Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series.

Chapter Fourteen

James Potter III

The next day, after talking to his friends and reassuring him for the hundredth time, James found himself standing in front of the doors that led to the library. He started pacing back and forth before pausing in front of the door, only to growl in frustration and start pacing again. The leader of the Marauders felt unsurprisingly anxious but he willed himself to calm down, knowing that if he didn't erase his doubts, he would never get anywhere with Hermione.

He had shown her the depths of his heart. Now, it was time to show her how serious he was with her.

"Hi, Hermione," James uttered in the empty hallway. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Hi, Hermione. I just want to know if you want to go out with me." He cringed when he felt his heart trying to burst out of his chest. "No, no. I don't want to come out too strong. I'll try again."

He cleared his throat and imagined talking to Hermione. His palms were getting sweaty at the thought. "Hi, Hermione. We might not have officially met but my name is James Potter. You probably know me since I was the one who planned the whole thing those weeks ago. I just want you to know that I like you so much. No, I love you. And I want to be with you but it's okay if you don't like me." James grimaced. "I'm just going to crawl into a corner and die. Bye."

James groaned and rubbed his face. "Keep it cool, James. Classy. You don't want Hermione running away, do you? Relax, Potter. This is the love of your life. This is your future wife. You got this."

He heaved out a long breath and stepped towards the closed doors, only to step back in shock when it opened to reveal Madame Pince who gave him her famous glare.

"Well? Are you just going to stand there all day?" She snarked before pushing herself back and going back behind her desk.

James blushed and hurriedly went inside. He headed towards the back corner of the library, knowing that it was her chosen spot because it gave her privacy. He sighed tenderly when he saw her buried under tomes as she wrote on her parchment, her bushy hair tied into a tight bun. Wisps of hair escaped and framed her beautiful face.

She looked so perfect.

James cleared his throat and she looked up, eyes widened in surprise. James' mouth dried when he was caught by her dark glittering gaze.

"Hi," James croaked out. He cleared his throat and repeated it again but this time it was clearer. "Hi. May I seat with you today?"

Hermione recovered from her shock and leaned back against her chair, a ghost of a smile playing her lips. "Well, if it isn't the infamous James Potter," she said in a teasing tone. "It's about time. I was beginning to think that you will never approach me. Please take a seat."

James nearly died. There were the longest sentences that she ever said to him. Usually, he would get a wave or a polite smile whenever he acknowledged her and although those things made his day, nothing compared to this. He always enjoyed listening to her voice — deeper and huskier than the rest of the girls but with a hint of feminism — when he discovered that there were many different voices she used. There was the Lecture Voice whenever she was answering a professor's question, the Did-You-Know Voice whenever she shared something to her Ravenclaw peers, the Polite Voice that she always used whenever she talked to the professors or someone she didn't know, and now her Teasing Voice that was directed at him.

James' ears burned as he sat on the chair across her. "Well, I'm here now." He chuckled and rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Were you waiting for me to approach you?"

Hermione shrugged. "More or less," she replied. She smiled shyly and ducked her head. Her slender hands pulled at a gold chain that decorated her neck and James' attention was drawn to it. "I was curious about the boy who did all of those amazing things for me. I wanted to meet him."

James' heart fluttered in his chest when he recognized the gold chain but he forced himself to listen to Hermione. He was glad that he did.

"Really?" He couldn't keep the eagerness off his voice.

She laughed and James nearly died and gone to heaven. She was even more stunning up close. Her tawny eyes seemed to darken into whiskey when she laughed. And her laughter! Her laughter was more beautiful than a siren's song! It was addicting.

James mentally swooned.

"Really." Hermione nodded, her hands splayed on the open book on the table. "I was really flattered at the attention you gave me."

"You're welcome!" James said enthusiastically.

She looked at him carefully. "But, you do know that you didn't have to do that, right?"

James paused. "Err, what?"

Hermione must've thought she offended him because she immediately rambled, "It's not that I don't appreciate the things you have done. I do! I really, really do. It was amazing, how you orchestrated the whole thing. The notes and the flowers were a nice touch. The chocolates were very impressive and very delicious. I was embarrassed, of course, and a bit surprised but those weren't unreasonable reactions. I never knew that you're aware that I existed—"

"Hermione," James interjected, peering into her eyes.

Hermione stopped. "Yes?" She said hesitantly.

"I was always aware that you existed," he told her soberly. "Ever since you came here, I've always noticed you."

Hermione sucked in a breath. "Really?"

How come she couldn't see how special and precious she was? Did she had any clue how hard his heart would pump against his chest just at the mere mention of her name? That the sight of her sent him into a blissful haze all throughout the day? That when she looked at him, he felt like the luckiest wizard in the world?

James smiled lopsidedly. "Really."

Hermione ducked her head but James still caught the smile on her lips. His own smile stretched in its own accord.

"What I meant to say," Hermione continued, stroking her hair back to her ear as she lifted her gaze, "was that you didn't have to do all of that just for me to, uhm, notice you. You can just talk to me. I don't bite if that's what you're afraid of."

James felt sheepish. "I guess I can do all of that," he acquiesced. "But I was nervous that you wouldn't take me seriously."

Hermione laughed again and James seriously considered going to the Hospital Wing after this conversation because of the fast pace his heart was beating at the moment.

"Well, that was certainly a great ice breaker," she said, clearing her throat. "I appreciate all of your effort. They were beautiful, all of it. But I'm a simple girl and I don't really need all of that. I'm not downgrading your efforts, don't get me wrong, please. All I'm saying is that I'd rather get to know the boy underneath the grand gestures, you know?"

James gulped and nodded. He understood what she meant and he found it extremely refreshing. Other girls would want to be with him just because he was James Potter, the leader of the famous Marauders and the Captain of the Quidditch Team. But Hermione didn't care about that.

Maybe it was time to show her what she really meant to him. The time to stop hiding behind notes or flowers or some other schemes that used to infuriate Lily Evans. Because his friends were right; Hermione was not Lily.

She was so much more.

She beamed and James swore he could see the sun shining behind it.

"I really like the chocolates, though," she confessed demurely.

James beamed back and made a mental note to himself.

Chocolates and freedom for house elves.

Consider it done.