Narcissa
James
He wakes up gradually to the sound of people, he can hear Remus, Peter, and Crouch. He can't hear them well so he crawls out of bed.
"-did you see his brother with them?" Came Remus's whispered voice slowly.
"No but he can be sneaky, he could have easily listened in places we couldn't see-" Crouch whispered back.
Listened to what? James gets a bad feeling somewhere in his gut. He ignores it, it can't be anything.
"What are you blokes talking about?" He said as he pushed past his curtains, puting his glasses on.
"Narcissa, my Cissy. Oh how i'll miss you, but, i don't have bullies for you to threaten now. So, you know who to watch out for."
Bullies? James is now more thankful for Narcissa Black.
"That is my last request for you, watch out for the people you know i love."
Probably Regulus, Sirius knows James has Remus and Peter. James guesses, Rosier and Crouch to.
They've been around more often, meaning he sees Regulus, Dorcas, and that odd girl Pandora more. It's not that bad, honestly.
"In the original timeline, you marry Lucious Malfoy, and eventually, have a kid, his name is Draco."
Lucious? Narcissa could do better, but Draco is not a half bad name.
"Do what you will with that information, i know of your flower. And i make the same promise to you, i'll make world where you and your flower can be together and not fear."
James by now guesses flower is an anonymous lover.
"You were quieter than Trixy, Andy, or me, you're smarter. I know you can do this."
"I remember how you used to hold me when i was younger, i remember you were not much older and still took the time to hold me, and listen to the weird stories i thought of."
James could never thank Narcissa Black enough for that.
"You're doing so well Cissy, i'm so proud of you, you know what you want, i know you do. So just wait, just a little, and you can have it."
"I hope the world i'm going to make is enough to repay you for all you've done for me."
"You're my cousin, my beautiful, smart, caring, kind, amazing cousin. And you deserve the word."
"And if you have Draco, i will make the world safe for him."
"I think you understand why me and Andy ran away, i know it's slowly killing you, because you're not like them."
James has the seed planted now.
"You're not, i can feel it. I felt it when you would hold me and listen, i felt it when you would threaten my bullies, i felt it when you looked after Regulus for me after i left."
"I know you're a good person, don't ever doubt that."
"i miss you, and i can't wait for us to be cousins that don't have to conform to our families ideations."
"Pretend you never heard this tape."
"Goodbye Cissy, Graduate, be with your flower in secret for a little while longer. Every story i tell is for you."
James is glad to have heard Sirius' voice again, he misses it.
James gets up, he showers, he brushes his teeth, he eats breakfast with his friends, a newly added Rosier and Crouch to join them this fine morning. He laughes, he jokes, he flirts with Evans and get to know a quieter than he thought Rosier.
He sneaks glances at the two Black sisters. Subtle, he can't have anyone else see, but a plan is forming.
He replays Sirius voice as he walks with his friends to class, he slowly disconnects from reality as he replays his voice.
He reconnects to sitting next to Remus in the common room, he vaguely remembers the conversation where the others were going to a party.
"Do you ever miss him?" James hears slip from his lips before he can stop it, he sees the way Remus' face changes. The topic of Sirius has been basically taboo in the group as of the prank.
"Forget it- Sorry-" James says, sitting up to adjust his position. Remus puts his hand up, he stops James in his tracks.
"It's alright, i knew this was going to happen eventually." Remus says hesitantly. "I- yeah. Yeah, i do. I miss him a lot, this place is a lot duller without him here. But...wherever he is, he's safe and being the same ol' Sirius." Remus says, a small smile ghosted his lips before it turned grim.
The lightbulb flickers in his head, barely but the thought flickers. Has Remus heard the tapes?
The thought flickers out as soon as it flickered in.
"Yeah...yeah your right Moony." James says, he lets a small smile spread on his face, pull and stretch his skin lightly.
Not much longer, Remus goes and joins the party. James can't help but not want to, he sits in the common room for a long, long time.
He doesn't know when he wakes up, but he wakes up in his own bed, his curtains messily closed indicating one of the others carried him to bed.
He doesn't really have to go to bed that early, he quit quidditch 87 days after Sirius left, he couldn't do quidditch without Sirius there.
His teachers got worried, so he said flat out why, his old teammates have begged him to come back, he doesn't know if he can bring himself to do it.
He brushes his teeth, he sits by the window, and watched the moon. Theres about a week and a half till the next full moon, it's laughless without Padfoot there to play with Moony.
It's almost ridiculous how much they were co-dependent on each other, they never realized how much color Sirius brought into the world.
Some people think it's unhealthy, they've been told as much, but they don't think so.
He goes and lays in bed, with shoulders shaking, lips trembling, and eyes stinging. He accepts it when Remus comes and lays in his bed and pulls him close.
James thinks he will write to his parents tomorrow as he drifts to sleep.