t o r t u r e d ! p o e t

The first time James saw someone fall in love was at sixteen.

It was a sunny day at Hogwarts when he and his three best friends decided to enjoy the warm weather by the lake.

He was talking to Peter about some weird dreams he had had lately, Sirius interrupting from time to time with a laugh or a sarcastic remark about the “disturbing logic of Pete’s dreams”. Remus, however, never made a single comment, too busy dozing out with his head in Sirius' lap.

Now caught up in Peter’s rambling about some gossip he had heard about from a couple of sixth years, he barely noticed that Sirius had fallen quiet. It wasn’t until he turned to see the other two boys that he realised how intimate the scene was before his eyes.

He saw Sirius looking at Remus with adoration, stroking his hair with a delicacy he only had for the boy half asleep in his lap.

Unexpectedly, Sirius looked up and the glow in his grey eyes gave James a shiver. He noticed the light pink colour spread across the black-haired boy’s cheeks before he looked away quickly, James once again showing interest in Peter’s story.

But his mind kept reminiscing about what he had just seen, curious to ask.

Of course, James knew how falling in love felt. A constant burning in his chest, feeling breathless and a little lost from time to time. James always thought love was passionate and scarier every time, no matter the person or the age.

But he never imagined love could ever be so calm.

So when Sirius snuck into James' bed at night to confess that he had fallen in love with his best friend, James understood how Sirius loved.

James sat in the coffee shop, a book in hand and an iced coffee slowly melting onto the wooden table in front of him. Immersed in his reading, he felt a strange sensation run down his spine, prompting him to look up. Across from him sat a cute guy, with his head cocked, peering at the book James held.

James smiled and lifted the book slightly, offering him a better view of the title. Flustered, the guy smiled back silently, mouthing a “thank you”, to which James responded with a bright smile before returning to his book.

After two long minutes of attempting to read, James found himself unable to comprehend the words in front of him, his mind still occupied by thoughts of the cute guy.

With a sigh, he closed his book and searched through his bag for a pen and paper. Scrawling his name and number, James gathered his bag and coffee and approached the guy, sliding the paper across the table.

Grey eyes met his in confusion.

“In case you want some more book recommendations,” James said, offering a wink. The guy chuckled and accepted the paper. James extended his hand, which the other guy took.

“I'm James”

“Regulus”

Regulus.

“Well Regulus, hope i’ll hear from you”

And with a small smile on his lips, he said goodbye and left the coffee shop, his mind buzzing with thoughts of Regulus.

Not much later, his phone buzzed on his pocket.

The music was too loud, the smell of mint from the hookah, and the dazzling lights overwhelmed a now tipsy Regulus, who couldn’t handle himself any longer after that third round of shots he was coerced into. Laughter from his friends blended with distant voices, and Pandora's hands guided him to move to a song he didn't even recognize.

Regulus was having a good time, with his drink in hand and his best friend yelling in his ear incoherent words, making him laugh out loud. 

So when he turned towards the table where the others were, the last thing he wanted to see was his boyfriend glued to two female bodies, laughing carelessly about something someone said.

With a sudden emptiness in his stomach, Regulus downed the last sip of his drink and sat right in front of them, trying to join the conversation.

James' arms were stretched over the sofa backs, with his legs slightly apart but not bothering the two girls he had on either side. Lily, who occupied James's right side, was almost reclined on his forearm, hair falling in soft waves over his boyfriend's skin, smiling broadly as she looked at her companion. Mary, on the other hand, was almost leaning on James's chest, with a hand on his thigh trying to listen to what someone else was saying.

Regulus couldn't ignore the discomfort it caused him, his eyes following every move of the trio. Every shared laugh, every accidental touch of their hands, pierced his heart. He couldn't help but feel jealous and it was starting to affect him.

How could his boyfriend look so happy without Regulus by his side?

Regulus tried to blame the alcohol for the anger that lodged like a lump in his throat, his eyes scanning the gleam in those brown irises that had once sworn eternal love. 

