Inbetween (A Harry Potter Next Generation Fanfic)

Chapter 9

Later that evening and when we knew that we were alone in my dormitory seeing as the other girls that shared my dormitory were away on Christmas holidays, James and I decided to call this Athena person to see if this vision was true or if it was just something planted in our head's.

"James, are you sure about this?" I asked nervously. I didn't know if I was just scared to find out what this woman was going to say if she appeared or if I didn't want to believe that I was destined to love James.

"Yes Elle, we're going to be fine I promise." He gave me a warm smile.

"So we just say her name and she appears?" I asked.

"No we have to be together and er....hold hands. I tried it earlier." James blushed. A laughed a little and took his hand. We both nodded once at each other and then said:
"Athena."

I held my breath as the room became extremely bright and a tall and beautiful woman stood in front of myself and James beaming brightly.

"Ah James and Perenelle, I haven't spoken to the two of you in a while." Athena looked between us both.

"Erm....hi." James stuttered nervously.

"It's okay I know that you don't really know me. I've watched the two of you for seven eras so I know what you do every day." Athena smiled gracefully.

"That's a little creepy." I muttered.

"I know my dear" Athena laughed "But I'm your conscience Perenelle, I know whatever you're thinking. I know what you're thinking right now but I won't say it because it would be awkward in the current predicament."

"Okay..." I blushed. She knew that I was thinking about James and how close he was sat to me.

"What did you need anyway?" Athena winked at me.

"We're confused Athena. Elle saw the vision yesterday and I've seen it before and we need you to explain it more." James told her.

"Does that mean you two have kissed each other then?" Athena asked.

"Well....yeah. But what does that have to do with anything Athena?" I asked her, blushing.

"Well to see the vision, you have to kiss. How did you see it before Perenelle James?" Athena turned to him.

"Yes how did you? We haven't kissed before?" I frowned, turning to him.

"Well we sort of have.....you fell asleep in the common room at the end of last year so I carried you up here and you just looked so beautiful so I ended up kissing you. I think you didn't see it then because you were asleep." James explained, blushing furiously and looking down at the floor.

"Ah that explains it James. Did you not know that he had feelings for you Perenelle?" Athena asked me.

"Well no....not until now anyway." I told her honestly.

"Okay, so what are you confused about?" Athena asked.

"This whole curse thing, how did it happen?!" James asked her, looking bewildered.

"Before you were born, your parent's in the first era that you lived in hated each other. They wouldn't let any of their children near the other. They were told by an old witch back in those times that their hatred for each other would be deadly and so it was. A curse was set on the two youngest children of the family, which happened to be the two of you. That day when Princess Perenelle, the youngest daughter of Maria and George Holland took a walk in the woods, she came across James. James and his father had been ordered to build it for the princesses by the mayor of the town and that's how they first met. That's when I appeared and became Perenelle's conscience. Many years later when that version of yourselves we're nineteen, Perenelle's father set out to have James killed as he had learned of his daughter's love for the boy and hated it. His men managed to kill James and because Perenelle decided that she couldn't be without the one she loved, she killed herself leaving the town devastated.

"We died?" I asked, shocked.

"Yes you died, then you came back to life!" Athena beamed.

"Have we ever lived past the age of nineteen, did we ever have a full future?" James asked.

"Ah, now that's the small catch my dears. Every era that the two of you have lived in, James had somehow died at the age of nineteen and Perenelle soon followed. But, there's no need to worry because this eras different." Athena told us.

"How is it different?" I asked.

"This is the last era that the two of you will ever live in, so this time you will have to fight for what's right." Athena smiled.

"Why, what's going to happen?" James asked, looking quite worried.

"I can't tell you that James, the two of you will have to take the battle as it comes to you. I wish you luck."

"How long can you stay Athena?" I smiled.

"Not for long dear, I have to go now, but I'll be watching over you. Oh...and Perenelle, you must make the right decision." Athena nodded at me once and then she disappeared.

James and I both just sat in silence for a while taking in what Athena had told us. I couldn't believe that it was all real! How on earth was I meant to love James now when I knew that I was meant to love him all along over everybody else?!

"Elle what's wrong, you've been really quiet?" James broke the silence.

"How long have you felt this way about me James?" I turned to look him in the eyes.

"Well technically over seven eras, but in this era I started seeing you differently last year. Everyone began to notice except you, it always made me wonder why you didn't notice." James told me honestly.

"I don't know how to reply to that." I sighed.

"You don't feel the same way do you?" James asked, looking down at his feet.

"No James, it's not like that! After that kiss I felt different and I have since then but I'm trying to make sense of it all and I'm so confused with my NEWTs and these stupid visions that I keep having." I told him.

"I get it Elle, honestly I get it. I'll always be here for you you know?" He smiled, standing up slowly.

"I know." I replied. He nodded once and began walking to the door. "Where are you going?"

"You need some time alone Elle to think straight, so do I. Lola's back in a few days and she'll help you. I'll see you later." With that James closed the door and I suddenly felt like the biggest bitch ever. I had already begun to hurt James by just telling him that I didn't feel as strongly about him as he did me.

I sighed and laid back on my bed. I definitely needed Lola there to talk to me at that moment. She always knew what to say and how to help me, but I was confused. How was I supposed to make myself fall in love with James?! Before that day I had never realised I had any feelings towards him, but I wasn't in love with him. No way. I couldn't be yet.

I was absolutely dreading what would come next and how things were going to pan out between myself and James. But absolutely nothing could have prepared me for what did happen.

From this point on everything began to change.

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