Soulmate Prophecy - Marauders

Chapter 10

The holidays were over and the Hogwarts Express was due at Hogsmeade station in the next half hour. Though they weren't on it, the Head Boy and Girl had been sent to meet the train that evening. They sat at the head of a convoy of empty carriages, riding to the station as the sun set.

"You know Muggles take riding in carriages to be romantic," Lily said. "On the night they got engaged, Vernon paid for a man with a team of enormous shire horses to take him and Petunia on a trot around Richmond Park in an open carriage in the snow, with everyone looking at them. Petty kept going on about how much it cost him."

James hummed. "Odd," he said, frowning, thinking hard. The four-legged beast in him was trying to imagine why anyone would want to spend an evening staring at a captive animal's rear end. He shook his head. "Nah, a tandem broom ride makes a much better date."

"You mean, like you promised my dad?" Lily smirked, leaning hard into his chest.

James grimaced even as his arms closed around her. "Now that I think of it, old Mitch is not really my type. Maybe you should be the one to float him around a deserted football field, or something. Frankly, he seemed a little shocked that you've been able to fly on a broom all this time and he's never seen you do it."

"How could I show off flying for him without owning my own broom?" she said.

James was so taken aback he nearly toppled out of the carriage. "No broom of your own -- you've got -- no broom?"

She caught him by his cloak and pulled him close again. "When would I need one? We can borrow the school ones when we're here, and I can't very well go speeding around Cokeworth on one, can I? Plus, they're expensive. My school supplies are already enough of a strain on Mum and Dad."

James looked at his wristwatch. "Your birthday is in twelve days and I am getting you a broom. The fastest, most comfortable one I can find. I'll need to know how tall you are to get the best fit. About halfway up my neck -- what's that in centimetres?"

"Never mind that," she said. "I don't need a broom, much less a fancy one. It'd be wasted on me."

James was sputtering, disbelieving. "Wasted? Haven't you always wanted one? It's not like you're a bad flyer."

She sat back. "How would you even know? Every time we had a flying lesson in school, you were off darting about, showing off, not paying attention to anyone who wasn't throwing a quaffle."

James pounced, one finger pointed in her face. "A-ha, so you did notice. You were watching me, just as I was watching you."

She swatted his finger away from her face, folding her arms. "It was impossible not to notice you, hooting and trick flying and generally making a nuisance of yourself all over the pitch. But don't you act like you noticed me through all that bravado."

He was having none of her sitting apart from him, and hooked an arm around her waist, pulling her back into his space. As he did, their carriage rolled over a rock sunk into the road, bouncing her partly into his lap. Her breath caught in her throat as James held her there, nuzzling her ear as he spoke, "Oh course I noticed you. All of that idiot young teenaged bravado was crafted especially to attract your attention."

A shiver ran down her neck and along both of her arms but she managed to roll her eyes. "Really, Potter? All for me? Then how do you know a tandem broom ride is a good date? You took that Beauxbatons Suzette flying, didn't you?"

"You noticed that too? Good," he said. "Though I would have rather taken you, of course -- "

She scoffed. "Stars, you're awful -- "