Chapter Seven
Mae was stood in an old Holyhead harpies jersey, tucked into a short black denim skirt with thin black tights underneath. She was rubbing at her arms as the temperature of the castle drops the further up you go - which really she should remember, given that she lived in the Gryffindor tower. Finally, what seemed like an age later, James came walking down the corridor, and then he walked the other way, and then he walked back down the corridor again.
"Uh, James.. care to explain?" She asked, her left eyebrow raised suspiciously, but James ignored her. Until a small wooden door started to appear in the stone work, she'd read about the room of requirement in Hermione's memoires, but had never actually tested it out. "No way!" Mae shouted, hitting her hand against James' arm. "It doesn't actually.." She stood back, amazed.
"Come on you." He opened the door up for her, following her in ( he had to duck to fit through the door ). "This is our date."
James smiled, the room of requirement had served him well.. There was a collection of cushions and blankets in the middle of the room, which surrounded a small table that was slightly off the floor - on top of the table lay a monopoly board, already set up and ready to go. Just over to the side of the small room there was a soft, plush L shaped sofa, with a big hamper of treats on it.
"What's all of this..?" Mae walked in, looking around, finally walking over to the monopoly board.
"Well, I know that you want to keep whatever this is.. whatever we are, a secret. Which is okay. You know. For now. But it's not okay that you've never played Monopoly." James easily pulled off his converse, and got comfortable on the pillows at one side of the board.
"I'm going to kick your ass at this." Mae grinned, sitting opposite him, "I kick your ass at everything."
"Hmm, okay sure you do Mae." James grabbed the counters from the pot besides the board, finding the silver top hat. "What's that face for?"
"I still find it strange when you call me Mae."
"It's your name.."
"Well done wise guy. No, I meant because I'm so used to being called Wood. I guess by everyone. Only Amy and the rest of the girls in the dorm call me Mae. And my family call me Harps, so yeah. I don't exactly hear it very often."
"Wait.. Your family call you what?"
"Harpy." Mae shrugged, a grin on her face that lit up the room. Her nickname reminded her of home and of her family, deep down she didn't love anything as much as she loved them - not even quidditch. It was family that had guided her and supported her through some of the hardest things she'd ever been through, and at the end of the day they were the only people in her life that she could really count on. "Ugh, you want me to explain don't you?"
"I think that's only fair."
"So, you know Mum used to play for the Harpies. My Mum pretty much played quidditch up until her fifth or sixth month of her pregnancy with me, so her and my Dad used to joke that I was the biggest fan they could ever had, even before I was born. When she was pregnant with my brothers she had to stop at around two months. They called me Harpy before I was born and then my brothers found it easier to say than Mae so that kind of stuck."
"That's amazing.. You are literally quidditch to the core, aren't you?" James sat in awe, watching Mae.
She shrugged graciously, the corners of his mouth curled up in a small smile at how humble she was being. He wasn't used to this side of her - the sort of shy one, the side where she knew that if she let too much of herself be shown that she could easily get hurt. James already knew so much, and he'd not even tried that hard, she just found that she could tell him everything.
"Are you going to teach me this muggle nonsense or what?" She rubbed her hands together, eager to beat James at something else.
"Finee." He drew out the word before organising all of the money and explaining to her how the game worked, it only took a few rolls of the dice before she was easily in the swing of things, understanding the rules and playing tactically. They'd been playing for hours when Mae jumped to her feet, squealing in delight.
"I've won right?! I've won! You've mortgaged all your property, given me all your money.. You have nothing left! I've won!" She grinned at him, jumping up and down around the room.
"You don't get this happy when we win our matches." James begrudgingly sat back against the cushions, his face was definitely one of astonishment as he watched the petite girl jump around the room in happiness. He could almost feel his heart swell with satisfaction that he'd successfully planned a date for the one person in the world he wanted to impress the most. "Ay don't be too happy - you know the winner has to tidy up."
"Yeah yeah, let me be happy for two more seconds." She winked, walking back over to the board and James. "Seriously, thank you James."
"For this? It wasn't much."
"For everything. For making me talk about Mum. I know you don't even realise how much you've helped me, but the only people at Hogwarts who know about Mum are Amy and Bella, and that's because Zach told them. I guess that means Louis knows too." She giggled, but the smile didn't quite reach her eyes, tying her long dark, slightly wild hair up into a messy bun.
"We could be like that, you know."
"Like what?"
"Like Amy and Louis, a couple. The sort of couple that tells each other everything and doesn't hide anything away, two people that are there for each other no matter what. I'd like that .. Well Mae I'd kind of like that with you."
