Losing Game/// James Potter

Chapter 20

As soon as Elsie sat down next to James, he couldn't stop thinking about what Remus had said to him last night.

"Finally admit that you have feelings for Elsie..."

It was absolutely crazy. James knew that he couldn't like Elsie, there was no possible way. Elsie was strictly his best friend, and Lily was the love of his life. She had been since first year, and nothing would change that.

Besides, James thought Remus' statement was even more wrong due to fact of how different Lily and Elsie were. How could I love two girls who are so different? I can't... that's exactly the point.. I only have feelings for Lily.

Lily was a perfectly composed, red-haired girl, in every sense thought possible. She planned ahead of time and knew exactly what she wanted before she sought after it. Her maturity was astounding, it always has been. Even as a first year, Lily could have earned the respect of any teacher she wanted. Lily was the voice of reason, who always gave the right advice. She was confident and short-tempered, and fiercely defended anything she loved. Lily, in James' eyes, was all a guy could ever want in a girl. She was perfect.

And, Elsie... well she was quite the opposite of that. Elsie was a small, goofy brunette who was the farthest thing from perfect anyone had ever seen. She was clumsy and never exactly knew what she was doing. Elsie was patient and may not have given the best advice, but always knew the right things to say. She put everyone else before herself, even when she shouldn't. Elsie wasn't confident like Lily was, and she didn't know the beauty she brought into this world. She wasn't put together, she was a mess. But, so was James. And that's why they were the perfect pair. Pair of best friends, of course.

James stared at the girl next to him, watching her whisper to her friends. Elsie may not have been the textbook definition of perfect as Lily was, but she was perfect in her own way. Perfectly imperfect.

As he was studying the girl next to him, Elsie raised her hand and pushed some of her hair behind her ear, revealing dark spots on her neck. James' became livid at seeing the spots, and immediately curled his hands into fists under the table. Something in him wanted to stand up on the table and scream that no one was allowed to touch his best friend, but he knew that was irrational. He didn't want it to bother him that much, but he couldn't help himself from thinking. That's where she went last night... who the fuck did that to her?

"Elsie?" James seethed, directly staring at the skin she had just revealed, "What the fuck are those marks on your neck?"

Elsie's face turned pale as she quickly covered up her neck with her hair, "Nothing."

"Bullshit," James spit out while locking eyes with Elsie, "Who did that to you?"

All of Elsie's friends now had their eyes glued onto the pale-faced, brunette girl who began anxiously biting her lip.

"And, whose clothes are those? They're definitely not yours, and their definitely not any of ours or I would recognize them," Remus questioned from across the table while gesturing to the four boys, a knowing smirk dancing on his face.

Elsie, who was now completely red in embarrassment refused to make eye contact with any one of her friends. "I don't-," Elsie's stuttering was suddenly cut off by a gasp.

"Bloody hell, Els. You got shagged last night didn't you?" Sirius commented with a smirk on his face while pointing a finger at Elsie, "Who's the lucky lad?"

Gears starting turning in James' head as his fists began gripping his own thighs under the table, trying to control his anger. He looked down the table until his gaze ended up on the exact person he needed to talk to.