A/N: I wanted to try writing a Harry Potter fanfic, so here goes. It's obviously between James Sirius Potter and OC. And the OC is based off one of my VERY best friends, so I hope you like her personality as much as I love her. Enjoy!
Prologue
Victoria Gauvreau had long brown hair with random blue streaks, big blue eyes and tanned skin. Her family vacationed every year to a reclusive beach in the Bahamas with another family.
The 9 year old girl was twirling around when her mother called her to the front of the house. She stopped twirling, fighting against a blood rush. Running over to her mom, she looked up at her, eyes sparkling.
"Yeah Mum?" she asked.
"Say hello to the Potters and the Weasleys. You haven't seen them in a year."
"Hello!" Victoria said brightly.
They all smiled and said hello back, except James, who just ignored her. Her smile faded as she looked at him.
"Mum, I'm going to the beach. Roxie, come with me?" she asked.
Roxanne Weasley shook back her red hair and nodded. The two girls headed for the beach and waded in the water, up until their shorts.
"I love the summer." Roxanne said, smiling brightly.
"Me too," Victoria smiled.
A moment later she was serious again. After a long silence, Roxanne finally looked over at her. Victoria had her head tipped back towards the sun. Her eyes were half-closed and she looked happy and sad at the same time. Roxanne knew her best friend well enough to know that the happy side was just from the summer, and that something had been bothering her all year. The redhead was confused, nothing got Victoria down. She finally spoke.
"What's bothering you?" she demanded.
"Why does your cousin hate me?" Victoria asked.
Roxanne could see that it was really bothering her. Victoria's lower lip was trembling.
"I don't know. He's not usually like that. Maybe he likes you?"
"Whatever, of course not," Victoria brushed it off. "I'm hungry; do you want to get something to eat?"
"Yeah, let's go to the Snack Shack." Roxanne said, referring to the junk food store in the small nearby wizarding town.
"Sounds good, we need to stock up on our junk for the summer." Victoria's happy expression was back.
They walked back to the beach, the tiny currents slowing their steps. Passing by the house they shared, they picked up Dominique- Rose was too shy -and then told their parents they were walking to the Shack.
Footsteps pounded behind them. The three girls turned.
Fred, Louis, Albus and James were coming up behind them, trying to catch up. The girls stopped. Roxanne glared at James- she was mad at him for hurting Victoria's feelings- and smiled at the rest of them.
Fred and Roxanne and James started talking, Dominique and Louis started talking about when they were going to visit France, and Albus fell into step with Victoria, and they started a discussion about brooms, and how Victoria now had a Firebolt 2002.
"Yeah, I love it, it's like it's listening to my thoughts and not what I'm doing when I'm flying you know?" she asked.
They arrived at the Snack Shack and stepped inside the refreshingly cool store. Victoria immediately started stocking up on her candy.
She paid, and the familiar 15 year old guy: Luke smiled.
"It's been awhile." He commented.
"Yeah, a whole year," Victoria smiled back at him. "I'm out of candy so, I'm back!" she handed over the money.
"Bye, I'm off to spend time with my friends!" she half-waved and left the store with her friends. And James.
Her hair swung along behind her as she and Roxanne walked ahead. They were talking animatedly about Hogwarts, waving their arms around to punctuate their points. Dominique joined them, and the guys watched them walk away.
"Have you ever noticed that Victoria's really pretty?" Louis asked quietly.
The boys nodded in agreement. Even James.
Chapter One: The Only Exception
Victoria flopped down on her bed. Her trunk lay unpacked still, and the train to Hogwarts left the next morning. Her room was covered in her clothes and her huge stack of books was leaning against her bed.
Her mother and father were at the Ministry; they were Aurors and there had just been a mass bring in of remaining Death Eaters, causing a load of paperwork.
Her 15 year old brother was home, but he was locked up in his room trying to finish his History of Magic on a rogue goblin that had broken into Gringott's seventy-five years ago.
