OPEN ][ I solemnly swear

[JAMES SIRIUS POTTER]

For once in his life, James Sirius Potter was not getting into trouble. He wasn't making sarcastic remarks to anyone, he wasn't waiting for the perfect opportunity to test out that new prank he came up with and he wasn't even plotting anything. James was just sitting, back against a wall, staring at the center of the room.

It was a rare moment when James was actually serious, despite the middle name, but this was one of them. In the very middle of the room, shining from the amount of times it had been polished over the years, a meter larger than any other award in the room, bloody glowing with a nearly blinding light from some daft spell the creator put on it, was a trophy which, in very large letters, screamed that Harry James Potter was the savior of the universe and everyone in it.

And James hated it.

Firstborns always had it the hardest, he heard. They were always under their parents' shadow, made to conform to their wishes and their specific guidelines, which get more and more lenient with every child. But the first born gets the brunt of it. They have to be everything they ever wanted in a child, while at the same time a parent themselves, looking after the little siblings and stopping them from doing anything stupid. That's what everyone said, at least, and they always had a bitter tone when they said it.

But it wasn't like that for James, and that's what made everything worse. He had no expectations — his parents allowed him to be whoever he wanted to be, and were just proud he got into Hogwarts. He wasn't required to sacrifice himself for the sake of Albus and Lily — he just kept an eye on them because he loved them. He wasn't prodded or yelled at or expected to be anyone but himself.

So that gave him no reason to despise Harry and Ginny.

He loved them, of course. He loved being home with them and the family atmosphere. But whenever he went out and yet another person asked if he was Harry Potter's son — and then went off on an endless rant about how heroic and brilliant he is, and how James can only hope to be half the man he was — he felt ready to explode. He could never be as great as the Boy Who Lived because there wasn't a situation he was forced into like that. There wasn't a Voldemort. There wasn't anybody. But whatever name he made for himself, it still wouldn't compare, and James hated it.

So with narrowed eyes, he stared at the too-bright trophy and began picking Bertie Bott's from the bag next to him and chucking them, watching helplessly as they bounced away, the trophy unscathed.

[BRETT AINSLEY DuPONT]

Brett had some time between classes, and frankly, she had no intention of going to her next class-- a history of magic. Binns was frightfully boring, so was History for that matter. Recent history was rather wxciting, magical fights for the free world had happened in these halls like 20 years ago, but no one cared about when the king of scotland was introduced to magic. School lore was entertaining but Binns would never do that.

She heard footsteps behind her and a meow. Mrs. Norris. Rather than get in trouble or have the hat heard her to class, Brett ducked into the trophy room. She heard a lightly ping and looked over to see James sitting on the floor and tossing beans at a trophy commemorating his father. "You know you're a lousy shot for a chaser James." She said, noting that none of the beans had actually fallen into the trophy.

Brett sat down beside him and grabbed a handful of bertie botts every flavor beans and joined him in his throwing. James and Brett were both on the Quidditch team, as well as being 6th years. They also both had a penchant for breaking rules. Of course, Brett was joined at the hip with her best friend Nessie, but she and James were friends in a school setting, though she figured they'd make friends out of class and off the field too.

Brett wasn't one to ask why, this was fun, and who cared why they were doing it. "You look handsome when you mope." She said teasing him lightly, hoping he would crack a smile.

[JAMES SIRIUS POTTER]

James barely looked up when he heard a figure joining him, noting that the person was female but paying no mind to the specifics. A professor would have announced their presence, not joined him in throwing food at the centerpiece of the room. It was only when she began speaking that he looked over and registered the voice with a name. Brett.

They were chummy, not particularly close but not strangers either. Being on the Quidditch team — and having to dodge the bludgers that James was half-convinced were aimed at him by the beaters sometimes during practice — tended to bring people closer. They were no exception. They were also in a couple of classes together, and ran into each other in the common room more often than not. Perhaps the best part about her presence, however, was that not only would she force him out of his brooding state of mind, but she wouldn't ask questions doing so. At this thought alone, James cracked a grin.

Which only grew wider at her comments about his aim and his good looks. He chuckled. "Do you think you could do better?" James challenged, raising his eyebrows and smirking as he picked up the beans and stood up. He shook a handful out of the bag, then held them out to her, waiting for her to join him in standing. A plan was already forming in his mind. Oh, how easily he could be snapped out of intelligent thought.

