Chapter 29

"What about him?"

"Bea-"

"Oh! What about him?!"

"Bea I'm almost positive that he's in seventh year!"

"He's so into you."

"Isn't that illegal?"

"...probably."

"I know I asked you to help me Bea but you don't need to try and set me up with every guy that passes, I actually like someone!" Bertie sighed, leaning against the castle wall hidden from the students hurriedly walking down the halls, on their way to the library or to the great hall with friends.

"What, really?!" Bea gasped, linking her arm with the boy's as she pulled him down the hall and soon did Bertie move his arm to throw it around her shoulder. He loved the fact that he had a best friend and an arm rest in one.

"Yes!" he laughed, "I've liked him for a while now actually, I just...I don't know how to talk to him and there's also the added factor of him y'know...not liking boys."

"Well it doesn't hurt to go for it, Bertie, the worst that could happen is he turns you down!" Bea grinned, patting the boy's chest.

"No. The worst that could happen is him outing me to the whole school!" Bertie grumbled.

"Oh." Bea stopped, frowning. She turned to the boy beside her, looking him dead in the eye and speaking, "if anyone even tried- no if anyone even thought about outing you I would kill them."

"Really?"

"No one does that to my best friend, especially when you don't want to tell anyone yet," she huffs, "I'm really proud of you already, by the way. For telling the boys and Violet too, you are so brave, Bertie."

"And you're so cheesy!" the boy laughed, leaning down to kiss her forehead whilst she smiled brightly at him.

"Oi!" Bea turned to see James and Sirius up ahead, one of which looked rather amused whilst the other - her boyfriend - was feigning anger, "since when did you steal my girlfriend?!"

"Since maybe...two seconds ago!" Bertie joked, pulling Bea closer to him whilst the girl laughed.

"I thought what we had was special, Bumble," he shook his head, running a hand through his hair whilst Bea moved to throw her arms around his neck, planting a sloppy kiss on his cheek whilst his arm casually slipped around her waist.

"I can have you both," she grinned, "now what are you doing?"

James grinned sheepishly, planting a kiss on her lips quickly before bidding her a goodbye and a quick, "planning something!" and soon disappearing around the corner.

"See I want that," Bertie groaned, pulling Bea along whilst she waved to Sirius who was trying to catch up to James.

"You want James?" she teased, her eyebrow raised, "I mean if you two are sharing me then I'm sure we can share James too."

"No," he chuckled, shaking his head, "that's not what I meant Bea. I meant I want to trust someone so much that joking about stuff like that is fine, and even though you want to be with each other, you still have time for your friends and you can do your own thing without it being a problem."

Bea smiled softly, "one of the best parts of my day is finding James at the end of it and just talking about what we both did, because we don't need to be with each other every second but it's nice to know I still have him, y'know and regardless of liking someone or not, you don't need to be with someone to have that, Bert.

Before I was with James, Vi and I would make it a mission to meet at the end of the day just to talk about it and I loved it and we still do it all the time!"

"Where is Vi anyway?" asked Bertie, looking around as though he would find her.

"Oh- she failed another potions test and had to retake it or she won't be able to do it next year and she wants to be an Auror," Bea shrugged, "of course I want to be an Auror too-"

She cut herself off by giggling too much, even the thought of her being anything to do with authority or risking herself was laughable, "I can tell you that is not true," Bertie laughed, watching her nod.

"No, I want to travel the world," she whispered with a fond smile resting on her lips, "jungles and forests and lands that haven't been discovered yet and identify plants and maybe come back to Hogwarts and teach herbology, that sounds lovely."

"You could do that with your eyes closed, Bea," Bertie smiled softly, "and when you're wrapped up in the old folk's home with James looking at photography books, I hope you think about your good old pal Bertie."

"Oh please, Bert, you'll be on the other side of me ranting about not getting any action," Bea teased, patting his cheek, "because we both know you do that now!"

"That hurts Bea!" he gasped over dramatically, soon leaning against the wall whilst Bea strolled near him, spinning in her space and basking in the nippy weather flowing in from the courtyard, "right in the heart!"

"Sorry Bertie," she giggled, "I think you should be a teacher too, actually, and then we can be all fancy and drink tea in our little offices and talk about which students would be best suited for each other."

"So, we would do what we do now but instead we'd be older?" asked Bertie.

"Precisely!" Bea grinned, "I think it would be rather lovely for us both to have the same job, it would be nice to see you all the time."

"Well I'm the best company you could ask for, Miss Lupin," Bertie laughed, "you know I really like the name, Phoebe."

"You can call me Phoebe if you like?" she asked, laughing softly, "it can be like your special name for me. Violet calls me Bebe, James calls me Bumble, everyone else calls me Bea, and you can call me Phoebe."

"You know what Phoebe I'll take you up on that offer," Bertie smirked, looking around the hall until his eyes widened and he pulled Bea down another hall quickly, soon peeking his head out to see if what he was staring at was still there.

