Another prompt fill from tumblr! Man, this one had a mind of it's own, it would not let me stop, haha. Dearest anon who sent me this prompt, I do hope you enjoy this. The prompt was James Potter/Kagome/Quidditch.

Now, I've always said before that after starting Domino Effect, the idea of ever writing a James/Kagome fic would be too weird for me when I've been writing them as siblings for the last... few years. It's amazing how the word "Quidditch" can erase any lingering weirdness I have about pairing these two. Simply amazing, hahaha. Sometimes someone just says the magic words, I guess. Anyway, this is AU on Kagome's part—no such thing as the Feudal Era for her, sorry.

This got so long I split it into three parts. It's already finished, so I'll post as I finish editing/proofing.

Disclaimer: Obviously, neither Harry Potter nor Inuyasha belong to me.

—Part I—

— Summer Before Sixth Year

"So how're you feeling, my dear Prongs?"

Laying back into his bed, arms crossed and resting behind his head of unruly dark hair, James Potter snorted at the pun. "Better, I guess," he said with a forlorn sigh.

Sirius Black propped himself up on his forearms, peering over from where he was draped over his best mate's legs. He let the muggle magazine he was reading fall flat against the bed, only his thumb slipped between its glossy pages marking his place. On the cover of the magazine was a buxom woman in a bikini, leaning seductively over a rather impressive looking motorcycle. "Still not over her yet, eh?"

Used to his friend's tactlessness, James only rolled his eyes. He still felt the pang in his chest, though, even if it was only a fraction of what it used to be. "Matters of the heart take time to heal, dear Padfoot," he replied easily, if not with a touch of dramatic flare. His lips twitched as he eyed the other boy from the corner of his gaze. "Something a dog like yourself wouldn't know, I'm sure."

Sirius wasn't offended in the least, not with the large grin he was sporting. "You know me best, mate."

James chuckled softly. His laughter faded, however, as a contemplative expression crossed his face. "I think it helps that I don't see her every day," he murmured, hazel eyes flitting to the ceiling. "I'm kinda worried that once I see her, it'll all…" he trailed off with a pensive frown.

"Be for nothing?" Sirius finished for him, tilting his head. "Come back like it never left?"

James nodded and sighed again, this time closing his eyes.

Sirius watched his friend closely and reached over to poke him firmly in the stomach, if nothing other than to break the depressing atmosphere that had settled over them. James' jaw twitched and the teen wordlessly swatted at the offending finger.

Sirius sniggered softly. "I think…" he pondered aloud once he calmed, and James cracked an eye open to look over at him, "I think you really are getting over her this time."

James blinked and lifted his head. "Seriously?" Immediately, the teen winced.

His lips twitching, anyone could see the struggle to resist jumping on the word choice, but Sirius only nodded in the end. "It's different this time," he said confidently with a nod. "I can tell."

James' eyes squinted, suspicious. "How's that?"

Sirius made a face, clearly offended. "What, being your best mate isn't enough?" And when James scoffed, grinning, Sirius lightly punched him on the thigh. "Git. I mean it. It just is." His gaze flicked over James' face, eyes narrowed. "You don't… you don't talk about her as often, you don't mope as much as you have before when you tried 'moving on' the last few times. Honestly, though?"

James, who had been blinking rather stupidly at his friend's sudden insightfulness, nodded.

"I think you've been over her for a while, it just…" Sirius trailed off, head cocking in thought. "It hasn't really hit you until now? Or you haven't really accepted it, y'know?" The Black heir shrugged. "Like, your default has always been liking Evans, so not fancying the pants off her never really occurred to you, not until you got some space. Last month just sort of… cemented it."

James sighed, his eyebrows furrowed in contemplation. He didn't deny Sirius' words—they made sense, in a way. "How'd you get so smart, Padfoot?" he mumbled idly.

Sirius gave an imperious sniff. "I've always been smart. You've just never realized it."

Lips twitching, James tried for a solemn nod. "Of course. You have only my sincerest apologies."

"Liar," Sirius shot back, but he was grinning nonetheless. "You just gotta try and forget about her when we get back, Prongs," he said, nudging him lightly. "She's a great gal, but…"

"But she isn't the one for me," James finished with a determined nod. "I've got it now. Guess the rejection took a while to register," he said, scratching his cheek sheepishly when Sirius snorted. It wasn't a lie—three years was a while. "Just… how can I forget about her when we get back? We're in the same House. We've got most of our classes together!"

