The Ties That Bind
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Chapter Two:
James settles himself beside Frank Longbottom at the Gryffindor House table, and Remus, Peter, and Sirius quickly settle in available seats nearby. THey're surrounded by their fellow Gryffindors, sixth and seventh years in a disorganised cluster nearest the doors, and Frank barely turns himself from his conversation with the Prewett twins to acknowledge the Marauders' arrival.
As the hall steadily fills around them, James catches up with his classmates. The sixth and seventh year Gryffindor contingent are fairly close, drawn together by quidditch, increasing inter-house tensions, and the longterm relationship between Frank and Alice.
Speaking of…
"I hear congratulations are in order."
Frank beams. "Yes. Alice and I are betrothed. We're having a hand-fasting during Yule."
"I'm happy for you," James says, claps a hand over his friend's shoulder, and squeezes encouragingly, "I'm sure you two will make each other very happy."
"Thanks," Frank acknowledges, and pauses thoughtfully. "I've heard rumours that your parents arranged a betrothal contract over the summer."
"They're not rumours."
That receives more attention than James expects, and before he knows it, he's got Frank and Alice, Gideon and Fabian, and Hestia Urquhart focused entirely on him.
"Who?" Alice pries.
"Adriana Malfoy."
That, as expected, receives a number of arched eyebrows. She's a Ravenclaw, beautiful and unattainable, but she's also part of a family notorious for their dark leanings. Her magic is grey though, just like his, which is precisely why both families have agreed to the match.
"Lucky girl," Hestia says, "I hope she appreciates you."
The others nod their agreement.
"Thanks?"
Hestia nods her acknowledgement and turns her attention to the conversation between Lily and Mary. James fastidiously avoids glancing at the latter two, and instead opts to focus on the conversation between Frank, Gideon, and Fabian. They've since returned to the topic of Britain's Auror Academy application process, and it's apparent all three of them are determined to receive early acceptance into the 1977 summer program. They want to join the fight against Voldemort and James doesn't blame them.
Most days, he wants to, as well. then he thinks of his parents, of the neutral stance they've taken in the entire mess, and the fire of justice in his heart burns out. He can't - won't - jeopardise the tenuous safety they've managed to acquire. His entire family teeters on a tightrope, caught between two opposing powerhouses and their respective ideologies, and James won't tip the balance in a fit of reckless, thoughtless courage.
He and his friends have been rather vague concerning their plans after Hogwarts, made more uncertain by the conflict their community is almost engulfed by. James has no doubts his friends won't join the Death Eaters, but whether they'll opt to fight against Voldemort's oppressive regime, or if they'll choose to remain neutral instead, he couldn't say.
Hell, James isn't even sure what he'll do, but Merlin, he's 16 years old, and it shouldn't be something he needs to be concerned about at all.
-!- -#-
A/N: And then this is the start of the sequel…
How does my mind work?
Summary: A prophecy may be interpreted in many different ways. In a world where the House of Potter is magically and politically neutral, James and Adriana Potter refuse to joined Voldemort's cause on three separate occasions. Extreme AU. JP/OFC. fem!Harry/TN.
Chapter One
At the knees of her mother, Adriana, and her grandmother, Dorea, Ariana Potter learned the arts of subtlety, grace, and poise. She learned to be, outwardly, a demure, delicate daughter of impeccable pedigree, with a traditional upbringing and an extreme respect for the customs instilled into her at birth.
Her grandfather, Charlus, taught her rhetoric, to use words, intonation, and expression as weapons. She'd learned that magic, that knives and poisons were not the only indication of might, that oratory could destroy a man as easily as any curse, and thus to respect it as any other display of strength.
Her godparents, Sirius and Emilyn, taught her to stand up for herself, to fight with wands as well as words, to use knives when her wand was lost, and then to use her body when she lost those knives, too. The most important lesson they taught her, however, was that violence should only ever be the last resort, that life was sacred, that there was no honour in death.
Her father, James, taught her respect, to value magic, regardless of race, lineage, wealth, or status. He taught her, also, to think for herself, to observe and gather information, to analyse and evaluate, to form her own opinions regardless of anyone else's.
At 15, with Voldemort's return, and Slytherin House's subsequent - and abrupt - descent into political upheaval, Ariana knew it would take all of those skills to get her through the next three years at Hogwarts unscathed.