I want each and every one of you to know that I love you and appreciate you <3
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Last updated: 2nd of March
{Multiple parts}
James Potter x Fem!Reader: Best friends to lovers - You're stuck as 'one of the guys' and want to be girly too. James sees you in a new light. You don't believe him.
"Not ridiculous at all" (pt.1)
"You're ridiculous, you know" (pt2)
James Potter x Fem!Reader: Established relationship - James is embarrassed and pulls away. You overhear him talk badly about you and pull away too. â€ïž
"I've got plans, sorry" (pt.1)
"I'll reschedule" (pt.2)
James Potter x Fem!Reader: Unrequited love on both sides â You're in love with James. After you get over him, you leave him strangely enough, conflicted.
"I needed to hear you say it" (pt.1)
"If I could take it all back" (pt.2)
James Potter x Fem!Reader: Strangers to lovers - 'A cinderella story' fic where James doesn't know you with Romeo and Juliet vibes and a little bit of fake dating.
"I thought you'd be different." (pt.1)
"No, you listen to me." (pt.2)
"Hear me out, please." (pt.3)
James Potter x Fem!Reader: Established relationship - James compares everything in your new relationship with his past relationship with Lily.
"You'll never compare to her" (pt.1)
"Can I be him?" (pt.2)
{One-shots}
James Potter x Fem!Reader: Strangers to friends to lovers - Classic "it was just a bet" trope. You're hurt, finding out you're a bet and only worth one galleon to him. â€ïž
"How much are we worth?"
James Potter x Fem!Reader: Established relationship - Classic angst of being second choice. You just want to come first for once. Maybe that's too much to ask.
"I want to be loved first"
James Potter x Fem!Reader: Established relationship - You're jealous of the new girl, James is oblivious, and he also forgets your birthday and anniversary.
"But what about me?"
James Potter x Fem!Reader: Best friends to lovers - Lily demands James to choose between her or you. You're baffled that he's even entertaining the thought.
"You're unbelievable (derogatory)"
James Potter x Fem!Reader: Soulmate au! - He doesn't care about soulmates as he has found 'true love' with his girlfriend Lily, so he burns your bond, literally.
Hey I was going through your masterlist and saw a fic called You had it all figured out huh. May I ask if this is a fanfic that you are going to do in the future or have you done it already and I accidentally didn't see itđ«Ł
Hi luv, if it's in orange, it's under construction ahaha đ§
It was a fic that is on hold rn because I got very inspired about it, wrote down some drabbles, and then forgot about it for like a few months sorry ă·
After getting spammed in my dms, I have agreed with the general consesus that a happy ending doesn't have to be with James, so I will be making an ending for both Sirius and Remus :) I will make sure that they each really get a different story so no a repeat in which the difference lies in the the choice. And because Sirius won, I will post him first (I've already started no worries)
Description: James Potter is in his second year of university. He's with his friends, having the time of his life! His only problem... a horrible, evil, beautiful, wonderful girl who doesn't seem to return the feelings he's developing for her. His dramatics and flirtatious antics usually work. He just can't quite figure out how to hook this girl.
Pairing: James Potter x Reader
Warnings: drinking, idiots to lovers, reader is described as american in one line because what is fanfiction if not a bit of self-service on occasion
Word Count: 8.2k
Coming into his second year of university was supposed to be fun. He was no longer jittery or nervous about classes since heâd already been there and done that for a full year. Besides, he was James Potter. Of course he had gotten down the routines like they were nothing to him. It was easy as pie. Now, as he brimming with confidence, he was looking forward to seeing old friends, and meeting new ones. It seemed bright and exciting: and it was, so far!Â
Until his second day.
James walked into his final Thursday afternoon class and sat in a seat near the front. He might enjoy goofing off here and there, but heâd be damned if he was going to do any less than stellar in his classes. The class filled fairly quickly, seats being taken all around him. He barely noticed when a girl sat in the seat next to him as he pulled out a notebook and a pen. Until he turned with a small smile that melted off his face as quickly as it arrived.Â
âGreat,â he grumbled under his breath.Â
She looked in the direction of the utterance curiously, blissfully unaware that one of the last few open seats, and the one she just had to choose, was right next to James Potter.Â
âPerfect,â she muttered bitterly, shaking her head. âI suppose youâre going to try to get me to convince my roommate to fall in love with you again, yeah?â
âNot after last time.â
She scoffed a laugh. âOh, yeah? Whyâs that?â
âBecause youâre selfish and donât care about the happiness and general wellbeing of others.â
âRight. As if your happiness should be my number one priority,â she rolled her eyes. âYouâre insufferable.â
James turned his head to her abruptly, feeling quite put off that sheâd say such a thing. Him, insufferable? He thought it might do her some good to do a bit of self reflection, and had told her as much last year. It didnât do any good, obviously, considering she was still just as irritating as ever.Â
âSheâs dating someone anyway. So youâre out of luck,â she said, seeming quite pleased with herself.Â
James was annoyed again. âDating someone? Great. That couldâve been me if you werenât so horrible, and now Iâve got to wait until they inevitably break up toââ
âSheâs dating a girl, so good luck with that plan of yours, Potter.â
James blinked in surprise. He supposed he never exactly saw Lily with a boy before. But⊠But he liked her so she couldnât possibly be interested in girls. What a silly notion, he thought.Â
âYouâre sure?â
She stared at him for a moment. âUh⊠yeah. Pretty sure.â
James hummed in thought. âWhy didnât you tell me?â
âI didnât know until summer,â she shrugged. âShe came out to me shortly before she told me sheâd been asked out by her current girlfriend.â
âHow odd.â
âExcuse me?â she asked, looking at him with a bewildered expression.Â
His eyes widened. âNo! Not like that. I just⊠I didnât realize. I just assumedââ
âCareful how you phrase things, maybe,â she said, looking at him a little suspiciously.Â
He nodded quickly. âRight.â
He fell silent for a moment. A few blissful seconds that she basked in. Until he opened his mouth again.
âI justâŠâ he said, then sighed. He thought for a couple seconds. âI donât think Iâve ever not been able to win someone over before. And this seems pretty bleak for me, doesnât it?âÂ
She snorted a laugh, nodding. âYeah. More than bleak, Iâd say.â
James smiled a little, then internally scolded himself. There was no reason to laugh at a joke a girl like her made. How terrible. He was better than that. He straightened in his seat, determined to ignore her now that he really had no use for her with his precious Lily too far out of reach for even him to pull in, all things considered. He pouted for a bit, feeling terribly sorry for himself as the class started. He took his notes, of course, but not without sighing every five minutes or so.Â
âCan you cut that out?âÂ
James looked offended again, glancing at the girl.Â
âCut what out?â he whispered back.Â
âThe constant sighing. Itâs irritating.â
âIâm upset.â
She rolled her eyes, going back to taking notes. He fell silent, but only for a few seconds.Â
âYou try finding out the girl youâre in love with is gay.â
âFor me, that would actually work out.â
James rolled his eyes. âYou know what I mean.â
âGet over it,â she said after a beat.Â
He glared at her, then went back to his notes. Again, really only for a few seconds.Â
âWait. Are you gay, too?â
âSo what if I am? Thatâs not really your business, is it?âÂ
âIâ Maybe not. But Iâm curious,â James said, looking at her.Â
âStop talking.â
âI just wanna know.â
âYou sound like a child,â she sighed, exasperated. âYouâre distracting me.â
James gave her one more sour look before turning back to his notes. He was feeling quite annoyed now. Maybe it wasnât necessarily âhis businessâ what her sexuality was, but he couldnât help but be curious. Why was that his fault? He couldnât quite figure it out. He waited until the class ended this time to turn to her again.Â
âI donât mean to intrudeââ
âIâm sure you will, though,â she stated.Â
James sighed. âYouâre so difficult. Iâm only curious. I donât mean anything by it.â
She huffed a breath, then looked at him straight on. He raised his brows in question, hoping she might answer if he tried looking innocent enough. She shook her head.Â
âItâs a bit of a rude question, you know?â
âHow?â he asked, feeling a little offended.Â
âItâs personal.â
âWell Iââ James started to argue, though his voice died. His eye twitched slightly as he thought about it for a few seconds. âOkay. I guess⊠I guess that makes sense. I just thought it was, like, knowing your hair color or something like that.â
âPersonally, itâs something I usually only discuss with my friends. Not with a strange boy who Iâve only spoken to when he decided he liked my roommate.â
âThatâs mean.â
âWe arenât friends.â
âItâs still mean,â James said, standing up with his bag.Â
She did the same.Â
âItâs honest.â
James pouted a little. âIâm only trying to make conversation.â
She looked at him for a moment, and he looked right back, his hand on the strap of his bag. He quirked a brow when she was silent for a second.Â
âIâll see you around,â she said at last, not unkindly, but definitely not in a friendly manner.Â
Of course, James had to relay this ridiculous interaction to his roommates when he got back to his flat. He sprawled out on the couch, his hand flipping off the side to touch the floor and his cheek pressed against the cushions.Â
âSheâs evil. Thereâs something in her that isnât right. Iâm sure of it.â
Sirius furrowed his brow. Heâd been hearing about Jamesâs plights with this woman since last year. It always seemed that his buttons got pushed so easily by her, and Sirius couldnât help but wonder how on earth James kept getting himself into these situations
He sighed softly, leaning back into the armchair to the left of James, a hand running through his long, dark hair before settling over his face.
 âYouâve been dramatic plenty of times before, Prongs, but this might be a new height youâve climbed to,â Sirius said, his voice slightly muffled through his hand.Â
âMm. Not quite evil to keep that sort of thing to yourself. I donât run around campus advertising that Iâm queer,â Remus added, walking into the living room with a cup of tea.Â
Remus settled on the ground near Siriusâs chair, leaning his back into the arm of it as he stretched his long legs out. He did plan on doing so on the couch, but it seemed that James had beaten him to it with his dramatics.Â
âThatâs not what I mean,â James groans. âItâs how she acted. I donât care if she keeps that to herself, but she didnât have to be so mean to me. Itâs like she delights in making me feel stupid.â
Peter laughed from the chair across the way from Siriusâs. âItâs not always hard to do.â
James scowled at the boy, but before he could say something back, Sirius sighed loudly.Â
âJames. Just back off of the girl.â
James turned to Sirius. âWhat do you mean?â
âIf you ignore her, sheâll ignore you.â
âHow do you know?â
âBecause she probably finds you just as irritating as you find her,â Remus says pointedly.Â
âYou guys are supposed to be on my side,â James says.
