Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN.

AN: Written for the OC X Cannon Competition! It's too late, for the competition, but as I was already 90% of the way, I decided to finish it anyway.

The Hufflepuff common room was a good place to study. It was nice and comfortable, with a warm fire and nice squishy chairs to rest in. Just the right place to finish a charms essay the weekend before it was due. Like the one Anita Vane was working on right now in fact.

It was also the best place to get away from the persistence of a certain Gryffindor who seemed to feel like he had to live up to his namesake.

"Hello Anita my little pygmy puff, would you mind terribly-"

"No," Anita said before James could finish his sentence. A look of disappointment crossed his face.

"You don't even know what I was going to ask!" he protested and Anita rolled her eyes.

"James Sirius Potter," she began and she pointed to her watch. "It's Friday evening, at precisely half past five. It's ALWAYS the same question and there's no points for persistence either. How did you get in here anyway?"

"That would be telling," he said with a smirk as he tapped the side of his nose. "But you should know better than to expect to get away from me. I always find a way."

"Rebecca Macmillian let you in, didn't she?" Anita asked, shooting the petite blond girl in question a frown. The other girl only smiled. It was alright for her, she thought James was cute and loveable. Anita knew better. "Why don't you ask her out instead of me? It would save a lot of time and effort."

"Why should I settle for second best?" he asked with what she presumed was meant to a winning smile. Rebecca's smile faltered and Anita felt a twinge of annoyance.

"Why should I want to just be tossed aside?" she replied and a look of confusion crossed James's face. She gestured to Rebecca, who was putting on what her friends called her 'happy face' with a strained smile.

"I wouldn't toss you aside!" he protested and Anita waved her hand at him in contempt.

"And I'm meant to believe that," she said with a look of distaste. "You were happy enough to toss Rebecca aside when you got what you wanted from her, why should I be any different?"

"But-"

"I'm not interested," she said flatly. Convinced she had managed to dissuade him, she returned to her homework.

"You're cold Annie," she heard James say and her fingers reached for her wand. It was one thing to call her cold, but NOBODY called her Annie. Ever. James however seemed oblivious to his danger and kept talking.

"I've asked you out almost every single week and you ALWAYS say no. Can't you take some pity on-"

"No," she said, cutting him off before he could finish. "You are a first class prat James Sirius Potter and I would rather date the Giant Squid than you."

Somewhere nearby a portrait giggled, for some reason that Anita couldn't guess. Portraits had a very tweaked sense of humour if you asked her.

"Annie-kins dearest…"

Anita gritted her teeth. If there was one thing guaranteed to annoy her more than calling her Annie, it was the annoying nickname James had invented for her in their third year. She slowly slid her wand out of her pocket.

"Can I at least be allowed to tell you how incredibly hot I find you?" James asked in a slightly whining voice. Anita gritted her teeth. Then she smiled and pointed her wand at him.

"Incendio."

Suddenly the Hufflepuff common room erupted with laughter as James leapt around frantically trying to stop his trousers from burning.

"You definitely find me hot now?" she asked sardonically, before waving her wand once more and water doused the flames. "I'm not interested. Now leave."

James left with a grin on his face and Anita rolled her eyes. If it wasn't so annoying, it would be kind of cute. Still, it gave her plenty of target practise…

AN: I borrowed the idea of Anita setting him on fire from another fanfic. Just can't remember which one.