chapter five, listening to lovers rock!

january 13th, 1977

          𝐉𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐒 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐑𝐔𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐘, 𝐃𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐎𝐑𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐋𝐄𝐒 because he is late for a very important meeting. 

Entering the Ravenclaw Common Room was a difficult work of another half an hour until he blackmailed a random first year who was wandering about to reveal the answer to the riddle the Grey Lady asked. 

He entered in haste to find Lori sitting cross legged and slouched on a cushy cobalt couch with quill and ink nearby on the coffee table. Her eyebrows were pinched together in concentration, hair tumbling down on either sides of her face. 

The flickering orange flames illuminated the mahogany table, brightening up the piece of paper she was writing her essay on. The Muggle radio next to her was on, pumping out a melody that the boy felt drawn to — it was pretty. 

The song was not the only thing that was pretty because James found himself simply staring at her for a hot minute. 

Music filled the air, creating some sort of soft sense that made James feel at ease even though he is not in the red and golden room of comfort. Ravenclaws looked cosy enough, not as much as Gryffindors, though.

"Aren't you adorable?" James drawled through crooked lips as the girl's eyes darted to him. He decided the best way to avoid a series of scolding is by summoning his charm.

He was still staring.

She has brooding, shadowed eyes at this time of the night and incredible looks, hair overgrown and hanging in tangles. Lori looks stoically unimpressed, her perfectionist nose scrunched just slightly as though his mere lack of discipline disgusted her.

He realises, even though he has agreed to return the favour for her assistance, earning her approval was not going to be easy. Wait, what the fuck—? He's not here to win over her, he's here for Lily.

"You're fourteen minutes late." She blinked. 

"Apologies, milady," said Potter, scratching the back of his neck and shooting her a sarcastic grin, "something came up."

"Does that something important have anything to do with the pink rain in Slytherin's dungeons?"

"They live underground, they require rain every now and then," he shrugs, plopping down on the couch right beside her at close proximity, their shoulders brushed as she laughed at his words, and he found himself smiling back, "that, and something else."

Lori eyed him carefully, scrutinising his facial expression to guarantee he was not up to something far more mischievous. Except, the smile on his lips—Merlin's balls, those lips are perfect!—was completely genuine. 

"What exactly might that something else be?" She squinted her eyes, clearly aiming to antagonise him. 

The next thing she knew was that a bunch of strongly scented flowers were being shoved in her face.

She placed her ink down on the table and pushed down the bouquet of flowers with a scowl, trying not to suffocate under the bundle considering James held them so close to her face.

"What the hell is this?" She asked, James' face revealing behind the orchestrated arrays of colours. 

"It's..." James pursed his lips, perplexing expression on his face, "they're flowers, Lori."

"Why are you giving them to me?" She spoke in her usual monotone. 

"They're for you," he tilted his head, "for helping me out; hyacinths are your favourite, are they not? Unless your preference has changed over the last ten years."

Lori kept on glancing between the bundle of flowers, the array of pink and purple, and James' eager eyes. She was trying to be more relaxed, trying to get rid of the way her shoulders caved in distress and the crease between her brows; James Potter had just pleasantly surprised her, and she has not expected this at all. 

For a girl who claims she knew everything about life, momentary astonishment stresses her out. 

"I just surprised you, didn't I?" He beamed with endless energy, deliberately holding the flowers higher so that the petals tickles her chin, "I just surprised Lori Lantsov. This marks for celebration."

"I'm only surprised that you remember by favourite flower," she said, her face becoming strained as she tries to make her aura more relaxed and avoid that awkward rosy cheeks to display itself. "How do you know that?"

"I've known you since we were in diapers," James reminded, "we bathed together back when we were two."

"James, ew! Why would you put that thought in my head?" She threw her head back with a groan, "revolting!"

"It's not a thought or figment of imagination, these are memories," He corrected, "I may not remember what I had for breakfast this morning, but I do remember your favourite flower."

"That is... mildly sweet of you."

"That's not the only thing," he leans forward and places her elbows on his knees, resting his chin on his interlocked fingers as he gazes at her with a grin, some sort of a smitten look. "They're charmed to live forever. Well, I mean, as long as I shall live at least."

Lori stared lovingly at the star-shaped flowers in her hand, "Now that we've established you have a creative brain," starts the girl, completely ignore the mere action that left his brain and heart in total shambles, "let's talk about Lily."

James' face remained blank for a second, and when Lori arched her brow in a sceptical manner, he gaped and realised what exactly he was in here for.

His attention span is not very great. 

"Oh, yeah." He says, again, earning a scowl from the girl.

"It would be really helpful if you had come earlier, you know," she said, speaking over the humming tone in the background of sweet cherrie by honey boy. "You're interrupting my lovers rock time."

"'the hell is lovers rock?"

"Your ego is incredibly high for a boy who cannot identify rock music, James," she folded her lips inwards, giving him a mocking look of disappointment. "Seriously, have you never heard of Louisa Mark's Caught You In A lie?"

