Delicate | James Potter

2.18

~

Alice had begun counting down the days until Christmas. She herself wasn't going home as her mum was away on a tropical holiday with her new boyfriend Edmund from work, but everyone else was. It meant no more wary glances down hallways before she walked them, or classrooms before she entered. Maybe she was overthinking, being dramatic or whatever else, but seeing the scars littering her skin every night was enough to scare her away from any of that Slytherin group for good, let alone the cut on her cheek that had become a thin pink line.

It wasn't a big deal, sure, but it put a dampen on her mood entirely and that feeling of self doubt was creeping back through. She wasn't as brave as the others. She thought she'd grown more confident, maybe not.

The Patronus lessons were not going well either. It was mid December and Alice still hadn't made any progress. Professor Landon continued to assure them it wasn't a big deal and that many of them would never manage it at all, though it wasn't very comforting. For some reason, to Alice it was important. She wanted to be able to do it, to prove she was capable and strong and good enough to.

"Practice makes perfect!" They'd heard those words a million times now.

The rest of her lessons, however, were going thankfully rather well. Alice was now top of the class for Astronomy, Potions was difficult but manageable and fairly enjoyable, and Transfiguration was better than it ever had been now she had the help of James Potter whenever it was needed.

He was always more than happy to help, to feel like the Remus of the group for once. He even offered to help in class sometimes. Sometimes she wondered if it was because he felt guilty for everything that had happened, not that he had anything to feel guilty for of course. He thought it was his fault she'd been cursed and whatnot, and no matter how many times she or the others told him it wasn't, he just didn't seem to accept it. Alice didn't mind his help though, not at all.

The only bad thing, other than the constant looming threat from the Slytherins, was the arrival of the Daily Prophet. Worse and worse news came each morning; more kidnapping, more torture, more death. It almost made school feel worthless. What was the point in Charms homework when a psychopath and his army were slaughtering thousands? Once more she was wishing for Christmas, as if somehow everything bad in the world would cease for those few days. Plus, she just loved Christmas anyway.

"You're doing that thing again." Dorcas said suddenly.

Alice, who'd forgotten she was even in the Great Hall with anyone, blinked in surprise. "What?"

"Hellooo, anyone in?" Dorcas waved her hand in front of Alice's eyes and she leaned backwards squinting.

"What?"

"You keep zoning out when I'm talking to you. Everything alright?"

"I - uh - yes." The truth was, Alice hadn't told Dorcas or June about her encounter with Evan. She didn't want them to worry, or get involved which, knowing Dorcas, was very likely to happen. She still hadn't even told them what had fully happened with Davey last year, not that it mattered now anyway. Sometimes she worried she was a bad friend for keeping it from them, maybe she was.