Chapter 2

SPOV

I wake up a few hours later to someone or something, blundering around in the kitchen. I jump out of bed and grab my wand before running silently down the hall. I peer into the kitchen and I'm surprised to see James, but also thankful it wasn't a murderer or something.

"Shit!" says James, hopping around on one foot.

I walk around the corner into the kitchen, watching him struggle.

He whirls around when he hears me and bangs his head on the door of the cabinet he was just looking in. "Fuck!" he moans. "You changed it since last time!"

I nod. "It's been three years of course I have!"

"Right," he replies, plopping down into one of the chairs at the table.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, cutting to the chase quickly. I just wanted to get this over with so I could go back to bed.

"I needed a place to crash," he answers.

"Why would you think it would be okay to crash here?" I sit down on the chair next to his and cross my arms.

"Well… No one else was exactly willing to take me…" He says softly, his eyes glued to the table. "I was hoping maybe you would…?" He finally looks at me and he looks sad.

I bite my lip. I know I shouldn't let him stay here, but one night couldn't hurt could it? He could talk to his family tomorrow and stay somewhere else. "Fine. You can crash in the spare room." I stand up and start towards the hall. "But only for tonight."

I wake up again. It feels like I just got to sleep. I sit up and let my eyes adjust to the dim lights. I see James walking around the room, making about as much noise as he possibly can.

"What are you doing?" I murmur sleepily.

"Er...I was wondering if you had any of my old clothes? I don't want to sleep in jeans if I don't have to," he says.

"I think so," I reply standing up and stretching. I walk over to my closet and shove a bunch of clothes out of the way and pull out a box. I open it up and pull out one of his Puddlemere United t-shirts and a pair of pajama bottoms. I chuck them to him and walk back to my warm and comfortable bed. I fall onto it and say: "You're welcome!"

He laughs. "You could've just told me where they were!"

"You would've got it wrong," I grumble, crawling back under the covers.

"That's probably true."

I feel something sit on my bed.

"I'm sorry I left," he says quietly.

But I'm already asleep.

The next time I wake up it's actually morning, thank goodness. I roll over and whack something. I open my eyes and see James sleeping next to me. Just like old times. I don't really know what to do with myself or with him so I just get up and go to the kitchen.

"It's been such a weird night!" I say over the phone to my cousin Lindsay.

"What happened?"

"Well I went to Ophelia's birthday party right? On my way home I ran into James!" I say, putting the phone on speaker phone so I can make breakfast.

"James? As in Potter? As in the one who ditched you?"

"The one and only," says James.

"Was that him?" says Lindsay, as I whirl around.

"Yeah," I answer. "And he scared the shit out of me." I glare at him.

He chuckles lightly. "Shut up," I slap James' arm. Hard. He deserves it. And not just for laughing at me. "Lindz can you come over?"

"Yeah why?"

"I'm coming to get you." I hang up the phone and apparate to her house. When she's ready I apparate us back. Lindsay's a muggle. My dad is too, but my mum was a wizard. However I grew up with my dad's family hence Lindsay being nonmagical.

"Hey," says James who's leaning against the counter.

Lindsay nods and sits down on a chair.

"Aw no hug? Not even a 'Hello James it's good to see you' ?" He asks with a pout. They used to get along so well.

"I don't say hello to assholes." She replies grumpily.

"Oo burn."

"Seriously though. Do you have any idea of the things that happened when you left?" He shouldn't have said anything, I think to myself as I shake my head. Lindsay has quite a temper.

James stops smiling. He looks down and keeps quiet.

"Exactly." She says, still sounding upset.

I take Lindsay's arm and drag her to my room. "Seriously Lindsay?"

"It's true and you know it!" She plops onto the bed. "He deserves every mean comment he gets."

"I know that, but you don't need to tell him anything." I sit down next to her. "I don't want him to know."

"I didn't say exactly what happened." She points out. "Besides if it will make him feel like shit I say tell him."

"Yeah but-"

"What did happen?" asks James, appearing in the doorway.

"Great," I mutter. "James why don't you just go eat."

"I want to talk though," he says, walking into the room.

"Bye!" says Lindsay, getting up. "I'll be at Fred's!" She walks quickly from the room and I can hear her on the phone talking to him.

James continues to stand in the middle of the room while I'm on my bed. We hear Fred appear and then hear them both leave before James finally breaks the silence. "So are you going to tell me or what?"