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tamingthemuseTitle: Away From James
Fandom: Harry Potter
Prompts: #544 – Grotesque
Warnings: None
Pairings/Characters: James Sirius, Albus Severus
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 837
Summary: Albus knows it's wrong, but he can't help himself.
Albus stared at the girl before him. "You're here to see James?" he asked.
The girl, Crystal, nodded. She twirled perfect curly chestnut hair around an index finger. "Yes. I'm hoping to ask him on a date."
Albus frowned. "Really? Wow, that's a bad idea."
Crystal stopped playing with her hair and stared incredulously at Albus. "First of all, what business is it of yours? Second of all, why is it a bad idea?"
"James's current girlfriend, Ashley, has a jealous streak. The last girl that hit on James ended up with green hair for two weeks."
Crystal's eyes widened and she patted her hair, looking at it as if to assure herself it was still a shiny brown color. "I think I'm going to go."
Albus nodded. "You should do that." With that, he closed the door with a smile of satisfaction on his face. He walked through the house and found James laying on his bed, reading a Quidditch magazine. "Hey, James. Want to play some chess?"
James put the magazine down. "Well, I'm waiting for Crystal to show up. I heard that she was planning to ask me out on a date. Finally. But, I guess we can play while I wait."
Albus pushed down the guilt he felt and nodded happily. He was doing the right thing. Crystal wasn't good enough for James.
Albus went up to Sasha Zabini. "Hey, Sasha."
"Albus, right? James's little brother."
Albus nodded.
"What can I do for you?"
Albus swallowed. He felt a bit bad about what he was about to do because he knew how much James liked her, but it had to be done. "Well, I know you have a date with James tonight, and he hates to do this, but he has to cancel."
She frowned. "Cancel. Why?"
"He's in bed, sick. That's why I'm telling you. He can't even get out of bed to do it himself."
Sasha looked worried. "Will he be okay?"
Albus nodded. "He should be. He just needs to stay in bed and rest. I'm taking care of him, but can you stay away? He shouldn't be bothered or excited in any way."
Sasha tilted her head. "Of course I'll stay away. All I want is for him to get better."
She seemed so genuinely nice that the guilt monster threatened to come up and swallow him whole, but he kept a smile on his face as he turned and walked away.
And that night, he happened to come across James standing in front of the Great Hall, waiting for his date. "James, what's going on?"
James looked so heartbroken. "Sasha is 45 minutes late for our date. I'm getting the feeling she's not coming."
Albus bit his bottom lip. "Well, I kind of saw her hanging out with some Ravenclaw guy. Don't know his name."
James's eyes widened. "I guess she found someone she liked better. Why am I not surprised? She definitely isn't the first girl to blow me off."
"You want to hang out? Maybe play Exploding Snap or Gobstones?"
James shook his head. "Nah, I think I'll just go to bed. Al, you should get back to the Slytherin Common room."
"Right," Albus muttered. He watched as his older brother walked away with slumped shoulders, and the guilt monster reared its ugly head once again.
That night, as Albus laid in bed, he thought about everything he did to wreck James's blossoming relationships. When James mentioned all of the girls that blew him off, Albus knew it was his fault. He drove those girls away, either with lies or by being as bratty as possible.
Once again, James had his heart broken, and it was Albus's fault
That was it! He was done being the reason James was hurt. Tomorrow, he would confess everything.
The next day, Albus haltingly told James everything he did. He told James about Crystal and Sasha, and all of the other girls he drove away without James's knowledge. His face probably looked grotesque with the tears and snot.
James asked one question. "Why?"
Albus pushed back the tears. "Well, one day, you'll fall in love and get married. And you won't ever have any time for me. You'll love the girl more than you love me, and—"
He was cut off when James pulled him into a hard hug. "Al, listen to what I'm about to say." He pulled back and held Albus at arms' length. He stared into green eyes that were just like their dad's. "One day, I will fall in love and get married. But guess what? So will you. And no matter how many other people we have in our lives, I will always love you because you'll always be my little brother. And no girl can ever take your place in my heart. Do you understand?"
Albus nodded. "I'm sorry."
"I forgive you."