His friends all exchange a look, then stare back at him.Â
Sirius leans forward on his chair to come to eye-level with James.Â
âJames. You are like a brother to me. I love you dearly. But leave the poor girl alone before she hits you.â
James buried his face in the couch cushion and groaned loudly in protest. Maybe they were right, but he didnât have to like it. He knew he was being dramatic and probably a bit annoying, but he couldnât help it. He hadnât met someone who got under his skin so easily in a long time, and he didnât like it. After a few minutes, he lifted his head, looking at his friends. He didnât like to upset them, and he was afraid if he kept this up, that he might do just that.Â
âYou guys want to go get dinner on me?â he offered.Â
They smiled, Sirius in particular shaking his head at his friend in amusement. James felt a little better then as he scrambled off the couch.Â
There she was: the wretched girl who had stolen his dear Lily from him. He looked sour for a moment, then sighed, shrugging it off internally. He supposed that he couldnât really be mad since he wasnât also a girl, so Lily wouldnât like him no matter what.Â
But if he was, he was determined heâd be very upset about the whole ordeal.Â
He sat down at a table across the small coffee shop, inadvertently staring at Lily and her girlfriend. He had to admit: the girl she was dating was very pretty. And they did seem happy together. But it was still a little bit annoying. He hardly paid attention to someone approaching with his drink until he heard an unfortunately-familiar voice.Â
âI would tell you that a picture would last longer, but I donât think I can condone borderline-stalking my roommate,â the girl said, setting his latte down in front of him.Â
He looked up at her in a bit of surprise. She just seemed to pop up everywhere.Â
âWhat are you doing here?â he asked.Â
She looked down at her apron, then back at him with a puzzled expression.Â
âIâ I work here?â she stated, shaking her head a bit. âThought you may have gathered that from me bringing you your drink and wearing an apron.âÂ
He deadpanned, unamused. âI just didnât expect to see you here is all. Itâs like youâre everywhere.â
âItâs been like a week and half and weâve seen each other twice,â she said, huffing a breath at his dramatics. âAnyway. Is there anything else you need, besides maybe a magazine or a blindfold?â
âWhy would I need those?â he asked, immediately annoyed.Â
She pointedly looked at Lily and her girlfriend, then back at James. He made a face of realization, then chuckled a little despite his better judgment.Â
âOh. No. Iâll stop staring, Iâm justâŠâ
She paused waiting for him to finish, but it didnât seem like he was going to. She nodded slowly after a beat.
âWell⊠itâs been a pleasure as always.â
James nodded, but then he leaned forward to grab her wrist. âWait.â
She turned around, giving him a look that told him to let go immediately.Â
âSorry,â he said quickly, dropping her wrist. âJust wanted to ask if you got that western civilization assignment done for tomorrow.âÂ
âTomorrow? Tomorrow is Tuesday.â
He raised a brow. âYeah. Itâs a Tuesday-Thursday class.â
She paused, looking a little lost. âWhat?â
âItâs on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. The assignment is supposed to be done for tomorrowâs class.â
âYouâre joking.â
James shook his head. âNo. Why would I be?â
âShit,â she sighed heavily, throwing her head back. âHow hard is it to do?â
âNot hard, but it took some time.â
She groaned. âGod, I feel so stupid.â
âYouâre not stupid. Just forgetful, obviously,â James laughed.Â
She did not look amused. âRight. Well⊠Fuck. Thanks for the heads up, then.â
James looked quite pleased with himself. He actually got a âthank youâ out of her. He nodded quickly.Â
âWhat would you do without me?â he smirked.
She glanced at him, looking somehow even more unimpressed. James didnât like that look.Â
âIâd have missed one class. Donât give yourself too much credit.â
James watched her walk off, feeling annoyed once again. Itâs like she couldnât help but ruin his mood every time they talked. He sipped his latte, and suddenly felt more irritated: this might have been one of the best latteâs heâd ever had, and she just had to work there. Great.Â
He kept his eyes on the girl as she walked back behind the counter, getting started on whatever task came next for her. She seemed to be making some kind of drink. He watched her as she flitted around back there easily, taking note of the way sheâd occasionally scrunch her nose in a weak attempt to adjust her glasses as her hands were full. He took in every detail of her outfit that he could see from the other side of the counter: a simple black t-shirt and jeans that looked annoyingly good on her. Like it wasnât enough to be irritating all the time, she had to be pretty, too. How was he supposed to just ignore her completely? He scoffed to himself at Siriusâs stupid advice as he sipped at his drink again.
That same thought snuck into his head as she walked into class the next day, dropping into that same seat right next to him. He took note of her slightly messy hair, and the crewneck sweatshirt that hung on her a little loosely. He looked at her nails as she pulled out her laptop, smiling a little at the baby blue that was painted on them. He liked blue quite a lot. He was in the middle of looking at the minimal makeup on her face, especially the gloss on her lips, when she just had to interrupt him.
âWhat are you doing?â she asked, looking at him as if heâd grown a second head.
âNone of your business,â he replied quite defensively.
âYouâre staring at me. It feels like my business, Potter.â
He rolled his eyes. Why did she always have to be so difficult? Itâs like she had fun making him feel like an idiot.
âI wasnât staring. I was observing.â
She sighed, softly, shaking her head as she went back about her business, logging into her laptop. He tried really hard to remember what Sirius had told him and just ignore her as well as he could, but it wasnât exactly his fault that she had a photo of herself and some guy on her computer.
âI thought you were gay?â he said curiously.
She turned her head to him slowly, and if he thought she looked at him like he was stupid before, it was nothing compared to how she looked now.
âWhat?âÂ
âI thought you said you were gay,â he clarified, though it made nothing clearer for her. He pointed at her laptop background, âbut, thereâs a boy with you on your computer.â
âI never said I was gay. I said it wasnât your business if I was or not.â
âBut you must not be if you have a boyfriend.â
âUgh,â she groaned. âThatâs my brother, nosey. And Iâm not gay.â
âThought you said that wasnât my business?â
âIâm going to slap you.â
âThatâs what Sirius said,â James replied, though it was mostly to himself.
She snorted once. âYour friends are telling you youâre gonna get hit by someone?â
âBy you,â he corrected.
Now, this piqued her interest. She looked at him curiously.
âYour friends tell you that I am going to slap you? Why?â
âI told them we donât really get along. Sirius thinks I should just ignore you.â
âYouâre doing a shit job of it,â she laughed a little.
He wanted to be annoyed, but he couldnât help but smile a bit back at her. She had a nice laugh. He thought to himself that maybe heâd like to hear it more. It would certainly be better than the grating sound of her always being annoyed with him.
âCanât help it if Iâm curious.â
âYou can help if youâre peering over my shoulder at my personal laptop.â
âIâd hardly call it peering. Plus you have a large screen, itâs easy to see.â
She cracked another small smile against her better judgment, and decided on ignoring him the rest of the class. It didnât work. At all.
âSoâŠâ James started up when the professor decided on padding the rest of the class time with an âopportunityâ to get a headstart on the next assignment. âDid you end up finishing that assignment that was due today.â
âClearly.â
James furrowed his brow. âHuh? How is that clear?â
âIâm a mess. I look like I just rolled out of bed, because I practically did in order to finish the assignment today before the rest of my classes. I havenât even been in my apartment since like eight this morning.â
James still looked on in a bit of confusion, glancing over at her again, taking in her appearance. Sure, she wasnât extremely put together, but she still looked pretty. James, ever the one to speak exactly whatâs on his mind, decided on telling her that.
âI think you look really pretty today.â
She swallowed once, looking at him in a moment of mild shock. She usually wasnât one to clam up around anyone, but she certainly was now, and James took notice.
âSorry. I didnât mean to make you uncomfortable or anythingâŠâ
âNo. No, it isnât that. I justâŠâ she trailed off, then shook her head. âNevermind. Just⊠work on your assignment. Itâs what weâre meant to be doing anyways.â
âOh. Right. Sorry,â James nodded, feeling a little bad now that heâd apparently made her uncomfortable.
Though, as much as it was a sense of discomfort that she felt at his compliment, there was also much more to it. Not that she would ever tell him that. No, it was much worse than the normal annoyance she felt for the boy when he looked her up and down and gave her that sweet smile. It was terrible and evil and made her face a bit warm. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, his cheek smushed in his hand nearly making her smile being all the more evidence: she was developing a crush on James Potter.
James was in the process of waking up on a cold Saturday morning in early October. Usually heâd be able to pull himself out of bed somewhat easily, only really needing a good shower to get his blood pumping for the day ahead. The âprocessâ part came into play as a rare, true hangover made him feel both dizzy and like a rock stuck in bed.Â
He wasnât a stranger to a late night of drinking with his friends, or a party here and there while he was at school. Even in his highschool days, he would sometimes sneak out from under his parentsâ watchful eyes with Sirius to go live it up for a night. But it rarely resulted in an actual hangover. Sometimes a headache, occasionally heâd throw up before bed, but this? This was hell on earth. He was convinced. It certainly didnât help that he hardly remembered past drink number seven the night prior. He decided on not letting the frat boys fill his cup anymore.
After an hour of laying in bed, he finally decided that it might be time to at least try to join the world of the living. He rolled off of his mattress, shuffling into the bathroom to take a cool shower. He effectively did as much, only having to bend over the toilet bowl to empty his stomach twice! He was quite proud of himself for that, considering he felt nauseous the entirety of the shower. He stumbled back into his room, haphazardly drying off his body and hair before slipping into a sweater, jeans, and a warm coat. He slipped on his boots, grabbed his keys, and walked out the front door. He thought that maybe his favorite cafe would have something to lift his spirits and fill his now-empty stomach. He also thought that maybe a certain girl might be working. That would definitely lift his spirits.
He walked into the cafe around 11am, finding it surprisingly empty for a Saturday afternoon. He had started making a habit of visiting the place probably more often than he needed to. He knew the usual flow at this point.
