CHAPTER ONE

Fred observed the scene unfolding before him, leaning against the wall and looking away. He waited patiently for his cousin to finish his task. As soon as the girl on James' lap noticed Fred's arrival, she hastily exited. This caused James to groan in frustration upon realizing he had to deal with Fred.

James turned towards his cousin and inquired, "Couldn't you have waited outside?"

"When are you going to stop, James?" Fred asked with a bored tone, his voice tinged with annoyance.

"When I get bored of it," James responded with a smirk, adjusting his robes.

"Remind me, what do you actually gain from this?"

James rolled his eyes as he walked past his cousin. "It's fun," he replied simply.

"It's awful," Fred remarked, clearly disapproving.

James shrugged off the criticism. "It doesn't bother me," he responded casually. "Now I need to find someone else."

Fred attempted to reason with his cousin, James. "Why don't you just settle down with someone and stop playing with all those girls? James, you're in your sixth year. Don't you think it's enough?"

James stopped walking and turned to face his cousin. "You want me to stop?" he repeated, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Fred retorted, "Obviously."

James replied with a challenge, "What's in it for me?"

"Happiness?" Fred responded, slightly frustrated. "You could experience true happiness, and not just temporary satisfaction."

James responded with a smirk, "I already have plenty of happiness, why would settling down change that?"

Fred let out a frustrated sigh at James' response. "You're missing the point," he said, his voice tinged with exasperation. "Settling down with someone is more than just about happiness. It's about trust, commitment, and shared experiences. You can have a deeper level of connection with someone when you're in a committed relationship than with just a series of casual flings."

James chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. "You're always trying to act mature," he teased, downplaying the importance of Fred's words. "It's not like I'm hurting anyone, I'm just having fun."

Fred shook his head, his patience wearing thin. "Maybe you're not hurting them right now, but eventually, you might end up breaking someone's heart. Your current actions are childish and careless. You can have fun without leading someone on or breaking their trust," he stated firmly. "You're old enough to understand the consequences of your actions."

James rolled his eyes at Fred's statement. "You're acting like I'm some kind of heartbreaker. I'm not, I just know how to have a good time."

He leaned back against the wall, seemingly unfazed by Fred's concerns.

Fred grew frustrated with James' stubbornness. "You may think it's just having fun, but the girls you're with don't see it that way. They're giving you their time and emotions, expecting a certain level of commitment. That's where you're being selfish and careless."

Fred knew that deep down, before all the heart-leading games, James once genuinely cared about the girls he'd been with. He noticed the change in him in their Fourth Year, and it only escalated from there.

Fred also knew he was hardly the best person to reach out to for help. He had only ever felt a flicker of romance for one girl, and he was convinced she would never reciprocate.

Fred suggested, "How about this, James? Why don't we makean arrangement? You choose one girl and just commit to her for a span of three months.

"What's in it for me?" James asked, raising an eyebrow.

Fred replied, "If you can manage to last those three months without falling for her, I'll leave you alone forever on this matter."

James considered Fred's plan for a moment. The idea of committing to one girl for a specific period was not only foreign to him but also quite daunting.

"Three months?" he repeated, a hint of scepticism lacing his tone. "You can't be serious."

Fred nodded, determined to make his point. "I am serious," he affirmed. "Three months isn't a long time in the grand scheme of things, but it's long enough for you to experience what commitment truly means."

James' expression turned thoughtful as he processed the proposal. "Alright, fine," he agreed after a moment. "I'll do it. For three months, I'll choose one girl and commit to her. But if I can't manage to do that, then no more talking about these heartbreaks, got it?"

Fred nodded, satisfied that his cousin was finally accepting the challenge. "That's right," he confirmed. "For the next three months, you will give one girl a genuine shot. If you can't manage to make it work, then I promise I'll never bring this up again."

James silently considered Fred's proposal. He knew that committing to just one girl for three months would undoubtedly make things easier for him. He was certain he wouldn't fall for anyone, so it seemed like a win-win situation.

James agreed, "Alright, deal." He extended his hand towards Fred and shook it firmly, sealing the agreement.

