Rory had thought she knew all there was to know about James. James Matthias Potter, prankster, Quidditch maniac, and all together annoying. An unfortunate side effect of being best friends with Juniper. Constantly bugging her, showing off, skiving off classwork, a full of himself pain in the arse. He'd been bothering her since first year. James Potter, idiot. Except that he wasn't. He was now James Potter, sweet and funny and smart. Rory was learning new things about him everyday. Like the way he chews on his quill when he's thinking. Like the fact that his eyes sort of twinkle when he's teasing her. Like how he smiles at her and it makes her stomach feel all funny. Rory really likes when James smiles at her, even if it's his stupid smirk.

Also his forearms. James had beautiful, perfect forearms. Rory's been noticing his forearms a lot recently. Well, it's not like she hadn't noticed (and admired) them before. She had eyes. James was obviously objectively attractive. But now, now, it was so much more. They were lean and muscled, covered with faint freckles, and almost always had an ink smudge or two, which somehow made them even more breathtakingly glorious. He had a habit of pushing the sleeves of his uniform shirt up, and Rory felt faint each time he did so.

She loves making him read a passage in a textbook aloud, not only because his voice causes her heart to pound at an alarming rate, but also because she can watch the muscles in those goddamned forearms flex when he turns the page. And Rory hates it. She hates it all. She hates that she wants to run a hand through his stupid messy hair. She hates that he looks so so bloody good in his Quidditch uniform. She hates that he wears his tie loose around his neck because he can't be bothered to do it properly. And she hates that she wants to grab it and pull him close and kiss him.

Worse still, or better depending on Rory's mood, was that Junie and Viv had been trying to convince her for ages to come watch a Quidditch practice. So she sits on the bleachers, pretending to study and act annoyed when James shows off in the air in front of her. She peeks over her reading to stare at James riding his broom, muscles taut and glistening with sweat. Secretly, she wants to know what it might be like to have those strong arms wrapped around her. Which inevitably leads her mind to other places, like her legs wrapped around his-

Rory shivered at the thought, though the Room of Requirement was perfectly temperate, a tingly, electric shock sending goosebumps up her spine.

"Cold?" James asked, looking up from his parchment, eyebrows raised quizzically.

Rory started, snapping back to the present. Had she been staring? Had James sen her staring? Did he know what she had been thinking about? Oh Godric what was happening to her?!

"Earth to Wood?" James waved a hand in front of her face, leaning back in his chair. "You were kind of in your own world for a minute."

"Just- you know...studying." Rory said, in an overly high voice she used whenever she was nervous. "Thinking...stuff." Internally, she winced. Thinking stuff??! For Chrissakes.

"Right." James nodded with a small chuckle, "So are you sitting under a draft or something?"

"Oh no- I-" Rory stammered frantically, she couldn't very well say that the mere thought of his forearms had caused her to shiver.

"I'm a bit warm actually." James said, as he began to pull his jumper over his head.

Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. Rory's brain was short circuiting. She quickly dropped her eyes to the table to hide the flush of her cheeks. The shirt underneath rode up and holy mother of abs. Rory wanted to die.

"Here." James handed her the jumper with a smile, straightening his shirt.

Rory blinked, still not processing anything besides how hot James looked taking off a jumper. A bloody jumper. She felt faint again, "Oh- erm- er- I-" These were not words. There were not coherent thoughts. She was a stuttering mess. James was looking at her expectantly. What did he want? Oh the jumper. The jumper. Rory put the jumper on. It was huge and soft and smelled like James, and she was so overwhelmed that she barely had time to register the alarming fact that she knew and liked the way James Potter smelled.

"There we are." James folded his arms, satisfied. Smirking, "Perfect."

