24. Chapter 24

James is the Gryffindor whose always being called to Headmaster Jonzz’s office for teaming up with Winn the Ravenclaw and Alex to defend all the meeker kids against bullies.

At first, they run between each other’s House tables in the Great Hall, never sitting down, but unashamed to be seen crossing House lines to talk to each other.

Gradually, they start sitting with each other, walking each other through the halls to class, passing study tips and jokes to each other between classes.

Whispers, stares, and – often – sneers erupt every time blue holds hands with green or yellow hugs red. Alex threatens anyone who so much as looks at the interhouse crew sideways.

The watershed moment is when the entire school comes down to breakfast to find the Slytherin Beater Alex Danvers locked in a desperate, passionate, loving kiss with Ravenclaw Chaser Maggie Sawyer, the morning of the House Cup match between their Houses.

The next morning, the House tables are ashambles, all mixed and matched and clashed together.

No one explicitly claims responsibility for the interhouse table chaos, but James has a massive grin on his face, the tips of Kara’s ears are red, Winn looks overly pleased with himself, and Maggie is sitting in Alex’s lap, whispering sweet nothings in her ear while the badass Slytherin giggles and kissed her dimples and strokes her hair.

“Good god, they’ve rebelled,” Headmaster J’onzz mutters as he walks in, shaking his head with a small smile on his face.