𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞 - 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫

49 - 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙞𝙧

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Aquila settled her face into the crook of James' shoulder, close enough to hear his heart beat in symphony with the faint music floating into the corner of the Hall which they had claimed for themselves.

"You are a surprisingly good dancer," Aquila commented, wounding her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck.

James laughed into her hair, pushing his fingers with the slightest bit of force at her waist to tickle her. "Mum made me get lessons since I was seven. I enjoyed them, so never left."

"And what other abilities has the Head Boy been hiding from me?" Aquila hummed, smiling at him teasingly.

James flicked her nose lightly. "I can also play the piano," he said, spinning her all of a sudden. His nose brushed against hers as he dipped her, his glasses touching her forehead ever so slightly.

"Can you sing, though?" Aquila whispered, staring deep into his eyes.

"Would it be a deal-breaker if I said no?" James whispered back, nuzzling his nose with hers.

"Unfortunately, yes," Aquila said, and watched with satisfaction as the corners of his eyes crinkled and he lifted her up again.

"I can always learn," he said, and leaned down to capture her mouth in his.

James always kissed Aquila as if he was either kissing her for the first time or the last time. There was always a sense of urgency, a need, a desperation, an exploration. He always put one hand on the back of her neck and used it to push her towards him, and tilted his head to the right as if he was trying to memorise the feeling of her lips against his. He never crossed the limits, never even indicated he wanted to, simply content in letting their lips glide lazily over each other's, drawing back to rest his forehead against hers.

"You look lovely," James whispered against her lips, slightly out of breath.

"As do you," she said softly. The music had ended behind them, and the murmur of the voices in the centre of the room reached them lightly, causing their small bubble to break, and the two of them to back away from each other.

"I wish we could go somewhere," James said, lacing her fingers through his and leading her to a small hidden door behind the area which usually had the teachers' table.

"Go somewhere? Like where?" Aquila asked, looking around at the courtyard that the door apparently led to.

James shrugged. "France? I've heard it's nice."

"Do you know how to speak French?" Aquila laughed, tilting her head to the side as James detached his hand to remove his robe.

"No, but I know you do. I heard you sing that one time," James said, his eyes sparkling. He wound the robe around her shoulders and clasped it at the front. "You look adorable."

Aquila bit her lip softly. "Don't say things like that. Makes me actually want to go with you to France."

James leaned back and laughed out loud. Then, as if he couldn't help himself, he leaned forward and hugged her, burying his nose in her neck.

"You like my perfume?" Aquila asked hesitantly.

He took in a deep inhale. "It smells like a variety of things, to be honest. It mostly smells of your conditioner though, which is weird, considering conditioner is supposed to be put in hair," he said, scrunching his nose.

Aquila couldn't help the giddy smile that stretched her lips. Feeling her smile, James leaned back and grinned dopily at her like she had the stars strewn on her face and he was looking at his favourite constellation.

"What?" he asked, still smiling at her, and Aquila forgot why she didn't always smile in his presence, because James Potter was such a fucking ray of actual sunshine, always smiling, helping, laughing, keeping her close. And maybe it was the so, so less people Aquila actually cared for that perhaps loving James Potter made it all the more special.

"Nothing," Aquila said softly. "It's just that," she swallowed, feeling a finger under her chin and then she was looking directly into his eyes, his beautiful hazel eyes, something that she never felt could be compared to chocolate or honey or anything else because his eyes were so wholly and perfectly James, that she felt she could drown in them and no regret one second of it.

And suddenly, all her hesitation got crushed under the comforting warmth that seeped into her bones, from just being there, in the snowy courtyard outside their school, with his robe around her shoulder and his arms enveloping her body, and she couldn't help it. She leaned her forehead against his and lightly, so lightly that James thought he'd imagined it, she whispered.

"I love you."

And with just those three words, James felt his heart explode and his mind melt and his skin ignite and his bones dance. A shudder passed through his body and the muscles of his face had entirely stopped obeying his will as all ten muscles lifted his lips into possibly the largest grin he had ever sported and he probably looked ridiculous but who was to care there's a beautiful girl in front of me who I love very much and she loves me-

Wait, wasn't he supposed to say it back?

He regained his senses long enough to glance at Aquila's face, the tranquility, the relief and most importantly, the love, shining in her eyes, and for a moment James wondered if he had already said it.

"No, you haven't," Aquila snorted softly, weaving her fingers into his hair.

Blushing a red as deep as the Gryffindor colours, he leaned down and captured her lips softly in his. "I love you," he said, his lips tracing the words onto hers, and he felt her sigh against his mouth, and he nearly melted on the spot, with Aquila holding on to him.

And Aquila heard Regulus' old reminder in her head about how the typical romance wasn't available for people like them. But then, did she really need any more than this, a boy who loved her and out of all the smells of the world, still smelled her conditioner on the most powerful love potion in the world?

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i was feeling a bit romantic

also, this might be my favourite chapter ive written yet

THIS IS ALSO IN THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS FOR TROUVAILLE REACHING #2 IN JAMES AND 26K READS! THANK YOU MWAH MWAH

༻hy༺