How To Be A Heartbreaker | James Potter [COMPLETED]

Chapter Fourteen: Bedhead

Sapphire was never a morning person; she found the concept of bright sunlight boring through her window, blinding her in the process, lazy morning air, and grumpy roommates awful. But as she woke up with soft brown hair tickling her face, soft, slow breathing against her neck, and lips against her collarbones, she absolutely loved that morning. Sapphire looked down to see James plump, pink lips peppering kissed on her skin with his eyes dosed as if he was treasuring the moment. He grinned up at her and his eyes fluttered open when he felt her moving in his arms. Her heart raced at seeing him cuddled up with her in all his glory, brown hair disheveled from her running her fingers in it, his hazel eyes twinkling in mischief and happiness, and lips curled into the most breathtaking smile she had ever seen.

"Morning, love," Sapphire felt her insides melt at the raspiness in James' voice. She giggled at him as he continued his trail of kisses up her neck jawline and to her lips. "Sleep well?"

"Best I've had in a while," she said, fingering his brown locks. He looked at her with such adoration that she almost squealed, smiling softly at him. James' fingertips ghosted over her bare back making butterflies-- no, the whole jungle book erupt in her stomach.

They laid in bed for a few more minutes until Sapphire suddenly remembered that they had classes and needed to hurry up if they didn't want McGonagall on their tail. Slowly caressing James' flushed cheek she lifted his head up to lock eyes, pressing a soft kiss to the tip of his nose that made him chuckle.

"Class is awaiting," she giggled as he groaned and buried his face deeper into her neck continuing to mope about their going to class. "We are at school, bedhead."

"I'd rather stay in bed with you for the rest of my life, thank you very much," he whispered into her skin as if it were the most important of secrets. Sapphire's cheeks turned red at the intimacy of what he said and their position.

Unwrapping his arms from around her, she held the covers tightly to her and got up. The golden sheets touched the floor in a sleeveless dress-like way, her hair bouncing behind her as she attempted to get a grasp on her clothes while tripping over the satin material. Sapphire heard James sigh from behind her just as she held her costume in hand.

"I hope you know I'm not letting you go out in that little costume," he said, making her turn around with an arched eyebrow. "People will think it was just a one-time thing, which I will definitely not allow."

"Yeah?"

"Marauder's oath," James raised his middle finger and touched his lips, winking at her in the process. Letting out a small giggle, she shook her. "Throw me some clothes, love, unless you don't mind me walking around."

"Which drawer?" she smirked as his smug look disappeared. Grabbing his clothes and tossing them at him, she began to look at a pile of Polaroid pictures he had on his dresser.

The first was one of him. Remus, Sirius, and Peter. They stood in front of what seemed to be a stand at a carnival stuffed animals and other prizes hanging on the stand. They didn't look older than twelve. James stood in the middle hair floppy and glasses nearly falling off of the edge of his nose. He had his arm around Sirius, who was standing on his right. Sirius had longer hair in that picture, yet it still looked like he came out of a Muggle magazine with grey eyes staring right at the camera. James' other arm was around Remus, who looked dorkier than ever before. His hair was falling to his shoulders, bangs covering his eyes, in desperate need of a haircut. Next to Remus was Peter, the shortest and chubbiest out of the bunch. He was the only one holding cotton candy and a hot dog in his hands. Yet the four of them were all grinning brightly at the camera like they hadn't a care in the world.

Sapphire felt James' arms wrap around her hips, bringing him closer to his chest as he pressed a kiss to the nape of her neck. "My mum took that picture of us in the second year the first year Sirius had managed to escape his God forbidden family if only for a quick day."

"I didn't know Sirius had problems with his family," Sapphire confessed tilting her head back slightly as lames continued to place kisses on her skin, now moving to her shoulder.

"They're not perfect," James said, tightening his hold around her.

She was now onto the second picture. It was of James and Sirius on Platform 9 and 3/4. But that was not what caught her attention. James had his arm draped over Lily's waist, the biggest smile on his face as if he had won the Quidditch World Cup. Sapphire had never seen him, or anybody really, be that happy in a picture. Lily had a small smile etched on her own, she was looking at James from the corner of her eyes. Sapphire felt her stomach drop as she realized what that look was. It was the same Severus gave to Lily, the same Alice gave to Frank and the same Peter gave to literally all the food during every meal. Her jaw clenched as she felt James move her hair onto one shoulder. He grinned down at her. laying his head onto the place he had been kissing.

"That was last year. Remus took it because he refused to be in a picture with Sirius after he had shoved dung bombs in Moony's shirt the last time we took one. Sirius had bet Lily that she couldn't perform the Patronus spell which she didn't and he made her take the picture with us," James explained, giggling softly at what Sapphire could only assume was the memory.

She nodded mindlessly as he continued to explain what happened that day, but she didn't listen to a word he said. She knew she shouldn't have been jealous, but it was only normal. James had strong feelings for Lily at some point nevertheless were they only because of the chase and that he had built an idea of what Lily was to him, they were feelings. And Sapphire hated that she hated the fact that he had longed after Lily for years, she hated the fact that Lily had returned those feelings, however briefly, but most importantly, she hated the fact that she let herself get bothered by something that ceased to exist the moment she had entered James life with an insult.

Sapphire found herself wondering what could have happened had she not gotten expelled from Beauxbatons. She knew what she was doing was wrong, Incredibly so, and that it would only lead to self - destruction but that was her thing. She would always bring herself down one way or another, she had a voice in her head that found the negative in everything she did and said and turned it onto her. Self-destruction was her thing, she mastered it long ago and it didn't seem like it was going to fade anytime soon. Sapphire found herself boarding a train of thought that made her feel dizzy, thinking about how it might have been Lily in her position had she not come to Hogwarts, how it might have been Lily falling asleep into James' arms, how it might have been Lily waking up to James' smile and kisses. Her chest started aching and her throat burned as she stared more intently at the picture at his bright smile because she was with him.

And at that moment, she realized she could never be as good as what Lily was to James. The thought alone made her want to crawl into a hole and create oceans with her tears. Sapphire could hear James' voice but she could not decipher a word he said. Until he placed his hand over hers and blocked Lily's face out the picture.

"Sapphire, love? I asked you a question, babe." Her heart clenched at his nicknames for her it beat faster as she felt him breathe again her. "Go back to bed with me?"

She nodded at him, letting him take her hands in his and guide her to the bed. And as she lied in his arms, her head on his chest, his arms around her fingers drawing circles onto her soft skin, and hearing him laugh as he told her his many adventures with the rest of the Marauders, another realization hit her in the face.

Maybe Sapphire could never be as good as what Lily was to James. But she had him holding her now, and it may not last long, but she was going to enjoy every second of it.