He frowned when his favorite table was taken, and ended up dropping into a seat near the back by a window after he had ordered. He sat his order number marker on the table, and waited for a familiar face to show. He started to smile when he saw his coffee and a chocolate pastry being set in front of him, but it dropped as he looked up to see a less familiar man. He thanked him anyway, despite the fact that he was quite disappointed. He picked at his pastry, and sipped his drink, letting the carbs and caffeine make him feel a bit like a human being again after such a rough night. He decided to stick around for a while after he finished both, just sitting and thinking. He always liked being alone with his thoughts, but they seemed to flow a little better with the hum of something in the background. A cafe full of people did the trick for the day. After an hour or so of staring out the window, he decided he could use another cup of coffee.
He went to wait to order behind a small line of people, fiddling on his phone until he was finally called up to order next. A smile grew on his face when he saw who was taking orders now.
âHi!â he said to her cheerily.
âOh. James. Hi,â she said, a little surprised to see him. âWhat can I get you?â
âYou werenât here earlier. I got here a little past 11, and some guy brought me my drink.â
âYeah. I just got in at 12. So⊠what do you want to drink?â
James ignored her question with another smile. âHow long are you working today? Donât you normally come in earlier?â
âFive hour shift today,â she said with a small sigh. âI just didnât start early this time.â
âOh. Well, itâs good youâre here now. Iâd have hated to admit that I might have missed you when I saw you in class on Tuesday.â
She fought a smile at that, determined to remain irritated at him.
âAre you going to order? Youâre kind of holding up the line.â
âRight!â he exclaimed suddenly, looking up at the menu as if he didnât get the same thing every time.
âDo you just want your usual?â
James stilled at that. She knew his normal order? He smiled a bit to himself, trying not to seem too delighted at that fact. But he shook his head quickly, even though thatâs exactly what he planned on getting.
âWhatâs your favorite drink?â
âI like the lavender oatmilk latte.â
âLavender? In coffee?â He made a sour face.
âJames,â she said, somewhat shortly as he dawdled.Â
âIâll have one of those, then.â
âYouâre sure?â
âYeah. But if itâs gross, Iâm blaming you.â
She smirked a little as she shook her head, typing in the order.
âAlright. Itâs in,â she said, nodding to the side for him to get out of the way.Â
âBut I didnât pay.â
âItâs on me,â she replied. But, she continued before he could think it was too sweet, âItâll get you out of the way faster.âÂ
He nodded, giving her a thanks with a shy smile. He went back to his seat, expecting that same wretched boy to come back out instead of her with his drink. Though it certainly took a long time for him to do so. Just as James was looking over his shoulder to see what was taking so long, he saw that same familiar face coming towards him with a mug of coffee. He smiled up at her as she set down the mug.
âI thought you were on the register.â
âI was.â
âBut you just had to come see me, right?â
She scoffed a laugh, rolling her eyes. âEnough out of you. I came to ask about the test on Tuesday.â
âOh?â he asked, looking down into the coffee she brought. It didnât look gross, at the very least, but he still wasnât sure about lavender in his coffee.
âI canât find my notes from two weeks ago anywhere. Do you think I could borrow yours by any chance?â
âYou want to borrow my notes?â
âYou can be an idiot sometimes, but youâre not stupid. Unfortunately, you are actually really smart under thatâŠâ she gestures vaguely at him. âYou know. Your whole vibe.â
âHey!â he exclaimed, pouting a little.
âItâs a compliment.â
âStill mean. I thought you Americans were supposed to be nice.â
âI think youâre thinking of Canada, but I mean it in a nice way.â
He huffed a small sigh, tilting his head as he looked up at her. She tried not to look at him for too long, sure sheâd start grinning for real this time. Why did he have to be so handsome? And so annoying. And ridiculously charming. She merely quirked a brow at his silent tantrum, waiting for him to speak again.
âI guess. You can have my notes, but you have to come get them from me at my apartment.â
âYou canât just email them to me?â
He smiled. âNope. I take âem on paper. You can come get them.â
âIt would be easier to take a photo of them.â
âI want my roommates to have to meet the girl who hates me so much anyways. Theyâve been dying to properly see you without me having to point you out across campus.â
âYou talk about me a lot?â she asks with a little smirk, crossing her arms over her chest.
âEnough,â he smiles at her brightly. âCome on. Just humor me.â
âI donât have your address,â she argued weakly.
He laughed a bit at that. God, she was adorable when she was being difficult.
âGive me your phone, then.â
âWhat for?â
âIâm going to put my address in. And my phone number so I donât always have to try to catch you here or in class when I want to talk to you.â
âWho says I want to talk to you?â
âI think you secretly like me.â
âI think youâre annoying.â
âI think you secretly like me, even though Iâm annoying. Youâre trying to tell me Iâm not a delight to be around?â
She sighed softly, clinging hard onto that small sliver of irritation, even if it didnât do much good against the boy. She pulled out her phone, unlocking it and handing it over to him. She watched as he typed in all his information, and even took a cheesy little selfie for his contact photo.Â
âNo, no, noâŠâ she said, trying to take her phone back when he started messaging himself.
He put out his arm with a giddy grin, blocking her from getting the phone back as he continued on his path with the other hand.
âHow else was I meant to get your number?â he giggled, hitting send and handing the device back to her. âJust wanted to make sure you wouldnât be the only one with the option to contact me. If you were the only one of us who could text, weâd never get the ball rolling on a proper friendship.â
âMaybe I donât want to be your friend,â she snorted once, pocketing her phone again. âYouâre a nuisance.â
âIâll see you tonight then, right?â He ignored her poor insult. âTo get the notes, I mean.â
She fell quiet for a moment before begrudgingly nodding. âYeah. Iâll see you then. When will you be home?â
âFor you? All day.â
She rolled her eyes again, but she couldnât help but fight a warmth in her cheeks as she turned to get back to work.
As it turned out, much like she was suspecting, letting James put his number in her phone, and consequently exchanging numbers, was a horrific idea. It seemed that every time she went to check her phone, even if it was the middle of the night, he had something to say. Whether it be an actual message or just a strange meme he found online, he was constantly sending her texts. She was convinced he was testing out a kind of exposure therapy. That maybe, in his head, if he kept bugging her all hours of the day she would learn not to act so annoyed by him. To his merit, he was mostly right. But it helped that she was harboring a secret crush on him to begin with.
James, on the other hand, was getting non-stop reprimands from his friends. Every time he pulled his phone out and started typing, theyâd groan in annoyance, knowing exactly who he was trying to talk to.
âMate, youâve got to lay off the poor girl,â Remus grumbled softly, his head dropping onto the back of the couch when he clocked James texting her in the middle of a movie night with the boys.Â
âI just thought she might think this movie is good. Iâm recommending it,â James shrugged a little, still typing away.
âShe probably doesnât care,â Peter said casually.
âShut up, Pete,â James huffed, setting his phone down. Though he left it up to make sure heâd see exactly when she texted back. âItâs funny. She likes funny stuff.â
âYouâve got it bad, Prongs,â Sirius shook his head as he came back into the living room from his brief excursion to the bathroom. Remus pulled him right back into his lap as he came out, hugging him tightly.
James looked at them, making a disgusted face and groaning.Â
âYou guys arenât allowed to talk about me when youâre always clinging onto each other like that.â
âYouâre just jealous,â Sirius smirked.
âMaybe I am! I have to watch you two cuddling all the time, all in love. Itâs sickening,â James crossed his arms as he looked back at the television. âI shouldnât have to watch that and hear about how I shouldnât text a girl I fancy.â
Remus and Sirius shared a look. Remus then set his sights on James with a raised brow.
âSo you fancy her now, do you?â
âShut up.â
âJust saying,â Remus chuckled. âWhen we started the school year you said she was evil. Now you fancy her.â
âShe is evil. She doesnât like me back,â James sighed dramatically, slumping in his seat. âI donât get it. Girls loved me in high school. Then all of a sudden weâre at uni, and the first girl I like turns out to be a lesbian and the second one thinks Iâm annoying.â
âPoor boy,â Sirius cooed at his dear friend jokingly. âYouâll find one soon. Maybe she just isnât the one for you.â
âBut I want her to be! It isnât fair. She probably doesnât like English boys at all. I bet thatâs what it is.â
âWhat?â Remus asked incredulously.
âSheâs from the States. I bet she only likes, like⊠farmers or surfers or something stupid.â
That earned a laugh from his friends, brushing off his dramatics as usual. James merely pouted to himself as he watched the movie until his phone buzzed next to him. He grabbed it like his life depended on it when he saw who the notification was from, smiling like a giddy child as he read the message.
âalright. thanks for the rec, Iâll check it out :)â
He giggled a little to himself. âShe sent me a smiley face! You guys think that actually made her smile? I bet it did.â
His friends merely sighed, ignoring him again since he wouldnât have listened to their response anyways as he typed away.
âMaybe we could watch it together some time! I think my friends would really like you. They didnât get to know you well enough last time they saw you since it was only a couple of minutes. You should come over!! :)â
He sent the message, but as soon as the excitement calmed down a smidge, he sent another message.
âIf you want to, of course. I donât want to pressure you. But I do want to hang out with you. I think youâll like me if you decided to stop hating me lolâ
âSorry, that sounded weirdâ
âI just mean that we could be good friends, I think. Youâre funny and cool, and Iâm also funny and cool. Itâs like weâre made for each other haha!â
âI donât mean it like that. You know what I mean, yeah?â
âFuck, mate, you writing a novel over there?â Sirius laughed with wide eyes, looking at the phone in Jamesâs hands.
âI keep fucking up and sending weird stuff,â he groaned. âTrying to do damage control.â
âNot much damage control to do when she already talks to you in person,â Sirius retorts with a smirk.
âShove off, Pads.â
His phone buzzed again.
âright lol. maybe sometime? do you plan on talking through the whole thing though? you tend to be a motormouth, you know lmaoâ
He let out a breath of relief, smiling to himself again when he saw that he didnât screw things too badly.
âIâll be quiet during all the important parts at least. Promise!â
He waited for a moment, staring at the screen as a little text bubble popped up almost immediately.
âmaybe then, yeah. iâll let you know next time iâm getting too happy with my peace and quiet. or the next time lils and her girlfriend are making out in front of me againâ
He laughed softly, ignoring the looks he was getting from the others as he texted the girl. They were all in happy relationships, they certainly were not allowed to judge him for being excited to be speaking to somebody cute.
