A/N: So after a guest review, I realized there were some things I had assumed but hadn't really communicated in the story, which is why reviews are awesome :) So I made some changes!

James chucked his near pristine gloves into his locker - his brow furrowed and his manner agitated. The reserves had been practicing with the starting lineup once a week for the past month, and James had barely seen the pitch. His flying was fantastic during reserve practice, and he was sure his coaches could see his potential, but Puddlemere's head coach Reuben Cooper was a hard old bastard who had yet to give him a fair shake, in James's humble opinion.

"Easy there, Potter. You'll burn a hole through the wall with that arm of yours."

James threw a look of annoyance at his teammate. Jacob Reed was a Keeper and had been on the reserves for three seasons now, and so received more time on the field than James did. They got along reasonably well; both were the only former Gryffindors on the reserve team.

"You're one to talk. You actually get to touch the Quaffle during these things."

James flopped down onto the bench and kicked off his boots with a huff. Reed placed his gloves in the locker next to James's and began to take off his jersey.

"True, but I was just like you once upon a time."

Rolling his eyes, James moved to undress as well.

"Stop talking as if you're some wise old sage and let me be frustrated, will you? This isn't what I expected."

Reed chuckled.

"It never is. You expected to be some rookie hot shot that impressed the coaches to the point where they threw protocol out the window? This is the way it always works. You have to prove yourself. Let them know you're a part of this team and not just in it for the glory."

Grabbing his towel, Reed turned to head towards the showers.

"I remember you telling me you always wanted to play for Puddlemere, right?" he asked before leaving.

James nodded.

"Well, part of being on this team means being a teammate above all else. You've managed to open up with me, but I'm not considered a threat. So try focusing on getting to know your fellow Chasers. You've got the skill, no doubt about that, so show them you've got the right spirit and perspective too."

He clapped James on the shoulder with a hand that was calloused from throwing and catching a Quaffle for many years and left the room.

James mulled his teammates words over in his mind. One of the things that had drawn him to Puddlemere was the camaraderie that he saw, on and off the field. He wanted to be a part of that. Yet here he was, stewing in what he thought was his own failure, but was really just a part of the process. Deciding to take Reed's advice to heart, he made his way towards where two of his other teammates that he'd barely spoken to sat on the bench in front of their lockers. He looked around for Gemma Talley, the fourth reserve Chaser, but she was already gone. She was a new recruit like James and tended to leave right after training. Apparently she was having trouble opening up to her teammates as well.

"Hey, anyone fancy a bite?"

The two Chasers looked startled at the presence of their new teammate. They shared a look before the younger of the two, dark skinned with curly black hair, stood and gave him a skeptical look.

"Why now? You've barely paid us any mind before."

James let out a sigh, thinking it best to be honest in this situation.

"I've been a bit of a prick. I made this all about myself so I thought staying at a distance was the way to go. I was wrong. Team first, right?"

They looked impressed with his honesty.

"Well, in that case." The one still sitting stuck his hand out and James grinned in relief, gripping it firmly.

"I don't believe we've properly met."

"You're barking! Sanders deserves the Hall of Fame, no matter what tripe the Prophet may write about him."

"But what if it's true? The bastard might have actually sabotaged his own teammate!"

The argument between his teammates continued and James watched as they bickered good-naturedly. They'd grabbed dinner before moving on to the local pub where they now sat, each in good spirits thanks to the few drinks that they'd already consumed.

The younger of the two was named Peter Walker and had been traded to Puddlemere after spending his rookie season with the Tornadoes. Chip Edwards - rather lanky with honey blonde hair - had been bumped down to the reserves after sustaining an injury during his second season as a starter for the Arrows. He'd been traded to Puddlemere a year later, and it was questionable if he would ever be back to his full strength.

"This could be my last season," he'd confessed earlier in the evening. "There hasn't been any improvement in a while and it's been hard on the wife. Not to mention I have a kid to think about now."

Peter had opened up as well. He'd been devastated when he was traded from the Tornadoes. He felt much the same about them as James did about Puddlemere. The move had been all about politics on the Tornadoes side, and it still ate at him.

"They have no proof though," Chip argued back as they continued to discuss the fate of a former Puddlemere Beater. "It's all rumor and the Prophet is pulling a rather shitty move reporting on it."

