Going Soft | JAMES SIRIUS POTTER HP NEXT GENERATION

xvii || you'll see

James returned to the Gryffindor dorms, his steps lighter than they have been the past couple of days.

And of course that didn't go unnoticed by Charlie and Noah.

"Let me guess, you went running back to Annabella?" Charlie guessed. "And she forgave you, and now you're floating on cloud nine?"

"What the hell is your point, mate?" James muttered. "Maybe we should be talking about the fact that you two are surprisingly hanging out. Something you want to fess up to, McLaggen?"

"Excuse me? Are you calling me a queer?" Charlie demanded.

"I don't know, you're the one who's been spending all of his time with one," James fired back. When it came down to it, he obviously didn't give a shit if Noah was gay, but he wanted to get under Charlie's skin so he delivered the low blow.

"You seriously believed Annabella's bull crap?" He questioned, Noah standing silent by his side.

"Are you telling me you didn't?" He asked.

"No. Because it's not true. I'd think we'd know if Noah was gay for me." Charlie defended uncertainly.

"Really? Okay. Go on Noah. Tell him it's not true. Tell him you don't fancy him," James argued.

"I-I-what..." Noah stuttered weakly, and Charlie rolled his eyes, and grabbed Noah's hand, pulling him behind him, as if to shield him from James's criticism.

James raised his eyebrows at the slightly thoughtful gesture but didn't comment on it, as he was starting to feel guilty for picking on Noah to get back at Charlie.

James looked down at his feet as the tips of his ears turned red from shame. "Not that I should be apologizing to you both after the stunt you pulled in the Great Hall, but I'm sorry. That wasn't cool of me to jab at you like that Noah."

Noah stepped out from behind Charlie, still holding onto his hand, James noted, and nodded.

"You're right. We don't deserve an apology. I should be apologizing to you. It's not cool of me to pick on your brother and Scorpius. Especially just cause I'm ashamed of myself," he mumbled sheepishly and dropped Charlie's hand as a blush coated his cheeks.

James gave Noah a small smile, more proud that he admitted it than he was still angry. "I forgive you mate, and I'm sure Al and Scorp would too."

Charlie looked at the boy standing next to him in shock. "What? You're actually a queer?"

Noah cringed. "Can you please stop saying it like that? You don't have to worry, I don't fancy you like Annabella thought, and it's not going to rub off on you."

James saw straight through Noah's lie about not fancying Charlie, but it's not like he was going to say anything, it wasn't his place. It was no one else's business but Noah's.

Charlie scowled. "I don't want to surround myself with people like you." He said harshly, although something was different about it this time. Did it sound forced?

Noah's hopeful expression dropped drastically, James stepped up.

"Charlie, just cause your parents are shit heads doesn't mean you have to be one as well. So what if Noah likes blokes! You've been friends with him from first year up until now, and he's been gay all along. Why does it change things if you know now?" He questioned, exasperated.

Charlie glanced at Noah quickly before he shook his head and mumbled something that neither of them caught, before he stormed out of the dorm.

James looked over at Noah. "Sorry mate, don't listen to him."

"You shouldn't be comforting me," Noah muttered as he sat down on his bed.

"Not that it excuses it, but I get why you did it. I'm not saying I'd have done the same thing, but I get it." James admitted. "It definitely doesn't make it alright, though."

Noah nodded. "I'm so sorry."

"Tell that to Albus and Scorp."

"I will," Noah told his friend as James sat down on his own bed and something crinkled underneath him.

He furrowed his brow and sat up enough to take the letter out from under him.

"Is this for me?" He questioned, confused.

Noah shrugged. "It was on your bed when Charlie and I got back here."

James pursed his lips and opened the blank envelope, to pull out a letter with messy scrawl decorating it.

James felt his heart thud harder in his chest as he read it, completely taken aback. It was a few simple sentences, but the threat in it was clear.

"James?" Noah asked nervously. "What does it say?"

"If you continue to see Annabella White, your brother and his boyfriend will pay," James read aloud, and locked eyes with Noah. "Don't believe me? You'll see soon enough."

No sooner then when James finished reading the note, the door to the dorm burst open, revealing an out of breath Charlie, and a crying Scorpius behind him.

"Charlie! What's wrong?" Noah asked as he shot to his feet.

"Al-Al-Albus," Charlie panted.

James stood up. "What about Albus?" He demanded. "Scorpius, what happened?"

"Albus is in the Hospital Wing," he choked out. "I don't know what happened but he's lost so much blood," he sobbed, nearly folding in on himself. "I wanted to stay with him but Madam Pomfrey made me leave while she tried to heal him."

James made eye contact with Noah before he grabbed the letter off of his bed and ran through the door, furious with whoever hurt his brother, intent on finding the culprit.

~~~
sorry it took me so long to update, and sorry this is what i updated with! haha.
so this chapter was a bit of a roller coaster. was charlie a bit affectionate with noah for a little? or was he just being friendly because he hadn't fully realized noah was gay yet?
one thing though, is i can promise you that charlie isn't a total dick. you'll see what i mean in a couple of chapters, but you saw a bit of that in this one too. i hope you guys enjoyed! and thank you so much for 11k!