hiraeth - james potter x OC

mcgonagall being a wingwoman

Elle was released from the hospital wing a few weeks later, still having to take medicine for the pain.

Madam Pomfrey had told Elle that she couldn't do anything about the scars, so they were permanent.

That scared Elle. Everyone knew that she was injured, but most of the school hadn't actually seen her.

Sirius had come to visit Elle a few times, only when James and the rest of them weren't there. Elle hardly talked to him, and neither did the rest of the friend group.

"I'm home, bitches!" Elle called as she entered the common room.

Everyone there laughed at first, and then noticed the scar across her face, and horrified expressions replaced the smiles.

"Are you okay?" one girl asked Elle as she walked towards the Marauders.

"Thriving, actually. Never been better," Elle said, grinning and plopping onto the couch next to James. "Hello, boys."

-

McGonagall clinked her knife on her glass, gathering the attention of the entire Great Hall. She stood up, facing the crowd.

"On Christmas Eve, we will be having a special event," she said. "We will be hosting a ball, here in the Great Hall. A dance, if you will. A chance to have fun with your friends, and... possibly people who aren't just your friends."

Elle turned to Lily excitedly, saying sarcastically, "I wonder who's gonna ask you, Lils. Definitely not Snivellous."

"Shut up, Elle," Lily said, laughing. "Besides, I wouldn't go with him. He's been really mean lately."

Elle gasped sarcastically. "Severus Snape? Mean? Never!"

Meanwhile, James was wondering if he should ask Elle to the dance. He really wanted to, but he was sure she would say no.

And Elle was desperately hoping that James would ask her, but she was certain he didn't like her.

-

"Prongs," Remus said. "You have to ask her, or someone else will. Because believe me, someone else will. The whole school likes her."

James sighed. "I know, Moony. I want to. But I don't think she'll say yes."

"She will," Peter said, and Remus agreed.

"If you're scared, Prongs, we can ask her who she wants to go to the dance with or something. Or get Lily to do it," Remus suggested.

"Could you?" James asked, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Sure, Prongs."

Turns out, they didn't even have to ask Elle or Lily.

"So," Lily said, smiling at her best friend. "Who do you want to go to the ball with? There are a lot of people who would ask you."

Elle shrugged. "I don't know."

"That's a lie, and you know it."

Elle sighed. "I mean, I kind of wanted to go with James, but he doesn't like me and he probably wouldn't ask me."

"Elle, he really likes you," Remus said as he suddenly sat next to Elle. "Don't tell him I told you, or he'd kill me. But he does, and he really wants to ask you. He's just scared you'll say no."

"I wouldn't say no," Elle said. "He's like the only person I would want to go with."

"We'll make sure he asks you," Remus said, a smile growing on his face. "Don't worry."

-

"Ellie?" James called, running to catch up with the girl.

She turned around, smiling at him. "Hey."

James scratched the back of his head nervously. "Um, I was wondering, if- if you were going to the dance?"

He mentally punched himself, as this was obviously not what he wanted to ask, and he noticed Elle's face fall slightly.

"Uh, yeah. I'm going. No one's asked me yet, but I might just go with Lily," she said nervously, staring at her fingernails.

"Oh," James said quietly. "Well, I mean, we could go together. As friends, maybe?" 

Elle's face fell visibly. "I mean, yeah. Sure. Friends."

Elle turned to walk away, and James wanted to scream.

"Wait," he called after her, and she turned back around. "I mean, we don't have to go as just friends. I would love to like- not go as just friends, if you know what I mean?"

Elle laughed and nodded. "So it's a date?"

James smiled at her. "It's a date."

-

"Finally!" Remus exclaimed when James told her he asked her. "You told her you wanted to actually go, not just as friends, right?"

"I did at first," James admitted. "I got nervous. But then I was like, well we could go as more than friends, and she said yes, so it worked out."

"Maybe one day you two will stop being so blind and realize how much you love each other," Remus muttered, but James heard him.

"Remus, wha-"

But then Elle walked into the common room with Lily, and James shut up.

-

The ball was approaching.

Lily had been asked to the ball by Marlene, which Elle was ecstatic about because she knew the girls fancied each other.

Lily and Elle went to Hogsmeade to go dress shopping, and they made Remus come along with them.

James had asked to go with them but Elle kept saying, "No, Prongs. You'll see my dress at the dance."

So Elle, Remus, and Lily went to the clothes shop in Hogsmeade, and Remus helped them look for dresses.

Elle ended up picking a lacy, lilac dress, and Lily picked a beautiful white one.