Part Four
“Sorry, could you repeat that?” Remus asks. “It almost sounded as if you said-“
“That I’d pretend to date your friend?” you finish for him. “I did say that.”
“Yes!” James cheers.
“Why would you possibly agree to that?” Remus asks, grumbling when James slaps his arm.
“I mean, sure, it’s stupid.” you agree. “But it’s the kind of plan that’s so stupid it just might work.”
“That’s my specialty, love.” James tells you with a wink.
“And honestly, what have I got to lose?” you shrug. “So I say we just go for it.”
“It’s like I always say, boys. What’s life without a little risk?”
James grabs your hand and you automatically flinch, pulling your hand away, causing Sirius to snort in amusement. James frowns and you look up at him apologetically.
“Sorry. I’m so sorry,” you apologize with a shake of your head. “Force of habit.”
“It’s okay.” James tells you, putting his hands in his pockets instead.
“No, if we’re gonna be a couple we have to do this right.” you tell him. “Otherwise nobody will believe it. Try again. I promise I won’t flinch this time.”
Shaking his head with a chuckle, James grabs your hand, intertwining your fingers together. As promised, you don’t flinch or pull away. You look up at James with a proud smile, eyes shining brightly and for a moment James forgets how to breathe.
“Oh..oh my god, did you see that? I didn’t even flinch! I told you! Godric, this fake dating thing is gonna be a piece of cake! We can totally do this.” you ramble excitedly.
“Nicely done,” Sirius says with a clap of his hands. “But being in a relationship is more than holding hands.”
Your smile drops in record time and Sirius can’t help but grin mischievously.
“Oh, no.” you groan, pulling your hand out of James’ grasp. “You mean we’re gonna have to kiss?”
Sirius laughs at your disappointment.
“Why are you saying it like it’s a bad thing?” James asks, offended. “You’ve already kissed me.”
“Hey! I said I was sorry!” you defend, causing Sirius to laugh even harder.
“Any particular reason why you don’t want to kiss him?” Sirius asks with a tilt of his head.
“Padfoot,” James groans, already knowing where he’s going with this.
“Um, it’s nothing against James,” you assure. “It’s just…I’d rather not kiss someone who isn’t my boyfriend…”
“But he would be.” Remus chimes in. “Technically…”
“Well yeah, but not really…” you argue.
“Anybody else getting confused?” Peter asks.
Everyone in the room raises their hand, you and James included.
“Clearly nobody here knows the first thing about faking a relationship in front of the whole school. Why don’t we set some rules?” Remus suggests, grabbing his notebook off the nightstand.
“You and your rules.” James groans. You lightly smack his chest, before smiling at Remus.
“I think that’s a great idea. If we want this to look real, we should have some terms laid out so that we’re on the same page.”
“Moony, what are you waiting for?” James asks. “Start writing things down!”
Remus rolls his eyes at James’ sudden change of heart before opening up his notebook.
“Okay, number one is kinda obvious,” Remus starts. “Nobody can know the truth. Obviously we’re the exception. Y/N’s friends as well. But as far as everyone else is concerned, this is real. You guys are real.”
You and James look at each other and nod your head in agreement.
“Number two?” Remus asks.
“Um, I think we should keep the ruse up at all times.” James says turning to you for your opinion, “If that’s okay with you, of course. It’s just, you never know who might be watching…”
“You’re right.” you agree. “If someone catches us not acting like a couple it could all fall apart.”
“We should just go about this as if it’s a real relationship.” James suggests.
Remus raises his eyebrows at James who quickly looks away.
“That means you can’t flirt with Lily anymore,” Sirius teases.
“That’s fine,” he shrugs, bumping shoulders with you, “I know someone else I can flirt with.”
You roll your eyes at him with an amused smile.
“Y/N?” Remus calls. “Do you want to pick number three?”
“Yes,” you nod. “We take turns paying for dates.”
“We don’t have to do that,” James shakes his head. “I have more than enough money-“
“That’s not the point,” you interrupt with a frown. “You said to treat this like a real relationship. I don’t let my boyfriends pay for everything; it’s not fair. We’ll take turns paying for dates. Remus, write that down. Please.”