She finally gave up on figuring out how to pack everything and headed down into the dark kitchen with An Introduction to Charms under her arm. Finding her bag she sighed in relief, she didn't want to have to carry all her books in her arms.
Grabbing an apple out of their fridge, she returned to her room. Victor-her brother- stuck his head out of his room.
She had always found their names cheesy: Victoria and Victor. They were justlikethis and she told him everything.
"Hey, got your stuff packed?" he asked.
"No." She muttered. "I can't fit all my stuff in." She admitted.
He laughed. "Good luck!" he called, returning to his essay.
Victoria rolled her eyes; he was already the smartest person she knew. She opened the dark wood door of her room and entered the green, blue, brown, purple and white room.
She finally decided on packing by putting her underwear at the bottom, then a row of books, then her casual clothes, then books, and then her school clothes.
Her Russian Blue cat Minnie jumped onto the top and helpfully held the lid down while she did up the buckles.
"Thanks Minnie." She patted her cat.
The next morning, Victoria was shaken awake by her mother. Anna smiled.
"Good morning. Breakfast is ready." She said, kissing her daughter's head and leaving the room.
Victoria groaned and rolled out of bed. She padded downstairs with her hair in a messy bun, her eyes narrowed with sleepiness. They were usually very naturally wide and it looked different on her.
She was wearing a blue tank top and white pyjama shorts. She sat down at the table and her father slid her plate down it. It was a tomato, bacon, cheese and ham omelette with bacon and buttered toast. She dug in.
Just after finishing, she gulped down some apple juice and stood, as the doorbell rang. Her brother opened it.
The Potters were there. Lily ran inside and hugged Victoria. Albus waved and she hugged Lily and his brother, ignoring James. It had been two months since she had seen her best friends; they hadn't met up in Diagon Alley.
She said hello to Harry and Ginny. Lily asked to see her bedroom.
"Sure follow me." Victoria said.
Albus came along, he'd seen it before, but out of sheer boredom, he decided to revisit it. Victoria opened the door to her room.
"It's so cool!" Lily gasped.
"Thanks." Victoria turned around as she heard footsteps on the stairs.
It was James.
"What do you want?" she snapped.
"To escape parent talk." He smirked.
She rolled her eyes. "Nobody said you can come into my room." She said quietly, trying to avoid Lily hearing them. She was only seven after all.
She did anyways. You don't live with two brothers for seven years and only have average hearing. She walked over.
"I know you two are always arguing, I may be seven but I'm NOT stupid. So you two are going to make up." She said firmly.
"We can't make up because we were never friends." James snapped.
"Well you're going to be." Lily announced.
Victoria raised an eyebrow. She stayed silent, and couldn't help but exchange a confused look with James... probably the only time they'd ever looked at each other at the same time.
"Hug." Lily ordered
"No way!" they said together.
"If you don't hug, I will scream so loudly that your eardrums will pop and you'll fail out of Hogwarts because you can't hear instructions in class. And you both won't be able to play Quidditch." She threatened quietly.
Victoria refrained from glaring at her. "You are a devious child." She retorted.
"Hug," Lily insisted, refusing to be derailed.
James ran a hand through his already messy hair. "She's wearing pyjamas!" he complained.
Albus, Lily and Victoria looked at him like he was crazy. "What does that have to do with anything?" Albus asked.
"It means... I don't know." He gave up.
"Good hug!"
Victoria wrinkled her nose as James stepped closer. "Let's get this over with." They muttered at the same time.
They hesitantly hugged each other. Pulling apart, they burst out laughing at Albus' face which reflected utter and complete shock, and Lily's face which was intensely proud.
They stopped laughing a moment later, surprised at the fact they had just laughed at the same thing. Victoria inhaled.
"We should probably go downstairs, it's almost 10:00 AM and the train leaves at eleven." She said quietly.
James nodded. "Yeah." He said just as quietly.
Victoria led the way down the stairs into the living room. The clock chimed loudly and everyone jumped, looking up from their conversations.
