Harry Potter One Shots (Vol. I)

A Rocky Start (James Sirius Potter)

Because of circumstances out of my control, this is a day late. The idea for this one was bugging me a lot so I wound up writing it, but I'm not 100% pleased with it. Not that I'm ever completely pleased with any of these. 

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Before I began to settle down for a weekend of relaxing, I always made a point of finishing all the important tasks I needed to complete. Contemplatively settling back in the sofa, I made a quick list of all the things I had to do before I could start to relax. It wasn't public knowledge to the rest of the castle, but when Hufflepuff house decided that it wanted to have fun – we had fun. The type of fun that rendered the common room a horrific mess with funny stories circulating the castle the next morning. And well, with the Head Girls' 18th birthday this weekend, if I wasn't organised, I wasn't going to get any work done.

Distantly, I listened as my friends talked, and nodded my agreement at something Karina said about her deadbeat boyfriend. Lifting my eyes from the parchment, I watched her sigh.

"Come on Ives," I cajoled, firm but affectionate, "just how many times has he stood you up now? And how many times are you going to forgive him for it?"

"She has a point," Payton agreed, shaking her head. "I would have dumped him by now."

"You won't even be dating him in the first place Niederman – he doesn't have the right genitalia for you." Karina moaned, burrowing her head in her hands.

Before I could speak to give her more advice, to tell her that maybe her boyfriend had stood her up so often in a bid to get her to initiate the breakup, a younger student approached. A fifth-year, breaking off from her friends, stood beside the sofa I was sitting on. Instantly falling silently, the three of us turned to face the nervous Hufflepuff.

When it became obvious, she wasn't going to say anything, I probed, "Moten?"

Moten breathed out sharply, coming to take a seat beside me. Risking a glance to the sofa opposite, I shared a look with Karina and Payton as I moved up to make space on the sofa. Turning towards the fifth year, I waited for her to say something. Eventually, after taking yet another moment to calm the heart I was certain was racing, she spoke.

"Taroni," she said slowly, looking to me. Meeting my waiting eyes, she started, "I heard that you give good advice."

I wanted to roll my eyes so hard that they rolled into the back of my head. But my friends began to snicker at the sentence and I silenced them with a single look. Part of me thought that the pair of them had something to do with this rumour. Or maybe it was because I couldn't seem to keep my nose out of other people's romantic lives? When I found the person that had decided to label me as the resident love guru of Hufflepuff house, I was going to kill them.

For now, I turned to sit sideways on the sofa so I was facing Moten. The image of Moten, looking so anxious as she waited for my response, had the annoyance I felt fizzling away to nothing. Regardless of my reluctance to be this so-called love guru, I remained at heart a busy body who couldn't turn away someone that needed my help.

"Alright Moten," I started, setting aside my quill and parchment, "lay it all on me."

"Well I – I already have a boyfriend," she said as if we didn't already know her boyfriend. The couple, both fifth years and both Hufflepuffs were often very public in their affection. Or rather, Ogando – her boyfriend – was more public with Moten looking more embarrassed at the displays.

"Yes?"

"He well," her eyes fell once more to her fidgeting hands. Frowning, I reached out to put a hand on top of hers. Moten lifted her eyes then, meeting mine and searching them before admitting, "He wants to sleep with me."