𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐀𝐆𝐍𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐒

𝘐 𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘨𝘰 • james potter ✦

| JAMES POTTER X READER
| angst
| cheating, swearing, y/n lowkey girlbossing
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4:17 am, james' stomach dropped as soon as he walked into the house, light coming from the dining room meaning you were still up. you were never up this late, never ever. james knew he was caught, knew something was up today.

james wiped his palms on his jeans, he felt like he was going to throw up. taking a deep breath before shrugging off his jacket and hanging it on the hook by the door, then dusting off his shirt.

pushing up his glasses as he walked down the hall toward the dining room. james stopped at the door way, taking in the room that was dimly lit with you sitting at your usual spot at the table with your back toward him. the left strap of your slip dress fallen from the top of your shoulder and now dangling loosely on your arm.

you turned to face him, a smile painted on your face. a beautiful smile at that. you were always beautiful no matter the day, no matter how hard he looked at you or how long. not to mention your personality was beautiful as well. so why was that not enough?

maybe he wasn't caught, maybe this was his chance to tell her that what they were was wrong and needed to be stopped right this second but he knew if he had a choice he wouldn't tell her.

"jamie" you said softly.

james smiled, his nickname made his nausea go away and his face tint pink.

"who is she?" you asked, smile still on your face.
his face fell immediately, nausea coming back instantly.
"what?" james stammered out, you turned back around and gestured to the chair next to you. james walked to it but didn't sit, "who is she?" you repeated, cocking your head.

"i don't know what you're talking about" he muttered, slowly sitting in the chair and picking at his nails. you narrowed your eyes at him, and let out a short bitter laugh. "you're a bad liar james. you get that from your father" you sighed, shaking your head in disappointment.

james swallowed thickly, he'd gone over this scenario a million times, more than a million and each time it left him with a headache. you'd find out, cry, be mad then you two would make up and he'd never do it, that was the fantasy, the ending being the only good part. it always ended in making up, he couldn't stomach the other ways it could go.

you weren't crying and it made james shudder, he couldn't tell if it was a good thing because james didn't know if he could stomach it but this wasn't what happened in the fantasy, you were oddly calm.

"lily evans"
it was merely a choked whisper, almost not coming out at all.

tears in james' eyes, he tried to blink them away. you laughed lightly, crossing your legs and playing with the silk of the slip dress. "the one from hogwarts?" you asked, looking at james and watching him fidget around with a frown on his face.

"yes. her" james sighed.

"did it feel good? you know after chasing her tail since we were young?" you said bitterly, trying to be as calm as you could.

james went to speak, his lip quivering and eyes red. "i know it must have, since you went back...again and again" you sighed watching james look down at the floor.

"i should've figured it out sooner. i mean now that i think about it, when we were at that dinner with your coworkers you couldn't keep your eyes off her." you said with a shrug.

you should've know and everyone told you this relationship would not end well, you refused to believe he settled for you since he couldn't have lily but nonetheless it was true. james was always in lily's grasp no matter if lily knew it or not.

james couldn't wrap his head around why and how you were so calm, he sniffled, finally looking at you. "are you not mad?" james asked, voice cracking. "extremely, furious even but i think distraught would fit more accurately" you said looking down at your lap and taking a deep breath.

"but if i show it i think i'd be labeled a hypocrite"

james clenched his jaw, his breath stopping for a moment. his stomach turned.

"what...what does that mean?"

you looked up, meeting his eyes.

"i had sex with sirius before you got home" you admitted, "and honestly i want to say i did out of spite— to hurt you like you've been hurting me, but i did it because i wanted to and just because i wanted to" you added.

as soon as you found out you considered your relationship dead so maybe that's why you could say that you fucked sirius so nonchalantly.

james brought his hands to face, crying silently. this was not how it was supposed to go. "i'm sorry" james mumbled.

"sorry will not fix this. i'm not gonna be dragged along while you're fucking lily evans behind my back— or whatever it is you have going on with her." you said, your voice breaking and now your eyes glossed over. "i will no longer gravel at your feet for you to love me just like how i did when we were at hogwarts and be your last resort" you added raising your voice.

you both sat in silence, him taking in your words and you fighting tears.

you got up, pushing in the chair you were sitting in then walked to the doorway. "make sure you tell lily that you're hers, and always have been."