A/N: Hey beautiful people! I hope you like this new chapter. I should have the Ball chapter up if not the next one, then the one after (Chapter 14). Anyway, I have a poll up on my page regarding The Halloween Ball and the Alejandro/Violet/James situation, so please vote in it! Love you all, and thank you my favoriters, reviewers, and alert-ers. :D

Read, Review, and Enjoy!

xoxo

-Katy

Violet Hammel absolutely, one-hundred percent, never, ever cried. Never. Let alone in the middle of the Great Hall. Not one of her friends had ever seen her shed a tear. None except, of course, James Potter. Okay, that was a bit of an exaggeration, even James had to admit it, but when Violet did cry, which wasn't often, she'd never fess up about it. So James was at least half-right. But that wasn't the point. The point was that right now, she was about to cry.

James was never a guy who was very good with emotions. He showed them all far too easily— all except sensitivity. James Potter was manly man who was never deflated. At least never in public. But it wasn't about him right now, an usual as that concept was to him. It was about Violet. He wasn't good with girls crying, never was and he probably never would be. The first time he saw Violet cry was when her cat died in his second year, and saying he lost his cool would be an understatement. He misplaced his cool in the lost catacombs in Egypt. All he remembered was panicking for the first minute, begging her to stop. Eventually, he resorted to injuring himself in the most comedic way his little twelve-year-old mind could piece together to make her smile. And she did. Then everything was right in the world again.

Now James felt that sinking feeling, the lack of knowing what to do. She had just fought with the guy she fancied, and from what James saw it didn't look good. Which, speaking of the guy she fancies, James would kill Alejandro for making her cry. It would be slow, painful, and removing his manhood for certain. He screws around with Violet's feelings— he never screws around again.

Catching up to her, James immediately sent a death glare towards the already-pale Alejandro.

Good, he thought to himself, he better feel bad. James pushed Alejandro to the corner of his mind and fell into step with Violet. He could hear her muttering angrily under her breath, though he wasn't sure exactly what she was saying, only able to make out small bits and pieces.
"Babysitting...of all the things...who in the right mind...such an arsehole..." Her voice was uncharacteristically constricted.

"Vi," James said softly in a vain attempt to her attention. She stopped muttering to herself, but she still remained silent. He jogged in front of Violet so she had no choice but to look at him. "Do you really want me to bruise my beautiful face to make you smile again? I'm afraid I've lost all creativity for it, but if you really need me to revoke the world of it's Eighth Wonder, I will. Just to make you smile again." James playfully bonked the side of his head with his fist.

He saw a smile playing at her lips even though she was trying to force it down. "There it is! I did it, I see a smile."

"Shut up, James," Violet mumbled, her smile only growing, though her eyes had traveled to the stone floor.

"No," James protested. He lashed out and grabbed at her sides, tickling and poking them just underneath her ribs—her weakest spot. Violet shrieked and broke into giggles, attempting to free herself from him. He released her moments later. "Now you smiled and you can't deny it."

"I hate you," she told him quietly, though her tone was far from what was implied. In fact, so in contrast to it, it was almost laughable. Violet strode forward, and buried her face in James' chest. She wound her arms around his middle, trying to keep in tears. James was slightly taken aback, but didn't hesitate to return the embrace. He locked his arms around her protectively, and in that moment, he realized just how small she really was.

Of course, James had made tons of jests about her size before, calling her shrimp and other things of the like. She was rarely seen without her head held high, and facing any challenge that came her way. James had always felt so distant from Violet not in terms of friendship, but in terms of age, in strength, maturity, and even intelligence. He felt as though Violet was somehow on an unreachable level to him just by a year's difference, but she wasn't. She was far from it, really. She lost her temper or broke down in tears just like any other person would.

But he wasn't going to focus on that now. James buried his nose in Violet's hair, inhaling the smell of her coconut shampoo. Or conditioner. James couldn't say he paid much attention to which one it was, but either way her hair smelled delicious.

James knew he should've moved, but he could not say he wanted to at that moment. They had been holding each other for probably more than twenty seconds now, and it was far past the normal boundaries of a friendly hug, though he found himself trapped by her soft skin, her long silky hair and the enticing coconut scent filling his senses. But could it be really called "trapped" if he was savoring every second of it?

The second of footsteps and a gasp snapped both James and Violet out of their moment, and they parted like the red sea. A blonde Hufflepuff girl in James' year was standing there, watching them. Her blue eyes went from shock, to excitement, and she darted down the corridor in the opposite direction.

"Who was that?" Violet asked. James shrugged, messing up his hair like usual.

"Dunno, really. I think her name was Tina? Tanya? All I know is her last name is Ferguson." Violet brushed the thought aside. It couldn't be that important, could it?

As people began to file out of the Great Hall, Violet stepped further away from James.

"I have to go to the Owlery, and you have to get to class. See you!" Before he could even think of bunking off lessons, Violet had already turned the corner and disappeared, leaving only the remaining scent of coconut to even suggest she had been there.

"Mr. Potter!" McGonagall's voice called out to James. He stopped doodling, and looked up to her.

"Yes, Professor?"

"I believe I asked you a question, and I'd like an answer, Mr. Potter."

Peter leaned over to James and whispered,

"She's asking you if you'd like to demonstrate."

