after hours, open

[JAMES IGNOTUS POTTER]

it's like you're calling all the shots before I shoot them

and i hate that,

James was certain he was an insomniac, at the weekends he could never sleep. He'd lay in bed for hours, tossing and turning, willing the sand man to arrive and take him off to the land of nod. But tonight, the sound of the rain, hammering down against the windows, combined with Peter's snoring meant that it was nearby impossible for the young Gryffindor to fall to sleep. James had given up on his bed a few hours ago and he now sat in the deserted common room, pouring over his latest creation, the marauder's map. It had taken the four friends a whole year to complete but finally they had done it and James was over the moon with the finished product. He beamed down at the parchment, searching the corridors for teachers but it seemed that at the current hour, two in the morning, the teachers had given up on patrolling the corridors. Peeves was the only possible annoyance and he was bouncing around the trophy room.

Wandering the school at night was something that James Potter was very good at. It helped when you had a cloak that made you invisible and a map of the school that showed where every inhabitant currently was. Charlus Potter had handed his son the cloak of invisibility the day before James' first ever term at Hogwarts was about to begin. James had always thought his father was a stickler for rules, but it seemed he didn't mind the idea of his son wandering the Hogwarts corridors at night. Of course, the magical school was probably and would probably always be, the safest place in the world. And so James pulled the silvery folds from inside his jumper and wrapped them around himself

But James still saw after hours travelling as a skill. He had of course helped to create the marauder’s map and so his knowledge of Hogwarts was unrivalled. He knew every secret passage, every trick step and fake tapestry not to mention all of the short-cuts. And so he made his way from Gryffindor tower all the way to the basement in record time and without meeting anyone even though he had decided to leave the map on his nightstand. It made it more fun roaming without knowing who might be lurking around the next corner. You might be wondering what had caused James to go for an after-midnight stroll. It wasn’t just a random impulse, he had a destination in mind and that destination was the kitchens. The munchies had hit. James was a growing teenage boy, he need all the food he could get.

He tickled the pear on the portrait and the picture swung forwards to allow him entry. The school kitchens were one of James' favourite places within the school. Second only to the Quidditch pitch. Eating was one of the boy's favourite pastimes and in here you would receive whatever food item you wanted in whatever quantity you desired. It was a dream come true. A house elf appeared at his side as soon as he came into view. James sat himself down at what would have been the Gryffindor table and said to the elf, "Could I please have ... a hot chocolate and a slice of treacle tart. Oh and some marshmallows." He added. The elf bowed and less than a minute later, James received his order.

tag open!
words a number
lyrics we are the in crowd - rumour mill
notes anyone is welcome to keep jamesy company or annoy him, whatever!

[ALEXANDRIA LEIGH NOTT]

Alexandria was not one to break the rules. She wasn’t a ‘goody-two-shoes’ either. Alex broke the roles sometimes, but not often. Tonight just happened to be one of those nights. It really didn’t help that she had woken from an absolute nightmare. It wasn’t all that bad, she was sure, compared to what others faced, but to her, it was horrible. Having her family turn their backs on her and just leaving her alone and lost. She was left to drown in the darkness she couldn’t escape. She had woken up with a slight gasp, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Really, she wouldn’t know what she would do if anything like that happened. Especially if her brother were to turn his back on her. She’d die. Really, she would. Most people thought their relationship was over exaggerated, how close they were despite the house differences. But it wasn’t. Not in the slightest. Alexandria absolutely adored her brother and he meant everything to her. Aralynn too, of course. But Alexandria couldn’t help but feel like she had this bond with her brother that she didn’t have with Aralynn. Either way, both had left her. At least, in the nightmare that was.

Thus, the reason she was just sitting in bed, holding her head and taking calming breaths. Luckily her dormmates hadn’t woken up. Alex wouldn’t know what she would do if they saw her in a state like this. Broken and tormented by a nightmare. A silly nightmare. With a last deep breath, Alexandria moved out of bed, unable to fall back asleep. Really, it was pathetic, but she couldn’t help it. Her nightmare was her greatest fear brought to life; it was something she didn’t even bother to acknowledge could happen to her. It was the worst. So, making her way to the common room, Alex figured she couldn’t just sit around and do nothing. Her stomach growled a bit. She had missed most of dinner, spending most of her time studying in the library. She hadn’t meant to, but she had lost track of times. In fact, if those Gryffindors hadn’t made such an entrance after eating dinner, Alex would have missed it completely. As if she were ever going to admit that though.

So, instead of sitting around and doing nothing - as if she ever planned on that - Alexandria made her way out of the common room. Sure, she was breaking a few rules, but she couldn’t help it. She was hungry and unable to sleep. What else was she supposed to do? She looked wearily around, as if a professor or anyone would come up and take points from Ravenclaw. She’d be able to gain them back with no problem, though; but it was more effort than she needed to put in. So, looking cautiously around her every time she turned a corner, Alexandria slowly made her way to the kitchens. She didn’t know what time it was, as she had never bothered to check, but she knew it was either very, very early or very, very late. Either way, she hadn’t suspected anyone else to be out. It wasn’t rare she was up out of bed at this time, but it was rare that she was wandering the halls, even if it was a means to get to the kitchens. Normally, she’d just stay in the common room and stare outside the window until sleep finally caught up to her. She was pretty sure her siblings wouldn’t appreciate her sleeping habits, but Alex couldn’t help it. She normally studied late or just wasn’t tired. This was one of the few times she was awaken by a nightmare.

Too lost in her thoughts, Alex almost got caught by Filch. Wondering why he was still up and if he ever slept, she crept cautiously passed him as he headed down another corridor. Quickly and silently making her way towards the painting of fruit, Alex raised her and stood slightly on her toes. Tickling the pear was the key to get into the kitchens. As the portrait opened, Alex slipped in, quickly and quietly closing it. Just as a precaution. The Ravenclaw had not expected anyone to be up at this time and was surprised to find a Gryffindor - one of their chasers if she remembered from Quidditch - sitting there, with a cup of what looked like hot chocolate, marshmallows and a treacle tart. She stood almost awkwardly at the opening for a few seconds before moving in. "I-uh. I apologize if you planned to be alone here…I-uh. I hope I’m not interrupting anything…" she wasn’t one to stutter, but the fact was. This Gryffindor just happened to be James Potter. Chaser AND captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team and someone she was sure her siblings didn’t particularly like. Oh boy.

Still, she was hungry and missed essentially all of her dinner. She was going to eat. Luckily a house elf popped up and asked if they could get her anything. With a slight smile, Alex nodded, reminded of her own house elves. "A cup of some hot chocolate would be nice I suppose…as well as a slice of chocolate fudge cake, please." so it wasn’t the most nutritious snack ever, but whoever accused her of not having a sweet tooth? Turning towards Potter once more, Alex almost felt uncomfortable. She didn’t particularly like him, mainly due to his loud and obnoxious behavior. She hoped it being late at night or early morning - whichever one it was - would tone him down a bit. "I hope you don’t mind my intruding…" she murmured softly, her gaze flicking from him to the seat diagonal of him that she planned to sit at - actually it was where the elf had placed her cake and hot chocolate. If he did have a problem, she could always just bring it back to the common room; though she rather liked staying in the kitchens for one reason or another.