âMight not be much better with Sirius and Remus here, but misery loves company, right?â
âThose are two of my mates you met when you picked up those notes a while back, btw. In case you forgot their names.â
âTheyâre dating now.â
He waited patiently, not even paying an ounce of attention to the movie still playing. Besides, if he was going to watch it with her again some time soon, who cares if he missed a bit of it?
âgood for them, theyâre probably super cute together. but yeah, iâll text you next time thenâ
James smiled brightly.
âGreat!!! Iâm looking forward to it! We can order dinner and everything.â
âBut not like a date.â
âUnless you wanted it to be lol. Just kidding. We donât have to do that.â
âBut Iâll still buy dinner so you donât go hungry.â
He waited again as the speech bottle popped up, and frowned a little when it went away. Then, there was a little heart on the first message he sent about ordering in, which, to him, felt like everything.Â
She was surprised with herself when she was all nerves before going to see James and his friends for that promised movie night. Though, she quickly realized that was incredibly silly.
As she got to know Jamesâs friends, she kind of started understanding why he talked so highly of them. She adored them, and thought it was pretty funny that they always seemed a little bit lovingly exasperated with his antics. She couldnât help but wonder if thatâs how sheâd start feeling about him, or if that bothersome crush would never fade into a casual friendship.
The answer seemed to come after Sirius and Remus ran off together after dinner, and Peter left to go hang out with his girlfriend. She didn't expect to find herself opening up to the Potter boy so easily about her past, nor for him to become so serious and thoughtful when talking about his own.Â
She really didnât expect for herself to say yes to hanging out with him again. And again. And again.
Itâs like he somehow found his way under her skin. She knew he was capable of such a thing from how he was easily able to bug her from their first meeting. It was exasperation at first sight. But the way he charmed his way into her heart was an entirely new kind of annoying. He was all boyish smiles, silly stories, and dramatism⊠and it was fucking endearing.
But their tipping point came in March.Â
Much to her chagrin, they had become close friends. They spent a lot of time together, and not just in the classroom or at work. Sheâd become friends with his friends, and James had become friends with Lily and Marlene after he finally accepted that Lily really wouldnât ever like him. Though, realistically, he was pretty much over that the second he realized he had feelings for someone else. That slightly-grumpy, highly caffeinated, lovely, hilarious, complaining, sweet, smart, ridiculously difficult angel of a girl.Â
The girl that made him embarrass himself in front of a party full of people.
He stood with Peter and his girlfriend at a table, chatting as they started sipping on freshly made drinks. James was, admittedly, probably a few too many in. But he couldnât always exercise impeccable self-control, he decided. So, he stood there, staring at the girl from across the room as she danced with Lilyâs girlfriend Marlene with a smile on his face.
âYou look ridiculous staring at her like that, mate,â Peter said to James, nudging him lightly.
âI donât know what you mean,â James snorted, pulling his eyes away from her to smirk at his friend. âBesides, I can stare at my girl all I want.â
âOnly she isnât your girl, James,â Peter reminded him.
âIâd like her to be,â James sighed dreamily, turning his head to look at her again. But this time, a frown overtook his face.Â
She was now being tapped on the shoulder by some tall, terribly handsome looking guy. Jamesâs stomach lurched a little at the sight. What did this guy think he was doing?Â
He looked on for a moment as the two talked, growing more and more frustrated. He knew they werenât together, but that was still his girl. He knew he had to take immediate action. This couldnât just slide without consequence. James looked around the room almost frantically, trying to figure it out. How could he get all her attention on him instead of that stupid dude hanging off her shoulder?
Aha!
He pushed his cup into Peterâs hand, ignoring his friend questioning what on earth he was doing. He walked, though it was more of a drunken stumble, to the nearest table, clambering up on top of it. He cleared his throat, looking around as more and more people started looking up at him in confusion. Perfect! An audience.
He called her name over the crowd, looking at her intently until she turned to him with wide eyes, shrugging off the other guy that was still trying to get an arm around her. He smiled brightly, though she looked less than amused, shaking her head a little at him.
âI want everyone in this room, and⊠and everyone forever, everywhere, to know something. I am so, stupidly, madlyâŠâ he stopped as he stumbled a little, his foot slipping off of the tableâs edge in front of him. âShit!â
He crashed to the floor, scraping his hand on something on the table as he tried to stop himself from landing too hard on the ground. He winced, both from the tumble to the ground and the pain in his hand. What the hell was so sharp on that table?
âOw,â he muttered, not even trying to get up yet, rubbing his head a little as he felt quite dizzy.
âJames!â
He squinted up with a small, pained smile as her saccharine voice reached his ears as she came rushing over. He groaned a little when she dropped on her knees in front of him, trying to look at his hand. It was bleeding a little bit.
âYouâre so fucking stupid,â she mumbled, but he still noticed the worry in her eyes. It made him feel good.
âIâm drunk.â
âClearly,â she sighed softly, then stood, reaching for his opposite hand. âCome on. Letâs go get you home.â
âI didnât finish what I wantedââ
âYou need to get to bed. Youâre a mess, Jamie.â
He smiled a little more at that little nickname. He loved it when she called him that. He agreed instantly to her at that point. How could he say no?
âOkay. Lead the way, mama.â
â...Donât call me that.â
âMm,â he shrugged, letting her help him stand up. He hung off of her, practically using her as a human crutch. âYouâre so sweet to me.â
She stayed quiet, trying to bring him out of the room of people either staring or laughing at him. It was a miracle she got him home, but she did after a lengthy battle against the sidewalks and stairs. She sat him on his bed, making him stay put as she went to get disinfectant and a bandage for his hand.
He blinked slowly, looking after her with a dopey smile as she left and returned. She sat in front of him on the bed, taking his hand in hers. He barely whined at all when she cleaned off his hand, muttering something about him being a âclumsy, ridiculous cuntâ. He thought it was cute how she could take care of him so well while still insulting him for being an absolute idiot. He reasoned that at least he would be her idiot.Â
âSorry, love,â he mumbled when she finished up with his hand. âBut youâre awfully good at this stuff. Maybe I got hurt on purpose just so youâd take care of me.â
âNo, you didnât,â she said, practically force-feeding him some water.Â
He swallowed. âNo, I didnât. But I could have. I like it like this.â
âYou like having your hand all fucked up, and a room full of people laughing at you?â
âI like you sitting with me like this. Giving me alllll your attention,â he giggled. âBesides, youâre really pretty when youâre concentrating. I donât mind getting hurt if it means youâll do that silly little thing where your tongue sticks out a bit when youâre focusing.â
âYou need to go to sleep,â she said softly, fighting a smile.
âBut I didnât finish what I was gonna say on the table.â
âToo late.â
âI donât want you to go.â
âToo bad.â
He whined. âPlease? That douchebag who was all over you is gonna go right back to it if you go back to the party.â
âIâm not going back to the party. And what do you even mean? What guy?â
âThe one who was on you when I got up on the table,â he pouted.
She quirked a brow. âI donât even know that guy.â
âThatâs worse! Heâs gonna steal you away!â James exclaimed. âThat isnât fair. I had you first.â
She swallowed once, looking at him curiously. âWhat?â
âI donât like boys looking at you or⊠or touching you or talking to you or anything. You were mine first. They need to back off,â he said, getting increasingly irritated. âI donât care if you think Iâm annoying or you donât like me. Doesnât mean some other boy gets to just⊠take you.â
âSlow down,â she said, grabbing his arm. âFirst of all, I do like you, if not evidenced by us becoming friends the past several months. Second⊠some dude I donât even know isnât gonna come along and âtake meâ. That doesnât even make sense. BesidesâŠâ
âIt does make sense! Youâre so beautiful, and funny, and caring, and really mean but in a way that is super hotâŠâ
âI donât want to date some random frat boy, James.â
âBut they want to date you!â
âWho gives a fuck?â
âI do! I love you! They shouldnât get to butter you up and take you away from me, it isnât fair,â he groaned, tossing himself back onto the pillows.
As a result, he didnât see her mouth drop open at the accidental confession, nor the way her eyes widened as she looked at him.Â
âYou love me?â
âWhat?â
âYou just said you love me.â
James opens his eyes, though he doesnât look at her. â...no I didnât.â
âYouâre a shit liar, Jamie. I know what I heard.â
He winced a little. âWell⊠maybe I do. Thatâs what I was gonna say on the table, anyway.â
âSo youâre brave enough to say it in front of a crowd, but you get scared to admit to it one-on-one?â She snorted a laugh.
âItâs easier to not get rejected right away when weâre around other people. Then at least I could figure out your reaction when you were still far away,â he said meekly, finally looking at her.
âYou think Iâd reject you?â
âMaybe? You kind of hated me when we first met.â
âAnd now? Who do I spend every waking moment with, dummy?â
â...me?â
She merely raised her brows, opening her hands in an âobviously, dumbassâ kind of gesture. He smiled at her.
âSoâŠ?â he asked vaguely.
âSo⊠you love me, huh?â
He merely nodded, looking a little sheepish and still pretty drunk. She was thanking her lucky stars that she was still extremely tipsy as well, or else she probably wouldâve passed out from nerves.
âWhat if I said⊠like, me too?â
His eyes widened. âYou too?â
âYeah.â
âYou love me too? Like, also?â
âYes, like, also,â she laughed. âIâve honestly had a crush on you since the second day of classes this year.â
âReally?â He smiled brightly. âUgh, youâre horrible!â
âWhat?â she scoffed a laugh.
âYou are evil! Iâve been saying it since day one. This whole time I thought I was an idiot for liking you so much, and you had a crush on me?â
âTo be fair, I really didnât want to. You were pretty insufferable,â she chuckled, brushing some of his messy hair out of his face.
âThen what changed for me?â
âNothing. I just started thinking all of your irritating traits were becoming irritatingly adorable.â
âYou think Iâm adorable?â He giggled to himself.
âDonât push your luck, Potter.â
âDonât call me that. I like it better when you call me Jamie.â
âYeah?â
âYeah. Makes me all soft and mushy inside.â
âYouâre such a sap,â she sighed softly, leaning down over him to kiss his cheek.
He felt his cheeks heat up quickly at the sweet gesture, and even more when she didnât pull her face away from his. He looked up at her with a soft smile. How could he not have fallen head over heels?
