James and Camilla had shut themselves in their dorms and made it extremely clear to their friends that they were strictly not to be interrupted.

Choosing the new Gryffindor team was a monumental occasion which required their full attention.

So why was it that James just couldn't seem to focus on  the task at hand.

For the past five minutes Camilla had been talking about how brilliant Jonathon had been at tryouts. It bugged him and he couldn't shake the feeling which settled in his stomach and fizzed with annoyance. Camilla was right of course, Jonathon was extremely good and definitely did deserve a place on the team, but he was in the mind to deny him a place just to stop Camilla from going on about him. He wondered if they had a thing. James had spotted them chatting in the common room and during practise last year and wondered if they'd kept in touch over the summer. James wanted to dislike the boy but Jonathon was the kind of person who was difficult to hate. He was always extremely kind yet not too much of a pushover to not express his opinions and he was pretty good looking, if James was forced to admit it. He seemed like someone Camilla would be into.

He couldn't help himself but to ask.

"Got a crush Prewett?"

He tried to make it sound teasing, light and airy but his smirk felt unnatural and forced.

Camilla looked up from her notes she was reading which was resting on the wooden desk which was a vision of white from all the parchment strewn across it. She looked across the desk at him and raised an eyebrow.

"On who?" she asked, watching James carefully.

She wasn't quite sure why it mattered who James was referring to. She didn't fancy anyone, to her knowledge anyway, and so her answer would consequently be 'no' regardless.

"Old Jonathon Rother of course" James replied, leaning back on his chair, putting on his best performance

Camilla scrunched her face up, "Old? Potter, he's in the same year as us. I'm older than Jon"

James just shrugged back slightly thrown by the nickname, "Just a term of endearment. It's alright if you do, I won't tell a soul. You can confide in me Prewett" he winked

Camilla had similarly leaned back on her chair and crossed her arms over her chest, a challenging twinkle in her eye, "Is it that obvious?!"

She dragged a hand down her face embarrassedly and James' eyes shot open with surprise.

"I guess I'm not being as discreet as I thought" she sighed, "But it's really difficult to act normal around someone when all you want to do is snog their brains out"

James mouth hung open slightly in shock.

He had only been joking!

He didn't actually think that Camilla would be so honest with him!

Christ, the image was one he didn't want to picture, but was one that had burnt itself into his brain.

Realisation dawned upon him as Camilla started to doubled over in laughter, one hand holding her stomach which was seemingly cramping from laughing too much, the other on the desk keeping her balance, stopping her from falling off her seat.

Her laughter was like music to James' ears.

"You should have seen your face!" she chuckled, wiping a tear that had formed in her eye

"ha ha, very funny Prewett" James said sarcastically, shaking his head in disapproval but quietly quite relieved.

Camilla regained her composure and picked up her quill again, "But he defiantly deserves a place on the team. Last year he did us a solid in the Ravenclaw match last year" she concluded, writing his name down, "And no, I'm not just saying that because I fancy him ever so much" she teased sarcastically

James was finally able to muster a proper smile and even managed a laugh.

As the night continued, James and camilla had decided upon Marlene as the third chaser, Mclaggen as the seeker again and Jonathan as beater. They still had to come up with a keeper and the second beater but as time got, the harder it got for James to focus on it for long.

Camilla was always better in situations like these than James. She had a longer attention span which meant she could focus on things for longer period of times compared to James who worked in quick spouts, little and often. They had both found this during the previous year and learnt to adapt to it.

Camilla, knowing there was absolutely no way of trying to guide James back onto the quidditch work, had given up attempting to steer the conversation back on to it and let James chat to his hearts content; even through most of the time it was about nonsense.

"Your birthday is September 24th isn't it Prewett?" James asked knowingly.

He knew it was

Camilla nodded with a smile, wondering where he was going with it. "It is indeed Potter"

"In a few weeks time" James wiggled his eyebrows making Camilla laugh unwillingly, "What's going to be your birthday wish?"

Camilla laughed at him.

"My birthday wish?"

"yeah" James nodded in reply, "If you could have anything, anything in the world- and don't say to end world hunger or any of that sort of morally correct shit- If you could have one thing... what would it be?"

Camilla thought for a while, amused, and James watched her decide.

"I'd wish to one day be able to afford a little house by the sea, right on the beach" she finally decided, "It would be right on the sand dunes and decorated with the treasures I find on the beach and I'd name it 'shell cottage' "

James had half expected her answer to be to have the best broom in the world, or to have a mansion somewhere, or to have all the money in the world, or to be captain of the Ballycastle Bats- Merlins knows why because in his opinion Puddlemere United were the obvious better team -(they had some very lengthy debates about this topic over the years)

A little cottage on the beach was quite a mundane big wish.

"well, who knows Prewett?" he said with a shrug, "Maybe one day, when you're a professional quidditch player, you'll finally get your 'shell cottage' "

"I hope so" she grinned

Her beaming grin made James suddenly feel a lot lighter and sunnier.

Camilla seemed to have that effect.

"well, I don't think I'll be able to buy you a house for your birthday, but I think I can manage to get you something small" he said with a smile

Camilla shook her head firmly.

"No absolutely not. I don't need anything"

James rolled his eyes, "Come off it Cam. It's your eighteenth birthday! Of course I'm going to get you something!"

Camilla was adamant on the fact she did not want anything.

"Please don't James. I'll never be able to return the favour" she begged

James sighed and eventually nodded, choosing not to argue with her, "Alright Cam, but don't think you're getting away with nothing.  I'm pretty good with arts and crafts I'll have you know"

The thought of James attempting to make anything hand made was a highly amusing one.

"Merlins bless us all for that monstrosity"

James clasped a hand over his heart, pretended to be offended. "So ungrateful!"

The two of them had decided to call it a night and tidy up the shared common room. It had become a sort of a nightly routine. They would get back from their lessons and from spending time with their friends and collapse on the sofa. Firstly they would complete their head duties, then moving own to their quidditch duties and then chat until their eyelids drooped.

At the end of the night they would utter their sleepy goodnights and find themselves lying In their own beds; thinking of the other.