"I bet you that I can get five beans into the trophy before you can," he declared, smirking at her, eyes alight with mischief. "I mean, unless you're afraid. I wouldn't blame you, of course. My devilish good looks are often distracting."

[BRETT AINSLEY DuPONT]

James snapped out of it very easily and stood up, challenging her. Brett laughed and jumped up, still very short by comparison. "As if I could turn down a bet." Brett said with a scoff. Brett loved to try to beat the odds. Everyone doubted her as a beater because she was tiny, but she packed a whallop. Brett had the element of surprise that way. Besides, this was easy. They were relatively close, and it was a tiny thing to get in a large container. How hard could it be? "And i have sexier hair than you so i think you'll be the distracted one." Brett said batting her eye lashes at him.

She wasn't always a flirt, but James made it easy and it was harmless. She grabbed her handful from his hand and got ready. "Though, we should make this interesting. If I win, you have to admit that i'm prettier than you." Brett said with a grin. James wasn't really too stuck up about his looks, but just enough that he might not want to say Brett was pretty--more so than he was anyway.

[WILLIAM LAWRENCE HEAVENSBEE]

Unlike Brett, Liam was not cutting class. He had a free period. The thing was that so did James, and normally they were in each other's company around this time. Nothing ever planned or official, but that was the nature of their friendship. They normally just found each other.

Typically it was Liam that wandered into periods of deep, tortured reflection, but James had his moments to. After not finding him in any of their normal locations, Liam went looking for James on third floor, even though the sheer proximity of the trophy room seemed like an obvious deterrent for his best friend. Somehow, though, that made it all the more likely that James was there.

And he was. But also with company. Liam listened in at the doorway before seizing the opportunity to make a grand entrance.

"But of course we all know, that I am prettier than the both of you." Liam sauntered over and glanced at the Bertie Bots Beans on the floor. "James you twat, I believe you've thrown away all the decent flavors."

[JAMES SIRIUS POTTER]

Brett was flirting with him. A light went off in James' head, and he glanced over at her, grinning. Sexier hair? He scoffed, running a hand through his, causing a few strands to stick up awkwardly. "Blinded, maybe, but that's hardly fair," he teased, picking up a strand of her fire engine red hair to prove it. "Might be even more bright than the trophy, actually."

It was then that Liam, his best mate and partner in crime strolled through the door, declaring his beauty and insistent about his wastefulness. James shrugged, picking up one of the beans that had bounced back after a particularly hard throw and landed at his feet. "What? They're still good," he insisted, grinning and popping it into his mouth.

The grin immediately faded as a rush of flavor slid down his throat, and he winced as he swallowed, eyes watering. "Hot sauce," he said, though with the burns on his tongue, it sounded more like "hah saw," which was ridiculous because there was nothing remotely funny about saws. He looked up toward the ceiling to make sure no tears fell, his eyes unreasonably watery, having not been accustomed to spicy foods. Tears were unmanly, and James was a man.

It took a minute or two, but the swelling died down and James wiped his eyes and pulled his most manly stance: legs spread, hands on his hips, face tilted just slightly up, looking like a muggle superhero lacking a cape, as though that helped his case. He unclenched his fist, revealing the beans once more.

"Just in time Liam," James announced, swiftly changing the subject and pulling his best I-am-a-man face (which involved lots of eyebrow twitching). "Ms. DuPont was just about to declare her undying love for me upon losing miserably in our bet, and it's always nice to have a witness. Have to get five of these in the trophy first."

With that, he spilled half of the jellybeans into her hand and leaned back, waiting to hear their reactions.

[BRETT AINSLEY DuPONT]

Brett rolled her eyes at his comment. Of course, she liked her hair. She knew a spell to keep it this color. Her natural mousey brown didn't suit her at all. Brett was loud and commanding and she needed hair to match. Plus, she had a large amount of house pride. "I will take that as a compliment." She said hotly, but still smiling. Then Liam made his entrance. Brett knew him too, but only from afar. He wasn't on the Quidditch team with them, but he hung around James a lot and got Brett and Nessie out of trouble once, so he was okay in her book.

