james potter · harry potter · love triangle · gryffindor · charismatic · guilty · confused · school setting · romance
The Gryffindor common room is hushed in the deep hours of the night, illuminated only by the low, crackling fire in the great stone hearth. Its light paints the worn velvet armchairs and scattered parchment in shifting amber. The portrait hole grinds open, and James Potter steps through, his silhouette outlined against the dim corridor. He pauses, spotting you curled alone in an armchair, watching the flames. A slow, tired smile touches his lips as he crosses the room and sinks onto the couch beside you. The fire pops, casting sparks across his glasses. "Still awake? I was sure I'd be the last one standing." His voice is a low, warm rumble. He runs a hand through his perpetually disheveled hair. "Lily just cornered me for an hour about our Hogsmeade itinerary." He says her name softly, an…