"Oi!" James interrupted. "My mum happens to work there so mind what you say."

Peter Walker laughed at his friend's expense, slightly tipsy from the alcohol that was beginning to course through his system.

"You made a slight at his mum!" He broke down into another bout of laughter.

"Don't mind him," Chip told James. "He's a bit of a lightway. Never drank much in school. You, however, seem to be holding your own rather well." He took a swig of his own drink as James's third was placed in front of him.

"My cousin and I managed to swipe quite the large amount of contraband over the years, so I was able to develop a nice amount of tolerance."

Chip nodded and signalled for another beer.

"You talk about your family a lot. You all close?"

James nodded and patted Peter on the back as he stopped laughing and started choking on thin air.

"Yeah, my cousin Fred and I share a flat just down the street from the Leaky Cauldron in Muggle London. And we see a good bit of some other family members as well."

Slightly more in control than before, Peter leaned his elbow on the table and rested his chin in his hand.

"What's it like? Being famous and all that?"

Chip rolled his eyes and looked embarrassed for his friend. James chuckled.

"Actually, it's more my dad that's the famous one. And I guess the family as a whole. But I'm not exactly recognized on the streets or anything."

This seemed to disappoint Peter and he stuck his lower lip out in a pout.

"So you don't get like, girls flocking at you or anything?"

James blushed slightly at this but hid his embarrassment with a grin.

"Sometimes. Once they know who I am."

"Bloody hell. Once I'm a starter, I won't be able to get enough of that."

Peter reached for his drink but Chip was quick to grab it and down it himself. Peter groaned in disappointment.

"You won't get anything until you can either learn to hold your liquor or stop drinking all together. It's rather horrid to watch."

Peter scrunched up his face at Chip's comment before folding his arms on the table and resting his head on them, officially checking out of the conversation.

"What is that like, though?" Chip asked James. "Sorry, but I can't help but ask. Your mum was a rather brilliant Chaser, and I don't think I even need to cover who your dad is. Sounds like a lot of pressure."

James nodded. Typically, he didn't like to talk about his family much. But there was something about Chip that made James feel like he could trust him.

"Sometimes, but they've been brilliant with the whole Quidditch thing. I think my dad wanted me to be an Auror, but that area has always been what my brother Al's been good at. He's only sixteen but we all know he'll be brilliant at it one day. My mum was rather proud, though. And Dad is too. He knows it's what I love. They don't really pressure me, but some other members of the family, and the world for that matter, that's a bit of a different story."

He hadn't expected to share quite that much, but Chip nodded his head as if he knew what he was talking about, making James feel at ease.

"My grandfather was always the one to put pressure on me. He wanted me to be like him and have a career that rivaled his. I think he's the only reason I haven't retired yet."

James looked at him with a question in his eyes for a few moments, as if trying to work out a puzzle, before it hit him.

"Chip Edwards. You're Charles Edwards' grandson? Hall of Fame Chaser for Puddlemere United Charles Edwards?"

Chip merely took another swig of his drink in response and James leaned back in his seat in shock.

"Wow. He always seemed like a tough old bastard. That must've been horrible and wonderful all at the same time."

Chip set his drink down and pointed at James to signal he'd hit the nail right on the head.

"He's always pushed me and he still does. My dad never really played much and he has no other grandsons, so I'm all he's got."

"Well, thankfully I have another brother to make sure my dad isn't disappointed," James remarked, making Chip laugh.

"You're one lucky prat that's for sure. Although I don't think you have anything to worry about."

James raised his eyebrows in question.

"How do you mean?"

Chip shrugged.

"Anyone who has seen you play can tell you're brilliant. You'll get your shot one day. By the sound of it, your dad's a pretty solid bloke. He'd have to be to save the world, right?"

James rolled his eyes and his teammate chuckled.

"Sorry, couldn't help it. But my point is, as long as you're doing what you love and doing it with your whole heart, he'll be proud. And I have no doubt that you'll make a hell of a name for yourself. You're a talent, James. I wouldn't be surprised if you got pulled up over either of us or Talley when the time comes."

He gestured to his slightly comatose teammate who merely groaned in response. While James was pleased with the praise, he also found his teammate's honesty slightly comical.

"What happened to the stoic man that ordered me my first round?" James jested.

Chip let out a laugh.

