JAMES POTTER

And the Road to No Promises

Chapter 3. The Friendship Loophole

James, Fiona, Albus and Rose were all sitting by the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room when the first years were led in by the Gryffindor prefects, Felicia Massengil and E.G Jordan. Lily practically danced across the room to stand in front of the fireplace, dragging Ella along with her.

"I did it!" She squealed as soon as she had all their attention, "I'm a Gryffindor." Because she obviously wanted a big reaction they started clapping. James let out an earsplitting whistle and Albus yelled;

"Yeah Lily!"

"Stop it!" Lily said urgently, though she couldn't stop giggling, "You're embarrassing me!" That got everyone laughing.

"Honey, if you don't want to be embarrassed you shouldn't be happy about being in the same house as us." Fiona said. Lily giggled appreciatively.

"Alright. But look!" She dragged the smaller girl forward a bit, "Ella made it too!" The others exchanged glances, not sure what to say. Lily looked at them all expectantly and a little confused. Then she slapped the heel of her hand to her forehead. "Oh! I forgot to introduce you!" Albus and James relaxed in their seats, happy to have an excuse not to react; Fiona and Rose only exchanged glances, knowing they had only been delayed. "Everyone, this is Ella, she's my new Hogwarts best friend forever. Ella, these are my brothers; James and Albus. And these are our very close family friends; Fiona and Rose. I'll introduce you to Rose's brother, Hugo, later but he's in Ravenclaw with the Lovegoods. Oh, but you don't know them either! Ambrose and Andrea are close family friends too, their parents let them pick the last name they wanted, isn't that cool?" Ella watched her prattle on with lifeless eyes. The Lovegoods were a very odd family. Their mother, Luna Lovegood was a magazine editor and her on-again off-again fiancé, Jerry Appleton, was an investigative reporter for the Daily Prophet. That household was home for very strange ideas. One of which was when the twins were five they got to pick if they wanted to be Lovegoods or Appletons. They chose Lovegoods. Normally twins are different as night and day, but Ambrose and Andrea were very similar. They looked almost exactly the same with short, curly blond hair and misty gray eyes, pale skin and freckles. They both had a birthmark on the outside of their right eyebrows. They were both a little dazed, unrealistic and easily distracted. The two were so similar that they had a lot of the same friends but couldn't hang out with each other for very long so their friends often had to split their time between the two. At first when the twins suggested it their friends were hesitant, feeling it might be awkward, but the twins never minded and eventually their friends stopped caring too.

"Hey, Lily." Rose said quietly when Lily stopped for a breath, "Ella looks tired; perhaps it's time for bed?"

"What do you think?" Lily asked Ella eagerly, she may well have asked the wall if it was ready for bed, she didn't get a response. Lily shrugged, "Okay, let's go."

"Actually," Fiona interjected, "You should stay for a minute, Lily. We've got a couple things we need to talk to you about.

"What is this, an intervention?" James muttered under his breath, Fiona sucker punched him in the arm. He flinched at first, then tried to brush it off and ignore it by showing no signs of pain, but Fiona saw the plot for revenge form behind his eyes. Lily let Ella walk up to the dormitory and turned to the others.

"What?" She asked.

"It's Ella." Albus blurted out, Lily's eyes widened and Rose slapped herself in the forehead.

"The one time you don't over think something you blurt out the worst things." She muttered, Albus turned to her and grinned.

"That's why I think things through, miss 'you have to be spontaneous'." He pointed out.

"I stand corrected." Rose sighed in defeat.

"What do you mean? What's Ella?" Lily asked suspiciously, returning to the subject matter.

"Sweetie, don't take this the wrong way but how did you meet her?" Fiona asked delicately.

"I did it like you told me to. She was the only other first year sitting alone, so I went in and talked to her."

"That isn't exactly what I meant…" Fiona started uncomfortably but cut herself off when Lily cocked her head to the side.

"But…of course it is." Lily said confidently, Fiona sighed and leaned back farther into the couch.

"What's she like?" Rose asked. Lily looked startled.

"She er…she's really shy. She was really glad that someone came and talked to her. And I think she's nervous about everything. But then again, who isn't?" Lily looked at them, the oddest expression on her face.

"So…she talked to you?" Albus asked, a little confused. Lily ducked her head and scuffed her foot; a show of embarrassment.

"Well…not exactly…" She mumbled.

"Pardon?" James asked.

"Well, I asked her if she wanted me to leave and she didn't say anything. And when I asked her to be my friend I told her that she just needed to say no for me to leave and she didn't say anything."

"Wow." James whispered, leaning close to Fiona and whispering to her, "A friendship loophole."

"All friendships are based on loopholes." She whispered back.

"Even ours?"
"Especially ours." Fiona turned back to Lily, but James continued to stare at her. He wondered just what loophole was found in their friendship, he couldn't even remember that far back.

"Just give her a chance." Lily was pleading when James's mind returned to the conversation.

"Now, we never said we wouldn't. You can be friends with her if you want, who are we to judge?" Fiona said.

"Yeah, look at who we ended up with." Rose pointed out. Albus, Rose, James and Fiona all looked back and forth between each other for a moment before turning back to Lily, who suddenly looked convinced.

"You're right. Don't worry about it. I'm going to bed." And she was up the stairs before the others had time to react.

"Ouch." Fiona said with mild surprise, "That kind of stung."

It was the first day of class and Fiona was already failing Alchemy. She was pleased to find that both Millie and Landon were in her class, but Landon was typically surrounded and Millie didn't offer more conversation after "Hi". Fiona slumped into the seat next to her, she took out her book and set it on her desk before propping both her elbows on it and holding her chin up with the heels of her hands.