WORDS, many
TAGGED, james
NOTES, hope you don't mind!
LYRICS, another day by paramore
CREDITS, moi

[JAMES IGNOTUS POTTER]

it's like you're calling all the shots before I shoot them

and i hate that,

With a loud sound, James smacked his lips as he dug into the treacle tart that had been brought to him. The food at Hogwarts was phenomenal and although he'd never say it to her face, way better than his mothers. Obviously, he'd told his father time and time again how rubbish his food was. Charlus Potter was an expert at serving up burnt beans on toast. No, there was no better place to dine than at Hogwarts in the early hours of the morning on your own in the kitchens. At the moment, he was happily ripping open the packet of Honeydukes' marshmallows and dipping them into his hot chocolate. There was not a better beverage in the world in his opinion. He took a sip of his drink and it burned his tongue but he did not complain, he didn't want the house elves to worry - it might put them off their cooking. Instead, James sat back against the table and stretched his legs out in front of him.

A huge yawn left his lips and for the first time this night, the Gryffindor was beginning to feel tired. He knew the hot chocolate would do it. His mother used to tuck him up in bed with cocoa and a bedtime story and he'd drift off instantly. James wondered whether he'd ever get to go through that bedtime routine with children of his own. He stretched his arms into the air and rolled his neck, which cracked loudly making a nearby house elf jump. He grinned but the elf returned with a disdainful glare. James shook his head smiling and picked up his mug of cocoa. It was then he heard the creaking of the portrait opening and he jumped about a foot in the air, spilling some of his drink in his lap. What if it was a teacher? In all his years at Hogwarts, he had never run into a professor whilst in the kitchens and so he doubted it. Besides, he’d been in worse trouble before. He felt the heat rise to his cheeks for having such an absurd reaction. Maybe he was more tired than he thought. He craned his neck to get a view of the person who had entered and his gaze fell on Alexandria Nott.

With a frown at her, he grabbed the cloth that was handed to him by an elf and mopped up the spillage on his clothes. He shrugged at her opening words, reluctant to speak to her at all and eyeing her cautiously. He didn’t know a lot about her. Just that her siblings were Slytherins, a couple of the more intolerable ones at that and she seemed to get along with both of them just fine. James had this thing about watching who the Slytherins associated with and Alex seemed to spend a lot of her time with her brother. He didn’t like that one bit. But who was he to chase her away? Alright, if he wanted to he could and he probably would eventually since he wasn’t going to move, he’d gotten here first after all. ”Not a lot to interrupt.” He said bluntly, dropping the cloth onto the table and going back to his food. He licked his lips after swallowing the final bite of his treacle tart and carefully placed down his fork to find that she was talking to him again. He shrugged once more, careful to never take his eyes off of her. He didn’t trust her one bit.

”I can’t stop you from eating.” He said, part of him rather wishing he could as he watched the elf return with her order and setting it down not too far away from him. He wasn’t sure if he liked that she was close and he could keep an eye on her or that he would rather she was seated much further away. For now, she would get the benefit of the doubt and be allowed to sit close to him. ”Though I’m surprised to see you up at this hour. You need your beauty sleep.” He couldn’t resist it, petty remarks fell from his mouth automatically these days, he didn’t ever get a chance to think things through. He didn’t feel too guilty though, Ravenclaw she might be and however polite she was acting currently, her attitude screamed Slytherin most of the time. And he was James Potter; he quite enjoyed trying to wind people up. He gave her his well-worn ‘I’m amused at myself’ grin. "How did you manage to get all the way down here without getting caught anyway?" He asked, subconsciously running his hand over his jumper under which his cloak was stuffed.

tag alex
words 787
lyrics we are the in crowd - rumour mill
notes of course not! thank you!

[ALEXANDRIA LEIGH NOTT]

Her hardened green eyes barely gave him a glance over as soon as he answered. There she was trying to be polite and all she got from it was this. Alex knew she avoided most Gryffindors like the plague for some reason or another, and this so happened to be a very big reason. With a slightly indignant huff, Alex turned her narrowed gaze at Potter. Now she understood how her brother disliked the boy. Aralynn, she could understand. Her sister rather disliked plenty of Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. Theo, on the other hand, was much more laid back and neutral about such matters. "Obviously. Just hoping I wasn’t going to intrude on a midnight date or anything of that sort." And she really had to ask, because she would know. Not that she’s ever been on a midnight date, but she walked in the common room one night and saw a couple snogging on the couch. Almost immediately the fifth year turned and spent the time just staring up at the top of her bed, doing absolutely nothing. If Ravenclaws would have such escapades at night, it was safe to say Gryffindors would as well. And Alex really wasn’t in the mood to interrupt one with Potter of all people.

There was also the possibility that Potter had the same idea as her and just went in for a midnight snack, but better safe than sorry, right? "No, you can’t but I could always go back to the common room to eat." Granted she liked the kitchens and wanted to stay, but she really wasn’t in the mood for any trouble. As if she ever was. Still, this was Potter of all people. Alexandria just didn’t trust he wouldn’t pull a fast one on her or something, and she’d rather not give him a reason to. Though, judging on how the conversation was currently going, she had to say it would be much harder now. And there he went again. Green eyes narrowed at him slightly before Alex rolled her eyes in an almost exasperated way. However, she averted her eyes soon after, realizing the reason she was down there was because of that bloody nightmare of hers. Really she needed to begin writing her issues down almost immediately and burning them. Making her way to the food, Alex shifted it so it was a bit more away from Potter. The farther the better; he wouldn’t have an easy time pulling a prank or something on her at this distance. The elf popped back in, asking if there was anything else she could get her. With a slight smile, Alex nodded. "If it’s not too much trouble, just parchment and a quill please. Oh, and thank you for the food." she added, realizing she hadn’t thanked the house elf yet. The house elf nodded vigorously, like a bobble-head and it made Alex laugh lightly at it; it reminded her so much of her own house elf, Thistle. She found house elves positively adorable.

Remembering that Potter was still in the kitchens, Alex coughed a bit and a few quick seconds later, schooled her expression to a neutral one. O.W.L.s must be getting to her. She wasn’t one to forget about things so easily. Yes, she blamed it on the stress of the exams. "And for your information Potter, I believe you have me confused with yourself; though your beauty sleep hardly does anything good." she couldn’t help it. It was like an automatic reaction to his petty words. She looked at Potter as if she were really contemplating something. "Yes, but the more beauty sleep the better, hm?" a Slytherin smirk that she had learned from her dearest siblings slipped onto her face. Alexandria blamed Aralynn and Theo for it; really, they used it far too often if she could mimic theirs so easily. At least, get something similar to it. Then again, there were plenty of Slytherins she hung around…When he questioned about how she got there Alex merely regarded him with curious eyes. How did she get here? How did he get there? Gryffindors weren’t quite known for their slyness. Then again, James Potter was a prankster. He surely found a way of getting around without getting caught.

