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lightofdayeTitle: Bouncing Back
Word Count: 4 x 100
Rating: PG-13
Characters & Pairing: James Sirius Potter/Zoe Chen (OFC), Fred Weasley II
Content: angst and fluff, friends to dating, oblivious James.
Disclaimer: The characters, settings and HP Franchise as a whole are owned by JKR and not by me. I make no profit from writing this piece of fanfiction.
Summary: Zoe wants to get James out and about again, it takes Freddie to point out the subtext.
A/n: Unbeta'd. Written for![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
hp_nextgen100's Prompt #348: "Pub". Sequel to Loud and Clear but stands on it own, if it stands at all, it didn't turn out quite how I wanted. Ah well.
- - -
“Hogsmeade weekend, James!” said Zoe Chen. “Don’t say you’re not coming again?”
“I’m not,” said James Sirius Potter. “You know why.”
He was brooding over a redhead who’d dumped him.
“I’m talking about a drink at a pub,” Zoe said. “The Three Broomsticks, not the Madam Puddifoot’s, come on!”
Zoe was a girl in James’ house and year, they’d always been friendly but had become much closer when they’d been the only two Gryffindors taking advanced potions.
Now she was a friend trying to rescue him from a funk and ended up fighting his way across the pub for drinks.
-
After a while, James got to the bar and waited, and waited some more.
“Good to see you back on the horse,” said a voice next to him.
James glanced over to see Freddie Weasley’s perpetually amused face looking even more jovial than usual.
“Well, I’m out I guess,” he said. “Not exactly on a horse.”
“That’s not what it looks from here.”
“Zoe’s just a friend.”
“A friend who’s dressed up for a date, looks like.”
“What’ll be, duck?” said the barmaid reaching James at last before he could answer.
James frowned and thought and then ordered some drinks.
-
James stumbled back to his table carrying a pair of drinks.
He stared at Zoe with new eyes. Her fine black hair, shone and hung free down past her shoulders, her dark eyes were highlight with a subtle copper colour and the shape of her chest suggested an uplifting bra.
James had never noticed that Zoe had a chest before.
“Is this is a date?”
“It’s a not a date!” Zoe said, colour rising in her cheeks. Then a moment later. “It’s not not a date, either.”
“Well, that clears things up,” James said, giving a glass of wine. “cheers”
-
They clinked glasses and James took a sip of wine. It went straight to his head, he felt light-headed, or maybe it was the idea of being on a date again.
“So…” he said.
“I’ve not been secretly pining away for you for years or anything,” Zoe said rapidly.
“The thought didn’t cross my mind,” James said.
“But I do like you and you needed to get out so I just thought...”
“Yeah,” James said, looking at her lips, “and I’m grateful. You’re a good friend.”
“And more?”
James leant in to prove Zoe was much more than a friend.
Word Count: 4 x 100
Rating: PG-13
Characters & Pairing: James Sirius Potter/Zoe Chen (OFC), Fred Weasley II
Content: angst and fluff, friends to dating, oblivious James.
Disclaimer: The characters, settings and HP Franchise as a whole are owned by JKR and not by me. I make no profit from writing this piece of fanfiction.
Summary: Zoe wants to get James out and about again, it takes Freddie to point out the subtext.
A/n: Unbeta'd. Written for
hp_nextgen100's Prompt #348: "Pub". Sequel to Loud and Clear but stands on it own, if it stands at all, it didn't turn out quite how I wanted. Ah well. - - -
“Hogsmeade weekend, James!” said Zoe Chen. “Don’t say you’re not coming again?”
“I’m not,” said James Sirius Potter. “You know why.”
He was brooding over a redhead who’d dumped him.
“I’m talking about a drink at a pub,” Zoe said. “The Three Broomsticks, not the Madam Puddifoot’s, come on!”
Zoe was a girl in James’ house and year, they’d always been friendly but had become much closer when they’d been the only two Gryffindors taking advanced potions.
Now she was a friend trying to rescue him from a funk and ended up fighting his way across the pub for drinks.
-
After a while, James got to the bar and waited, and waited some more.
“Good to see you back on the horse,” said a voice next to him.
James glanced over to see Freddie Weasley’s perpetually amused face looking even more jovial than usual.
“Well, I’m out I guess,” he said. “Not exactly on a horse.”
“That’s not what it looks from here.”
“Zoe’s just a friend.”
“A friend who’s dressed up for a date, looks like.”
“What’ll be, duck?” said the barmaid reaching James at last before he could answer.
James frowned and thought and then ordered some drinks.
-
James stumbled back to his table carrying a pair of drinks.
He stared at Zoe with new eyes. Her fine black hair, shone and hung free down past her shoulders, her dark eyes were highlight with a subtle copper colour and the shape of her chest suggested an uplifting bra.
James had never noticed that Zoe had a chest before.
“Is this is a date?”
“It’s a not a date!” Zoe said, colour rising in her cheeks. Then a moment later. “It’s not not a date, either.”
“Well, that clears things up,” James said, giving a glass of wine. “cheers”
-
They clinked glasses and James took a sip of wine. It went straight to his head, he felt light-headed, or maybe it was the idea of being on a date again.
“So…” he said.
“I’ve not been secretly pining away for you for years or anything,” Zoe said rapidly.
“The thought didn’t cross my mind,” James said.
“But I do like you and you needed to get out so I just thought...”
“Yeah,” James said, looking at her lips, “and I’m grateful. You’re a good friend.”
“And more?”
James leant in to prove Zoe was much more than a friend.
no subject
Date: 2026-03-25 12:29 am (UTC)