"Nope, I'm prettier than you too." Brett said with a smile at Liam. Granted, they were both adorable and she figured it was a level playing field of hotness. Hopefully. She laughed hard at James as he practically coughed up fire and cried. It was so unlike him and she could only shake her head and grin.

She nearly choked on her own spit at his announcement, "Oh, I am am I?" Brett laughed, her ears turning a little pink. She did rather like James, but not really undying love kind of like. Brett took her handful and started counting loudly, not letting James relax.

"Onthreeonetwothreego." She rushed and started throwing beans towards the trophy. She realized they would have no way to know who was whose unless Liam had a very good memory.

[JAMES SIRIUS POTTER]

Just as he leaned back to gauge the girl's reaction, Brett started the contest, giving herself an unfair advantage. Of course, James was never without a trick or two up his sleeve. As Brett pelted the beans at the trophy, James ran forward the few steps between himself and the trophy, and promptly dumped his handful into it. The beans clanked loudly against the metal, and looking rather pleased with himself, he turned back to see Brett's reaction.

Of course, he was standing right in front of the trophy, and was immediately greeted with a jellybean right between his eyes. Realizing it was a war zone, James ducked, dramatically tumbled out of harm's way (much like a secret international spy, he decided silently, mentally patting himself on the back) and stood up a few steps away from the trophy. Where he was promptly hit in the ear with another bean.

"Bloody hell, I thought this was about aim," he teased, and, protecting his face, quickly turned to face Liam. "I think it's clear who the winner is, don't you, mate?"

[WILLIAM LAWRENCE HEAVENSBEE]

It was normally Liam's role to stand back and watch James's antics unfold. And he stood straight, feet slightly apart, hands casually in pockets, being the composed man James normally wasn't. He didn't laugh out loud when James nearly choked, but he did watch with a bemused expression: one eyebrow raised, and satisfied smirk.

But he did respond to Brett's statement. "Oh c'mon Brett, don't you know that my looks are my only asset? If I can't be the prettiest, then what do I have? Have some decency woman."

Then he watched the scene unfold, stepping a few back so that he wasn't hit by the occasional ricocheting bean. He was thinking ahead to when he'd have to banish this whole mess so that no one would get in trouble.

When James spoke up, Liam faked an expression of thoughtful calculation. "You know mate, I think I have an idea who's won, but it may be too early to tell. But you keep throwing those beans, Brett while I think on it."

[BRETT AINSLEY DuPONT]

Brett laughed at Liam's comment. "Okay, Liam, you can be the prettiest" She conceded with a little mocking grin. He had a good enough line and therefore deserved it, so she gave it to him. Point, Liam. "And I'm really not decent." She said. Brett made a habit of wearing no underwear when she wanted to feel dangerous and thought of this encounter as a less fun way to get double teamed. Decency was not her best virtue by any means. It was probably all that time with Nessie. Nessie slept with pretty much anyone and Brett lived vicariously more often than not.

James went over and dumped his fistful in, she opened her mouth wide in a sort of playing anger before saying, "Thats cheating!". With that she chucked a bean between James' eyes and when Liam refused to be a good referee, she slugged one at him too, hitting him in the eye by mistake.

Brett stopped throwing the beans and stuffed a few in her mouth to keep from having to announce her undying love. One was peppermint and one was lemon, which she could deal with; one was dried blood and another was something she couldn't name but it was awful. She chewed slowly, trying not to think about the strange concoction in her mouth.

[JAMES SIRIUS POTTER]

"Oh c'mon Brett, don't you know that my looks are my only asset? If I can't be the prettiest, then what do I have? Have some decency woman."

James forced the grin off his face and nodded solemnly in a strange attempt to back up his friend. "It's true. He has nothing else going for him," he agreed, though the grin crept back onto his face immediately at Brett's comment. Not decent? He should've guessed by her flaming hair and the fact that she immediately joined him in throwing food at his father's award, but hearing it ... his mind rushed to places it shouldn't, and he shook his head to try to stay focused.

