Someone Great, James S. Potter

III

WHEN THEY WERE younger, James' and Stevie's parents had tried to make them friends. Oliver would make the trek to the Potters' home every weekend, Stevie gurgling happily from where she was strapped to his chest, only for the two toddlers to repel each other. This weekends were riddled with ear-splitting screams and wizard chess pieces stuck up noses and chubby fists being thrown until Harry and Oliver decided that their children didn't get along as well as they did.

It wasn't until the incident in year three that included a broken nose and a very half-hearted apology from Stevie that the Woods stepped foot in the Potter residence since Stevie was five. There was much less screaming, though Stevie was much more interested in Lily, whose red hair challenged her mother's in brightness already. James, of course, accepted Stevie's (for lack of a better word) shitty apology, therefore extending an olive branch.

Since then, Stevie had tried so hard to avoid James that she had forgotten the he existed at times, but now wasn't one of those times.

As she was staked out in front of the portrait leading to Gryffindor Tower, Stevie quickly went through all the ways she could corner James. It was a flawed plan, but it was also absolutely brilliant, in Stevie's opinion.

The portrait door swung open, and Stevie pounced without thought.

"My bad, I didn't see you there," James said, brushing himself off and fixing his glasses. "Oh, Steph—woah!"

Stevie instantly pulled James into the nearest private space, which happened to be a very small, very cluttered broom cupboard. She locked the door with her wand, her eyes sort of crazed.

"Uh, not that I'm complaining about this whole situation, but why are we in here?" James said, a small smirk on his face. Stevie rolled her eyes, though her cheeks flushed slightly, before she remembered the master plan she had just come up with in the past five seconds.

"I know you like Sunny," Stevie exclaimed, very nearly bursting. James' hand instantly went to her mouth, covering it before she could reveal any more sensitive information.

"How did you know that," James asked wildly, a few curls falling across his forehead.

Stevie stuck her tongue between his fingers, causing James to instantly recoil. "Ha! You can't deny it now! Rookie move, Potter." She hadn't had this much energy in ages—not since she broke his nose all those years ago. "Not that you'd be able to deny it anyway, I heard that whole conversation with your cousin on the bus—is he your only friend by the way, because that's kind of sad—"

"Don't you have like two friends?" James was quick to ask.

"Touche, but not the point," said Stevie, focusing back on her plan.

"And what is the point?" he retaliated, eyebrows furrowed in slight frustration.

"You like Sunny! And I'm bad at Quidditch!"

"I'm not following," James said, crossing his arms and leaning on the wall beside him. Stevie rolled her eyes a second time.

"As you may know, I am not the best at the age-old game of Quidditch—"

"No shit—"

"But, as I have obtained some sensitive information about you—the fact that you have a massive crush on Sunny—"

"Yeah, I got that." He rolled his eyes.

"I was thinking that we could, you know, help each other out," Stevie said, which filled James with a sense of dread. "I help you score a date with Sunny and you help me get better at Quidditch."

Stevie looked up to see James with a very thoughtful look on his face. He'd grown at least two feet since the last time she talked to him. She'd never seen him like that—so...stoic? It made her feel sort of queasy.

"No," he said, shaking his head fervently.

"No?"

"No."

"I'm not sure you understand the stakes here, James," Stevie said, looking seriously up at him.

"I think I do, Stephanie. And plus, I can't help the opposing team!" James exclaimed. "And it's not like I need your help to ask Sunny out."

"Oh, really?" Stevie asked, crossing her arms. "And what makes you think that?"

"I mean, I've never had much trouble getting people to like me," James said arrogantly. Stevie cackled.

"Really? Because Sunny has told me multiple times that she thinks you're an—what did she say—'arrogant shit-head.' Now that doesn't sound very promising to me, but maybe after my help..." she continued, raising her eyebrows and with a shit-eating grin. James was silent for a few moments before huffing in contempt.

"Fine," James said indignantly. "I'll help you, but you have to promise that no one will find out. If my team finds out I'm helping you..."

"Got it," Stevie said, not hiding her excitement as she smiled wildly.

______

"YOU'RE EVIL" SAID Otto, "absolutely evil."

Stevie rolled her eyes, ripping a bite of a licorice wand. "I think you mean brilliant—absolutely brilliant."

"You're blackmailing him," Otto said, ripping the licorice wand out of her teeth's grasp. She cursed.

"It's not like it's illegal or anything," said Stevie, swinging her legs over the chair she was sitting in—it was yellow and soft, much softer than the green leather ones in the Slytherin Common Room.

"It is illegal."

"Really," Stevie said, eyebrows raised. Otto nodded, biting off a piece of licorice before handing it back to Stevie. "I think you're focusing on the wrong thing here, my little otter..."

Otto rolled his eyes.

"You've completely skipped over the part where James Potter is in love with our best friend!"

"I really could not care less about that," said Otto, crossing his arms.

"Yes, of course," said Stevie, a smirk spreading, "you're much more interested in Fred than his cousin."

"Oh, shut it," said Otto, throwing a plushy, yellow pillow at her head. "He's much more interested in me, in my opinion."

"He called you Otis in Potions this morning."

"Let a guy live," said Otto, flopping back on the couch. He smoothed a hand across his face. "I really should really be watching what I tell you about—you're probably planning on blackmailing me."

"Keep talking and I will," said Stevie, cocking an eyebrow. "I could always get you to convince my dad to let me get a cat—I think he prefers you over me."

"Most people do," said Otto, flashing his pearly teeth. Stevie laughed and stood up, heading toward the door. "Where're you going?"

"Oh, just going to tell Fred about how 'Otis' is deeply in love with him!"

Otto had never ran so fast in his life.

______

NOTE.

I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far. I'm spacing things out a lot, so I've been doing a shit ton of rewriting & editing. I've also deleted all my social media so now I'll have more time to write instead of scrolling through Instagram <3