The Invitation
James was startled awake from his evening nap by the sound of an owl rapping its beak on his bedroom window, hoping to get his attention. He rose groggily from his bed and dragged his feet over to the window. He opened the window to permit the owl into his room, and a gust of frigid winter air blew into the room, making him shiver and instantly shut the window.
James turned to look at the owl once he was sure the window was properly closed. The owl was perched on the armrest of his mahogany chair, which so happened to be his favorite. The chair was placed next to the muggle television, which didn't work. So much for trusting the muggle salesman...
James steered his thoughts away from the untrustful muggle salesman and back to the owl seated on the armrest of his favorite chair. The owl was a tawny owl with hazel eyes, nothing special, he was pretty sure it was just another letter from the ministry, but when he looked down and saw a silver envelope attached to the owl's claw by a thread, he was assured that it wasn't a letter from Ministry of Magic as the ministry normally used the usual yellow parchment for letters.
James quickly untangled the thread from the owl's claw and held the letter in his hands, but before he could open it, the owl gave a loud hoot, and James knew what had to be done, by years of experience.
He dashed towards the kitchen, the letter still in his hands. He knew there was some bacon still left in the frying pan from the morning, and sure enough, he was right. He hurriedly tossed the bacon onto a plate and rushed towards his room, where the owl was still there, waiting for its treat.
James placed the bacon before the owl, which was now seated on his bed. It quickly snatched it up and flew out of the window with the bacon still in its beak. James sighed and examined the letter that was still clutched in his hands, which now had grease marks on it, thanks to the bacon.
The envelope was silver in color. It was sealed with purple wax. In the seal, a loopy 'S' was written. James wondered where that came from. It definitely couldn't have been Sirius; Sirius wasn't this fancy.
He broke the seal and opened the letter, his hands shaking from anticipation as he rarely received letters (with the exception of the ministry). The letter's interior was even more exquisite than the envelope in which it came.
The parchment that was used for the letter was of the same shade as the seal. It also had ornate silver borders on the edge, and the text of the letter was also written in silver ink. James' interest was getting piqued by each second he looked at it, so he waited no longer and read it, but as soon as he read the first word of the letter, the childish excitement inside him died.
The letter was nothing more than a mere invitation to yet another Christmas party hosted by good ol' Slughorn. Oh, how James hated the Slug Club and their pathetic little meetings, full of blood-purist snobs who were just there because of their daddy's name. James knew this because as soon as Slughorn came to know that he, James Potter, was the son of Fleaumont Potter, the very same person who invented the sleekeazy hair potion, he went from blissfully ignoring James' presence to doting on him as if he was his long-lost son.
James hurled the letter across the room and collapsed on his bed with a grunt. Just then, another owl swooped into his room from the still open window, dropped the letter on his bed, and went flying out of the window.
"What is it today?" James grumbled, "Fucking Owl Day?"
He picked up the letter and once he read who it was from, the grumpy demeanor, he had seconds ago, melted away and he was beaming at the letter in his hand. It was from Anthony. Anthony Rowle.
James had always looked up to Anthony Rowle as a big brother he never had. Sirius even used to tease James by saying that he worshipped the ground Anthony walked on, but James knew Sirius loved Anthony just as much as he loved him. How could he not? How could anyone not love Anthony Rowle?
James still recalls, vividly, when Anthony gave them the book 'The Greatest Pranks of All Time'. All the pranks the marauders pulled during their years at Hogwarts had come from that book.
Anthony was three years ahead of James and the other marauders, so by the time James started his fifth year, Anthony was gone. James still remembers how he had sulked and had wrapped melancholy around him like a blanket for the first month or so of his fifth year at Hogwarts. After seeing this, Sirius, Remus, and Peter decided they had had enough of his sulking and wrote a letter to Anthony, begging him to make James better somehow. So, that's what Anthony did. He visited Hogsmeade to meet James there and worked his magic on him, and just like that, James Potter was back.
At the present James looked at the letter in his hands from Anthony Rowle, he still had trouble believing that Anthony had written him a letter. The last time he and James talked must have been 3 years ago when he was still in Hogwarts and was dating Li—no, James chided himself, he didn't want to revisit the memories he had kept buried with her in them. He didn't want to think about her at all. After all, he had moved on from her, hadn't he?
James shook his head as if that would make his thoughts about her disappear. He focused on the letter, he currently held in his hand, by Anthony Rowle. He opened the letter, his hands trembling from anticipation, once again.
xxx
James,
I know what you might be wondering right now, how the fuck is Anthony Rowle, the most popular guy in the history of Hogwarts, writing to me? Well, you see, I am honoring you by writing to you because I... miss you. It's been hell without you.
So, how about we meet up? I was thinking about meeting up at the Christmas party Slughorn throws every year (I know you got invited), but then I remembered how much you loathed (and still loath, I presume) them. So, how about you and I meet at the Christmas party I am throwing (you are invited if you haven't already guessed)?
P.S: If you come, you can also meet my girlfriend.
P.P.S: The destination, time, etc. is written inside your envelope.
I hope you'll come.
Anthony
xxx
James read the letter. Then re-read it. He read it enough times that he lost count of it. He read it enough times that he can repeat it word to word. He read it till he absorbed every single detail of the letter.
Anthony wants to meet him.
He is inviting him to his Christmas party.
He wants James to meet his girlfriend.
xxx
"So, he invited you to his Christmas party, eh?" Sirius asked through the two-way mirror, something he and James invented in their 3rd year by charming a normal mirror with the help of Anthony and Remus.
James can tell that Sirius was a little jealous of the whole ordeal of Anthony inviting only James to the party and not him, from his tone.
"Yeah," James replied to Sirius' question which he knew wasn't a question at all, "he sent a letter."
"What time is the party, anyway?" Sirius asked, his eyebrows raised.
"8 o'clock"
"It's 8:02 right now" Sirius informed him, a smirk on his face.
"Fuck," James cursed, "I have to go, talk to you later."
xxx
James stood in a brightly lit hall bustling with fancily dressed people. He himself was dressed decently in deep blue indigo robes, which he was quite sure belonged to his dad.
James' eyes raked the party hall trying to discern one familiar face but he was unsuccessful in doing so. Just when he was going to give up on this task a loud thump on his back started him.
He turned around abruptly, startled. In from of him stood...Anthony. He was as handsome as ever(more handsome than himself though he would never admit it). His light brown hair, which under the lighting of the hall looked a shade of dirty blonde was as curly as ever. His ocean blue eyes were looking at James as if he couldn't believe he was standing in front of him, even though he gave him an invitation. Though truth to be told James couldn't also believe Anthony was standing in front of James
It was Anthony who broke the silence, "James!" he exclaimed, "I didn't think you'd come, I thought you'd be—" but James didn't get to know what Anthony thought he'd be because right then he stopped talking abruptly, and not just him, everyone stopped talking. It was as if the room had been put under a silencing spell. The air around him was sizzling with wonder and awe. James looked around to see that everyone(including Anthony) was staring somewhere behind James.
"And, that is my girlfriend," Anthony whispered to him, awestruck. James looked around to see a woman descending the grand staircase.
A woman with dark red hair and emerald green eyes.
xxx
Aaaaaaaand that's the end of the chapter. I'm really proud of how this chapter turned out. I'm sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out but I was in a writer's block so I hope it excuses it lol
Anyway, I just want to warn you guys beforehand that the next chapter also will take a long time to be published because of FUCKING EXAMS! I hope you all don't mind it tho lol
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