Popularity


James Potter & Alice Longbottom

2016

No one really knew that James needed a break from it all. He was young and already thrust into the spotlight. People assumed he loved it and for the most part he did. But being the son of the famous war hero, Harry Potter, meant that people were friends with James for the popularity. They secretly hoped that his popularity was contagious.

Obviously his family didn't like him for that reason. They too were always in the spotlight. But there was one girl who James knew didn't like James' popularity. Heck she didn't even like him. Alice Longbottom.

James was smitten with her from the moment she disarmed him violently and sent him flying across the room, much to the entertainment for the rest of the class. She didn't like him. She practically ignored him but his father had told him to have faith because he was in the same situation as his grandfather James with his grandmother Lily.

Walking back from the Quidditch pitch with his broomstick flung over his shoulder, James frantically pushed his hair out of his face. As he passed a suit of armour, he looked into the belly and made his hair look messy so it pointed up in several directions. He reached the Fat Lady and muttered the password. As she swung open and he climbed through the portrait hole, James froze.

Alice was sitting in the middle of the common room, alone, slouched over a piece of parchment, scribbling away with her quill waving. Her blonde hair was piled high, just like her mother's, and neatly tied into place. She looked beautiful.

Gathering his thoughts together, James shook his head in the threshold of the portrait hole and ran his hands through his hair once more. On the other side of the common room, Fred, his cousin, signalled to meet him upstairs and then he climbed the stairs to the dormitories. James started through the crowds of people but instead of following Fred, he detoured.

He knew he would get in trouble. He knew she was chase him; but maybe that's why he did it all the time. He knew she would scream and shout and yell abuse. He knew she secretly loved his attention though. Walking towards Alice, he bent over her as she scrawled part of her Charms essay, ruffled her hair into a bird's nest and whispered in her ear, "Happy Valentine's Day!"