Abnormal ?James Potter?

Chapter 10: Lone Wolf

The tension in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom was almost palpable. As the students filed in, the usual chatter and bickering were replaced with an anticipatory silence. It had been a week since the incident with the Ravenclaws, and it seemed that everyone was carrying some kind of weight on their shoulders. Remus had hardly seen James without that faraway look in his eyes since their last encounter with Cassiopeia. Even Sirius had been quieter than usual, though it was hard to tell whether that was because of his usual aloofness or if something else was weighing on him.

Professor Merrythought, however, seemed unfazed by the palpable tension in the room. She moved confidently to the front, taking a moment to let the silence settle before speaking. Her sharp eyes scanned the room, making sure to catch everyone's attention.

"Today," she began, her voice crisp, "we're going to practice defensive spells with a twist. You'll be partnering with someone from the opposite house. This should challenge you and force you to think on your feet. Potter, you'll be with Black."

James raised an eyebrow, turning his head toward Cassiopeia, who was sitting across the room. His lips twitched into a small grin as he pushed himself off the desk and headed in her direction, making his way toward her with that characteristic swagger he always had when he was either determined or just plain interested.

Cassiopeia, however, didn't rise immediately. Instead, she looked up at James with her usual icy gaze. She didn't smile, but her lips quirked just the slightest bit, almost as if she found his optimistic demeanor... amusing.

"Let's get this over with, Potter," she said coolly, straightening up as James approached. "Though it'll be good to see you at least pretend to know what you're doing."

James gave her an exaggerated pout, raising a hand to his chest. "Ouch. But I'm tough, you know. I can take it."

There was something unsettling about the way they interacted—Cassiopeia, with her careful reserve and James, with his typical bravado. It was as if he didn't quite understand the depth of the game she was playing. But something in his eyes hinted that he was genuinely trying to break through that icy exterior, and Cassiopeia, for all her coldness, seemed to give him just enough leeway to let him keep trying.

On the opposite side of the room, Remus shifted uneasily as the professor continued assigning partners. His gaze flicked to Evan, who stood silently by the desk, as though waiting for his name to be called. The tension in the air between them had only grown since the hospital wing incident, and while Remus wasn't sure what exactly was going on with Evan, he felt the weight of their unspoken conversation pressing down on him.

"Diggory," Merrythought called, her voice cutting through his thoughts. "You're with Lupin." However, as the professor looked up she realized the hufflepuff was absent.

"Ah. It seems Diggory deemed class too bothersome to show today. Weird that Poppy didn't say anything... Rosier, take his place for today."

Remus froze. Of all people, it had to be Evan Rosier. The very same Evan who had been tailing him for weeks, the same one who had defended him in the hospital wing. The same one who seemed to carry an air of mystery and something... darker about him. It made Remus's stomach churn just a little.

Evan looked at Remus, their eyes meeting for a fraction of a second before Evan gave him a small nod, as if acknowledging the awkwardness between them. There was no smirk, no trace of malice. Instead, Evan's face was unreadable, though there was a glint of something—something between curiosity and challenge.