not even the fart ((open))

Strumming his guitar, James glanced around the corridor before throwing a stink bomb in the direction of the prefects carriage. When he found out his cousin Louis was named Head Boy for the term, he knew he needed to give his cousin a good, well-earned welcome. He knew it was going to piss off certain prefects and likely land him his first detention of the year. Was it going to be worth it though? Absolutely. A part of him was wondering if Louis might be able to knock that potential detention into a simple warning. Who said he couldn't exploit his cousin's wider powers as Head Boy?

He stood still as he waited to hear or see any sign of a reaction from where the prefects were congregating.

Alayna was walking down the hall of the Hogwarts express smiling to herself. She had had a tearful goodbye with her mother as usual and her father was stiff and cold. Typical Theodore and Daphne. The shine reflected off her head girl badge as she walked down the aisle, looking into the carriages as she made her way to her designated carriage. It felt odd to not be sitting with Carina this year.

She stopped when she heard music and realized she had stumbled upon James Potters carriage when she saw a stink bomb being chucked towards the prefects carriages, "Losing points already are we, Potter?"

@James Potter

James began chuckling to himself when he saw that it was taking them a while to notice the rancid stink heading their way. Ha! Yet another successful dung bomb drop by him! It was too easy sometimes. It was sort of disappointing?

He really wasn't in the biggest pranking mood, but he had a quota to fill. It's what everyone expected from a bloke named James Sirius. He covered up the apprehension with a smirk, turning to the voice of Alayna Nott. Dammit! Why couldn't have been Chang? At least he was fun to rile up!

"You weren't..." James glanced at the carriage and back at her. "You weren't in the carriage?"

@Alayna Nott

Alayna raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, "Do I appear to be in the carriage, Potter?" She huffed and rolled her eyes, "Be happy I'm in a good mood and not going to take points from Gryffindor for this. Next time I won't be so lenient. Keep your stink bombs to yourself." She felt the stench start to hit her nose and gagged a bit, "Oh merlin. Why?"

@James Potter

James wasn't fazed by the smell of dung bombs; growing up amongst lots of Weasleys made the use of them a very common occurrence. His advantage in using them was that he built up a strong tolerance. The frequent exposure made going through his bulk stash from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes quite the breeze.

He actually caught Alayna in a good mood! Some of his apprehension went away. The universe decided to give him some luck today. He wasn't going to waste it. Smiling, James clasped his hands together and swayed slightly in place.

"I was givin' Lou Lou a warm welcome! You know he's one of my favorite cousins!"

@Alayna Nott

Alayna scrunched up her face in disgust as the stench lingered around them, "That's really horrible. Why would you do such a thing to your cousin?" She didn't really understand the point of pranking loved ones. Then again, she didn't really grow up in the family where that sort of thing was allowed. Maybe it was normal for families that were as dark and cold as her father was.

@James Potter

"Because it's fun," James replied nonchalantly. "You don't know how hard it is to get a reaction out of him. He doesn't ever not smile. Maybe he can frown very slightly, but that's it!" So, the results of his quota pranks often weren't satisfying.

He rolled his eyes and sighed in frustration thinking about it.

@Alayna Nott

Alayna shrugged and decided to just let it go. She simply wouldn't understand. "I guess If you say so. But I don't know if Louis is in there yet or not." She didn't really see how she was expected to work with Louis Weasley. It wasn't a surprise their families did NOT get along well, "If he's always smiling maybe working with him will actually be quite easy."

@James Potter

James shrugged. "If he isn't, I still got a reaction out of somebody! That's all that matters at the end of the day."

He was James Sirius Potter. James Sirius Potter wasn't allowed to blend in with the crowd and be his normal unconventional self. Nope. James Sirius Potter had to make his presence known to anyone who'd want to breathe his air.

He began to lean against one of the compartment doors, crossing his feet as he repositioned his guitar. "So, you're Head Girl, huh?" James glided his fingers over some of the guitar strings as if he was about to serenade her. Suspicion had to be ward off.

@Alayna Nott

Alayna nodded when he asked if she was head girl and watched as he positioned himself in a way that would seem flirtatious to anyone watching them. But something was off about it. She couldn't quite tell what though. He seemed a little.... Ya know... Forced. Alayna let her eyes wander his frame, "Ya know how to actually play that thing or is it a prop?" She knew James was talented with the instrument. She just wanted to give him a little hell.

@James Potter

He still tried to look as if he wanted to devour her (he didn't), but that quickly fell from his face when she questioned his guitar-playing ability.

"I've been self-teaching myself since third year!"

That came off grouchier than he intended, but James always hated it when his talent was doubted in some form. It felt like people wanted him to fail just so he could be the Potter heir everyone expected.

"Of course I know how to play this bloody thing!"

@Alayna Nott

Alaynas face turned a bit Saturn when he snapped on her, "Chill out. I was just yanking ya leg. We all know you practically live in the music room." She rolled her eyes, "And quit looking at me like that. It's weird." She moved her hair from her face and crossed her arms once more, "I always wanted to learn. But Theodore said it was a classless noisy contraption and refused me lessons."

