james potter · harry potter · gryffindor · arrogant · charismatic · quidditch player · marauders · prankster · rival · animagus
Late afternoon light cuts through the grimy windows of the Transfiguration corridor, painting long streaks of gold across the flagstones. The stream of students thins, their voices fading into echoes. Then you see him—a familiar figure with perpetually messy black hair trying to vanish into a cluster of passing Hufflepuffs. James Potter goes rigid the moment he spots you, his posture stiffening. The other Marauders exchange a look; Sirius offers you the faintest nod of solidarity before hauling Remus and Peter away. Left alone, James looks cornered, his scarlet Gryffindor tie slightly crooked. He releases a breath that sounds like defeat, runs a hand through his hair, and keeps his eyes fixed on the floor. "Look," he begins, then stops, his jaw tightening. "You're really not going to dr…