Moral Support

James Sirius Potter always was intrigued by Willow Wood. Whether it was a simple swish of her hair gone over her shoulder, or a slight smile she'd flash towards him during a Quidditch match, she would have his attention for the rest of the day.

He didn't like her in any way possible, though. They both didn't like each other. In fact, James was closer to hating her than actually liking her! But still, she intrigued him. They were both Chasers on the Gryffindor team, and whenever she'd turn around to give him that smile during the game, he'd feel his entire face heat up.

It was a reassuring smile, she explained later after James asked her why she is always bloody smiling at him.

"You know," Willow closed her locker door. "Moral support. Sometimes you need it."

"Oh," He had responded, very thickly and confused. "I guess." But it was too late, and she had left in a hurry off to somewhere. She always had a place to go. She was always trailing off to the next place, next person, never had enough time to stop and have a talk with anyone. James found himself thinking about her smile that night. It was reassuring for him to see in the middle of game, completely covered in sweat with his already messy hair played around from the rush of the wind, and she'd turn around just for a split second to smile at him.

It was a lovely smile, he realized. It wasn't one of those slow smiles that mesmerize you with every second, it was fast, spreading with flames, and infectious. And James loved how the smile was just for him, making him feel like he and Willow belonged to an exclusive club with just the two of them in it.

And he didn't even like her. But somehow, her smile could just change his entire mood for the day. A quick one during a game, even now, during practices.

It wasn't just her smile, it was her entire face and how it changed when she smiled. Her eyes would sheen with competitiveness and tease him with a blink of the lash. Her cheeks would lift up and touch her bottom eyelashes. Her freckle dotted nose would sometimes crinkle up, but not all the times, but he'd long for it to happen every time. And last of all, she would either run a free hand through the ends of her hair or simply flip it back with her shoulder. He liked when she would do that.

"James, snap out of it!" Roxanne Weasley, his very nosy and gossip fiend cousin, elbowed him hard in their current class, Potions. "You're staring." James had been staring at the side profile of Willow - she wasn't even smiling this time. Instead, she was dozing off, her chin rested in her hand as her eyelashes tilted up and down whenever Slughorn would single her out. He decided that he liked her, even without her smiling. Not that he liked her, but he liked her face, if that was a better way to put it.

"Not at anyone in particular!" James blurted defensively. A smile took over Roxanne's face as she turned to see who he was looking at.

"Oh, this is good!" She cackled softly. "Willow Wood? Do you fancy her, James?" He shook his head quickly.

"Never!" James spat. "Of course not. I was just thinking. Is that a crime?"

"About what you'd want to do with her if you would take her on a ride with your broomstick?" Roxanne teased. James' mouth fell open.

"Roxy! That's quite naughty of you!" He pretended to be surprised, but really, there was nothing that his cousins could say to surprise him anymore.

"You're in quite early today, Potter," Dave Kang, the Quidditch Captain, said with some surprise, his eyebrows raised. James would have liked to point out that he was always early, Kang wasn't ever early, but Kang was the one choosing who would be captain next year. It was a dead tie in between him and Willow, one of the main reasons James resented the girl. Of course, he couldn't say resent after he did admit to himself that he quite enjoyed her smiles.

"Uh huh," James nodded, lacing up his shoes. "Should I set up the pitch?"

"Beat you to that," Willow Wood said, flashing him a very triumphant smile - he did not enjoy this one as much. On her way to her locker, he noticed Willow also give him a smile, but it was different than the one she gave him, and James felt much pride in this. It wasn't like he had gotten possessive over her smile or anything, he just liked that her special, reassuring smile was reserved for him. And that it was.

In their next game, the sky was not even classified as a sky. It wasn't even blue, it bordered on black. The clouds were tainted with that color - and James felt small drops of rain hit his skin once he stepped outside with his broom.

"Bollocks!" James cursed, remembering the last time he played in such conditions. It ended up with the entire team coated in mud and having taken a hard loss, Willow having had a large bludger to the head.

"It'll be fine," Roxanne bounced nervously on one foot as they all edged their heads out to see if the slight drizzle had stopped. It only got worse, now the drops coming down harder and faster.

"Oh - " Willow bit her lip. James waited for a smile from her, but it didn't come. He had gotten so used to it...

It was a particulary rough day, and James knew he was off his game. He missed Willow's smile. Maybe, he thought distractedly once Flint had stolen the Quaffle from him again, her smile is my good luck charm.

"Fuck!" James heard Willow say as she let the ball slide from her hands. James gave her a slight eyebrow raise. Willow looked back at him curiously before her face slid back into her firework inducing smile. Suddenly, James played as though it was a sunny day with clear skies.

It was a thing now, James decided, Willow's smile and him. He liked it. Not her though, James could never fancy Willow Wood. She was very pretty, though, with her long blonde hair and soft brown eyes. A lot of boys thought that way. Half the castle seemed to have at least snogged her once, which didn't smooth over well with the other half of the castle. James didn't talk to her much out of Quidditch, and she never made an effort either.

One day, he passed by her in the hallways, a very crowded hallway, and she offered him the same smile that she always did. And it felt, despite them being in a room full of people, that they were the only two there, sharing a secret that made both of them laugh with identical grins dripping off their lips.

That was Willow, James thought. She did make him feel very unique. She made him feel special, that was it. He liked that. He liked that feeling, of course, not her.

Willow Wood wasn't very happy, James realized another day when she stormed out of Potions with a very abashed and stricken face. He had been sorted in her four person group with two other Ravenclaw girls when they both called her stupid. James had never thought about Willow's intelligence. He had always considered them equal in everything, forgetting about her less than average marks.

"Willow," James called after her retreating form. "Willow, are you okay?" And he did find her eventually, crumbled up in a sad pile, knees to her chest as she muttered a sad statement of submission.

"I guess they were right," She had said. "I shouldn't be so upset about something that's true." And James didn't know what to do, other than to offer her a moral supportive smile. He tried to mimic hers, the way her eyes would lit up and her lips curl up - until she burst out laughing.

"James, what are you doing?" She giggled uncontrollably.

"Offering moral support," He responded back, a goofy grin planted on his lips. And it was then when James Sirius Potter realized that he liked Willow Wood, even without her smile and the feeling of being special - he liked her very much, when she was just alone and when he was with her.

a/n: this was a one shot side piece along to the main story(dear one)! if you liked this, please read that and follow it! there, you'll get a lot more backstory on james and willow and how they are currently doing! thanks for reading and always please review! doesn't matter how short or long, i love getting reviews :)