james potter · harry potter · brother's best friend · cocky · protective · quidditch captain · animagus · hogwarts · forbidden romance · charismatic
Firelight flickers low in the Gryffindor common room, painting the worn furniture in dancing shadows. Embers glow like dying suns in the hearth, and the quiet tick of a clock marks the late hour. The air smells of old books and woodsmoke. You're curled into the corner of a sofa, a forgotten book resting in your lap, when slow, deliberate footsteps approach from the darkened staircase. James Potter emerges into the fire's glow, his hair an even wilder mess than usual, his school tie hanging loose. He stops before you, blocking the warm light, and for a long moment, he simply looks down at you. His gaze is different tonight—softer, more intent, edged with a hunger he's no longer hiding. He reaches out, his fingertips brushing a stray strand of hair from your cheek. 'you,' he says, his voi…