Hooked - James Sirirus Potter.

Chapter 23

Outfits in the external link :)

Claudia reached out, stretched her arms and legs out to the four corners of the bed. Her eyes stayed closed as she enjoyed not having to get out of bed, not having to do anything all day! She could feel one of her pyjama legs had ridden all the way up to her thigh but made no attempt, what so ever, at rectifying it.

Slowly her mind began to run over all the events from the victory party.

It had started out well enough until her siblings had butted in, but then it had gone all swimmingly. She'd sat with the Potter/Weasley families and enjoyed herself. There had been joking, teasing even a few glares passed between the married couples yet nothing bad happened.

James had looked truly delicious that night. Sure he always looked good, clean and smelt amazing but seeing a man you fancy- no matter how hard you deny it – in a suit, always makes you fancy them more. Letting her mind wander Claudia began to dream, to imagine what it would have been like if she'd let herself dance with him.

Surely she'd have fit in his arms perfectly, his hand would wrap around hers as he lead her into a waltz around the floor. They would have eyes for no one else in the room and then finally as the final bars began to fade he'd have kissed her. Just a little.

A loud banging on her front door forced her away from her little fantasy and towards the hall. Grabbing a hoody, she looked through the spy hole and saw two red heads looking at something in their hands.

"Hello..." She said, pulling the door open to be faced with Ginny and Lily.

"I thought we could go on that shopping day!" Ginny cheered, looking to Lily who waved her hands about and looked bored already. "Claudia, I need you to keep me sane. Lily needs to buy a new dress for her friend's wedding and I can't do it alone."

"Let me get dressed." She smiled, opening the door wider and letting them into her small, but bright apartment.

Throwing open the wardrobe doors, Claudia panicked a little. She was going to be shopping all day with Ginny and Lily Potter; sure she'd met them before but she had a feeling that they'd been on best behaviour, ordered by Harry... and James's glare. She wanted to look nice for them, yet be comfortable if they were going shopping with someone who hated shopping.

Pulling out a par of soft high-waist trousers, Claudia stepped into them and pulled out a black shirt to match the black plimsolls she'd probably end up slipping on. "Do you want a cup of tea or anything before we go?" She asked, sticking her head around the living room door on the way to the bathroom.

"Do you mind if I help myself?" Lily asked, already in the fridge.

"Nope." Claudia smiled, disappearing again to make her hair look human. "Lily, how old are you again?"

"Twenty three." She grinned, looking up at Claudia as she walked into the kitchen finally ready. "Do you like my jumper? Saw it in a muggle shop and had to buy it."

"I do like it." She grinned, re reading the jumper Bitch please, I ride a unicorn.

"Mum didn't." Ginny stated with a small grin growing over her face, "the word Bitch holds strong memories for us."

"Yeah Nana called someone a bitch before she killed her." Lily snorted; "Wish I'd been there, Nana never swears."

"Right." Claudia said, feeling incredibly awkward. "What do you need the dress for?"

"My friend is getting married and I have to look like I've not aged in five years." Lily stated; "We've written and everything, just not seen each other... I've gotten fat."

Claudia looked up and down the slim figure that Lily was and rolled her eyes. "Sure, I think my clothes would hang off of you."

"Yeah, you should have seen her at school." Ginny snorted; "Like a bean pole, worse than Albus."

"Okay!" Lily sighed, pulling herself out of the arm chair. "Let's go, I want to go both muggle and wizard shops... don't want to look obviously weird."

---

Standing in the queue to get a coffee, Ginny turned around and looked for Claudia who'd offered to find a table for them to sit at while Lily grabbed some fast food from another shop. With a smile, Claudia waved over to her and sat down only for a man to tap her shoulder.

Suspicion filled her as she watched Claudia throw her arms around the man's shoulders as he swung her off her feet laughing. Surely James would have mentioned if she had a boyfriend... unless he didn't know.

The man in question was very good looking; his hair was long and blonde, falling in waves around his square jaw and dark eyes.

Lily appeared beside her suddenly, "What are you staring at?"

"Claudia's hugging a man." She stated, nodding over in their direction.

"That looks like McKay." Lily mused; "He was in James' year at Hogwarts and afterwards went to a muggle university. No one heard from him again."

"Well Claudia seems to know him quite well." Ginny stated as his hands stayed on her waist.

"Have you still got the bag from Uncle George's?" Lily grinned, mischief sparkling in her eyes. Ginny nodded and pulled it out as Lily dove into it. "He put in a new version of Extendable Ears in; no wires needed."

Ginny grinned as Lily rested it in her palm as a dish popped out of the small ear and started to tune in on Claudia and the man she was talking too.

"Who are you here with then?" he asked, Ginny felt a shiver roll down her spine at his tone.

"Ginny and Lily." She said, turning and waving at them as they pretended to only just notice. "We're having a girly day."

"Hanging out with the Potters?" he asked surprise evident in his voice. "I thought you of all people would steer clear of wizards like them."

"Like them?" she asked, confused. "I work with James and really get along with them all."

"Don't even start Claud." He snorted, "They think they're royalty... exactly what your father would want."

"Don't start this Alistair, I'm over my father and his arrogance... we're all grown up." She sighed, shaking her head. "How have you been anyway, tell me about your travels?"

"She's such an idiot." Lily laughed, "She just got insulted and then she asked him questions!"

"So how about it?" McKay asked, jerking them back to the distant conversation while they pretended to dither over the cakes.

"It?" Claudia asked, "What are we, twenty still? I'm happily single, thank you Alistair."

"Am I not good enough for you now?" he sneered, looking over her shoulder Ginny saw Claudia's spine stiffen. "Now you've had a taste of Potter."

"Excuse me; I'm not some whore who falls into bed with any male who smiles at me."

"Worked for me."

"We were friends first and then we slept together after I found you crying over a Disney movie." She snapped, "I didn't fall into bed with you."

"Remember it how you will." He snorted; "You always were easy; I bet Potter gets it on a platter. It's pathetic; both of you are."

A slap echoed around the food court, pulling everyone's attention to them. Lily laughed as Claudia slapped him again and decided to scream. "You bastard."

"Don't try and pretend you're not some cheap whore." He spat, holding his cheek. "You go and fuck your way to the top Claudia."

"It's Doctor Cross to you." She shouted, sitting down and grinning at the old lady beside her. "Sorry about the swearing; he was much nicer when we went to university together."