𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐄𝐏A𝐑𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄, jp

The Lake.

The ground by the lake was frozen solid, dusted with a thin sheet of frost that crunched quietly beneath their boots. Izzy pulled her scarf higher over her mouth, her nose already numb, even with two warming charms layered beneath her clothes. The wind off the water had bite, but James had insisted this was the perfect spot. He'd also brought a thick tartan blanket, flasks of hot chocolate, and that rare, soft look in his eyes - the one that made it hard to say no.

They sat curled under the blanket, his arm slung around her like it belonged there. His fingers played with hers absently, gloved but still warm. They'd stopped talking a few minutes ago. Just the hush of wind through bare trees and the occasional squawk from the giant squid breaking the surface of the lake.

Izzy tilted her head until it rested against his shoulder. He smelled like cold air and mint and something she couldn't quite place — something that always made her stomach flip.

"You warm enough?" he asked, his voice low, rumbling against her temple.

"Just about," she murmured. "Could do without the wind trying to kill me."

He laughed. "Very rude of it. I'll have a word with the lake later."

"You do that."

Silence again, but comfortable. He shifted a little, pulling her closer. She let herself lean into it. She'd notice over the past few weeks that with James, touch always came first — hands brushing, knees knocking, his fingers tangling in her hair when he thought she wasn't paying attention. And she'd never been great with words either, so it worked.

"Do you think much about the future?"

The question caught her off guard. She blinked, then turned her face just enough to see his profile. "Sometimes," she said slowly. "Not in any real way. Why?"

He shrugged, looking out over the lake. "Just curious. Everyone's got their ideal future, don't they?"

"I mean, I suppose we all have a general idea. What's in yours?"

"A lot," he grinned, he'd definitely been planning for years. "Big family. Chaos. I want to play Quidditch, too. Try out professionally. And I want to live close to Mum and Dad. Sirius, too."

"You and Sirius are like brothers," she said absentmindedly.

"We are - well, might as well be." James picked at a loose thread on the edge of the blanket. "Things aren't great at home for him. His parents are...awful, really. Controlling. Cruel, sometimes. He and his brother go through a lot."

Izzy hesitated. "He has a brother? Who?"

James nodded. "Yeah. He's in Slytherin. Keeps his head down. Acts like nothing touches him. He doesn't really speak to Sirius. Bit if a twat, actually."

"Damn, I never knew that. I mean, we've all heard stories about the Blacks and how evil they supposedly are. I guess it does make sense."

"Yep. Terrible people." After a beat, he asked, "What about you?"

She blinked. "What about me?"

"What do you want? In the future."

Izzy stared out at the lake, watching how the wind pushed ripples across its surface. "I want...I don't know, actually. A big house, probably in the country side with a small village. And yeah, probably a big family too."

"Not much of a city girl?" He asked.

"Not really. I mean, cities are nice, but I've never grown up in one, it's always been the countryside for me. I think living in a busy city would take a while for me to get used to."