Chapter 4
"There is never a bad time to be held"
"James, I'm telling you it was just, weird" Albus and James were walking towards the quidditch pitch, brooms in hand, sharing a large wooden box between them.
"What because she acted strange around Malfoy?" James questioned him, "It is hardly an odd reaction Allie," he finished
"I know that." Albus bit his lip slightly, "but Jamie, you have to admit she is just, well, a bit strange. Malfoy, refusing to even attempt a Patronus."
"Don't forget the whole, no surname thing" James added.
Albus looked at him, "So I'm not being silly?"
"Of course not. It is odd, like she is hiding this big secret or something." James finished as they walked onto the pitch, "but Allie- darling. What is more pressing right now is finding a team." James finished, throwing a glove at him.
At the end of 4 hours, Albus could have sworn that he had a broken thumb and James's face was covered in mud but he was gripping a piece of paper with names scribbled on and then crossed out on.
"Well that was fun" Lily popped up behind them, trying to spy who was on the list.
"Buzz off Lils, and no peaking" James told her but he swung his arm around her shoulders as he did.
"Be serious! we all know I got seeker" she replied, smirking up at her eldest brother.
James just tapped his nose.
"Look there's Rosie and John" Lily said looking towards the people walking towards them, "Oh, is that the new girl, Belle?" she added.
Albus told her that it was, just as the two groups met each other.
"Hello, I'm Lily" she introduced herself waving at Belle who just smiled in greeting.
"Not into Quidditch, Belle?" James asked as they walked towards the changing rooms
"What?" she looked up at him, seemingly shocked that he was addressing her, "oh no, never seen a game." She told them all. The group all stopped in their tracks and looked at her.
"Are you being serious?" Lily asked, astonished.
Belle rubbed the back of her neck, embarrassed.
Stepping into the real world with actual people was a risk she knew that but walking in the slightly muddy pitch with a group of people who all knew each other so well made her realise not just all the things she had missed but also how strange she was. What sort of witch at 16 - especially a pureblood one - has never seen a game of quidditch? She shrugged though, her embarrassment growing. They all just kept looking at her in shock. Feeling that after that confession she had nothing to lose she added, "Never been on a broom either"
Mouths fell open, eyes bugged further still, as they kept looking at her.
"Are you joking?" John said after a while.
"No. We didn't have brooms growing up and Quidditch wasn't allowed" she expanding nervously picking at her the skin on her thumb.
Lily broke the stares and silence first by declaring she was going to get changed and that she would see them all later. Albus fell into step with Rosie and John. That left James still looking down at Belle who over the course of the conversation had got more and more reminiscent of a tomato. James walked forward and gently placed his arm around her shoulders and smiled gently, "If you ever want to learn, I'll teach you"
Looking up at him, "I might take you up on that sometime" she replied, a slight embarrassed smile appearing.
#~ #~
Soon they all fell into the pattern of classes and work, Quidditch practice and matches. Belle in her non-understanding of quidditch and Delia in her general antipathy towards the game (and with no siblings or cousins to cheer on) had taken to making their way down to the kitchen when matches and practices were on, to have tea and cake with the house elves. Friday night usually revolved around a bottle of firewhiskey and chocolate. Belle began to feel herself actually settling into her new life at Hogwarts.
One early Sunday morning she was sat with a blanket wrapped around her on the settee, head buried in a book. A steaming mug of tea perched on the table.
"What you reading?" James Potter's face appeared from over the back of the settee.
Belle, closed the book and held it up for him to see, "Muggle Medicine - The fantastical world of chemistry, potions and pills in Muggle medical care" he read out loud before he propelled himself over the settee to sit on it, "sounds riveting".
Belle smiled very slightly, "It is actually." she told him, "They come up with amazing things".
James just looked sceptically at her, "what are you doing up this early?" he asked.
"Just woke up" she shrugged, picking up her tea and taking a sip, letting the warm liquid fill her throat, "what about you? Shouldn't you be getting as much sleep as you can? Isn't there a match or something today?"
James looked at the fireplace that was empty, "I can never sleep the night before the match, I end up over thinking everything" he explained.
Looking at him, Belle tucked her hair behind her ear, "aren't you tipped to win?" she questioned.
"Of course" he replied smirking, "doesn't stop me over thinking it all though"
They fell into a not uncomfortable silence for a few moments until James spoke again "Well I guess I should go and eat breakfast" but he didn't move when he said it.
"Yes you should, you need energy and all that" Belle agreed.
It took a few moments until James huffed himself off the settee, "You coming?" He held his hand out for her, without even thinking.
Belle just looked at him before taking off the blanket and letting him pull her up. The act of pulling her up meant that when she landed on her feet there was hardly any gap between them. If either of them had taken a small step forward, their chests would have been touching. Even with the small gap between them they didn't move. James kept his grip on her hand. There was a moment where they just looked at each, both not sure what to do but equally not wanting to stop doing nothing.
"Breakfast" Belle said quietly. That single word snapped them out of there revelry. James stepped back, running a hand through his hair.
"Umm, yeah I guess we should" he managed to stutter out.
Belle took her lower lip between her teeth, "Let's go then".