"Right, come on we need to figure this out," Azalea said, half amused, half irritated with her boyfriend as he did impressions of the teachers to try and distract from their current job, which was working out the box.

"Whilst I want to disagree with you, I agree with you," James said wisely, Lea rolling her eyes at his antics as she sat back in the stiff library chair, looking around at the bookshelves around her.

"Thank you," she told him, looking back down at the box as she did, eyes skimming over the riddle again.

She didn't understand it. Her eyes skimmed the last two lines again.

call my name and then 'open' and i shall unlock
but you only get one chance, and you're against the clock

"So I assume 'the clock' is the time before the next task?" She said, turning to face James, who nodded. "But what's the 'only get one chance' part?"

"We must only get one chance to open it," said Azalea. "So if we call the wrong name, then it's over, and we don't get our clue."

"So we just have to say whatever the hell this thing is and then 'open', and then it'll open?" James shrugged.

"I guess," nodded Azalea, sitting back before casting her gaze on the riddle again. "I'm just so confused, like, what is it all supposed to mean?"

She cast her gaze down at it again.

for this to open, you must answer what I ask
inside is a clue to your next task
i walk the plains with a patient stride
i hunt in silence, with my wits and my pride
when danger comes, my call shakes the air
who am i with a golden flare?

She and James both read it again and again before either of them said anything.

"So it's a living thing," James deduced. "Cause it says it walks. Probably an animal or something."

Lea sighed, slightly irritated at the fact that he had been pissing about for the whole time and had just managed to figure a bit of it out.

Azalea nodded, pursing her lips. "'My wits and my pride'..." she repeated, shaking her head. "Does that mean this possible animal is smart and proud?"

"Yeah," nodded James. "What animal is smart and proud?"

"Me," smirked Azalea. "We should probably just tell it my name."

"Shut up, you wish they'd thought of you," James joked, poking her in the side.

Azalea squealed, a giggle taking over her as she looked at him.

And jesus, his blue eyes, his black messy hair, his keen smirk. His face reflected all the love he had for her as he looked into her piercing green eyes, blue meeting green in a shattering explosion of the sky and the earth.

When he broke the gaze, it was because his eyes were flickering down towards her lips.

And not before long they were kissing, his hands coming to rest on her waist and hers coming up to cup his neck, one raking through his messy hair-

"We have to concentrate," she said when they parted, foreheads still pressed together.

James let out a sigh. "But this is way funner."

Lea rolled her eyes, turning back to the box and telling him. "Stop distracting me."

"Can't help it, I just have to exist and you're enamoured," James grinned.

"You don't even know what enamoured means."

"Yes I do! I'm not that stupid," James complained.

"Not exactly that smart, either, otherwise we'd have figured this out," Lea replied, smirking slightly.

And fucking hell, that look on her face... who could blame him for drawing her in and kissing her again?

When Azalea made a small noise against his lips he pulled back, afraid of hurting her or going too far, but when his eyes conntected with hers and he saw her nod, he just drew her back in again, kissing her harder this time, and longer-

"Ew, ew! Absolutely not, no way-"

Both of them jumped and turned to see Lily Potter standing behind them, a book in her hand and a thouroughly disgusted look on her face.

"Go away, Lils," James rolled his eyes.

"Only if you two get a room," Lily clapped back. "Like, seriously, you're in a public space, get a grip, jeez."

Azalea rolled her eyes, her cheeks flushing bright red.

"Worked out the clue yet?" Lily smirked, coming closer. "Or have you just been snogging the whole time?"

"Shut up," Azalea said teasingly, rolling her eyes. "And no, we haven't worked much out yet."

"Well, good luck," Lily smiled, picking up her book and heading round the corner. "And happy snogging!"

James gave her a middle finger as she left before turning to Azalea, smirking as he ran a hand up and down her arm. "So, where were we?"

"We were about to look at the box again," Azalea smirked, because she knew it would annoy him.

And she was right.

