CHAPTER FIVE

Frank was making his way down the corridor when he spotted his sister standing by the Black Lake. He furrowed his brow in slight curiosity before waving farewell to his friends and breaking into a jog towards Tabitha.

Closing the distance between them, he called out to her, "Tabitha!"

Tabitha heard her name called out and turned to see Frank approaching her, a puzzled expression on his face.

Frank came to stand next to his sister, leaning against the same tree. He inquired, "What's going on here?"

Tabitha pointed across the lake, gesturing toward Siruis and James, who were goofing around in the water. "It looks pretty straightforward," she stated casually.

Frank chuckled and rolled his eyes, bemused by her response.

"I just mean, why are you out here instead of, well—"

Tabitha cut him off with a chuckle, "Instead of being boring in the library?"

Frank quickly defended himself, "Well, no, that's not how I meant it."

Tabitha chuckled again, before continuing, "But to answer your question..." She gestured toward Sirius and James, standing in the lake. "Those two are fetching some Murtlap essence for me."

Frank's eyes widened in surprise as he processed his sister's words. "Wait, my Hufflepuff baby sister has two well known Gryffindor's running around for her?" He couldn't help but chuckle, lifting her off the ground.

Tabitha tried to protest, "Hey, it's not like that...hey!" She paled as she saw her brother starting to carry her towards the lake. "Franklin, seriously, I will hex you if you do what I think you're about to!"

Frank, still holding her in his arms, grinned mischievously. "I'm just showing my dear, precious, baby sister some love," he teased, enjoying her flustered reaction.

Tabitha gave her brother a withering glare," Put me down, you prat!" she demanded, struggling in his grip.

The commotion caused by a shrieking Tabitha and a laughing Frank caught the attention of Sirius and James, who had been quietly gathering the murtlap essence.

They couldn't help but burst into laughter, amused by the sight of Frank jumping into the water, still holding his squirming sister.

As Tabitha resurfaced from the water, her eyes shot daggers at her brother, who was already swimming a good distance away. "Frank! You prat!" she shouted after him.

Frank chuckled loudly, his words carried across the water," Love you too, Tabs! James, she's all yours now!" with that, he swam off with Sirius, leaving James grinning at Tabitha.

James was already beside her, as she muttered expletives under her breath. He chuckled and teased," Nice of you to finally join us."

Tabitha turned to face him, only to halt when she realized how close their faces were. She quickly moved back, her cheeks turning rosy, and snapped back at him, "That wasn't part of the agreement!"

James frowned, mock sadness in his voice," Ouch, that hurts, Tabitha."

Tabitha quickly composed herself, trying to avoid looking too flustered by his words. "I doubt anything we agree on will ever go as planned," she retorted, splashing him with some water.

James chuckled, retaliating with a playful splash. "Probably not, but it's bound to be entertaining at least," he replied, his gaze lingering on her for a moment.

As James splashed Tabitha playfully, their banter continued. Tabitha tried her best to remain composed, though a hint of a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"I guess it'll keep things lively," she agreed, shaking some water from her hair. "But next time, I'm choosing our 'activities'".

James laughed, a twinkle in his eye," Is that a challenge, Longbottom?"

Tabitha smirked, her eyes meeting James' with a determined gleam," You bet it is, Potter. Start preparing yourself."

James chuckled, clearly intrigued by her challenge," Oh, I'm always prepared. But be warned, I won't go easy on you."

"So, you dragged me out of the library and said you'd get me ingredients," Tabitha began, her voice laced with a hint of annoyance.

James nodded, not denying her words," Well, yeah, I thought it'd be a nice change of pace from the library and besides, how can you turn down the offer for fresh ingredients?"

Tabitha continued, tilting her head, "Just so you could get me in the water?"

James chuckled, meeting her gaze,"I'm just keeping my promise from that night."

Tabitha froze, her eyes widening slightly," What are you talking about?"

"This and many other things," James smirked, his grin widening as he spoke, clearly enjoying this.

Tabitha looked at him, "I don't even remember a single thing from that night," she stated.

James splashed water at her face, still laughing as he asked," Don't fret over it," and he added, "So, are you going to just crawl out of the water, or are you going to have some fun?"

"Is the first one even an option?" Tabitha inquired jokingly

James chuckled, shaking his head," Nope"

Despite herself, she found a small smile creeping onto her lips, mirroring James' infectious grin.

James reached his hand out to her, lifting it up in offering, and said, "So, Tabitha Longbottom, shall I, James Potter, show you how to have some fun?"

Tabitha gazed at his outstretched hand, considering it for a moment. The mischievous look in his eyes made her feel both excited and nervous at the same time.

Taking a small step forward, she placed her hand in his, feeling the warmth of his grip enclosing around her own.

"Lead the way then, James Potter," she finally spoke.

James' hand closed around hers, the warmth of his grip sending a pleasant shiver down her spine. 

As he held her hand, he felt a flutter in his chest. Hearing her voice saying his full name made his heart race faster.

Trying to maintain his cool demeanor, he grinned at her, "Excellent choice." And with that, he gently pulled her further into the water, his eyes never leaving hers.

Pulled forward by James' firm but gentle grip, Tabitha willingly followed him deeper into the water. They were now chest deep in the cold lake.  

As the water rippled softly around them, Tabitha couldn't help but notice the way the sunlight filtering through the lake's surface sparkled on James' messy hair.

As they reached chest deep into the water, James stopped, still holding onto her hand. The cold water licked at their bodies, sending a slight chill through them. 

He glanced over at her, noticing the way the light hit her hair and casting an almost magical glow on her flushed cheeks. He found himself momentarily lost in her eyes, the words on the tip of his tongue forgotten.

Standing there in the water, with his hand firmly holding onto hers, Tabitha found herself staring at James. The way the sunlight played on his messy hair and the way his eyes seemed to sparkle made her stomach do a little flip. 

She broke the silence, trying to sound nonchalant," So, what's the first thing on your list of 'fun' activities?"

Coming out of his momentary trance, James smiled sheepishly at her question. He had been momentarily captivated by her presence, but her words brought him back to the present.

"Right, right," he chuckled, regaining his composure. "The first thing on the list of fun activities."

James thought for a moment, his eyes scanning the water and the surroundings. 

"How about... we go and scare the life out of Sirius and Frank" He suggested, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

Tabitha raised an eyebrow at James' suggestion, a chuckle escaping her lips. "Scare them, huh?" she mused, "Sounds like a classic move."

She found herself intrigued by the idea of scaring Frank and Sirius, wondering how they would react. 

"Alright, lead the way, Potter" she said, a hint of excitement in her voice.

As the screams echoed through the corridors, whispers and giggles filled the air. Students murmured to themselves, wondering what could have possibly caused such noise.

"What was that sound?" 

"Sounded like a scream." 

"Think someone got pranked again?"

The students continued to speculate amongst themselves, intrigued and entertained no one knowing about the commotion coming from the Black Lake.