Rory sighed, staring up at the maroon and gold tapestry hangings above her bed. The tutoring session hadn't even started yet and already she could feel a headache starting to form.

James.

It had to be James. Freaking James Potter. The bane of her entire existence at Hogwarts. She couldn't believe he was the one tutoring her and not the other way around. Rory had almost considered not going at least five times today, but she really needed to stay in the class. If this was the only way, then so be it.

It was only two sessions, right? She reassured herself. She would survive. Barely, but she'd survive. She groaned, packing up her books and quills in her satchel. Juniper watched from her own bed with amusement.

"Doing alright over there, Ror?" Juniper grinned, absentmindedly flipping through Quidditch magazine.

"Mmmmph." Rory muttered back sullenly, taking out several library books to make room for her substantial amount of Transfiguration reading.

"Sheesh, you lug that around all day?" Jade winced, clutching her shoulder.

"Pain of six honors courses." Rory said with a wry smile, hefting her bag onto the dresser so she could finish tying her uniform tie.

"I don't know how you do it." Juniper shook her head in disbelief, "And a prefect on top of all that. I barely have time for lessons and captaincy."

Rory shrugged, "I manage." The massive dark circles ringing her eyes told a different story, however.

"I hate men." Vivian flew into the room dramatically, flopping down on the bed beside Juniper.

"Same." Jade echoed in solidarity, glancing up from her pruning. Jade's various plants dotted each available windowsill and shelf in their dorm that wasn't already occupied by Rory's books, they even had some hanging Venus vine in their closet.

"Ugh." Vivian made a face, "It's enough to make me consider going full lesbian. I just want a woman, you know? Honestly, any woman could run me over and I would say thank you."

"What was the culprit this time?" Jade asked knowingly. Vivian went on these types of rants at least once a week. She'd never really had any serious relationship, at least not at Hogwarts. They'd heard about various Muggle paramours she'd had, but to be honest, none of her friends knew that much about Vivian's home life.

"I've just had the most horrendous date with Boris Fletchely," Vivian pulled a face. "I mean with a name like that I should've known." Vivian turned to Juniper accusingly, wagging finger, "Stop making that face."

"What face?"

"The 'I had a great date' face." Vivian gestured, "You know which face."

"I never told you anything about what happened with Xavier." Juniper returned to her Quidditch magazine, pointedly evading the conversation.

They all burst out laughing.

"Please." Rory scoffed, "You snogged him and we all know it."

"I-"

"Don't even try Junie." Jade warned, giggling, "Care to explain the odd hours these days when you were nowhere to be found?"

"Oh I know where we could find her..." Vivian nudged Junie, who glared at all of them

"As much as I would like to continue this conversation." Rory winked at Juniper, checking the clock, "I've got a tutoring session to get to." Rory shouldered her heavy book bag and headed out the door, hearing Vivian's muffled voice as she did.

"Now James Potter, James could run me over too."

And then Juniper's response.

"V! GROSS!"

Rory chuckled to herself, taking the stairs two at a time because she was running slightly behind schedule. Didn't matter anyways. James had never been on time to anything in his life, this should be no different. The library was surprisingly empty, though she assumed it was rather late in the afternoon for after school homework. A small group of Ravenclaws were studying in the corner, a lone Slytherin reading at one of the long tables, and doddering old Madam Pince, severe as ever, perusing the shelves for any misbehavior. So where was James?

Rory spotted a small slip of parchment out of the corner of her eye. It was taped to a copy of Advanced Transfiguration. She unfurled the paper, and read the surprisingly neat cursive written on it.

Third floor. Take two rights. Pass the archway. Between the suits of armor.

-Your wildly attractive tutor

Rory rolled her eyes. What an idiot. Everything was a game with him. She didn't know what McGonagall had been thinking, there was no way she was going to gain anything from James's tutoring. She jogged up to the third floor, following James's very vague instructions, which led her to a blank brick wall. Wait what? She frowned at the note, looking at her surroundings. There were the two suits of armor, so where was-

"Boo!" James jumped out from behind one of the suits of armor.

Rory just stared at him, unfazed, "Really?"

"Damn, I thought that would work." James said disappointedly.

"Did you seriously bring me all the way down here so you could make a pathetic attempt to frighten me?" Rory raised an annoyed eyebrow.

"Ouch." James pouted, "Have a little faith Wood." He splayed his arms wide as a door materialized on the brick wall. He grinned at Rory's one mouthed expression, swinging the door open, "After you." Just as soon as they entered, the door disappeared, fading back into the nondescript bricks.

"The Room of Requirement?" Rory's eyes widened, taking in the vast room, "But how-"

"Being a Potter has its perks." James replied, "I figured you might want some privacy, especially if things heat up." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, and Rory scowled.

