ginger and low.

Before Lily ran off with Remus she flicked her wand towards you, drying you off completely. Her smile was small and glum before she went to catch up with him, telling you all you needed to know. I’ll be back, I promise.

The rest of you walked at your hobbling pace towards the castle, even Dumbledore and Sirius, most of you still in a state of complete bewilderment. You found your eyes drifting to the Headmaster every so often, trying to search his expression for some recognition that you weren’t having some grand delusion, that you had not made the entire thing up in your head, though he revealed nothing.

The Entrance Hall was empty when you entered, save for a handful of professors who were not head of house. Sinistra appeared dumbfounded as she took in the sight of your group, her dark eyes widening as they fell onto your bloodied leg. Quattlebaum stood beside her, his countenance quite different from all the rest. His hands were clasped in front of him, his mouth straight, though not pressed. At first glance he appeared unconcerned, though under further scrutiny he seemed as though he was fully aware of every detail of the current situation at hand, knowing quite well that Mulciber had been detained and that your injuries were minor. How he could have been made aware, you did not know, though you hadn’t much time to think it over. Dumbledore told them to scour the castle for wayward students and to return them to their common rooms, then motioned for Sirius to follow him to his office.

“Do not worry, Mister Black,” Dumbeldore said, the faintest smile making its way beneath his greying beard. “You will see your friends quite soon.”

With a final look back, obviously wanting to do nothing more than stay with the rest of you, Sirius went with the Headmaster.

“Goodness, get inside— right this instant,” Madam Pomfrey said in a rushed, fussing voice as she met you in the corridor outside the Hospital Wing. She scrambled to your other side, though you held up your hand, refusing her help. Your right leg only had a slight limp, your head aching, though you were perfectly capable of making it inside, especially with James’s support. You told her as much, though she still placed her hand on your upper back as she led you through the heavy oak door.

“Just sit here, dear,” she said, bringing you to the nearest bed.

James stood by your side as you slowly moved to sit, the large windows behind you casting an outpouring of light into the room. Marlene, Dorcas, and Peter lingered around you as Pomfrey inspected the gash on your calf. She frowned, moving up to your face to do the same with the cut just above your forehead. Huffing, she turned to send a stony look at the others by the foot of your bed.

“I will permit you to stay for the time being, but only if you are not a hindrance,” she said, her voice strict.

You hissed, your face scrunching as you laid down fully onto the elevated mattress, your head beginning to pound harder. James nearly flew forward, his hand coming to hold yours, though he pulled away before you could touch when Pomfrey shot him a stern look. Your eyes closed, the sunlight becoming blinding.

“I’ll get something for your head once I get these wounds healed,” she said, pressing the tip of her wand to your forehead. You could feel the small cut closing, the sensation always strange no matter how many times it had been performed on you.

She did the same to the cut on your calf and scrapes on your palms, wordlessly using the wiping spell to rid you of all the dark burgundy blood and mud caked onto your skin and clothes. Already it felt better to be clean, though you could still use a long bath and a change of clothes, the smell of the lake still present despite the water having been leached.

“What happened to your shoes?” she asked.

“They’re in the lake.”

You could hear her sigh, though she did not comment. As soon as she walked away, James leaned towards you, both his hands enveloping yours. Your eyes fluttered open, unthinking of how his closeness may seem to Dorcas and Peter.

“Are you okay?” you whispered.

“Fine,” he said, one of his hands coming to rub up your arm.

You turned to look at the others, all edgy and rather stunned. “Are you all—”

“Of course we are,” Dorcas said. “You’re the one who dueled him.”

A jolt of pain ran across your forehead when you looked back at James, squeezing your eyes shut with a wince. His thumb ran over your knuckles, holding you just a bit tighter.

“Moony says that Poppy’s headache draughts are top-notch.”

You could hear the small smile in his voice, making the corner of your tips twitch up. It fell soon after, the grave nature of the situation coming back to you. “Is Sirius all right?”

“Yes, he’s fine,” James answered softly.