He leaned up slightly, glancing down at her lips before closing his eyes to let her make the first official move. He hoped sheâd make that move. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach, and sparks all over his body when he felt her lips meet his for the first time. He smiled into the kiss, unable to stop himself from it.
He kissed her back, though it was admittedly sloppy with the both of them still fairly inebriated, James being even more so. But to him at the very least, it was perfect.
Against his preference, she pulled away. He pouted, as he usually did when he didnât get as much attention from her as heâd like.
âYou have to promise me something,â she said quietly.
His ears perked up. âAnything.â
âWe wonât become annoying like Lily and Marls or Sirius and Remus.â
He grinned. âDoes that mean you want to date me?â
âGod, youâre dense,â she muttered against his lips, kissing him again with no intention of ever stopping.
Sorry, but this is objectively funny ahaha I swear y'all both made valid points...
(I haven't made my mind up yet if reader will actually end up with remus/sirius....
The general consensus in the comments is that she finally needs to stop forgiving, but what about HAPPY ENDINGS???)
Ps. I know a few of you have said reader should end up with Lily, and I have absolutely nothing against that, but I'm assuming that everyone who read the previous fic is into guys and not everyone might be into girls, so I think I'd rather make a separate fic for her :)
Summary: you're in a relaionship with James, but he keeps on comparing you with Lily subconsciously until he says it to your face on a drunken night.
Notes: Hi, sorry I got into a major writer's block and couldn't for the life of me find a fitting ending, because I can't forgive this easily from own experiences, but I do like happy endings cause copium. Anyway if y'all have suggestions, I'll make a part two :)
Not proofread, grammar mistakes, spelling mistakes, etc etc. ENJOY!
Masterlist
______________________________
âJames, wait up!â you yelled across the courtyard, catching the attention of about everyone except James. You watched James turn the corner with Peter, an exasperated expression on your face. You looked down dejectedly but then you saw the stares of people around you. You grinned widely at them, covering up any signs of embarrassment.
âThereâs just something about boys and hearing problems,â you joked with a nonchalant shrug, and the surrounding students giggled in understanding.
You hummed to yourself while you walked off. Youâd give James his quill later. He probably wouldnât need it for Potions class anyway.
Peter looked up at James in confusion. âProngs, did you not hear her call out to you?â
James sighed. âWeâll be late for class if we stopped, you know. I mean, I love my girlfriend, but sheâs just sometimes a bit oblivious, and once she starts, weâll be stuck there,â James explained in a complaining manner.
âBut you love her,â came a voice behind him. Sirius parted James and Peter to walk between the two of them. âRight?â He swung his arms across the other maraudersâ shoulders.
James gave him an annoyed look. âThatâs what I said, but great hearing.â
âBetter than you if you couldnât hear her calling you,â Sirius laughed, but his eyes seemed to have lost a mischievous spark. âDo you think if you keep saying you love her, youâll actually believe it?â
James glared at him and shook of Siriusâ arm. âIf thereâs literally any guy I wouldnât take advice from, itâs you, Pads.â Sirius raised his hands in surrender. âTouchy today, are you Prongs?â
You sat down on the seventh staircase, opening your book. It was a muggle book that Lily had given to you as a birthday present. You looked at the necklace that James had bought you for your birthday. You had been afraid that heâd forgotten and been so thrilled when he had shown up at 10 in the evening.
The pendant was a flower, and even though you were not a botanical expert, you were very well aware that the flower was not a romantic rose or anything typically cheesy. You had a hunch what flower it was, but had refused to look it up, knowing that you would only be hurt.
Lily took a seat next to you. âThe seventh staircase? Really? Whatâs wrong with the third?â She asked, utterly out of breath. You laughed, âhey, you invited yourself,â you defended with a fond smile. âBesides, since this is the highest staircase, it is the only one that is always in in a downward position, and wonât tilt and go upwards.â
âI guess,â she grinned, and she scooted over to see how far along you were in your book. âOh my goodness, youâre getting to the good part!â she squealed happily. You gave her a warning look and closed your book. âNo spoilers,â you sternly told her. Lily rolled her eyes playfully and nudged you. âI would never spoil this for you.â
âAlice and Marlene invited us for Hogsmeade this afternoon,â she casually mentioned, but she fumbled with her hands, signifying that she was nervous about something.
You raised your eyebrows. âOh, well James and I were going to go together, so I donât think I can join you guys this time,â you hesitantly told her.
Lily bit her lip. âJames and the rest of the marauders already told Alice that they were going to join us this afternoon,â she softly explained. There was a conflicted expression in her eyes. âHe overheard Alice and me talking about it.â
You pursed your lips. âOh,â you nodded.
âY/N, why do you let him do this to you?â Lily decided to ask you anyway.
âIâm not letting him do anything to me,â you defended. âHe forgot to mention it to me, not a big deal.â
âLily protested. âWeâre literally leaving as soon as their class is over. He wouldnât have been able to tell you, Y/N. You wouldâve-â
â-been waiting for him,â you finished her sentence. You bit on your cheek in thought. âI know, Lily,â you sighed.
âThen why-â
âBecause I do believe he loves me,â you quickly tried to defend him, your voice raised in volume and Lily looked down. âHeâs not perfect, but no one is,â you convinced yourself, recollecting yourself. You leaned against the stair post and looked down at the other stairs that changed directions, and the panicking first year students, who still hadnât gotten the hang of it quite yet.
âHe makes me feel so loved, you know,â you sighed when you looked back at her. Lily looked at you sadly. âWhen he remembers you, Y/N. When he remembers he has a girlfriend.â
You didnât know what to reply because she was right. James could be the loveliest boyfriend when he wanted to. âItâs enough for me,â you eventually replied.
âIt shouldnât have to be,â Lily pointed out, but she sighed, knowing that this was a pointless battle. But she felt the need to bring it up whenever she noticed James discard you like that. She felt guilt. Both of you knew that the girl who was most often on his mind, was Lily.
Lily had finally given James a chance in their third year after a good two and a half years of Jamesâ advances. Having outgrown James and the maraudersâ childishness and bullying, specifically after the âSnape incidentâ, sheâd broken up with him only three months in, leaving him devastated. You had been his friend, mostly through Sirius and Lily, and you had found him in the common room, disheveled from crying, so you had comforted him.
Something inside James had felt a pull towards you then. A sense of comfort or familiarity no doubt reminiscent of Lily, and his mind had been set on you. Of course, you had rejected his advances for over a year, absolutely appalled by his seemingly quick recovery from his breakup. And so another year would pass.
You hadn't even seen it coming. You didn't have a romantic interest in James, until you did. All of the sudden, you found yourself in love with James Potter. Not that you would ever admit that, of course. No, you remained steadfast in your resolve to keep things platonic, as the mere idea felt like a betrayal of your friendship to Lily.
But Lily had noticed of course. You had looked away ashamedly while assuring her that you were sure that it was just a fleeting crush, something that would blow over soon. Instead of judgment, her face expressed understanding and compassion as she encouraged you to stop pushing your feelings aside, going as far as calling James over, effectively starting your relationship for you.
And now, she watched as James treated her closest friend like crap.
âHow about we head down in advance,â you suggested, dusting off your Hogwarts robe.
âYeah, about time, donât you think?â You peered over the stairs to see Marlene with her hands on her hips in a waiting manner.
âHey guys, what are you doing here,â you laughed as Alice dragged herself up the last few steps to stand next Marlene.
âPicking you up of course, the guys are all waiting outside.â
Your heart warmed at the thought. Of course your friends would never have left you waiting by yourself to no avail. With a fond feeling, you and your friends descended the stairs again to go to Hogsmeade.
Sirius was sitting on the ground, knees propped up while they were waiting for the girls. He twirled his wand between his fingers. âWhy are we going with McKinnon and such again?â
Remus next to him shrugged his shoulders. âThey invited us, I think.â
Peter shuffled his feet uncomfortable. âAlice was inviting Lily and James invited himself and us.â
James grinned widely. âI mean, how awesome is it to go in a big group?â He enthusiastically asked. It was a rhetorical question, but Remus still felt the need to respond. âThatâs great and all, but I thought you were going with Y/N?â
James blinked once and then twice. He jumped up from his leaning position against the wall. âShit.â
Sirius burst out in laughter and threw his head back, hitting his a little too hard against the wall. âOh Prongs, you crack me up,â he shook his head. âAnd you say that I am the worst at being in a relationship,â he huffed. James didnât have time for finding the humor in this situation though.
He started to pace around. He completely forgot to tell you, he realized. âIâll be right back, Iâm going to go find her,â he quickly made up his mind.
âFind who?â
Jamesâ head whipped around to find Alice and Marlene looking at him curiously. Trailing a few steps behind them were you and Lily, engrossed in a conversation about the book you were holding.
âYour girlfriend perhaps?â Marlene tilted her head innocently, but every fool could see the warning look in her eyes. âDonât worry, weâve got her back.â
You and Lily finally caught up to the group. âHey,â you awkwardly waved, relieved when Remus and Peter threw you a smile, and Sirius got up to pat you a little too hard on the back, making you stumble a little. You smacked him in return, but a friendly laugh on your face. âI will hex you Sirius,â you threatened half-heartedly.
âNot with Jamesâ wand, youâre not,â he replied and nodded towards the wand in your pocket. You huffed. âWell I donât need a wand, I can beat you up with my bare hands,â you joked. Sirius took a step back to scan you up and down. âNot with those arms, youâre not,â he grinned.
Something tugged inside James, and he surged forward to catch your attention. âY/N, how was your class?â
You frowned, but before you could answer, Remus spoke up. âShe didnât have class today, Prongs,â he remarked.
You nodded in confirmation but held up your book. âI read this book instead.â James instantly recognized the book âLittle Womenâ, one of Lilyâs favorites.
âThatâs a nice book,â he airily commented. Your brows shot up. âYouâve read this book?â James nodded. âWell, I listened to it, you could read it to me if you want sometime. I mean, Lily-â
âI knew you would never willingly read a book,â Sirius interrupted him suddenly. And Lily shot Sirius an appreciative look. James quickly looked away. Right. He quickly glanced at you, to see if you had noticed the way he had almost mentioned when Lily would read to him on date nights. If you had noticed anything, you didnât seem to show it.