"Interesting question. I just came down here." she said before taking a sip of her hot chocolate. "I mean, Filch was just heading down another corridor when I came by, but other than that. No teachers." Really, it should’ve surprised her how easy it had been to come down to the kitchens from the Ravenclaw common room, but Alex wasn’t all that surprised. After all, teachers had to get their own rest, correct? Turning her curious gaze on Potter, she paused for a moment, taking a bit of her delicious chocolate fudge cake. "I suppose the same could be said for you, correct?" she asked only after she finished swallowing. Why she was even continuing on the conversation was new to her, but Alex supposed it was better than an uncomfortable silence with suspicious glares thrown at each other once in a while. Either that, or it was what she needed to get her mind off of her problems. However lame they may seem. "Oh, thank you." she thanked with a slight smile once the house elf popped back in and handed her the parchment and set the ink pot down nearby. Great. Perhaps tonight was the night she’d finally get her thoughts and problems on paper, then watch it burn. She had always meant to do so, but never had the time. Besides, what would Potter want to do with something of hers? Probably think it was homework or something. Setting the parchment aside, Alex just decided to focus on her cake and hot cocoa for now. Maybe even have a few more words with Potter to give her more time to calm down.

Though, looking at him now, Alex couldn’t help but wonder, why he was down there so late anyways.

WORDS, too many
TAGGED, james
NOTES, <3
LYRICS, another day by paramore
CREDITS, moi

[JAMES IGNOTUS POTTER]

it's like you're calling all the shots before I shoot them

and i hate that,

He snorted at her words, scoffing at the idea of a midnight date but actually it made his mind wander. It might be quite romantic to maybe bring Lily down here in the middle of the night, get the elves to light a few candles and cook them a nice meal. He wondered if that meant he’d have to tell Lily about his invisibility cloak, he wasn’t sure she’d be too thrilled to know he had that aid to mischief making; the prefect in her would most likely scold him for it. The prefect in her would also mean it might be difficult to persuade her to sneak through the corridors in the dead of night, hours after curfew but it might be worth a try. Surely she would appreciate the effort? And James was always willing to make an effort for her, he felt like he had to in order to win her over and keep her, he needed to prove that he was the best person for her after all and she was so incredible, someone was sure to snatch her from him if he didn’t prove his worth.

His mind was filled with thoughts of her all of a sudden and it took a lot of effort to drag himself back to the present situation. He’d much rather it was Lily Evans who had entered, not Alexandria Nott, even if Lily would more than likely give her best glare and put him in detention quicker than he could ask her out. He shrugged at her again deciding that he didn’t care whether she stayed or went. If she left he’d have the kitchens to himself and would head back upstairs as soon as his drink was finished but if she stayed, well he had someone to converse with, even if Alex wasn’t necessarily someone he would ordinarily choose to spend his time with.

”Oh trust me, I’m not confused.” Although his eyes did dart down to the stain on his jumper. Spilling things down himself was an irritating habit of his, though it was partly Alex’s fault that it had happened as he hadn’t expected anyone to barge in. ”By the way, did you look in the mirror before you left? Your hair’s a mess.” He made a motion with his hand, ruffling up his own hair in order to further indicate what he meant. And then he curled his lip in disgust at her Slytherin-like smirk, shaking his head in disapproval. Case and point as to why he disliked this girl. ”And it’s not just your beauty I’m concerned about,” He continued, painting a look of mock seriousness on his face, ”Can’t have you falling off your broomstick during your next quidditch practice due to lack of sleep. Ravenclaw needs every advantage they can get.” Although if he were honest, he’d much rather Alex was part of the team that lined up to play Gryffindor since he’d been filling his own team in on how the blue and bronze house played with their strongest line-up and it would only mess up his tactics.

”Anything rude that you’ve got to say to me, you can say it to my face.” He smirked, placing his hands behind his head. ”You don’t have to write it down.” He’d been listening nosily to her requests. He was a curious person, he liked to know what was going on, be in the loop. His curiosity had come in handy over the years, it meant he had a great understanding of quidditch and all the players on the opposite team and his knowledge of Hogwarts was unrivalled. It wasn’t an arrogant James Potter response, assuming that she was going to write offensive things down about him, if anything he reckoned that was the last thing she would do, she’d had no problems with being blunt to his face so far. He simply hoped it would go further to winding her up.

He shrugged, eyes sparkling knowingly because he was indeed hiding something. ”I’m James Potter.” He answered simply, knowing it sounded slightly cryptic and didn’t really answer her question about how he had gotten down to the kitchens all the way from Gryffindor tower unnoticed. He let his words hang for a minute or two, enjoying that he could say such things because he knew that he was the best at sneaking the school at night, he didn’t believe in bragging unless you had proof to back it up even though he was quite fond of bragging about his abilities. He took another sip of his hot chocolate, watching her from underneath his eyelashes, wondering what reaction he would get if he tipped his hot beverage over her head and whether it would melt her ice cold exterior. He couldn’t help but let a snigger escape his lips at his immature train of thought.

tag alex/james
words 812
lyrics we are the in crowd - rumour mill
notes <3

[ALEXANDRIA LEIGH NOTT]

Alexandria merely raised an eyebrow at Potter’s supposed insult. Her hair was a mess? Was that the best Gryffindor’s golden boy James Potter had up to offer? She supposed not, seeing as he probably was the best with people he actually despised. She presumed that Potter just didn’t like her at all. That was fine with her; she didn’t quite like him either. The feeling was mutual - most likely. "My hair? Really now? The world must be ending. My hair is a mess. Whatever will I do?" she deadpanned, the sarcasm obvious in her voice. She wasn’t about to go off because he told her her hair looked a mess. She knew it did. She didn’t care; it wasn’t as if she had anyone to impress there anyways. Besides, who does their hair at like, what? Two-thirty in the morning. Complete and utter lunatics if you asked her. "It’s early in the morning and my hair isn’t done. I think I’m gonna cry." she continued, her voice practically drowned in sarcasm as she raised an eyebrow at Potter. Really, did she look like a superficial girl who cared how she looked 24/7. So long as she was presentable during the day, then she was absolutely fine.

"Really? I’m insulted that you’d think I was one of those girls, Potter. Then again…you have to be one if you’re figuratively pointing fingers." she added after a light pause, as if she was thinking about the truth of it. Really, sometimes she just wondered if Potter ever looked at himself in the mirror with his hair…or if he ever cared. There really was no problem with caring about your looks, really, there wasn’t. Alex should know, she had Aralynn as a sister and plenty of other friends who spent half their morning trying to look nice. There was nothing wrong with that, but it just wasn’t something she did. Alexandria just wasn’t that type of girl. And if there was anything that ticked her off, then it would be that people thought they knew her ‘type’ but they didn’t.

Her eyebrow raised once more at his next words, a light challenge glinting in them. Oh, so he wanted to bring out Quidditch did he? Now this conversation was something she didn’t mind. Both being on the Quidditch team - and chasers to boot - for Ravenclaw and Gryffindor just made the conversation a bit more interesting. Especially considering Potter was Captain for Gryffindor. "Oh, I would worry about your own team if I were you, Potter. I would hate to see you all play without a fight." she taunted. Though she had to admit, Gryffindor had some good players, though she wouldn’t admit it out loud. That would mean she was complimenting someone in Gryffindor, a house her siblings - on the most part - hated.

