Loverboy

"Oh my god, stop flirting."

Ollie looked at James, not expecting the question. "Dare," she said uncertainly.

"I dare you to jump in the lake," James replied.

"It's freezing."

"Then take off your clothes, duh."

"UM, I AM NOT SKINNY DIPPING IN THE LAKE, JAMES POTTER," Ollie said indignantly.

James laughed heartily. He responded, "Well then, Miss Dignified, how about you and I go inside and finish the game where we've no danger of skinny dipping in the lake?"

Olivia and James walked, James's arm over Ollie's shoulders and Ollie's arm around James's waist, to the common room.

"You know," Ollie began, "it's fun to hang out with you sometimes, James. Like just one-on-one."

"I know, I'm just so - pulchritudinous platypi - irresistible." The Fat Lady swung open, the duo gladly rejoining the warmth of the hearth.

"Oh my god, James, that's why people don't compliment you. It just inflates your gargantuan ego." Ollie rolled her eyes.

James replied, impressed, "Gargantuan? Quite the word, Ollie."

"Oh my god, stop flirting," Sirius said from the sofa, twisting his head back at the two standing in the door way.

"James? Flirting?" Olivia said, bursting into bales of laughter. "As if he could look a female in the eye! You're hilarious, Sirius Black." James faked offense, giggling through his facade.

"Well, you're the one doing most of the decent flirting," Remus pointed out. "James could never."

Ollie strode to where Remus, Sirius and Peter were. She sat on the sofa. "I've just got to practice, you know." She put an arm around Remus's shoulders. "Don't I?"

"I mean, you're not terrible," Remus pointed out. "But I guess you should practice so you improve and don't decline in ability." Olivia laughed.

Her laugh. It was sweet, like a caramel, but also rough. Hearing it made his skin crawl, but lit something up deep in the pit of his stomach. Sometimes, her laugh was like this one: rough and sharp, like a jagged rock. Others, it was softer, and felt like silk. And when she was nervous, she might have a quiet and awkward laugh. When she giggled, it was like she was a child; carefree, gentle, and warm. Her giggles always gave him butterflies. When it started, he could never tell, but he could never miss it now.

As beautiful as she was when laughing, when she cried, it was beautiful, too. A few tears falling down her face, until she was sobbing her heart out, unable to control the steady stream of salty water pouring from her eyes. It was rare that anyone could ever see her cry. He was one of the lucky few who had been able to comfort her, to see her, in such a vulnerable place. Again, he could never know when it began to blossom in his gut, this blissful feeling, but he knew now that it was there.

He could tell, however, when he was able to name this feeling. It was right that second. It was right in that exact moment that he realized what it was. He was in love. Whenever he closed his eyes, she saw her. When he was happy, he thought of her. When he was sad, she was the first thing on his mind. When he couldn't fall asleep, he dreamt of her. He thought about what it would feel like if she were there, in his arms. If she was cupping his face in her hands- her hands! Her hands, softer than the cotton of her shirt, her hands, the ones that always had pink fingernails, her hands, with the burn scar on the left. Her beautiful, beautiful hands. If she held his jaw in those perfect hands, if she kissed him. If she kissed him breathless.

She would smell like cherry blossoms. Cherry blossoms, her favorite flower. Last summer, she went to Japan, and saw the gorgeous, lush, pink trees for the first time in her life. She had pictures from the trip all over her dorm, and he had just one. He had one picture that she'd sent to him from her father's hometown, pinned over his bed. In that picture, she was laughing. It was a picture taken the Muggle way, so it was still. Her jovial laugh, caught in time, forever his.

She would smell like cherry blossoms. She would feel like- she would feel like her. She would feel like the girl he had fallen deeply, madly in love with, pressed close to his body, holding him, kissing him. Kissing him so hard, he forgot his name. Kissing him until he forgot her name. Kissing him breathless- no, kissing him senseless. 

She would taste like spearmint. Like her toothpaste- like his toothpaste, too. That was one of the things they had in common. Spearmint toothpaste. Oh, how he loved her minty breath whenever she whispered a dirty joke in his ear. Oh, how he wished it was more than jokes. Oh, how he wanted it to be secrets, to be her professing her love to him. Oh, how he loved the warmth of her words, sinking in and wrapping around his brain. Oh, how he loved the thought of his words doing the same to her.

He loved her. She was one of his best friends, and he was madly, deeply, hopelessly in love with her. But he couldn't be. If he let himself fall in love, he'd ruin their friendship. The friendship he held so close to his heart, almost as close as he had always held her. Before falling for her- it was definitely after they had spent a few years together- he had thought of her fondly in her absence. Now, though, it wasn't because she was one of his dearest friends. Now he wanted to destroy their bond, and rebuild a different type on top of the rubble.

"I think I'm going to bed," Remus said, snapping him out of his trance. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Remus," she said. Everyone else was gone. It was just the five of them. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Ollie," Remus affirmed, standing to leave. Peter clamored up.

"I think I'll go to bed, too," he said. "Goodnight."

"'Night," James said. Olivia and Sirius echoed.

Peter and Remus were gone, leaving just Sirius, Olivia, and James. After a while, James went to bed.

Usually, Sirius would go up with James. Ollie would usually be in bed by then anyway. If she was asleep on the couch, one of the guys would wake her up, and tell her to go to bed. But not tonight. Tonight, Ollie was sitting on the sofa next to Sirius, alone, not saying a word.

"I think we need to talk."

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A/N: Hey guys, did you know I'm a hopeless romantic?! Well, the romance plot is heading steadily along now, so I hope you're ready for more of this bit where I zoom in on what a certain character is thinking. Also, if you're like "bro who tf had their thoughts take up seven effing paragraphs, she never said" well, love, that was, in fact, intentional. You could probably guess who it was (i know at least one of y'all can O.O), but whatever. This was fun to write, and I hope you guys enjoyed it! (also I really like writing this style of chapter!! It's satisfying)

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