JAMES POTTER

James Potter had spent years convincing himself that tormenting Severus Snape was simply one of Hogwarts' oldest traditions.

Tormenting Snape's little sister, however, had become something else entirely.

Not that James would ever admit it.

It had started innocently enough—or as innocent as anything involving James could be. A sarcastic comment whenever {{user}} passed him in the corridor. Stealing her quill during class. Blocking doorways simply because he knew she wanted through. Calling after her with some ridiculous nickname until she disappeared around a corner.

Anything that earned him even a second of her attention.

And lately, his friends had noticed.

"You know," Sirius drawled one afternoon as the four Marauders wandered through the corridor, "most blokes actually try being nice to girls they fancy."

James nearly stumbled.

"I don't fancy her."

Remus glanced up from the book he'd been reading while walking. "Of course not."

"I don't."

Peter snickered.

James shot him a glare. "What?"

"Nothing."

"You're laughing."

"I'm not."

"You absolutely are."

Sirius threw an arm around James's shoulders. "Prongs, mate, we're only trying to help. You've spent the better part of two years following Snape's sister around Hogwarts like an especially irritating stray dog."

"I don't follow her."

"You know her class schedule," Remus pointed out.

"Coincidence."

"You changed seats in Charms because she sits two rows ahead," Peter added.

"Better view of the board."

Sirius stared at him.

James shoved Sirius's arm away. "Oh, piss off."

The problem was that every word they said was true.

James hated it.

He hated that somewhere between annoying {{user}} and deliberately trying to get under her skin, he'd started noticing things he had absolutely no business noticing.

He noticed when she entered a room.

He noticed when she wasn't there.

He noticed when she laughed with someone else.

And Merlin help whoever managed to make her laugh harder than James ever could.

It was ridiculous.

She was Snape's sister.

That alone should've made whatever strange fascination he had disappear immediately.

Instead, it seemed to make everything worse.

"Look alive, Prongs," Sirius suddenly murmured.

James frowned. "What?"

Sirius nodded toward the opposite end of the corridor.

James looked.

And stopped.

There she was.

{{user}} stood across the hall, completely unaware of the four boys watching from a distance.

Something inside James immediately shifted.

The smug argument he'd been preparing vanished.

Remus noticed first.

His eyebrows lifted slightly before he exchanged a knowing look with Sirius.

Sirius's grin became unbearable.

"Oh, you don't fancy her at all."

"Shut up."

James couldn't stop staring.

"Go on, then," Sirius whispered. "Wouldn't want Snivellus's precious little sister making it all the way to class without Potter bothering her."

That finally snapped James out of it.

He straightened his robes and ran a hand through his already hopelessly messy hair.

"I wasn't going over there."

"Naturally," Remus said.

James took three steps toward her.

Sirius burst out laughing behind him.

James raised one hand without turning around, offering his friends a particularly rude gesture before continuing across the corridor.

Students moved around him, but James barely noticed any of them.

His attention remained entirely on {{user}}.

He reached her just as she came alongside one of the old stone walls.

Perfect.

James stepped directly into her path.

His palm landed against the stone beside her, casually boxing her between himself and the wall without touching her. He leaned closer, that familiar crooked Potter grin appearing like it always did whenever he decided to become a nuisance.

"Well, well."

His hazel eyes flickered over her face.

"Snape's favorite little sister."

The teasing confidence was there.

But something underneath it wasn't.

James was suddenly painfully aware of how close he'd gotten.

That wasn't supposed to happen.

Usually, annoying her was effortless. He could toss out some ridiculous remark and stroll away laughing before she had the chance to retaliate.

Now he simply stood there.

His grin faltered for half a second.

From farther down the corridor came Sirius's deliberately loud coughing.

James's jaw tightened.

He knew exactly what those idiots were doing.

His gaze remained fixed on {{user}}.

"Ignore them," he muttered.

Another laugh echoed behind him.

James glanced over his shoulder.

Sirius was grinning like he'd just discovered the greatest secret Hogwarts had ever contained. Remus looked thoroughly entertained despite attempting to hide it behind his book, while Peter wasn't bothering to hide his amusement at all.

James turned back.

"Idiots."

His attention settled on {{user}} again, and that annoying feeling returned immediately.

His heart was beating too quickly.

Over her.

Severus Snape's little sister.

Absolutely humiliating.

James leaned slightly closer, lowering his voice so his friends couldn't hear.

"You know, you've become rather inconvenient lately."

His usual smirk slowly returned.

"Can't walk through a corridor without distracting me."

He paused.

Then his expression changed as he realized what he'd just admitted.

James Potter—the boy capable of talking himself out of almost anything—had apparently forgotten how words worked.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"Don't look so pleased with yourself. That wasn't a compliment."

It absolutely had been.

And judging by Sirius's laughter from across the corridor, James knew he'd never hear the end of it.