James offered his arm, and you tucked the book under your arm before linking the other with his. âWhat fine weather, do you not agree, Milady?â James exaggerated in a posh accent.
You laughed and looked up at the sky. The sky was covered in dark clouds, and it looked like it could rain any given moment. âWhy the weather certainly is⊠weathering,â you managed with a covered grin.
You handed him his wand from earlier this morning. âAnd you forgot this in the library,â you added. James twirled it around and the wand disappeared up his sleeve. âIs that why you were calling out to me, darling?â
âSo you heard me?â
Jamesâ heart skipped a beat, and he racked his mind to find a suitable reply. A lie. âWell, Peter did, but we were already gone,â he managed to excuse himself. You frowned a little and looked back at Peter who couldnât look you in the eyes and you sighed.
âYou heard me,â you repeated, and your grip on his arm was loosening. He felt you letting go and quickly adjusted himself, grabbing your hand instead. âYouâre right, I heard you. Iâm really sorry I didnât wait for you,â he admitted. He brought your hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to it.
âOkay.â
When you arrived at the Three Broomsticks, James expertly pulled back a chair for you. âJust a butterbeer?â he asked. You nodded in response, but you hadnât said much to him anymore and James frowned at the lack of your enthusiasm. When he returned with everyoneâs order he sat down to your right, with Lily to your left. âTadah,â he said, and he held up an extra package of sugar triumphantly.
âMerlin, I still canât believe you drink butterbeer with extra sugar,â Sirius fake gagged. You kicked his leg under the table. âI just like sweet things,â you stuck out your tongue. âBesides, why are you not saying anything about Moony, he is literally crumbling pieces of chocolate in it right now.â
Sirius snapped his neck to Remus who looked up flustered. âHey, why are you attacking me,â he complained.
James grabbed your mug and quickly sipped away the foam on top that you disliked and dumped the sugar into the mug. âThere you go, on the house,â he proudly said. Your heart filled with fondness, and you appreciatively sipped from your drink.
James leaned in. âI love you,â he whispered, and he pressed a kiss to your temple, succeeding in making you flustered. âIâm in love with you too,â you mumbled back.
Gryffindor had won their first Quidditch match of the season and naturally, they threw a party in the common room. You had wanted to go when Remus and Peter had invited you, but James and piped up. âNo, she doesnât like those things. Too loud,â he confidently said, absolutely assuming.
âI like parties though?â you replied. You wanted to hang out with James and the marauders, and you were not scared of disagreeing with James. James looked at you with an unreadable expression. âOh, well obviously you can come if you want. I just didnât expect you to want to be among loud drunk people,â he recovered.
âWhat if she is one of the loud drunk people,â Sirius remarked from behind James. âJust because Li-â James elbowed him in the stomach and Sirius groaned.
Perhaps it would have been wiser of you not to go. Maybe you shouldâve been a little more like Lily, who had stayed in the dorms, snacking and reading. It sure wouldâve hurt less.
âYou will never compare to her.â
All you could manage was a bitter smile. James looked defiantly at you, but his eyes seemed to find it difficult to find focus. Your throat tightened and you tried to swallow, but still couldnât find an adequate response to Jamesâ hurtful words.
âI know that, James,â you eventually wryly replied. Of course you knew that, despite your attempts to be a better girlfriend by being more like Lily. You cleared your throat and furiously blinked away tears that threatened to show the impact of his words.
âYou should go get some sleep,â you murmured, and you tried to coax him into laying down on his bed, desperately trying to ignore the issue at hand. Perhaps if you paid it no mind, you could pass this off as nothing more than a drunken insult that you could pretend never happened.
But James doubled down.
âYou will never compare to her,â Â he repeated. This time he added some emphasis as well. You inhaled sharply. His words were no longer slurred, and his eyes seemed to bore right into yours. Youâve never felt so small in your life, your skin crawled uncomfortably as time passed in silence. You frowned deeply now and stared out the window behind James. What were you supposed to do with this information? It wasnât new, but it was the first time the words had outright left his mouth.
You looked him back in his eyes. âOkay. Iâm going to go and get you a glass of water for a hangover,â you slowly spoke up, trying to keep your voice calm. âDonât forget you said this. I want you to remember that you said this because I need you to apologize for it when I get back, James.â
James groaned; his headache started to get worse. âFine, go, but donât come back today, Iâve had enough. And I wonât apologize tomorrow either.â James turned around a faced his back towards you. He was drifting off. âYouâll forgive me anyway, you always do. Itâs the one thing youâve got.â He mumbled. âAt least youâre easier than her.â
 Your face burned in embarrassment; your eyes shifted across the room as if trying to make sure no one had heard him. How long could you hold back your tears to keep your dignity, you wondered. Would you at least make it all the way to your own dorms?
âOkay,â you resigned shakily with a nod, slowly getting up while staring at his back. âI wonât be back.â
His breaths seemed to slow down to a steady pace, and you knew he had fallen asleep. Your arms hung defeatedly next to your body and your hand tapped your leg restlessly before reaching for your wand. You murmured a spell on the glass of water on his bedside. It would help him with his hangover tomorrow, and it would be the last act of affection you would direct at him, you decided.
You closed the door behind you and quickly untucked your hair from behind your ears, letting it cover your face. The path back to your own dormitory seemed longer than usual, each step weighed down by the burden of uncertainty.
You passed Remus in a hurry, who seemed to look at you in a concerned manner. Remus turned his head to see Sirius looking worried as well.
James stared at the ceiling. Against his own wishes, he remembered yesterday evening crystal clear. He frowned as he closed his eyes and sunk deeper into his matrass.
Of course he felt bad about what he said, but you were in so many ways like Lily. From the strange muggle expressions you had picked up from her, to your mannerisms, like the way Lily laughed with a hand in front of her mouth to cover her teeth, to your handwriting. Though he knew it wasnât fair to you, it was so easy to compare you. If anything, it was difficult not to do so. But he was sure he loved you regardless.
You never left Jamesâ mind as he got ready to head downstairs to the great hall. He should apologize to you, James figured. He walked over to his bed and downed the glass of water on his bedside. He laughed somewhat fondly to himself when his mind cleared up immediately. You had enchanted it, he realized. So how angry could you possibly really be, this time.
Feeling rather confident, James headed towards the Great Hall. The Hogwarts Great Hall buzzed with the usual morning chatter as students filed in for breakfast.
As he scanned the room, his eyes found you sitting beside Lily at the Gryffindor table. There was something different about your smile, a subtle sadness that didn't escape James' notice. He felt a pang of guilt wash over him, knowing he was the cause of your distress.
Lily, ever perceptive, shot James a cold look before nodding toward the empty seat next to her. James approached cautiously, unsure of how to navigate the tension that hung in the air.
"Thanks, Lily," he offered gratefully, though the discomfort in the atmosphere was palpable. Lily didnât spare him a glance and got up. âIâll wait for you outside,â she smiled encouragingly. She clasped her hands together and nodded at you before leaving. James stared at Lily.
You cleared your throat, drawing James' attention fully to you. His heart skipped a beat as he caught sight of your determined expression.
"You look dashingly beautiful today, darling," James remarked, hoping to lighten the mood with his usual charm.
But you met his gaze head-on, your resolve unwavering. "I'm not going to be the one you settle for," you declared firmly, your words sending a chill down James' spine.
Confusion clouded James' features as he struggled to comprehend your words. "Wait, darling, come on," he pleaded, reaching out to grasp your hand gently.
You pulled away; your tone was unwavering. "I'm not joking around, James. To me, we ended yesterday," you asserted, your voice steady. James felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, realizing the gravity of the situation. That this wasnât a joke or a call for an apology. An apology wouldnât fix this, he realized. How could he fix this? Jamesâ mind raced.
"Yesterday- What? If it's about what I said, I was just drunk," he protested weakly, desperation creeping into his voice.
You sighed, feeling a mix of frustration and resignation. "You literally doubled down twice, James. Well, it doesn't matter anymore, but I wanted to close this off properly. That's it," you explained, placing your knife and fork on your plate, and pushing it to the middle of the table, where it magically vanished towards the kitchen. You rose from your seat.
James reached out to stop you, his words tumbling out in a rush. "Y/N, I swear, I was drunk. And I love you," he confessed, his heart was pounding in his chest. He felt his friends look at him in pity and he understood that they had already been filled in the situation.
But your resolve remained unshaken. "Yeah, I'm sure you love a certain part of me," you muttered under your breath, forcing a smile onto your lips. "Look, we can stay friends, yeah? You're a nice guy, James. And a damn good friend too, I just donât think you were ever ready for another relationship," you concluded.
James was stunned by your resolve, unsure of how to respond, just feeling defeat. He could see that you had closed off. Trying to maintain some dignity, he nodded in acceptance. "Okay.â He whispered quietly.
âWell then, I guess I'll see you later," you managed to say, as you awkwardly nodded, catching yourself as your hands were mid-air, ready to clasp together the same manner Lily always announced her leave. Instead, you awkwardly held two thumbs up before turning on your heels.
As you walked away from James, a whirlwind of emotions churned within you. On one hand, your heart ached with the weight of unspoken words and unresolved feelings and heartbreak. You had been so in love with James.
On the other hand, somewhere deep down, you knew that the only way to get him to keep wanting you, was by imitating the girl he actually wanted. You had let so many things pass, not wanting to break up with James. But youâd done it. It was over. And you almost felt guilty for feeling so relieved.
Taglist: Some of the tags didn't want to work so sorry if you didn't make the list, the rest will be in a reblog
Summary: you're in a relaionship with James, but he keeps on comparing you with Lily subconsciously until he says it to your face on a drunken night.
Notes: Hi, sorry I got into a major writer's block and couldn't for the life of me find a fitting ending, because I can't forgive this easily from own experiences, but I do like happy endings cause copium. Anyway if y'all have suggestions, I'll make a part two :)
Not proofread, grammar mistakes, spelling mistakes, etc etc. ENJOY!
Masterlist
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âJames, wait up!â you yelled across the courtyard, catching the attention of about everyone except James. You watched James turn the corner with Peter, an exasperated expression on your face. You looked down dejectedly but then you saw the stares of people around you. You grinned widely at them, covering up any signs of embarrassment.