Sirius picked his magazine back up. "Why don't you focus on something else?" he offered as he flipped through the publication. "Probably try talking to other birds, too. I don't mean date, not if you're not ready, just talk so Evans isn't the only girl on your mind."

James sighed, not really satisfied with that last bit. "Focus on what?"

As if a light blinked on in his head, Sirius sat up suddenly, grey eyes wide. "Like quidditch! Evans has nothing to do with that!" he exclaimed. "You love quidditch! You've always loved it!" A grin began growing on his face. "Quidditch is to you like pissing my mum and dad is to me!"

James blinked, that last remark startling a laugh out of him. "I guess I can hold extra practices," he mused. "Plus, we do need a new Keeper since Abbing graduated, not to mention a new Seeker—we were lucky to win any games after Jones dropped out because of O.W.L.s and we were left with just the reserve." James grinned suddenly, nodding. "Yeah, that's it! I can focus on filling up and training the reserves. Great idea, Pads!"

Sirius puffed up his chest. "I know. All my ideas are great!"

James only laughed. "Okay, sure."

Sirius twitched. Throwing his magazine to the side he transformed into Padfoot, tackling the bespectacled teen and proceeding to slobber all over him. James sputtered and tried to push him off to no avail.

"O-oi, stop it! You damned mutt!"

o.O.o

With a sharp eye trained on her team, Kagome Higurashi watched as they moved, biting her lip as she assessed them.

Individually, the new players were pretty good—unfortunately, the problem was that she had too many new players and too little time to get them to sync with the others and play efficiently as a team.

As if to prove her point, one of the Chasers, O'Leary, swerved to steal the quaffle in a pass, nearly taking out another, Torres, who was much better suited to move in and intercept. Not even seconds later, Karpe nearly took out Tachibana, their seeker, with a bludger.

Kagome cringed, palming her face.

Merlin, she bemoaned to herself. I should skin Stebbins for leaving me with this mess.

A long whistle sounded from behind, jolting her out of the mental string of curses she had going on. "Looking good there, Higurashi! Captaincy suits you."

It truly was a hard-won effort for Kagome not to roll her eyes and groan. "What are you doing here, Potter? I've got the pitch for the day." She turned her broom to properly look at the Gryffindor now hovering at her side. "Scoping out the competition already?" she guessed, faintly amused.

James Potter however, the little shit that he was, actually snorted. "Well, I was," he replied with a smirk, and his hazel eyes flickered across the pitch where her Keeper was now pressed full-bodily against her broom after almost toppling off, arms tightly twined around its crooked shaft like it was a life line.

Kagome studiously didn't allow herself to wince. Not in front of him.

"But then," James huffed, his amusement more than apparent, "I quickly realized there was no need."

Oh. Kagome twitched, any remnants of her earlier amusement vanishing in a second flat. He did not just… Her fingers curled tighter around the bat in her hand. Quick as a flash, Kagome spun and zipped right into his personal space, her eyes narrowed into slits.

No one insults my team.

James jerked back at her sudden close proximity, his eyebrows kicking up and his eyes widening as she raised her bat and poked him soundly against his chest. "They may not seem like much now," she said, words coming in a furious hiss, "But trust me when I say I'll make you eat those words, Potter."

I'll whip them into shape in no time, Kagome vowed with silent vehemence, glare never wavering. Just you watch.

She saw James' gaze flicker slowly over her face and his smirk reappear—this time wider—and she felt her nostrils flare.

"I guess we'll see then, eh?"

Huffing, Kagome swung back from the boy, putting distance between them. "Now was there something else you—O'Leary, for the last time; get your arse back in formation! You're on a team, now act like it!"

When she glanced back at James, he was gazing at her with a sort of goofy grin on his face. The sort of look one had as if they just realized something. Sending him a strange look of her own, she shook her head dismissively and turned back to her team, absently asking, "What?"

"Oh, nothing really," the bespectacled boy said rather pleasantly. "Just—has anyone told you how beautiful you looked?"

Wow, seriously? Surprised, Kagome glanced at him with a raised eyebrow and rolled her eyes. "I look the same as I did at our last game, last year."

"No, no," the Gryffindor Captain quickly protested, grin growing. "There's a glow to you now; an aura of command. Watching you give orders, it's sexy."

Kagome couldn't help the loud snort that escaped her. "Whatever it is you want, Potter, the answer is no," she told him bluntly. "Flattery gets you nowhere with me—especially bad flattery at that. Black already knows that by now."

The teen's mouth dropped. "Wait, what?"

