Eternal Sunshine - James Potter

Chapter 4

The end of the first school week back at the castle had come around fast and I was now sat at the Ravenclaw table reading my new enemies to lovers muggle book about an American couple where the boy played American football for his university and the girl was assigned to be his tutor.

Classic literature at its finest.

I was eagerly turning the pages getting to the part where my feet would do that happy little kick thing because my heart felt like it was exploding. When Kayla sat down opposite me.
"And what are your reading this fine Saturday morning?" Kayla seemed to always have the air of positivity and almost bewilderment about her. I grabbed my bookmark sticking it in my book as she spoke again.
"another muggle romance book?" Lily was the only muggle born in our group. Kayla was a halfblood (her dad being the muggle) and myself and Lucy were purebloods, not part of the sacred 28 though, our magic blood just went back a few generations now. Not that any of it mattered.
"you know it. I was just up to where they had finally realised their feelings for each other and were going to have their magical moment" I sighed content
"magical moment?" Kayla questioned
"yeh, you know the kiss in the pouring rain, the showing up at the house in the middle of night, the room being crowed but only seeing the other. The moment where they are so overwhelmed with love, they just have to run to be with each other" I smiled glancing back down at my book.
"sounds like a pretty epic love story" I nodded in agreement.
"think we will get an epic love story one day?" I joked as I scanned the selection of bagels looking to find the perfect one, the one that was toasted to just the right level of toastyness.
"yeh I think we will" Kayla smiled looking down at her hands fiddling with them. I took a quick glance back up at her. She had reached for my book and was now flicking through the chapter I was on.

"ah ha!" I exclaimed snatching the perfect bagel and placing on my plate.
"perfect bagel?" Lucy asked as she slid in the seat next to mine. Lucy was not a morning person and it was best to approach with caution
"you know it!" I was carefully spreading the butter on the bagel when a slightly frazzled Lily flopped down next to Kayla.
"Potter was hot on my tail, so I expect he will be making an appearance" she said nonchalantly as she began tipping cereal into her bowl. I see my pep talk in the library had no affect then.
"Good morning ladies!" James said in a sing song voice swooping into the seat next to Lily. I watched as Kayla tensed up while Lily acted as if he didn't exist and Lucy looked half asleep, so I doubted she cared. Not long after James arrived the rest of the Marauders followed. I gave Peter a warm smile as he sat down next to me.
"it is far too early to be dealing with you lot" Lucy grumbled taking a bite into her apple.
"Merlin Vixen, your looking rough this morning, think you would even give Flitch a run for his money with those bags under your eyes" Sirius soon regretted his jokes as Lucy launched her half-eaten apple at him across the table.
"play nice children" I pointed my finger disapprovingly at the pair
"but he started it" Lucy grumbled under her breath.
"what do you want now?" Lily asked finally acknowledging Potters existence and his face lit up
"we came to cordially invite you to the annual Gryffindor welcome back party"

Ah yes, the welcome back party. We tended to have 4 inter house party's a year. Sure, there would be smaller ones throughout the year when it was someone birthday or a quidditch win but they tended to be kept within the house. At these 4 party's house prejudices is put aside and all houses are welcome. Each house would host one of the parties. Gryffindor got the welcome back, Hufflepuff took Halloween, Ravenclaw got Christmas and Slytherin took the end of exams. Slytherins tended to be my favourite as not only was it the end of exams but they sure knew how to throw a good party.
"let me get this straight. You came to invite me to a party in my own common room, that everyone 4th year and above is invited to anyway?" Lily questioned
"Well I was hoping you would be my date?" Lily groaned at James and began to scold him. Ignoring their bickering I picked up my bagel and frowned
"what's wrong Emily?" Peter asked quietly
"my bagel is cold" I tossed it back on the plate a sulked
"what so special about the bagel? Just get another one?" Sirius asked and all the girls groaned
"here we go" Kayla muttered
"it's not just a bagel" I began my explanation "it's the perfect bagel. See, for example this one is too toasted, this one is not toasted enough and this one hasn't been cut down the middle right" I examined the bagels again looking for the perfect one
"what about this one, this looks pretty good" Potter was pointing down at a bagel on the tray closest to him. I examined it and smiled up at him grabbing the bagel.
"perfect Potter, ten points to Gryffindor" I joked with James who beamed at me with a proud smile
"I thought you were the weird one" Sirius quipped to Lucy
"Trust me this isn't even one of her weirdest quirks" Lucy replied.

Later that evening the party was in full swing, I was sat on the couch nursing my drink as I scanned the room. Lucy was tucked away in the corner flirting with one of the 7th year Hufflepuff boys. She was laying it on thick, but he seemed to be eating it up. I had lost sight of Kayla and Lily after I left them dancing to go get a drink. I scanned back over my shoulder to where people were dancing but still couldn't see them, instead I was met with sight of James and Sirius twirling each other round as if they were ball room dancing. I let out a soft chuckled as I watched the pair.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing sat here all alone?" I turned to meet Remus's gaze as he sat down next to me on the couch bumping my shoulder.
"just admiring the view" I gestured over my shoulder to the dancing boys and I heard Remus let out a laugh
"where are the girls?" He asked. I gestured toward Lucy who was getting her face eaten by the looks of it.
"Lucy is a bit preoccupied and Merlin know where Lily and Kayla have gone"
"guess I will just have to keep you company then" He winked at me before we both turned back to look at Lucy and the boy
"they are going to have to come up for air at some point" Remus muttered
"ha, like I didn't see you and Sirius engage in a game of tonsil hockey earlier" I wiggled my eyebrows at him. Sirius and Remus's relationship wasn't a secret to anyone but they usually keep quite private. He just smirked at me and came down to whisper in my ear
"Just how I didn't see you sneak out of Gideon Prewett's dorm room last year" I gasped and looked up at a smirking Remus. Gideon was two years above us so left Hogwarts last year. We became good friends over the years and well one night one thing led to the another. Since that night we started a friends with benefits situation, what can I say he was tall, older, ginger and sinfully beautiful. I didn't take much convincing. As far as I was aware nobody knew other than the girls and probably Gideon's twin brother Fabian. Remus laughed at my reaction
"not so smug now are you" I whacked him in the chest glaring at him for laughing "don't worry! Your secrets safe with me"
"I can't believe you knew and never said anything!" and as we both looked at each other I could help but giggle. Clearly, I hadn't been as sneaky as I thought.
"don't tell Sirius, but I am kind of jealous. The Prewett brother are damn fine"
"tell me about it!" I said drifting off into me memories of my time with Gideon letting out a content sigh.

We chit chatted for a bit, I felt honoured to be able to see this side of Remus. A side of him he only reserved for his friends as to everyone else he would often be quite quiet and reserved but when you got to know him, which trust me takes a lot of time and effort to break your way in, you wanted to hold onto to him with everything you had as Remus really is the best of us. Waterloo by Abba started playing and Remus jumped to his feat grabbing my hand and pulling me up with him.
"come on we are dancing" he said as he led me over to the makeshift dancefloor that had formed. The drinks were kicking in now as I danced around, and we screamed the lyrics to each other. As the song was nearing the end Remus picked me up spinning me round in a circle. I couldn't wipe the smile from my face as he placed me back down whilst I was still laughing. Once my feet were back on the ground, I noticed the girls had joined us, Lucy handing me a much-needed drink.

As I was taking a drink and I could feel eyes on me. Scanning the room, I spotted Potter smirking at me, he gave me one of his over the top winks to which I jokingly rolled my eyes and tipped my cup to in a silent cheers before turning back to the girls and Remus.