And then he won. And Brett, a clear sore loser, immediately declared that he was cheating and stuffed the remaining beans in her mouth — a bold move. "Now, now, no need to be upset," James insisted, grinning and leaning against the trophy (which seemed to be bolted to the floor. Merlin, did they think someone was going to be able to sneak that glowing monstrosity out of the castle? Who would even want to?). "I only said the winner was the first to get five beans into the trophy. How said beans make it into said trophy was not discussed."

"So," he continued, actually hopping up and sitting on the edge of the trophy — how is it even possible that it was supporting his weight? The thing was huge, but c'mon. He glanced over at Liam when he made his comment and smirked. "She seems to have stopped throwing, so I am going to assume that I am the winner. Is that a fair assumption?" he asked innocently.

[WILLIAM LAWRENCE HEAVENSBEE]

Liam raised his eyebrow at the "not decent" comment as well, but didn't make a comment. He already had that assumption considering the company she kept and the previous encounters he had with her - which normally involved getting her out of trouble. Which Liam was mostly happy to do, because she was a Gryffindor and she and her friends were hot.

Then she was throwing beans at him, too. "Oy! I was on your side!" he said, flinching away. That bean caught him in the eye. "I guess this is my lesson for helping indecent people." he reasoned.

He didn't know what to make of her eating all those beans at once (oh, the bad pun.) Somewhere in his mind he thought about making a comment about how much her mouth could hold, but he would never actually say that aloud. Anyway, it was bold, but also pointless and probably unpleasant.

Liam pretended to consider James's question, but not for long. "Well, considering she assaulted the referee, I conjecture you win by default." Liam stepped grandly towards his friend. "Congratulations mate."

[BRETT AINSLEY DuPONT]

Brett pouted. His line about her just to keep throwing beans she figured was a comment that james had already won, so she hardly felt too bad for hitting him. She made a face at him. "I don't need your help to be indecent." She said spinning his words around with a little wink. Boys could get distracted by any mention of anything sexual and she intended to use that to her advantage.

After swallowing the candy, she stuck out her tongue and crossed her arms. "Fine you win Jimmy." She had decided she'd call him that when she was mad at him. "No thanks to you." she said, sticking her fingers in an L shape on her forehead to insinuate "loser" at the end of her statement. Granted, that was a muggle sign for loser and she had no idea of Liam's blood status...

Brett wasn't going to pledge her undying love until she was prompted, maybe they'd forget what she owed now that she had lost the bet. She still thought he was a cheater for changing the rules on her.

[JAMES SIRIUS POTTER]

James cringed at the name 'Jimmy.' No one had called him that since he was seven — and even then, it was only his great-grandmother, who he was pretty sure was just calling him that because that was what she called "sprinkles." Every time James saw her, she was eating icecream. Easier to remember "jimmies" than try to differentiate the two.

James pondered quietly whether or not he should be offended that she couldn't tell him apart from a sprinkle.

But then they were on sexual terms again, and James looked between Brett and Liam as they exchanged quips, head bouncing back and forth as though he were at a tennis match. She was making some odd gesture with her hands, and he was teasing her about being indecent, and she was willingly admitting it ... His brain stopped for a full minute, lost in the depths only a teenage boy's mind knows, before he snapped back to reality. The teasing, the flirtatious air ...

"Sexual tension," he reasoned out loud, expecting both of them to understand his thought process, then brushed off the comment and turned back to Brett. "Regardless, there is something you owe me, as I won fair and square."

He grinned to himself and promptly fell over into the trophy, which was quite roomier on the inside than it appeared.

[WILLIAM LAWRENCE HEAVENSBEE]

Liam couldn't help but look impressed or bemused when Brett winked at him. He was surprised because he wasn't expecting it, and therefore wasn't entirely sure what to make of it. Was she teasing him? Was she flirting with him? He spent too long thinking up an equally suggestive comment, and James interrupted the moment.

Sexual tension? Liam wondered where his friend's mind was. "Indeed." he answered back sarcastically. "And puffskins! While we're at it, saying random things, that is."

He waited expectantly to see how Brett would react to having to hold up her end of the bargain. But then James fell into his father's trophy and Liam laughed loudly, but also made his way towards to it to give his mate a hand out. "Smooth." he said, still chuckling, as he glanced into the trophy. But he was also a bit relieved to see that James looked more or less fine. "Alright there, mate?"