RUN - James Potter

Chapter 24

Surprisingly, day drinking was not the smartest decision Antonella has ever made. After James and Antonella finished with their first bottle, the two had adventured inside to grab a second and begun a new game. Well, it wasn't really a game. James didn't think Antonella could drink one of Peter's ciders in one go, one breath, one attempt. And Antonella was always the competitive type, especially with James Potter.

Turns out, one cider turned into three, and three turned into a pack of six. Between the two of them, they were most certainly smashed. They had chased one another around the house, giggling and laughing, spilling secrets as they calmed down and in the midst of all the chaos, a small serious moment, and then they resumed their usual selves. It was a tug and pull; the more Antonella tried to run away, the closer she ended up.

And in her case, she found herself leaning against James chest, the back of her head fitting perfect in the nook of his neck. She wasn't sure who had decided to sit under the tree, or why Antonella was leaning against him, or who started the first insult. Yet, neither made an attempt to move. She would blame the alcohol if she didn't feel completely in control of herself.

In fact, she felt more in control than she ever had before. She assumed this was probably a side effect of drinking too much. But that didn't matter as her eyes was closed, silently listening to James' breathing and feeling the small specs of sun pour over face. It seemed days had passed, but it had only been a mere few minutes.

She felt James chest vibrate, a low hum to her ears. It was calming. James was the storm and the calm, he was the chaos but also the safety... and this was life crippling. His hands rested on her thighs, and Antonella could smell the fire whiskey from his mouth. She needed to run, far away. She did not.

"Why aren't we friends," James said softly. It wasn't a question. With a sigh, James continued, "We would've been good friends, do you think?"

A small fit of giggles overcame Antonella, "I think we would've been disastrous."

His hands crept closer, up her legs and towards her stomach, where he wrapped his arms around her. Pulling her closer. It was intimate, it was warm. And Antonella hated herself.

The whistling wind did not stop James' next question, "Can we be friends?"

"I don't think so", Antonella replied, her eyes lowering to James twitching fingers, "Chaos would ensue."

"What's life without a little risk?"

Turning her head slightly, just enough to see his face staring back at her. Antonella spoke softly, "Friends don't use them as a means to get with Lily Evans."

James didn't argue. She was right after all. Throughout the years, James had used Antonella to express how much he desired red heads, but more of an orange type like Lily... and not the bloodied mess of Antonella's. In her second year, he would confess his love spontaneously to Antonella and use Lily's name instead of her own. She was the other girl, the other red-head, and most definitely not Antonella. To James, and this was at least what Antonella understood, she was just Lily's replacement. The one that didn't fight back with curses and all, the one that never ran away,

Watching his lips become grim, Antonella couldn't but help sober up quickly. James seemed lost for words, in fact, in a state of sorrow. It appeared that James was apologetic for his actions, and Antonella couldn't cope with James' changed behaviour. 

"I'm sorr-"

Before he could even finished the words, Antonella pulled away from James, cutting him mid sentence to speak.

"Don't", she hissed, sounding more venomous then she would've preferred, "I do not need you to apologise. Go back to teasing me, calling me a hall-pass and telling me all your weird kinks, daggers and all. Scream, yell, berate. Just go back to being you-"

Her words played on deaf's door as James pulled her back, her body fully in front of him now. There was a shift in the atmosphere, almost cruelly dangerous. And Antonella couldn't help but relish in the small act in the dark.

"What if I don't want to do that," James said in a scary seriousness, his eyes remaining on her as if she was his next prey, "What if I have regrets, secrets and so many more thoughts that would simply baffle you? What if I-"

"You don't get to have regrets over me-"

"I fucking deserve to have regrets, I feel so fucking bad to realise it was you who-"

"Shut up."

The birds could be heard, Antonella's tone indecently harsh. It was, as if, James had been slapped across the face. And perhaps, he had.

Taking a deep breath, Antonella lowered her eyes, refusing to make eye contact with James. The two had sobered up, and in a clear voice, Antonella spoke. "There was nothing you could've done in that well, okay? Is that what you want to hear, will that make you leave me alone? You treated me like trash for years, Potter, well and truely before you knew it was me... the same girl littered in smoke marks. You don't get to have whatever you want, after a simple apology. You destroyed my childhood.

"You made me think I was less than Lily Evans. I was already pit against her, and her unbelievably outstanding grades, her sheer popularity, whilst being a muggle-born, and her fucking beauty. You do not get get me, Potter. This story doesn't begin or end with you."

Moving away from James, laughter carried from behind. The others had returned. Staring at the parade of her friends, Sirius and Asterin seemed to lead them with a strange amount of cling-wrap around their arms. Taking a closer look, Antonella realised at the same time as Asterin spoke, eyes wide.

Whilst pulling up her's and Sirius sleeves, she yelled, "WE GOT MATCHING TATTOO'S"

The tattoo in question was the face of Minerva McGonagall, who was inked permanently into their shoulders.

AN:

Short chapter due to a lack of motivation. If you're unaware, I am taking a step back from wattled as of recent due to the death of my cat. When I update now, it will be irregular (haha basically more irregular than last time).