The sound of Pomfrey’s office door opening sent James’s hand slipping from yours. She came around the corner carrying two small vials, handing one to you.

“Here, love, take this for your head.”

You sat up, take the vial and throwing it back like a shot of firewhiskey. It tasted faintly of foxglove, though it was otherwise unremarkable. You flopped back down after she took it back, hoping it would take effect sooner rather than later.

Pomfrey then applied dittany to the wound on your leg, giving you a pitying sort of frown when she was finished. “Would you like something to sleep?”

“No,” you said, rubbing your temple. “I’m all right. Thank you, though.”

She looked between the small audience crowding around your bed, surveying them intently. “It’s best you all return to your common room and come back later. I doubt Professor Dumbeldore wants any students running around the castle at a time like this.”

James’s face instantly morphed into a look of pure desperation, protests already coming from Dorcas.

“He saw us go with her. I’m sure he would have said something if he wasn’t okay with it!”

Pomfrey clicked her tongue, not taking any arguments. “Please, Miss Meadowes, return before I have to call Professor McGonagall to escort you.”

James moved to stand right beside your bed, his eyes flashing down to yours before returning to Pomfrey. “But—”

“No ifs, ands, or buts,” Pomfrey interrupted, more severe than before.

James all but crumpled in anguish, his countenance so distraught that he suddenly seemed more like a boy than a man. You tried to speak, though James rambled on before you could get a word in.

“But I’m her boyfriend,” he begged, his brows pinched as he stared at her, unwavering.

You glared up at James, but it appeared as though he hadn’t realized he’d even revealed your secret to two parties otherwise in the dark, too intensely focused on the immediate goal of staying with you.

Pomfrey looked as though she’d eaten a lemon, unspeaking for a few seconds as she examined his pleading expression with close scrutiny as if to see if he was lying. You couldn’t exactly blame her if she thought he was, for he hadn’t let the entire school forget when he was dating Lily.

“Just you, Mister Potter,” she said eventually, looking to the others. “The rest, back to your common room.”

Peter could do little to conceal his surprise, nearly gawking at the two of you before Marlene rolled her eyes, tugging on his arm. Dorcas appeared less astonished, her mouth opening as if something suddenly made sense to her. You supposed Marlene wasn’t exaggerating, Dorcas was onto you.

“We’ll see you later,” Marlene said kindly, nodding at your worried look. You knew she’d force the others not to tell, not until you could speak with Lily yourself. Dorcas you weren’t too worried about, Peter on the other hand…

Pomfrey followed them to the door, seeing them out. When you heard it shut your attention was placed solely on James. You were not particularly upset with him, for it was becoming excruciatingly exhausting to keep the burden to yourself. In a way it felt good to have two more people know, though you hated the idea of nearly everyone finding out before Lily, who by all rights should’ve been the first.

“Dear,” said Promfrey, peeking around the corner. “I’ve sent for some fresh clothes, since I’d like to keep you for the night. After they arrive you can wash up, if you’d like.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

In an act of kindness, Pomfrey then left you and James alone, slipping into her office.

“I’m sorry,” he sighed, pulling up the chair to sit beside you. He grabbed your hand again, studying its shape as he played with your fingers.

“I don’t even care anymore,” you said with a humorless laugh, your head aching as you did. “But wouldn’t it have just been easier to come back later under the cloak?” you continued, speaking at a whisper.

“That's hours from now,” he said, as if he were speaking about months, or even years.

You smiled, though it was laced with fatigue and a small, though not inconsequential, dose of melancholy. “I was just about to tell her when Agnes came pounding on our door, hysterical, telling her that Peeves was throwing fizzybombs in the corridor. I was this close. This fucking close.”

“She can’t be angry with you now,” he murmured, bringing your hand to his lips to kiss your knuckles. “You can tell her tomorrow.”

Your jaw trembled, tears welling in your eyes. “I don’t want to tell her tomorrow. I want to tell her today, like I promised.”

