❝she was a beautiful dreamer.
the kind of girl who
kept her head in the clouds,
loved above the S T A R S
and left regret beneath the EARTH
she walked on.❞
her voice tickled his ears. it was foreign a beautiful sound amidst a sea of coughing, crying, and cursing. it bought about a smile, genuine, but lacking in size as he found himself unbearably tired.
“ hey. ” he sounded happy, his head tilted to the side as she grew closer. james had wanted to see her since he’d woken up, yet he couldn’t lie and claim that a small part of him didn’t wish that she would stay away. the only thing worse than feeling the way he did was knowing that others could witness it. but the disappointment was nonexistent when she walked in, drowned out FIRST by his delight and SECOND by his confusion. she was bruised.
a pained grunt slipped from his lips as he sat up further in his bed. “ what happened? ” all he knew about was the attack on the meeting. the people around him had conveniently left out the other beasts as they feared it would halt the healing process. stress him out and cause his body to retaliate.
she shook her head, waving off his concern as she set her gift onto the small bedside table, her attention still on him. ❝oh pesky little troll lost his way. you should see how he ended up. ❞ her laugh was soft, hushed and quickly drowned out by the rising concern that overpowered her consciousness now that she was closer to him. he didn’t look bad, he never could to her. but he looked ill. ❝where WERE you? i couldn’t find you and i… i was worried sick i thought something happened to you. well something did and i swear to god potter, i’d pick wrestling three trolls over not knowing where you are in the middle of all that chaos.❞ it was probably ill-advised to badger him about something that couldn’t be remedied now but she didn’t know how to proceed. she’d never been worried about someone like this before. her hand lingered over his, the tips of her fingers finally touching his hand delicately, almost like she was afraid he’d disappear if she moved too quickly. they were wafting through uncharted territory together yet apart, their fleeting moments offering some solace within the darkness. ❝how are you holding up?
❞
when the nurse herself told him he looked like shit, he found it best to believe her. he did, after all, feel awful the impressively dark circles smeared beneath his eyes and the ghostly pale skin only two of many different clues to his sickly state.
bedridden and bored, his gaze remained steady on the book in his hand. poppy had given it to him, no doubt out of pity. “ one second, ” he mumbled as a figure approached from the corner of his eye. finishing up the page, he finally lifted his gaze.
❝ knock knock. ❞ lily lingered by the curtain that awarded the boy a bit of privacy from the rest of the hospital wing, her arms cradling a small basket full of an assortment of items she’d collected in hopes of making his stay a bit more pleasant. as he looked up at her, the girl took a shy step forward, her eyes surveying the damage done to him (even though she knew every single detail of his medical history after hounding pomfrey and taking a peek at his chart) ❝you went through hell and back and you still look ravishing, potter. i swear it should be illegal to be as handsome as you are.❞ she teased meekly, her eyes watering as she took another small step in his direction, fearful that any sort of contact might harm him in some way. she was not used to seeing him in a vulnerable position and the sight jarred her, pure fear striking at her heart. she saw him as invincible and knowing that he wasn’t was a harsh reality she wasn’t prepared to face. she didn’t want to lose him just yet.
he actually could cook. it wasn’t exactly something people would assume of the supposedly carefree boy. ( carefree? HA. what a joke ) he learned various dishes from various cultures, the romani people of whatever land they were sleeping on pulling him aside and teaching him all sorts of different things. james was hesitant to admit it, but he learned more during his childhood and summers than he did at school.
