I'm feeling a little out of it, so when I read over it, I might not have gotten most of the mistakes. Sorry? But we're near the end. Two more chapters after this. :D
Hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I really don't own Harry Potter. That belongs to J.K. Rowling (on the floor laughing). C'mon, that joke was funny! I can't help it that I feel like I've been drugged! Stop looking at me, Swan!
Winning at Everything
Chapter Eight: James Wins at School
Month Eight: Thirty-One Weeks – June 12, 2022
James leaned back on the stone wall and let out a sigh. That was it. He was done. Never mind that there was a week or so left until school ended. There was nothing left for James to do. Gryffindor had won the Quidditch Cup (by only sixty points, thanks to Ravenclaw, but they had still won it). He had just taken his last exam (Care of Magical Creatures). All that was left to do was laze around the castle, skive off classes, and laugh at the younger years.
There was the small problem of his future, but he already knew he was going into the Auror Program. The only NEWT that might give him problems for that was Transfiguration, but James was confident that he had at least gotten an E. So human transfiguration wasn't his strong suit. He was still an ace at Defense Against the Dark Arts and Charms.
"Think he's sleeping?"
"No, he'd be on the ground."
James opened one eye to look at his cousin and fiance. "He can hear you."
"No, he can't," Fred responded.
Cora gave a halfhearted smile. "All men have selective hearing."
For a moment James tried to keep a disgruntled face, but couldn't make it. He stepped to Cora's side and gave her a small kiss. It seemed like every time he saw her the last few weeks he became giddy. Her stomach was now huge and was like a magnet to everyone's hands, even James's. It made the girl horribly embarrassed, so James had tried to run interference. If that meant he had to have his hands on her all the time, he wasn't complaining.
"How was the exam?" he asked.
Cora shrugged, while Fred grinned. "I say I'll get an O."
"Easy for you to say," Cora muttered. "You didn't have a kid kicking your bladder. I thought I was going to wet myself."
James really couldn't stop the laugh. He tried to look concerned, but, really, she should have known that would have made him laugh. "Y-You need t-to go to the l-loo?"
Cora huffed, but smiled anyway. "There's a boy's room on this floor, right? I feel like being a rebel."
Fred snorted. "I think you've done enough rebelling."
Cora made a face at him. "I thought you and James thought there was no such thing."
"Too right," James said.
"Then all I have to say is 'don't get caught, kiddies.' See you outside," Fred said with a grin. He walked out of the Entrance Hall doors, letting out a "whoop" that James heard from where he was standing.
Cora turned to him. "I really do have to go. Where's the closest?"
James snickered, but showed her anyway. He stood outside while she was in there, letting his mind stay blank. For the rest of the term he wanted his mind blank as it could be. There would be no serious thinking while there was nothing important to worry about.
After Cora was done, they walked out to the lake, where a large group of seventh years were lying about and celebrating the ending of exams. Fred was flirting with Samantha Thomas, while Louis, David Finnigan, Warren Smith, and Terrance Moore were having a four-way wrestling match that a few girls were half watching as they spoke amongst themselves.
James pulled Cora to sit under the a nearby tree, next to Dan Bole and Johnny Perks. Both were on the Gryffindor quidditch team and were playing a fierce game of Exploding Snap. The two barely noticed their arrival, waving distractedly in their direction.
"Samantha always complains about how much she hates Fred," Cora commented.
James smirked. "She doesn't seem like she hates him that much right now." It was true. The girl's cheeks were red, and she was grinning widely.
"I know. The girls dorm all think they'll be together by the end of the year," Cora told him. "I think it'll take a little longer. Samantha's stubborn."
James slipped an arm around Cora's shoulders and leaned back into the tree. He titled his head up and relaxed. "So is Fred. It's a Weasley trait."
She curled into his side. One of James's hands unconsciously moved to rest on her stomach. Her hand settled on top of his and she let out a sigh. "I'll miss this."
"Me too," James agreed. There was something, for lack of a better term, magical about Hogwarts. He had finally come to understand why his dad always became a little wistful when talking about the castle. It was like a second home, where so much of his life had happened. Knowing he was leaving was like moving away from a friend. He was ready, but it was still a daunting prospect.
"I'll miss the free quidditch matches the most, I think," Cora said lightly.
James snickered. "I don't know. I think I'll miss detentions."
"Oh yes, lines. Those were my favorites," she commented. Her voice was amused and it made James smile.
"I've always liked scrubbing floors, myself," James told her.
Cora laughed. "Who can't like lines? 'Hogwarts is a place for learning.' The irony of them is the best."
James chuckled into her hair. "I think we've both proven Hogwarts can be for a lot more than learning."
"Yes, we have. You especially, Mr. Potter," said Cora with a grin.
James smiled. "I'm still not done yet. The Leaving Feast will be marvelous."
"Do you have a plan yet?" she asked.
"We're working on it," he said with a shrug.
"You should make it colorful," Cora suggested. "With some sort of music."
James smirked wide. "Dad and Uncle George could get us some fireworks. I'm sure I know the charm to change the color of the candles." He kissed her forehead. "We might not be Marauders or heroes, but they'll never forget us."
Cora's hand squeezed his. "I don't know how they could."
The Leaving Feast of 2022 featured dancing tableware; fireworks of red, yellow, blue, and green; candles that spelled words in the air; and a loud rock song from 2015. The tables in the Great Hall never did lose the tint of color they had been dyed to match their houses. The staff table would still be a nice royal purple for many years after.