“As far as affectionate gestures, what are you comfortable with?” Remus asks, looking between you and James.
You turn to James only to see him shyly avoiding your gaze.
“Um...whatever Y/N is okay with…is fine with me.” James shrugs, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Totally fine with holding hands,” you start. “And hugs. Forehead kisses and kisses on the cheek are good. I guess if we have to kiss on the lips that’s fine too. But I’d really prefer if we could limit those.”
“That’s fine.” James nods. “We’ll only kiss when we really have to sell it.”
You give James a grateful smile.
“Anything else?” Remus asks.
“Whenever one person says it’s over, it’s over. No questions asked.” James says. “We both have our own reasons for doing this, but we shouldn’t feel forced to keep up the ruse. We should be free to walk away at any time. If I decide I don’t want to do this anymore, or Y/N decides she’s done, that’s it. No questions, no arguments, nothing.”
“Speaking of which, what will we say when we end it?” you ask. “I don’t wanna have a nasty break up in front of the whole school.”
“We won’t.” James assures you. “We can just say we both decided it wasn’t working anymore.”
“Okay…I guess that covers everything…” Remus says, looking over his list.
“Oh wait! One more thing!” you call. “No fighting.”
“Sorry?” Remus asks.
“No fighting.” you repeat. “Especially Michael.”
“What is she on about?” Sirius asks.
“Oh, he didn’t tell you?” you ask, looking at James with raised brows. “He almost got in a fight with Michael Gray in the middle of study hall today.”
“He deserved it!” James says, getting worked up again.
“Nope, this isn’t up for debate.” you put your hand up, effectively cutting him off. “No fighting. I don’t care who it is or what they say. I don’t want you getting hurt because of me.”
James sighs before nodding his head. Remus, Peter, and Sirius all share a look, caught off guard by how quickly James agreed. After all, he’s never been one to walk away from a fight.
“Okay, it’s official.” Remus says, closing his notebook. “From this moment on, you guys are boyfriend and girlfriend. Try not to screw it up.”
“It sounds so romantic when you say it like that.” you tell him sarcastically.
“Cheeky little thing, aren’t you?” Sirius asks with a chuckle. “I like you.”
“Sorry, I have a boyfriend,” you smile at him, grabbing James’ hand and swinging it back and forth.
“Speaking of which, what kind of girlfriend do you want me to be?” you ask, looking up at James.
“What do you mean?” he asks, frowning in confusion.
“Like, do you want me to be a jealous girlfriend? Because I’m not really a fan of confrontation but if you want me to cause a scene, I can-“
“No, none of that.” James shakes his head. “You’re treating me like you would a real boyfriend, remember? Best to keep it authentic. So just be yourself. That’s more than enough.”
You nod your head with an embarrassed smile, hands still swinging back and forth.
“Oh, this is sweet.” Sirius comments. “I can just see the sparks flying between you two already. Can I ask you a question, though?”
“What is it, Padfoot?” James sighs.
“Not you,” Sirius shakes his head before pointing at you. “You.”
“Um, sure.”
“So how was the kiss between you and James?” he asks, Peter and Remus immediately starting to snicker.
“Padfoot!” James whispers harshly, cheeks turning red from embarrassment.
“Um,” you freeze before nervously scratching your head. “Yeah, it was…fine…”
“Go easy on him, love.” Sirius says, “It was his first!”
Peter, Remus, and Sirius all burst into laughter as you look up at James with wide eyes.
“Come on, Y/N! I’ll walk you back!” James announces, grabbing your hand and dragging you out of the dorm.
You walk down the stairs in awkward silence. James starts walking across the empty common room towards the set of stairs leading to the girls dormitories when you pull on his hand.
“What’s wrong?” James asks, turning around to face you.
“Is what he said true?” you ask, looking up at him nervously. “Was that really your first kiss?”
“Oh! Um, yeah.” he laughs embarrassedly, cheeks turning the tiniest bit pink.
“Oh, no,” you whine. “James, I’m so sorry!”
“What? What are you apologizing for?” he asks.