"I know what rock is, Lori," he scoffs, offended, "well, rock n' roll, I've heard of — massive Davie Bowie fan, by the way."

"I love Bowie," finally, she thinks, a shared interest! "And Doc McLean, too."

James dramatically gasped, jaw dropping as he placed his hand over his chest, "American Pie is my national anthem."

Lori tilted her head, raising her chin to scrutinise him closely, "Huh, you definitely look like an American Pie kinda guy."

"It's an honour," he winked, one of those smooth winks James sends everybody, "but what the hell is lovers rock?"

"The clue and the answer is in the name, genius," she answers him, shaking her head, "how clueless are you? Lovers... Rock..."

"Oh, please, you're having a hard time to think without listening to music at your designated time, and I'm the clueless one?" He arches his perfect brow.

"I have a routine," said the girl with a huff, dropping her quill. "I follow my timetable, and I don't like change."

"I know that, I know all sorts about you" James said, "when we were kids, we were six, I think; you'd always have a book in your hand on holidays just in case you get bored of the beach; whenever we would go to the shops, you would always get the blueberry muffins."

"What's that got to do with anything?" Her palms felt sweaty, surely, her indecisiveness and strict routine was not as detectable as he made it out to be. 

"However, sometimes, I'd catch you eyeing the cinnamon rolls — you'd drool over them, give them a wistful sort of look but you never got them because it goes against your routine."

Lori chuckled at how accurate that description was, "My mum used to get really mad at me for being so stubborn on my choices, not being able to try new things."

"I know that too." He quietly remarked, so comfortably. Suddenly, underneath the dim light and surrounded by all the pretty cobalt furniture, Lori ended up meeting his gaze in a different way.

He was undeniably handsome. Her heart held so much bitterness, and all that negligence due to not being friends like they used to be had caused her to always scrutinise him in a negative sort of way. 

His face was very expressive; his eyebrows were straight and thick and would have looked stern on a man who smiled less; luckily for James Potter, none could ever catch him without that massive grin. His smooth skin was flushed along his cheekbones from the warmth of the common room, and his jaw was dusted with grainy stubble a shade darker than his hazelnut brown eyes. There was nothing in his face that explained why he was quite so engagingly good-looking, but when she met his eyes, she felt that dangerous, endless thrill that you feel in the presence of someone beautiful.

"Last time you guys threw a Halloween party, you filled up the Gryffindor Common room with lilies," she said, recalling the event that left everybody a bit too astonished, not that Lily Evans paid all that attention to the gesture for obvious reasons. "Do you remember?"

"Of course, I do, I spent mine and Remus' monthly allowance on that because Sirius, the cheap bastard, refused to help pay." He explained to her, scoffing a little.

"Are lilies even her favourite flowers?" Lori wondered aloud, turning to James. "I mean it sounds very generic to assume that's her favourite flower based on her name."

The thing about the Ravenclaw girl— she drove him to think. James Potter did not like to think, especially when it came to girls, the most complicated of all. Lily Evans has unknowingly led him to wallow is dramatics and despair and desperation, he could not carry it any longer without malfunctioning.

If he was able to decipher and remember Lori's favourite flowers even though they have not spoken properly for almost a decade, he should surely know of Lily's favourite flowers considering he claims to be in love with the girl.

James quickly jotted down something on his notepad, nodding as though the plethora of words spilling out of Lori's lips was some sort of ritual. For some moment, initially, James found himself staring at her lips— those deep pink lips that looked quite romantic to him. He wondered what those lips would feel like on his skin—

For Godric's sake! What is wrong with him? He realises now that Lori is capable of causing a heap more complications and despair.

"What—what are you doing?" Lori asked, pointing at the notepad, ink letters starting to cover the initial white page.

"I'm writing down your advice." He deadpanned, looking up through his long eye-lashes.

"You don't need to—" Lori shrugged, squinting her eyes in utter confusion. "Jesus... How small is your brain?"

"Not everyone is Ravenclaw enough to remember every word someone says, Lorelei."

"Don't call me that," she quickly retorted, rolling her eyes. 

"It's your... name." James was now rosy-cheeked, totally confused about her complaints, "I–I don't—"

"That is my name, James," Lori arched her brow, a tiny smirk lingering on her lips. "I just don't like it. Everyone calls me Lori."

"Okay..." he trailed off, and then an intolerable grin made its way to his lips which left Lori utterly concerned. "Lorelei."

"Oh, for god's sake," Lori rolled her eyes, slouching back onto the couch. "Stop it."

"Alright, alright, apologies," he threw his hands up in the air in a defensive matter, a grin tugging at his lips relentlessly.

Lori squinted her eyes at him, recalling their earlier conversation about routines and changes, "let me ask you something,"

He made an indication, a gesture with his hand for her to continue, nodding lightly.

"How do you manage to enjoy literally everything you do?" Lori asked, "I mean, you even enjoy the hundreds of detentions McGonagall gives you."

