Lacerta Black -- James Potter --

50

A House.

A whole fucking house just for the two of them. No parents, no Sirius. Them. Thinking about it made her heart flutter. He wanted them to be together for the rest of their lives. It didn't matter how many times he said it, yes it did, but seeing the commitment in front of her face made her want to do two things. Run away or jump into his arms. They had just gotten back to the Potter Manor when they were bombarded by a whole group of people ready to celebrate the milestone in their life.

"What did you think dear?" Euphemia questioned before she was harshly interrupted by Sirius, "Make sure the guest bedroom is ready for me because I'm coming over all the time."

Her brain was fuzzy and she suddenly started to feel overwhelmed by it all. Did he want a baby to fill the spare room? Because she was not ready to pop one out. How was she going to help pay the bills? Not a lot of people want to hire a disowned Black and she knew far too little about Muggle life to work with them. It was freeloading and something her parents had used against them a lot. Since they paid for the house, with blood money, and the food, money they inherited, and the clothes on their backs they were expected to obey their every command.

"I think that. . ." She said slowly. James was sporting a rather large grin that made her feel even dizzier than before. He was too perfect for someone that was as broken as her. "I'd rather not have to live with my brother ever again." Her joke got them to laugh, but she could feel the reassuring pinch that came from Sirius - who was the only one who would have understood what she was going through.

"Rude," the boy pouted playfully. He put on his best puppy-dog eyes as he wrapped his arms around James's neck, kissing his cheek. "Jamie would let me stay. Wouldn't you, Prongs?"

"Not after you called me, Jamie," he shoved the boy away.

She hugged her brother to her side, knowing he was heartbroken after finding out that Remus was going steady with Gideon Prewett. Sirius had snuck into either James or Lacerta's bed since he found out, crying on and on about no one being able to love him since his own parents couldn't. It wasn't helping Lacerta's always nagging doubt that James would leave for someone better. Her anxiety was both flaring and oddly settled, it was a strange feeling. Like she was both floating and sinking. He loved her enough to buy a house, but was it enough to stay?

"Chill out," Sirius whispered in her ear. His tone was missing the usual spark and he wasn't wearing his signature Sirius Black grin. He peaked over at Remus, who was talking to Lily and Tonya, before turning back to her. "He loves you. Talks my ear off whenever I sleep in his bed. Always going on about the color of your hair, your eyes, how you've started to snort whenever it's just the two of you together."

"He does not," she covered her mouth with a shaky hand to hide her amusement.

"Yeah," Sirius's smile slipped off his face. His grey eyes wandered over to Remus once more. The longing in his face was enough to make her heart sink sadly. "Is he. . . Is he happy?"

It hurt just as much to say, "Yeah, he is."

James was spinning his mother around giddily as his father was rocking side to side with Marlene. Dorcas hadn't been able to get away from her horrible family so Marlene had teased James all night about shagging his mother - a reason why he didn't want to leave her side. If there was one way to get under her boyfriend's skin it was to call his mum hot.

"Looking good Mrs. P!" She called as she spun Monty underneath her arm. The older woman threw her head back with infectious laughter that managed to get even Sirius to smile once more. Lacerta leaned her head down on her brother's shoulder.

"It'll get better," she whispered, watching her ridiculous boyfriend dip his mother as she flung her arms out as if she were about to drop. It was possible since James was very clumsy. "It hurts to watch them with someone else, but the pain dulls overtime. I know James broke up with Lily. Yet, I'll always wonder if they would've been happier together. If I'm holding him back somehow."

Sirius stayed quiet for a moment. "I think you two are made to be. Like beans on toast. Remus and I. .  .we were like a toaster in a bathtub. Drawn to each other and electric, but all we did was hurt either each other or someone else."

She wanted so badly to tell him that it wasn't true. She couldn't. Still, she held his hand firmly to try and convey how horrible she felt about it. "I like to think there is someone out there who will be ready for the energetic, playful puppy that you are Sirius," she whispered to him but his eyes never wavered from Remus. 

"Sure, Lacey," he smiled grimly and she knew to just drop the topic all together. 

******

James couldn't help it if he kept trying to catch his girlfriend's eyes in the crowd of friends and family that gathered to celebrate their new home. She was clinging to her brother's side while her grey eyes darted from one person to another as a nervous twitch that she'd never been able to shake.

His mother had gone to slow dance with Marlene, who was thrilled to be swaying with a so called 'Milf'. Gag. 

He could tell that Lacerta had yet to fully relax from the tense, nearly perfect posture that she was carrying. James didn't want to doubt that she was excited, because she had a tendency to overthink and just needed a bit of time to properly process all the new changes. Still, he couldn't stop himself from jogging over to steal her aware from Sirius.

"Come to ask me to dance, Potter?" Sirius placed his palm on his shoulder as the other went to his hip. He shoved him off as Lacerta burst into giggles that nearly gave him heart palpitations. She was the only one who ever had that effect on him.

"Get off me, Mutt," James chuckled as Sirius rolled his eyes playfully. He bowed down slightly as he present his open hand to Lacerta. "M'Lady?"

"What a gentleman," she said sarcastically as she clasped onto him. They fit together perfectly. Her head came just underneath his chin and fit perfectly in the crook of his neck as he bounced them all over the living room of Potter Manor with the pose of a jackrabbit infected with rabies. Her laugh made it all worth it. 

She made everything worth it.

Uni fucking sucks and I'm sorry for the late update :)