[[tease chase phase]]

First of all, it's James Charlus Potter. My warm, friendly advice is to keep that name in your mind for future reference. Chances are you'll be screaming it later. Best known for being a prankster extraordinaire, professional excuse maker, planner, grand unveiler, strategist, trouble maker and captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team

[ergmakaon]

-

[amoenitate]

Really? Hmm. Well your hair is nicer than theirs really.

[potterjc]

Merlin, have I hit my bloody head or did Evans just compliment me? Well, deary, control your feelings for me, will you?

[juliademir]

"I certainly have more talent than you do, Potter. Otherwise there would be scouts interested in you as well. You have no leadership qualities, I have no idea why they chose someone as incompetent as you.. It doesn’t change the fact that we deserved to win.”

[potterjc]

"I feel so offended that some worn out second hand inexistent team has shown interest in you. Or I would have, if it actually was your skills, and not the money your daddy has paid to get you on their list. Or you didn't know, Vanity, that your skills are null and you've been set up?"

[loonyxmoony]

Have I ever ratted on you? Do you think I’m capable of ratting on any of you at this point? 

[potterjc]

Don't get so stiff, friend, I was only proving you that Andy Black won't know what hit her.

[potterjc]

James, please don’t. I’m telling you, this isn’t going to end well. Whatever you think you’re going to accomplish by pranking her, you’re not. You’re not going to be saving anything, you’re going to be painting a big target on your back and arming her with arrows. I’m not trying to be ‘no fun’, but I can’t just sit back and let you go off and do something that’s frankly stupid. I’m sorry, but I really am saying no to this one.

Now we're not dears anymore? Fine, I can do with that. You know what? My ink is very very expensive so I would rather not waste it so whatever you want to get from this, you must have some serious extra supplies of ink if you're actually trying to make a point and convince me to do otherwise than I want. Especially when the psycho threatened y'all. It's just fine, don't sweat it. I will do in on my own and have a hell of a good time.

[loonyxmoony]

Dear James, 

Let’s examine your logic here for a moment, shall we? Dangerous, and most definitely mentally unstable girl confronts and threatens you, threats that I think the entire school knows she’s capable of acting out, and you want to prank her. Have you ever heard of the phrase ‘poking the bear’? And we’re once again going to exclude Sirius from this. Not that I don’t see your reasoning for that, but including everyone but him is just off. I don’t know about this. It doesn’t seem like it’ll end very well at all. More like, it’ll end in hospital wing visits. Or worse. Should I even ask why you were having encounters with Bellatrix in the first place? James, please don’t tell me you were being an instigator and going out of your way to prod and irritate her. Honestly, it’s like you have a death wish at times. Sorry, I know, I’m doing the worrying thing again. But really, Prongs, is getting revenge really worth starting up something with Bellatrix of all people? I’m really not trying to lecture here, but this is making me uneasy. 

Owl Peter if you will, but can we at least try to talk about this before we jump into whatever feud this might spark?

Yours only by contract and thirteen year old nickname pact 

[potterjc]

Dear no fun, 

I should have known Sirius would be more cooperative. Even Wormtail would eventually accept, just so you know, but if you're a scared chicken I completely understand. You can now do your homework. Meanwhile, I'll be saving the world from Bellatrix Black.

[loonyxmoony]

I’ve heard what you’ve had to say about it though just- [rubs his head for a second before sighing] Sorry. I didn’t mean to-  Let’s just change the subject. I’m betting it takes Andromeda about another hour or two before she realizes you snatched her essay.

[potterjc]

Whatever. Andromeda won't know what hit her - she didn't even see me take it, so I am safe for now unless you decide to rat, of course. 

[juliademir]

"It’s not the truth, Potter. If you think I would believe you, you’d be even more pathetic and idiotic than I thought. I worked hard to get to where I am and I deserve winning, there is no doubt in me about that."

[potterjc]

"Correction: you trained hard - just to compensate the lack of talent, of course - and still didn't reach decency. Dear not dear Vanity, just because the badgers are terrible, it doesn't mean you actually deserved any of it."

[potterjc]

Dear Remus, 

We are going to have to postpone the wonderful red Lumos Maxima prank for something better. I don't want you to have a heart attack but I might've or might not have gotten into an encounter with the lovely Bellatrix Black and I might have or might not have been threatened, quite severely, I might add, by her (worry not, I didn't show weakness) but we need one of our V's (see: vengeful pranks). Now, I do realize Sirius is the queen of those, but I figured we can't involve him in a war with his just lost family so we have to, once again, be cliquey. BUT we can include the rat this time, I'll owl him details in a second.

Yours to a small extent because wild souls don't belong to anyone, 

[loonyxmoony]

…Thank you? For thinking so highly of me that is, but I guess that’s what friends are for, aren’t they? I really just… it’s complicated, and we don’t have to go into it. We really don’t. 

