HEART OF GOLD ࿐ ͎⁺ ̥ James Potter
The cold, unyielding tiles of the prefect's bathroom floor pressed against Diana Marlowe's shaking hands, a stark contrast to the chaotic whirlwind inside her head. Her breath hitched, each inhale a shallow, desperate attempt to quell the rising tide of panic. This wasn't her. The 'good girl,' the 'responsible Hufflepuff'—those labels felt like cruel jokes now, mocking her from the dizzying abyss of her own thoughts. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to rewind time, to un-go to that Gryffindor party, to un-step so far outside her comfort zone that she’d tumbled headfirst into this unimaginable reality.
Seventeen. A baby. The words echoed in the silence, each syllable a hammer blow to her already fracturing composure. It was her mistake, her fault, a consequence of a night blurred by ill-advised bravery and the undeniable, frustrating charm of a drunk Quidditch player. He barely knew her. He wanted someone else. Yet, for one fleeting moment, she had allowed herself to dream he wanted her. Now, that one night had woven their lives together, an unbreakable, inconvenient knot. The question burned: would James Potter, the biggest child of them all, even care?
