The Hundred Things: Strangers
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Disclaimer: I disclaim ownership of James Potter (sigh) and Lily Evans.
If James Potter could have just one wish at this moment, he would wish for a stranger.
He stood by the Lake and stared, hard, at the glassy, glossy water that twinned its surroundings: two moons, two skies, two grassy hills, two giant oak trees, and two James Potters. The air was still and cool, an autumn breath wrapping itself around the lone figure.
He'd escaped in his invisibility cloak. A very handy-dandy thing to keep around. Too bad it wasn't handy-dandy enough to vanish his problems. Or mainly, just one problem:
Lily Evans.
James grimaced at the thought of her, or rather at the thought of himself around her. A calloused hand kneaded the back of his neck familiarly, and he tore his eyes away from the crystalline surface before looking to the sky. The clouds were a milky gray, starkly contrasting with the thick indigo vastness, and they seemed to look down pityingly.
Maybe they could offer what he wanted most right now, a stranger. A stranger to maybe listen to him holler his frustrations, to maybe offer an understanding word or two, to maybe even just stand beside him and wordlessly watch the reflections in the lake as shadows grew clearer and the crescent of a pearl rose higher. A stranger, perhaps above all, just maybe to be someone who didn't know, didn't care, just was. To have a stranger just be there. Because those were the best kind of strangers, of course. Who didn't judge, didn't know, didn't care. Those strangers would listen, then forget.
But, no. He would remember.
All James actually wanted right now was just a receiving end, either to his ranting and raving or to his silence, be it stranger or friend or foe.
Yes, that's what he wanted.
An unusual satisfaction washed over him, and he pulled the invisibility cloak over himself and headed back to the castle.
Finis
A/N: I, for one, liked this. Don't quite know why. I think we all feel like we need a stranger sometimes. Anyhoo, reviews would be very much appreciated!
.mische.