A/N: If you don't read at least Chapter 5 of Show a Little Faith, this chapter won't make as much sense. The first part of that chapter is James' conversation with Rose that is mentioned. I did include what was necessary from Chapter 6 of that story, but it's a fun different perspective, so I suggest you read it anyway :)
Of all the idiotic things he could have done, this was by far the worst. He saw that now. Why it took Rose Weasley to get him to see the truth, he would never really know. He'd ignored what Fred, Lysander, and Lorcan had said to him the week before. He'd ignored all the signs and lied to himself for how many years now? Even Teddy and his own father had known and had tried to say something. And he wouldn't listen. He'd been too stubborn to see what was right in front of him because part of him so desperately wanted it to be true, but the other part knew he wouldn't be able to stand it if it wasn't. He'd been too scared of losing her and losing their friendship that the risk didn't seem worth it, because he thought he knew how it would turn out. Had he really been wrong all this time?
He'd tried talking to her over the past few weeks, but she'd done a splendid job of putting up barriers. Roxanne wasn't letting up, and had even said something about him needing to really fight if he wanted this. She'd switched shifts at work so he didn't even know when to stop by St. Mungo's and see her, not that he hadn't tried. He'd caught glimpses of her a few times, but she knew the halls of the hospital better than he did and she was always quick to lose him. He was also almost certain she'd recruited some of the witches working at the welcome desk to not let him know when she was there, based on their occassional shifty attitudes. At least he had Rose on his side. Even though he'd been unsuccessful in his attempts to speak with Violet the past few weeks, he was confident that tonight would be the night. He knew she was at his house, thanks to Rose's earlier communication, and he had a whole slew of wizards to help him achieve his goal. He was done running. He had to talk to her. He had to finally tell her how he felt about her. And he had to fight.
"Alright, here's the game plan."
He gestured with his wand at the board behind him that had the layout of his family's home depicted on it.
"We surround it, you lot cause a disturbance, and then I should have my chance to move in."
There was silence as the ten other boys stared at him as if he were crazy.
"Any questions so far?" James asked, undeterred by their lack of support. Louis slowly raised his hand.
"How exactly will this give you a chance to talk to her?"
James rolled his eyes. "Because, I'm willing to bet that Lily will figure out what's going on almost right away, and she won't be able to stop herself from verbally abusing us for crashing their party, therefore making Violet aware of our presence. And she'll do her best to make sure she steers clear of any possible encounter with me."
There was silence again as they failed to grasp what this all meant.
"Meaning," James continued impatiently. "That she'll probably hide out in the one room that cannot be accessed by a window."
He tapped his wand on the spot that read "living room," as a few of the boy gave nods of understanding.
"So, let me get this straight," Al spoke up. "We're all going to run around the house, bang on the windows, and hope all of the girls come to investigate except Violet?"
James nodded, a grin on his face.
"Mate, you realize that's a long shot, right?" Fred asked.
"It's all I've got, Fred. If I try to just barge in while they're all in the room, there's no way I'll be able to get to her. And if anyone has a better idea about how to get her on her own, please offer up your suggestions."
There was silence as the boys gave each other uncertain glances. Lorcan finally gave James a supportive nod.
"We'll go with your plan, James. Just tell us what to do."
James gave him a grateful smile as the rest of the boys gave him their undivided attention.
"Alright, I figure it's best you all handle keeping the girls out of the way that you have the most sway over. Just incase someone tries to put up a fight."
"How will we know who will go where?" Hugo asked.
"Well," James continued, "I was wondering if anyone knew of any type of spell we could use to track what's going on inside?"
"That's high tech Auror stuff, James," Al told his brother. "No way could we pull of something like that."
"Well, what else then?"
"I'm willing to bet Rose and Erin will try to take a downstairs room, since they know what's going on and will want to take a peek at the action," Scorpius observed. "So Al and I can take part of the ground level."
"Brilliant. Any other thoughts?"
"Roxanne and Lily are probably the only other two we really need to worry about, right?" Ethan asked. James nodded. "So, you split up Hugo and Bobby and Fred and Lorcan between upstairs and down, and one of them is bound to be where they need to be."
