Pride and Prejudice | James Potter

Chapter Seventeen

Evaluation

"But he didn't know my name!" James said. Elizabeth laughed, not because the story was that funny, but just because of how enthusiastic James was when he told it. He looked incredibly cute when he was talking about something that amused him, she noted. They reached the Ravenclaw common room, and stopped in front of the entrance.

"I had a really nice time." Elizabeth said. James smiled brightly and ran his hand through his hair.

"I did too."

"I'm sorry, by the way. I immediately kind of turned you down without giving you a chance, and that wasn't fair of me."

James shrugged.

"You could always make it up to me with another date." He offered. Elizabeth blushed.

"I'd like that."

"Me too." He said, seeming lost in his thoughts.

"Can I kiss you?" He asked. Elizabeth's heart skipped a beat.

"Yeah." She breathed. James smiled and ran a hand through his hair.

"Cool." He said. Elizabeth chuckled, and he closed the space between them. Her hands found their way to his neck, her fingers playing with his hair. His arms encircled her waist, bringing her closer to him. When they pulled away, slightly breathless, Elizabeth smiled.

"I'll see you later, James." She said, stepping back. James nodded.

"Alright."

Elizabeth started to turn for the door, but turned back to James, kissing his cheek. They both blushed slightly, and she waved before answering the riddle and stepping inside the common room.

She practically floated up the stairs and into her dorm, shutting the door softly behind her. She leaned against the door, sighing happily.

"What's up with you?" Bertha asked, looking at Elizabeth strangely.

"Nothing much, I've just had a good day. The vibes are nice today, you know?"

Bertha seemed skeptical, but shrugged it off. Elizabeth fell onto her bed and replayed the day in her head, unable to keep the smile off of her face.

"Oh, your brother came by earlier, he wanted to know where you were."

Elizabeth sat up.

"Which brother?"

"Edmond, of course."

~~~~~~~~

Elizabeth paced outside the Hufflepuff common rooms. Yes, she had specifically avoided telling Edmond about her date to ensure that he didn't get all protective beforehand, but she had intended to tell him after. Hopefully, he wasn't too angry with her or James.

Another problem was James. Not that he was a problem, but Elizabeth's feelings for him were. She still didn't fully understand how she felt about him, and their date didn't help. She was incredibly confused about her feelings, and over-protective brothers added to the stress. She just needed someone to talk about her feelings with. Someone that wouldn't judge her or get in the middle of everything.

Elizabeth's thoughts were interrupted by Edgar and Edmond walking out of the Hufflepuff common room. She turned to them, and seeing that neither of them looked angry, went to explain herself. Edmond held up a hand.

"You caved, didn't you?"

Elizabeth stopped and furrowed her eyebrows.

"Sorry?"

"You realized you like James, and you agreed to go on a date with him."

Elizabeth nodded.

"And I was going to tell you, just after."

"Right. I'm not mad that you went out with him, I'm bloody relieved, frankly. I didn't think I could handle the growing tension. I'm just a little confused as to why you tried to hide it from me. Anne knew, and I assume Henry did as well, so why didn't you just tell me?" He asked. Elizabeth could see the hurt in his face.

"I don't know, I guess I'm just still confused about everything, including my own feelings, and I just figured it would be easier to tell you after I had decided for myself what I was going to do."

"I get that. I mean, I didn't tell you for months that I was going out with Sandy North, and you weren't that mad when you found out." Edmond reasoned.

"I think what we've learned today is that you guys are terrible at communication." Edgar said. Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Henry, I need to talk to you, but you can't make any rash decisions based on what I say." Elizabeth said. Henry narrowed his eyes.

"Go on."

"I think I really like James. And I know it's really out of character for me, but I can't help it."

Henry nodded.

"Because he's the first guy you've been on a date with that you've really liked. Obviously, you're going to want something to come out of it."

"Right. But I don't know if that's really what I want, you know? Maybe I'm just thinking like this because I just went out with him, and the excitement hasn't worn off. I just don't want to throw myself into anything I'm going to regret." Elizabeth admitted. Henry nodded.

"We, if it's any help, I don't think you'll regret dating him. You guys are disgustingly perfect for each other."

"We fight all the time." Elizabeth pointed out.

"Opposites attract. You guys just clash a little, there are never any hard feelings after. And besides, would you want to be with someone that just agreed with everything you said?"

"Merlin no, that'd be terrible. Really boring." Elizabeth shuddered at the thought.

"Exactly. You provide each other with the excitement you need. Frankly, you've already turned him into a better person. I think that you two would both be better off together."

"Maybe. Thanks Henry. You always know what to say."

Henry nodded.

"I know. That's why people come to me. But anyways, you need to suck it up and tell James how much you like him."

"But I don't know how much I like him." Elizabeth complained. Henry rolled his eyes.

"Then figure that out. Then go tell James. But I have quidditch practice in like five minutes, so I've got to go." Henry said, standing up and hugging Elizabeth. She waved to him as he walked away, then sighed and leaned into the couch.

How did she feel about James? She knew she was attracted to him, the whole school knew that, but did she have real feelings for him? Her mind wandered to James, and the way he smiled when they made eye contact, or how he ran his hands through his hair when he got nervous or excited.

She smiled fondly at the thought of him. He looked cute when he was taking notes, his eyebrows furrowed and his lips pursed slightly.

Elizabeth's mouth fell open in realization.

She liked James Potter.

She really liked him.