"Though, I do hope Gryffindor isn’t planning a win, because you lot aren’t going to get one." the challenging glint in her eyes couldn’t be masked, no matter how hard she tried to. Quidditch was just one of those things that she absolutely loved playing. Even if it was against her siblings at the Slytherin vs. Ravenclaw games. It always brought out a sort of playfulness in her that nothing else could. Probably because she found Quidditch to be an amazingly, extraordinary fun sport. Aralynn and her always have a laugh about the game later on, making fun of each other’s team all in good graces. The wizarding sport always did seem to bring out a certain side of her, as it was almost always laced with fun, good memories. Even if Ravenclaw did lose some of their games.

Alex couldn’t help but roll her eyes at Potter when he noted her…need of parchment and a quill. Really now, must everything be about him? She could see what Lily Evens meant whenever she turned down Potter in the Great Hall, after Potter attempted to ask her out in Alex’s earlier years. It amused her, yes. But now she understood. Potter had an enormous ego. Alex was surprised he would walk straight with how big his head seemed at times. "Honestly, not everything revolves around you, Potter. And this," she gestured to her parchment and quill with a slight narrowing of her eyes at the Gryffindor, "is one of them." The second meaning was there, but Alexandria didn’t feel the need to say it out loud. ‘And it’s none of your business’. What would he want with anything of hers anyway? They may not have liked each other, but there really was nothing that would fuel the need to piss each other off until someone gets hexed and a duel is started. No need to do anything drastic, like she knew Potter did with tormenting Severus Snape.

"Talk about ego." she muttered as soon as she heard his explanation. A simple, ’I’m James Potter’, as if it meant the world. "Oh yes. The mighty James Potter who can get away with everything and anything." she was sure the sarcasm would not be lost on him but a roll of her eyes and a slight scoff would just make the point even more obvious. In all honesty, she never thought Potter to be slow so she knew the scoff and roll of the eyes may have been a but much, but whatever. It was just taking the point home, she supposed…that was the saying, right? No matter, she’d learn it again later. Now, she had some chocolate fudge cake to snack on. Taking a bite, Alex smiled at the taste. Delicious. Some may say it was too much chocolate, but Alex loved it. It just tasted so good. A sweet tooth of hers that she never really got to indulge in, given her parents and house elves. Her eyes narrowed slightly at him as he sniggered, and she was about to say something but decided against it, only a slight sigh indicating she heard him. Whatever, she didn’t have time for Potter anyways. She had her own troubles - fears and nightmares - to face, and then burn.

WORDS, ~ 1000
TAGGED, james
NOTES, no worries of matching the word count, lovely. <3
LYRICS, another day by paramore
CREDITS, moi

[JAMES IGNOTUS POTTER]

it's like you're calling all the shots before I shoot them

and i hate that,

He shrugged at her, his brow furrowed as he became increasingly irritated with her sarcastic tone. He hated sarcasm, his friends were allowed to use it, but if everyone else took that sort of tone with him then he became annoyed. He found it to be a very . . . depressing sense of humour. James liked to have a joke – anybody who didn’t know that must have spent the last few years of their lives living under a rock. But he was more of a laugh out, let’s be loud and cause a scene prankster rather than dull, understated sarcasm. Besides in his opinion sarcasm was rather more offensive. At least people could have a laugh at a prank. Perhaps it just had something to do with the fact that he loved being the centre of attention. Besides, winding people up was much better than replying with sarcastic comments.

He was a little disheartened though that Alexandria hadn’t been very offended by his remark because to him she did seem like the kind of girl to be bothered about her appearance. ”Blonde hair, the stuck-up pureblood way with which you walk, I figured you were that kind of girl.” He smiled sweetly at her, his tone purely judgemental. He had hoped that her hands would jump to her hair and that maybe her vanity would extend far enough to grab a spoon in which to check her appearance but of course all he received were jibes in response. He wasn’t too bothered, ultimately he’d just wanted to get a rise out of her so he would accept the sarcastic comments.

His hand jumped to his hair, ruffling it up automatically, grinning as he teased, ”You caught me! I spend my spare time painting my nails and curling my hair. Is it that obvious?” He was a boy; he didn’t take the utmost pride in his appearance. He didn’t have the organizational, neatness skills of Remus and so his wardrobe was empty; his clothes a creased up mess on the floor. He also lacked the unintentional, easy elegance of Sirius. James being the casual, messy one of the group in spirit, in personality and in appearance. He didn’t take things too seriously did James. He’d lived in a little bubble for the first eleven years of his life, immune to the horrors of the world. He was still quite naive now, even at Hogwarts, surrounded by lunatic Slytherins, a best friend turning into a werewolf, witnessing the effects of his other best friend’s dreadful home life and hearing people blurt out the ‘mudblood’ word like it meant nothing, he still sought to see the good in life and the best in people. Even those that showed the worst.

There were only a handful of people he hated and even then he found that word repulsive. To hate would imply a loathing so great you’d want to cause someone physical, lasting pain. It was a strong word and one that he was loathe to use. Sure, he liked to hex Snape, because he could, because he disliked him greatly for capturing Lily’s affections first but ultimately, James didn’t want to see the boy dead. The fact that he had saved him from Mooney’s wolf clutches last year was testament to that. What had started as a joke around the fireplace had became an actual scenario and it had become too serious for him.

The only thing James took seriously was quidditch. ”Don’t you fret. I’ve got them working hard. We’re going to win and we’re going to win convincingly.” He sounded so sure of himself, his eyes alight at the prospect of playing against her. The best way to prove your worth according to James Potter was by expressing your talent on the quidditch pitch. ”You’re not even going to get your dainty hands on the quaffle, ice princess. I’ll tell my beaters to go easy on you, can’t risk having a bludger hit you too hard, you might smash. Also, little hint; don’t fly too high up, the closer you are to the sun, the more likely you are to melt.”

If Alex had come down here expecting peace and quiet with James Potter in the room then she was severely misguided. He would talk and talk and talk because James much preferred having company than being alone. ”So do you often do this?” He asked, nodding to her quill and parchment, choosing to ignore her ‘it’s none of your business’ hint. ”Wake up in the middle of the night to come down to the kitchens to write?” He shook his head, rolling his eyes, adding before she could answer, ”Typical Ravenclaws, always working.” He shrugged nonchalantly, the triumphant smirk permanently stitched onto his face. ”Pretty much, yeah.” He lounged backwards, swinging his feet onto the bench as well, spreading himself out. ”You jealous?” He asked with a quirk of his eyebrows.

tag alex
words 822
lyrics we are the in crowd - rumour mill
notes I may have gone a little off track there, sorry!

