Chapter 30

The bright sun of the summer months rolled in during March allowing the castle grounds to warm up considerably. Bea, James, Remus, Sirius, Peter, Violet and Bertie huddled together near the black lake, with Bea between James' legs with her notes resting on her knees abd Violet's head lying on her shins whilst James whispered answers into Bea' ear and the boys sunbathed near them.

"Why are you so worried about O.W.Ls?" asked Bea, leaning back into James behind her and slightly turning her head to press her lips to his cheek, "you're doing brilliantly I don't think you have gotten a question wrong at all and yet you're still so stressed!"

"I want to do better than I need to," he mumbled quietly, shrugging, "because you taught me more in less than a year than what Sprout has taught me in five and I want to get the highest score so that you know your hard work paid off too."

She smiled softly, cupping his cheek and kissing him, "James, tutoring you brought us closer and without it, I wouldn't have been with you, so regardless of the mark you get on one test I'm just happy I have you and that we are together. You could get the worst mark in the world and I'd still be proud of you because I know you tried your best and that's all you really can do."

"You are so bloody brilliant; do you know that?" James whispered softly, nuzzling his nose into her cheek whilst the smile on her lips widened.

"I think I have been reminded of that fact actually. Maybe once or twice," she joked, a sigh of content leaving her lips, "Right. Studying."

James let out a groan, alerting Bertie in front of them who took off the sunglasses he absolutely didn't need and lifting himself up to stare at them, "excuse me is there any reason as to why I was interrupted?"

"Alright drama queen, go back to your sunbathing, geez." Bea giggled, pushing on Bertie's shoulder, "Comfy there, Vi?"

"Very," the girl mumbled, her book lazily lying on her stomach which she had decided to put down for a couple minutes of rest. She had been up all night with a nightmare she couldn't shake from her thoughts, which resulted in the girl climbing into Bea's bed in the Hufflepuff dormitory when she couldn't shake the fear the dream sent into her head.

She was in hysterics when she turned up to Bea's dorm, crying into the girl's shoulder that she was so alone and she had lost everyone, even her and when Bea finally calmed her down enough to realise it was a dream, Violet could barely breathe. It wasn't surprising for Bea to see Violet so upset, she had turned up to Bea's room with nightmares multiple times during the night and Bea made sure to be there for the girl every night, stroking her hair until she was able to get at least some sleep.

"Are you excited about your birthday, Bea?" asked Sirius as he lay on Remus' chest, allowing the taller boy to run his fingers through the long locks on his head. He was near enough falling asleep as he lay there and he couldn't deny that he had dozed off a couple of times until Remus noticed and leaned down to kiss him.

It always woke him.

"Oh yeah," Bea grinned as she nodded her head excitedly, "finally fifteen! What a big deal am I right?"

"It is a big deal!" Violet exclaimed, "the big one five, a whole new world!"

"Vi, seriously?" Bea giggled, "you're just saying that because you're already fifteen!"

"Well you're going to have to prepare for the big transformation at midnight," Violet teased, earning a few laughs.

"Maybe I'll transform into a princess," she shrugged.

"You already are one," James smirked, attacking her face with kisses whilst the others groaned around them.

"I think it's a big deal, Bea," Peter smiled, "it signifies that you're growing and experiencing more with every new year that comes your way and you're going to continue getting older and wiser!"

"That's a lovely way to put it, Pete!" Bea grinned, nodding her head whilst his smile widened.

"I have something planned for your birthday," James said, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his hands on her stomach. Her head snapped around to stare at him, ultimately whacking him in the face with her hair in the process.

"What?!" she exclaimed, eyes wide and lips parted, "what have you planned James Potter?!"

"That is for me to know and for you to find out on the fourteenth," he smirked, wiggling his eyebrows whilst she merely frowned. His finger lifted her chin, guiding her closer to him until their lips met and both of them ignored the loud groans around them from their friends around them.

"Not even a hint?" she asked, her forehead resting against his as she tried not to move Violet who was still currently resting on her shins. She had pushed her lip out into a pout in hopes to persuade James but he instead looked entirely amused and not at all convinced to tell her anything.

"Nope." He shook his head, "you'll find out soon it's barely a week away!"

"I know," she frowned, "but now it just seems so long away, doesn't it?!"

