James sat in the buzzing Gryffindor common room, merely staring at the flickering fire as the people around him greeted each other in excitement. He hadn't worn dress robes since last year's ball, and even then, he'd been drowning a bit in the abundance of fabric. He'd definitely grown into adulthood this year, his shoulders filling out his shirt and his chest actually snug in the vest he'd worn. Instead of the traditional wizard robes that went down to his bloody knees, he opted for a more stylish fitted version he'd found with Sirius. His white button-down was accented well by his teal blue tie and charcoal vest. The whole ensemble was finished with a much shorter suit jacket that he was told was inspired by muggle fashion. He absentmindedly played with his silver pocket watch, which had been a gift from his father.
He wasn't nervous. Nor did he for a second regret insisting on taking Carina to the ball. It had been almost a week since his misunderstanding with Carina. And while she'd gone back to her usual supportive self after that tense day, James had a nagging feeling that she had walls up he couldn't even see. Even the boys thought she seemed fine, but something about it bugged him. How could she be fine? He'd put her through quite a lot.
In the week since, he'd taken the time to watch Lily too. He supposed he'd noticed a slight shift with the witch he'd pined after for seven years; she finally treated him with the same cordiality and friendliness she did everyone else. But he hadn't detected any signs that her feelings ran deeper than that.
"Alright, mate?" Sirius asked, plopping down next to him.
"Hmmm..." James responded absentmindedly.
"So last night, Lily ended up asking if Remus would go to the ball with her- you know as friends," Sirius mentioned.
"Did she?" He asked, finally looking at his friend.
"I see it as a win," Sirius shrugged. "You can steal her away for a dance whenever you want, and Remus won't even be offended."
"What about Carina?" James's eyebrows furrowed.
"What about her?"
"I'm her date!"
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Yes, your fake girlfriend, who is more your wing-woman tonight than your date. If she was right about Lily's change of heart, then tonight is your chance to win her over."
"I know," James said in resolve. "But I want to make sure Carina has a good night- I have a lot to make up to her."
"Mate, we'll all make sure Carina has a good time. You're her friend, not her keeper. Besides, she's doing this whole thing to help you get Lily. It'd be a waste of her night if you didn't move ahead with your plans."
"I suppose..."
Remus walked over to them, patting them both on the shoulder. "They're headed down, get up!"
James and Sirius got to their feet, joining Remus and Peter as they waited for their dates to ascend.
"Pete, did you ask anyone?" Sirius asked curiously.
"Glenda Chittock," he responded happily. "Carina actually spent a week teaching me how to charm paper birds to fly so I could impress her with them."
"Isn't she a Hufflepuff?" James quirked an eyebrow.
"Yeah, we decided to meet downstairs." Peter shrugged.
"You, Sirius?" Remus asked.
"Marlene," he grinned wolfishly. "Though the witch made me work a lot harder for a yes than I'd expected if you know what I mean."
Remus rolled his eyes, and James shoved him playfully. "You dog!"
"That I am," Sirius said smugly.
YOU ARE READING
Tides of Fate | ᴍᴀʀᴀᴜᴅᴇʀs ᴇʀᴀ
Fanfiction❛ It's not like Carina would go and do something stupid like falling in love with Prongs, would she?❜ It was a terrible idea to date someone who'd been in love with someone else for years, even if it was fake. But James Potter was desperate. It was...
