Alina Nightshade doesn't think much about James Potter. Only that he seems rather keen on being annoying.
James Potter thinks Alina Nightshade is a mystery all wrapped up in a very pretty girl. And he is keen on trying to be her friend.
James Potte...
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Time Skip: End of School Year(Sorry guys but it's only like...a month time skip:)))
Exams have finally ended. They were relatively easy—at least for Alina. For Lily, however, they were the most grueling ordeal of her life. Or so both she and Marlene claim.
Now, only a few days of school remain.
It's early morning, the day after the exams, and Alina sits at the Slytherin table, the Great Hall bustling with a strange mix of relief and anticipation.
"Were the exams really that difficult?" Regulus asks, tilting his head as he scrutinizes her with narrowed gray eyes.
They sit across from each other at the end of the table, with Barty silently beside him, drumming his fingers against the wood.
"Not really," Alina replies with a small shrug. "The worst part is just how many there are and how close together they schedule them."
Regulus nods thoughtfully. Next year, he and Barty will face the same trial, something that seems to weigh on them even now.
Summer break is only days away, and Alina can already feel the heaviness settling over them, an unspoken dread about returning home. Over the past few weeks, the whole group has grown quieter, more withdrawn, as if the shadows of their respective homes have already started pulling at them.
Even James has noticed the change. His concern, though well-meaning, is something she finds both endearing and mildly irritating—or so she tells herself.
Lately, life feels routine, a tedious loop of studying and exams, each day blending into the next. The monotony is stifling.
One thing, however, hasn't changed: her feelings for the Gryffindor boy with the messy hair and bambi eyes. Her gaze drifts to the Gryffindor table, where James is laughing at something one of his friends has said, and her heart clenches in that all-too-familiar way.
Terrible. Utterly terrible. She still hasn't managed to shake off this... crush... after all these months.
Barty remains quiet beside Regulus, his fingers still tapping a restless rhythm. They all wear the same subtle expression of hopelessness, as though they're already resigned to the two long months ahead.
Her attention is drawn to the Gryffindor boys as they get up to leave the Great Hall. James and Peter both glance back at her, waving in a way that clearly beckons her to join them.
Alina narrows her eyes at the pair, but James only smiles wider, his eyes brightening as he catches her gaze.
She gives a small nod, indicating she'll come along, then turns to Regulus and Barty. "I'll see you two later."
With a swift motion, she stands, grabs her bag, and makes her way toward the doors.
"Sunshine!" James calls as soon as she steps outside, standing just beyond the threshold with his friends gathered a few steps away.