"I'm a rather sappy drunk and the drinks are starting to go to my head. I don't get out as much with the kid being around."

Chip had told James earlier that he and his wife had had a baby boy; Charles William Edwards the fourth, Charlie for short.

"My dad was Chuck and I'm Chip," he'd said. "And no matter how infuriating my grandfather can be, he means enough for me to carry on the family name."

After Chip had once again assured James that he was a brilliant Chaser and he'd fit in well with the team once he got to know everyone, they called it a night and Chip was left with the difficult task of seeing Peter home. James had offered to help but Chip had insisted he could handle it himself.

They'd been at a pub in Puddlemere, so James flooed to the Leaky Cauldron and headed home from there. As he walked, he felt a sense of pride fill him. He'd made an effort he hadn't anticipated needing to make until he moved up to a starting position. The mindset that the reserves was a competitive atmosphere was common throughout the league, but Puddlemere was different. It was about more than an individual's success. It was about growing and working together as a team. It wasn't what he had expected, but he loved it. It was exciting to branch out and meet new people. He'd had the same friends all throughout Hogwarts. Friends who were brilliant and would last a lifetime, but it made him feel like he was finally starting a life outside of school. He couldn't wait to tell his friends about his breakthrough. He couldn't wait to tell -

James stopped in his tracks. His friends. Violet. He'd completely forgotten. He turned and rushed back towards the Leaky Cauldron, checking his watch to see it was half-past eleven. Had he really been out for four hours? He flew through the pub and into Diagon Alley, racing towards Weasley Wizard Wheezes and hoping he wasn't too late. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that there was still a light on above the shop.

He raced up the back stairs and pounded on the door. After waiting for roughly a minute with no response, he pounded again, this time raising his voice.

"Vi? I can explain. I completely lost track of time. Please let me in."

There was no response. He tried again.

"Violet, please. At least let me-"

The door flew open and a scowling Roxanne greeted him.

"This better be good, James."

"Please, let me talk to her."

"That's not my call."

Roxanne refused to budge and James leaned back against the railing behind him. The metal landing shook with his movements.

"How mad is she?" he finally asked.

"Well, how mad would you be if she flaked on your birthday?"

James cringed at her words and looked down at his shoes. Roxanne moved out into the still warm, late August evening and closed the door behind her.

"Merlin James, what could possibly have been so important? This isn't the first time you've done this to her either."

He looked up in mild surprise.

"What? I've never missed her birthday."

Roxanne rolled her eyes.

"Don't act all innocent here, James. This isn't about just her birthday. The night we celebrated her first week of training? Our housewarming party the week after? And the friends and family luncheon a month into her training? You were either late or didn't show to every one of those after you promised you would be there."

She was right, James realized. He hadn't been there like he should have. Quidditch kept him busy, but he could have easily made it to each of those events. It had either been a girl or a teammate, like tonight, that had kept him away.

"I'm a right prat, aren't I?"

Roxanne gave a snort of agreement.

James turned and gripped the railing, leaning over the edge and cursing. He felt Roxanne walk forward and join him against the railing.

"Look, she's my best friend so I can't betray her trust. But, as my cousin, I think I can safely give you some advice."

James turned and looked at her, eager to learn how to fix the mess he'd gotten himself into.

"Persistance."

James stared at her blankly. She gave him a bemused smile and continued.

"Come back tomorrow, and the next day and the day after that if you have to. Show her you care as much as I know you do. And don't be an arse and show up too late or not at all ever again unless you've got a damn good excuse."

James flushed in shame.

"I won't. I promise."

Knock, knock, knock.

"I know you're in there, Violet! You can't put up with this forever."

It was the third day that James had waited outside of the flat. Roxanne and Lorcan had both made appearances and even given him refreshments, but Violet refused to allow them to let him in. He'd caught a glimpse of her through the window a few times the previous two days, but he'd yet to see any of them that evening. He was currently sitting with his back to the door, occasionally lifting his hand to knock.

"Well if you're not going to talk to me you can at least listen," James said. "I've started to get to know my teammates. They're some pretty great blokes, actually. That's where I was the other night. I talked to Reed, you remember me mentioning him? Well, anyway. He said I was focused too much on my own success rather than the success of the team as a whole, and I should start getting to know people. I went out for drinks with two of the other Chasers. They're right solid blokes. You'd like them."