You stared into your lap, the overwhelming nature of the day hitting you all at once. You weren’t simply crying over Lily, though that surely didn’t help your crumbling resolve. More things had happened within such a short span of time than should be possible. You weren’t even sure what time it was or how long your duel had lasted. You glanced down at your watch, seeing that it was just before the end of sixth period, not even an hour since you ran out of the castle.

“How long do you think they’ll keep everyone locked in their common rooms?” you asked, sniffling away all signs of your weeping. You hadn’t even let a tear fall, fearing that once you started, you may never stop.

You could tell James was racking his mind for ways to make things better, though he could come up with nothing. “I’m not sure. Probably just until dinner. Someone will be here to collect Mulciber soon, I’d imagine. He was alone, right?” he stopped, catching himself. “Don’t think about it now. We can talk about it all later.”

You shook your head. “No, I’m all right to. Mulciber was alone, though I did see Snape by the lake.” You continued quickly when you saw a flash of rage run through James’s eyes, “He didn’t do anything. He was by the trees, watching us, but then he ran away. He seemed frightened more than anything.”

James’s jaw was still clenched, the tendons in his neck tight and straining. “I should tell Poppy,” he said, rising from his chair. “Dumbledore would want to know.”

You let your hand slip out of his grasp, watching as he walked to Pomfrey’s office, knocking on the doorframe before he entered. You couldn’t make out the majority of their exchange, only catching the soft, “Oh, yes. Stay here, Mister Potter,” from Pomfrey before you heard the small puff from the floo. James returned, sitting back down with a lagging, weary walk.

“Are you sure you don’t want something to sleep?” he asked, clearly hoping you’d say yes.

“No,” you said, blinking away the blurriness in your eyes. “My heads a bit better now, anyway. I want you to tell me what happened. How did you and Sirius know what was going on? And Dorcas—”

“Saw it from the pitch,” he answered, the reminder of the incident sinking him back into misery. “You didn’t see us?”

You furrowed your brows. “No. Did you fly down?”

He nodded. “I sent Dorcas to get help and made the rest of the team stay in the locker rooms. Merlin— they might still be there for all I know.”

“I’m sure they came out once they heard Dumbledore. The whole school probably heard him,” you paused, going over the events again. “Why didn’t you see me jump into the lake?”

“You must’ve done it right when I was bossing everyone around,” he said with a morose smile. “I was— Godric— it was just instinct. I was fucking mad. I thought, I nearly thought,” he faltered, clearing his throat as he stared down at your hands again, now entwined.

“James,” you breathed, the crushing weight of your affection falling down upon you, colliding with the lingering dread of Mulciber’s blazing eyes as they stared at you from above. You felt too full, bursting with contradictory emotions that did not compliment the other. You were swelling with pride over James’s skill and your own miraculous final defeat of your classmate, tormented over the way he and Sirius had been so close to death, all for your own safety, still scared to the very core of your being— and most of all, consumed by love.

You reached up, weaving your hands into his hair to bring his face to yours, your other touching his cheek as you leaned forward to crash your lips against his. At first he was taken off guard by your plea, slower than you to drift into your ardent rhythm. He sank into it soon enough, letting you lead him to whatever you felt, riding your unruly current. Thank you, thank you, I love you, you said, your hands keeping his face as near to yours as possible, his nose pressing against your cheek. Never say thank you, you are all I want, he answered, over and over.

He ripped away suddenly with a shaking breath, his head whipping around to look at the entrance. You followed his gaze, your face running hot with horror when you met a pair of green eyes staring at you from the doorway, wide and fixed on your embrace.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Notes: ahhhhh can't believe we're here! thank you all for reading and sticking with me, I'll see you in the next chapter <3 xoxo

⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓⌓

Tag List: @floverisland @ilovejamespottersomuch @googie-jeon @tvnile @eli-com @lovelyteenagebeard @letssee2468 @abhootghiihii

#james potter x reader #james potter/reader #james potter x fem!reader #james potter x you #james potter fanfiction #james potter #marauders fandom #james potter fluff #marauders era #hp marauders #marauders

52 notes · View notes