Do I know you? James Potter x reader fic

A failed bet

   "Just wanna ask if you remember our bet."
   What bet? I racked my brains for the memories of first year, realizing I hadn't had many conversations with James Potter. Suddenly the memory of a scarlet train flashed by and- oh. Oh, wait, no. Surely not-

"Will you marry me if you come back to Hogwarts?"

"I'm sure you won't be attractive at all, so, no Potter."

"Want to bet y/l/n?"

"Bet what?"

"If I'm more attractive when you come back you will marry me."

"Fine, I promise."

   I stared stupidly at James as I remembered, and Lily, who was sitting behind me, was looking at me, concerned. I had forgotten all about that. But surely he was kidding. We were eleven, that seemed a bit unfair. I wasn't going to get married for a bet I had made in first year. The very idea was absurd.
   "You think she's alright?" I vaguely heard Peter ask, sounding slightly worried and slightly amused.
   "Come now, he's not that handsome, is he?" Sirius asked teasingly from behind me. I snapped out of it and turned to glare at him, before looking back at James.
   I ignored Sirius, addressing James instead. "Well, I do but . . ." I trailed off, still trying to wrap my head around the absurd idea.
   "But what?" He asked, arching an eyebrow and smirking, like he knew my internal struggle. Stupid James Potter and his stupid hot face.
   "But- I mean, that was in first year, you can't possibly-" I paused to calm down and take a breath, aware of the amused and confused looks I was getting. I started again, slower.
"You can't seriously think I'm actually going to do it?"
   "Well, you kind of promised." He said, shrugging a shoulder as he ran a hand through his hair. He seemed so sure of himself. Fucking twat.
   "Yeah, in first year!" I said, feeling as though I was trying to explain what 2 + 2 equals to a toddler.
"I know many child stars who start at the age of eleven. How come people don't think their past decisions and promises are invalid because of their age?"
   I sighed. Now he was bringing logic into the equation, something I hadn't figured he was capable of.
   "Is anyone going to explain what the actual fuck is going on?" Sirius asked, reminding me that there were still people around us.
   "Yeah, I'm extremely confused." Marlene said through a mouthful of chocolate frog.
   I turned to look at them, but then realized that they didn't know. James never told them, not even Sirius.
   I turned back to James, before incredulously, and a bit gratefully, asking, "You didn't tell them? Not even Sirius?"
   "Not even Sirius. I'm a man of my word, y/l/n." He grinned proudly.
"Thank you." I said genuinely, grateful of this.
"Not even me? Prongs, what the fuck does that mean? I thought we didn't keep secrets from each other." Sirius exclaimed indignantly, sounding a little bit hurt as well.
I turned around. "No, that's my fault. I made him swear not to tell anyone, and I honestly had you in mind. It wasn't really his secret to tell, you know?" I explained quickly, using my hands to enunciate unnecessarily.
"Oh." His face relaxed slightly.
"Yeah." I breathed in relief with James. Apparently he had heard the tone in Sirius's voice as well, for he seemed reassured that his best friend wasn't mad at him. I snorted.
"What's so funny, y/l/n?" He asked quietly, sounding no longer relieved but teasing instead. Merlin, how could teasing me sound so seductive? He asked it clearly enough for the whole compartment to hear. His almost unnatural sounding accent washed over me, prickling my skin wherever I heard it. I shivered slightly and took a second to compose myself, clearing my throat.
"Nothing really. Just realized that you two never seem to fight as best friends, but me and Mar are always at each other's throats." I explained awkwardly, waving my hand around aimlessly. Mary snorted at the truth of this.
"Mar and I." Both Lily and Remus corrected simultaneously, seeming almost automatic.
"Yeah, well, we're just special like that." Sirius said dramatically, tucking his hair behind his ear and staring up shyly at James through his eyelashes. James caught on and winked at him rather exaggeratedly. Remus snickered, but Marlene interrupted with, "Does anyone realize we still don't know what this bet is? And Lily, Remus, darlings, no one really cares about grammar other than you two." The others nodded in agreement, and I wasn't sure which part they were agreeing with.
