𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗹𝘆, james potter

-ˋ 10

CHAPTER TEN
✧
-: seventh year :-

── IN WHICH THEY GET AWAY

. . .

Tiger turned the corner and jumped out of her skin upon seeing James, letting him take her arm and drag her away from Leo and the whole situation that had just occurred. It sounded bad, but he was quite surprised that the Howell girl hadn't ran away yet - if their sixth year at school was a book then her running away from her problems would have become a reoccuring motif. 

And for that, he was proud, but he knew Tiger, he knew her very well, and he could only hope that her not running away would mean that she was dealing with this better than they could have hoped for. 

But from the way the girl was shaking as he pulled her away from Luke, through the Entrance hall and up the stairs so that they could get to Gryffindor tower, and the way tears began to pour down her face, it seemed less and less likely. 

He knew her well, and so he knew that she wouldn't want people crowding around her. Him, maybe Siriuus, Remus or one of the girls. No more. And so, when they reached the staircase that lead up to the Fat Lady's portrait, and the mass of people surrounding it, he promptly turned around, diverting his course for else where.

James had perhaps three plans of action. One, take her to McGonagall's quarters and see if something could be done there. Two, somehow get her into one of the secret tunnels (either the one behind the hump-backed witch or under the Weeping Willow) and into Hogsmeade or the Shrieking Shack for the night. Or three, take her to the old classroom that contained all her sewing stuff, granted it was still there.

He opted for the final one; he wasn't sure if Tiger would be comfortable talking to McGonagall just yet, and he wasn't exactly too keen on walking through a damp passage way with her for an hour. 

"Alohomora." He said, pointing his wand at the lock on the all too familar door, unlocking it quickly and pulling Tiger in, locking it behind him and settling her down on the dark mass of pillows and blankets set up in the corner, as he lit the various lamps surrounding the area, casting a sort of cosy atmosphere around them.

Something which Tiger no doubtedly needed. The amber glow from the lamps lit up her face and frame to show James just how bad it was - she was trembling like a leaf in a particularily windy storm, and her face was covered in tear tracks, and she was crying to a point where she was finding it hard to breathe. But luckily, the lights were still dim enough to save the girl some of her dignity, which she clearly wanted considering how tightly she had curled up in a ball. 

James didn't say anything, just summoned a bottle of water and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders. His arm rested on top of the blanket, fingertips occasionally grazing the top of her arm. 

He didn't want to be invasive, give her some personal space and time to calm down. But at the same time he wanted to be there to comfort her, to show that she wasn't alone. Because he had heard Sirius and Tiger talk over the holidays - not because he meant to, but by accident.

He had heard Tiger mention just how alone she was; both her parents were gone through one way or another, and she felt that even though she was staying with the Potters full time; she had her own room, for Merlin's sake, she felt like she was imposing. Even though James was her boyfriend and Sirius was her best friend. 

James knew a lot of Tiger's past, and it had been a lonely, tough road for the girl. From her best friend and boyfriend supposedly dying and almost everyone she knew turning against her. Olivia coming to her new safe place to haunt her for something she even did, and the true, supposed ghost of her past really coming to haunt her for this year.

He felt so bad for her, felt so bad for her being alone for so long. There was nothing he could do to change the past, and so he would do his best to keep her happy in the present. 

Tiger clearly wasn't in any state to talk about anything, and so James could wait, and just be there for her. If she needed comforting, if she needed a hug or water or food - anything, he would be able to get it for her. 

He was patient and understanding, which were the only things that Tiger needed.

✧

a/n
happy 100th chapter!!
its only fitting that i post
this on the day i find out that
this book has hit 500k and 
honestly i can't thank you
all enough, tysm <33