"It's ten." Victoria said needlessly.
They laughed at her cheery expressions. The Potters stood and headed for the door, putting on their boots and jackets, as it was very rainy outside.
Victoria and her family stood in the foyer watching them leave. "I'll see you on the train." James said, his usual confident half-smile having returned.
"Yeah, see you." Victoria offered him a smile.
Lily and Albus smiled knowingly, and the parents looked bemused. Victor just shook his head. The Potters left and Victoria and Victor disappeared to finish last minute packing.
Victoria closed the door of her bedroom and lounged on her window seat, Minnie on her lap. She stared out the rain-splattered window. The Potters had just reached their car, and James and Albus looked up, and saw her watching.
They both waved and smiled at her. Victoria waved back and leaned against the wall. She marvelled at how twenty minutes ago, she thought she'd hated James. Now, it was different. She didn't like him, but that hug...
"I don't hate you." James had whispered in her ear.
She had been shocked, but, in her opinion, she had hid it well.
She spent the next half hour with her knees pulled up against her chest, mulling what he said over, analyzing everything word in that short, albeit powerful sentence.
Her father called her down. She grabbed her trunk and slipped a black water-resistant coat over her clothes.
She was wearing the usual Hogwarts uniform, minus her robes because well, it was too early, so she was actually wearing a black tank top, a white blouse, a plack pleated skirt that was mid-thigh-ish length, grey lace tights and she was wearing her usual black knee-high Converse because you could wear whatever shoes you wanted, along with her Gryffindor tie- which she almost forgot.
She met up with her brother, and they walked out to the car together, their parents levitating their trunks behind them.
At the Kings Cross Station, Anna and Mason hurried their children through the barrier; they had gotten there only five minutes early.
Victoria subconsciously held her breath as she passed through onto Platform 9 ¾. Anna followed her. They loaded her and Victor's trunk onto the train and she hugged her mom and dad goodbye.
"I'll see you for Thanksgiving." She said.
Victor said goodbye, and followed Victoria onto the train. He went off to sit with his friends, and she found an empty compartment. Dominique and Roxanne traipsed down the corridor of the train, and shrieked when they found her.
"It feels like it's been forever since we've seen you!" Roxanne said, hugging her.
Dominique hugged her as well and they settled down next to her. Louis was the next to find them, along with their friends Lorcan and Lysander Scamander. Next was Fallon Longbottom, the last girl in their group. Finally James appeared, unceremoniously flopping down in the empty seat across from Victoria.
Fallon hugged her friends as her hello and smiled brightly. She was like Victoria- happy 99% of the time, but defensive- and the two girls got along great.
The train pulled out and they crowded around the window, saying goodbye to their parents, except for Fallon whose parents were both teachers at Hogwarts.
Headmistress McGonagall was waiting for them in the entrance hall. The first years filed in, in almost complete silence, milling around while she waited for Professor Flitwick to take over.
"Welcome back to Hogwarts." She said as he arrived, leaving silently.
Victoria exchanged a look with Fallon; both girls were bouncing impatiently on the balls of their feet. Victoria almost screamed when someone put a hand on her shoulder. She whirled around and sighed in relief when she saw it was just Lorcan.
"Relax, they're going to take awhile, you know that and breathe," he instructed quietly.
She smiled at her best guy friend, and he wrapped a friendly arm around her shoulder. They sat together with the rest of their group, talking quietly.
All the first years waiting in the hall looked awed by the castle. Professor Flitwick reappeared. "Make sure your robes are properly placed, we must make a good impression on the first years." He instructed.
They all turned to face the Entrance Hall expectantly.
"They look desperate." Dominique muttered. "Haven't they ever heard of playing it cool?"
Victoria, Fallon and Roxanne were the only ones who heard, and laughed quietly. They were now lined up in the middle row of the Great Hall.
"We will now being the Sorting." Professor Flitwick squeaked.
Everyone fell silent and looked at the Sorting Hat expectantly.