Did James have that gleam when he looked at him? 

Unintentionally, Regulus stood up abruptly from his seat and turned, walking towards the exit of the pub, fists clenched, and his heart pounding a mile a minute.

Almost out of the pub, a hand wrapped around his wrist, gently pulling him.

"Regulus?"

"Let go," he muttered, but the hand pulled him harder. 

“What’s wrong, baby?” 

And Regulus would’ve fought him right there, he would’ve told him he was a jerk for letting someone so near him. That they were over and to not contact him ever again. 

Regulus would’ve done that if James were a real jerk. 

But oh, the soft tone, that soft tone, and those concerned eyes made Regulus melt every single time, and he couldn’t stop himself from breaking down right there in front of his wonderful boyfriend.

“Reg”

It was James, with that soft tone that always broke Regulus down. With the palms of his hands pressing against his eyes and his back hunched, Regulus allowed himself to be embraced by his boyfriend when the emotion became too overwhelming. 

"I can't stand it, James. Seeing them so close... I can't. Seeing you so happy even when it's not me by your side."

Regulus allowed himself to be embraced by James, weeping into his boyfriend’s chest. 

James furrowed his brow, connecting the dots. “Reg, they're just my friends.”

"And yet, your face lights up just being near them," Regulus admitted, almost shouting and pushing his boyfriend to be face to face. “They’re just friends but one of them was your forever crush and the other one was your first kiss,”

“That means nothing, baby”

“It does to me!” 

Silence fell upon them and James sighed dropping his head. Regulus waited for him, tears still falling and feeling heartbroken every second passed. James looked at him, stretching out his hand and asking for permission. Regulus nodded, and in a second, James held his face with a small smile on his lips.

"I love you, Regulus. You're the most important thing to me and what makes me happiest,"

James whispered. Regulus clung to him, allowing the warmth of his body to calm him slowly. 

“I don’t believe you”

“Then allow me to demonstrate,” said James before kissing him deeply, one of his hands caressing his cheek while the other slid to take him by the waist, bringing their bodies closer. Once the kiss ended, lightheaded, Regulus exhaled.

"I'm sorry."

"None of that, darling. All forgotten," James said softly, wiping the remaining tears from his cheeks. With a kiss on his forehead, he murmured again, "Want to go back in or head home, baby?"

"Home, please."

"Whatever you say, my star," James joked, smiling broadly and brushing their noses as he gave him a peck on the lips. "I love you so much, always."

Regulus nodded, grateful for James’ patience. "I love you." 

Together, they returned to the group to gather their things, and bid farewell to the others, leaving behind the jealousy and focusing on the love they shared on the way home—to their home.

Regulus is certain. Today is the day he dies. 

He thought nothing could be worse than being left alone in the corner of a crowded Gryffindor’s party, without any of his friends in sight and a bloody alcohol cup that refilled itself once it was fully empty. 

He felt tipsy and clumsy and he stumbled to a sofa near the stairs of the common room. He felt worse than ever until with a hazy vision and a smile on the corner of his mouth, he made eye contact with the love of his life. 

James Potter, king of the party, dancing on top of a table and teasing everybody with that damn red crop top and those dark low-rise jeans that exposed his quite sweaty tanned skin and the definition of his abdomen. A group of people surrounded him at the table, cheering him up and singing along to a song Regulus didn’t recognise. 

And then, Regulus feels like dying. 

Because oh, a Spanish song is on and oh, James knows fluent Spanish.

And oh, Regulus has forgotten how to breathe properly because James gets off the table and starts making his way towards Regulus, moving smoothly through the crowd and mouthing the words to the new song playing. 

Once he’s near enough, James puts his hands on Regulus’ knees and lowers his whole body to face his boyfriend, who is flushed, has wide pupils and is probably shaking under the boy’s touch. 

*“Oye papi…vuelveme loca. Aruñame la espalda y muérdeme la boca” James whispers against Regulus’ lips, teasing him and running the tip of his tongue on Regulus’ lower lip. 