"We might have to worry about Dom and Eva," Fred pointed out. "Ly and Ethan should be split as well."
"Why me?" Lysander asked.
"Because my sister actually listens to you, believe it or not," Louis said. Lysander seemed surprised by this revelation, but James quickly called their attention back to himself.
"Alright, so, we form teams and we head over in an hour? That should be about when they start settling in for the evening."
There were nods of agreement as they started discussing who would be going where and with whom. Fred broke away from the group that was sitting around the living room in their flat and approached James.
"Nervous?"
James let out an agitated sigh and rubbed his hands over his face.
"As hell. Think it'll work?"
Fred shrugged, unable to keep from grinning at his friend. "Worth a try, isn't it?"
James just nodded, suddenly feeling embarrassed by the vulnerability he was having to show in this situation. He hadn't had a chance to speak with Fred much since he'd talked to Rose. Frankly, he'd sort of been avoiding it.
"How could I have been such an idiot for so long?" he asked his friend in an undertone. Fred laughed and clapped him good naturedly on the back.
"No clue, mate. It was bloody obvious to the rest of us."
James gave him an irritated look. "No need to continue rubbing that in."
"Well, with any luck," Fred told him, "I'll soon be on you to stop rubbing your new relationship in my face instead. You'll be all love struck and googly eyed-"
"Googly eyed?" James asked with a chuckle. Fred just shrugged unapologetically.
"You know it's true. Pretty soon Ly and I will be the solo bachelors of our little group."
James gave him an amused look. "A duo. Solo is one, duo is two. You'd be dual bachelors."
Fred looked at him in confusion. "Why would we be dueling?"
James rolled his eyes as Al and Scorpius made their way towards them.
"Do you really think this will work?" Al asked. "I mean, what are the odds that she'll be where you need her to be?"
"Come on, Al," Scorpius said. "Have a little faith in your big brother. He knows what he's doing. This time."
James reached out and swatted Scorpius in the stomach. The younger boy chuckled and made a half-hearted attempt at dodging his swing.
"Whatever, prat," James said. "I may not know exactly what I'm doing, but I've never been more sure of trying for something in my life."
The brows of all three boys rose at this statement.
"More than Quidditch?" Al asked.
"More than anything related to Quidditch," James assured them. "And I'm being sappy in the strictest confidence. You lot aren't to spread this to anyone else. Understood?"
Even though they were all smirking at his scowl, they nodded.
The hour flew by and James soon found himself anxiously crouching behind the hedge at the end of their front drive, all the other boys lined up behind him. He could see lights on in the lower level of the house and a few of the upstairs bedrooms, but those flickered off right around 10:30, signalling to James that they'd all finished getting ready for bed and were congregating in front of the television. This was their moment. He watched the light flick on in the kitchen and could make out two figures, ones he could make an educated guess were Violet and Roxanne. He turned to look down the line of boys.
"Alright, we're a go. Whoever has a chance to run back and give me the all clear, do it as soon as possible."
They all nodded before beginning to dart off in multiple directions. He watched as Lysander and Lorcan ducked behind a tree a few yards from the house and in view of the kitchen window. Lysander shook it violently and he heard muffled shrieks from inside the house as Roxanne and Violet ran out of the kitchen. The two boys moved forward and began rattling the windows as James heard similar noises coming from other parts of the house. It was only a few minutes later when he saw Al running across the front yard. He moved towards him and took in the mischievous smile on his brothers face.
"It worked," he said, panting and coming to a stop in front of his brother. "It bloody worked and she's by herself just inside."
James took a minute to grin at his brother before Al clapped him on the shoulder and wished him good luck before taking off once again. James took a deep, calming breath and made his way towards the front door of his parent's house, unable to stop a smile from forming on his face when he cracked it open and saw Violet pacing back and forth behind the couch. Part of him just wanted to stay there and watch her, but it was now or never, so he braced himself to make his way inside.
"Hey, Vi." he said in a whisper. She stopped her pacing and he felt a tightening in his chest when her eyes met his. He moved into the house and quietly shutting the door behind him. The moment felt heavily charged as they just stood there for a few moments and took each other in; James leaning against the door and Violet relaxing slightly and sitting on the back of the couch, twirling her wand in her hands.
