Skinny Love(A James Sirius Potter Love Story)

Coffee Induced Research

"Avery Evelyn Winchester I know you're in here I can feel your presence!" Fred Weasley shouted causing the entire library shushed him and turned to glare at Avery.

Avery yanked his arm harshly and pulled him into the seat adjacent to hers, "Fred. This is a library. Maybe you're familiar with the term? The place that has a universal rule to be as quiet as possible?" She hissed while hitting him upside the head.

"Nope." He said cheerfully.

"Of course you don't." Avery rolled her eyes, "Why are you here anyway?"

"To talk about James obviously."

"There's nothing to talk about." Avery said quickly, "Why would there be anything to to talk about?"

Fred looked at her doubtfully.

Avery took a second before speaking, "What? There isn't, he has his life and I have mine."

Fred continued to look at her.

"There is nothing going on."

Fred looked up contemplatetively before facing her, "One more and I might believe you."

Avery huffed in annoyance,"Ugh, stop patronizing me."

"Maybe you're right, I mean I hardly have to intervene, it's obvious you're conflicted about him."

"How so?" Avery asked, offended.

"So you are!" Fred explained.

Avery squinted her eyes, "You have no proof."

"You nails are nearly bitten down to the stub, which is one of your nervous ticks, you have been short with Lily and Jessica all week, you have skipped not just two practices, but all of the Gryffyndor house parties this week, and you have bags under your eyes due from lack of sleep, perhaps from reading, oh, I don't know The history of Triwizard Tournaments and Intermediate riddles, which totally has nothing to do with the tasks." Fred said as he held up two books he had miraculously nicked from her bag.

Avery grabbed the books and hit him upside the head with one,"Stop profiling me, you haven't stopped since you saw Sherlock two months ago."

"Ehh, but I'm getting pretty good at it ehh?"

"Sure you are, Freddy boy."

"Speaking of which, why are you even helping him? Doesn't really make sense since you are, after all, you were giving him the cold shoulder."

"I am not, I have simply been busy. And who says it's for him, maybe I'm just curious for my own sake."

"Busy, my arse, you haven't talked to him in 9 days, 18 hours, and 54 seconds."

"There is no way that is accurate."

"It's somehwere around that, James told me 9 days, 14 hours and 17 seconds during lunch. Averrrrrsss, he's losing it."

"Logically speaking, the amount of hours should be around 11 hours, not 18."

"See, you're just as bad!"

"No I'm not, now leave me to my research. I still haven't the faintest idea of what the task is going to be about or what the bloody hell it means by a crypt or stone snakes. " Avery said as she hauled a stack of books back to their table.

"It doesn't look like there are many books to choose from based on how many you have out." Fred inspected a few covers Avery had chosen, "Only one of these are even about snakes. Doesn't look like the library has much of a selection."

"That's because we don't. A lot of books that had accounts of the other tournaments and creatures were destroyed in that fire during the battle that happened a couple of decades ago (*wink wink*). They still haven't been able to replace them all."

Fred's voice tried to imitate an old crone's, "It seems the day has come when your precious books will not be able to save you, my pretty."

"You underestimate my books."

"I'm going to go check the mystery section and see what endings I can guess and spoil for you later. Good luck with "not helping James woth the tournament.'"

"Thanks." She said absentmindedly.

1294- On the eve of the second event of the Triwizard Tournament, three students were roused from their beds and taken as "hostages" to the Lair of the Trolls. To complete the challenge, the Champions had to play a game of riddles to retrieve what they "would miss most" according to the...

Avery's brow furrowed as she was stricken with a thought. That sounded familiar... She quickly flipped through a nearby book until she found what she was looking for,"The night before the second challenge, four students were taken from their dorms and given a draught. The Champions then had to rescue their captive from the Merpeople of the Black Lake before the hour had ended...

"No way..." Avery muttered to herself. They're taking captives for the next challenge. Who would they take for James? They could take Brittany, but that seems too obvious, it'd be the person who is hands down the most important person in his life...

Avery almost slapped herself in realization,"It has to be Lily or Albus! I have to go warn them." Avery stood up, rushing to pack away her parchement and quills when she heard footsteps.

"Hello?" Avery mentally facepalmed, "I'm just asking to be killed by a chainsaw wielding psycho."

Still trying to slow her heart rate and rushing to get out as fast as possible, she didn't even have a chance to avoid running into a tall muscular chest before falling.

"Oof." Avery looked up, only to see her Professor, "Hi, Teddy."

"How many times have I asked you to call me Professor?"Teddy Lupin sighed exasperated.

"And how many times have I agressively declined?

"I could have you written up." Teddy said seriously staring down Avery before they both burst into laughter.

"I don't know how you manage to get your students to respect you."

"Ahh, that's the secret. They don't." Avery laughed.

"Anyway, that's not what I came here to talk to you about. I finally figured out how to make some of your American coffee you rant about. " He held up to cups before tilting his head curiously," What are you doing out of bed anyway, I had to nick James's map to find you."

"Just a bit of late night research." Avery said as she grasped his hand and felt herself hoisted up.

Teddy nodded in understanding, "Well, I'll head back to the Gryffyndor Common Room with you, I need to return the map to James anyway." He handed her one of the cups, "So you want to try some coffee at your own risk?"

"Sure, I don't need sleep anyway. 'Tis for the weak."

Teddy laughed, "Still the same caffeine obsessed girl from the summers at the Burrow."

"Still the only other metamorphagus I know who would willingly go around as a second me and help mess with James and Albus." Avery laughed.

After a few minutes Avery started to feel drowsy. An alarm of realization went off in her head, causing her to stop so suddenly she nearly spilled her coffee and Teddy to reach out to her in concern, "Wait, why did you go through all that trouble to find me? You know lights out are in 15 minutes. "

"Well, I-"

Avery interrupted," And why are we walking away from the dorms? This is the fourth time we've climbed this staircase." Avery pulled away from Teddy.

Teddy looked away guiltily before saying, "I'm sorry, Avery."

"Teddy, stop that, you're freaking me out, what's going o-" she trailed off as her vision began to darken.