“ … yeah. ” he scrunched his nose as a sigh fell free, his gaze remaining on the ingredients as he gathered a few eggs and one of the bowls that she’d grabbed earlier. “ i have practice in an hour … gotta few things to figure out after that. speaking of
— i have a couple things drafted, if you wouldn’t mind reading them? ”
“ you’re pretty great with people. you know how to speak to them. get their attention. ”
the girl watched him attentively, her eyes focusing on the way his hands moved effortlessly, confidently through the motions as he gracefully prepared a meal with such elegance she could never muster up. it was captivating to watch him, so much so that once he spoke to her, the girl had to shake herself back into reality, awarding him a soft smile as she desperately tried to ignore the pink creeping onto the apples of her cheeks. ❝sounds like a busy day,❞ lily replied, clearing her throat and quickly shuffling to grab the bread that had just popped out of the toaster slightly charred. ❝i’d be more than happy to give whatever it is a look.❞ her eyes rolled involuntarily as he issued a compliment, her soft smile slowly morphing into a smirk. ❝some might say i get their attention because i have a tendency to be loud. and stubborn. but i’d be happy to help out. what is IT exactly?❞
“ no i get it. honestly … i get so pissed off when my wife doesn’t have dinner waiting for me. like why else get married? ” james gave her a smirk, organizing the mess that she was creating as a way to keep his hands busy. it seemed to go against nature, but he found himself doing things more and more differently as the year went on. before he knew it, he’d be studying every night in the library.
hA! as if he had the time.
“ fun little fact; i happen to L O V E mildly burnt toast. the eggs, however, could be a problem. how’s about i lend a hand, yeah? make your dad proud. ” he was happy to see that she could revisit memories with a smile on her face, this perhaps providing a small hint that she might’ve been handling it a lot better than his worrisome attitude would allow him to believe.
❝it really makes you question the principles of marriage doesn’t it?❞ the redhead played along, shuffling about as she tried to juggle the tasks she’d set for herself to no avail. ❝there you go, make yourself useful. there’s nothing better than a man who knows his way around a kitchen, or so i’m quickly realizing. looks like you’re going to be the one cooking the fancy meals in this relationship.❞ lily commented offhandedly, pushing the eggs in his direction and tending to the toast. now that he’d mentioned he favored his toast much like she did, there was a new underlying need to make him love her toast. it was a stupid thought but the girl was nothing if not stubborn and she needed to impress him with the one culinary ‘skill’ she had. ❝have you got much on today?❞
“ honestly? i have no idea. not even really sure if i’m HUNGRY. ” he looked her way, offering a smile before moving his legs and jumping off the counter. “ i just felt like comin’ to the kitchen. so how about you surprise me … or we put our brains together and fail miserably at making something. ”
❝you’re an odd one POTTER. but hey who am i to judge. this might be a great chance for you to see how absolutely horrid i am in the kitchen. we’ll start with mildly burnt toast and half poached eggs. maybe i’ll even get fancy and try to whip up some coffee.❞ with that the girl began moving around the kitchen and assembling the ingredients she needed, her brow furrowed as she worked. ❝dad always said i would be a disaster if i ever got married. he was all for the feminist movement but he did say it was nice to have his wife cook him something every once in a while and i never met up to the standard. he used to tease me about it incessantly.❞
“ looks like breakfast just WASN’T ENOUGH, huh? ” james said with a grin, seated on the counter, his feet elevated with his back pressed firmly against the fridge. “ … great minds. ” the boy lifted his finger and motioned between himself and his new, recently arrived company.
