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Both Camilla Prewett and James Potter lived and breathed Quidditch.
Camilla had spent her entire life trying to achieve her one singular goal; to become Quidditch Captain
But what happens when James Potter also casually reveals his Captain...
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Camilla had not ventured out of her room for almost a week.
She had not attended any of her lessons and only emerged to go down to the quidditch pitch for team practise. The team needed her and she couldn't let them down. Their pitying looks made her feel nauseous and she hated how they were so careful around her.
Fabian and Gideon's names had appeared on the list of dead within the Daily Prophet for the whole of the school to see.
Camilla couldn't face anyone.
James of course, had tried to get through to her, begging her to open the door. So far he had not gotten very far. He was becoming more and more desperate and it evident to everyone else. He was irritable and quiet, a far cry from the usual character of James Potter. Camilla's friends had dropped off the lesson notes for her each day outside her door and James would drop off meals for her.
Camilla would wait until they had left to open her door to collect them.
She wouldn't even let Lily in which was something James was extremely concerned about.
Camilla just wanted to disappear.
She knew Fabian and Gideon would be disappointed in her for hiding away but she just couldn't do it.
Even Sirius and Peter had tried to get through to her after Remus had similarly failed and although Camilla appreciated her friends so greatly, there was nothing they could do.
It couldn't be fixed.
They were gone and there was nothing anyone could do.
James spent his evenings on the other side of the door, his back to the wood, speaking to her. Just speaking.
He hoped it would take her mind off it.
Camilla never replied, but he knew she was listening.
He was becoming more and more desperate and concerned and had recruited lily to intervene.
It wasn't until a specific thursday evening that Lily had tried a much firmer technique.
As per usual, lily sat on the other side of the door.
"Cam, it's me" she sighed, expecting no reply
There was silence.
She shook her head in dismay.
"Look" she continued, "you need to come out"
Silence.
"I know how you're feeling Cam, but you can't keep this up. You need to come out and face it all. You need to reply to your parents letters and Molly, they're all really worried about you"
Silence.
"Camilla, open the door right now!" she demanded, "Do you not think i'm not heart broken? Do you think i'm not grieving as well? You said it yourself, they are my family as well. Fab and Gid were important to me too, but you don't see me shutting out people who love me! You know they'd be disappointed in you. Neither of them would approve of you hiding like this, and you know it. In fact, they'd be furious at you! Deep down, you know you're letting them down. I know you well enough to know that. I know it, you know it. They wouldn't want you to be like this. So pull on your big girl pants, open the bloody door, put on a brave face and hold your head up high and fight back!"
James had been stood beside her with a horrified face.
"Evans... don't you think that's a bit harsh" he sighed, looking dreadful himself
They had expected another deafening silence but it never came and void was filled with the creak of the door unlocking.
Both James and lily sagged in relief to see Camilla on the other side of the door.
Although granted, she looked absolutely terrible, she was okay and she was still there as they remembered her.
"I'm sorry" was all she had said, looking to the two people she cared for the most.
It was James who shook his head, "Don't say sorry Cam"
He had enveloped her in a gentle embrace and Camilla felt like breaking down into tears again at the comfort he gave her. He smelt so like James and she didn't know how badly she needed him to look after her until that moment.
As he finally released her, her eyes shone with glossy tears and it was now Lily's turn to hug her tightly, whom similarly looked as if she was going to cry.
"Thank you for saying those things" Camilla said finally, "You're right, they're hate me for hiding" she admitted
"Everything will be alright in the end Cam" Lily smiled, trying to hold her own tears of grief back
Camilla nodded, though not very confidently and James and Lily had convinced her to leave the dorm and join them in the Gryffindor common room for the evening.
She had taken a shower and sorted out her appearance and had agreed to join them. Camilla guessed she would have to face the world at some point and thought it better to bite the bullet than to let it linger.
She didn't have to be okay. She was able to grieve them and to be as sad as she liked, perhaps forever, but she couldn't hide.
Camilla had other people to be there for; her parents, Molly, James, Lily, her nephews.
She couldn't be selfish anymore.
Camilla was grateful to her friends who hadn't brought up her brothers that evening. They didn't pester her, nor ask her if she was alright- because of course she wasn't- and they didn't make a scene. Thankfully she was able to have a nice time, and also managed to distract herself a little bit and even cracked a smile at Sirius' horrendous singing to the music playing from lily's record player. When darkness fell and she once again retuned to her dorm, James had never left her side and simply laid beside her, letting her cry softly into his shoulder until she tired herself out and fell into a deep sleep from pure exhaustion. James didn't mind. In fact, he was more than happy to lend his shoulder to cry on. He was never the kind of person who was bad with emotions. James had what Camilla lacked in emotional awareness and he was very good as just being a comforting presence.