"What are you doing here, James?" she finally asked, unable to bear the silence any longer. Sensing a lessening in her animosity towards him, he pushed himself off the door and took a step closer to her, deciding to go with a little bit of honesty.
"I had to find a way to get you to talk to me, and I didn't trust you to stick around till tomorrow."
"I almost didn't come tonight, honestly," Violet admitted. "But I refuse to let you damage my relationship with your family. Particularly my best friend, who, unfortunately, happens to be your cousin."
James barely had time to process what that all meant before there was a disturbance from the direction of the kitchen. Roxanne and Lucy seemed to have noticed something was going on in the family room and had started to walk through the kitchen door, only for both of them to be dramatically pulled back into the kitchen by Roxy's boyfriend and his brother.
Violet's eyes widened at their abrupt entrance and then subsequent removal before turning to James.
"You planned this didn't you?" she asked with an almost disbelieving tone to her voice. He couldn't help but feel slightly guilty. He had, after all, manipulated the evening to his advantage.
"I really needed to talk to you and I didn't see another way."
She didn't say anything, still hiding behind whatever wall he couldn't help but feel responsible for allowing her to build up over the years.
"I know I've screwed up," he began. "I realize that now. And it would be bloody brilliant of you if you wouldn't run off and you actually let me talk to you this time."
Violet studied him for a second before nodding and looking down at the floor. He gave a nervous gulp, prepared to lay it all on the table.
"Vi, I'm so sorry."
She looked up at him, slowly. He could tell that the sincerity with which he spoke had unnerved her. It wasn't like James never apologized, but he was willing to admit that it wasn't his strong suit. But he'd never felt more vulnerable than he did in that moment. The girl in front of him held the ability to make him either the happiest man in the world, or the most miserable soul to ever walk the earth. He decided it was best to get this over with quickly, so he pushed ahead.
"I've always thought I was doing the right thing when it came to you. You're the most incredible person I've ever known and I would hate to ruin the friendship that we have. I've been talking myself into it for years, actually." He scratched at the stubble on his chin, trying to gather his thoughts.
"Talking yourself into what? Being friends with me?" She had developed a defensive tone at his words. James started to panic and was quick to try and correct to situation.
"No! Of course not! I mean the opposite in fact, if that makes sense."
She shot him an uncertain look, not grasping what he was trying the say. This wasn't going that well. How did he express what the last few years had been like for him into a comprehensive sentence?
"What I mean is, I had to force myself to just be friends with you. I guess, for a while now, I've fooled myself into thinking that was all I wanted."
Violet stared at him with a hopeful look on her face and he felt his spirits lift, giving him the courage to press on.
"I guess what I'm trying to say, is that I didn't want to risk losing you and I was convinced that you would never feel the same way for me that I do for you. You're brilliant, Vi. The most beautiful, talented, and maddeningly frustrating witch I know and I can't stand going one day without hearing your voice or seeing your smile. So please, forgive me for being an idiot, a pig, and a coward for far longer than I would ever care to admit."
He watched her expectantly and felt his heart flutter when she let herself begin to smile shyly at him. Was she really about to forgive him?
"I guess I could never stay mad at you forever."
He beamed at her, unable to remember a time when he'd felt happier.
"Brilliant."
They continued to stand there and smile at each other, neither knowing what to do next. James finally worked up the courage to walk towards her. He stopped when there was roughly a foot between them and spoke in a hushed tone.
"I should have taken you with me, and I'll forever regret that I didn't."
She couldn't meet his eyes and was looking down at her feet as she chewed on her bottom lip, a slight blush on her cheeks.
"I was thrilled when you asked me, you know," she said shyly, glancing up at him briefly. "I knew you only meant it as a friend, but I kind of saw it as my chance."
"You're chance for what?" he asked, feeling hopeful and anticipating her finally reciprocating how he'd felt for a long time now.
"Are you really going to make me say it first?" she asked with a slight roll of her eyes, finally looking him in the face. He grinned cheekily at her before moving closer and tucking a strand of her long brown hair behind her ear.
"Nah, I think I've already put you through enough, honestly."
She smiled at him as he reached out and laced his fingers between hers, revelling in the warmth the gesture brought to his entire being. She blushed at the gesture, but gripped his hands back all the same.