[ALEXANDRIA LEIGH NOTT]

Had she been aiming to bother James Potter, Alex was sure she had succeeded. She briefly noted his furrowed eyebrows. Of course, she knew Potter disliked Slytherins on principal and she knew she acted like a Slytherin at times. Just doing so irritated Gryffindor’s mischief maker, it seemed. There was also the fact that she didn’t rise up to his bait. Alex wasn’t the type of girl to stress about how she looked, however, it seemed as if Potter were hoping she was. She could see a couple of her friends taking him seriously and falling for the bait, giving him a good laugh – because let’s be honest, even she finds it amusing how they fuss over their looks so – but her? She was a Ravenclaw for Merlin’s sake, why would she waste her time on such trivial things like beauty? "Oh, right. Sorry, I guess I didn’t get the memo. I missed the ‘walk like you’re a stuck-up pureblood club for blonds only’ meeting. Shame." she stated in faux pity. It didn’t particularly make sense to her, but then again, not many things did. Perhaps she was just overanalyzing things.

It seemed – much to her disappointment – the most people she knew like that were in the Slytherin house. Probably how they were raised. Still, she was quite disappointed with that. Her thoughts were interrupted when Potter ran his hand through his hair and admitted her accusation with – was she hearing things? – a teasing tone. At least, from what she’d heard from her siblings, it seemed teasing. Perhaps it was another emotion that she couldn’t pinpoint, but she was almost certain that James Potter was joking around. He was known as a jokester, what he not? "I’m afraid it is that obvious. Really, you should work on that." she replied, almost monotone. However, with the roll of her eyes, it was obvious she wasn’t all that serious. How could she be when Potter obviously looked as if he just rolled out of bed every time she saw him?

Then again, Potter was a Gryffindor. She really shouldn’t expect anything less from one of them. She’ll admit, though, that there are a few Gryffindors that didn’t fall into the stigma of a normal Gryffindor. Some were quite intelligent, with their soft eyes and had a penchant for helping, whether transfiguring a snake or with questions she got from a book. Without knowing it, a slight smile appeared on her face. Of course, that was only one Gryffindor. She blinked. Lupin. The very same Lupin that was a part of Potter’s little marauders group. How could it be that such a boy could be friends with someone like Potter? Perhaps it was all the same. Just a little game in Hogwarts where you hide from everyone but your friends. Perhaps they all had a mask as well. She doubted it. The marauders were able to prank and laugh in public. They acted so close, how could it be a mask? Perhaps Potter was just defensive. She looked at him briefly. Yes, her only two siblings were Slytherins after all. The fact that she probably bothered him didn’t help matters either. Nonetheless, a small part of her couldn’t help but wonder, how Remus Lupin of all people could be such a close friend of James Potter.

Her thoughts moved towards Quidditch however, at Potter’s words. Alex couldn’t help but smirk. Oh how she loved the sport. "Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure of that just yet, Potter. Ravenclaw’s been working hard too." she gave a smirk that was almost challenging. "Your little Gryffindors may not be able to keep up I’m afraid." Quidditch was just something she always managed to look forward to. The flying, the rivalry, just the feel of the game in general was enough for her. She loved it. Quidditch may not have been for everyone, but it was just something that allowed her to let go. One of the few things, actually. When he called her an ‘ice princess’, Alex rolled her eyes. Especially when he mentioned the whole flying to close to the sun thing. "And you think you will? Puh-lease. We’d have the quaffle from your hands before you could even wonder where it’s gone." Of course, she knew it was going to be a tough game. It always was. But Ravenclaw had some pretty nice strategies. She couldn’t say that about the other teams, especially Gryffindor. Slytherin? Maybe. Hufflepuff? Probably not. Still, she couldn’t wait for the game.

Returning back to her parchment was easier than she wanted. So many things she had to get out of her system, she briefly wondered if she’d be done before sunrise. Probably not. Especially if Potter stayed down in the kitchens. "Whoever said this was work?" she asked, rolling her eyes at him with a slight smirk. Really, she needed to get this done. Otherwise, who knew how much else she could tolerate on top of all this. A light laugh escaped her before she could hold it back. Thus the reason she needed to get the whole burning the parchment thing done and over with. She’d started to crack, and she didn’t like it. Not one bit. "Yes, I’m jealous of James Potter, the bloke whose hair is as crazy as his mind." she replied with a raised eyebrow and a slightly exasperated look.

WORDS, 896
TAGGED, james potter
NOTES, sooo horribly sorry for the wait lovely! <3
LYRICS, another day by paramore
CREDITS, moi

[JAMES IGNOTUS POTTER]

it's like you're calling all the shots before I shoot them

and i hate that,

” I don’t think that you need to attend the meeting anyway.” He shot back at her. Coming from a pureblood, those words sounded odd. James’ blood was just as pure as hers and yet their upbringings he was sure would have been completely different. James was of course jumping to conclusions since he knew very little about her family except that her brother and sister were in Slytherin and Slytherin purebloods tended to be of a certain mould. High class, high brow, insufferable, elitist prats. He was willing to bet his broomstick that her parents had brought her and her siblings up in that elitist, aristocratic way that was obvious among many of the purebloods, though a lot more notable in the Slytherins, many of whom seemed to take it to a whole new, rather psychopathic level.

The Potters on the other hand had a history of breaking from tradition. Charlus and Dorea may have spoiled their only child somewhat but they were not under the illusion that just because he was purely wizard that he had some sort of divine right above others. Therefore the Potters never enforced the ‘Pureblood ways’ on their children. Of course years and years of inbreeding meant that some genetic traits had been passed onto him that were only apparent in those of pureblood, the looking down your nose at people, the walking with your head held high for instance. But on the whole James was the perfect little blood traitor and he was proud.

He was the sort of boy that didn’t take himself too seriously. He loved to make jokes at other people's expense but he supposed what made him more likeable was that he could also laugh at himself. There were certain Slytherins who he wouldn't allow to offend him but on the whole he didn't mind making jokes about himself he could take it as well as give it. And that was the marauder rule if you can’t take it, don't give it. ”I’ll try.” He grinned mischievously thinking that he might even get Marlene to steal one of the girls’ bottles of nail polish and paint it on; be sure to give Alex a wave the next time he saw her in the corridors or the Great Hall. Just for a laugh. The Gryffindor prankster knew that he irritated the hell out of people, and he didn’t care, if they wanted to see him as childish and immature then that was their prerogative but the best way to irritate those people even more was to get them to laugh and making people laugh was what James enjoyed the most anyway.

It was with a snort that he responded to her words about Quidditch. James smirked confidently at her. "Well Nott, since you're feeling so confident how about we have a little wager? I bet that I score more points in the game than you." He did his cocky little head tilt accompanied with the ruffling up of his hair wondering if they should bet anything other than pride. This bet didn’t mean that James would ruin his team’s chances of winning purely because he wanted to score more goals than Alex. No way. He was confident enough that he would beat her tally during the game anyway since he always put in one hundred and ten percent effort.

