Somehow, the feeling of being stared at by just Daisy's eyes were harder to ignore than the whole classroom of people staring at him had been.

James stared at his book page and swallowed back his self-consciousness. It wasn't very often that he felt so nervous just to be looked at. After all, he wasn't a bad looking guy and he certainly knew that about himself and it was one area that his ego was alive and well. Yet. He could feel her gaze moving over his face, tracing his cheek bones, studying his gyrari tooth, studying his eyes... It was all he could do not to look up and meet her gaze.

"You're nervous," she said suddenly.

James breathed a laugh, unsure if a real one would make him a bad model. "Nah," he said without moving his mouth. "I'm alright," he added, his lips only slightly bending to the m-sound.

"I can see it in your eyes."

"James isn't usually a model," Remus intoned from where he was also sketching James.

"And what is it that you usually are, James?" Daisy asked, peering around the frame.

"A pain in the arse," Remus replied.

Daisy laughed.

"That's your husband, rather," James said, then, realizing he'd moved his mouth, he added, "Sorry."

Remus said, "I can't even argue." Then, to Daisy, "James, my husband, and I all went to school together. We've been mates a good long time."

"I can tell," Daisy said, "It's obvious. Your demeanor." Then, "You can talk, James, I'm done with your mouth."

"Oh good," James said and he wriggled his jaw and lips appreciatively.

"So what is it you do?"

"How do you mean?"

"For a living?"

"Oh. I take care of my son, mostly. Full time dad. My kid's a full time son, so I figure I ought to put in the time, too."

Daisy laughed. "And how do you make money?"

"I don't need to."

"Oh."

Remus looked up from his drawing pad. "Don't forget you're a sports trainer..."

"Oh, yeah that too."

"What sport?"

Silence. James hesitated, then, "Erm... football."

"Oh, very impressive."

"Yeah."

"What team?"

"Chudley."

"Chudley?"

"They're Level 6," Remus piped up.

"Is that good? I know nothing about football," Daisy laughed.

Apparently neither do I, thought James. But what he said was, "No worries." He paused, then, "You've a daughter, you said?"

"I do," Daisy smiled, "She's my whole world. Sounds like you know the feeling."

"Yeah, I do." He paused. "Married?"

"Happily divorced."

"Ah."

"You?"

James hesitated. He hated saying the word.

"We lost Lily about ten years ago," Remus said for him, reading the discomfort on James's face.

"Oh." Daisy bit her lips, pausing in painting. She lowered her brush. "That must have been very hard on you - and on your son."

"Harry doesn't remember her," James said.

"My little girl doesn't remember her father, either," Daisy said, "But in her case - that's a good thing."

"I'm sorry," James said. "I'm sure that was very hard, too... whatever happened."

Silence fell over the room then, and James put the book on the table beside the chair. Daisy went back to painting. Remus glanced between the pair of them, and put down his sketchpad. "I'll be right back," he said, "Just need some water." He got up and went to the desk for his wallet. "Are either of you thirsty?"

"No thanks," Daisy said quietly.

James shook his head.

When Remus had left, the silence continued on in the room for a moment. Then James asked, "What's it you do, besides paint models at Remus Lupin's class?"

"I clean houses," Daisy said. "My daughter's a full time job, too... Unfortunately, I do need to make money." She smiled and James flushed.

"How old is she?"

"Eight."

"That's a fun age."

"Yeah," Daisy said. "Can you look up at me? I need to see your eye color."

James turned and looked at her square on. James chuckled, "They're brown."

"Yeah, but your eyes have so many different colors in them."

"They do?"

"Yeah. There's a bit of purple in them... and some green... they're very lovely."

James cleared his throat. "Erm. Thanks." He paused, eyes meeting hers. "Yours are lovely, too."

"Thanks."

She stared into his eyes, then glanced away to the canvas... then back to meet his eyes... and this went on several minutes while she worked. James wasn't sure what to do with himself, he licked his lips and tried not to move his eyes too much but it was a very strange feeling - he hadn't really stared into anyone else's eyes like this in a very long time and he felt his stomach twitch a bit each time hers met his.

"Hmm..." Daisy sat upright and looked between her canvas and James, appraising her work. Then, "I think I might just be done."

"Yeah?" James asked, looking away from her to look at his watch. "Less than two hours."

"Thank you for staying. I really needed this break."

"Oh - well, it really was a good book."

"Was it?"

James said, "Oh...sure." Honestly, he'd read better.

"Do you want to see?" Daisy waved a palm at the canvas and James got up and walked over to look.

There was something different about Daisy's compared to the others in the room. Like, they'd all drawn James - he'd sat precisely the same way for them all - yet some people had drawn with realism and others with abstractness. Some of the paintings looked more like him than others did. Daisy's though... She'd used unusual colors that he wouldn't have expected - like the lavender flecks in his brown eyes that she'd added, which somehow added life and light... And she'd done an interesting thing of drawing him with pencil and painting over it so that the colors bled over the edge of the sketch a little bit but in a purposeful way, a way that made it feel like his Jamesishness was bleeding out of his body more than that she'd missed the lines. He didn't know how to describe it. It was like the painting was more like him than he'd ever seen himself or... something.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"I think you've done a great job," he said.

