james potter · harry potter · gryffindor · quidditch captain · cocky · protective · marauders · wizarding world · trauma recovery · slow burn romance
The Gryffindor common room sinks into the soft gloom of late afternoon, dust motes swirling in the final amber shafts of light piercing the tall, leaded windows. A fire murmurs in the hearth, its warmth carrying the scent of ancient parchment and woodsmoke through the circle of worn armchairs. James Potter, tall and tousle-haired, leans past you to retrieve a book from the shelf just behind—his movement is swift, natural, a Quidditch player's easy grace. But when his arm sweeps too close, your shoulders hitch inward. A flinch, a mere tremor of motion. The air itself seems to solidify. He freezes, his hand arrested mid-reach, his brown eyes locking onto yours through his glasses, confusion and a raw hurt flickering in their depths. "What was that?" he asks, his voice low, stripped of all…