LOVERBOY
{JAMES FLEAMONT POTTER}
The leaves had started to turn and they were slowly falling off the trees, the Autumn chills of November were in full swing. Each Quidditch team had set their date for tryouts and it was only a matter of time before the first game of the season.
"He hasn't mentioned it since?" Alice asked.
"No. He said he'd let me know after he'd decided on a date for tryouts, but they are tomorrow and he hasn't asked me." Maeve explained.
"Maybe he's just been so nervous about asking you he just hasn't found the right time," Alice said trying to sound as optimistic as she could for her friend. Maeve gave a glum shrug in return.
"Stop making that face. You are going to go to tryouts tomorrow, become the new Gryffindor seeker and James Potter will have to have Black, Lupin and Pettigrew come to pick his jaw up off the floor." Eva said.
Eva's words caused the corners of the Irish girl's mouth to twitch up into a smile that quickly grew into a light chuckle as they walked down to the Great Hall for breakfast. James spotted Maeve as the three girls walked in, he looked to her and smiled, she returned the gesture but definitely without the same sincerity as normal. Lily was sat alone with her nose buried in her Advanced Potions Making book, her free hand was feeling around the table for her fork. Maeve sat beside her and placed the fork in her hand.
"Thanks, Mae- wait when did you guys get here?"
"Just now," Eva said before immediately stuffing cereal into her mouth. "Where's Marlene?"
"Dorcas asked for her help with Herbology." She pointed over to the Hufflepuff table where Marlene was staring intently at a piece of parchment whilst a girl with masses of curly brown hair sat beside her.
"Good luck, Dorcas. I sit next to Marlene in Herbology and well... I wouldn't ask for her help." Alice said.
"Dorcas is in my Herbology, I'm surprised she needs help," Eva said with her mouth full once again.
"Are you two really that oblivious?" Maeve asked earning confused looks from Alice and Eva, "Dorcas didn't actually need her help, it's obviously just her way of getting Marlene to spend time with her alone."
"Oh we're oblivious, how about the fact that-" Before Eva could finish her sentence Maeve kicked her under the table. "What was that for?"
"You know exactly what that was for, I don't want to talk about it anymore" Maeve said before taking a bite of her toast.
"Em, have you got any plans for lunch?" Alice asked catching on to her friend's desire for a segway in conversation.
"I am as free as a bird, why?"
"I wanna get in some extra practice before tomorrow and I thought you might be able to give me some pointers if that's okay?"
"Yeah of course, but what happened to practice with Frank?"
"Emmy Parker asked him to practice before dinner in the Common Room earlier."
"And he said yes?" Eva asked choking slightly on her orange juice out of surprise.
"Yup," Alice said trying not to let her bright, unbothered facade falter.
"I'm sure it's nothing, practically everyone knows that something is going on between you and Frank, Al," Lily reassured with a smile.
"That's the thing, Lils, there isn't anything going on between us. I'm not his girlfriend, he owes me no loyalty, he can play Quidditch and kiss whoever he wants." The last part came out quicker and more frantic than the rest.
"Frank kissed her, that good for nothing..." Eva's words turned into angry grumbles as she reached for her wand.
"Not yet, but why else would he help her, unless they are dating?" The small brunette's blue eyes became glossy with tears she trying to keep from falling with all the might she could muster.
"That's quite a jump, Al, she probably just wants his help."
"Nothing is ever that clean cut, Lily, and you know it. I'm going to go to potions, see you there." She stood up with a solemn look on her face.
Lily and Maeve quickly bid their friends farewell and rushed after the fleeting figure of their upset but bit of an over-analyzer friend.
"Brody." Someone shouted from behind the pair.
"Potter, can this wait? We need to find Alice before class starts." She said not even bothering to look back.
"I'll speak to Alice, maybe just hear him out," Lily sympathised ever so slightly with the bespeckled boy attempting to catch up with them. Emphasis on the slightly.
Maeve stopped walking and turned to face the boy with her arms folded across her chest, the girl's disinterested stance made the boy even more nervous. He swallowed before speaking as if that would cause his apprehension to dissipate.
"I just wanted to know if you wanted to go for that practice before dinner. I know I didn't send an owl, but close enough, right?" He chuckled and scratched the back of his neck.
"The pitch is taken tonight." Her voice was lifeless and cold, feeling as though that would put an end to the conversation she continued down the corridor.
"Lunchtime then?" James broke into a light jog to catch up to the brunette.
"I can't, I'm practising with Alice at lunch."
"Oh."
"Oh? That's all you have to say? Oh." Maeve whipped around and stared at the boy in sheer incredulity.
"Are you mad at me or something?"
"You've had nearly two months to ask me, but chose the day before tryouts. I'm not mad at you, James, I guess I just expected something different."
"And what did you expect?"
"I'll see you in potions, Potter." She finally left James standing alone in the corridor. When she found Alice and Lily they were in a small alcove just outside their classroom.
"Alice, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm okay, sorry for storming off. I don't think I'm even mad at Frank, more myself for not telling him how I feel sooner." She shrugged her shoulders. "I just wish he wasn't hanging out with her later, so I had a little more time."
"I might have an idea..." Alice's face brightened immediately at the notion. "If the captain wanted the pitch, no one would argue would they?"
"Probably not, no."
"Then Emmy isn't going to get her practice with Frank tonight."
"How are you gonna do that?"
Alice queried. Maeve didn't answer her fellow brunette, instead, she moved away from the pair in hopes of finding the ebony-haired Captain. Upon entering the Potion's classroom, she found that it was entirely empty, except for James who was sitting in his seat writing something on a scrap piece of parchment.
"Is there any chance I could change my answer to your offer?" She asked as soon as she sat down making the bespeckled boy jump slightly.
"I thought you said that the pitch was taken?"
"So, you're the captain no one is going to argue with you, especially when tryouts are tomorrow."
"But you said- and you were- in the- ex- you-"
"Better late than never?" She said with a genuine smile, even if this was for Alice, part of her was excited to spend some more time alone with the boy.
"Yeah." He said and a big smile spread through his features.
YOU ARE READING
LOVER BOY || J. Potter
Fanfiction"I've never been in love." "Hopefully, that's about to change." ↠ ↠ ...