"And the answer is yes, Minnie, of course! I would love to demonstrate!" James bounced into his usual attitude. In fact, he hopped up out of his seat, took the turtle sitting on his desk with him, and strode to the center of the classroom. He placed it directly next to McGonagall's turtle, and raised his wand. In a flash, the turtle turned into a perfect China tea pot. It was white, with cherry blossom tree branches adorning it. No one could deny James Potter had taste. He flicked his wrist, and the tasteful tea pot was instantly turned back into the green and gray turtle.

He made it look like it was the easiest thing in the world.

McGonagall stood there silently for a moment, her expression unreadable.
"Well done, Potter. Go sit down."
"Gladly." James smirked. He pushed his glasses up on his nose and lifted his turtle from the desk. He sauntered back to his seat while Peter clapped enthusiastically. James bowed deeply at the waist before plopping down in his seat.

"Now, everyone else. Go on." McGonagall said sternly, waving her wand at the turtle beside her.

"He said what?!" Charlotte stood up from her seat at the Gryffindor table. The Marauders, Violet, and Alice all looked to Charlotte, who was now furious. "Oh, no, I am not standing for this. Alejandro!" She swung her leg over the bench and stormed over to the Ravenclaw table. Sirius and James both hopped up after her, and one by one the entire group followed. They happened upon the step-cousins just as she smacked him around the back of his head with her hand. "Are you an idiot, or do you just like acting like one?"

Alejandro winced, and stood up to speak face-to-face with Charlotte..

"Is the violence really necessary, Char?"

"Is the violence really necessary? ¿Hablas en serio, 'is the violence really necessary?'? Sí, es realmente necesario, idiota!"

Sirius and James gave each other confused looks as Alejandro snaps at her in a completely different language. Violet, meanwhile, opted to shrink back behind Sirius a little bit more to avoid being spotted by Alejandro.

"What's happening?" Sirius asked. Alice, becoming bored, quietly retreated from the arguing group to eat dinner with Frank Longbottom instead. Remus, not really noticing Alice's absence, stepped forward.

"I think they're arguing in Spanish," he noted.

"Spanish? Shit. I thought I just went brain dead from looking at Prongs' ugly face. That's a relief. But still— you might wanna put a paper bag on that, mate. Maybe draw some specs on so people know it's the ugly mug boy." Sirius elbowed James with jesting meaningful look.

"Excuse you?" James switched his attention from Charlotte and Alejandro to Sirius. Which, speaking of, were still bickering in Spanish.
"I heard 'stupido'!" Peter announced loudly. He spoke as though he expected approval from the other three Marauders. Sirius brushed him off,

"Not now, Pete."

Charlotte looked as though she were going to punch Alejandro, Sirius and James were still having another "i'm-prettier-than-you" spat, and Peter was sulking. Remus had had enough. He turned to Violet,

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to use your loud voice, Vi." Violet nodded, sucked in a deep breath, and with the power of a large diaphragm, she shouted,

"LISTEN EVERYBODY! REMUS HAS SOMETHING TO SAY SO SHUT UP!"

The 3/4 of the Marauders, Charlotte and Alejandro, all froze, surprised by how loud Violet could get. The Marauders, however, mostly froze in fear. Usually shouting lead to throwing things with Violet, but they relaxed momentarily after realizing it was something Remus had to say. Remus cleared his throat.

"Thank you, Violet. Speaking as a prefect, I suggest you all return to your seats before I find docking points necessary. I have a meeting to go to, and I hope you all won't get into any more trouble, or else you won't get let off with a warning again."

Charlotte grumbled something under her breath, and stalked away from her step-cousin. Peter, Sirius, and Remus all began to retreat to the Gryffindor table. James, however, stayed a moment, looking to Violet. She had just turned around and wasn't facing either James or Alejandro as she walked back to the table to finish dinner.

Alejandro followed her, reaching out to take her hand, but James intercepted him. He shot him a dirty look, and fell into step beside Violet instead.

Thwack! The dart hit into the board, on the second outermost circle. Sirius clicked his tongue in disappointment. James smirked,

"You suck, mate," he told him. He rolled off the cushy, velvet couch in the Gryffindor common room. He took the dart from Sirius' hand and threw it.

Thwack!

Bulls-eye.

Sirius pouted at him and whined that James being a chaser and how it was unfair advantage. James rolled his eyes and took the rest of the darts from Sirius. He aimed, and paused.

"Where's Evans and Moony?"
"They have patrols tonight." Violet answered them. She held a mug of tea in her hands, and wandered over to the couch to sit down. James reached out to open his arms for her, when Mary MacDonald called to her. Mary was standing half-in the common room, and half-out, leaning against the portrait.

"Someone's here to see you." Mary gestured to Violet to go outside the common room. Placing the mug down, Violet jogged away from the boys and went to Mary. She opened the portrait hole, and stepped out into the chilly, stone corridor.

Standing across from her, in all his tan scrawny-ness, and lack of proper school clothing was someone she least expected to see tonight. His dark hair wasn't fixed in a proper manner of attire, and instead of a perfectly buttoned shirt, gray vest and Ravenclaw tie he wore jeans and a light gray knit sweater.

Alejandro.