âThereâs just something about boys and hearing problems,â you joked with a nonchalant shrug, and the surrounding students giggled in understanding.
You hummed to yourself while you walked off. Youâd give James his wand later. He probably wouldnât need it for Potions class anyway.
Peter looked up at James in confusion. âProngs, did you not hear her call out to you?â
James sighed. âWeâll be late for class if we stopped, you know. I mean, I love my girlfriend, but sheâs just sometimes a bit oblivious, and once she starts, weâll be stuck there,â James explained in a complaining manner.
âBut you love her,â came a voice behind him. Sirius parted James and Peter to walk between the two of them. âRight?â He swung his arms across the other maraudersâ shoulders.
James gave him an annoyed look. âThatâs what I said, but great hearing.â
âBetter than you if you couldnât hear her calling you,â Sirius laughed, but his eyes seemed to have lost a mischievous spark. âDo you think if you keep saying you love her, youâll actually believe it?â
James glared at him and shook of Siriusâ arm. âIf thereâs literally any guy I wouldnât take advice from, itâs you, Pads.â Sirius raised his hands in surrender. âTouchy today, are you Prongs?â
You sat down on the seventh staircase, opening your book. It was a muggle book that Lily had given to you as a birthday present. You looked at the necklace that James had bought you for your birthday. You had been afraid that heâd forgotten and been so thrilled when he had shown up at 10 in the evening.
The pendant was a flower, and even though you were not a botanical expert, you were very well aware that the flower was not a romantic rose or anything typically cheesy. You had a hunch what flower it was, but had refused to look it up, knowing that you would only be hurt.
Lily took a seat next to you. âThe seventh staircase? Really? Whatâs wrong with the third?â She asked, utterly out of breath. You laughed, âhey, you invited yourself,â you defended with a fond smile. âBesides, since this is the highest staircase, it is the only one that is always in in a downward position, and wonât tilt and go upwards.â
âI guess,â she grinned, and she scooted over to see how far along you were in your book. âOh my goodness, youâre getting to the good part!â she squealed happily. You gave her a warning look and closed your book. âNo spoilers,â you sternly told her. Lily rolled her eyes playfully and nudged you. âI would never spoil this for you.â
âAlice and Marlene invited us for Hogsmeade this afternoon,â she casually mentioned, but she fumbled with her hands, signifying that she was nervous about something.
You raised your eyebrows. âOh, well James and I were going to go together, so I donât think I can join you guys this time,â you hesitantly told her.
Lily bit her lip. âJames and the rest of the marauders already told Alice that they were going to join us this afternoon,â she softly explained. There was a conflicted expression in her eyes. âHe overheard Alice and me talking about it.â
You pursed your lips. âOh,â you nodded.
âY/N, why do you let him do this to you?â Lily decided to ask you anyway.
âIâm not letting him do anything to me,â you defended. âHe forgot to mention it to me, not a big deal.â
Lily protested. âWeâre literally leaving as soon as their class is over. He wouldnât have been able to tell you, Y/N. You wouldâve-â
â-been waiting for him,â you finished her sentence. You bit on your cheek in thought. âI know, Lily,â you sighed.
âThen why-â
âBecause I do believe he loves me,â you quickly tried to defend him, your voice raised in volume and Lily looked down. âHeâs not perfect, but no one is,â you convinced yourself, recollecting yourself. You leaned against the stair post and looked down at the other stairs that changed directions, and the panicking first year students, who still hadnât gotten the hang of it quite yet.
âHe makes me feel so loved, you know,â you sighed when you looked back at her. Lily looked at you sadly. âWhen he remembers you, Y/N. When he remembers he has a girlfriend.â
You didnât know what to reply because she was right. James could be the loveliest boyfriend when he wanted to. âItâs enough for me,â you eventually replied.
âIt shouldnât have to be,â Lily pointed out, but she sighed, knowing that this was a pointless battle. But she felt the need to bring it up whenever she noticed James discard you like that. She felt guilt. Both of you knew that the girl who was most often on his mind, was Lily.
Lily had finally given James a chance in their third year after a good two and a half years of Jamesâ advances. Having outgrown James and the maraudersâ childishness and bullying, specifically after the âSnape incidentâ, sheâd broken up with him only three months in, leaving him devastated. You had been his friend, mostly through Sirius and Lily, and you had found him in the common room, disheveled from crying, so you had comforted him.
Something inside James had felt a pull towards you then. A sense of comfort or familiarity no doubt reminiscent of Lily, and his mind had been set on you. Of course, you had rejected his advances for over a year, absolutely appalled by his seemingly quick recovery from his breakup. And so another year would pass.
You hadn't even seen it coming. You didn't have a romantic interest in James, until you did. All of the sudden, you found yourself in love with James Potter. Not that you would ever admit that, of course. No, you remained steadfast in your resolve to keep things platonic, as the mere idea felt like a betrayal of your friendship to Lily.
But Lily had noticed of course. You had looked away ashamedly while assuring her that you were sure that it was just a fleeting crush, something that would blow over soon. Instead of judgment, her face expressed understanding and compassion as she encouraged you to stop pushing your feelings aside, going as far as calling James over, effectively starting your relationship for you.
And now, she watched as James treated her closest friend like crap.
âHow about we head down in advance,â you suggested, dusting off your Hogwarts robe.
âYeah, about time, donât you think?â You peered over the stairs to see Marlene with her hands on her hips in a waiting manner.
âHey guys, what are you doing here,â you laughed as Alice dragged herself up the last few steps to stand next Marlene.
âPicking you up of course, the guys are all waiting outside.â
Your heart warmed at the thought. Of course your friends would never have left you waiting by yourself to no avail. With a fond feeling, you and your friends descended the stairs again to go to Hogsmeade.
Sirius was sitting on the ground, knees propped up while they were waiting for the girls. He twirled his wand between his fingers. âWhy are we going with McKinnon and such again?â
Remus next to him shrugged his shoulders. âThey invited us, I think.â
Peter shuffled his feet uncomfortable. âAlice was inviting Lily and James invited himself and us.â
James grinned widely. âI mean, how awesome is it to go in a big group?â He enthusiastically asked. It was a rhetorical question, but Remus still felt the need to respond. âThatâs great and all, but I thought you were going with Y/N?â
James blinked once and then twice. He jumped up from his leaning position against the wall. âShit.â
Sirius burst out in laughter and threw his head back, hitting his a little too hard against the wall. âOh Prongs, you crack me up,â he shook his head. âAnd you say that I am the worst at being in a relationship,â he huffed. James didnât have time for finding the humor in this situation though.
He started to pace around. He completely forgot to tell you, he realized. âIâll be right back, Iâm going to go find her,â he quickly made up his mind.
âFind who?â
Jamesâ head whipped around to find Alice and Marlene looking at him curiously. Trailing a few steps behind them were you and Lily, engrossed in a conversation about the book you were holding.
âYour girlfriend perhaps?â Marlene tilted her head innocently, but every fool could see the warning look in her eyes. âDonât worry, weâve got her back.â
You and Lily finally caught up to the group. âHey,â you awkwardly waved, relieved when Remus and Peter threw you a smile, and Sirius got up to pat you a little too hard on the back, making you stumble a little. You smacked him in return, but a friendly laugh on your face. âI will hex you Sirius,â you threatened half-heartedly.
âNot with Jamesâ wand, youâre not,â he replied and nodded towards the wand in your pocket. You huffed. âWell I donât need a wand, I can beat you up with my bare hands,â you joked. Sirius took a step back to scan you up and down. âNot with those arms, youâre not,â he grinned.
Something tugged inside James, and he surged forward to catch your attention. âY/N, how was your class?â
You frowned, but before you could answer, Remus spoke up. âShe didnât have class today, Prongs,â he remarked.
You nodded in confirmation but held up your book. âI read this book instead.â James instantly recognized the book âLittle Womenâ, one of Lilyâs favorites.
âThatâs a nice book,â he airily commented. Your brows shot up. âYouâve read this book?â James nodded. âWell, I listened to it, you could read it to me if you want sometime. I mean, Lily-â
âI knew you would never willingly read a book,â Sirius interrupted him suddenly. And Lily shot Sirius an appreciative look. James quickly looked away. Right. He quickly glanced at you, to see if you had noticed the way he had almost mentioned when Lily would read to him on date nights. If you had noticed anything, you didnât seem to show it.
James offered his arm, and you tucked the book under your arm before linking the other with his. âWhat fine weather, do you not agree, Milady?â James exaggerated in a posh accent.
You laughed and looked up at the sky. The sky was covered in dark clouds, and it looked like it could rain any given moment. âWhy the weather certainly is⊠weathering,â you managed with a covered grin.
You handed him his wand from earlier this morning. âAnd you forgot this in the library,â you added. James twirled it around and the wand disappeared up his sleeve. âIs that why you were calling out to me, darling?â
âSo you heard me?â
Jamesâ heart skipped a beat, and he racked his mind to find a suitable reply. A lie. âWell, Peter did, but we were already gone,â he managed to excuse himself. You frowned a little and looked back at Peter who couldnât look you in the eyes and you sighed.
âYou heard me,â you repeated, and your grip on his arm was loosening. He felt you letting go and quickly adjusted himself, grabbing your hand instead. âYouâre right, I heard you. Iâm really sorry I didnât wait for you,â he admitted. He brought your hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to it.
âOkay.â
When you arrived at the Three Broomsticks, James expertly pulled back a chair for you. âJust a butterbeer?â he asked. You nodded in response, but you hadnât said much to him anymore and James frowned at the lack of your enthusiasm. When he returned with everyoneâs order he sat down to your right, with Lily to your left. âTadah,â he said, and he held up an extra package of sugar triumphantly.
âMerlin, I still canât believe you drink butterbeer with extra sugar,â Sirius fake gagged. You kicked his leg under the table. âI just like sweet things,â you stuck out your tongue. âBesides, why are you not saying anything about Moony, he is literally crumbling pieces of chocolate in it right now.â
Sirius snapped his neck to Remus who looked up flustered. âHey, why are you attacking me,â he complained.
James grabbed your mug and quickly sipped away the foam on top that you disliked and dumped the sugar into the mug. âThere you go, on the house,â he proudly said. Your heart filled with fondness, and you appreciatively sipped from your drink.