He paused for a moment to see if she'd respond, and continued when she didn't.

"It was the first time I really felt like I was part of something, Vi. And I couldn't wait to tell you all about it. Of course, that's when I realized what an arse I was and hightailed it over here. And I've done the same thing every night since by the way, incase you haven't noticed."

He sat in silence for a little while longer. He'd shown up sometime around seven, right as training had ended for the evening, and it was now going on eleven. It was the same routine he'd followed the two previous nights as well, but this was the latest he'd ever stayed.

"I've even blown off my teammates the past few nights, you know why? Cause you matter to me you stubborn git."

Building momentum, he stood and faced the door, leaning with his palms pressed against it.

"You matter to me, Violet. And I was so bloody stupid. I'll stay out here every day for months if I have to. Would you just please talk to me, or at least let me know you're listening?"

He stood, listening, for a few moments. Hoping she'd give him some sign she'd been listening. But it startled him when he actually did heard her voice.

"What are you doing?"

He turned abruptly, and the moment of elation he felt at the sound of her voice quickly faded when he saw her standing at the bottom of the steps that lead up to her flat. She wasn't alone.

"Hey, Vi," he said, pulling himself together. It then hit him that she hadn't been home and probably hadn't heard a word he'd said.

"Who's your friend?" he asked, gesturing to the rather handsome young man who stood just behind her.

Violet started, as if she'd forgotten the other boy was there.

"Oh, right. Nate, this is James. James, Nate."

The young man had warm brown hair that was practically the same shade as Violet's. It looked incredibly soft as it caught the light from the lamp that hung outside their door as he inclined his head towards James in acknowledgement.

Violet looked between both boys for a moment before turning towards her date and talking to him in an undertone. James pointedly looked away, trying to ignore the way his heart continued to sink the longer Nate stuck around. He looked around when he heard her walking up the steps, and her date was nowhere in sight. He sighed in relief.

"Can I talk to you now?"

Violet stopped in front of him. She looked nice, he noticed. More than nice. She was dressed for a more casual date. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail and she wore a black leather jacket over a silk red shirt. Dark wash jeans hugged her legs, and ankle-high boots with short heels made them look even longer than normal.

She crossed her arms and James pulled himself out of the daze he'd slipped into as he took her in.

"Depends," she said. "Are you planning on needing to give the same speech again in a few weeks time?"

"No," he insisted. She almost cracked a smile at his eagerness, before walking past him and into her flat, leaving the door open behind her.

"How long were you two out there? Did you hear anything I said?" James asked as he followed her inside and closed the door behind him. Violet shrugged off her jacket and tossed it over the back of the couch. The girls had given a slight feminine touch to the flat, but neither were overly girly so the boys felt very comfortable in it. Probably a little too much, in the girls' opinions. They were there more often than not. At least the Scamanders and Fred were. James had maybe been half a dozen times in the nearly two months the girls had lived there, while the other boys seemed to be there at least twice a week, if not more. James noticed there were still balloons from Violet's birthday party tied to the tops of the chairs around the kitchen table. They were dragging on the floor, the spells used to keep them afloat having worn off a few days previously. Streamers still lined the wood paneled walls. They were red and blue, Violet's favorite colors.

As Violet sat on the couch she'd tossed her jacket on, her legs curled up underneath her, James moved to take the rocking chair that sat across from her. She still hadn't said anything in response to his question. She just sat there, studying him for a few moments before she found her voice.

"We showed up right around the time you said what an arse you've been. And that you've been banging on our door every night this week, which I can personally attest to. No one can say you're not persistent."

James held back a smile.

"But I'm tired of you making promises you can't keep."

James cringed at her harsh yet accurate words.

"I know."

That sat in silence for a few minutes.

"Well, what you didn't hear then, was that I was out with my teammates the other night."

"You've hung out with Reed before," she was quick to fire back.

"It wasn't Reed."

She looked pleasantly surprised at this news.

"Really? Was it that female Chaser with the flaming red hair and the dark chocolate eyes?" she asked sarcastically.

"No, actually," he responded in kind. "It was the other two male Chasers. We went for dinner and got to talking so we grabbed drinks after. They're really fantastic, Vi. You'd love them."