And James did. It was what brothers did. They forgave each other when mistakes were made out of jealousy and fear.
Fandom: Harry Potter
Prompts: #544 – Grotesque
Warnings: None
Pairings/Characters: James Sirius, Albus Severus
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 837
Summary: Albus knows it's wrong, but he can't help himself.
Albus stared at the girl before him. "You're here to see James?" he asked.
The girl, Crystal, nodded. She twirled perfect curly chestnut hair around an index finger. "Yes. I'm hoping to ask him on a date."
Albus frowned. "Really? Wow, that's a bad idea."
Crystal stopped playing with her hair and stared incredulously at Albus. "First of all, what business is it of yours? Second of all, why is it a bad idea?"
"James's current girlfriend, Ashley, has a jealous streak. The last girl that hit on James ended up with green hair for two weeks."
Crystal's eyes widened and she patted her hair, looking at it as if to assure herself it was still a shiny brown color. "I think I'm going to go."
Albus nodded. "You should do that." With that, he closed the door with a smile of satisfaction on his face. He walked through the house and found James laying on his bed, reading a Quidditch magazine. "Hey, James. Want to play some chess?"
James put the magazine down. "Well, I'm waiting for Crystal to show up. I heard that she was planning to ask me out on a date. Finally. But, I guess we can play while I wait."
Albus pushed down the guilt he felt and nodded happily. He was doing the right thing. Crystal wasn't good enough for James.
"Albus, right? James's little brother."
Albus nodded.
"What can I do for you?"
Albus swallowed. He felt a bit bad about what he was about to do because he knew how much James liked her, but it had to be done. "Well, I know you have a date with James tonight, and he hates to do this, but he has to cancel."
She frowned. "Cancel. Why?"
"He's in bed, sick. That's why I'm telling you. He can't even get out of bed to do it himself."
Sasha looked worried. "Will he be okay?"
Albus nodded. "He should be. He just needs to stay in bed and rest. I'm taking care of him, but can you stay away? He shouldn't be bothered or excited in any way."
Sasha tilted her head. "Of course I'll stay away. All I want is for him to get better."
She seemed so genuinely nice that the guilt monster threatened to come up and swallow him whole, but he kept a smile on his face as he turned and walked away.
And that night, he happened to come across James standing in front of the Great Hall, waiting for his date. "James, what's going on?"
James looked so heartbroken. "Sasha is 45 minutes late for our date. I'm getting the feeling she's not coming."
Albus bit his bottom lip. "Well, I kind of saw her hanging out with some Ravenclaw guy. Don't know his name."
James's eyes widened. "I guess she found someone she liked better. Why am I not surprised? She definitely isn't the first girl to blow me off."
"You want to hang out? Maybe play Exploding Snap or Gobstones?"
James shook his head. "Nah, I think I'll just go to bed. Al, you should get back to the Slytherin Common room."
"Right," Albus muttered. He watched as his older brother walked away with slumped shoulders, and the guilt monster reared its ugly head once again.
That night, as Albus laid in bed, he thought about everything he did to wreck James's blossoming relationships. When James mentioned all of the girls that blew him off, Albus knew it was his fault. He drove those girls away, either with lies or by being as bratty as possible.
Once again, James had his heart broken, and it was Albus's fault
That was it! He was done being the reason James was hurt. Tomorrow, he would confess everything.
The next day, Albus haltingly told James everything he did. He told James about Crystal and Sasha, and all of the other girls he drove away without James's knowledge. His face probably looked grotesque with the tears and snot.
James asked one question. "Why?"
Albus pushed back the tears. "Well, one day, you'll fall in love and get married. And you won't ever have any time for me. You'll love the girl more than you love me, and—"
He was cut off when James pulled him into a hard hug. "Al, listen to what I'm about to say." He pulled back and held Albus at arms' length. He stared into green eyes that were just like their dad's. "One day, I will fall in love and get married. But guess what? So will you. And no matter how many other people we have in our lives, I will always love you because you'll always be my little brother. And no girl can ever take your place in my heart. Do you understand?"
Albus nodded. "I'm sorry."
"I forgive you."
And James did. It was what brothers did. They forgave each other when mistakes were made out of jealousy and fear.
