PERFECT // JAMES POTTER

20. Misery

Scarlet ran.

Her vision, however, was compromised because of the pooling of tears in her eyes. She couldn't cry in the corridors. A painting was sure to alert a teacher and the was the last thing she wanted. Instead, she bottled it in until she got to somewhere safe. 

It was then that she realized that she was on the seventh floor, in front of where the rather familiar tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy should have stood. Instead there was a door. Scarlet immediately recognized it as the Room of Requirement from when the Marauders and her discovered their animagus forms. 

Right now, though, she could not be anymore grateful for an escape. Without a second thought, she entered. However, instead of the large open room that had greeted her before, in front of her now stood a homely place. The walls were cream and there are a polished wooden floor. At the end of the room, there was a roaring fire place, giving off a  cozy warmth, even though it was summer. A little to the right of the fireplace, sat a love-seat, stacked with animal-themed cushions. The room had a comforting orange tint from a few lamps, sitting on a small coffee table, where two matching candles flickered. Next to the love-seat, stood a crate filled with logs to replenish the fire.

Scarlet breathed a sigh of relief before collapsing onto the love-seat and poured her emotions out onto a stag cushion.

-=+=-

The Gryffindor common room door burst open and Lily stormed in, still clutching the grey cat. When her eyes landed on the Marauders, her gaze hardened and she marched over to them. 

"This is all your fault!" Lily shouted, making almost everyone look their way, "Scarlet been missing for an hour because of you lot!"

James, equally worried for the dark-haired girl and little hot-headed, shouted back, "This wouldn't of happened if that Slytherin didn't call her a Mudblood."

James flinched even saying the word.

"Yeah, well, that wouldn't of happened if you hadn't been bullying him!"

"That wouldn't of happened if he wasn't a dick in the first place!"

The two continued their shouting match, while Sirius, Remus and Peter watched on, their worry for the dark-haired girl rooting them in place.

"You think I'm not worried about her? Do you think I don't regret what I did?" James replied.

Lily sighed before walking away. Just before she was about to enter the girl's dorm, she turned and looked at James.

"Just find her, please."

-=+=-

James walked around the Hogwarts corridors alone, in search of the girl who had been missing for three hours. He walked up the moving staircase and through the door onto the seventh floor. As he passed a blank wall, he could hear something. Curious, he moved forwards towards the bricks and pressed his ear against it. 

It was someone, sobbing.

Eyebrows furrowed, he stepped back and eyed the wall suspiciously. Before his eyes, a door appeared in front of him. His eyes widened in shock as he recognized the door for the Room of Requirement. A little nervous for the outcome, he gently pushed the door open and was met by a blast of cozy warmth.

He stepped in and immediately noticed the the mess of black hair buried in a cushion. Sorrow and guilt filled him as he took a step forward towards the brown love-seat. Scarlet had not noticed him yet and was only hiccuping into the pillow, complete dry of tears. James walked over and sat down pulling the girl into a hug.

To James' relief, she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his chest.

"I-I'm so sorry." James muttered, softly stroking her arm.

"Why?" Was her wobbly response.

James sighed.

"He found out about Rem being a werewolf and tried to expose him."

Scarlet looked up with wide eyes.

"H-He did?" She croaked.

James nodded and pulled her back into the hug.

"He was about to spill to a group of Slytherins but we got there just in time. Hopefully, he's learnt his lesson." 

They continued to embrace for a minute before Scarlet spoke up.

"I'm sorry too. For calling you a bully. You were just protecting your friend."

"No, it's okay, you didn't have a lot of context. I know it looked bad." James shrugged it off.

Scarlet smiled and sighed.

"Well, as much as I'm loving this, we should probably get back to the common room. The others must be worried." James said, stretching.

"Oh, right." Scarlet nodded and stood up with James as they left the wonderful room together.

-=+=-

As soon as Scarlet entered the room that she shared with the girls, she was pounced on.

"Scarlet!" Lily shouted hugging the girls so tight she could barely breathe.

After a moment of squeezing, Lily pulled away, worry swimming in her emerald green eyes.

"Where have you been! The girls and I were worried sick!" She chided Scarlet like a mother did to her misbehaving child.

"Sorry, Mum." Scarlet said jokingly, relieved when Lily's eyes softened and a small smile graced her lips.

Scarlet smiled back but her smile dropped when she remembered something.

"What's wrong?" Lily asked.

Scarlet suddenly let out groan and flopped onto her bed, face into her pillow. Lily sat down next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"What's happened now?"

Scarlet muttered something but her voice was blocked out by the pillow.

"Speak up, Scar."

"What does it mean when everything he does makes me smile?" Scarlet said a bit louder.

Lily smiled.

"It means you have a crush on him."