True Blue - James Potter

04

"Hey, so you wanna come to my dorm and we can study for that Herbology test?" Nathan asked after dinner, putting on his bag.

"I'd love to, but Dumbledores making Potter and I do this thing so he and I are meeting after dinner. So... now, I guess. I'll catch up with you tomorrow morning, yeah?" Juniper said, hugging him goodbye.

His smile faltered for a moment before he shook it off. "Yeah okay, see you-... tomorrow."

Juniper was already walking out of the hall, having some secret urge to beat James outside.  Unfortunately for her, he was already waiting.

"Tick-tock, Creek, I've been waiting for hours!"

"Don't be a dick, dinner's just ended."

"Yeah yeah, anyways let's go before I wither away out here."

"Where are we going anyways? Are you leading me to a hallway to kill me?"

"Nah, I just don't want people to see us talking and get the idea we're friends. And in your case, you won't want them to see us as anything more than friends."

"Charming... And smart."

"Are you calling me a massive genius?"

"One idea of yours was good. Don't let it go to your head."

"Too late, Creek."

They both sat down on the steps of a hallway that was known to be frequently empty.

"Okay, five things." James put his hands on his knees. "It's only five things. Can't be hard to think of five things."

Juniper laughed at James. "Want me to go first? I can do one, then you can do another one?"

"Uh sure, go ahead."

"Okay, um... My favourite band is Pink Floyd. Go."

"My favourite singer is Elton John. You."

"My favourite constellation is Hercules."

"In my free time, I like to try and knit with this handbook my mum gave me."

"Okay, pause..." She stifled a laugh. "What?"

"Shit, that was the first thing that came to my mind. Scratch that- Uh- My favourite constellation is-... What are some constellation names? Give me a moment."

While James stumbled over his words, Juniper ended up clutching her stomach laughing. "No, I'm telling Dumbledore that. I'm remembering that for the rest of my life."

"Right, it's not that funny-"

"Can you knit my cat a jumper?"

"Stop laughing!"

"Can you knit her some little socks?"

"Juniper!"

"Sorry! It's just- Merlin, I never would've imagined that James Potter would knit."

"I find it relaxing! When I get nervous before a quidditch game it feels nice to just be able to make something without it having to be great or graded."

Juniper looked at James' raised arms in defence and she decided to drop it. "Okay. Let me think of my third thing."

"Thank you."

"Right... I really really love this candle that would be sold at this corner shop in my home town."

"What scent was it?"

"It was cinnamon bun mixed with gingerbread. It might sound weird but it was so good, the shop stopped making them last year though so I've been saving my last one."

"... Moving on. Another thing about me... I think Elvis Presley is really fit."

She gasped, slapping her hand onto her leg. "No fucking way."

"What?"

"I've got, like, all of his vinyls!"

"Shit, really?"

"Yeah! I think I've got duplicates of my duplicates."

"You're insane."

"Oh yeah? Knit me a straight jacket then, tough guy."

"Whatever, it's your turn again. Only two left."

"This is getting harder. Um... This isn't very interesting but my favourite food is chicken katsu curry."

James grinned, "Not pasta?"

"What?"

"At dinner, you always get something like pasta."

"Second favourite."

"Right. Okay, since you did a boring one I will too. My favourite animal is a fox. And I want to just get this out of the way so my final thing is when I'm older I'd like to be a professional quidditch player."

"Lame. So last one... I think I'd like to be a philosopher."

"So, talking about morals and shit?"

"Basically, yeah."

He nodded with his lips pursed. "Makes sense."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you're a very 'morally correct' person. I mean, you only ever argue with me but you're a good person to everyone else. Never late, always the one to stick up for people. You know, that shit."

"... Saying it like that makes me sound so boring."

"You are kind of boring, Creek."

"No I'm not!"

"Okay then," James smiled, leaning forward and tilting his head. "Tell me something about you that nobody knows."

"Well, I don't think there's anything that my friends don't know."

"See, boring."

"Hey- I'm not boring!... There's one thing that nobody knows, but I don't want you to be the first person to know."

"Come on, Juniper. I'll tell you something about me as well after."

"... You have to swear you won't tell anyone."

"I swear on my parents' life. And I love them, so I mean it."

"Fine... I think that... I have a crush on you."

James' grin immediately dropped, and he sat back. "Oh, um-"

And within a second, Juniper burst out laughing.

"Shit, Creek, you fucking scared me!"

"You seriously think I'd tell you something I've not even told Dorcas before? I know you're cocky, Potter, but imagining I would tell you something before her is batshit."

She shook her head while James rested his hand on his heart. "I think I just had a heart attack."

"Yeah yeah, don't call me boring then. Would a boring person almost get someone sent to immediate care?"

"No, but an evil person would."

"Oh, please, don't be so dramatic you big baby. It's almost curfew anyways, so we should get going."

"I can't move-"

"James."

He removed his hand from his heart and rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll stop. Let's go."

"You're a prick."

"Okay okay, but what if I was actually dying? High blood pressure runs in my family."

"Charming fact. I mean if you were dying how is it my fault you had an underlying medical condition? I wouldn't be charged for shit."

"Gross negligence."

"I'm not a nurse, that's not my problem."

"So you'd just let me die on the floor?"

Juniper looked at James and shrugged.

"That's one way to get the scholarship."

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