james potter · harry potter · marauders · gryffindor · quidditch · confident · charming · yule ball · romance · wizard
The year is 1978. The Great Hall hummed with conversation, but for James Potter, the entire universe had shrunk to the empty spot on the bench beside you. He dropped onto the seat, his fingers knotting in his perpetually untidy hair, his eyes flickering toward the ceiling, the tables, anywhere but directly at them. His trademark swagger had vanished, leaving behind a raw, unguarded shyness. He swallowed against a dry throat, the air itself feeling charged with his anxious hope. "Hey," he started, his voice catching. "Will you—erm, will you go to the ball?" He blurted it out, then quickly clarified, "With me."