“I’m sorry I stole your first kiss from you.” you apologize with a frown. “You probably wanted it to be with someone special, and I ruined it. I’m sorry.”
“Hey, I’m not complaining, so stop apologizing, okay?” James assures with a smile. “Was it unexpected? Sure. Do I regret it? No way in hell. So don’t feel bad.”
You gaze into his eyes before eventually nodding your head. James walks you to the foot of the staircase and puts his hands in his pockets.
“Get some rest.” he says softly. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
You put one foot on the stair before turning back around and placing a chaste kiss on James’ cheek.
“See you tomorrow, boyfriend.” you grin at him before bounding up the stairs.
James watches you go with a smile on his face. He turns around and makes his way back to his dorm, hand subconsciously touching his cheek every now and then with a soft smile. When he reaches the dorm, he’s surprised to see Remus standing outside.
“Everything alright, Moony?” he asks.
“Are you sure this is a good idea, Prongs?”
“No,” James laughs. “But when has that ever stopped us before?”
When James sees that Remus isn’t laughing with him, he sighs.
“You’re usually onboard with my crazy ideas. Why are you questioning this one?”
“I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Why would I get hurt?” James asks with a frown.
“Because you used to-“
“That was a long time ago.” James cuts him off. “I’m over it.”
Without another word, James walks into the dorm, leaving Remus alone in the hallway.
︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵
“I’m telling you, there’s something going on between them.”
“Says who?” Lily asks, only half interested in the conversation.
“Everyone!” Dorcas tells her. “He was about to fight Michael in the middle of study hall! Why would he do that unless he’s interested in her?”
“Mm, I don’t know.” Marlene chimes in. “Every boy that breathes in this school is interested in her but you don’t see them going around starting fights.”
“So what are you suggesting?” Dorcas asks. “That he doesn’t like her? That he started a fight with Michael simply because he wanted to? Because he was bored?”
“No, I’m saying the complete opposite.” Marlene shakes her head. “He wouldn’t be that protective of her without reason. They’re dating.”
“What?!” Lily and Dorcas ask in unison.
“Or at least…flirting.”
“Oh, come off it.” Dorcas sighs with a shake of her head.
“Think about it. Connor catches James snogging some girl the night of the party, then he says it looked like it could’ve been Y/N-“
“Yeah, but James said it wasn’t her.” Marlene argues.
“And he’s never been known to lie?” Dorcas rolls her eyes. “I think whatever is going on with them started that night.”
“He has been looking at her more…” Lily mumbles to herself, thinking back to all the times she caught you and James sneaking glances at each other.
“And how would you know unless you’ve been looking at him?” Marlene teases. “Has that frozen heart of yours finally thawed?”
“Bugger off.” Lily says, shoving her lightly.
“Hey, I don’t blame you. He is a looker. It’s just a shame you’ve finally realized it now that he’s moved on.” Dorcas adds with a chuckle.
“Oi, Evans!” James calls.
Lily smirks at Marlene and Dorcas.
“You were saying?” she asks smugly before turning around, coming face to face with James. “Yes?”
“Can you scoot over a tiny bit?” he asks, pointing at something over her shoulder. “I’m trying to get passed but you and your friends are kinda blocking the aisle.”
“Oh, yeah, sure.” Lily stutters, stepping aside. “Sorry.”
James smiles in thanks before walking past her without so much as a glance in her direction.
“You were saying?” Marlene repeats with a chuckle.
“Shut up.” Lily snaps. She turns around and watches as James comes to a stop right in front of you.
“Hello beautiful. Can I walk you to your next class?” he asks.
“Won’t that make you late to yours?” you frown.
“Who cares?” he shrugs, “It’s just divination.”
He holds his hand out for you. You ponder it for only a moment before grabbing his hand, letting him lead you down the corridor.
“Is that Potter and Y/L/N?” “I didn’t even know they were friends, now they’re holding hands?”
“How long has this been going on for?” “This is the first time I’ve seen them together…”
“Did you know about this?” “Is it even real? Or is this another one of his silly pranks?”
“I think they look cute!” “Shut up.” “You shut up! You’re just mad because she finally chose someone and it wasn’t you.”
