REPUTATION • [j.p.] ✔️

[15]

Chapter Fifteen:
Mistletoe

•••

JESSICA VERITY BLACK would be damned if she let her younger cousin (and ex-fiancé) get away with what he called Lily.

It was the very end of February when she stormed into the Great Hall. Out of the corner of her eye she saw her fellow Marauders standing up in apprehension. James was walking toward her. She grabbed Regulus's goblet which was filled with Pumpkin Juice and dumped it over his head.

"That's for Lily."

He sat in complete and utter shock. His friends burst out laughing.

"Detention, Miss Black. Ten points from Gryffindor." McGonagall said shooing her away and sending Regulus to go shower and change.

"It was worth every point, Professor," she insisted, walking back over to her friends.

James who had gotten halfway to the table of snakes, grabbed her arm. "Are you crazy? You'll start a war?"

"There's already a war, James," Jessie frowned.

"I was speaking metaphorically, but of course. You'll have all of them after us if you aren't careful!"

"You're one to talk," Sirius said as they sat down across from him and Remus. To Jessie's left sat Peter.

James grinned. "They cannot prove that I changed their uniforms!"

"James we were all given detention for it," Peter piped in.

James shrugged, passing Jessie the tray of pancakes. Jessie smiled in thanks setting to work on her food. The two frowned as Remus and Sirius's features grew grim.

"I will get you back, Jessica." Regulus's voice cooed in her ear.

"You have five seconds to leave before I hex you, Regulus," Jessie growled.

And Regulus did leave as she asked. She exhaled slowly, Sirius and Remus's faces relaxing. James shoved his wand back into his bag with a roll of his eyes.

"Seriously Jessie, I'd be careful if I were you," James warned.

•••

Jessie was making her way out of the stands after Gryffindor obliterated Hufflepuff even with Gryffindor's half-arse replacement Seeker. Jessie grinned, going to congratulate James, losing Remus, Sirius and Peter in the crowd.

She skipped down the stairs. The moment her feet hit the grass she was slammed into the wall. She tried to scream out, but it was too late, far too late. No one else was behind her or anywhere near her. Her attacker covered her mouth, anyway.

She looked up into Regulus's dark, taunting eyes.

"Jessica. I'm here on behalf of the Dark Lord," he said in a low voice. Her eyes flickered to his forearms which were covered with his coat. He ignored this. "Jessie, he wants you on his side. You know there's a bit of darkness inside you! You're related to Bellatrix for crying out loud!"

"My dear sister needs medical attention, Regulus!" The Gryffindor hissed at her cousin.

"Jessie he's going to hurt me if you don't! Please!" He pleaded, tears in his eyes.

"Why would you join him?!" Jessie demanded.

"I-I-"

"Oi! Get away from her!" James's voice shouted.

Jessie watched as Regulus jumped away from Jessie, arms raised in innocence. James had his wand aimed at the Slytherin.

"Think about it Jessie," said Regulus before disappearing into the shadows.

She relaxed against the wall looking over at James. She took a deep breath in and then out before trying to speak.

"Voldemort wants me on his side," she whispered.

James's face contorted in a odd way. There was the softness of sympathy, as if he understood her fear, and then the hardness that come with wondering if she accepted his offer. With a sigh, Jessie pushed both her sleeves up, revealing her Dark Mark free, goose bump ridden skin.

She tugged the sleeves down with a shiver, lowering her arms. "We should get back to the common room. It's freezing out here," James decided, draping an arm over her shoulders.

Jessie was relieved to reenter the castle, her whole body trembling as James came to a sudden halt in the hallway.

"Hey, look," James fished around in his pocket. He held something above their heads, "Mistletoe!"

"James, it's almost March."

"Mistletoe is mistletoe! You must respect the power of the mistletoe!" James exclaimed impatiently.

"James you're a cliché and you're all sweaty!"

"Oh for Godric's sake," he threw the mistletoe aside. He grabbed her around the waist, kissing her deeply. Jessie returned the kiss. "You scared me today. I thought you were a Death Eater."

"Oh! James! You know I'm better than that!" scolded Jessie.

"I-I know. I just...worst case scenario..." he frowned. "And I knew that I better make each moment count, so..." He shrugged.

"But seriously? Mistletoe? Why are you just carrying around mistletoe, Prongs," she demanded.

"For special occasions only."

"And I'm special?"

"To me, Jessica, you are."

And so, as the two's lips met again, they forgot about the war exploding beyond the castle walls. They forgot about their concerned friends back at the common room. Jessie forgot Regulus Black and the family that disowned her...

She was happy to be kissing James. And to think, in September she thought he still liked Lily. She couldn't have been more wrong.

They made their way back to the common room, still unsure what they were, but certainly sure that they were something. And that was okay with both of them.

•••
[Published 02/08/18]
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a/n: thoughts in the story so far?