@James Potter

Shutting his eyes for a moment, he merely mumbled to himself as if he hadn't gotten defensive over a little comment. Why did all sorts of statements drive him up the wall so easily. James Sirius Potter wasn't supposed to have every word spoken about him dig into his skin like a parasite. No! He was supposed to be unbothered!

"Yeah, I know about your father being a right prick. Bloody bastard..."

@Alayna Nott

Alayna scowled a bit, he had no idea just how awful Theodore nott truly was. The marks of his abuse on his wife and children were always kept in the shadows thanks to cover up charms. Her mother had perfected the spell over time. 'Merlin forbid someone see and assume the worst', her mother always said. Yeah, would be terrible for Theodore to be seen as the monster he was. She scoffed audibly without intention and shook her head, "Yeah. A total prick."

@James Potter

He stood in silence soaking in the answer before the quietness became too much. He couldn't stay inside his brain when he was James Sirius Potter!

"I know our families hate each other, but I gotta ask this since I don't really talk to your crowd," James began, wondering if it'd break the awkward tension, "How strictly does your family abide to 'traditions'? Are you more similar to the Burkes or is it only in appearance?"

His famous family's proximity to many important people in the wizarding world and paying just enough attention to know what was circulating through the grapevine had him wondering.

"My family... My mum's family, they never associated much with your... Y'know... Do the expectations... ever get to you?"

It didn't feel like the right time to be pulling jokes; James wasn't going to waste whatever luck he had left for the day just like that.

@Alayna Nott

Alaynas face darkened as he asked his questions until she was wearing a scowl that resembles her father's. "How strict is my family? That's what you wish to know?" She snapped at him before taking a deep breath, "My family is very strict yes. I'd say the Burke's have it easy compared to what me and Atticus have to go through.... So yes. The expectations are quite high in the Nott household."

@James Potter

"..."

He lifted up his arms as if he was going to tell Alayna to chill, but then he decided that might be unwise. James glanced elsewhere and bit his lip nervously. Did he already exhaust his daily luck allotment?

"I didn't know it was that bad..."

@Alayna Nott

"Well it is. You don't know the half of it so just butt out and mind your own business." She practically hissed at him. She took another deep breath as she heard her brother's voice in her head, telling her to calm down. It wasn't poor potters fault Theodore treated them the way he does, "I'm sorry. It's a.... Touchy subject."

@James Potter

He nodded, opting to not give a spoken apology.

"I know it's rougher being 'traditional' and whatnot, y'know? But I dunno why I complain so bloody much when so many people have it worse..."

This would be when he'd pull out a cigarette, but James was smart enough to not push his luck that much. Instead, he plucked at a string repeatedly.

@Alayna Nott

Alayna scoffed at the word "Traditional. I could handle traditional. The Burke's are traditional; the rowles are traditional. My father is an abusive piece of beetle dung that deserves to be rotting in a cell or even better, a grave." Alayna spat out without realizing and for a moment forgetting who she was speaking to. "You don't tell a soul." She said, glaring the Gryffindor down, "I mean it. I'll make your life a living hell."

@James Potter

Fuck. Merlin. Shit. Fuck.

He did not expect it to be that bad. Nope. Not at all. James had always assumed that the Notts were just as strict as the Burkes were in reinforcing traditional norms. And it was actually much worse than that. Oh, Merlin...

James pursed his lips and said softly, "I won't tell anyone..."

@Alayna Nott

Alayna stared at him for a moment before deciding to trust him on his word, "Appreciate it." She rubbed her arm a bit where a concealment charm was covering a nasty bruise, trying to hide her growing anxiety. She was Alayna Nott. She was the most popular girl in school, she was head girl, top 3 in her class and she did not get anxious.... Or at least not in public, "Are you going to be doing quidditch this year?"

@James Potter

He was grateful when Alayna changed the topic. It was getting too awkward and knowing the extent of her real family life wasn't nice to think about.

He tilted his head and pondered for a bit. Then, he shrugged. "I, er, don't know. I haven't played since halfway through third year. I'm probably too out of shape for it," James said as if the only real difference between then and now wasn't his height. "Yeah, I still fly, but I just sit around a lot with my guitar."

@Alayna Nott

Alayna had noticed James wasn't on the team the last few years. Then again, she didn't usually focus on the players during the games that much. She was usually watching Carina cheer down at the side lines. She loved to cheer on her best friend. "I never really was a fan of flying. I don't do well with heights." It was true. Alayna had an irrational fear of heights that borderlined a phobia.

@James Potter

"Flying's fun, it comes, er, naturally to me I guess, but quidditch ain't my life's passion." He fell in love with music. It was something he could easily do with minimal media attention. James just needed to figure out how to not make his name a focus. That would detract from the art.

James began to play a few chords to show a small snippet of a song he was working on.

"Heights aren't for anyone. I was afraid that I, er, was gonna get some kind of gash my last match. I was struggling to stay focused. It ain't good when you got a snitch to catch, y'know?"

@Alayna Nott