CHAPTER FOURTEEN

James was completely dumbfounded as he tried to process what she had just told him. He felt like he had just been smacked in the head with a bludgeon. His eyes remained fixed on her face, his mind struggling to form words.

Tabitha was also caught off guard by her own words. She felt her cheeks grow warm as she waited for his reaction, hoping that he wouldn't laugh or walk away. Her heart pounded furiously against her chest, as if trying to escape the tension of the moment.

Time seemed to stretch on forever as they stood in silence, the awkwardness between them growing by the second. Tabitha couldn't bear the tension any longer, and she shuffled her feet nervously, breaking the silence.

"James, please say something..." she pleaded, her voice trembling slightly.

Seeing that James remained silent and frozen in place, Tabitha realized she would have to seek help elsewhere. Feeling desperate and unsure, she turned to their friends for guidance.

She led James over to where her brother, Sirius, Remus, and Peter were standing, maintaining a firm grip on his arm, not wanting him to run away.

"Guys, please help me" she pleaded, pulling James closer.

Frank attempted to stifle his laughter, but the sight of a speechless James being dragged by Tabitha was proving difficult to suppress.

"Wow, Tabs," he chuckled. "You've managed to render the one and only James Potter speechless."

Tabitha glanced at the Marauder's with a pleading look, hoping they could help her.

"I—I just confessed my feelings to him and he's been like this for nearly two hours now," she explained, gesturing at James's frozen state.

Remus spoke slowly, struggling to contain his smile as he asked, "So you brought him to us."

Tabitha nodded, her voice meek as she confessed, "I panicked."

Sirius had to fight the sudden urge to squeeze her due to her adorableness, and he let out a loud bark of laughter, unable to hold it in any longer.

Peter repeatedly waved his hand in front of James's face, hoping to elicit some sort of response, but to no avail.

Frank couldn't help but burst into laughter, exclaiming, "You broke him!" He continued, "My own sister managed to break someone."

Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, highlighting her frustrated state as she stomped her foot, causing her brother to laugh even harder.

"Frank, you're not making this situation any better!" she grumbled, feeling both annoyed and embarrassed.

Remus approached him, gently placing a hand on James's shoulder, trying to shake him out of his stunned state.

"James, mate, come back to us," he coaxed.

Sirius' hand shot up, getting everyone's attention, "I've got an idea," he announced, making Tabitha turn to him desperately.

"Please, Black, I'll do anything," she pleaded, gripping his shoulders and shaking him fervently.

Remus laughed gently as he placed a hand on her arm, saying, "You might want to stop shaking him if you want Sirius to tell you his idea."

Tabitha stopped and pulled her hands back, realising her mistake.

"Oh," she muttered. "Sorry about that."

Sirius chuckled and pushed his hair back, replying, "It's alright. You might be small, but you have some serious strength."

Frank rolled his eyes, gesturing with his hands at his sister, and said, "Well, it's obvious, she's a Longbottom. The women in our family are the ones who pack all the strength. You all know how our mother is."

Peter couldn't help but wince at the mention of their mother. He had personally encountered their mother on numerous occasions, as his parents frequently received invitations to dine with the Longbottoms.

"Oh, stop it now, Frank. We all are well aware of your intense fear of our mother!" she admonished, a hint of humor in her voice as she rolled her eyes.

She then redirected her attention to Sirius, her arms folded in anticipation as she asked, "Now, tell me, what's this brilliant idea of yours?"

Sirius nonchalantly suggested, "Simple. Kiss him."

Tabitha, caught off guard by the simplicity of his response, dropped her folded arms and swiftly planted a kiss on James's cheek without any hesitation.

James suddenly gasped for air, coming out of his shell-shocked state. He slowly turned towards her, a grin spreading across his face. Their eyes met, and for a brief moment, they simply gazed at each other, caught in the moment.

The Marauders stood there in dumbfounded silence as they watched the scene unfold before them, unable to believe that Sirius' suggested solution had actually worked.

On the other hand, Frank seethed with anger, quickly turning his attention to Sirius, ready to lash out at him for giving such advice.

"I didn't think she'd actually do it!" Sirius exclaimed, defending himself. However, his pleas for assistance went unnoticed as both James and Tabitha were lost in their own world, seemingly oblivious to the shocked reaction around them.

They were both so immersed in their own bubble that neither of them noticed the stunned expressions on the faces of their friends. The two of them were lost in each other's eyes, their surroundings melting away temporarily.

James finally broke the silence between them, his usual cheeky grin still plastered on his face as he spoke, "You're adorable, you know that?"

Tabitha felt her cheeks heat up as a small grin tugged at the corners of her lips, her heart fluttering at his words, "And you're obnoxiously charming," she replied, mimicking his tone.

James chuckled, a mischievous gleam in his eyes, "Oh, come on, you love it," he teased, leaning in closer.

Tabitha rolled her eyes, but her small smile betrayed her amusement, "Perhaps, but don't let it go to your head," she retorted, folding her arms across her chest.

James feigned shock, placing a hand on his heart, "Me, let it go to my head?" He exclaimed, a dramatic flair in his voice. "Never."

She snickered, not buying his act one bit, "Uh-huh, sure, sure. Whatever you say, Potter," she said, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

He leaned in even closer, a sly smile playing on his lips," You don't believe me? I guess I'll have to prove it to you then."

Tabitha raised an eyebrow, her smile widening, "And how, pray tell, do you plan to do that?"

James inched even closer, leaving a mere inch between their faces, "Oh, I have a few ideas," he murmured, his eyes locked on hers.

Tabitha felt her heart skip a beat, her breath catching in her throat. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't deny the effect he had on her, "Is that so?" she managed to respond, her voice betraying a hint of nervousness.

Peter elbowed Remus in the side, his eyes still fixed on the two love-struck teens, his voice barely above a whisper, "They completely forgot we were here, didn't they?"

Remus rolled his eyes and sighed, grasping Peter's arm and leading him away.

"Come on, we better save Sirius," Remus responded, clearly not keen on witnessing the blossoming romance before them.

The two boys glanced over their shoulders one last time to catch a glimpse of James pulling Tabitha closer to him, their faces just inches apart as they continued their private conversation, oblivious to the world around them.

"Bloody hell, they really are lost in their own world," Peter muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.

Remus nodded, his expression a mixture of amusement and mild disgust, as he tried to suppress his gag reflex.