James' face fell. "No, I meant-"

"I know."

As he rolled his eyes and poked her in the side again, iliciting another giggle from her, Azalea couldn't help but think of how far they'd come.

First-year her would have either screamed or punched her (probably both) if you told her she'd be dating James Potter six years from then.

But oh well. Things change.

Her relationship with the black haired menace in front of her most of all.

✾✾✾

"You any closer to working the box out?" Alice asked her the next day as just the two of them sat at dinner. Azalea was only half listening to her, because about five seats down from them was Lauri, Adrian and a bunch of other Durmstrang students.

"Sort of," Azalea said, after a quick glance at them before she looked back at Alice. "We're about a hundred percent sure it's an animal, but lots of animals can be proud and smart, and the 'golden flare' bit still doesn't make any sense, and if we get it wrong then the box won't ever open."

"Yeesh," Alice frowned. "High stakes."

"Yeah," nodded Azalea, sitting forward slightly. "And the worst part is, I don't know what the other champions have managed yet, so for all I know, they could have their clues."

"Doubt it," Alice shrugged. "You and James are the best in the whole competition."

"What are you saying about me?"

As if his name summoned him, Alice and Azalea turned to see James, Fred and Louis strutting up the divide between the two tables, matching grins on their faces. Feeling Lauri's eyes on her, Azalea's gaze flitted to him for a fraction of a second and saw that he was glaring at James, his eyes boring into him.

The redhead rolled her eyes before casting her gaze back to James, Fred and Louis who were all taking seats at the table, her boyfriend sitting closest to her.

"So, I was thinking," he began.

"About the box?" Azalea asked, raising her eyebrows.

"No, not about the box," James rolled his eyes before smirking slightly. "You, me, date at seven tomorrow night."

Azalea didn't know what to feel. She was shocked at his confidence, and at the fact that he looked so happy, and at the fact that he wanted to go on a date with her.

It had been three weeks since they'd kissed and become official, and in that time they hadn't managed to go on a date. There was always classes or tournament stuff on, and neither of them wanted to rush into it.

So they'd waited. But the fact that James had taken the time to clearly plan a date for tomorrow made her giddier than ever.

"Well," she smiled at him, trying to contain the urge to start snogging his face off right there. "With an offer like that, I can hardly say no."

"Obviously," James smirked. "Who can say no to me? I'm irresistible."

"Or rather just irrestably cheesy," Fred put in.

"True," Azalea snorted.

"Hey!" James complained.

"What's going on?" A voice behind them asked, and Albus joined in the conversation.

"James is asking Azalea out on a date, and being seriously fucking cheesy," said Alice.

"As always," shrugged Al, joining them and getting some dinner.

"Yeah, but somehow Azalea's endeared by it," shrugged Louis. "No idea how, though."

"I'll have you know I'm a catch!" James protested. "Azzie can't help being charmed by me."

"Comments?" Fred asked with a grin, holding up a mock microphone to Azalea's mouth.

"Fuck off," the girl rolled her eyes as her cheeks got redder and redder.

"Ooh, so mean," Fred shrugged.

"You know it," grinned the redhead.

But, as the conversation floated back to something a bit less embarrassing, she couldn't help but sneak a look at Lauri again.

He was talking to Adrian, his jaw clenched and his eyes dark. Azalea just stared for a second, before James touched her arm and brought her back to the conversation.

She couldn't believe how wrong she had been. At the start of this term she'd fancied Lauri, and hadn't given a shit about James Potter.

Now, Lauri was lucky if he got a single word out of her.

And James, well... she loved James.

(He just didn't know that yet).

And to be honest, she was glad it had all worked out that way.

She wouldn't want it any other.

✾✾✾

She loved him.

But she was fucking scared to admit it, given what Lauri had done to her after she gave him her heart.

"What's wrong?"

