Losing Game/// James Potter

Chapter 73

Elsie softly guided Remus up the stairs and into her room, his hand tightly knitted into hers. His smirk was still plastered on his face as the door to her room shut behind them. The two friends sat down on her bed, their knees touching as they faced each other.

"You and that bloody smirk," she quipped while lightly swiping at his shoulder, the upward curve of his lips deepening while doing so.

Remus raised his hands in the air as if pleading guilty and laughed, before bringing them back down to his lap and questioning, "Everything alright?"

Elsie's hands fidgeting with the hem of her shirt as she looked down quietly, her face fighting between a look of sadness and a look of hopefulness. She couldn't bring herself to answer the boy sitting next to her because she didn't know exactly how she was feeling. All she knew was that there was only one thing that she felt as certain about as marrying James Potter, and so she looked up at Remus with a small smile.

"My very first time on the Hogwarts Express was beyond nerve wracking for my 11 year-old self. I had James, but I knew he was much more capable than I was with handling himself. I was scared that I wasn't going to make any friends and that no one would like me," she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before looking down and grabbing Remus' hand nostalgically, "But then, I quite literally bumped into this tall, shy, and brilliant boy with the warmest eyes I had ever seen. I believe his name is Remus Lupin, ring any bells?"

Remus snorted and nudged her in the side, "No, I'm not quite sure it does. He sounds terrible."

"Well, he was lovely," Elsie playfully swatted his shoulder as she continued on, "And he walked into my life without a single complaint, not even when I talked a mouthful to him the second I met him."

"Don't think he had a chance to say any words with how fast you were talking," The scarred boy teased her and squeezed her hand comfortingly.

"I hardly think he minded, "She chuckled genuinely and smiled up at him, rolling her eyes at the comment he made. Elsie took a deep breath and locked eyes with him, "Well Remmy, that boy made all my nerves disappear. He showed me that I would be okay, that I would make friends."

Remus nodded and squeezed her hand, thinking back to the moment they had met on the train all those years ago.

"And from there on, he's done so much more for me. He held my hand when I fell in love with a prat, he held my hand as I watched that prat fall in love with someone else, he held my hand and fought for my happiness when I couldn't anymore," she sighed and stared at Remus with her eyes glazing over, her head gesturing down to the intertwined fingers on her lap, "And here he is now, still holding my hand through it all...even when I'm about to marry that very prat."

The boy sitting next to her let out a chuckle and scooted closer to her, wrapping a comforting arm around her body. She tilted her head and looked up at him as he genuinely stared back at her. And for a moment, no words were said. It was just two friends basking in the love they had formed for each other with each other.

"Remmy?" Elsie broke the silence between the two. "Yeah, Els?"

"I want you to keep holding my hand," she started speaking to him in a voice so confident, so genuine. Her hand grasped his tightly and her eyes refused to move away from him.

"Of course, Els. I'll always be here to-," Remus smiled at his friend and held her close, but was cut off when Elsie decided to make herself clearer.

"Down the aisle, Remmy," she spoke firmly this time and watched as his eyes widened and his lips parted slightly.

"You..." he trailed off while looking at her, not being able to stop a smile from spreading across his face.

"I want you to walk me down the aisle," Elsie nodded her head and chuckled at the shocked expression on his face. She was about to open her mouth again when she suddenly felt her body being tackled onto the bed. Remus wrapped his arms around the small girl and hugged her harder than he ever has, his emotions slipping out through subtle tears in his eyes.