❝eh, i missed breakfast this morning. somehow i’m not surprised i ran into you here though.❞ her brows rose as she sauntered up to the fridge, standing directly beside him as she reached for the door handles. ❝what’re you in the mood for?❞
“ i just might. ” he admitted. her words had certainly done something. whether it was instill a confidence in him that he was sure he’d lost, or reminded him what it was like to be loved, he wasn’t exactly sure. he only knew that she had a talent for connecting her emotions to words: a gift he always severely lacked. “ you know … everyone keeps saying that, but i will not REST until i’ve hated everyone who is seemingly more attractive than i am. ”
“ yeah, we should probably get back, huh? ” he let out a groan, allowing his head to rest on the desk as he lazily stared at the ceiling. “ i forgot about that party. actually … i don’t even think i need to be there. i’m sure the guys can handle it. we could always sneak off. ” he laughed lightly, letting his eyes move in her direction. “ just you and me. ”
❝it will be a rather short list of people you’ll have to hate, i can assure you of that much.❞ her bright smile didn’t waver as she held onto him closer, the muscles on her cheeks beginning to ache slightly. there was a time she dreamed about settling into his embrace much like she was now and it always seemed so distant, foreign even. now that it was finally a reality, she didn’t quite want it to end. ❝we should, i guess. though… that does sound like a lot more fun. spending the night with you is definitely much more appealing than actually having to socialize. don’t get me wrong, i love our friends. but i’m keen on being a little selfish for the evening. how’s this, we raid the kitchens, sneak a bottle of whatever the hell sirius is hoarding for your party and just lounge around your room with a couple of my best records. no pants party for two. are you keen?❞
“ i think we BOTH know that … you forget the speech? ” he gave her a teasing grin. her question made sense, yet he couldn’t really answer it. he didn’t know. so as she propped herself up and continued to talk, he merely watched with a humorous gaze, leaning forward to kiss her on the lips as she muttered her final statement about the giant squid. “ alright — we WON’T burn the desk. i make no promises for the plant though … or the squid for that matter. s’kind of a dick. ”
lily enjoyed the way he effortlessly leaned up and kissed her, a soft blush creeping onto her cheeks as she happily returned the short peck, a bright smile breaking onto her lips. it was like it was the most normal exchange between them and she found it quite comfortable, natural even. ❝it was a bloody great speech, you should take some pointers.❞ she teased lightly, stealing another quick kiss. those were slowly getting addictive as well. ❝you’re just saying that ‘cause i said i’d rather snog it than you. don’t hate him just because he’s attractive james, it’s petty. the plant can certainly go though, never much cared for it. do you reckon we might actually have to go back soon? after all, you have an afterparty to host according to the mumblings i’ve heard going around.❞
“ can’t believe you remember my middle name. ” he rolled his eyes, happily letting his fingers glide softly against the skin of her back. a hazy cloud of happiness and sluggishness weighed heavily on the young boy. he was tired. sated. worked out. “ actually admitted? girl … i told you i liked you in our second year, ” he laughed. “ i actually think that plant was present when ya turned me down for the first time. broke my damn heart
—
think that might have to go in the museum too. it’s only fair. ”
❝honestly, i’m quite impressed with myself. maybe i like you a little more than even i care to admit. ❞ she shrugged, a soft laugh falling past her lips as she shook her head, carefully propping herself up just a bit so she could meet his gaze. ❝oh come on, did you even really like me back then? i was convinced you were just saying that to get a rise out of me in front of your friends. worked too. but when you put it like that we might just have to turn all of hogwarts into a museum. we can’t forget the giant squid.❞
❝hmm, you know what? i think i just might like you back.❞ her eyes fluttered shut as she took a deep breath, letting the moment truly settle in her memories, savoring every kiss and caress, her skin still tingling as a reminder of way his hands claimed every inch of her body. the girl complied, moving over slightly to the side to make room for the boy before resting her cheek against his chest, her fingers tracing senseless shapes along his skin. the girl couldn’t help but scatter soft kisses along his chest, allowing herself this moment to be unabashedly caring. after all, their feelings were now out in the open, what did she have to lose? ❝i would say yes but it’s almost like a historic artifact now isn’t it? the very desk where LILITH MARIE EVANS and JAMES DANIEL POTTER actually admitted their feelings for eachother. one might think it’s valuable enough to chuck in some museum somewhere.❞
MUSE A — Bacon ipsum dolor amet pork in excepteur velit laboris mollit quis pariatur veniam dolor ut culpa tempor dolore. Fugiat laboris dolor sirloin ea, tail short loin andouille proident lorem pancetta pig. Dolore swine sirloin do fatback est, salami pancetta esse dolore leberkas ham. Enim pork chop sirloin, aliqua ad nisi spare ribs veniam id.
MUSE B — Sirloin filet mignon voluptate aliquip magna. Tail shank do culpa tenderloin, consequat in ad jowl shoulder swine. Beef ribs kielbasa jowl, in short loin nulla pork loin. Anim porchetta do jowl, drumstick pastrami meatball alcatra fugiat ham hock ut duis dolore in. Non dolore cow nisi strip steak, bresaola pork chop sausage ipsum dolor.