Kagome ignored him, leaning forward to steer her broom towards her team, and gifted him with a short wave from over the shoulder. "Now get off my pitch, Potter, I've got a team to train!"

James sputtered after her. "But what flattery? That prat flirts with you?!"

o.O.o

— Later that day, in the Gryffindor Tower…

In a certain dorm in the Gryffindor Tower, a loud groan filled the room. "Oh Merlin," one Sirius Black moaned to himself as he fell back hard against his bed, the impact sending his sheets and pillows billowing up. "Not again."

On the other side of the dorm, Remus and Peter shared a look and snickered.

Sirius threw his hands up in the air. "You're supposed to focus on quidditch and talk to other birds! Not fall in love at—at—at first insult!" Sirius covered his face and groaned into his palms.

James sat up straighter in his bed. "Oi! It was not first insult!" he protested. "The first time she ever insulted me was…hmm…" He trailed off in thought. "Wasn't it fourth year? You guys remember, right?"

The other three winced, signifying that they certainly did.

"But Higurashi?" Sirius pressed, rolling on his side to give the other teen a pleading look. "Really?"

James gave a dry scoff. "What? Like you haven't flirted with her before yourself." When Sirius opened his mouth to protest, James leveled an accusing finger at him. "Don't lie to me either, she even said it herself! Flattery!"

Sirius blinked at him blankly. "Yes, you're right," he remarked drolly, sitting up. "Right before she threatened to shove her bat so far up my arse I'd be seeing snitches and stars if I didn't remove my hand from her shoulder." The teen grimaced at the memory.

His friends snickered at that.

"In her defense," Remus interjected, still laughing. "You did make a remark about how amazing her arse looked just a few seconds beforehand. Besides, it's not like she's one to hold a grudge," the werewolf added, "She even helped you last year with your Herbology project—you'd have failed without her."

Sirius huffed and looked away. Remus was right, of course—his dragon rumptully would've died without the Hufflepuff's intervention.

Peter nodded. "I like her," he declared. "She is really nice. Just… scary sometimes…"

Sirius snorted. "Try bloody terrifying," he muttered sulkily. "She almost knocked me off my broom before! And you too!" he said to James, waving a hand over at him. His tone took on a faintly mocking touch to it as he went on, "Or did you forget the moment you gazed into her big blue eyes?"

His answer was in the glazed look James gained, grinning as he murmured, "She does have really pretty eyes…" James' grin widened as he recalled their chat. "You should've seen the way they sorta flashed when she started on O'Leary." The sigh that passed his lips was nothing short of wistfully admiring.

Remus snorted, biting his lip trying not to laugh as Sirius stared at James in incredulity. Wide grey eyes turned to the others as he gestured exasperatedly at their infatuated friend. "She's a beater, Padfoot," Remus said patiently. "That's kinda her job. What's your problem, really?"

Sirius shoulders slumped and James suddenly broke out of his daze at the question.

"Yeah, you should be happy I took your advice to heart! She's another girl and we've got quidditch in common! D'you not like her or something?"

"No," Sirius objected instantly, "It's not that. I like her just fine. I like more than I like most birds, actually—not like that," he quickly clarified upon seeing James' narrow-eyed look and the raised eyebrows of his friends. "Merlin's fuzzy balls. It's just… you only just got out of a three year fixation with Evans…"

Remus lips twitched. "Awh," he teased, "You're worried it's too soon, aren't you? You don't want him getting hurt again?"

The werewolf was promptly met with a pillow in the face that sent him sputtering and almost tumbling off his bed.

Peter giggled into his hands. "We'll take that as a yes."

"Some best mates you are," Sirius muttered. He looked up as his bed dipped, James coming to sit next to him.

"Thanks, mate," James said honestly, smiling warmly as he threw an arm around Sirius' shoulders. "I appreciate the concern but… But it's okay."

Sirius watched him, searchingly, before he broke out into a grin. "Okay." His grin faltered for a second, "Hey, Prongs, she isn't just a rebound, is she?" he asked hesitantly. "'Cause that's kinda not cool, y'know?"

James blinked, startled at the question.

"I was wondering the same thing," Remus added, grumbling as he pushed himself up. "Since I don't think she's the type to date casually."

Sirius snorted. "I think she's the type to kick your arse if she finds out she is a rebound." Peter nodded deeply at that.

The messy-haired teen gave a thoughtful hum. "Nah," he said easily. "You know what I felt when I saw Evans on the train when we came back?" At their expectant stares, James shrugged. "Almost nothing, really. I mean," he amended, "I felt something, obviously, but nothing like last year. Not even close…" he trailed off, a faint smile on his face.

