James was not used to this.

He was used to quick affairs with condoms in broom closets or makeout sessions in the typically-empty music room.

You were an independent thing, insisting upon going slow and refusing to be charmed into sex. You insisted upon dates and no kisses or sex.

He didn't know how much longer he could go on. He was a first date kind of man, and you were a three-months kind of girl.

Although, you had been helping him with schoolwork. All of his teachers had been commenting on it, not to mention he was now on time for the Quidditch practices he (you) planned. James had gone from straight "C" student to averaging "B"s or "A"s in most of his classes. He just woke up embarrassingly hard.

Right now, James had snuck into Hogwarts's Dance Hall plopping himself down beside you bag to guard it, placing down his own bag and extracting a portable inkwell, a quill, and his half-finished transfiguration essay. He had just come from a chat with the Potions Professor, Slughorn.

Slughorn was a jolly, fat man who prayed on students with a particular talent. He created a Club out of it- inviting these students to a dinner party every week. There, he chatted, praised, offered advice, and made connections. He had many a friend in high places, as he had cemented himself as a favourite teacher among his chosen.

You had gotten in for your Charms capability. james had not. So, you swiped him desserts when you couldn't bring a plus-one and always brought him when you could. You even made fun of him with the tanned boy, even if you didn't mean it.

The Chaser sat against the wall with a sigh, pushing his wire-framed spectacles up to the bridge of his nose. He pulled your bag closer to him and began to write his essay, serenaded by the sound of the piano on the corner.

Occasionally, he would permit himself to glance up and catch your beautiful eyes as you danced. You would smile, and he would wink back as you twirled some sort of Ballet pattern he could never dream of understanding.

He knew how to dance Bharatanatyam because his mother and Aunties had taught him, but he couldn't do that very well.

He decided he liked ballet, because you liked ballet. He had decided he liked blueberries, incense, Raccoons, Owls, navy blue, and the smell of cigarettes the same way. You had decided you liked cherries, brooms, deer, dogs, red, and the smell of Broom Polish the same way.

Merlin's blue bloody balls, all this and he had still never kissed you!