"Would you? James, you have to know what you're letting yourself in for when you say that you'd like to know everything about me, that you want to be there for me.. I'm not letting you treat me like you've treated other girls before. I'm perfectly fine on my own."
"But you could be happy with me."
"I am happy." Mae fought the urge to roll her eyes, she'd had guys ask her out before and this wasn't too dissimilar, sure she'd had an amazing evening with James, but was it not all a bit soon to be thinking about relationships? "James, thank you for a great evening, and this is not me saying no, this is me saying, let me think about it. You've got one sketchy history and I'm not ready to be trodden on like everyone else. I'll see you at training, 9 am sharp tomorrow."
And with that, Mae stood up and left, leaving James to sit and think about how he could prove to her that he'd changed - that he wouldn't go and cheat on her, or break her heart like he had to countless other girls before. The Potter name had gotten him girls in the past, but now he'd have to ask his Dad for advice, instead of just falling back on his surname. Mae knew him too well to be impressed by the celebrity parentage.
"Al! AL! ALBUS!" James shouted, walking between the tables in the Great Hall, he was down there early for breakfast, and was surprised to spot his gangly, shaggy haired brother sat at the Slytherin table. Finally he got Albus' attention, who seemed just as surprised to see James walking down to his table. "I've got practice." James answered Albus' unspoken question.
"Ooh. That's .. harsh. Saturday morning, what, 9 am?"
"Yeah.." James' mind had started to wander, he had started to think about the night before, his and Mae's date.
"Wait. You're not telling me something. No." A look came across Albus' face that worried James more than when Albus threw his pygmy puff out of the window when they were kids. "You didn't get Mae to go on a date with you, did you?! I mean Lily and me had our suspicions but I didn't think Mae would ever actually go out with you."
"What? What's that for? There's nothing wrong with me!"
"You're a serial heart breaker! Mae is better than that."
"Huh. She said something similar.."
"Ah.. Shit.. So you two aren't going to be getting married and having lots of babies any time soon?" Albus teased, grabbing some more sausages and bacon.
James pinched one of the sausages right from the plate, rolling his eyes. "She sort of turned me down. Well she said she'd think about it. I don't think she wants to get hurt."
"Don't blame her."
James reached across the table and tried to punch his brother, unfortunately Albus was quick and swerved to the right. "I'm nice. You know I'm nice."
"Sometimes." Albus rolled his eyes, seeing the look on James' face he realised he would have to be nice to his brother for once. "Look, you're going to have to show her that you're trustworthy. I don't know Mae very well, but it seems that she's more interested in actions than words, you can't just promise to her that you're going to be faithful, or caring, you have to show her."
"I guess.. But how do I do that?"
"You're asking me that.. why? Romance isn't exactly my department, you got all of those genes."
"Speaking of.." James raised an eyebrow at Albus suggestively, "How are things in the romance department for you?"
"It may as well not exist. I thought that me and well, fuck I might as well say it. I thought me and Scorpius were having a moment or whatever, but he got all tense and ran off.."
James sighed, running his fingers through his short dark hair, he knew this was bound to happen. But just because he had suspected this was going to happen, didn't mean he knew what to say. Harry would've known what to say, he had an amazing ability to know what just to say or not say. "Maybe you need to give Scorpius time.. how long did it take you to come to terms with your sexuality?"
"A while.. I guess, I just, I thought if he liked me he would just be able to sort his feelings out pretty quickly. But I could have read it all wrong, he might not even like me at all." Albus shrugged, looking down at his food, he had this overwhelming urge to cry, but he didn't want to sit in the Great Hall in front of his peers and show his emotions. James saw this as soon as Albus' shoulders slumped - the over protective brother in him kicked in, and after everything Albus had been through in the past few years he felt the need to jump right to Albus' side.
"Come on Al. We'll go for a walk and you can talk things out, I feel like you've got a lot on your shoulders right now.." James stood up from the bench, he knew that Mae would be pissed, but his family came first and she would just have to understand that.
"Are you sure? What about training?"
"You're my brother. My only brother. Training can wait."
They'd walked down to the far side of the lake by the time Albus was done getting everything off his chest; James had no idea how much he was dealing with, or how well he was coping. He felt like he'd let Albus down, but that was going to change.
"Look, I know I'm busy, and it seems like I don't have time for anyone at the moment.. but whatever is going on with you, even if it's just that you cut your leg at training or if Scorpius looked at you funny, I'm here. I'll drop anything for you Al. And Lily. But she's a little bit more .."
"Independent?" Albus mumbled.
