𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗹𝘆, james potter

-ˋ 52

CHAPTER FIFTY TWO
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-: sixth year :-

── IN WHICH THEY FALL ASLEEP

. . .

Tiger and James had sat up on the top floor of the Astronomy tower for what seemed like a hours. At some point they moved from hugging each other to Tiger leaning on him, back pressed against his torso.

His arms were wrapped around her waist, and she had fallen asleep a long time ago, the tear tracks having stained her cheeks. James would have done the same, however he didn't feel as if doing so so close to the edge of the towers was a good idea.

That and the fact that James's mind was very much awake, not at all sleepy. Of course he believed Tiger, and he knew that the horror she lived through was very much real. 

However it still seemed unbelievable. That a girl's life could be ruined because the death of a student meant far too much to the reputation a school. It didn't seem possible, but yet it was. And that what Tiger had lived with, since the year before. 

She had been blamed with the death of her best friend - her boyfriend. Nobody believed her, not even her own mother. Expelled from the school, she came to Hogwarts for a new beginning. And she got it.

People loved her, and nobody knew her as what she had been labelled at Ilvermorny - a murderer. James couldn't even imagine what she went through. 

The concept of everyone you had ever known turning against you, hating you - no, despising you - was something that James couldn't even comprehend. It was so foreign to him, scary and just unimaginable. 

He couldn't even think about what it would be like. For Sirius and Remus and Peter to hate him - it was simply impossible for him to even think about. Even if his three bestest friends did abandon him - the various other friends he had, like Lily, Marlene and Lydia - he couldn't imagine them leaving. 

What Tiger had been through was so awful. And she had a chance to restart it, make new friends with people who didn't know of what she was blamed for. 

And now there was a girl and a teacher who was hell-bent on destroying that second chance. Why - James had no idea. What Tiger had done to Olivia to offend her so much, James simply couldn't guess. 

But as he was now able to think about what he used to do, and how he used to act - like a bully - James was pretty sure that Olivia was just that. A bully, who wanted to destroy whatever happiness that Tiger could achieve. 

James shuddered - a mixture of the horrible thoughts of what Tiger had and could endure, and also because of the cold. He decided that maybe it was best if he got the both of them in. 

He didn't want the pair of them die becayse of frostbite, after all. Somehow, James managed to lift Tiger off of him, and when he stood up, he then knelt down to pick her up, carrying her like he did on the night of Slughorn's Christmas party. 

They needed to get to bed, and James knew for a fact that Tiger still wasn't sleeping in her dorm - Olivia made her more uncomfortable that she would like to admit. James wanted to help - but he had no idea how. 

But for now, Tiger just needed to get sleep in a warm place - not up on the top of the Astronomy tower. James arrived at the portrait to enter, and the Fat Lady was fast asleep. 

"Excuse me." James said, and the painted woman continued to asleep. "Um. Mrs Fat Lady?" James asked, trying to have Tiger leaning on him more, as he reached out with one hand, poking the frame. 

The painted woman woke up with a jump, and looked very much alive as she did so, making a show of rubbing her eyes and yawning. "What hour do you call this?" She asked in a shrill voice. 

"Midnight?" James wondered, not exactly knowing how late it got himself. "But.. if you don't mind." James gestured to the fast asleep Tiger and the grumbling potraits surrounding them, waking up from the noise. 

"Fine. But don't expect me to be available every hour of the night when you decide to break curfew." The Fat Woman pouted, and folded her arms across her stomach. "Password?" She asked, and James smiled, telling her it. 

The portrait swung open and James carried Tiger in, and managed to carry her up the stairs and into his dorm. James placed Tiger down in his bed, and lay next to her for a while, trying to stay awake in the moonlight - his mind going through what he found out early.

But even that couldn't keep him awake, and soon enough, even that tired him out. James finally fell asleep, his mind - that had kept him up for so long - sent him to sleep. 

His sleep was dreamless, despite it usually being so full of life and colour. And he was sure Tiger's was the same, as his sleep wasn't disturbed. 

Not until the next morning, at least. 

"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting this when I woke up." A clear voice sliced through James's peaceful sleep, and he felt himself waking up even though he felt as if he was still tired. 

"Oi!" The same voice shouted, and James felt a force hit his face. He sat up instantly, rubbing his eyes and blinking him the morning sun. 

One of his hands was stuck firmly underneath something, and when his eyes finally adjusted to the light, he saw that Tiger was lay over it, holding onto his hand like her life depended on it.

"Prongs, I have no problem with you and Tiger doing whatever." Remus said, and James looked over from Tiger to her cousin. "But.." He gestured around, and - after carefully extracting his hand - James nodded. 

"You guys were gone all night. Marlene and Lydia managed to calm Lily down, and I'm pretty sure Evans is planning on apologising." Sirius told him, as James brushed his hand through his hair, Tiger stirring besides him. 

"So... what did she tell you?" Peter asked, looking slightly hopefully as James woke up, walking round his dorm and grabbing clothes to change into. 

"Stuff." James said quickly, trying to clean his glasses and change his shirt at the same time. "That I'm sure she doesn't want me telling you?" He continued, when he saw the others looking slightly expectant. "She'll tell you when she's comfortable to."

"Even I don't know." Remus shrugged, and the three looked over to where he was sat, already trying to do homework. "James.. you have Quidditch practise this morning." He told him. 

"Shit." James said, and moved quickly, changing the clothes he was currently changing into for his Quidditch robes. "Tell Tiger to come along when she wakes up? I need to ask her something." 

"If it's about the Hogsmeade day on the 14th, then you need to come up with something quickly. Or wait, and we can talk about it." Sirius said, as the boy rushed around. 

"Alright.. I'll wait." James agreed, rushing out of the dorm to head to Quidditch.

None of the four boys were aware that Tiger was awake and listening to every single word.

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