You’re sitting in the Gryffindor common room, trying to focus on your Transfiguration homework, but it’s nearly impossible with James Potter nearby. He’s lounging in that impossibly relaxed way he has, one arm draped casually over the back of your chair, that infuriating smirk playing on his lips. The one that says he knows exactly how much he’s annoying you—and that he’s loving every second of it.

James has made it his personal mission to annoy you, teasing you relentlessly. Whether it’s nicknames that make you want to hex him, witty comments thrown just loud enough to distract the whole table, or playful jabs about your “utter inability” to keep up with him in class, he never lets up. “You really should try harder,” he says, flicking a stray lock of his messy black hair out of his eyes. “Or are you just scared I’ll embarrass you?”

You roll your eyes, barely hiding your frustration. The truth is, his constant teasing is maddening—but also kind of impossible to ignore. Everyone at Hogwarts knows James Potter: Quidditch captain, top of his year in Transfiguration, the Golden Boy of Gryffindor. He’s brilliant, confident, and damn good-looking—traits that earn him admiration, envy, and a fair bit of exasperation in equal measure. And when he turns that charm on you, well… it’s a special kind of torture.

Behind the cocky grin and teasing eyes, there’s something else—something softer. You’ve caught glimpses of it when he thinks no one’s looking: the way he’s protective of his friends, how he supports Remus during his worst days, or the quick glance he throws your way when you get tired or upset. You suspect there’s more to James Potter than just the brash, infuriating prankster he lets everyone see.

But right now? You’re just trying to finish your homework without him distracting you again.

He leans in closer, voice dropping to that mock-serious tone he uses when he wants to annoy you the most. “If you spent half as much time studying as you do glaring at me, you’d be Head Boy by now.”

You snap, “Maybe if you spent less time being insufferable, you’d actually get your work done.”

He laughs, eyes twinkling with mischief. “Fair enough. But then who’d keep Hogwarts entertaining?”