"I just don't fully get why you never said anything before," he couldn't help but ask.
She shrugged her shoulders.
"Probably the same reason you didn't. I was bloody terrified of losing you. Of course, my stubbornness almost managed to make that happen anyway."
He chuckled at her, knowing full well what she meant, before replying.
"Well, we'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen again, alright?"
"Alright."
They just stood there, their hands grasped at their sides and staring into each other's eyes. He was still nervous and unsure of what to do next. He knew what he wanted to do, but was it the right time? Their lovely moment was interrupted by his younger sister, who apparently couldn't take it anymore and hollered from somewhere up the stairway.
"Will you bloody kiss her already you great pansy!"
The sound of people shushing each other was heard from up the stairs, and James couldn't help the brilliant blush that rose to his cheeks. Violet started laughing and buried her face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight, slightly rocking her back and forth.
"I was getting to it!" he hollered back at his sister. Violet still had her face buried in his chest and seemed to be either too nervous or too embarrassed to lift it. He'd been so wrapped up in the moment that he'd briefly forgotten they weren't exactly alone. Suddenly having a desire to change that, James kissed the top of her head before pulling away and leading her out the front door to disappointed groans from the others.
"You buggers are way too nosey!" were his departing words before heading outside for some privacy. The sound of Violet's joy filled laugh was enough to make his heart burst. He'd gone too long without hearing that sound. He pulled her down the front steps and further into the yard, unsure of his destination as he heard her calling his name behind him.
"James, stop," she said, pulling on his hand. He did, and turned to face her. Why was he suddenly nervous again?
"Are you taking me somewhere in particular?" she asked, unable to keep herself from grinning. James shook his head, unable to stop smiling himself as she slowly closed the distance between them. He let out a sigh as she stopped in front of him, revelling in the freedom he now felt in being able to reach out and tuck her hair behind her ear without fearing rejection. The blush that rose to her cheeks for at least the second time tonight was something he'd seen before, and he'd always thought it just meant she was uncomfortable. He knew now that wasn't the case.
"I've been an idiot," he finally said. Violet let out a light laugh, the closest thing to a giggle he'd ever heard her make.
"You kind of have," she said with a smirk.
"I'm just glad you found it in your heart to forgive me," he said. "I can't thank you enough for that."
Violet looked down at their joined hands and rubbed her thumb across his knuckles affectionately before looking back up at him.
"How long, exactly?"
His brow rose in confusion. "How long what?"
She rolled her eyes at him. "How long have you wanted more?"
More. It was such a small word that held so much meaning. Where could he even begin?
"I guess it's sort of always been there," he eventually said, realizing it was true. "As soon as I had the capacity to fancy a girl, you've always been in my head."
She gave a sheepish grin as he flushed in embarrassment, tilting his head back and closing his eyes.
"If you say the same was true for you I'm going to ruddy pitch myself off a cliff."
Violet laughed and moved even closer to him, putting her hand on his cheek and directing his eyes back to hers.
"I'd really rather you didn't," she said with a smile. "And yes, same is true for me."
He let out a groan of frustration and rested his forehead against hers, feeling his breath catch at their close proximity as she rubbed at his stubble. He reached out and brushed his thumb against her cheek, resting his hand on the side of her neck. He could feel her pulse racing as they soaked each other in.
"I never went on the date," Violet suddenly said. "The one you witnessed me being asked out on? I was so torn up about you breaking our date that I was in no shape to go out. So I canceled."
"One of the reasons I asked you to go as a friend was because of all that. Not to mention I was bloody terrified you would have said no otherwise."
"I wouldn't have," she said in a sincere whisper, and he felt like kicking himself.
"If it makes you feel any better, I was no fun all night and my date ditched me for someone from the Arrows halfway through the evening."
He felt her chuckle as she moved her hand down and released his hand from her other one, placing both of them on his chest. He thought for a moment that she was going to push him away, but she just moved her feet forward so that her toes bumped up against his shoes. That was when he realised that she was barefoot and in her pajamas.
"Are you cold?" he asked her. She just shook her head as he moved his arms to wrap around her waist, pulling her against him so she now stood between his feet.
