Wild Hearts ✮ James Potter

Chapter 5.

TW: Night Terrors

The rest of the first day of term went by relatively quickly for Mia. But that night when she settled back into bed her peaceful bubble was burst.

Orion Black shoved his daughter on the floor, once she hit the carpet he pulled his foot back and kicked her in the stomach. Mia Groaned in pain.

He grabbed her by the chin and yanked her to her feet. She felt a prickly sensation in her nose as her father had whacked it with his fist. He pushed her against the wall roughly so her back would bruise.

The door to the living room of Grimmauld Place then swung open to reveal Walburga Black dragging Regulus by his collar. She chucked him onto the floor and spat on him. She then turned her cold glare to Mia and spoke harsh words.

"You whore of a girl."

"James Potter? James fucking Potter."

"I've heard all about your little crush on him and quite frankly it makes me laugh. You think he would ever want you."

She slapped Mia round the face and drew her wand, pointing it at Regulus.

Orion cast the body binding spell on Mia so she was frozen in place watching as Regulus' piercing grey eyes bore into hers. She could see the fear coursing through his veins and she could do nothing but watch.

Suddenly, her fathers cold voice cut through the room.

Regulus began screaming in pain after Orion threw curse after curse at him. His limbs hitting the nearby furniture surely causing his bones to crack.

Walburga's voice screeched loudly.

One word.

One word that has brought so much devastation into the young witch's life.

"Crucio."

Mia shot up in bed. A cold sweat dripping down her back. Tears streaming down her face. Heart pounding in her ears. She looked around whilst breathing heavily. Silence rang through the Slytherin dormitory. A black silence. One that only happened after chaos had ensued. Even if that chaos was only in the confines of Mia Black's mind. It was a deep dark black that made her skin crawl. But she slowly realised where she was.

Hogwarts, not Grimmauld Place.

An odd sense of relief seeped through her bones despite her exhausted state. After regulating her breathing she knew she wouldn't  get anymore sleep so she grabbed a discarded book to read until the sun comes up.

At breakfast the next morning, Mia was miserable. She looked terrible and she knew it. She had dark circles under her eyes. Her skin was pale and clammy. Her hair was knocked into low ponytail that didn't look effortlessly good like it did on other girls. It just looked like she couldn't be bothered to brush it. But to be honest. For once Mia was far to distracted to care.

She managed to eat a slice of dry toast and a large cup of coffee so she felt slightly better. But then she remembered she had double History of Magic and her mood came crashing back down. Sirius and James stared and Mia from across the hall. Concern laced across their features.

"Maybe she's just ill?" James suggested while scrutinising the Slytherin girl.

"Absolutely not. Did you see the bags under her eyes. She looks like she didn't sleep at all." Sirius sighed.

As the Marauders waltzed into the History of Magic classroom, Mia was sat at the back of the room, freezing cold because she forgot her robe. James slid into the seat next to her in an attempt to cheer her up. But due to his lack of subtlety he ended up making things worse.

"What's got your knickers in a twist today?" He asked cheekily, trying to lighten the mood.

"Excuse me?" Mia said. She was so tired of people making her feelings into a joke.

Was she not allowed to sit quietly and keep to herself for one day? Did she have to be a happy girl all the time?

She was tired. So tired. She had no energy to be angry at James so she just looked at him sadly and said.

"I'm tired Prongs."

James felt his heart melt. Her beautiful blue eyes looked watery. Her skin an ethereally pale colour. She looked terrible. But to him, her beauty still seeped through the cracks. James didn't know when he developed a crush on Mia.

Maybe it was in 3rd year when they pranked the whole school by lacing the pumpkin juice with polyjuice potion to make everyone look like Filch. Or maybe it was when they spent the first full moon together as animagi to try and help Remus. Perhaps it could have been the time James parents flooed  him, Mia and the other Marauders to Paris for an afternoon for James's 13th birthday. But James suspects he really fell for her 7 years ago. On platform 9 3/4 when they bumped into each other trying to hop on the train at the same time. They stared at each other for awhile. He thinks the moment when their eyes first crossed. When pale blue crashed with mossy hazel. That's when James Potter fell for Mia Black.

Of course no one knew this though. Just as no one knew Mia's feelings for James.

But in that moment James knew he needed to be there for Mia. So he shrugged off his robe and wrapped it round her shoulders making her cheeks go rosy, and whispered.

"You can use my shoulder as a pillow if you want. I'm sure Professor Binns won't mind if you miss this enthralling story about, well actually I don't know what it's about, I'm not listening. But I'm sure he won't mind." He smiled sheepishly.

Mia wrapped James's large robe around herself and gently laid her head on his broad shoulder. She felt his arm snake it's way around her waist causing tingles to erupt where his hand lay.

As Mia began slipping into a deep sleep, she felt hopeful. Because someone noticed her. Someone noticed she wasn't feeling her best and needed someone to just be there for her.

James Potter noticed her. And that was enough for her.

Hiya everyone, another filler ish chapter but got some cute Jia fluff at the end. Buckle up because there is about to be some real drama!! I would love it if you guys could comment because it will let me know if I'm doing a good job or not!! Thanks for reading.
~M