Out of the corner of his eye, James can see how uncomfortable you’re feeling. It’s almost as if you’re trying to shrink into yourself. He squeezes your hand reassuringly, giving you an encouraging smile when you look up.
“You okay?” he mouths at you. You nod at him, giving him a small grin.
“I just don’t like people talking about me,” you whisper to him.
“You’re doing great.”
You give James a grateful smile before pointing out your classroom up ahead.
“Can I walk you to your seat?”
“First you wanted to walk me to class, now my seat. What’s next? Taking my notes for me?” you ask with a giggle.
“Too much?” James asks with an embarrassed smile.
“Not at all. I’m just messing with you. I would love nothing more than for you to walk me in.”
James gives you an unamused look and you get up on your tiptoes, planting a kiss on his cheek.
“Oh my god, are you blushing?” you ask with a laugh.
“Alright, enough of that.” James says with a shake of his head. “Let’s get you settled.”
You grin at him before walking into class and making your way to your seat.
“Mr. Potter, you’re not supposed to be here right now.” Professor Gasly says as he writes on the board.
“Yes professor. I’m aware.” James nods.
“So get out.” the professor orders bluntly, causing a few students in class to snicker.
James rolls his eyes but turns to you with a smile.
“I’ll see you at lunch?” he asks, leaning in close to you.
“Yeah,” you nod breathlessly.
James takes in your features before nodding his head. He leans in to place a kiss on your cheek, right at the corner of your mouth. He lingers for a moment too long before pulling away. The classroom is filled with excited squeals and wolf whistles from your classmates. Your face is burning; not only from the kiss but from the obvious display of affection.
“My, my… Are you blushing?” James asks.
“Shut up.” you whisper, slapping his arm lightly. “You just kissed me in front of the whole class.”
“I’m sorry, am I not allowed to kiss my girlfriend?” he asks with a pout.
“Mr. Potter.” Professor Gasly calls. “I’m not going to tell you again. Get out. I don’t have the patience for you today.”
“Yes professor. Right away, professor.” James nods making his way to the door.
“See you at lunch.” he winks before finally walking out of the room.
The second he’s gone, all eyes are on you.
“Y/N…what was that about?” Heather, a ravenclaw asks.
“What?” you ask with an embarrassed laugh, face still burning.
“Why did James Potter of all people just kiss you?” Sebastian asks in annoyance.
“Well because…he’s my boyfriend.”
The whole classroom erupts into absolute chaos.
︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵
“Prongs, I don’t know why you’re freaking out. She’s already your girlfriend.” Sirius sighs.
“I know.” James stresses. “It’s just… I’ve never asked a girl to a party before. What if she says no?”
“I really don’t think that’ll happen.” Remus tells him. “That’s kind of the whole point of your relationship, isn’t it?”
“Speaking of which, Y/N! Over here!!” Sirius exclaims, waving his hands to her your attention.
You wave goodbye to your classmates before walking towards James and his friends.
“Hey,” you greet them before facing James and placing a swift kiss on his cheek. “What’s up?”
“Lover boy here has something he wants to tell you.” Sirius says, patting James on the back before walking away. “Come on boys, let’s let them talk.”
You watch Sirius, Peter, and Remus all walk away before looking up at James with inquisitive eyes.
“What did you wanna talk to me about?”
“Well, um, you see…” James chuckles nervously. “The thing is…there’s this get together that’s happening tomorrow night…I’m not sure if you’ve heard.”
“Oh, you mean the party?” you nod. “Yeah, I heard about it.”
“Brilliant! So uhm, I was supposed to have rounds, but was able to switch with someone. So now I have tomorrow night off. And I was wondering, if you were also free, if you’d- if you would-“
“James Potter, are you trying to ask me out on a date?” you ask with an amused smile.
“Emphasis on trying.” James chuckles, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. “Just can’t get the words out.”
“Hey, no need to get nervous,” you console. “It’s just me.”
The sentence throws James off, causing him to frown in confusion. How could you say such a thing so casually? As if you’re average. As if you’re ordinary. Just you? There’s nothing “just” about you. It’s you. Shaking his head, James takes a deep breath.