“Fuck” Regulus replies closing his eyes, feeling James’ warm breath and touch heat up his whole body. He loses his boyfriend's touch only seconds later, so he obliges himself to open his eyes and looks up at his golden boy, smirking at him with his lower lip between his teeth. 

James knows how hard it hits Regulus when he speaks Spanish. His accent and the way he rolls his tongue have Regulus on his knees every time. 

Always metaphorically, sometimes literally.

So, he uses that to his favour and keeps singing in Spanish under Regulus’ look. He moves his whole body to the rhythm, his hips being the main character of his dancing, making Regulus feel feral. 

James gets closer and closer and now he’s practically lap-dancing Regulus to a Shakira song. He hears roaring and a couple of his friends screaming his and James’ name but he doesn’t care about anything anymore because he has his man basically on top of him, seducing him with his gentle hips and his Spanish words, calling him “papi” and telling him to do something to his “boca”. 

When the song finishes,  James doesn’t step back. 

“Wanna get out of here?” his golden boy has the same lit-up face as always, with a fire in his dark eyes and an agitated breath that suggests the same as Regulus has been thinking for a while now. 

“Yes, please”

If this is how Regulus gets to die, he hopes this is what his heaven looks like. 

*Translation: "Hey daddy...drive me crazy. Scratch my back and bite my mouth"

"Hey!" exclaimed James excitedly, tapping Regulus’s outstretched hand to get his attention "Do you hear that, baby? They’re playing Canyon Moon!"

At Regulus' request, both had decided to go out for dinner. Regulus hadn’t stopped talking for weeks about a restaurant he had visited with Dorcas, and finally after so much insistence, he had managed to drag James to a round table in the far corner of that tiny restaurant. 

James will never admit it out loud, because it would feed her boyfriend’s obsession, but he too had fallen in love with the place the second he put his foot in it. "I hear it, yes," Regulus replied, rolling his eyes without looking away from the posters hanging from the ceiling, apparently today’s menu, as the waitress explained, "Sirius couldn’t be more obvious, "Canyon Moon"?"

Quick pause in conversation

He plays songs I've never heard

An old lover's hippie music

Pretends not to know the words

And I keep thinking back to

A time under the canyon moon

After singing quietly along, James laughed while leaning on the table, glancing at the ceiling to look at the menu himself, "When has Sirius been subtle?" 

“Touché” said Regulus, making James whisper “hot” under his breath right before the waitress came to their table to take their orders. 

After the sweet lady left, Regulus looked around checking the restaurant before leaning on the table to whisper to James “To be honest, I don’t think this is a fitting song for this type of restaurant” An offended gasp left James’ lips, and he smacked Regulus’ shoulder gently. 

“How very dare you”

“You’re gonna tell me that I’m wrong?”

“Of course, our songs fit into any sort of environment”

“Yeah, no, I don’t think so” a bratty tone tint Regulus words, leaning onto the back of his chair, crossing his arms with a small smile on the corner of his lips. 

“You’re mean” 

“I just pointed out a fact. Not every song you guys do fit anywhere, especially not this little and pretty restaurant, it’s a weird song for a sushi restaurant”

“I bet I can change your mind with a song. In fact, I will write a song that fits this restaurant so well that you’ll be embarrassed by what you just said”

“Oh will you now?”

“Hell yeah, before our food comes, I will have the perfect song”

Regulus laughed a bit too hard for that, giving James the perfect view of his pale collarbones under that slim t-shirt. James arched an eyebrow, ready to challenge his boyfriend’s attitude, 

“You don’t think I can do that?”

"Of course I don’t think you can write a song before our food comes" said Regulus with a witty tone, sharing a small smile with James who looked too cocky by now.

"Is that a challenge, my love?"

"You bet it is" a cheeky smile spread across Regulus' face. James felt his heart racing. 

So, for a whole half hour, James kept writing and re-writing a whole song he finishes five seconds before they have their food on the table. And when he shares the lyrics with his boyfriend, the only comment Regulus says is:

"You have the imagination of a three-year-old”.

