Seers Secret ✧ James Potter

~Chapter 72~

Alina stands in the doorway of the Great Hall, her gaze fixed on the Slytherin table. Barty is there, his familiar figure stirring an unwelcome pang in her chest. It's been two days since he called her...

She clenches her jaw, shoving the thought aside. Today isn't a day for lingering in dark places. She isn't sitting with her house. Not today.

With a quiet breath to steady herself, Alina turns and makes her way toward the Gryffindor table. Her eyes scan the rows of students until she spots the familiar flash of red hair. Lily and Marlene are there, seated near the end of the table, but Mary hasn't arrived yet.

Quickly, Alina maneuvers through the crowd, her footsteps deliberate as she approaches the girls.

"Lina," Marlene greets her with a smirk, eyes gleaming with mischief.

Lily turns, her smile warm and welcoming. "Can I sit here?" Alina asks, her voice steady though she tilts her head slightly, waiting for permission. Her gaze flickers briefly to the empty space around them—James and his friends aren't there yet.

"Of course," Lily replies with an easy smile, patting the bench beside her.

Without hesitation, Alina slides onto the bench next to Lily, across from Marlene. As she reaches for the food on the table, she can feel Lily's curious eyes lingering on her.

"Everything alright?" Lily asks, her head tilting, red hair shifting as she studies Alina with quiet concern.

Alina nods curtly, not willing to delve into any explanations. Instead, she focuses on adding food to her plate, letting the silence settle between them for a moment—until it's broken.

"Alina," comes a familiar voice. She glances up to see James standing across from her, a playful grin lighting up his face.

"James," she responds, her tone measured as Marlene shifts slightly to make room for him.

Peter plops down beside her, offering a nervous smile, his eyes flickering to the silver ring on his finger—the one she gave him. He still wears it.

Sirius slides in next to James, his usual carefree demeanor intact, while Remus, looking slightly worn but otherwise alright after the full moon, takes his seat beside Peter.

Alina's gaze flickers back to her plate, trying to focus on the small comfort of the mundane moment. But she feels Marlene's gaze on her, and soon enough, Marlene leans forward with that familiar spark in her eyes.

"Hey," she says, voice low but eager. "We're having a girls' night in the dorm tonight. You want to join?"

Alina blinks, caught off guard by the invitation. She mentally ticks off her tasks for the day—nothing she can't finish in time. The surprise fades as practicality takes over.

"Sure. What time?" she asks, her voice steady.

The sharp clatter of metal against porcelain echoes nearby, pulling Alina's attention. She turns with a sharp glare, locking eyes with Sirius, who sits frozen, fork dropped, and staring at her in wide-eyed shock.

"What?" Alina snaps, her tone cold as she glares at the black-haired boy.

Sirius blinks, still processing. "Why are you being nice to them?!" he asks, his voice laced with disbelief.

"Sirius..." Remus murmurs gently, though it does little to break through Sirius's amazement.

Alina's eyes narrow as she responds in a blank, almost bored tone, "Because they're not as obnoxious and insufferable as you."

That sends James into fits of laughter, his face flushing as he tries to stifle it. His lips, warm and soft, stretch wide in amusement, and for a fleeting moment, Alina's stomach twists. The kind of twist she hates.

Hates this.

Peter is failing to suppress his own laughter, covering his mouth, while Remus merely smiles down at his plate, always the more restrained of the group.

But why does her gaze keep falling back to James Potter?

She despises these feelings. Hates that she knows what kissing James Potter feels like. Hates that she feels anything for him at all. And most of all, she hates that he is so... kind.

"Alina," James leans across the table, his voice dropping to a whisper as he says her name, the sound of it pulling her abruptly from her thoughts.

She masks the small flinch, turning her attention back to him. "What?" Her voice comes out softer than intended.

James's eyes flicker briefly behind her before they settle on hers again, his gaze warm and attentive. "Barty's staring at you," he whispers, too low for anyone else to hear.

Alina tenses, her body going rigid as she leans slightly away from James, turning her head just enough to glance behind her. Sure enough, Barty is watching her from across the hall, his expression strained, tense.

She quickly looks away, forcing her eyes back to the table, her heart beating just a little faster.

James is still watching her, his expression unreadable, as if trying to figure something out.

"We should get to class," James finally says, his voice a bit brighter as he plasters on a smile. "We've got the same one today, right?"

"Yes," Alina nods, though they both know he already knows that.

James gives her a genuine smile this time, standing from his seat and slinging his bag over his shoulder.

"We'll see you tonight," Lily chimes in, giving Alina a small smile as she stands.

Alina nods in response, grabbing her own bag before slipping through the spaces between the tables, making her way out of the Great Hall. She can hear James's footsteps trailing behind her.

They don't speak until they're well into the hallway, the distant chatter from the Hall fading. Alina's fingers instinctively brush the pin James gave her, still attached to her bag.

"Have you talked to him?" James asks, his voice low as they walk side by side toward their first class.

"No," Alina answers, her voice tight as she forces a deep breath into her lungs. "He hasn't tried to talk to me either."

James frowns slightly, his brow furrowing as he looks ahead. Silence falls between them again, but this time it feels more comfortable. Alina is grateful he doesn't press the subject any further.