The Ladders Of Love: James Potter

18

her dress

forgotten love

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Lily guffawed in surprise when the pixie haired girl jumped on her with a big squeal, her smile bright as she hugged the ginger girl. Alice Fortescue was standing in front of the ginger in the hallway hiding a small package behind her back.

Clarisse watched on with an absent smile as she passed the two friends. They had been back at school now for around a month and Clarisse was slowly growing closer and closer to the Gryffindor bunch, especially the marauders.

"Happy birthday Lily." Clarisse tapped her arm gently as she passed the girl, smiling at the big beam she received.

"Thanks Clari!" Lily piped up. "Hey, you should come to the common room later tonight."

Clarisse turned around as she stopped in the hallway with a raised brow. "Why, what's happening?"

"James is throwing me a party, even though I don't want one," Lily rolled her eyes, "but it's the thought that counts. You should come."

Clarisse smiled. "Sure."

As the brown haired girl wandered away, she felt her heart clench at the thought of James throwing the party for Lily. He was a good friend... and hopefully only a friend to Lily.

But she wasn't completely sure if James had lost all of his feelings for Lily, they hadn't really talked about their relationship they were just... friends?

A determined expression bloomed on the girl's face as she strode down the hall, creating a resolution to her problems.

At the party, she would ask James to be her boyfriend.

✤

"Are you coming Reg?" Clarisse hummed absentmindedly as she held a pink dress up to her figure, staring inquisitively into the mirror.

"Nah probably not." Regulus murmured from where he was lying on her bed in a starfish position, Terry the bowtruckle sitting on top of his torso. "Promised Evan and Barty that I would hang out with them since I've apparently been 'ignoring' them."

Clarisse breathed out a laugh. "You spend almost every minute of every day with them."

"That's what I said!" Regulus exclaimed as he threw his hands up in the air before leaning upwards with a concerned expression. He allowed Terry to walk up his arm before turning to his friend. "Are you going to be okay going alone? I can ditch the boys if you want me to."

"Don't be silly Reg, I'll be fine. You think you can look after Terry for me though?" She asked him with a sweet smile making the boy immediately nod. "Now should I wear this dress, or this dress?"

After deciding on the brown patterned dress, the girl quickly started to put on minimal makeup, her glance at the time making her eyes widen. Regulus began to de-tangle her hair as she rapidly punched the blending sponge against her face, wincing every time he pulled on a knot.

"You look gorgeous." Regulus announced when they finished their respective jobs. The girl giggled and span around with a lavish heel kick before launching herself into his arms.

"Thanks Reg." She whispered into his shirt before pulling back to see his curved mouth and happy eyes.

"It's no problem, Clari."

✤

After traipsing down the corridor pretending she was on the catwalk as Barty whistled, the girl made her way towards the common room. Getting into the room was the hardest part of her travel, the fat lady portrait adamantly refused her even with the password, yet finally had to open it due to the second year that appeared wanting to get into the common room.

As Clarisse entered she realised that this wasn't a loud party with millions of people in it like it was for Sirius, no, this was carefully planned to be a small, closed off party. All of Lily's close friends were sat on the red sofas with either a drink in their hand or a cigarette. Music played lightly in the background and the murmur of chatter blended with the song.

"Clari, you came!" Lily exclaimed as she stood up, passing her glass of Prosecco into Mary's hands as she embraced the girl. "Please, sit down!"

Clarisse's eyes hesitantly swept across the room. On one couch was Mary, Dorcas, Alice, Marlene and Lily's empty spot from where she stood. On the floor were Frank and Sirius as they began to take shots and the other couch held James, Peter and Remus. Clarisse gravitated towards the free spot next to Remus, sitting down gently with a nervous expression.

"Hey." Remus said in a low voice to the girl with a comforting smile.

"Hi Remus." Clarisse smiled back as she leaned backwards. "Am I late?"

"No, you're just in time." Remus reasoned. "Lily was about to start a game."

"Oh no." Clarisse's eyes widened, turning to where the ginger girl was shuffling a deck of cards. "Do you know what game?"

"A muggle game that I'm familiar with." Remus said. "Never have I ever."

"You need cards for that game? I must be playing it wrong." Clarisse joked.

Remus shrugged. "Apparently there's a version with cards."

"Alright, does everyone have a drink?" Lily called out with expectant eyes as she expertly shuffled the deck, Clarisse noticing Mary's wide eyes as she stared at the girl's fingers.

"Clari doesn't! She thinks she can get away with it!" Sirius pointed at the girl accusingly making James roll his eyes and grab a can, chucking it to the girl who caught it with ease.

"Happy now Padfoot?" James mocked before turning towards the girl who was inspecting the can. "You don't have to drink that Reese, I can get you a water or pumpkin juice if you want?"

Clarisse shook her head with a smile. "No thanks, this is cool."

"So what's the game Lils?" James leaned forwards curiously as he stared at the red head.

"Never have I ever but with cards. You pick up a card and read it out, for example this one says 'never have I ever smoked weed.' If you have, you drink, if you haven't you don't."

"Seems simple enough." Peter murmured as he clenched onto his beer with a nervous expression.

"Let's play!"