"I had a rough night." She informed Millie dully.

"Oh?" Millie responded, sounding rightfully concerned but unreasonably nervous. Fiona nodded.

"I couldn't sleep. I don't even know what it was it was just…my brain didn't want to turn off or something."

"Hm." And Fiona couldn't get anything more out of her companion. The lecture started and Fiona stared at the front of the room with drooping eyes. Why couldn't she sleep? Maybe she should have gone to bed sooner, or not slept in so long the morning before. The next thing she knew Fiona was being poked in the side with something sharp. With a squeak she jolted awake, her elbows slipping off the desk, and she tumbled to the floor. "Ow." She said to no one in particular. Then she saw a pair of shoes. Nervously, she looked up to see Professor Hotchkiss looking down at her over his thick spectacles.

"Are you okay?" He asked concernedly. Fiona smiled and stood, she liked Professor Hotchkiss, though not his career choice. Professor Hotchkiss was a lot younger than the other Professors; he was in his late twenties and had only been teaching for a couple of years. Students loved him, even those who (like Fiona) hated Alchemy, this Professor would always be a treat to talk to during passing time.

"I'm fine." Fiona said quickly, trying to cover up the fact she just fell asleep in front of her favorite professor, "I think I just got light-headed or something."

"Perhaps you should go see Madame Pomfry." Professor Hotchkiss suggested kindly.

"That's really not necessary." Fiona assured him, feeling her cheeks begin to redden.

"Who will take Miss Finnegan here to the Hospital Wing?" He asked the room at large. Everyone had been quietly chatting to each other and looked up in incomprehension when Professor Hotchkiss called them to attention. All, that is, expect for two. Millie buried her face behind her book, not wanting to be called on and put in the spotlight; and Landon kept a level gaze on Fiona, his face expressionless. Professor Hotchkiss looked around for a face that wasn't confused, and his eyes landed on Landon. "Mr. Longbottom?" He suggested. Landon had been slouching back in his chair, hands dug into his pockets, he shrugged. "Very good." Landon stood and walked to the door, pausing while the red faced Fiona scurried to catch up with him. As soon as they were in the hall, Fiona drew in a ragged breath. Landon cut his eyes to her and raised his eyebrows a fraction of an inch.

"I wish he wouldn't make such a fuss." She explained, "Thanks for coming with me, though." Landon shrugged again.

"Anything to get out of that class." He said.

"Oh, I know! I don't even know why I still take it!" Fiona exclaimed, unintentionally slowing her pace as she did when walking and talking. Landon matched her, turning his head completely so he could look at her.

"So you don't like it, or you're bad at it?" He asked.

"Both! See, James loves it, plus he's really good at it. He's even taking some kind of advanced Alchemy class this year instead of ours, can you believe that? That's nice for him and everything but I really don't understand it. I guess I kind of let him talk me into taking it." Fiona admitted.

"Do you always do what James tells you?" Landon asked. Fiona stopped and peered up into his expressionless face, trying to decide whether to be offended or not. On the one hand Landon was her friend, she liked him, and the question was innocent enough. On the other hand the way he said it, the way he had shoved his hands back in his pockets and looked away with a momentary smirk made her think he didn't think it was as innocent as she did. And on another hand maybe he just didn't think it was cool of her to take orders from anybody. After all, he never did. Maybe he just wanted her to be a little defiant. Thinking to herself, just standing with Landon in an empty corridor, Fiona thought that saying it wouldn't be too horrible if he wanted to hear it so bad.

"Earth to Fiona." Landon said slowly after about a minute. Fiona blinked a few times.

"I…sorry…just…I mean…no." She stuttered.

"Come again?" Landon asked.

"I don't do everything James tells me to." Fiona said, dropping her gaze and beginning to walk again.

"Of course you don't." Landon muttered under his breath.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Fiona snapped, looking carefully ahead of her.

"It means you're lying." Landon said simply.

"I am not." Fiona gasped, "I really don't! I…" She tried to think of the last time she didn't agree to anything James told her. She couldn't think of anything. Her legs seemed to freeze in place and she stopped walking again, eyes narrowing and darting around. Landon smirked again, she wasn't looking directly at him when he did, but it wasn't a happy expression, or smug. Now that she thought about it…she wasn't looking at him a few minutes ago either, it was the same sad smirk. Or maybe it was disgust. Fiona really didn't want to know the distinction.

"That's what I thought." Landon said, continuing to walk. It took Fiona a few second before she caught up with him, knowing that he wouldn't wait for her.

"Why does it matter?" She asked.

"Just does." Landon said with yet another shrug.

"That," Fiona said coldly, "Is a horrible answer."

"It's all I got." Landon replied, stopping at the doors to the hospital wing.

"I guess you can go back to class now." Fiona suggested. Landon raised his eyebrows.

"I wouldn't have come if I considered going back to class." He said. Fiona felt her face going red again. Of course he wouldn't go back to class, teachers were lucky enough if he showed up in the first place, little lone coming back from a bathroom break or escorting someone to the Hospital Wing. Come one Fiona! She shouted internally, Stop blushing! Stop blushing in front of Landon! I mean…I don't care because it's just Landon. I mean…

"I have to…" She muttered, inching toward the doors. Landon had been studying her steadily growing blush and caught her shoulder before she could disappear into the hospital wing. He didn't say anything, but he met her eyes and one side of his mouth pulled into his half smile. When Fiona entered the Wing she was brighter than a beet, but she already felt better. "There's the loophole." She whispered to herself ruefully.

I know I know. The next chapter won't have those big useless personal information blocks, kay? It's weird because this is the story I get least support for but I can't stop writing it!

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