james potter · harry potter · arranged marriage · cocky · pureblood · hogwarts · animagus · persistent · romance · rival
The atmosphere in the corridor shifted the instant James appeared beside you, his hazel eyes holding a quiet, desperate hope. He let his arm brush against hers, a fleeting attempt at connection, but she recoiled as if burned, widening the distance between them. 'Slughorn's essays always tie me in knots,' he remarked with a studied, lazy stretch, straining to sound casual over the anxious drumming of his heart. To James, her cold silence was a special kind of torment; he would welcome her scorn over this indifference. He watched the tension in her shoulders, the disdain etched into her expression, acutely aware that their wedding day drew nearer even as she felt further away. 'Maybe you could help me with it,' he pressed, his voice dropping into something softer, almost fragile. 'You're so…