"You have a one track mind Potter."

"Only for you Wood." James smirked, "Only for you."

Rory exhaled in irritation, pressing her fingertips to her temple, "Idiot. Are you actually going to tutor me? Because I'll take my chances with McGonagall if-"

"Easy Wood." James pacified, settling down into a chair that Rory could've sworn hadn't been there moments before, "I said I'd tutor you and I will." He cracked open a textbook and began pulling notes out of his bag, beckoning Rory to come sit beside him. Rory gaped as James began to explain the inner workings of Animagi and the mechanics of the new spell they had learned this week. She wrote down everything he said dutifully, asking questions here and there. She was in awe.

"What?" James paused, glancing at her.

"I didn't say anything." Rory furrowed her brow in confusion, wondering what James was getting at.

"You're surprised I'm smart right?" James smiled, eyes twinkling.

"Well...yeah," she murmured sheepishly, embarrassed.

"S'ok. Most people are." James shrugged, leaning back in his chair, "I've got the dumb jock persona down pat."

"It's just-" Rory began. "You always ask me so many questions in class. Clearly you already know the answers, why—"

"Wood," James grinned, laughing lightly. "C'mon."

"What? Why would you pretend be stupid on purpose?" Rory was bewildered. It baffled her that James had all this untapped intelligence and yet didn't use it.

"Because then I get to talk to you," James murmured, gazing at her.

"Oh." Rory bit her lip, willing herself not to blush. That was actually really- sweet. Rory suddenly noticed how attractive James looked right then. The sleeves of his white dress shirt rolled up, exposing his muscular forearms. The slightly loose school tie hanging around his neck. His perpetually messy black hair falling over those dark blue eyes that always carried just a hint of mischief. Quickly, she drew her eyes away from James, staring hard at her textbook. What was happening to her? Why were James's forearms affecting her ability to breathe properly?

Meanwhile, James was thinking the exact same thing about Rory, silently marveling at her beauty. He'd always thought she was stunning, but his attraction to her was more than that. He liked the way she twirled her hair around her finger when she was thinking, the flare of her nostrils when he was annoyed with him, how passionate she was about school, her dedication, her loyalty, James could name a hundred different things he liked about Rory Wood.

"Er- we should probably do some wandwork now." Rory cleared her throat awkwardly, then realized what she had just said, "I didn't mean-"

"I didn't say anything," James smirked.

"You were thinking it."

"And she can read minds. Merlin, Wood leave something for the rest of us would you?"

"Idiot." Rory grabbed her wand out of her bag, all thoughts of James and his forearms vanishing from her mind, "I was having trouble with this one spell." She pointed to an incantation in the book. "I just can't get the movement right."

"Ah Expoximise." James nodded, taking his own wand out with flourish, "That one can be tricky." With utter ease, James performed the spell, bonding two quills together effortlessly.

"Apparently not for you," Rory said bitterly, attempting and failing at the spell.

"I am top of the class," James preened.

"Shut up Potter." Rory growled, trying yet again to do the bonding spell. She had never struggled so much with a subject before. She was failing. Rory Wood never failed. Never.

"Focus." James demonstrated the spell again, "Clear your head, I know you can do it."

"It's a bit hard to focus when you're breathing down my neck," Rory snapped, cursing as she received no positive results. "Damn it!" She rapped her wand against the table harshly, nails digging into her chair.

"Relax, Wood." James calmed, "Just relax, if you-"

"Relax?!" Rory cried, eyes flashing, "That might work for you Mr. I don't give a fuck about my grades, but in the real world we can't all just relax and have fun!"

"Wood-"

"No! I knew this was a bad idea! I knew you wouldn't take this seriously! I need this Potter! Can't you see that?" Rory stood up abruptly, pacing the room as she ranted frantically, "Do you understand how important this is to me?"

"Of course I-"

Rory bordered on manic as she continued, "I get that this is all just some game to you, but this affects me! I can't fail. I just can't. I don't drop classes. That's not who I am. I get top marks, always. What happens next if I drop this class? Will I start failing Potions? DADA? Runes? What happens then? I don't do well on my NEWTS, I don't get a job, they take away my prefect badge? Hell maybe I'll get expelled. I don't know who I am if I'm not- I have to do well. I have to be perfect. I can't-" Rory's voice broke, her breaths coming in short fast bursts as she wrung her hands. "I can't-" She was hyperventilating now, clutching her head.

"Whoa, whoa." James rushed to her side, placing a hand on her back, "Breathe Wood. Breathe." They sank to the floor together, James stroking her hair gently.

"I can't- I can't-" Rory stammered, chest rising and falling at rapid speed.

"Focus on my voice. Listen to me, Rory."