"What's the point of life if you're not enjoying everything you're doing?" James asked rhetorically, and continued to talk before she protested once again to his statement. "It's best to find something thrilling in every action. Makes everything more gorgeous."

"We're in a magical school Muggles can't see and all we aim to do is study... there's nothing remotely fun about that."

"Nonsense," he shot back quickly, quite offended at her choices of words. "There's beauty in everything."

"I'm sorry if I don't find the idea of spending every day of my life in the same way particularly compelling," Lori shrugged and then sent the boy a pointy look. "It'd be stupid to annoy other people for fun the way you and your friends do."

"Every day is not the same!" He gestured with his hands wildly in a classic James Potter manner. "It's not about the pranks, it's the fact that my friends and I are spending all that time together, that's the fun. What do you do in a day?"

"Look, I wake up, eat, attend classes, revise, do homework, chat a little with Tara and get to sleep. I did the same things yesterday, and I repeated them today and I'll most likely repeat it tomorrow."

"Woah, woah, woah!" James put a stop to her words in an exaggerated, abrupt manner, "You're telling me you don't have something that makes you want to wake up every morning? You don't look forward to anything?"

"No."

James' jaw dropped. "What about—I don't know, the weather?!" he exclaimed, "Or anything special you always anticipate."

"I don't anticipate anything, James," Lori shrugged, "Do you know how long it has been since I saw a sky full of stars?" she spoke in a solemn manner, "Scotland's weather has been so shitty lately, there's nothing that brightens your days or makes a moment memorable."

"It doesn't have to be that way," softly, James spoke. That gentle tone from him was something she experienced for the first time—James doesn't speak softly. He's more of a wildly animated, exhilarated type of boy.

"I'll believe that when I see it," Lori sighed, corners of her lips tugging.

It was like James had one neuron in his brain constantly signalling him to protest against everything Lori was saying. She leads her life differently than others—stays out of others' point of view and ignores judgement and gossip. There was a lack of 'moments of beauty' and memorable points of her life and she wants it to stay that way. She doesn't hate it... well, she doesn't love it either. An astonishing revelation shot through her veins at that moment like a shock of electricity. It was James Potter who made her doubt the way she leads her life—who made her wonder if there was something beyond the dull sky and simplicity

"Lily!" James exclaimed, and it caused both girls in the room to flinch in a startled manner. Lily furrowed her brows as she enters the Common Room through the portrait hole and stared at the Ravenclaw who waved a little, and the redhead reciprocate the gesture. James interrupted the interaction with a loud and bright, "Merlin, your hair looks beautiful today—"

"Yes, you said that three times today." Lily rolled her eyes, shaking her head annoyedly as she went out of sight to find her friends.

A beat of awkward silence took place between Lori and James as they stared at the walls which surprisingly seemed quite interesting all of the sudden. "Wow," the girl voiced. "She really hates you."

"That's nonsense, dear," James scoffed, folding his arms over his chest and flexing his biceps. "Lily Evans isn't capable of hating anybody."

"Oh god, she must really, really hate you then," Lori arched her brow and her words made James frown. A smirk made its way to her lips. "So you anticipate the impossible."

"You're not funny at all," James grumpily muttered in a childish manner, glasses askew on his handsome face. Handsome? Shut the fuck up, Lorelei—Lori! Her mind corrected itself. If she spent another day in James Potter's presence, she would certainly become insane.

For now, they were stuck together against all the universes' odds.

Like calls to like.

"What is she doing in this castle?" Lori asked James who simply looked blank.

"She befriended a Ravenclaw fifth year four days ago and they do everything together now," he explained, "how can she like the company of a random girl over me?"

"You should not know this much details about what she's up to, stalker," she grimaced, shaking her head. "You know, I think it's cool, the way you're seeking improvements just so you can impress the girl you're chasing."

Compliments from Lori meant the world to him, "I think you just complimented me," he said, "oh my god, I make a great student, don't I?"

Lori ignored the feeling of fluttery at the pit of her belly from the way James grinned, his heap of energy somehow causing an adrenaline rush in her blood.

"If you want my help, you need to get rid of that massive ego, Potter." She sternly pointed, pursing her lips to avoid blurting out a smile.

The fire blazing in the fireplace felt slow to the Gryffindor, and he frowned at the way she grinned at him bashfully. Wires forging in his brain. 

He wanted to leave. All of this did not seem like a bad idea, per se, but if he spent one more minute thinking about things, he would for sure feel his brain being electrocuted. 

"I think this is enough studies for today," says James, "why don't you continue to listen to lovers rock and I'll get a good night's sleep to prepare my brain for information from you."

"Goodnight, Potter." She softly called, feeling her eyes caving in from tiredness. "Thank you for the flowers. They're very pretty."

James was standing up, picking up his robes in one hand and the other loosening his tie due to the warmth radiating from the fireplace. His cheeks felt hot suddenly, just at the softness of her tone, "Goodnight, Lori."

𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗮'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲 !

I love just how off-topic they really are