James watched her go back to what he had assumed was work.”What is it then?” He asked, curiosity getting the better of him yet again. He highly doubted that she’d give him an answer, at least not a truthful one but he couldn’t help but ask. He couldn’t read if there was anything wrong with her, he wasn’t very good at stuff like that anyway unless it was Lily or his friends because he knew them like the back of his hands but he hadn’t missed the smile that had risen to her face earlier. And he knew that type of smile; it was an ‘I’m thinking about someone and I’m not sure if I’m supposed to be’ smile. When it came to relationships like that, James was well versed. ”Love note?” He asked, his tone teasing but with a hint of seriousness.

James chuckled, quite liking that... was it supposed to be an insult? And if it was did it count as one if you weren’t offended by it? Either way he proceeded to mess up his hair even more, running his hands up and down the back now so that the shaggy mess stuck up in all directions. His hair was his best feature; no one was allowed to touch it. Ever. He was actually rather strangely proud about it and strangely protective of his locks. He shook his head like a dog shaking out it’s mane after jumping dripping wet from the canal so it feel back into its normal untidy way. ”There’s an art to this, you know?” He said, his hands flicking and flattening until it felt like it was falling in exactly the way he wanted it to. ”Why wouldn’t you be jealous? I’m better on a broomstick, I have the most amazing friends and I’m an only child. Bet you wish you had all of those things.” His eyes were alight with amusement as they most often were. There was always something tickling James.

tag alex
words 891
lyrics we are the in crowd - rumour mill
notes no worries hun!

[ALEXANDRIA LEIGH NOTT]

"And I know that you don’t know what you’re talking about, Potter" she retaliated. Apparently Potter seemed to have developed a character that she would fit in. She supposed it was because he knew her siblings were in Slytherin and he wouldn’t like her on principal for being family of said Slytherins. Or perhaps he had this notion that he knew what kind of girl she was by how she acted. Cold and oh-so-very Slytherin. It annoyed her that he thought he could call her out on something he didn’t have a clue about. Perhaps he truly thought she was one of those stuck-up airy purebloods that cared for nothing more than they did their hair and make-up. It hurt to think people thought she fell into such a stereotype, but Alex brushed it off at the moment. Now was not the time to feel hurt or embarrassed or anything. Perhaps she could speak to her brother on what to do about what people say about you. Or maybe Aralynn, she would know, right? Especially with the way that people spoke about her, not that she was eavesdropping or anything. She just happened to pass by and they were speaking loud enough for her to hear. Yeah, that’s exactly what happened.

Then again, she supposed Potter was just a Gryffindor that didn’t bother looking past the stereotypes he saw. Whatever he saw fit, he went with, right? Green eyes narrowed slightly at the boy, before she turned her attention away from him, as if she were about to ignore him. However, they were in the middle of a conversation, though it wasn’t a very nice conversation, it was still a conversation. It would be rude of her to just turn away without any excuse. Then again, she could just go back to her dorm room, but her roommates were nosy as hell. Sure, she got along with most of them and some of them respected privacy, others annoyed her to no end with their giggling and gossiping. She still needed to finish her cake and hot chocolate anyways. If there was one thing that she never covered up, it was the fact that she found the house elves practically adorable. Her own house elf was at home and Alex missed the little guy dearly. She never wasted a piece of his food, and she extended the courtesy to the house elves at Hogwarts. She wouldn’t waste an ounce of their food if she could help it.

It helped that she wasn’t particularly full and she was a bit of a slow eater. It always seemed to give her enough room to finish her food without feeling bloated. She absolutely loved it. Besides, the chocolate fudge cake was positively delicious. She couldn’t let that go to waste if she tried. Her gaze focused on Potter once more, taking care to observe his behavior. He wasn’t planning on doing anything would he? Who was she kidding, this was James Potter and she so happened to be a stuck-up pureblood witch to him, of course he was planning something. "I doubt trying would change anything." she drawled in a way that was almost reminiscent of the Slytherin drawl. She couldn’t help it, Alex spent almost half her time around the house, surely one would expect her to pick up on some of their habits after five years, no? She glanced at the Gryffindor with an almost bored expression before taking a sip of her hot chocolate. The warm feeling of the drink traveled down to her stomach and Alex let out a slight sigh of contentment. How she loved hot chocolate. It served well to wash down the chocolate fudge cake as well.

"Confident? I’m just pointing out the facts."

Alexandria looked at him with an eyebrow elegantly raised, as if waiting for him to continue on. What was he thinking, wagering against Ravenclaw? She was certain that Gryffindor was skilled, but Ravenclaw was as well. Besides, wind them up enough and Gryffindors get emotional. Ravenclaw would surely have a better strategy than them anyways, after all Gryffindors weren’t exactly the most subtle of the houses. Insult one enough and they let their anger get the best of them. Call it ‘playing dirty’ or whatever, but it wasn’t her first idea of a strategy. Just a sort of…’expose your enemy’s weakness’ type of thing should their real strategy go wrong. "Is this wager for Gryffindor and Ravenclaw as a total, not including the points with the snitch, or just our points alone?" She probably shouldn’t be going along with it, but Alex was fairly confident in her team. After all, their captain may not be the most social of people, but Lauren was a good captain still.

Besides, it added to the whole competitive feeling, and Alex had a somewhat competitive streak in her.

And, more than likely, one of them would probably earn more points as an individual while the other may earn more points as a team. She just wanted to make sure anyways; otherwise they could be on entirely different pages when it came to who won the wager. Being the little sister of two Slytherins, Alex couldn’t help but wonder what was the catch. Then again, Potter was not a Slytherin and he may really be wagering just their pride when it came to Quidditch. Had it been a Slytherin, truthfully, Alex wasn’t too sure that she’d agree. After all, they weren’t known as cunning without reason, correct?

And what was this nonsense Potter was saying about a love note?

The fifth year raised her eyebrows at the older Gryffindor, as if he had grown two extra heads. "A love note?" she really didn’t understand the whole reason for a love note. If you loved someone then why not just tell them? So many things could go wrong with writing a so called ‘love note’. And why would you write down something so intimate instead of just saying it? Love notes made no sense. Wouldn’t they know you loved them before anyways? "Why in Merlin’s name would anyone write a love note for?" she muttered under her breath. Really, she just didn’t understand it. Didn’t it mean more if you spoke your love instead of just writing it down? Merlin, isn’t that what Potter had done with the Gryffindor Evans? Declare his love for her instead of writing it down? So if Potter of all people didn’t write love notes, then who did? And why would she? She wasn’t even in love!

Alexandria looked at his hair with disbelief, with an eyebrow raised.

"An art?" of course, at his next notion she rolled her eyes and scoffed slightly. As if she would be jealous that he declared himself a better flyer and more popular. She didn’t particularly care for popularity, as could be seen from her cold attitude. Anyone who didn’t bother getting to know her wasn’t worth her time and she had enough good friends that she didn’t really need any more. Why would she want more? That only meant larger groups and more speaking. Things she wasn’t exactly fond of. What made her scoff though, was that he said he was an only child. Really, why would she be jealous of such a thing? In reality, she felt a bit of pity for Potter since he was an only child. "First off, it’s only your opinion that you’re a better flyer. Second, who says my friends aren’t amazing either? And third, I don’t understand why you’re so happy about being an only child." Really, she didn’t. She loved her siblings and her brother was her world. She didn’t know what she would do if she didn’t have them.

