Losing Game/// James Potter

~Prologue~

A sleepy 11 year-old James Potter heard a thump coming from his bedroom window. He hopped off his bed and walked towards his windowsill, as he rubbed his eyes with his hands and let out a yawn. James pulled open the shades and stared out at the clear summer night sky, the last one he would see from home until he came home for Christmas.

"Pstttttt... James.. pstttt, can you hear me?" a voice exclaimed from the dark. He shifted his eyes until they landed on the window attached to the house directly next to his.

He chuckled as he watched a light switch on from the window and a short, brown haired girl popped into view. "Elsie, what are you doing up so late? It's our first day at Hogwarts tomorrow! You should be asleep!" James replied to her.

He watched her eyes drop to look towards the ground as she began to slightly bite her bottom lip, something he noticed she did whenever she was nervous. "Aren't you excited, Els? What's wrong?" he questioned from his windowsill.

She hesitantly replied, "I'm scared. What if nobody likes me?"

Elsie's nerves increased as she waited to hear him respond, but instead was met with an empty windowsill when she looked up. Just as she turned around to shut her light off and try to sleep, she heard some shuffling followed by a loud clanking noise from behind her. Elsie turned back around to find James climbing from his room to hers on a wooden ladder he carefully placed to balance itself between the windowsills of the two rooms.

"Godric, James! What are you doing?!" Elsie shouted as James landed in her room.

"I couldn't let my best friend be scared for what's going to be the best adventure of our lives!" he dramatically exclaimed as he made his way over to her bed. He plopped himself down while gesturing for her to come lay down next to him.

Chuckling at her crazy best friend, she climbed onto her bed and laid down to the right of him. She rested her head on his chest and sighed, "I'm just nervous about what's going to happen. What if I can't make any friends? What if we get put into different houses and we never see each other?"

He ran his hand through her long, brown hair as he replied, "You don't have to worry about that, Els. Everyone's going to love you because you're an amazing person."

"You think so?" Elsie questioned.

"I know so. You're the best person I've ever met. Plus, you've got a pretty cool best friend," he stated with a smirk plastered on his face. Elsie jokingly rolled her eyes and lightly slapped his stomach where her arm was resting. "James!"

"I'm just joking! They'll love you as much as I do. And if they don't, I'll hex them," he said with a laugh. Elsie closed her eyes and snuggled closer into him.

"James?" she softly spoke. "Mhmm?" he hummed in reply.

"Thank you for staying," she began, "I love you."

"And I love you, Els. To the stars and beyond," James whispered.

"To the stars and beyond." Elsie nodded in agreement.

She soon fell asleep and left James alone with his thoughts. He looked down at the girl cuddled up into him and wondered how the girl who moved in next door to him 6 years ago ended up being one of the best people he has ever met. She told him everything, and he did the same to her. She comforted him when his parents were away doing dangerous auror work, and he was there for her when she was scared she would inherit squib genes as her mom had. They were about as emotionally open with each other as two 11 year-olds could be. Now, they are both about to leave for Hogwarts tomorrow together. And, James thought, there was no one else that he would rather be doing that with. No one.