I Was Made For Loving You - James Potter

06: feelings

Elodie tackled her friends in a hug as soon as she saw them, it hadn't been long since they saw each other but Elodie had missed sharing a room with the girls.

"Merlin, did James propose over the break?" Marlene gawked at the ring on her finger. El laughed and shook her head. "No, much to my dismay he's waiting till we hit the two month date." She sighed dramatically, making Mary laugh.

"It's a gorgeous ring.." Lily fawned over, and El put her hand up so she could get a closer look. "It must've cost hundreds."

"He won't tell me how much he spent on it but I'm guessing a fair bit. I think I owe him like, enough love to last him through to his fifties." Elodie spun it around her finger, admiring it. "I don't care whether it was three galleons or 300. I love it."

"Merlin you run fast.." James spoke, out of breath from chasing the girl. "Oh, alright Evans? McKinnon, you dye your hair?" Marlene looked at him blankly.

"No, James - I have this condition that randomly changes my hair blonde. Yes, I dyed it you fool." James put his hands up in defense. The group chatted eagerly as the rest of their friends came to join them. At five to eleven, they boarded the train, Mary and Marlene getting ahead to find a compartment. Lily pulled Elodie aside, "Can I speak to you for a moment?"

Elodie nodded, and they headed into one of the toilets on the train, locking the door. Lily looked incredibly stressed with her head in her hands. "Are you okay, Lils?" Elodie asked, worriedly.

"I'm really sorry E but I can't hide it from you without feeling bad." Lily sighed, looking up at the girl through glossy eyes. "I think I have feelings for James." Elodie's mouth opened slightly in shock. "I am so sorry, Elodie - I really am. I feel awful."

"Shit..." Elodie quickly gathered herself. "Lily, honestly it's fine, you can't help it.."

"How can you be okay with this? I have feelings for your boyfriend." She cried. He's not my boyfriend, he wants you. Not me. She thought. This is all for you. "Because it's not your fault. He spent years chasing after you then stopped all of a sudden. It's okay, I understand. Promise." El ignored the pang in her heart, she did not get to be jealous right now.

After consoling Lily, they left the cubicle. "I'm gonna go find the trolley, you want anything?" Lily shook her head, smiling sadly at the girl, and went to find Marls and Mary. Elodie took off, searching the train for James. When she found his compartment, she gestured for him to come out.

"You can't tell her I told you, but Lily has feelings for you." James' mouth dropped.

"Wait, really?" He stuttered out. Elodie nodded. "Oh.." If you asked James what he felt in that moment, it was nothing but dread. They had been fake dating for nearly two months, and now he finally had what he wanted. But he wasn't sure if he wanted it anymore.

"We can break up, now. Your plan worked." Elodie spoke solemnly, stuffing her hands in her pockets. James looked at her in disbelief. "What? No, why?!"

"This is what you wanted, James - why are we still going through with it. She likes you, you like her. That's what I agreed to this for!"

"My parents loved you, my friends love you! We can't just..." James had to think quickly, he didn't want to go back to what they were before - friends of friends. He had grown accustomed to spending most of his days with Elodie, only to go back to ignoring each other again?

But he couldn't say that. He couldn't say that days without Elodie felt odd to him, that he had secretly loved being so close to her.

"What, so we're meant to lie to everyone we care about for even longer? James, we did this to get Lily to realise she has feelings for you. And now that she has, you don't want to break up? It doesn't make any sense-"

"It doesn't need to!" The words were out before he could stop them. "All I know is that I like spending time with you, and I don't want to have to not speak to you tomorrow, or the next day, or the day after. You're brilliant, Elodie. Please, just... Just don't leave."

The two stood looking at each other, James' eyes switching between her eyes and her lips - was it weird that he wanted to kiss her? It felt weird, they were arguing about breaking up but all he could think about was their first kiss outside of The Three Broomsticks, and how much he'd do if again if he had the chance.

Was this his chance?

Elodie picked up on his hint, and the choice was hers: she could either walk away from him, end what connection they had and give her best friend the boy she wants. Or, she could kiss the everliving daylights out of James Potter, and forget blurring the lines- but completely destroy it.

James' lips were warm this time. The heat of the train radiating off of his skin as her hands made their way to wrap around his shoulders. She felt him pull her closer by her waist as they poured every emotion they were feeling into each other. James leant her against the wall of the train, not breaking the kiss as he did so.

They pulled apart only briefly to breathe, and fell back into each other straight away, this time their kiss being slow and gentle, instead of rough and heavy. This was changing everything, yet neither of them bothered to question the consequences this would have.

They were interrupted by Peter sliding open the door, "Prongs have you guys- ohh, my bad." James pulled away to look at Peter, who awkwardly smiled and backed back into the compartment. He looked back at Elodie, and rested his forehead against hers.

"Please, you can't leave." He mumbled against her lips, them being mere millimetres apart. She sighed, repositioning her hands. Despite kissing the everliving life out of him just seconds ago, she wanted to do it again.

"Everything's getting complicated."

"We can figure it out, together. Don't run away from me." All Elodie knew was running. Running away from her parents' expectations, running away from her responsibilities, running away to anyone's house for the holidays to avoid her own.

She didn't want to run anymore. "Okay."

"Okay?" He smiled at her, whispering the words to her. She nodded, kissing him again. The only thing running was her thoughts. Lily, James, James' hands, Lily, James' warmth, her growing feelings for him, James again.

She was really in for it now.

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!AUTHORS NOTE!
uh ohhh, now lilys being ropes into it all! im not going to make her a villain, because too many fics do that and i love lily to death. (october 1981)