"I don’t know much about being an only child, but it must’ve been lonely. Why would I be jealous of that?"

WORDS, 1,312
TAGGED, james potter
NOTES, :]
LYRICS, another day by paramore
CREDITS, moi

[JAMES IGNOTUS POTTER]

it's like you're calling all the shots before I shoot them

and i hate that,

It was slightly odd and also quite hypocritical of James to be so judgemental of others and always try and put someone into a stereotype or box when he himself broke a lot of the rules. He could come across as a typical pureblood at times; he had the arrogance, he had the swagger and the ability to look down on people, all of that was bred into him as well as part from having confidence. He knew people, like Sirius, Remus, Lily even who didn’t fit at all into definite black or white boxes, most, if not all people were shrouded in grey but James could be quite narrow minded when it came to other people, especially those he wasn’t a fan of. It wasn’t that he hated Alex, there were much worse people in the world (in the school for that matter) that James would reserve his hatred for, but he didn’t particularly like her. Especially when she smirked and drawled in that way.

Nope, James wasn’t having it. He rolled his eyes, over doing it so that she would know that he was imitating her. He gave her an over-dramatic shrug of his shoulders as if to say, ‘case and point proved.’ Probably he could get to know her and his opinion might change but the Gryffindor was very set in his ways, not to mention stubborn. He pushed his finished plate and drink to one side and a house elf popped up immediately to take it from him. James did like being waited on hand and foot, he was a lazy teenage boy after all, but he was a mummy’s boy, it was always much nicer and more comforting to have your mother fussing over you. However un-cool it might be for him loving his mother dote on him he didn’t care regardless of how many times over the summer Sirius had ribbed him for it.

Back to quidditch and did the Ravenclaws really think they could drag themselves long enough from the library to stand any chance of putting themselves up as decent competition? According to Alexandria, yes. James shook his head, stretching his arms up to the ceiling, recalling their last practice session fondly and how slick his team looked; he and Sirius especially had developed an understanding on the field over the years (and off it as well) it helped to be playing alongside your best friend; someone you knew like the back of your hand, James could tell exactly what Sirius needed him to do and vice versa and with Dorcas’ dedicated enthusiasm the Gryffindor captain was confident they had the best attacking chasers in the school.

”Just the points we score.” James clarified. ”Gryffindor are definitely going to win anyway. Well, I’m definitely going to score more goals than you but it’s fun to watch the hope in your eyes glimmer and then disappear.” He paused for a moment to grin smugly at her, he was too competitive for his own good and many would say too confident as well. ”So what do you propose we wager?” He asked in all seriousness, his head swimming with ideas as he folded his arms across his chest. ”Money? You do something for me? A losing dare...” Having pride at stake was enough for him but he was a marauder so he found it fun to raise the stakes. ”That is if you’re not too afraid you might lose?” He goaded, hoping to appeal to whatever competitive nature she might have.

He couldn’t help but snort with laughter at the proceeding look on her face. He composed himself for long enough to respond. ”A number of reasons,” The romantic in James was rearing its head. He was a ‘true love’ and ‘soul mates’ kind of boy. He believed in grand gestures which was why he had asked Lily out in numerous locations with many number of situations, chocolates, flowers, songs, in the middle of the great hall in front of the entire school and once he’d asked her to marry him during transfiguration class. McGonagall had been far from amused at the disruption. Admittedly some of it was done in humour but the thought was still there behind it all and that’s what counted. In his opinion therefore a love note was rather romantic. ”To show someone how much you care, it shows thoughtfulness, makes them feel special that you’ve taken the time to write it down and then they can keep the note as a lasting reminder.” His tone held a slight hint of mocking but the overall tone was one of conviction for his words. His thoughts wandered to writing to Lily in the dead of night, sending it up to her dorm; a short whisper of affection in the dark. That was sweet, wasn’t it?

He shook himself slightly, realising that he’d shown a side to him that not many people saw. Sure, everyone knew he was a loved-up idiot but what they didn’t know was just how ridiculously soppy he could get if he wanted to. He just held back because he knew Evans wouldn’t approve. He was happy therefore for the change of topic. ”When I beat you, it will be fact. And lonely? I was spoiled to death! Centre of attention, no one to compete or quarrel with or shout at for taking too long in the bathroom. I made my own entertainment, exploring. No one to be compared to... I feel that it’s served me quite well actually.” His enthusiasm had faded slightly towards the end as he thought of the likes of Sirius and Hailey who suffered at the hands of their parents because they weren’t doing as expected like their siblings. His gaze rested on Alex and he let out a small breath as he thought about her circumstances in comparison and hoped that she realised how lucky she was.

tag alex
words 985
lyrics we are the in crowd - rumour mill
notes I'm sorry I made you wait, my muse is struggling a bit atm.

[ALEXANDRIA LEIGH NOTT]

Chocolate fudge cake was delicious. That much was obvious. Well, to the Ravenclaw it was. Granted, she really shouldn’t be eating it, Alex couldn’t help it. It was, in the simplest terms, her favorite dessert. A dessert she couldn’t have all that often because it wasn’t served, or she missed it, or her mother rarely ever got her the chocolate goodness. Either one of the ways, Alex didn’t get to eat it often. So, when the time came that she could eat her chocolate fudge cake, Alexandria wasn’t about to just throw it away. Even if it meant being in the same room as James Potter, then so be it. Then again, the fifth year really couldn’t say anything about him being a judgmental prat because she herself was being judgmental. So, all she really had to go on was that he was unnecessarily annoying and apparently liked to praise himself. Call her crazy, but that type of arrogance is very irritating. Especially to someone who has been around it for far too long. Sure, sometimes her siblings may seem a bit arrogant, but she loves them for all their faults and strengths.

Something she was almost sure Potter wouldn’t understand.

She elegantly raised an eyebrow at his unnecessarily dramatic eye roll. Really, she didn’t understand why he had to be so dramatic about it. Just do a normal eye roll. She’d have seen it either way. Of course, it is Potter, and everything he does has to be dramatic. He’s attention-seeking and drama is how he gets it. She narrowed her eyes only slightly when he just pushed his finished plate and empty cup to the side. Yes, the house elves liked to wait on people, this she knew, but did he really have to be that way? Would it hurt to say a ‘thank you’. All things considered, she supposed it would hurt someone like Potter to thank a small creature like the house elf. So, she really shouldn’t have been surprised, but with the way he went against those Slytheirn elitists – and she won’t lie, her siblings may or may not be a part of that group – she would have though he had at least some manners.

Apparently not.

Not many people would expect someone like Alexandria to be so nice to the house elves, but hey. Most people didn’t bother to get to know her anyways. Taking a savory bite of her cake Alex turned her attention away from the nuisance that was James Potter. She now had a new, albeit tiny respect for Lily Evans for being able to put up with his affections. Alex supposed, however, that he acted entirely different than the arrogant, annoying, obnoxious Gryffindor brat he was being right now. Then again, she really couldn’t say anything as she always had a cold demeanor on. She sipped at her hot chocolate, her eyes turning towards the parchment in front of her. The first thing that came to mind was Hailey. It wasn’t as if she didn’t like Hailey Thomas, on the contrary, they were childhood friends. Still are good friends. It was the situation that Hailey found herself in. They hadn’t spoken much, but Alex had the opportunity to speak with Hailey in the common room.

