The Light Shines (James, Invited)

Morgan cast a warming charm on the frosty ground, clearing an area large enough for her to lay on her stomach and try to read. There was so much going through her mind... Marvolo, Rabastan, Sirius.... A good book was just what she needed. She had adopted her old habits now that she was back in the light: jeans, tees, sneakers, simplicity with her hair... Today, it was simply pinned up at the sides, her animagus tell showing, and she didn't care who saw it as no one would know and those who did wouldn't say.

Morgan felt....alone. She knew she had said some horrible things to some of her friends, and now knew how blinded she had actually been. But, the fog had been removed, and she now saw that being true to herself was what mattered. Morgan settled down, resting her chin on her folded arms, and tried to read....

James passed by students, with a gryffindor first year on his back. He stopped, seeing Morgan. He shook his head, and let his fellow house mate down. "Here you go! Now you can go inside 'kay?" The eleven year girl nodded and went inside. It wasn't as cold as the other days that had passed. But it still wasn't spring, so the cold was still around. He sat on a stone bench, close to Morgan, and played with his wand. Moving it around, making words occasionally. "What're you reading Lestrange?" he asked her. Surely she'd know what he meant by calling her that. She wasn't Morgan anymore. Not to him.

Lestrange... Morgan's eyes closed at James' question. She knew it was her he was talking to. She sighed, and said, "Not anymore...." without looking up at him. She closed her book and rested her arms across it, her chin on top of them. "Not engaged to him anymore...." she said quietly.

James lifted an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "So you were engaged what? A week? That's rich..." He joked. He really didn't care about this girl. Or maybe it was just a strange feeling that told him to be away. It was different from the others of course. He hated Morana and every other idiot that followed this new dark lord. "Sirius was able to at least be engaged 'till his fiance died. Not a great loss anyway, so he'll get over it." He stated, coldly.

"You're a real piece of work, James," she said. Morgan raised her head and looked at James. Her grey-blue eyes weren't hard or sad or hurt. They were filled with intense loneliness. "I would have stood by him until doomsday if I could have. But....." she looked away. "Sirius was lucky to have someone to love so much and be loved in return. Just like you have Lily... Whether you think poorly of her or not, she was a friend of mine, so please do not speak ill of her in front of me," Morgan said. She had run out of tears to cry, so none came. She took a deep breath and sighed.

James chuckled at Morgan's little speech. She was on their side. So he didn't care. "I speak about whom I wish Prince. And If I wish to badmouth someone that took my friend away from me, I'm gonna do so." He responded, leaning back on the pillar the bench was attached to. "You're both idiots. Instead of staying together, you went around and laid down with other people. I mean, first you get together in all the ways, and then, you break up. Just like that. I think Sirius leaving me was actually your fault." He continued to talk, in a deep and rather loud voice. Whomever heard it, heard it. He was simply gonna leave it at that.

Morgan glared at James. "Fine. It is your right to be able to speak as you wish about whom you wish. But I have a first name, and I ask you use it. You used to..." she said curtly getting up, leaving her book on the ground. She was quickly becoming furious with him. "You blame me for him leaving? I did what was best for me, James. I was nothing but a possestion to him. Unable to even talk to another boy without him flying off the handle. Believe me, he was turning before your very eyes, and you didn't see it! You said so yourself in the hospital wing after he beat the crap out of you," she said stepping to him. "Yes, I was engaged to Rabastan for a short time, and I loved him dearly. A part of me still does, but I can't be with someone who does what he does and believes what he believes..." she finished, her voice breaking on the last few words and her hands clenched into small fists.

James lifted his upper lip slightly, enraged. "I used to use your first name when you were worthy of me calling you casually. I don't see point in doing that now" He commented, pushing her elbow back with his index finger. "I didn't see it? He didn't seem to have any problem letting you be around me, or Remus, or Peter. People he trusted. He trusted you to remain by him, when he was going through changes. When he was maturing. He's more mature. After all this. After all this mess. And you know what...maybe he doesn't need you after all. Maybe Marvolo was better for him. You ignored everything me and Lily told you. Everything everyone told you. We warned you. We did more than that. And yet, you treated us like trash. I have absolutely no reason to not do the same to you! You hurt Lily's feelings, you're lucky I didn't push you off a bridge the same day. I guess I still cared for you back then. Now,...You Are NOTHING!!!" he finished, the loudness in his tone increasing severely, with the last word that exited his mouth. His voice showed coldness, and yet, somehow, a bit of sweetness. He indeed cared for Morgan. But, she was in the wrong path. James could never ignore that. Ever...

Now,...You Are NOTHING!!!" Morgan didn't even think. She slapped him hard across the face. She set her jaw and thought about what she was going to say to him. Part of her wanted to just walk away, but she couldn't. "I wanted to stay with Sirius. I loved him. I still do!" hot, angry tears began to fill her eyes and run down her cheeks. "Whether he trusted me with you and the others doesn't change that he didn't with people I trusted. People who would never even think to take me from him. So he didn't trust me! I got hurt because of that! And, I don't recall you or any of the others coming to take care of me, James. But, Marvolo did..." she looked away at the mention of her name.

When she looked back at him, her grey-blue eyes were bright and wet with tears. "I know I should have listened to you. To everyone, but I was lost. I was lost and fell into the hands of some who tried to help me see. Tried to help me see like my family tries every day. I saw the blackness of that world, and I can't live in it. But, I've found my way back, and I am sorry for what I did. For the things I said," she said, her voice shaking with anger at herself, anger at James, the frustration she was feeling with everything going on, and the sorrow for doing as she did to her friends.

He felt the slap, but smiled. He had that smile ever since he heard the "I still do!" His face went calm, as he looked into her eyes. "You love him. Nothing else matters." James pulled Morgan into an embrace. "Listen, I don't care about anything else right now. I care about Sirius. You love him, go to him. He's waiting for someone to be able to get him out of depression, and that, not me, not Lily, not Peter, not even Remus can do. Go to him, and kiss him again!"

Morgan was stunned when James pulled into an embrace after she finished speaking. As she felt his strong arms around her, a smile spread across her face and silent, happy tears ran down her cheeks, as she wrapped her arms around him returning the hug that meant so much to her. She wanted to ask for his forgiveness, to know that she was back in his good graces. But that would have to wait. She pulled away at his request to go to Sirius. "I don't know if I can, but I will try," she said, drying her cheeks with her hand. "Where is he?" she asked.

And yet, somehow, James knew that was gonna get to Morgan. He was expecting it actually. She loved Sirius. For what James knew, he was her first. She couldn't forget that. "Room of requirement. Morgan, Run!" He said, smiling, and looking into her eyes. Morgan was back.

Room of requirement. Morgan, Run! Morgan looked into James' eyes and smiled. She nodded and turned running back to the castle. She ran as fast as she could, her book forgotten on the ground where she had left it. She had to reach Sirius, she just had to...