"Then why are you shaking?" he asked in a whisper. She let out a shaky chuckle.
"I'm nervous. Aren't you?"
He gave a snort of laughter. "Bloody terrified."
"I don't want to be," she said in a whisper.
"Anything in particular you're afraid of?" he whispered back. There was a moment of silence as he could practically hear her thinking.
"Losing you," she finally said. He could hear the genuine fear in her voice and let out a contented sigh as he bent down to rub his nose against hers.
"Never going to happen."
And then his lips barely brushed against hers for a moment before he was fulling kissing her. He felt her grip his t-shirt for a moment before her arms moved to wrap around his neck. He felt her sigh against him and he gripped her tighter as he moved his mouth slightly against hers, his heart beat picking up speed as she responded. It was incredible how right it all felt. Not just the feel of her against him, but the emotion pouring into the embrace that he could feel with every fiber of his being. He reluctantly pulled away to breath and smiled when he took in her flushed face and parted lips, a hazy look in her eyes.
"Violet, I-"
The sound of someone apparating nearby was enough to get them to lessen their hold on each other and they both looked around to spot a very upset looking Alice Longbottom standing at the foot of the steps to the front door. She just stared at them for a moment before gesturing behind herself and turning to head into the house.
"Something's not right," Violet said, and she gripped his hand as they both moved to follow Alice inside.
It had been a rough night in Potter Manor. Everyone felt for the Longbottom family and no one seemed to have any desire to go home, so plans were quickly made for sleeping arrangements.
James was one of the lucky ones, seeing as he already had a room to claim, but he'd have to share it on this occasion. He didn't seem to mind too much. Lily had offered her room to Roxanne and Violet, and the two had willingly accepted, wanting to be close to the boys. Despite the circumstances, Violet was having a hard time doing anything other than smiling.
"Is it totally wrong of us to still feel this happy at a time like this?" Violet asked. She was leaning in the doorway of Lily's room, watching James as he helped her get things set up for her and Roxanne. "It seems rather insensitive."
James shrugged as he pulled fresh linens out of Lily's closet.
"We've waited long enough. I'd say it's okay to embrace the happy."
She grinned at him as he flicked his wand and the bed started making inteslf. He stuck his wand in his pocket and confidently made his way towards her. Reaching out, he grabbed her waist, pulling her into the room and shutting the door before slowly backing her into it. She arched her eyebrow at him.
"What are you up to, Potter?"
He chuckled and ducked his head down, brushing his lips against her cheek before whispering in her ear.
"I thought I was embracing the happy. Is that alright with you?"
She giggled and wound her arms around his neck. "Not to be a downer, but we should probably talk through some things. I'm still not entirely happy with you."
He moved away so he could look her in the eye. She had a fake pout on her lips, but the uncertainty in her eyes was real.
"Do I need to apologize again?"
She watched him for a moment, her frown disappearing before she shook her head and chewed her lip in thought, causing his eyes to drift toward her mouth.
"I think I got that part. But there's so much that's happened. Don't you think talking through everything would be helpful?"
"Maybe," he conceded, leaning in to quickly peck her on the lips, pulling back only slightly to speak again. "Or maybe we shouldn't over think things this time. We've been doing a lot of that lately."
She gave a giggle and a slight nod, her eyes roaming over his face as if taking him in for the first time.
"Do you want to be with me?" he asked, staring at her intently.
She breathed a content sigh, running her fingers up into his hair as she gave a nod of affirmation.
"Do you want to be with me?"
Her question was barely more than a whisper. He didn't even hesitate before he nodded, and she quickly rose up on her toes to meet his mouth with hers. The fear and the nerves that had accompanied their first kiss had disappeared, making room for feelings of contentment and bliss to move in. They were done running, and nothing had ever felt more right. She could feel him smiling against her as she nipped at his lower lip, reveling in the feel of him, only one word present in her mind: Finally.
A/N: YAY! Hope that was worth the wait. I have one more chapter planned and of course the world in which these lovely people live won't be going anywhere anytime soon. Any requests of who else you'd like to see a story on? I have so many ideas it's hard for me to pick one so I'd like to know who you've taken a liking to!
Happy Reading!