   Lily scowled and said, "Won't stop me from trying. But yeah, I'm curious about this bet as well."
"Me too." Remus said, agreeing with both.
"Me three. Prongs' bets are always interesting." Peter said, breaking a bar of chocolate to share with Mary.
"Me four." Alice said, her bright eyes shining with the same eagerness they did so often.
"Me six." Mary said, raising her hand as though in attendance.
I opened my mouth to correct her, but Lily cut in first, "Mar, darling, you're only the fifth person."
"Yeah, yeah." She mumbled, now biting into the chocolate Peter had just handed her. The extra powdery shavings of chocolate fell out of her mouth and she caught them. I wasn't sure whether to be amused or disgusted at her manners. But it was Mary, so...
"So the bet?" Marlene asked impatiently as she snapped her fingers. There were murmurs of agreement and I sighed.
"Well-" I began, before cutting myself off. I shifted my gaze to James. "Can you tell it?"
He nodded.
"And tell it like it was, or I will not hesitate to hex your balls off." I added, knowing he would find some way to glorify himself.
He chuckled and raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay."
"So y/n was getting on the train, and she bumped into me, and fell down. And then I pulled her up, she put on her best bitch face and- woah, I'm sorry." He said, raising his hands in surrender again, my wand now at the hollow above his collarbone and below his throat. I could preform a very good Stinging Hex and he had known that since first year. "Just telling it like it is, darling." He said with his usual teasing tone, but his rather defined Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed audibly, and nervously. Part of me wanted to smirk in satisfaction and the other part of me was about to faint because holy fuck, why is he so hot?
I glared before removing my wand from his throat. "I'll tell it, thanks." I rolled my eyes, before muttering, "Can't even go two sentences without ruining it." Mar snickered.
"So I put on my best bitch face, and-" I began, before James cut me off.
"Hey, how come you get to say that?" He asked, pouting rather dramatically.
I didn't bother to look behind me, where I knew he was standing, as I answered impatiently, "Because it's annoying coming from you. Now can I get on with it?"
"Fine." He said, resigning with a very exaggerated sigh.
"So then I pushed past him, with a, "Potter." to acknowledge his unfortunate presence," James made an indignant noise, which I ignored, continuing, "And then he was all like, "Can I ask you a question?"" I said, mimicking a stupid, deep voice, and Mary snickered again. "And I was like, "You just did. Fine, go ahead.""
"Get to the point!" Marlene said impatiently.
"We're getting there." James said, holding up his hand.
"And he said, "Will you marry me-"
"Asked." Remus interrupted. I turned my head to look at him. "Huh?"
"He asked, not said." Lily explained, sounding exasperated.
"Oh, cool. No one cares." Marlene said, propping her legs up on Lily's lap. "Now continue." She said, pointing to me as Lily rolled her eyes and grabbed a licorice wand.
"So he asked, "Will you marry me if you come back to Hogwarts?" And I stupidly decided to play along and said, "I'm sure you won't be attractive at all, so, no Potter.""
"And I asked, "Want to bet y/l/n?" James cut in, telling it himself, grinning proudly like a small child. "And she was like, "Bet what?". And then I said, "If I'm more attractive when you come back you will marry me." And she said, "Fine, I promise.""
Alice gasped, patting Mary's arm excitedly. "Is that when you came back saying you were talking about something stupid with Potter?"
"I believe your exact words were, 'just being stupid as usual'." Mary cut in, wiggling her eyebrows. James made an offended sound from behind me. I turned around to glare at this man-child.
"Okay, so I lost the bet, but I'm not going to marry you! That's ridiculous!" I said indignantly, looking at my shoes now.
"You're right." He said thoughtfully. I looked up, shocked. I hadn't expected him to accept it so easily. He was James Potter. Surely he would put up some kind of argument.

"We have to date first."