Two months later, James was in the studio recording "Music For a Sushi Restaurant", with Remus' bass track in the background and the background vocals recorded before by Sirius and Peter complementing his vocals in the chorus. Regulus’s laughter penetrated his track even from outside the booth, making James smile broadly at Sirius grimaced.

If the stars were edible

And our hearts were never full

Could we live with just a taste?

Just taste

It’s 'cause I love you, babe

In every kind of way

Just a little taste

Know I love you, babe

Not even the high volume of the trumpets dampened the scandalous cry of Sirius, who pounced on the microphone of their producer. 

"We are so over, James Potter!" 

Regulus smacked his brother on the side, starting a nasty sibling fist fight. 

"Ok Mr. Sarcastic, point taken," James said before gently pushing Remus’ shoulder, earning himself a huff from Remus.

“You better stop that now,” Remus warned.

“Stop what?” replied James, pushing Remus a bit harder, a playful smile on his lips.

James had been a nightmare for the last few months. After spending his fourth time at Remus’ village, James had seen one muggle boy pull an innocent prank where he shoved his friend against a girl, yelling “He likes you!” before he ran away.

After that, James had been restless, pulling the same prank on Remus every now and then.

Remus hated it. He was forced not only to apologise for his friend’s behaviour but also to try to explain to random people that he, in fact, did not like them.

It was especially uncomfortable when those random interactions ended with people actually trying to flirt with him.

“James. Don’t. Last time you shoved me against a poor first year and I stepped on their feet. Made them cry and all,” Remus scolded.

“Oh c’mon Moony,” James retorted.

“I said don’t,”

James snorted and nudged Remus, looking away and spotting a pair of boys chatting near the Potions classroom.

James saw the opportunity and when they were near enough, he gave Remus a hearty push, causing him to lose balance and fall right into one of the boy’s arms.

“He likes you!” James shouted, his voice echoing off the stone walls before darting away with laughter.

Remus let out a string of insults before straightening himself. His cheeks were flushed as he faced the boy, meeting an amused gaze looking back at him.

Remus felt at a loss for words, looking back at the most gorgeous boy he’d ever seen. He opened his mouth to apologise, only to be interrupted by the one that caught him.

“Well, I don’t know about you liking me, but I’m pretty sure you just fell for me, uh?”

I love you.

"I guess I did yes,” Remus laughed awkwardly at the joke, he bit his lip and looked at the second boy who looked bored by the whole situation. It was then where he finally saw the Slytherin ties on both of them, it made sense then how Remus didn’t know much about those boys.

“I’m Sirius Black,” said the first boy, darting his hand out as a greeting. Remus took it, losing himself in those gorgeous eyes for the second time.

Marry me.

“I’m Remus Lupin,” Remus almost whispered, shaking Sirius' hand, “I’m so sorry if I hurt you in any way.”

“No hurt done, always a pleasure to catch pretty boys like you,”

“Merlin,” a third voice interrupted them, Remus looked at the second boy who ignored him completely before talking to Sirius,

“I’ll save you a seat, be there before Slughorn gets in,” and with that, he disappeared into the classroom.

Remus and Sirius were left alone in the corridor, their eyes locked and Remus could feel his heart racing, unsure of what to say next.

Breaking the silence, Sirius flashed a confident grin, "Sorry about him, Regulus gets cranky easily," he said, stepping closer to Remus.

Remus chuckled nervously, feeling the tension between them palpable. "It's alright," he managed to reply, his voice slightly shaky.

As they fell into a quick silence, students began to file into the Potions classroom. Remus was a bit disappointed knowing that Sirius had to go away soon. The Slytherin boy looked inside the classroom, probably looking for the boy he was with. When he looked back at Remus, he had a cocky smile on.

"Alright, Remus Lupin," Sirius said, his gaze lingering on Remus for a moment longer. "I've got to go, but hopefully, I'll see more of you around," he added with a wink before disappearing behind the classroom door.

