Black Roses {James Potter x OC}

What Am I Supposed To Say?

"And so the hero becomes the villain" James had just finished telling his group of friends the story of his older brother as soon as he could.

To his uttermost surprise all of them showed up, even Zoe. Although her eyes kept casting around all places around him but never himself.

"Shut up, Gavin. I'm sure it was a hard choice for Ginny and Harry to leave their child for dead" Leslie had the reputation of a heartless bitch, but anyone who had had an actual conversation with her, would say otherwise.

"If you see it from the world's point of view we should be thanking them for wanting one less maniac on the street. Although from the humanitarian point of view it's kind of fucked up" Leslie rolled her eyes at the blonde Gryffindor.

"Insightful and helpful as ever, Ty"

"Here I was thinking only one Potter could hurt me, the universe does love playing with me" The room fell silent at Zoe's words.

They were unable to deny her statement, after all they weren't liars.

"What even is his goal? Burn James alive?" James shook his head, his hands were running through his hair again as his thoughts jumbled with each other.

"He already had a chance to do that and chose to carve that lighting bolt onto Zoe instead. There's something else"

"Call me when you discover it. I gotta get to transfiguration" Zoe didn't wait for a reply from the group before exiting the room of requirements.

The group was left in stunned silence as the brunette Slytherin slipped out through the door.

"Did she just...leave early?....for transfiguration?" Melody shivered next to Gavin, her eyes wider than they ever had been.

"You Potter boys really did fuck her up mentally" The room fell silent once more, until James stood up and carelessly tossed his things into his bag to exit as well.

"And where are you going?" James shrugged right before closing the door behind him.

"Slytherin and Gryffindor have transfiguration together"

"Their brains have been fried"

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Zoe didn't wish to be in the same room as James Potter after the revelation of his brother and his deeds.

He could never look at those green eyes she used to love the same way after knowing the person who terrified her the most carried them as well.

Her grudge of not talking to James because of amorentia had been temporarily locked away to make way for a new reason not to talk to him: his brother.

Maybe, just maybe, if she didn't talk to him or acknowledge his existence, if she just cut him off from her life. His brother wouldn't come after her any longer, she'd be fine.

And she gave zero shits about what happened to James in the crossfire.

"Z! Wait!" Zoe only sped up, she wasn't about to stop to face the boy who had ruined her mental state in more ways than one.

But James Potter wasn't known for being someone who gave up after a person tried to ignore him. He was the inevitable in every form.

Right before she snuck into the transfiguration classroom, James latched onto her forearm, pulling her back until they were face to face in the nearest deserted corridor.

For some reason she let him drag her.

"Just talk to me already" Finally Zoe snatched her arm back, ignoring his attempt to make her speak and try and sneak past him. Yet James wasn't having it.

He caught on to her plan and grabbed her forearm again, pulling her back until she was pressed between himself and the wall.

"Z. I know that face, you're hiding what you're feeling. You've been using that face since I've met you" For the first time in what felt like forever, her eyes met his.

Her eyes were always one of her most expressive body features along with her fidgeting, you could always tell what she felt when you saw her eyes.

In that moment, he could identify three main emotions. Fear, anger and resentment.

"What do you want me to say James?

That I completely forgot about my grudge against you for making me do things I didn't want to because I fear that you'll go by the same path your brother has taken?

How about that I still have nightmares about that night and no one is there to tell me it's alright, or that I'm safe. Because it's not true, your psychopath brother is still out there looking for me.

Or how sometimes in those dreams it's not me screaming in pain. Sometimes it's Neo or Scorpious. Any of our friends. Hell, even you have been there, begging for me to save you from him, saying that you don't want to die.

Do you know what that does to a person, James? Do you know what it's like to wake up every morning terrified that it'll be your last?"

Angry tears were streaming down Zoe's cheeks, her eyes now full of pain as she had to recall all those nightmares she had been having for the past months.

James' heart broke at the sight as he tried to gently cup her cheek.

"Z.." Zoe slapped his hand away and pushed him back to free herself from her spot against the wall.

Before he could say anything else she stomped into the transfiguration classroom, settling into her seat next to Melody.

The pink haired girl saw her tear-stained cheeks, but chose not to address it. She let Zoe deal in her own time.

"Good morning, mister Drake come up here and hand a rat to every student" Although McGonnagall was more than busy with all her headmistress duties, she somehow found time to still teach transfiguration.

Her true passion some called it.

Suddenly Gavin shrieked and threw a rat in the air by the tail.

The rat seemed to fly in slow motion. Not that. The rat flew in slow motion towards the ground, until it stopped inches before.

Everyone else was frozen in spot, not a single muscle moving.

Whatever happened seemed to affect everyone but two people who were looking around the room wildly, their eyes meeting. It was no other than James and Zoe.

"He told you didn't he? Hello Zoe and little brother...Family reunion coming soon" The voice held such a cold tone that Zoe couldn't help but shiver and hold her wand with just enough force not to snap it in half.

And just as quick as it started, it was gone. With Gavin screaming like a maniac as the rat he threw weaved between the desks of laughing students.

"Mister Drake-"
"It bit me! The stupid rodent bit me!"

With eyes still locked, James and Zoe seemed to have an entire conversation through their expressions.

Their suffering was far from over.

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a/n: My babies 🥺 well no- fuck James. My baby Zoe 🥺

I fell asleep during Harry Potter and the Prisoner of  Azkaban and didn't get to see Sirius and his iconic craziness 😩

Anyways vote and comment cause I'm less than 15 chapters away from finishing this 🥲