James Sirius Potter and Ileana Iris Fountaine had been practically inseparable since birth. Their mothers, teammates on the Holyhead Harpies, had bonded over pre-maternal anxieties and shared wizarding mother books. Their fathers however, only became friend once they had to deal with crying babies in the quidditch stands together. Ileana's ever changing hair color was usually enough to entice the baby James to quiet down, however.
Amelie and Luca Fountaine were graduates of Beauxbaton but moved to London for Amelie's Quidditch career. They had planned on sending their daughter to Beauxbaton, despite Ileana's feverish desire to attend Hogwarts with her best compatriot, James. Ileana in her desperation sought out James's Aunt Fleur, another graduate of Beauxbaton who sent her children to Hogwarts and begged her to talk to Amelie and Luca. Hearing that the Famous Fleur Delacour sent her children to Hogwarts, persuaded Ileana's parents to grant her wish.
By age 11 Ileana had settled on warm brown eyes and straw blonde hair, like her father. Her slight features mimicked those of her mother, an outstanding Seeker. Ileana and James had spent most summer's of their childhood in fierce competitions to see who would be the Gryffindor seeker when their time came. Harry and Luca would throw golf balls and watch in great enjoyment as their children dived through the air as best they could on children brooms, desperately trying to wrap their fingers around the "snitch" before it hit the ground. Both James and Ileana begged Harry to allow them to use the snitch sitting on the Potter's mantle, Harry informed them time and time again however, that the snitch on the mantle would no longer fly and to not touch it.
James and Ileana were absolutely giddy to board the Hogwarts Express together. They had dreamed and obsessed over this moment for years, no longer would they have to wait for one of their parents to floo them over, or dare defy them and take the Underground, though they thought Harry quite enjoyed their rebellious nature. They had longed for the days they would be at Hogwarts together, in the same classes, in the same Great Hall for every meal, in the same Common room.
There was no doubt in either of their minds that Gryffindor was the house for them. When they went to purchase their wands, James's 11 inch Mahogany even shot out red and gold sparks. While Ileana's 13 inch Fir did not produce sparks, when Ollivander attempted to take it from her, it was like the wand was glued into her hand and refused to be seperated from her. Only once the wand was purchased was she able to place it back into its box.
As they settled into their compartment, James placed his trunk above him and his dark speckled owl beside him. Ileana heaved her trunk above her head, refusing James's offer of help. The train begins to move as two light haired, clear eyed 11 year olds knock on the glass. James gets up and opens the door. The two silently walk in, place their trunks above them and sit down opposite from each other, the boy next to Ileana and the girl next to James.
The lith girl spoke first, "Hello, my name is Chrysanthemum, though you can call me Chrysie and this is my brother Clover."
Clover smiled broadly and said Hello. Ileana responded "Hello, My name is Ileana and this is James." She gestured to James.
"Oh we know James, Our fathers are quite good friends." Chrysie chimed, she was about to continue when James interrupted her.
"Ilena, these are Chrysie and Clover Longbottom."
That is when the pin dropped, of course the two oddities in front of her were Neville Longbottom's children, how else could their hair be so light and their heads so full of air, unless they were the children of Luna Lovegood, brilliant witch but it seemed she could float off at any minute from what Ileana recalled seeing of her at Christmas parties past, at least The few Luna and Neville were able to attend when they weren't off in jungles looking for new Magical species of Flora and Fauna.
The children relaxed and chattered all the way to the station at Hogwarts, they swapped stories of their time before Hogwarts, though James and Ileana had to admit bushwhacking through the Amazon sounded a lot more interesting than their times spent in Quidditch stands.
They all disembarked the scarlet engine and shared a boat over the Black Lake to Hogwarts. Both James and Ileana attempted to keep their hand in the ink black water longest, though neither succeeded as Hagrid noticed this little competition and made them knock it off.
A blonde woman a little older than their parents greeted the first years in a small stone room off to one side of the entrance of the Great Hall. She introduced herself as Professor MacMillan and instructed them to follow her into the Great Hall for the Sorting Ceremony.
Aaron Boot is called up to the Sorting Hat first and is sorted into Ravenclaw.
Sarah Brown is next and sorted into Hufflepuff.
More nervous 11 year olds go to sit on the stool, have the large patchwork hat placed on their head and are sorted into their homes for the next 7 years.
"Ileana Fountaine" rings clear through the Great Hall.
Her black Mary Janes echo on the stone floor, her heartbeat pounds in her ears. She sits on the hard wooden stool, her knuckles turned white gripping the sides of the stool as the soft fabric droops over her ears.
She knew she was a Gryffindor, but unlike James, she didn't have family lineage to help her feel secure in that, so as the soft whisper of the Hat turned into a loud booming voice announcing
"Gryffindor!"
Ileana felt one hundred pounds lighter as she took her spot at the Gryffindor table, her necktie turning red and gold. Soon James joined her at the Gryffindor table, however the Longbottom twins were seperated, Chrysie joined the Hufflepuffs at the table at the edge of the hall and Clover joined the Ravenclaws at the table next to Gryffindor.
James and Ileana ate heartily knowing their plans for "The Best Seven Years Ever" had been set into motion.
They gladly got up the next morning, met each other in the common room and practically skipped to the Great Hall for breakfast with Chrysie and Clover. The four of them began to meet for every breakfast and lunch and in between classes. The two who were inseparable became four.
The rest of Ileana and James's plan played out smoothly over the next 6 years, they became an unbeatable duo on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, though that almost happened later than planned.
In their second year, Ileana was selected as the seeker, but James had not made the team, despite a chaser position being open. Ileana refused to play unless James was by her side, and they helped Gryffindor win the Quidditch Cup that year and every year after.
In the summer before their fifth year, they both received their prefect badges, James on August 15th and Ileana 5 days later on the 20th. The wait almost killed her, especially since in those 5 days Ileana obsessively practiced her snitch diving, took a nasty fall and broke her arm. As her father was taking her to St. Mungo's they checked the post and found her prefect badge in the mail.
