My Type- Saint Motel
James hollered as the paper ball he had shot through the air with a spell knocked over the inkwell on Snape’s desk, sending dark liquid everywhere. Marlene cheered him on from her spot perched on the edge of Lily and Mary’s conjoined desks. A few other students – robed in green and crimson alike – chuckled at the scene while Snape hissed, desperately trying to keep his precious potions book safe from the seeping ink. Lily made an attempt to help him but Marlene blocked her way over with a sharp headshake, so Lily settled for taking a swipe at James’ head in a manner not unlike his mother.
Slughorn cleared his throat in an attempt to regain control of the class but went mostly ignored until a deeply annoyed Dorcas Meadowes stood, barking out,
“Oi! Shut it!” The room fell silent in seconds with the exception of Marlene who let out a sigh James could have sworn was admiring which she quickly covered with a groan. Dorcas dropped back into her seat and Slughorn began to speak only to be cut off yet again as the classroom door opened.
James Potter watched the new kid walk into his first potions class of the school year. Regal, younger, and just a little too familiar. The silver stripes on his emerald tie matched the sharp slate grey of his cutting eyes. Dark lashes and fine-boned features made him look almost feminine as slender fingers swept jaw-length, inky hair from his face. He was stunning.
The class once again devolved into whispered speculation about the new student who ducked his head and hurried to the empty seat beside Dorcas, slumping into it with a quiet greeting to the girl. Slughorn tried shushing the class before seemingly giving up and raising his wand to the side of his throat, amplifying his voice.
“Welcome back sixth years, to extension potions. Another year in which I shall teach you to brew and bottle the grandest concoctions wizard kind has ever dreamt up. Before I get into our extensive and interesting syllabus for this year…”
James let him drone on, zoning out from the watery-eyed man’s speech on the intricacies and excitements of potion making. It was the same every year and James had slept through it the first time; he wasn’t going to start paying attention now. And regardless, his eyes had already caught on something outside the window, a glint of gold. The snitch. The part of his brain that craved movement whispered to him that he could walk out of the class right now. Could just stand up and leave, stroll down to the quidditch pitch, and join whatever first-year class was having flying practice now. He knew logically that he shouldn’t, but oh how he longed to be flying. It was the only time his mind was ever quiet.
At some point he found himself tuning back into the professor's incessant drone,
“… Regulus is joining us from his fifth-year potions class as his marks are excelling and he felt he needed more of an academic challenge. Everyone, please make him feel welcome.”
A scattered applause was heard.
“Now, as always we begin the year by selecting our lab partners.” Slughorn raised his arms in a have at it and the chaos began. For the most part, people chose the friends they were seated next to. James expected that to be the case for him too as he opened his mouth, turning to Marlene who had been his partner for the last two years only to see her staring longingly across the classroom. He followed her gaze to the bejewelled, box-braided figure of one Dorcas Meadowes. She had been the subject of Marlene’s affections since the day they met in first year.
Marlene had always held herself with a certain degree of fight, obvious even when stationary. She had grown up surrounded by her three brothers and her father who taught them that only the strongest survive. Every dinner at her house was a blood bath for the best pieces of food and the few times James had stayed over when they were younger, he had never seen anyone escape without a few bruises. That, combined with the fact that her best friends since childhood were James and Peter had led her to an upraising of roughhousing and playfights. She was one of the guys and it showed. So when she had met Dorcas Meadowes, perfect, poised, pureblood. Well… suffice to say they had some disagreements. But there was something in Marlene’s eyes when she looked at Dorcas that James saw, no matter how much she denied it James knew part of her longed for a life like that, or at least part of it. She wanted to be like Dorcas, but more than that she wanted Dorcas.
The two girls had had some silent rivalry that had only increased as they were sorted into warring houses and then again into opposing quidditch teams, but James had never see the shine to Marlene’s stares disappear. So he closed his mouth and pushed his chair back as he stood, sidestepping his desk and dragging Marlene off her perch on Lily’s desk. He looped his arm through hers and frogmarched her to the other side of the classroom. They came to a stop before the desk Dorcas and the new kid – Regulus was his name – sat at. Marlene seemed to realise his plan too late and attempted to tug her arm free but James held strong.
“Hello?” The boy – Regulus – drawled and James could have sworn he nearly melted on the spot. His voice was smooth like caramel but there was something else, like ice that threatened to erupt into shards. The way he spoke warned of a silver tongue that was sharp enough to cut. The sorting hat definitely knew what it was doing when it sorted him, everything about the boy screamed Slytherin.
“Ah- umm.. Yes hello.” James stuttered slightly and Marlene jabbed him with an elbow as Dorcas and the boy glanced at each other with a shared look of amusement. “I assume you two are partners? Terribly sorry but I was wondering if you would switch with me? You see, Marlene and I have been paired for the last two years and I may actually throw myself off the astronomy tower if I am once again shown up by her superior potion making abilities.” He chuckled awkwardly and even Marlene managed to chuff a laugh despite how stiffly she stood.
The two slytherins exchanged a glance before Dorcas glanced at James,
“Give us a moment to discuss.” James nodded quickly.
After some time, during which the slytherins didn’t say a single word but instead seemed to be locked in an intense stare-off and silent battle of wills, they turned to James and Marlene.
“Okay,” Regulus replied with a victorious grin.
“Excellent.” James returned his grin before shoving Marlene towards a slightly less enthusiastic Dorcas. “Have fun kids. Shall we?” He offered his arm to Regulus who scoffed.
“Fat chance pretty boy. They’re going over that side, all the red and gold is too garish for me to focus. Grab your stuff and bring it over here.” He flashed a smile at Dorcas and wiggled his fingers in a wave, “I’ll see you after class Cas.”
James felt himself smirk at the nickname as he swept all his papers and quills into his satchel carelessly. He swung it over his shoulder and blew a kiss to Marlene who stuck her tongue out at him.
He dropped his bag at the foot of the desk and slid in beside Regulus.
“So, Regulus was it? Tell me about yourself.”
“Let’s see, my family despises gryffindors, my mother believes your parents to be blood traitors and if we get anything lower than full marks, I will personally drown you in the black lake and leave your rotting corpse there for the merfolk.”
Despite the threat, James couldn’t help but grin, this year might actually be fun.