𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗹𝘆, james potter

-ˋ 67

CHAPTER SIXTY SEVEN
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-: sixth year :-

── IN WHICH THEY'RE HAPPY

. . .

"Two vanilla lattes please." Tiger said, and peered at the cakes on display. "James, is there anything you want?" She looked up at the boy, who was gazing around the cafe, a sort of lost look in his eyes. 

"James?" Tiger repeated, glancing to the man behind the counter. "Just a moment.. he tends to drift off sometimes." She smiled at him, before elbowed him in the side so hard he almost doubled over and smacked his head on the display case.

The man behind the counter stared at them, shocked. "Yes Twiggy?" James made a face at her,, which she gladed returned before pointing at the case. 

"What do you want?" She asked him, and James looked confused for a moment, before staring intently at the case for a moment. Tiger watched him, before sighing and flicking the back of his ear. 

"We'll just have to coffee, please." Tiger smiled to the man, digging the muggle money out of her purse, paying him and then dragging James over to a window table, sitting down in it and staring at him. 

"What?" James frowned. "Do I have something on my face? Has my hair somehow gotten neat?" The look of horror on James's face only grew more and more so, and he rose his hand, pulling his fingers through his hair, trying to see his reflection in the glass.

"No you prat." Tiger sighed, and James peered at her, hand slowly making it's way back down into his lap. "You might be able to get away with this behaviour with Madam Rosmerta, but you can't with muggles around."

"Mummy, what are muggles?" A small child said, and Tiger and James stared at each other in horror, before their stares turned down to the little girl. 

"I'm not sure?" The mother of the child replied, and then looked up at the two teens, before making a face. "I hope you haven't just said something nasty to my child."

"Um.. no, of course we haven't. A muggle is a sort of plant that me and James here are studying at the moment." Tiger quickly said, and James nodded quickly.

"Yep.. real leafy the muggle." The corners of his lips turned upwards, and still staring, the woman dragged her child away. James looked towards Tiger, grinning. "I see what you mean, no magic talk here."

"Glad you've figured it out." Tiger told him, about to say something else about their world when the barista came to them with their drinks. "Thank you." She smiled.

For a few minutes, the pair sat in silence, sipping on their drinks. "You know this muggle stuff is really good. Better than the coffee at Hogwarts." James said, and Tiger looked over to the counter, eyes searching it. 

"They have a special machine." She pointed it out to James. "And the vanilla taste comes from a syrup. I suppose at school the House Elves make it themselves."

"I guess so." James shrugged, then looked out the window. "I say, what do you think about that house just down there, the one opposite where we got off?" He asked. 

"Hm?" Tiger asked, turning in her seat and following James's gaze down the street, to the house that sat there. "Oh it's nice, I like it." 

"Good good." James slid out of his seat. "I'm just going to go to the bathroom." Tiger was only slightly confused by his words, but nodded all the same. 

James walked away from their table, heading over to where the male barista said. "Excuse me, you wouldn't know if the house just by the bus stop is for sale, would you?"

"I'm pretty sure the owners are just fixing it up a little bit - they've been living out of the village for a while. I'd say it will be up next month." The man replied. "Thinking of moving in with your Missus?" 

"Something like that. Thank you." James said, disappearing into the toilets, where he waited for a few minutes, so it seemed like he had actually gone. 

James wasn't being crazy. He knew that Tiger and his relationship was only really beginning in the romantic sense. Although, he had a feeling that Tiger was the one for him, there would be no others that could compete with her. 

And there was nothing that James wanted more than for Tiger to be happy. It was a bit early to be thinking about it, but with the constant chatter from McGonagall about their futures, he couldn't help but think about where he would live  - he couldn't live with his parents forever.  

And besides, if it didn't work out with Tiger then it could always be a house for him, Sirius, Remus and Peter to live in. After the seven years that they would have lived together, James could hardly imagine them apart. 

He was sure that if it was him and Tiger, they would have at least one person staying there every two days, and with the beginning of their apparation courses coming up, they could literally get to the other people instantly. 

"What were you talking to him about?" Tiger asked, rather absent-mindedly as she stirred the last couple of sips of the latte in her cup. 

"Just asking where the toilets were." James replied. "Actually quite a nice guy, mentioned you seemed rather crazy." Tiger's gaze flickered over to James, who smirked. 

The girl shook her head, but didn't reply. "Should we go for a walk?" She asked, as both of them finished their coffees. "We walked past a map on our way here?" 

James paused, then looked almost as if a light bulb had flickered on in his head. "Oh no." Tiger said. "What have you thought." 

"How about we break into a house?" 

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