Remus stood there, watching as Sirius vanished from sight. He couldn't shake the feeling that something significant had just happened to him.

With a small greeting for the Potions teacher, he began to walk away towards his next class. He sat down next to James, who looked at him with a frown and asked what had happened to him.

“Prongs, I think for once, your childish behaviour was useful,” Remus said, dropping his head between his arms.

“What?”

With a sigh, Remus shook his head and ignored the few questions James asked him before their class started. His mind was still reeling from the encounter with Sirius.

I’m pretty sure you just fell for me, uh?

That he did, but Remus was a stubborn boy so he would not stop until that pretty boy was his.

I’m not saying you’re in love with me Sirius Black, but you’re going to.

With his arms slightly numb and drops of sweat trickling down, disappearing beneath his shirt, Evan grabs the towel he had left between his legs to wipe his face. He sighs, running his hand through his hair as he contemplates the gym surroundings. 

"Did you enjoy the lat tower?" Barty's voice takes him by surprise, a warm breath brushing against his ear, sending a shiver down his neck. 

"Only you can know what that's called," Evan responds, trying to maintain a neutral tone, concealing the nervousness provoked by Barty's proximity. Rising from the machine, he notices Barty leaning back for a moment before feeling his lips on his neck.

"Damn, Barty, that's disgusting. Don't do that," Evan chides, watching Barty roll his eyes with a mocking smile. 

Barty crosses his arms, displaying the biceps he diligently works on every day. Evan feels an urge to squeeze the skin under his fingers, but he restrains himself. Barty's gaze focuses on Evan's body as he stretches his arms, attempting to relax his muscles. Evan meets Barty's eyes.

"Want an autograph? A pic?"

Barty doesn’t answer, leaving them both in a weird silence. Evan tries to mask the discomfort, raising an eyebrow and staring at Barty. Not receiving an immediate reply, he furrows his brow, turning to pick up the water bottle from the floor. Barty doesn't miss a beat, whistling at the new sight, causing Evan to punch Barty's arm in response, earning a hearty laugh.

"How aggressive," Barty says, massaging the spot where Evan hit him. "Save it for later," he continues, winking. Evan, unsure how to respond, lands another punch, this time on the other shoulder. Barty laughs again, and Evan does his best not to roll his eyes.

He really tries.

Ignoring Barty's provocations, Evan walks past him, brushing his shoulder on the way. He heads towards the locker rooms, attempting to keep embarrassment at bay. Sensing Barty's presence right behind him, Evan feels his eyes scanning him from top to bottom. Glancing over his shoulder, he catches Barty looking at his ass. When Barty realizes he's been caught, he smiles shamelessly and trots to Evan's side, brushing his arm against Evan's and emanating a warmth that has become familiar.

"Not many people around," Barty comments casually, brushing their fingers together with a mischievous smile. Evan looks at him with a furrowed brow, not understanding what he means until the spark in Barty's eyes confirms his thoughts. Evan snorts and quickens his pace.

“That’s better. Fewer people to deal with,”

Evan pushed open the locker room door, holding it for Barty to enter first. Barty thanked him amidst curses.

"Don't be a killjoy; you know it's a good time for your idea," Barty said.

Evan shook his head, trying to ignore him, hoping that maybe he would be quiet. He wasn't in the mood for the people in the locker room to find out about his erotic dreams.

A blush took hold of the lower part of Evan's neck and parts of his cheeks as he recalled everything in a rush. He shook his head, leaving the towel and the bottle on the benches in front of the lockers. Barty didn't move away from Evan's side, insisting on a response while tapping his arm. Evan scanned the locker room out of the corner of his eye.

The truth was, there weren't many people around either...

"Stop," he replies, giving Barty a light smack, unsure if he's addressing himself or Barty. Barty snorts again but doesn't press further. Evan rummages through his pockets for the locker key, finding it in his right pocket.