Nobody in the world should say the word perfect except for James Potter, Rory decided silently, taking a deep breath. She returned to her notes, exams were really stressing her out this year. Even more so than usual because of her slip up in Transfiguration early in the year. She was doing fine now of course, top of the class again, but she had this irrational fear that she was just one misstep away from failure. James had been a godsend. And yes, technically McGonagall had only required Rory to do two sessions, and her marks had gone up after the first one, but they'd both sort of unspokenly agreed to keep studying together. Rory certainly didn't mind. They talked half the time anyway.

Rory dared a peek at James, who was reading an alchemy book, quill in mouth. His hand was close to hers on the desk. This happened sometimes. She inched her hand a little closer, pinkie outstretched. Without looking up, James did the same. They played this little game until their hands were just barely touching. Rory didn't move. Neither did James.

After a while, "I reckon we've done enough studying for today." James began packing up his things.

"Oh but I still can't get that Transfiguration-" Rory protested, thumbing through her notes.

"Wood." James chided, snatching the notebook out of her hands. "You're going to be fine, you have been fine. For ages now."

"Yes but-" Rory continued to protest, reaching for her notes. James held them aloft, arm outstretched. Rory jumped for them to no avail. James was frustratingly tall as she was short, and she was certain she looked comical to him.

Rory crossed her arms, gazing up at him in irritation, "Potter I swear to god if you do not give me my notes back right now I'll-"

"You have to promise me you're going to relax and not worry about Transfiguration." James told her, "Exams aren't for other week, you are prepared. You don't even need to study with me anymore, and I know you know that too." He gave her a smug look.

"I'm being pragmatic." Rory sniffed primly, turning her chin up. "Better safe than sorry."

"Or maybe you like spending time with me." James pointed out, teasing.

Rory rolled her eyes, trying to conceal her blush. "It's possible- that you might actually be a decent human being."

James grinned, "I'm touched, Wood."

"Whatever." Rory bit her lip, "Now give me my notes."

"Promise?"

"Okay, idiot, I promise." Rory groaned, agreeing begrudgingly.

"Unfortunately, that didn't sound too convincing." James made a mock sad face, "So I'll be keeping these until I see fit to give them back."

Rory's mouth dropped open, "Dick!" She climbed atop a chair to try and get them, but stumbled, falling straight into James's very broad chest.

James smiled, eyes mischievous, "Hi there."

"Idiot." Rory murmured. She was so close to James she could see the faint stubble on his jawline, and the button he'd missed on his shirt.

"That reminds me." James exclaimed, shouldering his book bag, as they headed out of the Room of Requirement. "Leah called me a blithering idiot the other day in one of her letters, and it made me think of you. Bet the two of you would get on."

"Sweet." Rory swallowed, smiling tightly. James had talked about Leah before. She was Alex's best friend, he'd met her over the summer. Leah made Rory prickly. How rude of her to call James an idiot. He was an idiot. But he was her idiot. They walked down the corridor together, arms bumping ever so often. Rory allowed herself to imagine what it might be like to hold James's hand.

"I have to head down to the Herbology classrooms." James said, once they'd reached the entrance to Gryffindor tower. "I've got detention."

Rory herself had nearly had detention, an experience she did not at all want to revisit. James had punched Xavier, and then refused to deny doing it because he was an idiot. An idiot who cared about his family. Rory had to admire the way he stepped in. Junie was a mess, and Xavier had deserved it.

"But that's in the opposite direction." Rory frowned in confusion, "Why in Merlin did you walk with me all the way here?"

"Wanted to." James shrugged, turning to go.

"Oh- wait- Potter!" Rory called, "I've still got your jumper, let me-"

James shook his head, "Keep it. It looks better on you than it ever did on me." And with that heart melting comment, he disappeared down the hall.

Rory couldn't help herself. She smiled, inhaling the comforting scent of the jumper, and resisting the urge to squeal. Then she sighed, clutching her head in her hands. What was she going to do now?

short and sweet james and rory break from the drama
they always get my creative juices flowing and this chapter just came to me
hope you enjoyed
i love them

vote and comment please :)

-coco