CHAPTER ONE

James was the kind of guy you drooled over in almost every chick flick you've ever seen. He was tall and handsome, with warm brown eyes, and a dazzling smile; the type who gives awesome hugs. His personality, talent and intelligence were perfect. He was good at everything he tried. He wasn't the top of his class, but he got good marks without even trying. He was Keeper and captain of the Gryffindor quidditch team, though because of Hogwarts' lack of an arts program that was his only apparent talent. Most importantly though, was his personality. He was confident, with just a touch of cocky. Of course the Harry Potter would raise good kids, so though he had selfish tendencies, the boy meant well.

Wendy was your run-of-the-mill Hogwarts student. She wasn't anything remarkable. She was short, with dark brown hair and similarly colored eyes. She was an average student, and an equally average Chaser for the Hufflepuff quidditch team, which hasn't won since Teddy Lupin was captain. Like any Hufflepuff, she was nice and friendly enough. She was the type to avoid any drama, and more often than not, succeeded. She wasn't as popular as the Potters and Weasleys, but she had many friends. However, where James' downfall was his arrogance and unintended selfishness, Wendy's was her naïveté and emotional mediocrity.

PART ONE

Just like every other school, Hogwarts had a hierarchy, and James Potter was at the very top of it. The only difference with this school was that people hung out based on their House. It wasn't a rule, and it wasn't judgmental. Sorting isn't just about who you are, it's also about who you'd get along with better. That was why it took a lot to be where James had gotten himself, though to be fair, it was also because of his dad. But he believed it was because of his own efforts that he'd stayed there all through his five (going on six) years at Hogwarts.

James mostly stayed with his Gryffindor friends. It required friends in all four houses to be as popular as he was, but he still got along better with Gryffindors. That was why he hadn't known Wendy until fifth year. They met through Dominique Weasley. Wendy and James were acquainted when Dom set them up on a date at Hogsmeade. Of course, she only did that so she could go on her own date with James' friend.

PART TWO

A year after the break up, James was alone that afternoon after his last class of the school year. Wendy couldn't imagine how anyone so popular could ever be alone, but there he was, walking towards her, alone.

"Hey", she said, as he sat next to her. She was leaning against a large tree overlooking the lake. She closed the book she was reading.

"Mind if I sit here?", he replied.

"No, it's fine. What happened?"

"They pulled a prank while I was at practice yesterday, so Freddie's in detention, while everyone else who was with him are at the Hospital Wing"

"Uhuh", Wendy smiled, but she was feeling uncomfortably awkward.

"What's that you're reading?"

"It's a muggle book. You wouldn't know it", she tucked the book into her bag before he could see the cover.

"Aren't you going to ask why I'm here?"

"Because I'm everyone's 'go-to' girl when they haven't got anyone to hang around with?", asked Wendy half jokingly

"Well, I can't say that's not true", he looked away. The whole conversation was awkward as only a conversation with someone you know well but don't really talk to can be.

"Okay, talk to me, then", she smiled.

"How's life?", he shrugged, grinning.

"No, you're supposed to tell me how you're life is", she rolled her eyes at him and laughed.

"Oh, is that how it goes?", he said a bit mockingly.

"Yeah, now start"

"Alright, well...it's okay, I guess...no problems or anything", he shrugged.

"Right, so why would you be here with me?", her brow was creased, and her lips were pressed together in a thin line.

"What's with the face?"

She had been looking him in the eye with such seriousness, but looked away abruptly, readjusted her expression and looked back with the same sweet smile.

"Do you mind if I...?", she gestured to a tangled pair of earphones in her book bag, "if you're not going to tell me much, we could just listen to music"

"Okay", he smiled and slipped on one of the earphones.

They listened to muggle songs, until one Wendy felt was too appropriate came up, it was called "Someone Like You". She didn't change the song.

PART THREE

James liked it. He liked sitting there with her, listening to music, just letting things pass for a while. He didn't understand how anyone could do it, but she could. He only knew one person who could get him to slow down like that, Wendy.

He felt this particular song they were listening to now was appropriate to express his feelings. He watched her, while he listened as closely as he hoped she was listening. Her eyes were closed, and she was breathing deeply, she could've been asleep, except her fingers were twitching to the slow beat. He didn't know if it was the late afternoon light on her face, but he wanted to kiss her right then and there. He wanted to kiss her to that song, to "Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop".

PART FOUR

James had never thought of her that way before Dom set up the date. To him, she had always been just that pretty little Hufflepuff who smiles too much. He agreed to the date anyway, because he knew Dom would owe him.

"Hi, you ready?", asked James, hands in his pockets as the girl approached him.

"Yup, so where to?", she asked, picking her way through the snow, towards him.

"I was thinking of stopping by my uncle's joke shop branch here, and then we could go wherever you want"

"Okay, so Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, Scrivenshaft's, Honeyduke's, then the Three Broomsticks?"

"Pygmy puffs are too cute!", gushed Wendy.

"Yeah, my mum has one named Arnold", said James as he arranged the things he bought so he could hold them better.

"I have a cat, though", she smiled at him, "her name's Koshka"

"Koshka?"

"Have you ever read 'A Clockwork Orange'?"

"um...clockwork orange?", he asked and she laughed a bit.

"It's a muggle book, anyway, the word 'koshka' is in it, and apparently it means 'cat', so yeah"

"Smart", he said sarcastically.

"Shut up, she looked like a Koshka!", she smacked his upper arm lightly with the back of her hand, and laughed, "oh wow, here let me help you". James handed her some of his load.

"Sorry, I'm supposed to carry your stuff"

"It's fine, I've got it", she smiled again, something he was really starting to like.

They made their way to Scrivenshaft's where Wendy spent a lot of time exclaiming at how beautiful and creative a quill could be, but didn't actually buy anything. After that they went to Honeyduke's where she spent most of her money. ("I'm storing for the winter"). But James' favorite part was at the Three Broomsticks.

They were just sitting there, sipping butterbeer, laughing and talking. He felt so warm and calm. He'd never felt that way before. He'd never felt as infinite as he did with her. Her smile was contagious. He'd have held her hand on the walk all the way to the corridor outside the Hufflepuff common room if they weren't carrying so much stuff. So when they got there, he kissed her instead. It was a soft, lingering peck on the lips, over as fast as it'd begun.

PART FIVE

He was her first. James was Wendy's first love, first boyfriend, first kiss, first...anything romantic. It was over as fast as it'd begun.

PART SIX

It was the calmest, quietest whirlwind romance James had ever had, and all his romances had been whirlwind ones.

He was perfectly content with her company. They'd kiss and hold hands, but nothing more. She was the best conversationalist. They were right, he decided, when they said that Hufflepuffs make the best girlfriends, but it wasn't because she was loyal and always patient with him that he loved her so much. He loved her because of how she made him feel. Just feeling her near him made him calm.

Slowly, though, he started noticing things. It was as though she just didn't feel the same way. She was distant and frigid sometimes. He realized that she'd never hold hands or kiss in public. She didn't like PDA, and he understood that. After a while, they started spending less and less time together. They'd been together for months. They broke up a week before the End-of-Year feast. She told him she couldn't give him what he needed, that she was emotionally damaged. She didn't even blink. She didn't understand what he needed, and maybe that was why she thought she wasn't enough. All he needed was her company.

PART SEVEN

"Last Kiss"

Wendy skipped that song. James noticed.