mistletoe kiss | james potter

18 | hasty

TO SAY I LOVE YOU WOULD SOUND FAR TOO HASTY.

McGonagall had been droning on about some bird conjuration spell that Lorelei could not understand. Every word sounded like gibberish, and as much as she tried to pay attention she found her eyelids sinking lower and lower.

Lorelei felt a nudge on her shoulder just as her head began to fall and she shot up, eyes alert and hands up. A few students gave her weird looks, but thankfully she didn't cause much of a disruptance. She turned around towards the hand that woke her up and found herself staring into deep brown eyes.

James didn't say anything, instead, he held out a piece of parchment for her to take. He gave an award-winning smile and Lorelei thanked Merlin that she was already sitting down. She pulled the paper from his grasp, grazing his fingers with her own if only to remind herself of the feeling of his skin.

Lorelei took a deep breath before unfolding the note. She didn't understand why her heart had begun to race, or why her fingers jittered in excitement. The L. E. on the front of the folded parchment bringing her back to a memory she had to actively remind herself to bury.

She couldn't help but smile as she began to read it.

Rory,
A little birdie told me that you are quite the quidditch player. Meet me on the pitch tonight at six and we'll put that rumor to the test.
Yours truly,
James
P.S. Your drool is cute.

Lorelei quietly scoffed at the last sentence and turned back to glare at James. He only gave her a wink and turned his head back to McGonagall.

The redhead couldn't help but let the eagerness fill her veins. Spending the evening with her best friend instead of drowning in the waves of homework waiting for her in her bag seemed like the better option anyway. On top of that, she'd get to be on a broomstick. And not after hours, hoping no one would notice a small flash of red near the forbidden forest.

Transfiguration finished quickly after that and Lorelei wordlessly thanked Fabian Prewett for accidentally turning his brother into a half-bird half-man figure. She watched McGonagall rush the twins to the Madame Pomfrey explaining, with much disappointment, spells to them along the way.

Lorelei pulled the strap of her bag over her shoulder and glanced around the room for her friends. Her roommates had quickly left, Alice rushing off with Frank before the next class and Lily and Marlene giggling about the Prewett brothers. She turned to James and Sirius to see that they were whispering intensely to one another as they walked to the door. Peter trailed behind them, his eyes trained on the folded parchment in his hands.

Lorelei looked around for Remus, but he was nowhere to be found. Come to think of it, she realized his usual seat had been empty in Potions earlier that morning as well.

Lorelei wondered to herself where he could be but didn't dwell on it. She followed after the Marauders, stopping next to Peter.

"Hey Peter," Lorelei tugged her bag's strap again and smiled at the boy. His head shot up in surprise and he quickly shoved the paper into his robe pocket.

James' head turned at the sound of her voice, watching her out of the side of his eye while also whispering to Sirius. Lorelei couldn't help but notice the way his brow furrowed as she looked to him.