Ava Slora and James Potter have hated each other since they were ten, ever since their fathers-old Hogwarts friends-joked at an annual dinner about them getting married one day. James immediately dismissed the idea, declaring he'd never marry a girl...
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﹂real life
James sat on his bed, one leg bent, the other stretched out, his Potions textbook open on his lap. His wand twirled between his fingers absentmindedly, but his eyes weren't on the book.
His phone screen lit up, casting a soft glow in the dim dormitory. A story at the top of his feed. Ava Slora.
He hesitated for a second before tapping on it.
It wasn't anything special. Just her usual. A casual, effortless kind of pretty, dark hair falling over her shoulders, her lips pressed together in a way that made it unclear if she was just lost in thought or pissed off at the entire world. The sleeves of her hoodie covered most of her hands, and the caption at the bottom read: brr.
James stared at it longer than he meant to.
"You're pathetic, Prongs."
James jumped, nearly dropping his phone. He locked it instantly, shoving it under his pillow as Sirius flopped onto the bed beside him, a wide smirk plastered on his face.
"What are you on about?" James grumbled, shifting like he could somehow make himself look less guilty.
"Mate." Sirius's grin only widened. "You realize I've been watching you for the past five minutes, yeah? The way you hesitated before opening it? The way your eyes lingered?" He let out a bark of laughter. "Merlin, for someone who claims to hate Slora, you're sure acting like a bloke with a pathetic little crush."
James scoffed. "I was just scrolling. It's not a crime."
Sirius snorted. "Right. Just scrolling. And that's why you looked like a third-year getting caught sneaking out past curfew?"
"I don't—" James stopped himself, exhaling sharply. He wasn't doing this. Not with Sirius. "It's not that deep, Padfoot. It's just—she was on my feed, and I tapped. That's it."
Sirius propped himself up on one elbow, watching him like a cat toying with its prey. "Sure, mate. And you're totally not rewatching her stories like some lovesick idiot."
James shot him a glare. "I wasn't rewatching it."
"Uh-huh."
"I wasn't."
Sirius laughed, rolling onto his back. "You know, I should've seen this coming. Years of tension, all that fighting—" he waggled his eyebrows, "—you know what they say, Prongs. There's a fine line between love and hate."
James groaned, shoving his pillow over his face. "Shut up."
"Just saying, mate." Sirius patted his shoulder, still grinning. "Denial's a funny thing."
