An Idiot in Love Story

Chapter 1: Lovesick

Prompt: the Amortentia trope.

Lily Evans and I aren't friends. I mean, we sort of are, but not really. You know?

Okay, let me try to explain. Watch this:

I jostle a dark-haired girl's shoulder as I pass by the back of her seat. "Hey Mac."

She says,"Hey James," back over her shoulder without really looking at me and then turns and asks, "You thought about trials yet?"

I shrug. "I'm thinking two weeks? Need to talk to McGonagall."

She nods her agreement and gives me a thumb's up before turning back to situating her book and parchment on her desk.

See? Mary Macdonald and I are friends.

I drop into the open seat by Sirius.

"About time you showed up," he drawls.

I chuckle and pull my Charms book from my bag. "Trying out being punctual this year or something?"

He arches his spine over his seat and tilts his chair on its back legs. "Nah, just bored already, and seventh year classes haven't even started."

Sirius is a Mood if I ever saw one.

Anyway, I'm supposed to be explaining to you how Lily Evans and I aren't really friends. It's not that we don't get along, because I suppose we do. It's not even that we don't talk, because we do that a decent amount, too. It's just—

Here. I rip off a strip of parchment, dunk my quill in my ink, and then scrawl,

What did Nearly Headless Nick say about our last prank on Filch?

(Actually guess, Evans.)

"It was poorly executed."

Sirius mutters, "Back at it again, eh?"

(He means passing notes to Lily.)

"You bet, Pads."

I don't sign it; I don't need to. I just fold it into the shape Lily once called a paper airplane and charm it to zoom over to her desk. It lands on top of her book and she instantly looks over her shoulder at me, glaring like she's distinctly unamused. She's trying to tell me off with her eyes, but that hasn't really worked since third year. Which she knows, because she turns to unfold my little note. I watch her read it, see her lips quirk as she fights a smile, and then she flips it over, scribbles something, and sends it zooming back to me without another glance. I unfold the note, eyes zipping over her clean handwriting.

You're horrible.

(My guess: "You've gotten rusty.")

I smile, then pass the parchment to Sirius, who snaps his chair back to four legs and chuckles quietly after he reads both sides. Lily glances over her shoulder at us, a smirk tugging her face even as she shakes her head, rolls her eyes, and attempts to tell me off with a look again.

See? We're friends but not really. We sort of…flirt? Is that what that was? I can't really tell. Because girls who flirt with me flirt like this:

I turn around, knowing by the giggle I heard a little bit ago that Cressida Clearwater and Dorcas Meadowes are sitting behind Sirius and I.

"Hey, Cress, Dory," I say casually. "Good summer?"

Cressida leans forward and cups her chin in her palm, a simpering smile immediately on her face. "Yeah, I went on holiday in Italy. It was amazing. Yours?"

"Good," I shrug. "Just hung out with this guy, mostly." I jut my thumb toward Sirius, who turns around on cue and smiles.

Cressida ignores him and bats her eyelashes over blue eyes. "Congrats on getting the badge. You were obviously the best choice."