"Bertie-"

He cut her off by shushing her, keeping her behind him whilst his eyes trained on the boy in the year above him, "Bertie bloody hell what is it- who is that talking to my brother?"

"That's the boy I like," Bertie whispered, attempting to pull her back whilst groaning at the unsettling feeling in his stomach growing when a grin formed on her lips.

"Remus!" Bea exclaimed cheerily, patting her brother on the shoulder whilst the two boys turned to stare at her, "how are you, my dear brother, you look well today - Remus what in the name of Merlin, you are so rude why don't you introduce me to your friend here?!"

"Do I want to ask?" Remus groaned, sending a small smile to the boy across from him who was looking entirely amused by the situation, "Bea this is Killian, he's in my Herbology class."

"Herbology?!" her ears perked, grinning widely, "you know herbology is arguably the best subject in this entire castle."

"Oh yes," Killian nodded enthusiastically, "we learned about Chinese chomping cabbage just yesterday and I finally found a book on it in the library!"

"No way!" Bea gasped, wide eyed, "I couldn't find a book anywhere, what section did you look?!"

Killian blushed, a grin sheepishly on his lips, "...the restricted section."

"What?!" Bea exclaimed, "I looked there I couldn't see anything!"

"B-"

"Wait, oh!" Bea cut off her brother, turning to the hallway and shouting, "Bertie come here!"

The boy slowly strolled around the corner, his cheeks already heating at the sight of Killian who had shifted on the spot, "we were talking about herbology and Remus' friend is now my best friend, I'm sorry. I do love you, really, but I have to let you go."

"I can't believe this," Bertie gasped, pulling her into him, "Remus' friend is going to have to pry you from my arms, Phoebe."

"So, is there any reason why you came over here...or?" Remus trailed off, rather tired after the full moon recently and not sure he was ready to deal with Bea's antics, especially when it was clear that the gears in her mind were turning furiously.

"Oh, I just wanted to see who your friend was," Bea grinned, "you know, you have a friend, I have a - single - friend, what are the odds?!"

"Bea-"

"I'm just stating fact's Bertie," she scoffed, grinning up at him, "it was nice to meet you, Killian! Once again, Bertie is, of course, single and ready to mingle. I will see you later Rem, don't do anything stupid and try and get some sleep, will you? love you!"

She quickly pulled Bertie down the hall, grinning as she waved to the two boys and trying to block out Bertie's ranting, "Bea that was the opposite of subtle he probably think's I'm a weirdo!"

"Oh, he does not, he was laughing the full time!" Bea exclaimed, "Bertie I know you are scared to like someone but you like him and you asked for me help! We didn't even say you were gay or anything just that you were single and very ready to mingle which is a great conversation starter! And if he outs you then I'll be setting Chinese chomping cabbage on the bloody guys d-"

"Oh, bloody hell," Bertie cut her off, "you know what maybe I should ask Vi for help next time!"

"Excuse me, Bertie Bott- Burns, is Violet the one who just implied how hot and single you are?" Bea gasped, faking offence.

"You didn't say I was hot!"

"He just had to look!" she winked, patting his chest, "why don't we just forget about this for now and go and get some hot chocolate?"

"Fine," Bertie groaned, throwing his arm around her once more as they walked, "you know one of these days your amazing plans are going to back fire."

"Is that even possible?" she giggled, "I wonder what James was planning, he looked very concentrated."

"He was planning your proposal," Bertie joked, earning a scoff.

"It's a bit early for that, Bert," she shook her head, "I'll need to remember to ask him later, or I could just ask Sirius. I wonder where Peter is actually, I don't think I've ever seen any of them without Pete!"

"Me neither, actually," Bertie stopped in hopes to think of a time but he came up short, "he might be lost?"

"Oh, poor soul," Bea sighed, "I'm rather worried that Sirius and James were off on their own with no supervision, also known as my brother. I mean he's just as bad as the two of them but he's also rather excellent at getting them out of detentions and if I have to cope with them in detention and me being bored one more time then I'll be using all three unforgivable curses on each of them."

"You know Bea you may seem innocent but your bloody well terrifying," Bertie whispered, eying her cautiously whilst her grin widened, "Are you excited for your birthday, Bea?"

"My birthday is a full month away, basically!" Bea laughs, turning to the boy, "but yes I suppose I am excited. I like my birthday."

"Well, I have no idea what to get you!"

"Well, nothing works!" Bea exclaims, climbing down the stairs with Bertie in order to get to the kitchens, "you don't need to get me a thing, Bertie!"

"Oh, come on, I need to get you something!" Bertie exclaims, "you're my best friend and it's your birthday and you deserve a lovely present from your favourite boy."

"You know a happy birthday is enough for me, I don't want you spending anything on me," she sighs, leaning across him to tickle the pear.

"Too bad."