Sirius just shook his head though. "You're thinking about her again, aren't you? Higurashi?"

James couldn't help his sheepish look. "Mate, if only you saw her today… Watching her team, giving orders… Y'know she almost bit my head off when I insulted her team?" His smile grew, looking silly. "She leaned right in," he went on, gesturing the distance—or rather, the lack of it that was between them. "And then told me she'd make me eat my words." James let out a low, impressive whistle. "Jabbed me right here with her bat, too," he added, patting his chest with a bit of fondness.

The boys stared at him a moment before they all burst out laughing. "Oh, so it was you who insulted her then?" Sirius remarked, shaking his head ruefully, still laughing. "Prongs, I don't think that should be a point in her favor attraction-wise."

James just shrugged. "What can I say? She's really passionate and not just about quidditch, but her team as well."

The boys shared a look. "Oh shit," Sirius sniggered, arms clutching his stomach.

Remus nodded, grinning. "I think Prongs found his true soulmate. Someone who can match his love with quidditch. Who knew it was even possible?"

James pouted, crossing his arms and looking away as he huffed in embarrassment.

Peter budged up on his bed, pale blue eyes wide and curious. "So what are you gonna do?"

James glanced over at the question, his head canting to the side as he thought about it. "Well," he hummed, "I figure I'd talk to her first, you know? Get to know her?" he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I mean, we've at least got quidditch in common, right?"

o.O.o

"Looks like I was wrong."

Kagome was sitting at a small table in the library and trying to finish some homework when the familiar voice announced itself. "Not that it comes as a surprise to hear that," she said sweetly as she marked her place in her book, an innocent smile on her face as she looked up at her visitor. "But exactly what were you wrong about?"

Snorting, James dropped into the seat across from her, letting his bag drop with a loud thunk, as well as a short string of suspicious metal clanking.

At Kagome's confused blink and her following, slowly raised eyebrow, James coughed loudly. "About your team," he said, quickly moving to divert her attention. "You guys murdered the Snakes Saturday!" A gleeful grin broke out onto his face and he leaned forward to whisper, "I think you might've even made Sturgis cry a little bit."

Kagome bit her lip and turned away, trying not to grin at the image of the surly, stocky captain shedding a few tears over the embarrassing loss. It didn't work. "Well," she said, trying to play it off as nothing. The wicked and almost vicious glint in her eye pretty much negated that. "He didn't think a team of badgers captained by a muggleborn like me would make a single goal. I felt it necessary to show him just how wrong he was."

James, whose expression became pinched upon hearing Sturgis' remark, let out a laugh that could almost be described as a cackle and Kagome hurried to shush him before Madam Pinch swooned in and threw them both out.

"Sorry," James hurried to say much more quietly, tears coming to his eyes. He made a show of reaching under his glasses to swipe them away. "I just remembered the look on his face when you shot a bludger this close to clipping him," he chortled, holding up his thumb and forefinger with barely an inch of space between.

Kagome whistled, soft and innocent as she picked her book back up. "Dunno what you're talking about—I was just trying to block it from getting to Karpe where, I might add, his beater sent it towards in the first place."

A skeptical noise worked its way out from his throat, but James was still grinning nonetheless. "Now don't get too confident. Your team still doesn't come close to being in the same league as mine."

Eye twitching, her benevolent expression instantly switched to a chagrined one. "Talk about getting too confident—win a couple of Quidditch Cups and you think you're invincible," she shot back.

The mention of it had James puffing up his chest. "Oh, there's no thinking about it," he boasted. "I know we are."

But Kagome just smiled then, and James shifted uncomfortably at it. "But Potter, you were already wrong once. Who's to say you won't be again?" And with that, she primly slipped out of her seat and stood, sweeping up her books and bag. "Better not slack off or the Hufflepuffs might steal the Quidditch Cup this year," she warned in a sing-song voice as she sauntered away.

James could only sit there dumbly and watch her leave, eyes wide and trailing her every step.

o.O.o

Dearest nonny that sent me this prompt, I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it, haha. And of course, I hope the rest of you guys enjoyed it as well. Tell me what you think! ^^

I'm still accepting prompts by the way (though, as you can see, I may be slow in filling them). Drop on by my tumblr and shoot me an ask. Just give me a couple of names from anywhere (by anywhere, I do mean any of my fandoms, lol) and a prompt, and I'll see about writing a drabble or a one-shot or something, whatever the mind inspires!

Till next time!

RainLily^^