Chasers & Beaters

•truth & trust•

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d.diggory's POV
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⚠️mentions of abuse⚠️

"Ma'am, how much will I have to pay you for you to let me out of here tonight?"

"Dearie, you could sell your soul and it'd be cheap for me to let you out of here without the medicinal potion going into effect."

Fuck. "Hey, Madam Pomfrey?" I called out. "Um can you get Mr. Potter here?" I asked her as she sent the boys to their dorms an hour earlier. "What's this about, Miss Diggory?" She asked and came closer to the bed. G"It's about him doing my rounds tonight." I said. I lied.

"Miss Diggory. Do you fancy him?" She asked me and sat down in the chair next to me. "I um no. I do not fancy Mr Potter." I said as I thought about it. "Diana, I'd like to think that you've been in here enough with quidditch injuries that you wouldn't lie to me." She said and smiled.

"I don't fancy him but I do admire his compassion towards the people he cares about and strangely enough his ambition when he believes in something. I love how he jokes or laughs in serious situations and always gives people chances but no I don't fancy him, ma'am." I spoke staring at foot of the infirmary cot I was on.

When I finished I looked over at her and she had her hand over her heart. "You don't fancy him, dearie." She said and smiled before getting up. "That definitely doesn't classify as fancying." She said then looked down at me. "I'll get him down here." She said and she muttered something on her way to the door.

"I don't fancy Potter." I said looking up at the ceiling crossing my arms. That's because I'm an idiot who loves him. "Ok I can't fall asleep." I said out loud and sat up. Quidditch. That can't bore me. "Seven players per team. Six can move anywhere on the felid. Five can touch the balls. Four are offensive. There are three balls. Two seekers fighting for One snitch." I said and counted on my fingers.

"Seven players-"

"New mantra, Diggory?"

James. I looked up to see him smirking.

"Can't count without your fingers? That's a new low."

"Shut up, Potter."

"I thought you wanted me here?" He said and the smile from his face slightly wavered. I scooted over on my cot and pulled the blanket to the side for him to sit next to me and a giddy smile took over his face.

"How are you doing, Ranger?" He said getting in the covers next to me putting his arm over my shoulders. I sighed because if I were honest he'd make fun of me.

"My head hurts and I'm tired." I missed you and I honestly feel a lot better that you're here with me right now. "That's all right, you're gonna be just fine. Pomfrey said she's clocking out for now and I'm in charge of you." He said and I nuzzled closer to him.

"Wow you really must be sick, huh?" He said wrapping his arms around me more. "Believe me I never thought we'd be here either." I said and just hugged him more.

"You know I still have the picture of you looking annoyed at Sirius and me when we were kids." He said and I looked up at his face. "No, oh Merlin." I said and brought my hand to my face. "I hated you so much." He said and chuckled.

"Believe me I remember how much you hated me." I said and he nudged me. "I'm sorry about the fruit punch thing." He said with sincerity. "No I get it. You thought I was trying to steal your best friend." I said and smiled.

"No." He said and let out a breath.

I sat up and looked at him. "Then why?" I asked him.

"You scared me. I- Diana I had a crush on you and it scared me." He said and I my jaw dropped. "So reading Carrie and recreating it was a better idea?" I asked him laughing.

"I thought if you hated me, it would be an easier feeling. Then we went to hogwarts and I saw Evans and oh Merlin I thought I knew the definition of love." He said and looked at me. Diana don't you dare let your face drop he is using past tense.

"Hell you can ask Remus." He said and starting talking with his hands more. "In 3rd year, I had a breakdown with Pads and Mooney and Wormtail about how I wouldn't end up with Evans in the future. I was devastated." He said and ran his hand through his hair. "I don't think I've ever been happier to be wrong." He said and it caught me off guard. "What?" I asked him.

"My definition of love is not and will never be Lily Evans cheating on me with Severus Snape for the course of 6 maybe even 7 months." He said and I laughed. "True. I'm very happy you are able to joke about it now." I said and started to play with my fingers.

"Of course. Sweet Salazar nothing brought me more joy then 'lets settle this the muggle way' and then you beat his ass." James said laughing and he slid his hand into my fingers. I started playing with the rings he wore.

"You gave me my definition of love, Ranger."

Don't cry. Don't freak out. STAY FUCKING CALM.

"What do you mean?" I asked him. And the hand I was playing with held mine. "Watching you hold Cedric while we drank coffee. The way you fixed my tie whenever you got the chance. How you would always hold my hand regardless of situation. Talking about different quidditch play ideas all night. I just. You truly made me feel bliss." He said softly dragging his hand in figurates over my shoulder and I hugged him.

"And I'll get you back one day too." He murmured and kissed my forehead. Fuck.

"You were more then a definition for me."

I said and refused to make eye contact as my train of thought simply left my body. "My parents never uttered the words 'I love you' but they knew the word crucio extremely well." I said and he put his hand on my shoulder.

"Amos told me he loved me. That he would always protect me because he loves his baby sister but he was not there when his words were the only thing keeping sane. And Sirius was the same way- his parents were. He had the same scars I do- the ones one my rib cage that look like clawing from that Merlin awful hex." I said and I just kept going as if the filter in my brain vanished.

"And then in 4th year I thought I loved Liam. I thought that he was my soulmate. That he loved me. Turned out he used those 3 words to get into my pants." I said and had tears in my eyes.

"Then fifth year happened. We became friends and I still owe you for what you did but Remus and Sirius and Pete were just so- genuine. No ulterior motives to want me. And in fifth year I kissed you. And it meant something. Oh Merlin it meant something." I said and wrapped my arms around myself.

"James, sixth year was a personal hell because I liked you. I liked you so much I helped you get Lily and thats the definition I learned for the four letter word. That their happiness is more then you could ever ask for." I said and held myself tighter.

"I said I love you and meant it the first time in my life in that fucking locker room. And honestly our relationship was an escape for me and if I'm being honest I think I love you the most right now." I said and I glanced at the boy in front of me.

"I want you to marry the girl of your dreams, someday. I can't take that away choice away from you because I'm in trouble." I glanced down at my hands. "I'm arranged to marry Tom Riddle the day I graduate hogwarts if I do not get married before hand because of the fucking fine print in wizarding law that says till death do us part- literally." I said and looked at him.

I was tear stained and puffy, my eye sockets feeling exhausted. And I looked at him. I saw the boy I love with tears in his eyes and he reached out a hand to my face.

"I love you too."