Chapter Twelve - All About Lily,Nomomom

It had been a few days since Charlotte had spoken to James—or anyone, really. She had managed to miss several classes, and while part of her felt guilty, she was at least partially relieved. On one hand, it was nice to take a break from studying endlessly in the hopes of besting Lily. But on the other hand, the thought of falling further behind weighed on her. Maybe Charlotte could never be number one in her classes, but at least she had that. If she slipped any more, she could already imagine Lily's smug offer to tutor her—because nothing said 'sisterly love' quite like reminding Charlotte who the smarter twin was.

Over the last few days, something else had gnawed at her, creeping in at the edges of her awareness: the feeling of being watched. It was subtle, easy to dismiss at first. A glance over her shoulder that revealed nothing, a sense of someone's eyes on her in the halls. She'd even caught herself looking around during classes, expecting to see someone staring at her—but no one was ever there. It could be paranoia, of course. It wasn't like she was a stranger to feeling like she was on the outside of things.

Still, it unsettled her.

For the past few days, Charlotte had kept mostly to herself. Meals were spent in solitude, her head buried in her Animagus book, and it suited her just fine. Potter and his friends had been surprisingly absent from dinner tonight, likely off preparing the common room for Remus' party, and she welcomed the silence. No interruptions, no unwanted conversations—just her and the pages of a book filled with odd and terrifying consequences of Animagus transfiguration.

Though she told herself that avoiding them was her choice, part of her couldn't shake the feeling that James had been avoiding her too. After that awkward morning in his dorm, when he had called her his "friend" and quickly tied it back to Lily, something had shifted. Maybe he sensed her frustration, or maybe it was all in her head. Either way, his absence made it easier to concentrate—on everything but him, of course.

But the feeling of being watched… that wasn't so easy to shake. Even now, as she sat in the Great Hall with her book, her eyes darted around every few minutes, scanning the crowd. Nothing. Always nothing.

Pushing her plate aside, Charlotte closed the Animagus book with a sigh. The thought of facing Lily's pity—again—was almost enough to make her abandon her plans for the night entirely. She had been invited to Remus' party, though she wasn't quite sure why. She hardly knew him, and he hardly knew her, but the thought of sitting in her dorm alone while everyone else had fun wasn't appealing either. The library seemed like the best option—safe, quiet, and far away from the noise of the common room.

But then again, the party meant free alcohol.

And she couldn't deny the small, rebellious part of her that wanted to go just to spite Lily. To show her that she could have fun, too, without her sister hovering over her like some perfect, self-righteous angel. The thought of seeing the look on Lily's face if she turned up to the party in a dress, looking as though she belonged, was tempting. Very tempting.

Her gaze drifted to the small black lace dress that lay across her bed upstairs, waiting for her. It was a beautiful thing, elegant in its simplicity, and Charlotte had been saving it for a night like this—a night where she could prove to herself, and to everyone else, that she wasn't just the awkward, overlooked twin.

But the feeling of eyes on her wouldn't leave her, even as she pushed herself up from the table and headed out of the Great Hall. Her steps quickened, almost as though she could outrun the strange sensation crawling over her skin. Her heart raced as she glanced over her shoulder one more time, but the corridor was empty.

You're being ridiculous, she told herself, shaking her head. No one's watching you. Not really.

Still, she couldn't help but glance over her shoulder one last time before slipping away to the dorms.

The dorm room was empty when Charlotte arrived, a small relief. Lily was likely off getting ready with Alice Longbottom, her closest friend, and that meant Charlotte could take her time without having to deal with her sister's judgmental glances.

She approached her bed, eyeing the black lace dress draped over it. Her fingers brushed against the fabric as she lifted it up, feeling the smoothness of the silk slip beneath the lace. It had been an impulse buy during the Christmas break—a mangy old thing from a second-hand store in Muggle London that Lily had scoffed at. But now, as Charlotte held it up to herself in the mirror, she smiled. She wasn't one for girly dresses, but this one… this one made her feel powerful. Like she could walk into that party and be someone different for a night—someone confident, someone in control.

Maybe tonight wasn't such a bad idea after all.

Her thoughts drifted to Remus' party. It wasn't like she had ever been invited to something like this before, but when James had casually mentioned it the other day, there had been something in his eyes—a challenge, almost. Like he didn't think she'd show up. Like she wouldn't dare to step into his world of laughter, noise, and carefree fun. But Charlotte wasn't about to back down from a challenge, not from James Potter of all people.

As she stood in front of the mirror, smoothing out the wrinkles in her dress, she caught a glimpse of her reflection—a version of herself she hardly recognized. Her dark blonde hair fell in soft waves, brushing against her shoulders, and she had even managed to line her eyes with a subtle touch of eyeliner, a blue that made her eyes pop. For once, she looked… good.

She almost smiled, but the sensation of being watched crawled back into her consciousness. It was like a shadow, lurking just out of sight. She glanced toward the door, half-expecting someone to be standing there, peering in. But there was nothing—only the quiet stillness of the dorm.

Get a grip, Charlotte, she told herself firmly, taking a deep breath. No one's watching you.

She slipped on her heels and gathered her courage. The party was downstairs, and she had already made the decision to go. No turning back now.

The Gryffindor common room was already buzzing with noise as she descended the winding stairs from the girls' dormitory, her heart thudded uncomfortably in her chest. She wasn't sure why she was so nervous—it wasn't like anyone would even notice her once she reached the common room.

But that was the point, wasn't it? To be noticed. To be seen.

The door swung open, and she was hit with a wave of warmth, music, and the smell of butterbeer. The common room was packed, students sprawled on couches, standing in groups by the fireplace, or dancing in the small cleared space near the front. Charlotte hesitated for a moment, lingering by the entrance, suddenly unsure if this was the right move. But then she saw James.

He was across the room, leaning against the back of the couch, a casual smirk on his face as he talked to Remus and Sirius. His hair was its usual mess, and he wore his quidditch jacket over a rumpled shirt, looking every bit the carefree boy who had everything figured out. His laugh cut through the noise, and as if sensing her presence, he glanced toward the door.

For a moment, their eyes met. His smirk faltered, replaced by something else—surprise, maybe? It was gone as quickly as it appeared, but it was enough to make Charlotte's heart skip a beat. She quickly looked away, scanning the room for a spot where she could blend into the background, but there was no escape. The second she stepped inside, it felt like all eyes were on her.

But it wasn't just the usual curiosity of her classmates. There was something more. Something… intentional. She felt it now more than ever—someone watching her, following her movements. The sensation prickled at the back of her neck, and though she couldn't pinpoint who it was, it made her skin crawl.

It had to be paranoia. She was just imagining it.

She found an empty seat near the far end of the room and quickly sat down, grabbing a drink from a nearby table to give herself something to do. She needed to relax, to stop overthinking everything. It was just a party. No one was watching her. No one cared that she was there.

Except James. He cared. At least enough to look twice.

Across the room, she saw him whisper something to Sirius, who followed his gaze to where she sat. Sirius grinned, elbowing James playfully, and Charlotte looked away, heat rising in her cheeks. She didn't need their attention—not now. Not when she was trying to figure out how to navigate this whole thing without embarrassing herself.

The common room seemed to buzz even louder, the music mixing with laughter and conversations she couldn't quite follow. She forced herself to relax, taking a sip of her drink and letting the warmth of the butterbeer settle her nerves. Maybe this wasn't so bad after all.

But still, the feeling of being watched lingered.