Violet didn't say anything, but she wore a soft smile. After a few minutes of silence, she got up and headed to the kitchen. Aside from the bedrooms and bathroom, it was a studio style flat. It was very open. Every room flowed into the other, and the kitchen was behind the chair James sat in, so he had to turn to watch her grab a kettle and put water on to boil.

"Tea?"

James got up and joined her in the kitchen.

"Yes please. Thanks."

She worked silently and James watched as she grabbed them both mugs and prepared the tea to steep. Pushing her too much to forgive him or talk at all was something he didn't want to risk, so he waited. She handed him his cup of tea and returned to the couch, this time sitting on one end and indicating for him to take the other.

"You know," she said as he sat beside her. "One of the only reasons I went on that date tonight was because I knew you'd be here. I didn't expect you to stick around this late, though."

James's heart had plummeted for a moment when she confirmed it was a date, but at least she'd been thinking about him, right?

"Who was that, by the way?"

Violet blushed slightly as she sipped her tea.

"I met him at work. He's in the year above me in the residency program at Mungo's."

James nodded, unsure what to say.

"Seemed nice."

They sat in awkward silence for a moment. James wasn't the best at confronting things and being apologetic, but he knew this was on him.

"I know I haven't been around much, Violet. And I know I've broken promises. I've been a bit of a prat lately and I want to make it up to you. However I can."

After a moment, Violet reached out and placed her hand on his knee, giving it a pat and an affectionate squeeze.

"I know. You did stay outside my flat the past three nights. That's got to count for something."

James grinned as relief flooded through him. He gripped the hand that she had resting on his leg and pulled her into his side. She rested her head on his shoulder as he put his arm around her.

"I've missed you."

She said it in such a soft voice that James wasn't sure he'd heard her, but he'd felt her say it against his shoulder. He smiled and kissed the top of her head.

"I missed you, too."

They sat there in comfortable silence for awhile, before James couldn't help but ask about her date once again.

"So, how was it?"

"How was what?" Violet asked, sounding relaxed and tired.

"Your date."

It took her so long to respond he thought she might have fallen asleep.

"It was fine," she finally said, sounding more alert than she had before. "He's nice. Seemed keen on taking me out again. We'll see, though."

"Why so hesitant?" James asked.

Violet shrugged against him.

"I can't come up with anything to say about him other than he's a healer in training, a Ravenclaw, and owns a cat he's rather fond of."

James chuckled at how disappointed she sounded.

"So he's a dud. There are plenty of other fish in the sea."

Violet yawned and rubbed her eyes.

"I suppose you're right."

James stroked her hair as she started to doze in and out of sleep. His thoughts were running a mile a minute. His former grief over seeing her with another man had passed, but now the fear of what he could ruin if he ever tried to make things happen between them had sprung back up in it's place. He had felt daring and willing to take a risk if she had shown any signs of making a go of it with this bloke a few moments ago. He might have tried to convince her not to. But now he had her back. He would just enjoy the moment and let the rest of it come when it would.

James had started to drift off too, when the front door banged open and the sound of giggling voices and rustling clothes filled the flat. He slowly opened his eyes and saw two people wrapped tightly around each other slowing making their way across the room. Seeing clothes start to fly, he spoke up.

"Hey, Rox?"

His cousin let out a yelp in surprise and almost lost her footing before Lorcan caught her around the waist. James quickly shushed them so they wouldn't wake Violet, who was thoroughly passed out against him. The couple composed themselves and Lorcan picked up their jackets and his shirt that now lay on the floor.

"You two made up?" Roxanne asked, grinning like a fool.

James nodded, smiling along with her.

"Want me to help -?" Roxanne gestured to Violet's sleeping form.

"No need," James waived her off, rising from the couch and gently lifting Violet off it. "I'll see she gets where she needs to go. You two go have your fun."

He gave them a wink as Roxanne flushed and Lorcan grabbed her hand, pulling her to her bedroom and shooting James a quick thanks.

James chuckled before heading to Violet's room and placing her in her bed. He stood over her for a few minutes, taking in the peaceful look on her face before placing a quick kiss to the top of her head. He left her to get her sleep, hopeful that things would be better. That he would be better. One thing for certain, he was determined to try.

A/N: I think this is my favorite chapter in this story so far. If you favorite or follow be kind and leave a review! Happy Reading :)