Living In The Moment (HP Next Gen)

The moment I became a Potter

18: The moment I became a Potter

"I can't believe you're buying Oz and Fred that," I said darkly, looking at the magazines Potter was holding. There were naked women in them. How was this lad so dense and still one of the brightest students in class? Did he pay someone to make his homework? Did he play dumb? "Put those back, James," I told him sternly, giving the magazines a filthy look.

"You don't have to look at them as if they're personally offending you, you know. They are quite handy on a lonely winter's night."

Oh Merlin, no. "Ugh. I so don't need this." I pulled the magazines from his hand and dropped them where he found them, on some filthy table. "We're leaving. That's it. I'm going to help you buy at least one decent present for your friends. In Merlin's name, I can't believe he was actually serious," I said, muttering that last bit to myself.

James' laughter rolled through the streets of Diagon Alley, making people stop and turn around to look at us. He grabbed me by the waist and messed up my hair. "I, on the other hand, can't believe that those magazines upset you as much as they did. Poor little Hufflepuff," James teased.

"Shut up, you annoying Gryffindor, before I let your face meet the frigging ground," I muttered. 

James laughed again and pulled me a little closer.

I rolled my eyes and tried to get away from him, which only made him pull me back toward him. I tried to pry his fingers from my waist and when that didn't work I turned around fast in his arms and jumped him. I wrapped my arms around his own waist and pushed. We landed in the snow, laughingly. I tried to crawl away, but he only pulled me back toward him. "You aren't going anywhere, Woodstock."

"We'll see about that, Potter," I grinned, trying to crawl away yet again.

James started to tickle me and soon I was howling with laughter. "Stop, please, stop," I begged him. We were in the middle of the street, in the middle of Diagon Alley and, apparently, in the middle of a circle of curious onlookers. "Jahames," I cried, "stop."

"Admit you're not going anywhere," James demanded, an evil glint in his eyes. 

I did as he said. "Stop!"

"Admit I'm the most handsome lad in all the land," James Potter said proudly, still tickling my sides like a madman.

"What haha do I haha look like? The enchanted, haha merlin no, not there, mirror from haha Snow White?" 

James stopped in confusion. "The what from who?" 

I grinned and pushed him off me. "Sucker," I told him as I stood up quickly. 

He stuck out his tongue. 

"Oh, very mature," I told him with a grin, which earned me a playful wink. 

I felt a blush rise when I noticed just how many people had come to watch the spectacle. "Oh dear," I muttered, looking at the ground and grabbing James's hand firmly. We quickly made our way through the crowd and I only stopped smiling when we were five stores further. "You really shouldn't do that," I told James sternly. "It's not polite to roll in front of other people's feet in fits of laughter."

James grinned mischievously. "But it's so much fun." 

**--**

We continued our shopping the rest of the day and in the end, I'd like to think we managed to buy some pretty great gifts. I bought a magical feather for Cassandra that'd write her own thoughts in her diary when she opened it and for Oz I had bought the book of the Wizard of Oz. For Fred some broom cleaning stuff that I really didn't know the first thing about, but James assured me they'd do just fine.  I'd also bought a bracelet for my mother and absolutely nothing for my father.