It was late evening, and Lea was sat alone with the box on the table in front of her. Across the common room, James, Fred, Louis, Albus, Alice, Ellie, Rose and Scorpius were playing a loud, rowdy game of charades next to the fire. Lily had been joining in, but now, apparently, she was sitting next to Azalea, frowning concernedly at her.

"Nothing," she answered immediately, smiling slightly.

"No, there's something," Lily said, sliding into the seat next to her. "Cause if not you'd be helping me beat James and Albus' asses right now."

A smile played on her lips. "Okay, so you're maybe right, but..."

She trailed off, and Lily raised her eyebrows. "But?"

"Doesn't matter," Azalea shook her head. "Come on, let's go play charades."

"No, you've got something on your mind and I wanna get it off," said Lily. "A problem shared is a problem halved."

"Why are you going all philosophical on me?" Azalea smirked. "Anyways, why weren't you at dinner?"

The way Lily's cheeks flushed a deep red showed the girl something was happening, and she let out a small squeal.

"Were you on a date?!" She shouted excitedly.

"Not a date, but... I was hanging out with someone," Lily shrugged, her cheeks going redder. When Azalea grinned, the girl rolled her eyes. "Just so I have someone to snog in front of James when you and him get a little too rowdy."

"Shut up!" Azalea giggled, shoving the girl slightly before becoming solemn. "Anyways, who is this guy? What's his name? Do I know him?"

"Jesus, enough with the interrogation," Lily said. "He's called Aaron Bones, I don't think you'll know him, and he's in like all of my classes."

"Oooh," Azalea teased, nudging the girl. "I mean, I'm happy for you, but this is also an amazing topic for me to tease you about given how much shit you've given me about James."

"How can I not give you that shit?" Lily chuckled. "He's my brother, Lea, and a real pain in the ass besides."

Azalea chuckled. "Believe me, I know."

"Yeah," chuckled Lily, looking back at the sofa beside the fire to where James was trying to act something out, waving his arms about like crazy.

"Still love him, though," she shrugged.

And Azalea, lost in the moment, nodded. "I do, too."

As soon as she said those three words, she knew she'd made a mistake. Lily turned to her, eyes wide and mouth open, and she immediately backtracked.

"No, no, no, no, no, I didn't mean-"

"Holy shit!" Lily hissed in excitement, almost ready to jump up and down. "You-you love James?!"

"Shhhh, don't tell the whole freaking room!" Azalea whispered, pressing a palm to her very hot face.

"Oh my god, this is amazing, I'm gonna plan your wedding already," grinned Lily. "I can be a bridesmaid, right-?"

"Shut up!"

Her cry had been quite loud, but the other group hadn't noticed it, due to the fact that Fred and Albus were now working together to act out a clue and everyone was losing it.

Lily was just looking at her with wide eyes and an unsure expression.

"Sorry, I... I just haven't told anyone yet," Lea admitted. "Not even Alice. And I'm scared as fuck to say anything to James because of what happened with Lauri, and-"

"Hold up, wait, Lauri?" Lily frowned. "Lauri was a twat, Lea, and even though James is as well, he's a different kind of twat. He's the kind that'll treat you right, that fell for you in first years, and that will always, always love you, no matter what."

And see, she said that, but Lea was still worried. Because what if James didn't feel that way?

"Yeah, but... up until this year, James made out with every single girl under the sun each week," she said weakly. "And I'm scared that he's not... not ready for how much I feel for him, cause I really fucking love him and it's so scary."

Lily shook her head immediately.

"He loves you too," she reassured the girl. "And he'll be struggling with this as well, if you want me to speak to him."

"Nah," Azalea shook her head. "You don't have to do that, but... thanks for reassuring me."

"Of course," smiled Lily, leaning forwards. "Sisters forever? No matter whether you do end up marrying my brother, which you totally w-"

She was cut off by Azalea leaning forwards and hugging her tightly, trying to convey all the gratitude she felt for her in a single hug.

"Sisters forever," she whispered, as Lily's arms came up to wrap around her and the two rested there, relaxed and comfortable.