“Will you go to the party with me tomorrow night?”
“Yes, absolutely. I would love to go to the party with you.” you tell him with a beaming smile.
“Great! Brilliant!” James stutters. “So I’ll- I’ll meet you in the common room?”
“Sure.” you nod.
“8 o’clock? Or is that too early?” James rambles. “We could do 9?”
“8 o’clock is fine.” you laugh.
“Okay, cool.” James smiles.
︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵
James checks his watch for the tenth time and releases a shaky breath. He’s considering having someone go up to check on you when he hears someone coming down the stairs.
James turns his head towards the sound and it’s as if the wind has been knocked out of him. You’re wearing a light blue mini dress that has a white peter pan collar. You’ve paired it with a simple pair of heels and styled your hair in soft waves.
“I know I’m late, sorry!” you apologize as you cross the room. “There was this one piece of hair that just would not cooperate and-“
“You look stunning.” James breathes as he reaches you.
“Oh. Thank you.” you beam at him, doing a little twirl. “It’s technically our first date so I wanted to dress up for you.”
At James’ silence, you glance up at him only to find him staring at you with a soft look on his face. An unfamiliar warmth blooms deep inside of you. You quickly shake your head, bringing yourself back to reality; the reality being that this is all fake.
“Come on!” you exclaim, making your way towards the door. “We’re gonna miss the party.”
James nods his head, grabbing your hand and following you out. A few minutes later, you’re entering the room of requirement with James’ arm wrapped around your waist. You smile and wave to a few people before something across the room catches your eye.
“Babe, look. Your friends are here.” you inform him, pointing towards his friends drinking and talking amongst themselves. “Should we head over there?”
“You don’t mind?” James asks, to which you shake your head.
“I wanna get to know them more anyway,” you tell him, already heading in their direction. “Your friends are important to you, so they’re important to me.”
“Hey! Look who it is!!” Sirius cheers when he sees you and James approaching. “You guys hanging out with us?”
You and James nod your heads, eliciting cheers from the other three boys. You take a seat on the couch and James plops down right next to you, throwing his arm over your shoulders. You spend a little over an hour sitting with them, laughing at whatever stories they tell you before standing up.
“James, come dance with me.” you plead, pulling on his hand. “Only for a few songs, so promise.”
James stands with a sigh and follows you to the dance floor, ignoring the teasing from his friends.
“I don’t really know how to dance.” James confesses.
“That’s okay, I’ll teach you.” you tell him. “Okay, with this foot you’re gonna step to the side. Now bring your other foot so that they’re together. Now the other way; step, and together. Step, and together. See? Not too hard, right?”
“Piece of cake,” James awkwardly agrees, staring at his feet the whole time.
“Okay, stop,” you tell him with a chuckle. “Try this instead. Just do what I do, okay?”
“Okay.” James nods, looking at you. Only a moment later you start jumping around.
“Nobody really knows how to dance.” you inform him. “It’s all about having fun!”
James nods his head again and starts jumping around with you. The more fun he starts to have the more he’s able to let loose. Soon enough he’s moving to the beat of the music, screaming the words of the songs, and spinning you around.
When you happen to catch Lily staring at you both, you automatically step closer to James, wrapping your arms around his shoulders.
“Everything okay?” he asks, placing a hand on the small of your back.
“Yeah,” you assure him, lips right next to his ear. “There’s just a few eyes on us.”
Nodding his head in understanding, James presses you even closer to him, swaying you both.
“I might have to kiss you again,” you warn him. “Are you okay with that?”
“Whatever it takes to get them off our backs.” James confirms.
You glance at Lily one more time only to see her seething as she stares at you. She’s holding her drink so tight you think she might crush it.
Pulling back from the embrace, you gaze up at James with a soft smile. You place your hand on his cheek before bringing his face down to yours in a gentle kiss.
James is momentarily caught off guard. When you said you’d have to kiss him again, he thought you were talking about a kiss on the cheek, maybe even on the forehead. He wasn’t expecting to feel your lips on his. Nevertheless, he’s determined to make the best of it. Closing his eyes, he tilts his head to the side, deepening the kiss.