"Abestine, Jamie!"
After what seemed like forever,
"Malfoy, Scorpius!"
Scorpius was made a Slytherin, Rose and Albus were both Sorted into Gryffindor, and their respective siblings looked proud.
"I'd like to welcome you all back or to Hogwarts, and I'd also like to remind you that while the 3rd floor corridor is no longer off-limits that the Forbidden Forest still is, and that there are some extremely dangerous magical creatures in there. They may not be so friendly towards students. The Whomping Willow is also to be avoided as it attacks all those who go near it. Please refrain from magic in the corridors as Mr. Filch has to clean up any messes. Madam Pomfrey asks that if you see any tansies to bring them to her, because they are needed for an antidote that she is currently in the process of making. Classes begin in two days, and ALL are expected to attend. Have a good night."
Victoria made a slightly amused face. "Everyone knows that the Forbidden Forest doesn't have all too dangerous creatures. The centaurs and Grawp are friendly and Hagrid's already told us which parts to avoid." She whispered to her friends who nodded in agreement.
She caught Lysander's eye; he was in Ravenclaw and winked. He smiled at her, understanding that they had just been talking about what he'd assumed they were talking about.
"Off to bed now, all of you!" Professor Slughorn said after another twenty minutes of lingering conversations.
Victoire, who was a prefect, led the way to the Gryffindor common room. They reached the portrait of the Fat Lady who looked tired as she swung open to admit them. Victoria hung back.
"Hey, I have a question for you." She said to the picture. "Do portraits sleep?"
The Fat Lady smiled. "Yes, thank-you for asking." She said, staying open so Victoria could climb through. Roxanne was waiting for her; the girls had gone ahead into their dormitory.
"Hey, what kept you?" she asked.
"I was asking the Fat Lady if she slept." Victoria shrugged nonchalantly, which sent Roxanne into a fit of laughter.
"Only you would ask that Toria, only you."
Victoria shrugged. "You really are crazy Roxi, I'm sure lots of people have asked things like that."
Victoire came up to them. "Asked things like what?"
Roxanne regained control of her breathing. "Victoria was asking the Fat Lady if portraits can sleep." She paused. "I never asked you; can they?" she questioned.
Victoria nodded. Roxanne laughed again for a few moments. Victoire shook her head.
"No one else in my six years has asked that." She said smiling. "And why didn't you ask that in the last four years?"
"I only just thought of it."
They laughed again.
Victoria stuck out her tongue. "You guys just don't have an imagination." She said firmly. "Now if you'll excuse us V, Laughy McLaughterton and I are off to bed." She dragged Roxanne away, unaware of Lorcan and James watching Roxanne and her giggle about whatever it was; as they couldn't hear the conversation.
"We're going to have to figure that out." James said as they headed for the boys' dormitory. "I don't like not being in on something that funny."
Lorcan shook his head. "You just don't like not being on everything that Victoria is man." He corrected.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." James said; his tone sincere.
"You don't now, but you will." Lorcan muttered.
"What?" James asked.
"Nothing, absolutely nothing," Lorcan's thoughts returned to Roxanne's laughing face.
"Whatever dude."
The next morning, Victoria woke up to Dominique flipping her off the bed. "Dude!" she shouted.
She heard snickering from the common room, and realized she had shouted loud enough for the guys to hear.
"That was uncalled for!" she glared at the blonde, who shrugged and hauled her up.
"Get your ass in gear!" she said, shoving her towards the bathroom, where she showered, dried her hair into its usual super straightness, put on the minimal makeup that she wore and got dressed in a record time of 15 minutes.
She stumbled out 15 minutes later to Dominique's amazed face. "You set a new record for the quickest getting-ready time ever." She announced.
"Great! Let's go I'm starving." Victoria grumbled; she was NOT a morning person.
The guys laughed at her disgruntled face when she appeared in the common room. She crossed her arms.
"You know what? Stuff it!" she snapped.