Rory.

James never called her Rory. Always Wood. Always Wood. But James called her Rory, and maybe that was why for a moment, she listened.

"Breathe for me, okay?" James soothed, still holding her close, "In through the nose. Out through the mouth. 1,2,3." He counted, Rory breathing shakily.

"Good." James said, and Rory instinctively clasped his hand. If James was surprised he didn't say so, slowly getting her to calm down, "One more time, Rory, inhale, exhale. Just like that."

Rory let out a long breath, closing her eyes, she leaned her head onto James shoulder without thinking, Then she realized what she was doing. She sat bolt upright, dropping his hand, and curling up into a ball, knees tucked underneath her arms.

"Alright, Wood?" James asked, eyes filled with concern.

"Yeah." She whispered back, her face hot. "How did you-?"

"That was a panic attack." James explained, "Mum taught all of us kids that trick."

"Well...thanks." Rory sniffed, her heart rate returning to normal.

"Anytime."

There was a beat of silence. Rory could feel James's eyes on her.

"Er- Potter?" She ventured, "I didn't mean- those things I said about you when I was- I-"

"It's ok." James brushed off her worries airily. Kind as ever.

"It's not." Rory chewed on her fingernails, a bad habit she had when she was anxious, "I'm sorry. I'm just really- stressed right now. Prefect duties, and classes this year. I'm not sleeping all that much, and this Transfiguration thing kind of pushed me over the edge." She barked out a short laugh, trying to diffused the tension. She was unsuccessful.

"May I ask..." James trailed off, debating whether to say what had popped into his mind, "Why do you put so much pressure on yourself? You don't have to take such a demanding course load, you-"

"Yes I do." Rory sighed, "I told you Potter. This is who I am."

"You're so much more than your grades, Rory."

There it was again. The use of her first name. She couldn't decide whether she liked it or not.

"My parents-" Rory began, shocked that she as actually confiding, "They've come to expect certain things. I've come to expect certain things. My dad, you know my dad yeah? Of course you do, he was a Quidditch captain. He lives and breathes Quidditch, and naturally he assumed I would too. And then I didn't try out. Not first year, not second, not third, not fourth, not fifth, and not this year either. It didn't matter how many times I refused to pick up a broom, how many times I showed no interest in joining the team, every year he asks me the same question. What position are you playing? He kept pushing, he keeps pushing. That's why I push myself so hard in school, it was something I was actually good at, something that I actually enjoyed. I thought that maybe if I was perfect in every other aspect of my life, maybe just maybe he would finally be proud of me. Do you know how much it hurts to know that that prefect badge, the one I busted my ass for, is worthless to him? To know that he would rather me have a captain's badge? Rather me get a House Cup than Outstandings on my O.W.L.S.? " Rory had never told anyone this before, and to think she's sharing with James Potter. Of all people, the first time she's actually voicing her problems and it's with him?

"I don't- I can't- talk about this with any of my friends." Rory confessed, twisting her hands together, "Because Junie is Quidditch captain and she deserves that, I would never take that away from her. And Jade, well, Jade could've been prefect too. I know she wanted it. And it would be like I was complaining that I did get it and-" She broke off, "You don't understand..."

"I do actually." James responded softly, "Trust me, I know all about living up to family legacies. There are downsides to being a Potter too, you know. Why do you think I muck about with school? So people don't compare me with him anymore than they already do. Doesn't help that I'm his spitting image."

"I always thought you looked a bit more like your mum." Rory blurted, in a sudden bout of honesty. "I mean-" she blushed, ducking her head. "Er- you have her eyes."

"Thanks." James's smile was genuine, "It's just hard. There are definitely expectations. My dad's Harry fucking Potter, the Chosen One. People don't understand that I'm not him. It's a daunting shadow to live under, I'll tell you that."

"But- you're always so confident."

"So are you."

Rory was astounded. Not in a million years did she think her and James Potter would have something in common. Maybe he wasn't all bad? Maybe should get to know him more. The one thing she did know for sure as that it felt like a giant weight had been lifted off her heart. She'd been keeping all those emotions bottled up for years, and from the sound of it, James had too.

James was quiet for minute, before saying, "Wood? You don't have to be perfect all the time."

"Neither do you."

"Well I can certainly try." James teased.

Rory rolled her eyes, the edges of her mouth turning up in spite of herself.

"Idiot?" James questioned, a broad grin on his face.

"Idiot." Rory confirmed, laughing.

i love them sm <3333

back to regular storyline after this, dw i haven't forgotten our beloved juniper
this was rlly fun to write, expect some more rory and james povs sprinkled here and there as we move forward

i am tired now
it is 4 am
who needs sleep right?
not me

-colleen