And the conversation had been in the back of her head since.

Hailey was worried and she seemed scared. Though she’ll never say it out loud to anyone but Hailey herself, Alex was worried for her friend. The second thing that went through her mind was O.W.L.s. So, she wrote on her parchment, after taking another bite of her favorite dessert:

Hailey Thomas – situation at home with father and brother.
O.W.L.s – study, study and study. A lot of information but so little time and I need to do good to actually get somewhere in life.

Her attention snapped back to Potter as he answered her question. For a moment she said nothing before nodding her head. Quidditch, they were talking about quidditch. "Isn’t someone arrogant? Don’t get your hopes up too high, lest they be falling from the sky." she smiled almost innocently at the Gryffindor. "Wager? You want to wager something, Potter?" she asked, almost in disbelief. The competitive side of her that loved any challenge itched to make a wager. However, the rational side argued if she lost she could be embarrassed for life and this embarrass her siblings. An eyebrow rose when she found out what exactly he wanted to wager. She sneered when he implied she was too afraid. She was probably playing to his game, but she didn’t care. She hated when people were like that with her. "How about loser is the mascot of the winner’s house at their next game?" Wearing a lion suit wouldn’t be so bad. She had a few ideas of the costume up her sleeve as well.

"Unless you’re too afraid to lose?" she said in a way that almost mimicked him, with an innocent smile on, as if she was just asking for the time.

Her brows furrowed in confusion. Why write it when you can just tell them? She didn’t understand it and showed so by shaking her head at Potter’s words. Perhaps it was a Gryffindor thing…She shouldn’t be surprised after all, Gryffindors usually wore their hearts out on their sleeves. Writing things like love notes should be classified in that category, no? She shook her head slightly, almost as if dismissing the idea and thought of such notes altogether. Really, it made absolutely no sense to her. She’d have to ask Aralynn about it later. "Surely you can just tell them, right? What is the difference in meaning if it’s words or if it’s written?" she asked with genuine curiosity, forgetting for a moment that this was James Potter that she was asking.

Really, she just wanted to know.

"If you beat me, and it’s a big if." she retaliated, almost without a second thought of it. She wasn’t arrogant or anything of that sort, but witty remarks just came out that way. For her at least, especially in conversations like these. "Just because you were spoiled and coddled doesn’t mean you weren’t lonely. Besides, you don’t think people with siblings get spoiled either?" Just look at her. She was spoiled by her family, most especially her father. She was never lonely until she was ten, before she went to Hogwarts and she has a close bond with both her siblings. She couldn’t see how Potter would rather be alone.

Then again, there were cases like Hailey and Black.

But that wasn’t valid for her argument so she kept that thought in the back of her mind.

"I can honestly say I will never be jealous of you. My sister and I are close and my brother is my world."

WORDS, 1,141
TAGGED, potter
NOTES, gosh, sorry for the wait darling! <3
LYRICS, another day by paramore
CREDITS, moi

[JAMES IGNOTUS POTTER]

it's like you're calling all the shots before I shoot them

and i hate that,

James had lost count over the years how many times he has been called arrogant. 'Surprised your big head can get off the ground, potter' 'can't believe your broomstick doesn't snap, potter what with your ego weighing it down.' Oh yeah, James had heard them all and he paid no attention to any of it. He had thick skin, criticism bounced straight off of him, unless you were a Slytherin you could offend him until the cows came home and he wouldn't care. Insult his friends however and you would be in for it. He was always quick to pull out his wand in order to defend his friends. Him you could insult, his mates however were off limits.

And so his eyes jumped from where he was trying to read what she was writing (difficult from this distance, he wasn't having much luck) to her face to smirk and shrug in the arrogant way she had described. "I can afford to be arrogant. I shall be falling from the sky to go and commiserate you and telling you that not only will you be mascot at Gryffindor’s next game," he smiled, quite liking that idea and deciding that he would make that part of their bet, "don't worry, red is your colour," he added with a wink. "But you will also take a dip in the lake. I hear it’s rather chilly in there this time of year." He leaned forward, his eyes alright with anticipation; a bet between the two of them would spice things up no end; this was exactly James potter territory. "Never." he replied boldly and held out his hand for her to shake and seal the deal. "Deal?" He hadn’t really considered how he would feel if he had to do either of those things because he couldn’t consider losing. No way.

He couldn't help but to roll his eyes again (he didn't like it; it made him feel like her). She wouldn't understand. It must be something to do with being related to cold hearted Slytherins. Love was not something those folk would understand. They didn't marry for it did they? Their marriages were arranged by their parents and the lot of them were promiscuous. James had heard stories about Alex’s sister in particular that made him frown down on her with disgust. Perhaps a little hypocritical of him considering he did nothing to stop Sirius’ frequent night-time arrangements but Aralynn was a girl, she should be classier than that. "You’ve not got a romantic bone in your body have you, Nott?" He asked with a shake of his head. "Most definitely related to your sister, aren't you?" it was less of a question and more of a sneering statement.

Merlin he hoped Sirius stayed away from this one. He didn’t think he could bare it if his friend hooked up with her, or any member of her family for that matter. "You can tell them and write it down." He said, quickly losing patience now. "It’s special that way, showing that you care. Actions speak louder than words do they not?” He asked with a tilt of his head and a quirk of his eyebrow. James was the King of big actions.

Talk turned back to their different home situations and again they were at odds with each other. It seemed like the only thing they could agree on was that quidditch was good. And even then they had disagreed over it. Oh well, it wasn't like he usually had to spend time with this girl on a day to day basis. Thank Merlin because he'd go insane. "Whatever, we're not going to agree are we. Let's agree to disagree." He replied flatly, brow furrowed at her. “Because I really can't stand having to listen to this strange adoration of your siblings who are in my opinion world class jerks." He didn't snap, his tone was casual but he really hoped that Alexandria didn’t feel the same way about her siblings if her brother if he became a Death Eater or her sister married one.

James used his mini rant to shift closer to her and try and grab a look at what she was writing. It only intrigued him further that she didn't want to tell him. And that bothered him greatly because he didn't like being out of the loop, even her loop. He frowned, his eyes instantly locking in on Hailey’s name. "Why are you writing about other people?" he was snapping now, a glare in place of his usual laid back grin. He was loyal, never would he turn his back on his friends and he expected others to be the same. Hailey and Alex shared a dorm together he knew that much but having only recently become acquainted with the girl himself he wasn’t sure if that meant the two Ravenclaws were friends. Either way it bothered him greatly and he was going to find out what it was. He may have only just met the youngest Thomas girl but he was already fiercely protective of her.

tag alex
words 851
lyrics we are the in crowd - rumour mill
notes I apologize greatly for not nearing your word count =/ my muse started to run dry. and I hope you don't mind James being nosy!