attached | james potter

ten: strange feelings & interesting lists

Chapter Ten

"Evening, Jones," James greeted confidently as he strolled into the classroom for their detention, late as per usual. Binns was still nowhere to be seen, probably dozing off in the teachers' lounge. Brooklyn looked up with a sigh, pressing her fingers to her forehead as if she had a headache that she couldn't get rid off. Which was true, in a way.

"Potter. How delightful to see you." He didn't miss the sarcasm dripping from her tone, but chose to ignore it.

"This is going to be fun, don't you think?" He stated cheerfully as he took a seat at the table next to hers, leaning back on his chair and stretching his lanky body like a lazy cat. She scrunched up her nose, her gaze flickering away from him as she tried not to think about how she could see the toned muscles underneath his thin shirt.

"I think your idea of fun and my idea of fun are two very different things."

"Not true. We both agree that Transfiguration earlier today was fun, right?"

Despite herself, she had to bite back a smile at the memory of Sirius Black accidentally (or maybe on purpose) turning Amos Diggory into a braying donkey. That had been an interesting lesson.

"I suppose it was."

"Did you see how I aced the spells that McGonagall gave us?" He bragged, running a hand through his unruly black hair, and she rolled her eyes. Sure, he was hot..... until he opened his mouth. How on earth did an egotistical teenage prat like himself earn the rights to having such good looks? It just wasn't fair.

"Sorry, no. I had so much more significant things on my mind. For instance, the weather, my options for supper, the number of feathers there are on a hippogriff. There are so many other important matters at hand, I just don't have any time and energy to devote to you," she stated, sighing in mock apology.

He smirked. "You can pretend to be indifferent all you want but I know how much you really care about me. Don't worry, my lips are sealed. It'll be our secret."

She grimaced. "Ugh, sod off, Potter."

"You seem grumpy, Jones. What's pissing you off?"

"You," she said half-heartedly, but he knew that wasn't quite true. Well, for today, at least. Dragging his chair closer to hers with a loud screech, he raised his eyebrows. "No, really, what's bothering you? Want me to go hex it?"

"It's nothing," she shook her head absent-mindedly, returning her gaze to the table where she'd been in the midst of writing a letter. Slowly picking up her eagle feather quill, she furrowed her eyebrows as she stared at the few sentences she'd already scratched out. A few moments of agonising silence ticked by before she let it drop back down with a frustrated groan. James rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, she seemed to have forgotten he was there.

"Er- who're you writing to?"

She bit her lip. "Huh? Oh, just my parents. My brother's getting married this winter and they think I shouldn't attend the wedding."