"I was going to say hardcore. She doesn't really want to know us right now, we're not cool. But that's fine, she'll always find her way back home. You've been through so much shit .. way more than I have, and yet you're coming out the other side."
"Pardon the pun." Albus quipped in, smirking slightly. And it was that smirk that gave James hope. Hope that Albus was going to be okay, and that he would be able to confront anything that came his way. His little brother was growing up.
"Thanks Al." James laughed, smiling one of his rare smiles, one of those smiles that Mae found herself falling for. "I meant what I said. I'm your brother, your older brother. And I'm only here for six more months… Then I'll be out in the world and I won't be able to protect you anywhere near as much. Fucking hell mate. What I'm trying to say is, no matter what I'm here for you. And all of this shit with Scorpius, give him his time, he'll figure it out. I've watched you two grow up together, you're made to be. All good things find each other in the end."
Albus couldn't fight back his tears anymore, "You're too wise for me, Dad would be proud." And with that James wrapped his arms around his little brother, holding him tight, wishing that he could fight off all of his demons for him.
"JAMES SIRIUS POTTER YOU BETTER HAVE A DAMNED GOOD REASON FOR SKIPPING TODAY!" Mae came running down the hallway after him, grabbing his shoulder and turning him round, her rage that he'd missed training was fuelling her adrenaline to give her strength.
He took a deep breath as soon as he heard her approaching, this wasn't going to be fun and he knew it. "Mae. Please just hear me out." James pleaded, his face a little raw and red from the cold of his walk with Albus.
"I meant it when I said you better have a damn good reason, Merlin, and I was starting to think you'd changed."
James looked around, then grabbed Mae's arm and pulled her into an empty DADA classroom. He closed the door shut behind them and took a deep breath - he was going to need all of the courage he could find to argue with Mae right now.
"Albus needed me."
"What?! He's 15 years old for Merlin's sake, I'm sure he could have waited till after training."
"No, Mae. It couldn't. Albus is going through some heavy, heavy shit right now and I'm not going to turn away from him when he needs me, I'm not that sort of guy. If my family needs me, then I will drop anything for them. As I know you would for yours." At this point he met her eyes, and he noticed that she'd softened slightly in her defence. "Wouldn't you?"
"I would." She sighed, running her fingers through her dark brown hair. "Is Albus going to be okay?"
"I don't know. Honestly, I wish I could solve all of his problems for him and somehow get rid of all of these demons he's carrying, but I can't." James leant against one of the tables, his arms folded elegantly against his chest, and his long giraffe like legs crossed over at the ankle.
"I'm sorry for shouting."
"I'm sorry for not going to training."
"I guess things have been a bit tense, or whatever, with us recently."
"Have you had time to think, you know, about us?" James knew the date was only last night, and that Mae would probably need a lot more time than this, but he couldn't take his mind off of her, he saw her everywhere, in everything.
"I guess. I need more time though James."
"Mae, take as much time as you need. We could have another date, in the meantime? Would that be alright?"
"I'd like that." And in that instance, James saw a side to Mae that he'd never seen. She was shy, and humble, and he didn't expect that reaction. He expected the cockier side of her, the brash, quidditch captain that he knew oh so well, the side of her that had the confidence to come running and screaming at him down the corridor - this girl, who was overcome with shyness and vulnerability was another layer of Mae that he knew would only grow to love.
"How about tomorrow? Unless that's too soon?"
He could see Mae racking her brains, trying to think if there was something that would hinder them going on a date. "Oh! I've got to go tend to the Hippogriffs, Hagrid is away all weekend so Jacob's looking after them today and I'm looking after them tomorrow."
"I could help?"
"You've got an OWL in magical creatures haven't you?" James nodded in response, which pushed Mae to ask her next question. "Can you ride?"
"Hagrid taught me when I was younger. Probably haven't been out for a ride in a couple of years, ever since OWL's - I could give it a go though. I'm sure it's just like riding a broom."
"Aside from the legs and wings and the fact that it's a living beast that you have to be very careful of?" Mae quipped back, one eyebrow slightly arched.
"It's a phrase." James filled in. "Are you heading back to the tower?"
"Yeah, I need a shower before I start to study. And James?" He was already at the door by now but he quickly turned his head back to her and paid attention. "I am sorry for earlier.. Helping out your brother, that's such a nice thing to do. I'm really glad that you believe in family coming first."
"Mae, don't mention it."
And with that they walked back to the tower together, bumping sides from time to time, their hands brushing against one anothers, Mae would occasionally look up to James and smile shyly, trying to think what she did to make herself so lucky, but then in fear of James noticing she would look away. James would then play a similar dance of glancing at Mae, and trying to think of how he got so lucky with her.