living with them, ginny weasley & the marauders

fifteen

chapter fifteen; btw this song was actually written by shawn mendes and teddy geiger

"Puer Amor," Ginny whispered as she and Remus strolled up to the head's common room. She turned to Remus, who couldn't see her, due to the fact that she had cast a disillusionment charm on herself, and asked, "Do you know what that means?"

He shook his head and replied, "I wouldn't have a clue," as the pair entered the common room where Lily was sitting at the table, reading a book.

"Oh, hey, Remus," she smiled, putting a bookmark in her book, and crossing the room to greet him.

Ginny watched as Remus discreetly tickled his chin. She smiled to herself, and made her way to James' room as she had planned. When she entered, he was sitting on his bed, quietly strumming his guitar. She sat down on his bed, just as the disillusionment charm was wearing off and he jumped back in shock, obviously not expecting her to be there.

"Ah, Ginny!" James jumped, his glasses tipping off his nose slightly. "I — I didn't see you come in."

"Disillusionment charm," Ginny explained shortly. "I don't think it would've improved the situation if Lily saw me coming up here, do you?"

"No, probably not," James nodded understandingly.

"Alright, so get on with your so called 'amazing song'," Ginny prompted. "I want to see if it's any good."

"Right, okay," James mumbled. He cleared his throat loudly, and was just about to strum, when he hesitated and looked up at Ginny. "You know, I haven't really warmed up my voice," Ginny raised her eyebrows at him warningly. "Right, sorry." He paused again and looked up at her. "My guitar is probably out of tune—"

"Just play the freaking song already," Ginny said impatiently.

"Okay," James cleared his throat for the final time and started strumming his guitar. He took a deep breath and started the first verse. "I won't lie to you. I know he's just not right for you. And you can tell me if I'm off, but I see it on your face when you say that he's the one that you want. And you're spending all your time in this wrong situation and anytime you want it to stop."

Ginny stood there speechless, with her jaw hanging open. She must've looked like a complete idiot, but right now she didn't really care. Not only was he singing a really good song, with amazing lyrics (which admittedly, was probably the biggest shock of all) but he was also singing it really well. She found it hard to comprehend, but James Potter was possibly the best singer that she had ever heard. Not to mention, he was also playing the guitar. This guy really was the whole package.

"I know I can treat you better than he can, and any girl like you deserves a gentleman. Tell me why are we wasting time, on all your wasted crying, when you should be with me instead? I know I can treat you better. Better than he can."

James sang his heart out on the chorus, and you could tell that he really meant what he was singing. He scrunched his eyes up, as though it was painful to put his emotion into this. Ginny realised that this song was about the incident that happened in their fifth year (which Harry had only recently told her about) with Snape, Lily, and James, and she understood why this was painful for him to sing, yet so easy for him to express.

"I'll stop time for you, the second you say you'd like me to. I just wanna give you the loving that you're missing, baby, just to wake up with you would be everything I need and this could be so different tell me what you want to do."

Ginny was a very strong girl, but listening to these lyrics and knowing the meaning behind them almost brought her to tears. Yes, almost.

"'Cause I know I can treat you better than he can, and any girl like you deserves a gentleman. Tell me why are we wasting time, on all your wasted crying, when you should be with me instead? I know I can treat you better. Better than he can. Better than he can."

His voice was really gritty, and he brought more pain into the song as it progressed. As he repeated the chorus for the second time, Ginny really began to sympathise with James, and she felt even worse (if that was even possible) for breaking them. Although, really, it was an accident.

"Give me a sign, take my hand, we'll be fine, promise I won't let you down. Just know that you don't have to do this alone, promise I'll never let you down."

James looked up at Ginny for the first time during the song, and Ginny saw the pain in his eyes. He too was almost in tears, but refused to let them spill.

" 'Cause I know I can treat you better than he can, and any girl like you deserves a gentleman," James sang the first part of the chorus softly, but as he got to the next part, he began to get more energetic. "Tell me why are we wasting time on all your wasted crying, when you should be with me instead. I know I can treat you better. Better than he can."

Ginny gawked at how perfectly he was able to hit such an amazing note.

"Better than he can. Better than he can," James gave a final strum of his guitar and looked up at Ginny, waiting to see her reaction.

"Wow," Ginny said, speechless. Ginny Weasley was never speechless.

"Was it okay?" James asked nervously. "I was thinking of changing it up a bit in some parts—"

"Don't change a bloody thing," Ginny said, interrupting him. "You wrote that all by yourself? Blimey, James, if you had've played that to Lily in fifth year, you would already be together by now."

"We were together!" James cried indignantly.

"Oh, right, sorry, I forgot," Ginny dismissed. "Anyway, you have to play this for her. I mean, I really doubted you when you told me that you had written an amazing song—"

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence," James mumbled sarcastically.

"Well, can you really blame me? I mean that poem was awful, and you know it." James shrugged, but he had a smile on his face. "But, seriously, play this for her."

"Ginny, I can't even get her to talk to me, let alone sit down and listen to me sing a whole song," James pointed out.

Ginny paused to think for a moment. She'd come up with a plan just in case this happened. If it worked, then it should be a roaring success, and James and Lily would live happily ever after. If not...well, then she'd find something else that worked. With the Flowerpot club, she could pull off any plan.

"How many songs do you think you could write by Valentine's Day?" Ginny asked James curiously.

"I don't know. Maybe 20? I mean, that's if I'm feeling inspired. If not then probably like three," James shrugged, becoming slightly suspicious. "I don't know, I've never really given it that much thought, to be perfectly honest. Why do you ask?"

"Alright, so that gives you around five months," Ginny sighed. "You're going to have to be patient, but I have a plan that could win you Lily's heart forever. Let's just hope you're feeling inspired."