ꜰɪʀᴇʙɪʀᴅ |ᴊᴀᴍᴇꜱ ᴘᴏᴛᴛᴇʀ

chapter 8 - ignore me more

James and his friends decided to do nothing. Don't shower her with compliments, don't stare at the back of her head for the whole class. Don't do anything.

By now everyone had heard of Ember and Owen's date. Most of the girls were disappointed, and were not very fond of her at the moment. She had actually been planning on talking to James about how it wasn't really a date. That they were only playfully flirting with one another. Then her mind did a double take, 'What the hell, why should I need to justify my actions for James of all people.' With those thoughts out of her head she walked down to the common room.

"Hi boys" she old them as she walked out. 3 out of the 4 boys replied a simple greeting back. James however ignored her completely. She looked back at him and felt a little hurt but shook it off and went to go sit down with Lily. "Hi Lil, do you know what's wrong with James today." "Not that I know of, why?" "I don't know, he just seems off. Okay maybe i'm wrong, but what I really am is hungry. Let's go i'm starving" she told Lily, glancing back at James. 

James overheard their conversation and smiled to himself. Sirius noticed this and rolled his eyes, turning his head towards James, "Why are you smiling this time Prongs" "She actually noticed me. She didn't hear my voice and then she noticed me." James sighed, letting his head flop onto the back of the couch.

* * * *

Ember was getting worried about James, he hadn't spoken to her in 5 days. She was beginning to wonder if he even liked her anymore. She was ripped out of her thoughts, realizing she was late for Potions. She raced down the corridor, running into multiple students along the way, until she finally made it to the potion's classroom. "Sorry Professor Slughorn, I was on the other side of the school." she panted. "That's quite alright Miss. Holland, take a seat next to Mr. Potter. Hopefully, you can tame him down for this class." Her eyes widened as she heard the words coming out of his mouth. Her cheeks flushed as she walked to where James sat. She silently sat in her seat, looking down intently at her paper, trying not to focus on how James was sitting next to her. 

James was doing the exact same thing. 

Lily had noticed her red cheeks, and how they were both refusing to look at one another. She nudged to her partner, "Sirius, are we on track to win the bet this year?" He looked a Lily, smirking, "Of course, we are the unexpected team, destined to win." "You bet, how's the plan working?" "Great, can't wait to get our 20 galleons from Peter and Remus." "Along with Marlene, Alice, and Ember herself." Lily replied wearing the same smirk as Sirius.

Meanwhile in the back of the classroom, Ember and James were doing terrible jobs of ignoring each other. James continued to think about her hair, her amber eyes that made his heart skip a beat. Her fiery personality that matched her hair, her name, everything. He only thought about her, and definitely not whatever Slughorn was teaching. "Mr. Potter, could you tell me about Veritaserum?" Slughorn asked the daydreaming boy. "Uh-"he stuttered until Ember couldn't stand to hear him stutter without an answer. "Truth serum" she slid a note to him. He noticed her handwriting, "Er- truth serum." "Correct Mr. Potter, please pay attention to my lesson and not Miss Holland." James and Ember both dropped their gazes. James decided he should thank her for saving him from being a stuttering mess, she read his mind before he could. "Don't mention it Potter, seriously." He nodded towards her, still confused on what she actually meant.

* * * *

Ember entered the common room, seeing James and the rest of his friends talking something about werewolves and Remus. Ember was actually born with acute senses, Hypervigillance they called it. No one knew about this, not even her abusive mother. She heard them from across the room, they hadn't even noticed her, until she came up behind Remus.

"Boo!" she exclaimed, scaring Remus, as he jumped in his seat. She giggled at his expense, and Jammes couldn't help but sigh. He wished he could talk to her, but the method of ignoring her seemed to be working. She wished he would talk to her as well,but respected his wished of not liking her anymore. She often wondered if she was the problem, 'maybe I was too harsh, did he actually care, why do I push everyone away?' Her mother was most likely the reason for the last one. Even if she didn't push them away, her mother did a great job of that herself.

Ember sat down on Sirius's lap, hoping to get some kind of reaction out of James. "So Sirius, what were you guys discussing before I scared Remus?" she questioned, even though she knew exactly what they were talking about. They all tensed up a bit. She decided to make them paraniod, just a little fun before she went to the library. "Say, isn't the full moon in three days? Quite beautiful isn't it?" All the boys froze. She laughed out loud in her head, keeping her questioning face intact. She heard Remus mumble under his breath, "Beautiful is not the word I would use to desribe it." 

The corners of her mouth turned down slightly,feeling sorry for the boy. She had actually figured out Remus's furry little problem back in first year. She decided it was not her place to say anything, if he wanted to tell her she wouldn't judge him. During that time, she had sent him a potion to numb his pain. She had also discreetly given the boys an idea about becoming animagus's.

"Remus you're looking a little pale...anyway, lovely chatting with you boys, but i'm afraid I must run to read about the shrieking shack. Later!" She quickly left, giving Sirius a kiss on the cheek as she got up from his lap. She proudly walked away, leaving the boys behind her paranoid.

* * * *

James watched her walk out of room, leaning back into nothing. He fell backwards onto his butt, while his friends were dying of laughter. "Shut up." His friends continued to laugh at him, "Seriously guys, do you think she knows about Remus?" His friends quieted down immediately. Remus spoke up, " I don't know,she could?" James spoke, "She is really smart, she did also drop some really large hints suggesting she did." "True. Anyway, we think the plan is really working this yera. Our new approach has paid off immensely. Wouldn't you agreee boys?"