[potterjc]

[fakes indifference, slightly bored of the topic] Fine, live your life having wrong impressions about yourself and see if I care! I'm just saying everyone would beg to differ.

[amoenitate]

…And your hair is a masterpiece?

[potterjc]

Well, isn't it?! [whispers] You know, I don't like to admit, but my mother was a Black and I've inherited quality hair, like the rest of that family. 

[loonyxmoony]

See, all you needed was some ego feeding. Or are you still upset about Slytherin winning? 

[potterjc]

Of course I am, but weeping like a baby about it won't help me defeat them - my wonderful skills, on the other hand, will. 

[loonyxmoony]

You know I don’t like talking about me. It’s really nothing to make a deal about, anyway. 

[potterjc]

Yeah, but you're really not that bad. Sirius, yes, he's awful and he should really cut off some of his narcissism, but you're too much an innocent little feathery angel to have such wrong opinions about yourself.

[amoenitate]

Well isn’t it similar to the logic you use? It doesn’t matter what you do or to who as long as it’s fun to you?

[potterjc]

Not when it comes to masterpieces. For instance, I wouldn't necessary burn you or your stuff. 

[loonyxmoony]

Thank all that is good for Mrs. Potter then. I do love her stitchery. [He furrows his eyebrows in thought.] Well, I agree to disagree about your agreement to disagree about my agreement to disagree… That… didn’t make sense. Do we really want to turn this into a conversation about what kind of person I am? We could just keep talking about how exhausting it must be to be so irresistible

[potterjc]

Well, that's slightly tempting, but I can't leave you with such a bad impression about yourself. 

[loonyxmoony]

Fluke, then? And last I checked Regulus was in fifth year, so… not exactly ten. Give it time, it’s just one victory, James. She can’t win them all.

[potterjc]

Yeah, that's correct, and besides, if he was ten he wouldn't be here. Never mind, back to the bitch, it is a proven fact she can't. And she won't, especially considering one will be against my team.

[bellatix-black-deactivated20150]

Bellatrix’s keen eye caught his nervousness and her entire body seemed rejoiced in it. The way his pupils dilated and muscles tightened, like a string on a bow ready to snap, it was all far too amusing. All she need do was tug a little harder, press the right button and the so called great James Potter would come tumbling down. At that thought she giggled, the small sound rising up from her gut as the body continued to speak. He couldn’t be serious she thought as her smirking lips pursed “Rat on me if you like but I must confess detention won’t stop these little words from coming to be…”

"Unbreakable?" the giggles returned, this time her eyes watering from the force of her laughter "That naive little belief may be true but could the same be said for oh I don’t know that little girlfriend of yours? Or any number of your little friends…" Tsking her tongue Bellatrix took a step towards him, her lips turned downwards into a mock put "See now here I thought you loved me. How sad."

"Very well…" Shrugging her features became emotionless, save for the fire which burned behind her eyes "Like it or not Potter someone will break and it in turn will break you…unless of course you don’t care for the rabble you call friends."

[potterjc]

James simulated an unimpressed huff just so he could sneak an unnoticeable sigh at the end of it, for the conversation was, as much as he didn't want to admit it, exhausting him, consuming all of his joy. There has always been something strange - scary, if the word wasn't so unpleasant to the boy who thought he is fearless - about Bellatrix Black, but something in her tone made his feet soften under the pressure of her glare. Taking a deep breath to get him back on the line, James maintained eye contact, just so he wouldn't give her satisfaction. Now, more than ever, he had to be careless, to keep treating her as if her words are nothing but a sick joke - which, in fact, he hoped they were. "You are ridiculous and I care too little about your threats. Good day." He turned to leave, but of course her latter words caused him to return to his previous position and remain still. 

Looking weary, tired of her games that were just about to start, James cut her off. "I have no girlfriends, babe, you should have just told me if this was a matter of jealousy. Now, I'm not sure I could ever come to love such a hideous creature like you, but at least I don't belong to anyone. I hope that warms you at night. And if it's friends you want to talk about, now I know you have none, but I can recommend you some people of your kind. For instance, have you ever talked to Severus Snape? Maybe he will want to be friends with you." he articulated his words, accepting to play dumb just so he would annoy her and eventually get her too frustrated to actually stick to the so called plan and keep mocking him. Not that James Potter took mocking remarks too seriously, but there was something in the way she was saying it... 

"The only person to break is you, Bella, m'dear." he leaned in, a technique she had so recently used on him. "Just because I don't use your ways doesn't mean I can't, and trust me, I'm just as determined at you." Of course James wasn't used to talking like that, but in that particular moment, it seemed to be the only way to approach the situation.