Delicate | James Potter

2.30

Once again, it felt like Alice's hunt for the truth had hit a dead end. Eve hadn't left the castle in a week, in fact the only time she had even left her dormitory was to use the toilet and that didn't tell them much about anything. She hadn't even met with Barty. Alice began to feel stupid, silly and annoying for making James stay looped into her mission, but he was insistent he wanted to keep searching for the truth too.

After winning the match against Hufflepuff, the pair decided to have a night off and get some proper sleep for once. They'd both been staying up into ridiculous hours all week and were exhausted post Quidditch. Alice would admit, the Hufflepuff's were better than she'd been expecting, clearly they'd been practicing, but they had been no match for James Potter and his team. Plus, on top of it all, they had a transfiguration test tomorrow. The chances of Eve sneaking out were looking slim, and so they bid each other farewell and retired to bed.

Alice could tell James was slightly disappointed to not be up and seeking adventure, which made her inwardly smile, but she knew it was probably just because he was enjoying not having to deal with a sulking Sirius and a reclusive Remus. It had been days and the pair still hadn't said a word to each other, even in their dormitory according to Peter who had been looking rather the lost as the days passed. But space was good, she supposed, or at least that's what Lily assured her. They'd get over it eventually.

It was with Lily that Alice talked as she readied herself for bed. Muscles aching post game, the girl found herself sort of awkwardly waddling around the dormitory. Lily found this hilarious, even using Alice's camera to get a photo which she claimed she would keep forever. Alice just cringed.

Marlene, Mary and Eve were all out still. The great Quidditch success party had been postponed till the next evening due to exam season, but there were still gatherings occurring in the courtyard for those up for it. It was just the two of them in their room.

They talked about the test tomorrow, about Remus and the full moon and summertime plans and old funny moments. As it got later, they both quietened. Alice heard Lily yawn. Expecting to not hear from her again, she turned over on her side. But then suddenly,

"I saw James help a first year this morning you know."

Alice, confused, almost laughed at the statements randomness. "What?"

"Well, it was just... nice, I suppose. I just didn't expect it from him." Lily mumbled into the darkness.

Alice didn't really know what to say. James, whilst outwardly often appearing actually rather arrogant and insufferable, was actually truly one of the best people she knew. Plus he'd sort of stopped that whole act over the past year or so anyways. Him and Lily had never really gotten along the way he'd hoped they would, in fact Lily would often ignore him when she was in a bad mood already, but he'd not even mentioned Lily recently which selfishly had been rather nice. The redhead had been spending so much time with Remus and that was the kind of thing James would once have been vocal in his jealousy about, especially when it came to Lily. How dare his friend so much time with her and not even involve him somehow, but Alice wasn't sure he'd even been disappointed by it at all. He certainly hadn't said so. She wasn't sure, but hearing Lily talk about him suddenly made part of her tense in a way she didn't quite understand.

"He is awfully brave, isn't he?" Lily's soft voice broke the silent dark again. Alice stiffened. "Alice?"

She almost pretended to be asleep, but she was sure it would have been an obvious lie. "Yeah... he is."