son amour - j. potter

twenty three

The white and brick townhouse loomed over us as the world stopped spinning and we land on the sidewalk outside the door. Beatrice and Henry were already up the steps, opening the black door to the house.

I took a long look at the house. There were tulips in pots on the second-floor balcony, and there were small flower boxes on the tiny balconies of the third floor. It felt weird to be here.

James squeezed my hand, "Ready to go in?"

I nodded back, and we stepped up the stairs and into the foyer.

Everything looked the same as it had in the summer, except the flowers were different.

"I'll let you both get settled." My mum said as she looked at James and me.

"Thank you." James smiled.

There was a CRACK, as our house-elf, Jilly, apparated into the foyer.

"Oh, Mistress Daphne, Jilly is most excited to see you!" Jilly squealed in excitement. Her wide eyes turned to James, and she gave a small curtesy, "Hello, I am Jilly."

James smiled and shook her small hand, "Hello Jilly, I'm James, James Potter."

"Jilly is excited to have guests."

My mum and dad had left the foyer, leaving James and me with Jilly.

"Would Mistress Daphne and Mister James like Jilly to take their trunks upstairs?"

I gave her a small smile, "No thank you, Jilly, we can take them, you can go relax."

Jilly smiled widely at me, "Jilly will be here if you need anything."

"Thank you, Jilly." James grinned in returned.

There was another CRACK, and Jilly disappeared.

"I like her." James admitted with a smile.

I laughed, "Me too, Jilly's the best."

I led James up the stairs to the third floor, where my room was.

My legs ached with every step I took up the stairs, but it was worth it because that was the best train ride ever.

James snickered as he watched me struggle to take the few steps up to the third floor.

"Oh-, shove off!" I teased as I turned down the third-floor corridor.

He laughed, "I guess we have a thing for third floors."

I grinned, "I guess so."

The third floor held my bedroom, Sebastian's, and two guest rooms. It was always quiet up here, especially without Sebastian.

As I walked down the corridor, I opened the first down on the right, my room.

The walls of my bedroom were white, with yellow curtains hanging by the windows and the door to the balcony. My queen-sized bed was in the middle of the wall, with a dark oak nightstand on each side. I have a matching dresser and wardrobe, along with an attached bathroom. My comforter was a light grey, with matching yellow sheets. To top it off, my room was filled with green plants, all basking in the sunlight shining in through my arched windows.

"Nice room." James mumbled as he sat our trunks down off the side.

I smiled, "Yeah, well I'm rarely home so it's always clean."

James cupped my face and leaned in to kiss me.

My lips met his, and the anxiety immediately disappeared. As much as I didn't want to be home, I was glad that James was here with me.