Approaching his locker, Evan has Barty pressing his body against the grey door. Evan looks at him irritably, attempting to push him aside to access the locker, but Barty presses harder against the metal door.

"You're acting like a child; stop it."

"Or what?"

Normally, the typical juvenile game of "I dare you to..." shouldn't work with an adult, but Evan's decision was made the moment they entered the gym.

Suppressing the smile that wants to form on his lips, Evan glances around. The few people in the locker room don't pay them any attention. Taking advantage of the situation, he leans just enough to brush their noses.

"Or we won't be able to fulfil my fantasy," Evan whispers over Barty's lips, watching the spark intensify in his eyes and his lips curve into a sly smile.

Stepping back, Evan allows himself to put his things in the locker while Barty does the same in the one next to his.

Biting his lip, Evan takes a last look at the room, finding fewer and fewer unfamiliar faces. His mind wanders between memories and dreams, where the gym fantasy begins.

Not long ago, Barty suggested joining his old gym, as if gym dates were the best way to win over someone who would rather die than go for a morning run. At first, Evan flatly refused, proposing better ways to spend time together. But after much begging and a couple of favours... he ended up giving in.

On the first day at the gym, Evan tried to follow Barty's routine, a big mistake considering that the only thing saving him from death by strangulation the next day was his sore muscles. After years of not setting foot in a gym, it took Evan a while to get used to the evening routine. The only things that really comforted him during the first few weeks were the views provided by Barty and his stupid routine.

That, and the wonderful showers.

Evan's mind reserved a special place for those spacious and grey gym showers. So special that after a long day with Barty at the gym, his brain decided to project its best ideas into dreams.

Barty. Cold walls. Steam from hot water. Mouths.

The dream ended up escaping from Evan's lips one night with Barty, who had the habit of telling him every one of his dreams. Barty loved the idea, and from that moment on, not a single day passed without Barty looking at him with a playful smile every time they returned to the gym.

Of course, considering the number of people coming to the gym, the moment hadn't presented itself.

Until today.

Barty clears his throat while sitting on the bench, holding a medium-sized towel intended to cover himself after the shower.

The shower.

Evan looks at him and grabs his towel, closing the locker and putting the key back into his sports pants. He runs his tongue over his lips and makes a small gesture for Barty to follow him.

The sound of water running in a few stalls reaches Evan's ears, and internally, he's grateful that the last one is empty. Nerves take hold of him as soon as they enter, seeing again the grayish marble walls. He hangs the towel on one of the hooks away from the shower just before Barty appears, tossing his towel into a corner and looking at Evan with a smile.

Evan rolls his eyes, returning the smile, stretches his hands in Barty's direction, and Barty doesn't hesitate to lock the door and push Evan against one of the walls to kiss him fiercely while he holds him by his thighs.

Evan's moan dies on Barty's lips, feeling the key to the shower hitting the lower part of his back, causing the shower to turn on immediately, soaking them still with their clothes on. Neither of them cares because Barty doesn't let go, and Evan doesn't push him away. He plunges his fingers into Barty's wet hair, pulling with force and smiling when he sighs against his mouth.

The water prevents the kiss from lasting too long, prompting Barty to change walls. Evan appreciates the new position and focuses on sliding his hands under Barty's shirt, touching the tense muscles with the tips of his fingers and enjoying the sounds he makes against his neck.

He took the edges of Barty's t-shirt, removing it and throwing it somewhere. He didn't get distracted and quickly slid his hands under Barty's shirt, touching the tense muscles with the tips of his fingers and enjoying the little sounds his boyfriend made against his neck.

Evan took the edges of his own t-shirt, removing it and throwing it somewhere. It didn't take much time, and he started caressing Barty's back again while the boy kissed him, biting his lower lip hard, and making his short nails sink into broad shoulders. They broke the kiss again, and Evan sighed, resting his head on the wall and leaving his neck at Barty’s disposal. Barty took pleasure in sucking and biting the sensitive skin on his throat, making sure to leave marks that would last for days, maybe even weeks. 

