true loves poison • james potter

43

"Would you like a drink?" James asked, leaning down to her ear to yell the words.

Nodding, Lorelei watched him smile and grab her hand. He used his hold on her to drag her through the crowd, and Lorelei couldn't help but be reminded of a lifeline ring on a boat. He was her lifeline, tugging her along through the waves of people safely to the drink table.

Once the two arrived in front of the long table covered in different colored pitchers with cups scattered haphazardly across the surface wherever they'd fit, Lorelei and James scanned each pitcher for their choice of drink.

Lorelei, finding the tiny labels before James, tapped him on the arm and touched her finger to the small writing on the nearest pitcher that was filled with a light yellow liquid. 'Lemonade' was written in neat, cursive.

James, still holding Lorelei's hand, tugged her further down the table until they were in front of a pitcher containing amber colored liquid.

Squinting in the dim light, Lorelei read the small slip. 'Firewhisky' was written in the same neat handwriting with a small drawn flame next to it. Looking over at James, Lorelei rolled her eyes at him, making him laugh. It was a bit jarring to watch him laugh, yet be unable to hear it over the volume of the party.

The song switched as James let go of her hand to grab an empty cup from the table, this new song held more bass than Lorelei thought possible after the bass assault of the last song making the floor wobble so hard it was hard to walk in a straight line.

Considering half or more of those in attendance already had alcohol in them, combined with the shaking floor Lorelei couldn't see how this song could end without people injuring one another by sheer clumsiness.

James filled his cup with firewhisky and as Lorelei grabbed her own cup she watched as the effects took over him. She knew as well as the next how addicting the feeling was.

The drink affected James almost instantly in the way he straightened his spine and puffed his chest out just slightly. If Lorelei hadn't been watching and waiting, she probably wouldn't notice the way his demeanor changed as he went from his everyday confidence to the firewhisky enhanced confidence.

Tearing her eyes from the Gryffindor, Lorelei walked down the table until she found the pitcher labeled, 'butterbeer' in the same enchanting script. As she filled her cup she wondered who in Slytherin had such enchanting writing.

A warm hand was placed on the small of her back as she finished filling her drink. Turning to address whoever made the mistake of putting their hands on her, she was met with the same James Potter in a pirate costume.

She assumed the effects of firewhisky was the only reason he'd dare to touch her. Seeing it was just James switched her from unnerved to calm again. James pulled her closer, leaning down he placed his lips dangerously close to her ear to say, " I thought you'd left me, Lori."

And suddenly she wished she'd put firewhisky in her cup after all.

She was all too aware of his hand on her back and his breath fanning across her ear and how close they were.

Regaining her composure was the hardest task she could remember having to do to date. She couldn't even understand why she was so flustered, but the way he was holding her was far too intimate for her comfort when earlier she couldn't even figure out how she felt about the boy.

"Why would I do that?" She asked just above a whisper as he finally pulled away from her ear.

She realized her mistake when James's expression turned confused. Turning his head to the side, he leaned down again with his ear toward her.

Trying to channel any Gryffindor spirit she could muster, she leaned in and asked directly into his ear, "Why would I do that?"

There was something oddly personal about the moment. Being able to only communicate by getting close.

Even in the dim lighting Lorelei could see the small smile appear on James's face.

Lorelei worked hard to keep her stomach stationary as he turned to respond, once again getting entirely too close to her ear, "Are we friends again?"

It was just about the last thing she expected him to ask, but James Potter on firewhisky was probably about as spontaneous as a person could get. Trying to follow his train of thought was like trying to catch a spooked cat.

"Should we be friends again?"

As James pulled away, Lorelei looked eagerly into his eyes for his reaction.

It came as an epiphany that all she wanted from him was his reaction. It wasn't a comforting thought.

"What's the worst that could happen?" He asked back.

And as Lorelei looked into James Potter's eyes, all that went through her head was, What's the best that could happen?

She caved.

Downing the rest of her butter beer, mostly as an excuse to not respond, Lorelei smiled and held up her cup, "I'll be back."

Not waiting to see how he responded, Lorelei took the few steps toward the drink table and located the amber pitcher, eagerly filling her cup with the liquid confidence.

After filling her cup, she sipped at the liquid before going back to where James was still standing.

Firewhisky was the only thing pumping through her body as she walked toward him. The song switched, and slowly she realised it had changed to a favorite of hers.

The music combined with the atmosphere and the firewhisky made her feel much more stable as she approached the gryffindor.

"I thought you might never come back." James yelled.

Looking up into his eyes, Lorelei scanned his face as she yelled back, "I'm not so easily scared off."

"Who's the gryffindor now?" James yelled back teasingly.

Licking her lips, Lorelei raised both her brows. "Certainly not you." She yelled, teasing him back.

James's eyes glanced down at her lips before quickly coming back to her eyes. "Oh yeah?" He yelled back, smirking.

Smiling back, Lorelei's eyes flickered between his eyes rapidly. "Yeah-"

Leaning down quickly, James cut her off from yelling any more.

She didn't even realise he had kissed her until instinctively she moved closer to him. It had to be the firewhisky that made her wrap her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss.

It had to be the firewhisky.

<<>>

And I like large parties. They're so intimate. At small parties there isn't any privacy.
- The Great Gatsby