"Someone's not a morning person." James commented.
"Someone's commenting on the obvious." Victoria shot back at him. "It's only been four years of solid proof."
"Touché."
"Whatever."
Victoria turned on her heel, her robes swishing behind her briefly as she walked away. Roxanne, Dominique and Fallon caught up with her, and the girls looked at her in obvious confusion.
"Why aren't you arguing with him?"
"What? Of course I did."
"No, you backed down and walked away. You ALWAYS fight with him."
"Dude, why weren't you arguing with her?"
"Of course I was."
"No you didn't press it after she started to walk away."
"Whatever man, let's eat."
After breakfast, Victoria looked at her friends. "Now what do we do?" she asked. "My broom's still packed away, and Quidditch doesn't start for another week."
"Let's... Um... oh I know! Let's visit Hagrid!" Fallon said brightly.
"Sounds good, and we just ate so he can't give us any rock cakes." Victoria whispered.
The guys caught up with them. "So what are we talking about?" James wrapped his arms around the shoulders of Roxanne and Victoria.
They both shook him off rolling their eyes. "We're going to visit Hagrid." Roxanne told him, sensing that Victoria wasn't about to talk to him.
"Great, we'll come too!" Lorcan wrapped an arm around Victoria's shoulder.
She shook him off as well. "Whatever."
They all set off down the hill towards Hagrid's hut. Victoria knocked on the door. Hagrid opened it.
"There yeh are! I was wunderin' when yu'd be comin down ter visit me!" he hugged them all.
Victoria gasped for breath after his tight hug. James patted her back a few times until she could breathe normally.
"Thanks!" she rasped.
They sat down, two to a one of Hagrid's huge chairs. Fallon leaned forward towards Hagrid as he started telling them about Buckbeak's daughter. They hadn't named her yet, but she was growing fast.
They spent two hours down there until Hagrid finally stood up, making the chairs vibrate slightly.
"I've gotta go, got ter feed Grawp." He said.
"Alright, bye Hagrid!" they called one by one, as they left.
Victoria headed into the common room, almost running into James. "Damn!" she said as she swerved and hit her head against a wall.
"Bloody hell!" she sank down to the floor, holding a hand to her temple.
"Damnit, let's get you to Madam Pomfrey." James helped her up and she followed him back out of the common room down the stairs, down a hallway, a turn to the left, down more stairs, to the right and into the infirmary where Madam Pomfrey looked alarmed when she saw Victoria's bruised temple.
At a closer examination, she deemed that Victoria would be fine, and went to find her wand to numb the pain in her head a little.
Victoria, her eyes half-closed, turned and looked at James. "You don't have to stay you know." She said, still managing to convey a large amount disbelief that he was there.
"Fine I'll leave." He said, and stood.
"Thanks though, you know, for taking me down here?" Victoria added.
"Any time." He half-smiled and walked away, as Victoria turned her head so she was looking at the ceiling again.
Roxanne, Dominique and Fallon burst in a few minutes after Madam Pomfrey gave her a painkilling potion that made her sleepy.
"Victoria! Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, just a headache." Victoria muttered. "And I'm feeling a little tired so..." she trailed off as she fell asleep. Roxanne and Dominique looked at her and then each other, laughing quietly. They turned and left Victoria alone.
Victoria woke up some hours later and mentally freaked out for a moment before remembering where she was. Madam Pomfrey appeared.
"You're free to go." The nurse said. "Just in time for dinner."
"Thanks Madam Pomfrey." Victoria said gratefully and stood up, walking away from the infirmary.
She arrived in the Great Hall just before the dinner was ready, and sat down beside her friends. "Miss me?" she asked.
"How're you feeling?" James asked, worried that he had caused permanent damage or something.
"Fine, I'll be back to arguing with you tomorrow." Victoria said, smirking in a slightly serious way.
"Good, 'cause Roxanne just can't keep up." He retorted.
"Good."
A/N: Well I'm done the first chapter. I hope you liked it.
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