James leaned in. âI love you,â he whispered, and he pressed a kiss to your temple, succeeding in making you flustered. âIâm in love with you too,â you mumbled back.
Gryffindor had won their first Quidditch match of the season and naturally, they threw a party in the common room. You had wanted to go when Remus and Peter had invited you, but James and piped up. âNo, she doesnât like those things. Too loud,â he confidently said, absolutely assuming.
âI like parties though?â you replied. You wanted to hang out with James and the marauders, and you were not scared of disagreeing with James. James looked at you with an unreadable expression. âOh, well obviously you can come if you want. I just didnât expect you to want to be among loud drunk people,â he recovered.
âWhat if she is one of the loud drunk people,â Sirius remarked from behind James. âJust because Li-â James elbowed him in the stomach and Sirius groaned.
Perhaps it would have been wiser of you not to go. Maybe you shouldâve been a little more like Lily, who had stayed in the dorms, snacking and reading. It sure wouldâve hurt less.
âYou will never compare to her.â
All you could manage was a bitter smile. James looked defiantly at you, but his eyes seemed to find it difficult to find focus. Your throat tightened and you tried to swallow, but still couldnât find an adequate response to Jamesâ hurtful words.
âI know that, James,â you eventually wryly replied. Of course you knew that, despite your attempts to be a better girlfriend by being more like Lily. You cleared your throat and furiously blinked away tears that threatened to show the impact of his words.
âYou should go get some sleep,â you murmured, and you tried to coax him into laying down on his bed, desperately trying to ignore the issue at hand. Perhaps if you paid it no mind, you could pass this off as nothing more than a drunken insult that you could pretend never happened.
But James doubled down.
âYou will never compare to her,â Â he repeated. This time he added some emphasis as well. You inhaled sharply. His words were no longer slurred, and his eyes seemed to bore right into yours. Youâve never felt so small in your life, your skin crawled uncomfortably as time passed in silence. You frowned deeply now and stared out the window behind James. What were you supposed to do with this information? It wasnât new, but it was the first time the words had outright left his mouth.
You looked him back in his eyes. âOkay. Iâm going to go and get you a glass of water for a hangover,â you slowly spoke up, trying to keep your voice calm. âDonât forget you said this. I want you to remember that you said this because I need you to apologize for it when I get back, James.â
James groaned; his headache started to get worse. âFine, go, but donât come back today, Iâve had enough. And I wonât apologize tomorrow either.â James turned around a faced his back towards you. He was drifting off. âYouâll forgive me anyway, you always do. Itâs the one thing youâve got.â He mumbled. âAt least youâre easier than her.â
 Your face burned in embarrassment; your eyes shifted across the room as if trying to make sure no one had heard him. How long could you hold back your tears to keep your dignity, you wondered. Would you at least make it all the way to your own dorms?
âOkay,â you resigned shakily with a nod, slowly getting up while staring at his back. âI wonât be back.â
His breaths seemed to slow down to a steady pace, and you knew he had fallen asleep. Your arms hung defeatedly next to your body and your hand tapped your leg restlessly before reaching for your wand. You murmured a spell on the glass of water on his bedside. It would help him with his hangover tomorrow, and it would be the last act of affection you would direct at him, you decided.
You closed the door behind you and quickly untucked your hair from behind your ears, letting it cover your face. The path back to your own dormitory seemed longer than usual, each step weighed down by the burden of uncertainty.
You passed Remus in a hurry, who seemed to look at you in a concerned manner. Remus turned his head to see Sirius looking worried as well.
James stared at the ceiling. Against his own wishes, he remembered yesterday evening crystal clear. He frowned as he closed his eyes and sunk deeper into his matrass.
Of course he felt bad about what he said, but you were in so many ways like Lily. From the strange muggle expressions you had picked up from her, to your mannerisms, like the way Lily laughed with a hand in front of her mouth to cover her teeth, to your handwriting. Though he knew it wasnât fair to you, it was so easy to compare you. If anything, it was difficult not to do so. But he was sure he loved you regardless.
You never left Jamesâ mind as he got ready to head downstairs to the great hall. He should apologize to you, James figured. He walked over to his bed and downed the glass of water on his bedside. He laughed somewhat fondly to himself when his mind cleared up immediately. You had enchanted it, he realized. So how angry could you possibly really be, this time.
Feeling rather confident, James headed towards the Great Hall. The Hogwarts Great Hall buzzed with the usual morning chatter as students filed in for breakfast.
As he scanned the room, his eyes found you sitting beside Lily at the Gryffindor table. There was something different about your smile, a subtle sadness that didn't escape James' notice. He felt a pang of guilt wash over him, knowing he was the cause of your distress.
Lily, ever perceptive, shot James a cold look before nodding toward the empty seat next to her. James approached cautiously, unsure of how to navigate the tension that hung in the air.
"Thanks, Lily," he offered gratefully, though the discomfort in the atmosphere was palpable. Lily didnât spare him a glance and got up. âIâll wait for you outside,â she smiled encouragingly. She clasped her hands together and nodded at you before leaving. James stared at Lily.
You cleared your throat, drawing James' attention fully to you. His heart skipped a beat as he caught sight of your determined expression.
"You look dashingly beautiful today, darling," James remarked, hoping to lighten the mood with his usual charm.
But you met his gaze head-on, your resolve unwavering. "I'm not going to be the one you settle for," you declared firmly, your words sending a chill down James' spine.
Confusion clouded James' features as he struggled to comprehend your words. "Wait, darling, come on," he pleaded, reaching out to grasp your hand gently.
You pulled away; your tone was unwavering. "I'm not joking around, James. To me, we ended yesterday," you asserted, your voice steady. James felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, realizing the gravity of the situation. That this wasnât a joke or a call for an apology. An apology wouldnât fix this, he realized. How could he fix this? Jamesâ mind raced.
"Yesterday- What? If it's about what I said, I was just drunk," he protested weakly, desperation creeping into his voice.
You sighed, feeling a mix of frustration and resignation. "You literally doubled down twice, James. Well, it doesn't matter anymore, but I wanted to close this off properly. That's it," you explained, placing your knife and fork on your plate, and pushing it to the middle of the table, where it magically vanished towards the kitchen. You rose from your seat.
James reached out to stop you, his words tumbling out in a rush. "Y/N, I swear, I was drunk. And I love you," he confessed, his heart was pounding in his chest. He felt his friends look at him in pity and he understood that they had already been filled in the situation.
But your resolve remained unshaken. "Yeah, I'm sure you love a certain part of me," you muttered under your breath, forcing a smile onto your lips. "Look, we can stay friends, yeah? You're a nice guy, James. And a damn good friend too, I just donât think you were ever ready for another relationship," you concluded.
James was stunned by your resolve, unsure of how to respond, just feeling defeat. He could see that you had closed off. Trying to maintain some dignity, he nodded in acceptance. "Okay.â He whispered quietly.
âWell then, I guess I'll see you later," you managed to say, as you awkwardly nodded, catching yourself as your hands were mid-air, ready to clasp together the same manner Lily always announced her leave. Instead, you awkwardly held two thumbs up before turning on your heels.
As you walked away from James, a whirlwind of emotions churned within you. On one hand, your heart ached with the weight of unspoken words and unresolved feelings and heartbreak. You had been so in love with James.
On the other hand, somewhere deep down, you knew that the only way to get him to keep wanting you, was by imitating the girl he actually wanted. You had let so many things pass, not wanting to break up with James. But youâd done it. It was over. And you almost felt guilty for feeling so relieved.
Taglist: Some of the tags didn't want to work so sorry if you didn't make the list, the rest will be in a reblog
Preview: You'll never compare to her | James Potter
Pairing: James Potter x Fem!Reader
Summary: You're in a relationship with James, but he keeps on comparing you with Lily subconsciously until he says it to your face on a drunken night.
Notes: Sorry for the long break I took, but I aced all my exams, so it was definitely worth it :) Enjoy this preview for now, I love you guys! Also, not proofread, blah blah.
If you want to be tagged, you have to tell me in the comments, or send a dm/ask, specifying which story.
Full fic
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All you could manage was a  bitter smile. James looked defiantly at you, but his eyes seemed to find it difficult to find focus. Your throat tightened and you tried to swallow, but still couldnât find an adequate response to Jamesâ hurtful words.
âI know that, James,â you eventually wryly replied. You cleared your throat and furiously blinked away tears that threatened to show the impact of his words. âYou should go get some sleep,â you murmured, and you tried to coax him into laying down on his bed, desperately trying to ignore the issue at hand. Perhaps if you paid it no mind, you could pass this off as nothing more than a drunken insult that you could pretend never happened.
But James doubled down.
âYou will never compare to her,â Â he repeated. This time he added some emphasis as well. You inhaled sharply. His words were no longer slurred, and his eyes seemed to bore right into yours. Youâve never felt so small in your life, your skin crawled uncomfortable as time passed uncomfortably in silence. You frowned deeply now and stared out the window behind James. What were you supposed to do with this new information?
You looked him back in his eyes. âIâm going to go,â you slowly spoke up, trying to keep your voice calm. âDonât forget you said this. I want you to remember that you said this because I need you to apologize for it tomorrow, James.â
James groaned; his headache started to get worse. âYou can go, but you donât have to come back. I wonât apologize tomorrow anyway.â James turned around and faced his back at you. He was drifting off. âYouâll forgive me anyway. You always do. At least youâre easier than her.â
Your face burned in embarrassment; your eyes shifted across the room as if trying to make sure no one had heard him. How long could you hold back your tears to keep your dignity, you wondered. Would you at least make it all the way to your own dorms?
âOkay,â you resigned shakily with a nod, slowly getting up while staring at his back. His breaths seemed to slow down to a steady pace, and you knew he had fallen asleep.
Your arms hung defeatedly next to your body and your hand tapped your leg restlessly before reaching for your wand. You murmured a spell on the glass of water on his bedside. It would help him with his hangover tomorrow, and it would be the last act of affection you would direct at him, you decided.
Hiiii Red!! Just checking in to see how youâre doing? You havenât posted in a while and I got a little worried <3 I hope your year has been good so far!
Hi lov3!!! Thanks for checking up! Sorry, hehe, I'm alive, I promise! I have two exams left next week, and then I'll be going on vacation. Maybe catch up on writing, and after that, I'll be back to sharing my silly fics â€ïž