He was avoiding her. James Potter was acutely aware of that fact, but it was becoming increasingly confusing talking to Emma lately. Well not talking, they didn't really talk - it was honestly just being a struggle to be near her at all. He was also annoyed at himself for thinking about it during the whole detention, and he kept feeling tempted to pull out the map to see what she was doing, but stopped himself each time - happy that he was alone during this particular detention.
He was making his way back to the Gryffindor common room after a longer than necessary detention when a hand grabbed his arm and quickly pulled him inside an empty classroom. Before he even saw the glare he had come to know in second year, or the tousled dark brown hair that blurred his vision for a moment as she quickly closed the door (by pushing him against it), he knew that it was Emma, and under her touch he tensed up. Because James Potter - who feared nothing - was afraid of the short witch in front of him as she glared at him, which made him acutely aware of her red eyes as his face twitched with sympathy despite his efforts to remain neutral.
"Reckless." Emma's voice hissed out. "You're reckless!" She shouted as she dug her open palm into his shoulder - hard. She wasn't holding back and if James wasn't already pushed against the wall he probably would have stumbled, but all he did was stay quiet and try to stay still. He wanted to reach out and calm her but he knew it could just make it worse. She pressed both her hands against his chest, pushing herself closer as she looked around, clearly surprised at herself for being so loud - so she whispered as she shook her head, "You're insufferable and reckless, fowl, crazy- 'brave' Gryffindor-" she said, and he was sure that she was the only one who made brave sound like a curse word. He gave a small smile regardless and put his hands on her upper arms to calm her down, slightly shushing her.
She took a big breath.
"I'm not sure what this is about." He said quietly and she glared at him again, both of them knowing it was a lie.
"You just got detention about it." She said, her voice strained. "You were found in the woods, the forbidden forest- ALONE- and you were all scarred up!" She said, high pitched. "Don't- don't! Do that!" She said, her hand going to her chest, feeling her chest tighten as she looked away from him. "You are so reckless." She hissed. "So awful and …d..dumb. Just- is there any way you can tell me what happened?" She looked up hopefully and yet it was gone after a moment.
He shook his head, unable to tell her about Remus- that he was distracting the teachers so that it just looked like he was outside and being dumb, rather than get all four of them in trouble for being out that late. Lily liked that he was reckless- and so Gryffindor.
James wasn't even sure what this fight was about. It started with the fact that James didn't finish the dishes like he said he would but he wished that the hundred times he had actually done the dishes would have counted for something. He knew that it wasn't the actual act of not doing the dishes but something else- tensions were high with the war and Lily was tense but so was he. Their fights kept coming around and around to whatever little thing started it to-
"I can't change for you!" James shouted, desperately and upset. He hated so much of his life right now, because for the first time in a while he was feeling less burdened and more free, and Lily, his wife, was making it incredibly difficult to do anything at all. Seventh year was a complete mess, he was tired and had so much work to do. Being Head Boy and Quidditch Captain took so much out of him, and he used to think it was great that through all the confusion and haze of that year that Lily saw him and fell in love with him like he always wanted, but it was becoming clear that she expected him to be different. She clicked her tongue against her mouth and seemed so exasperated with him, and he knew she was too nice to say what she was thinking. About how James used to be a better boyfriend, and now that he has all his energy back he's shit again because he's not content staying home and loligagging. That he hadn't done anything new in a while.
And Lily slammed the door shut and in that instant James only felt relief and an overwhelming feeling that he did not, even a little bit, want to chase after her this time. Then he felt guilt. He knew without any uncertainty who he actually wanted to see right now, even though he had not thought of her in months- the one person who would get not only his determination, but also the Quidditch references.