"Thank you," she answered.

"Best in show," he added.

Daisy laughed, "Don't go exaggerating."

"I'm not."

She stared at him. He was still looking at the painting.

"When did you start painting?" he asked.

"Well, this class started at the end of April, so... April."

James laughed, "What? Really?"

Daisy nodded. "Don't get me wrong, I've wanted to all my life. I've always loved art... so much... but when I was younger my parents didn't think art was worth the cost of the supplies and then I got married and - well, he's a whole other story. And then I was always busy with my daughter and I never had time to try on anything new. But I always wanted to try."

"What made you do it finally?"

"My grandfather died. He left me a tiny bit of money. Just enough to pay for a degree... a little one anyway. I took a practical one - a business course. I could make so much more money without the agency I do house cleaning with, I've thought of starting my own business... I don't know. I took one extra class , this one, and it means so much to me... I probably wasted the money, but I wanted to do my dream. Even if only for a single class.  I thought maybe i will be able to be more... Something my daughter could be proud of."

James said, "Well I reckon you've succeeded... she ought to be proud of you. She should be proud of that desire at anyrate," James said, pointing at the canvas. Then, "At your heart for trying it if nothing else."

Daisy smiled sadly, "Yeah, perhaps."

"I mean, I would be."

The door of the classroom opened then and Remus returned. He was carrying a cup of water. "Sorry, I'm back," he said. He saw them gathered 'round Daisy's easel and he went over and a grin split his face, "Well look at that! What a wonderful job you've done."

"Thank you, Professor."

"Of course. I can't officially tell you your grade until I've had a time to look and critique it properly of course but I'd say that you shouldn't have to worry about passing the class in the end of it all."

"Thank you." Daisy looked at James, "And thank you because if you hadn't offered to stay --"

"No, no worries about it at all, it's what a good chap would do."

Remus's eyes travelled between the two of them, but he didn't say anything - he simply took a sip of his water and walked away. James turned back to get the book from the chair and Daisy started washing her brushes and getting packed up. When she was all done, Remus, James, and Daisy all headed for the door and into the hallway.

"Thanks again," Daisy said as she floated off down the hallway. She paused and looked back over her shoulder before she disappeared 'round a corner and headed for the door.

Remus and James waved, then Remus turned back to James, "Well, let me run back to my office for a moment and we'll get started on that tour of the campus I promised," Remus suggested.

James hesitated, then, "Actually, Moony, y'know, I'll take a rain check. I left Harry at Mrs. Figg's and I promised him we'd play some one-on-one when I got home... I've already been longer than I expected."

Remus nodded, "Alright. Rain check, then. Thanks for staying for Daisy. She's a good student, she deserves a better lot in life than she's been handed. I know it doesn't seem like a lot but you really gave her a true gift by staying late for her. It's another proof of what a decent guy you are, Prongs."

James smiled, "Thanks Moony."

"Dinner tomorrow, yeah? As usual?"

"It is a Tuesday after all."

Remus laughed, "Alright. Well. Be safe."

"You, too." James clapped Remus on the back and headed down the hall himself, headed for the car park where he'd left the mustard yellow Astra. He got lost once in the corridors of the college, but finally got outside in the quad and he passed by the large mural wall and out to the sidewalk, stepping under a large iron archway. A bus stop stood sentinal out front.

Daisy was sitting on the bench by the stop.

He paused and walked over. "Hullo again," he said, flushing.

"Hi again," Daisy said. "Did you take the bus also?"

James shook his head, "No, no, I drove." Flew, rather, he thought. "You live nearby?"

"Watford," she replied.

"All the way out there and you're taking the bus?"

"First I have to pick up my daughter, then we take the train from Euston."

"Ah." James stood by the bench a moment, looking around. "Long wait? For the bus, I mean?"

"About twenty minutes."

"Blimey."

Daisy chuckled, "'Glamour at it's best," she joked.

James looked around, looked up... It looked grey and rainy again. "Would you like a ride?" he asked.

"You'd give me a ride?" Daisy asked.

"I mean - if you'd like."

Daisy hesitated.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," he said quickly, "I swear I'm not - not creepy or something, I just - thought it'd help." He flushed.

"It's not that," she said quickly, too, then, "My daughter doesn't really like new things, that's all."

"A ride at least to pick her up then? Then you lot can take whatever bus or underground or what have you that you'd like. But at least you don't have to sit here for twenty minutes waiting for the bus in the rain."

As though he'd called it - it started to rain at the at very moment and he waved his palm at the sprinkling water falling from the sky.

"Alright," Daisy said, laughing.