Fred smiled, satisfied that James had finally agreed to the terms. "Great," he praised, shaking his hand in return. "You might just surprise yourself, you know."

James shrugged, not completely convinced that he would actually follow through with the challenge, but he had committed himself to it now. "Yeah, we'll see about that."

Fred chuckled, knowing that James still harboured doubts. "You'll see," he said optimistically. "A true commitment is worth experiencing."

James feigned indifference, shrugging off the optimism. "We'll just have to wait and see how this whole thing turns out, won't we?"

The similarities between James and his grandfather were striking in numerous ways, yet there was one well-known feature they differed on. Unlike his grandfather, who was devoted to one person, James displayed a strong dislike towards commitment. He had adopted this trait from his father's godfather, Sirius Black—but even he who managed to find a partner and James himself remained adamant about avoiding such a connection.

James often pondered the expectations placed on him and himself concerning romance. He couldn't understand why those around him, his family, and even his friends, valued such commitment and the associated thrill. James perceived romance as an uneventful and monotonous affair with no excitement or appeal to it.

James couldn't comprehend why there was such a big expectation for love and commitment. He considered it a dull, predictable experience lacking in excitement. "Why do people make such a fuss over it?" he often wondered. "To me, it just sounds so... boring."

His thoughts were interrupted by a group of fifth-year girls who were practically his fan group, had spotted him in the hallway. One of them as usual, who was basically considered the leader had boldly stepped forward, a coy smile on her face. "Hey there, James," she greeted, her voice dripping with sugary sweetness.

His thoughts were interrupted by a group of fifth-year girls who had spotted him in the hallway. One of them boldly stepped forward, a coy smile on her face. "Hey there, James," she greeted, her voice dripping with sugary sweetness.

James regarded the fifth-year girl, an intrigued expression on his features. "Hey," he replied noncommittally, maintaining his usual nonchalance. The others in her group giggled as they watched their interaction.

The bold fifth-year, undeterred by James's lack of enthusiasm, continued her pursuit. "Are you on your way to lunch?" she asked, sidling up to him.

James nodded in acknowledgement. "Yeah," he answered, his voice casual. He began walking down the hallway, assuming the girls would follow.

Suddenly, James halted in his steps as he noticed something in the hallway he glanced at the girls and how they were glaring at a familiar face that stood out like a sore thumb. It was Elodie, Fred's best friend and a Slytherin. She had her arms crossed, radiating annoyance, as she stood near the group of girls who had been following him. There was clear disdain on her face as she had recently been shoved by one of them.

"Potter, I don't really care about what you do, but could you manage your fan group?" Elodie grumbled, her voice tinged with frustration. "Some of us have things to attend to." She walked away, departing from the hallway, leaving a group of girls behind, disgruntled and muttering under their breaths.

James let out a resigned sigh as he faced Elodie's annoyed response. "I'll... try to have them tone it down," he replied, not sounding entirely sincere. Despite his nonchalant demeanour, he was aware that his fan group tended to cause a bit of commotion wherever they went.

James attempted to rein in the girls' enthusiasm as he observed Elodie. Even in the midst of her usual frowning and glaring at him, he noticed a shift in her demeanour, a transformation that only seemed to occur when she wasn't directing her gaze at him. He had made numerous attempts to be friendly and connect with her, but she consistently rebuffed his efforts during the holidays or summer visits with Fred, completely avoiding acknowledging him altogether.

Despite her refusal to engage in any meaningful way, James couldn't help but be intrigued. There was something about Elodie that made him want to penetrate the wall of indifference she had erected between them. He found himself repeatedly trying to initiate a conversation or offer a friendly gesture, but each attempt seemed to fall on deaf ears.

But frustated by her years of unyielding demeanour, James decided to give up. The enigma of Elodie Goldstein, a challenging individual to infiltrate, had left him at the end of his rope.

He concluded that pursuing any further attempts with her would be futile, as she had clearly and repeatedly made it clear that she had no interest in engaging with him. He decided to forget about her entirely, as she had no direct impact on his life.

However, fate had a different plan in mind. Despite his declaration of giving up, and despite his efforts to distance himself from her, it appeared that destiny had other ideas.