Chapter 643 - Supervision Ⅶ (2/2)
”Forgive my words, Prince, I hope you do not find them offensive,” James sincerely said. ”However, such a conversation seems to be far more personal than that one of a mere and simple friendship.”
Rowan Prince makes a scoffing expression and says, ”Then I suppose in that case you are most obviously bent, Potter, considering how close you are to Sirius and the rest of the marauders?”
James flushes in anger at the crude remark before he comprehends exactly what it was that was being referred to. ”And it was not my intention to insult you, Potter,” Rowan stiffly interjects. ”It is merely that we were close once.”
”I've been reading my diaries,” James slowly said as he carefully observed Rowan Prince from beneath his eyelashes. ”There are some interesting accounts that I almost find impossible to believe. A dragon's egg, in our first year. Was that truly, true?”
A flicker of a smile appears on Rowan Prince's face illuminating her face, before vanishing. ”Hagrid won the dragon egg in a poker match with a stranger,” she replied with a distant gaze. ”Fools, the whole lot of you, but I did not wish to see any of you in trouble nor that of Hagrid. So, I slipped the message to Professor Kettleburn, and he right took care of the dragon egg once it hatched.”
”Mm, that does sound like something I would have done,” James admitted with a ghost of a smile on his face. He had been wild, a daredevil in his teens-. But at his next thought, his smile fades away. He had also been cruel and most importantly arrogant. In the end, his arrogance had gotten him killed without even the knowledge of HIS LILY or even his son, Harry had lived and escaped. It would be something that he would bitterly regret to end of his dying day.
The rest of the carriage ride passes in silence until they pass the gates of Hogwarts. Rowan finally says, ”For what is worth, Potter, there is no shame in being turned down. But the Potter that I knew would have not given up so easily as much as it pains me to admit.”
James slowly raises his gaze to stare at Rowan Prince sitting across from him as he recalls a handwritten paragraph in the journal from the other James.
”April 23rd, 1972,
Once Norbert hatched safety, Professor Kettleburn made sure to safely take away the hatchling in the night. We didn't really get to say goodbye, but I finally went and confirmed my suspicions. And by golly, I was right! Rowan did tell Professor Kettleburn, but she didn't want us to get hurt. Well, she said that in her Slytherin sort of way, really.
Rowan's odd like that. She acts all cold, but when the going's get rough, she always shows up. I'm glad, she's one of my mates. And I'd not trade her in for all the Quidditch broomsticks in the world!”
It had been an innocent child's note, but one that had touched James's heart. And he could not help but feel himself beginning to soften towards the Slytherin sitting in front of him. It was a strange feeling, and he wanted to fight it, but at the same time, he did not. He could use a friend, one that did not remind him of the past, and frankly, he did not know what to make of that.