Evan could feel his body trembling and his breathing heaving. His mind repeated the images of his dream, and an involuntary moan escaped his lips.

"Barty... Please," he whispered his name, bringing his hands up to grab him by the hair, pulling him away from his neck and making him look Evan in the eye.

"Stop playing games," Evan said with a frown. Barty smiled at him and attacked his lips again, softening the kiss halfway through. He took Evan down from his arms, and with his feet on the ground, turned Evan around without warning, squeezing him back against the wall.

"As you like," he whispered back, caressing Evan’s waist and pressing his body against his. His lips lingered on Evan’s neck, but his hands glided over his boyfriend’s body, wrapping around his waist and paying special attention to his belly. Evan squirmed against the touch, feeling the warmth of Barty’s chest against his bare back. The chill of the tiles sent a shiver down Evan’s belly.

He felt Barty's smile on his skin, accompanied by small kisses along his shoulder. Evan swallowed hard and tried not to let out pathetic sounds from his mouth, which was impossible when Barty's hand travelled past his belly and into his pants. Barty's cold fingers caressed Evan’s most sensitive area, a sigh of relief escaping his lips, and his head instinctively threw back. He closed his eyes and gasped at the little rubs above his boxers. A bite made his skin crawl, and Evan bit his lower lip, smiling.

"Did you imagine it like this, baby?" Barty whispered in his ear.

Pandora would never admit how quickly she walked towards the library once she caught a glimpse of red hair disappearing through the door. 

She strolled her way in, her heels clicking against the wooden floor. The familiar scent of citrus and flowers filled the air as she spotted Lily at her usual table near a window, three books already claiming space. 

Pandora couldn't help but roll her eyes at the sight, making her way towards the table. Lily might have heard the approaching steps because she looked up, a mix of surprise and irritation flickering in her eyes.

"Pandora?"

Pandora leaned against the table, a sly grin playing on her lips.

"So, I heard something funny the other day,” Pandora started, dragging the chair in front of the redhead and sitting down carelessly. “I heard that you fell in love, or near enough, with none other than James Potter.”

Lily sighed, closing her book with a touch of annoyance. "Can't this wait, Dora? I'm trying to enjoy some quiet time."

Pandora raised an eyebrow, her smirk growing. "Already tired of his nosiness? I’m sure he’s as stimulating as that thick literature you pretend to devour."

Lily's cheeks tinged with embarrassment, a sarcastic tone leading her words when she whispered back, "What's it to you, Pandora? Jealous? It’s been months, and you don’t get a say in my life."

Pandora chuckled, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Well, excuse me for caring, but how can you be so blind?” Pandora stretched out an arm, caressing Lily’s hand with her nails. “I just thought you might want a reminder that you're worth more than whatever James is offering."

Lily snapped her hand back and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms defensively. "This isn't your business, Pandora. You're not my keeper."

Pandora smirked, her eyes glittering mischievously. "Keeper? Far from it, love. But I do have a knack for sniffing out bad choices. And James? Well, he was just another one on your list."

Lily's irritation seemed to morph into something else, a hint of arousal simmering in her gaze. Pandora knew she was having fun with the situation, their usual bickering always led them somewhere else. 

Pandora licked her lips and continued, her voice dripping with playful mockery. "I mean, who am I to judge? If you enjoyed settling for mediocrity, be my guest. But I thought you had better taste."

Lily chuckled and said nothing while biting her lower lip. Her gaze intensified, a mix of defiance and something more beneath the surface. "You don’t know anything about my taste, Pandora."

Pandora leaned in, her voice low and suggestive. "Oh, I used to know everything about your taste, sweetheart. Maybe you forgot what you were missing."

The library, once a sanctuary of quiet contemplation, now hummed with electrifying tension. So when Pandora knew she won the battle, she stood up and turned to leave.

But once again, she leaned upon her and whispered in her ear, “It’s okay, baby, I’ll be here, waiting ever so patiently when you snap out of it.” 

And then, she was gone.