At the obnoxious sound of wolf whistles and cheering, you and James pull away, sharing a shy smile with each other. You look over James’ shoulder just in time to see Lily setting her drink on a table and walking out of the room. You can’t help but grin.
“How we looking?” James asks you.
“Good.” you smile at him. “They’re gone.”
You and James drink and dance a bit more but as the night progresses and more people arrive, the room of requirement starts feeling more and more cramped.
“Do you wanna get out of here?” James asks. “Maybe go for a walk?”
You nod your head in agreement, grabbing his hand and following him out of the room. You roam the halls in peaceful silence for a few minutes before exiting into the courtyard.
“Well, we survived the first week.” James comments as you both take a seat on a bench.
“Yeah…it was actually harder than I thought it would be.”
“Way to make a guy feel special.” James teases, bumping shoulders with you.
“No, not like that.” you correct. “Being with you isn’t the problem. It’s just…I don’t know. I guess I thought that as soon as we said we were dating, all the guys would leave me alone. So the fact that I couldn’t even walk down the hallway without someone asking me about you was kinda…disappointing.”
“I get it.” James nods. “I had someone ask me how much I was paying you to be with me.”
“What?” you ask, horrified.
“Yeah,” James says with a sad laugh. “Because apparently there’s no other way a girl like you would ever go out with a guy like me.”
“That’s bullshit,” you huff.
“They made me drink a love potion antidote.” you tell him a moment later, causing James’ eyes to widen. “They were so convinced that you had used amortentia on me, I had to drink it to get them off my back.”
You and James share an annoyed look before bursting into laughter, because what else can you do in a situation like this but laugh?
“So what’s so special about her?” you ask after a while.
“Who?”
“Evans. I mean, you’ve been chasing her since last year. You’re doing this whole thing just to get her attention. She must be something special.” you muse, looking at the stars shining above you.
“I don’t know.” James shrugs. “She’s pretty. She’s smart. Fearless. She’s fun.”
“Fun?” you repeat with an incredulous laugh. “She seems like the most uptight person to ever exist.”
“Ah, leave her alone.” James defends with a chuckle. “She takes her studies very seriously, there’s nothing wrong with that. But every now and then, she’ll let loose and when she does, the smile she has it’s…heartstopping.”
You nod your head, taking his word for it before sighing.
“Can I ask you a question?” you ask, picking at your nail polish.
“Sure.” James nods.
“What do you think of me?” you ask softly.
“I think you’re beautiful.” James answers automatically.
Your shoulders immediately drop in disappointment and James’ eyes widen in panic.
“Wait. That’s just because your beauty is staring me right in the face.” James says, desperately trying to fix the situation. “You’re also-“
“That’s what everyone thinks.” you mumble, more to yourself than to him. “All anyone seems to care about is my looks. But I want to be known for more than that. I… I want to be liked for more than that.”
“I want someone to like me for me.” you confess, looking over at James. “Not for my looks, but for my personality. My jokes, my habits, my quirks. But what if that doesn’t happen? What if nobody cares enough to get to know me? The real me. Am I just gonna end up being someone’s trophy wife?”
“Hey, that’s not gonna happen.” James tells you, reaching over to hold your hand. “You're more than just a pretty face, Y/N. You’re funny and smart and caring and witty. And some guy’s gonna come along and learn every single thing about you, even the parts you hate about yourself and still think the world of you.”
“You really think so?” you ask, sniffling as you look up at him.
“Absolutely.” James assures you with a smile. “The guy that ends up with you is gonna be the luckiest man to ever walk the earth.”
“Yeah well, as of right now that guy is you.” you tell him with a small laugh.
“And I feel like I just won the lottery.” James tells you, causing you to giggle.
You wrap your arms around him in a tight hug, burying your face into the crook of his neck. James hugs you back, resting his chin atop your head.
“I’m gonna do my best to make sure you feel loved and appreciated.” James whispers to himself.
“What did you say?” you ask, pulling away from the hug.
“I said it’s getting late, we should go to bed.”
James holds out his hand for you and you grab it with a smile, letting him lead you back inside.