𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗹𝘆, james potter

-ˋ 62

CHAPTER SIXTY TWO
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-: sixth year :-

── IN WHICH SHE HIDES OUT WITH THE HEADMASTER

. . .

"And why would that be, Miss Howell?" Dumbledore replied, looking down at the student. He seemed rather calm considering what Tiger had just told him.

"Well.. you see... Olivia has told everyone about the accident at Ilvermorny. Not everyone.. just Lily, Remus, Sirius, Peter, Lydia and Marlene." Tiger began, her eyes trained to her hands, which were twisting and turning in her lap. 

"And Mr Potter?" Dumbledore asked, and for some reason Tiger felt a little guilty. Most likely because she knew that James would be worrying for her, and her whereabouts.

It was common knowledge that Tiger had a tendency to run from her problems. Not just go to another room for a while, or avoid them like the plague. But actually run away from them, as far as she wanted to.

"I told him a while ago. He knows everything." Tiger finally looked up, and Dumbledore nodded, knowingly. 

"I am assuming that Olivia is telling everyone a version of a story that is not entirely true. That you in fact killed the boy." Dumbledore continued.

"Leo." The girl mumbled, nodding. "She's telling everyone that I purposefully killed him. And I didn't - you know I didn't." Tiger said hurriedly. 

"I am sure that Mr Potter will tell your friends the true version of events. If Olivia continues to spread the rumours, then I will take action. I hope that Miss Williams is not causing any problems either?" Dumbledore asked.

Tiger looked worried, and the old man peered down at her, over his spectacles. "Whatever you tell me is completely confidential. I do not wish for a member of staff to be abusing their power."

"There was one incident.. in the first lesson I attended of the year. She spoke to me somehow.. not physically, but her voice appeared in my head. And there was rumours that she is skilled at legilimency." Tiger told the teacher, who nodded, and used a rather majestic-looking quill to note it all down. 

"I will make sure to look into this, Miss Howell. And what else is it?" He asked, and Tiger looked up suddenly. "You don't have anything else to say?" The man looked shocked.

"Oh.. I do actually." Tiger said, and proceeded to tell the headmaster about her situation with her parents. Dumbledore agreed to help her, but first needed to write to her father to confirm that it's alright. 

It was past curfew when Tiger finally left Dumbledore's office. She wasn't planning on going back to the common room, maybe she would leave the castle all together, maybe go camp out in the basement of Honeydukes for the night.

Or she could disappear into the Forbidden forest for a night or two. That worked out pretty well last time. However, this could be the time where she didn't run away - which was the outcome of almost any other time she encountered a problem. 

And so instead, Tiger decided to just wander around. Surely, at some point, she would run into someone she knew. Whether she liked the person or not wuld be determied when it happened, but Tiger hoped that James was being his usual self and looking for her, and it was him she would run into. 

Thankfully, her hopes came true, and as Tiger walked down the corridor right by the Astronomy tower, the door leading to the staircase burst open, and James stepped out. "Tiger you prat." He said, rushing over to her and hugging her.

"Nice to see you too?" Tiger felt James squeeze her a little tighter, even lifting her off of her feet for a moment or so. 

"I had everyone looking for you - where were you?" James mumbled, his breath hot against her neck. He finally let go of her, and Tiger smiled - the slowly blooming one that James was obsessed with. 

"Come on." Tiger said, gently taking James's hand and pulling him onto a nearby bench. She explained everything that happened in Dumbledore's office to him, and when she finished, James hugged her again. 

"We need to go find the others." James said, and Tiger nodded, the pair jumping up. But as James began to walk, he noticed that Tiger wasn't beside him. "Hm-" He turned around, seeing her stood by the bench still.

In a couple of steps, she was in front of him, and kissed him so softly it was like she was barely there. But it created this sort of melting feeling inside James, and he couldn't believe what had just happened.

"You've never kissed me like that." He whispered, and Tiger let out a laugh. "Wow." He said, under his breath. Tiger pretended not to hear it, but the corners of her lips turned up and ears began to turn pink. 

"Come one. Let's find my cousin and Sirius." Tiger said, and together, the pair made their way to the top floors. They searched the sixth floor, and finding nobody, they progressed to the seventh. 

But after walking around the top floors twice, they still couldn't find anyone. Walking down a hallway, a scuffling sound could be heard, and the pair turned around. 

The noise seemed to be coming from a cupboard - and not just any, the very broom closet that Tiger and James had ended up in after potions. 

They had wanted some privacy at the time - and it was very obvious the people inside it did as well. "You don't think..?" Tiger mumbled, and James shrugged.

"There's only one way to figure out." The Potter boy said, stepping over to the door, and knocking twice, the sound echoing in the hallway. 

The noise stopped, and the low sound of voices could be heard for a moment, before the door opend. Tiger gasped, pulling the door open further, and James gasped as well.

"Remus!" Tiger said. 

"Sirius?" James exclaimed, beside her. 

In front of them, the two boys blushed.

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