"It'll be here before you know it, baby," James laughed, pressing one last kiss to her lips and moving so she could turn around, her back to his chest and her notes opened at a different page for them to revise.

"Back to work, then," she huffed dramatically, reading over the contents of the pages in front of her. She was squirming in her place when James' lips ducked to her neck, trying to distract her from what they really had to do whilst she laughed away empty protests, and soon whined, "James!"

"What?!"

"We need to study, come on! You can do this!" she exclaimed, "what is Fanged Geranium?"

James stopped for a minute, closing his eyes so he couldn't see the notes on Bea's legs and after a few moments of Bea patiently waiting for an answer, he spoke, "it's got teeth, right? Fangs, even, hence the name obviously. It's used in potions and cooking too and it will bite or attack if it's not taken care of properly...right?!"

Bea's grin couldn't have possibly widened as she nodded her head excitedly, "yes James! see I told you, you could do it, didn't I?!"

"You did," James chuckled, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, "I think I'm go- Killian!"

Bea's eyes lifted at the familiar name, seeing the boy she talked herbology with standing in front of them all, a small smile on his lips as he played with the hem of the jumper he was wearing. His hair was styled and his eyes trailed around the group of friends until they landed on Bertie, lingering for just a few moments though the boy didn't even realise, his eyes closed as he soaked up the sun.

Bea knew that that wouldn't have been the case had Bertie just opened his eyes.

"Hey guys," the boy spoke quietly, smiling softly. The familiar voice very clearly got Bertie's attention whose eyes fluttered open, looking around him until they found the boy and a smile found his lips.

"Hey, Killian!" Bea grinned, lifting her hand to wave at the boy which he quickly returned politely. He liked Bea, she was nice to him regardless of what other people thought of him and by the looks of it, she didn't listen much to rumours that travelled around the school, she treated him with kindness.

"Hi, Bea," he spoke quietly, rubbing the back of his neck shyly.

"So, what's up, are you alright?" asked Remus, leaning his head on Sirius' and staring at the boy with the rest of his friends.

"Oh! Well yeah," he trailed off, "actually I was wondering if I could uh...talk to Bertie?"

"Ye-yeah," Bertie nodded furiously, his cheeks tinging pink as he pushed himself up. He turned to share a look with a grinning Bea who was giving him a thumbs up as he walked away with Bertie, and it seemed as though Bea's gesture just made him even more flustered.

"I wonder what he wanted," Vi mumbled tiredly, her arm leaning on Bea's knees as she fidgeted to get herself comfy.

"Probably to ask him out," Sirius spoke, reaching for the chocoballs to the left of him, "since they both fancy each other."

"Really?" Vi asked as she yawned, turning to lift her head to Bea who looked entirely amused at the girl, "do they like each other?"

"Are you kidding, Vi, it's rather obvious!" Bea giggled, patting the girl's hair and moving so she was more comfortable, "go to sleep, Vi."

"We're outside."

"Well we aren't just going to leave you and you're clearly shattered!" Bea scoffed, "you barely slept last night and you need to rest so either get your arse back to the castle and go to your dorm or close your eyes and sleep!"

"Feisty," Violet muttered, nodding her head and curling into a ball enough for her to doze off.

"So, can we get back to the fact that I'm very curious to know about my birthday?" Bea said, looking at the four boys who were all sporting grins, "what kind of thing are you planning?!"

"Hey, don't look at us!" Peter exclaimed, lifting his hands in defence, "it's just your boyfriend's idea!"

"Well we are helping set it up, though," Sirius trailed off, earning a laugh from Bea.

"You guys do realise that I know for sure it's going to be the best birthday in the world just because I have you all, right?" Bea said, leaning way over to pat Remus' hair whilst trying her best not to disturb Violet who was sound.

"Well, why wouldn't it be?" Sirius teased, earning a scoff from the rest of them, "your birthday will be the best you've ever had Bea, because there's no way I'm going to let my best friend have a bad birthday and I know that what James is planning is alright, too."

"Oi, what I'm planning is so much better than alright!" James exclaimed, his arms flailing, "you're going to love me after you see what I'm planning!"

Bea cupped his cheek, swiping her thumb across his cheekbone and pulling him into her, her lips capturing his and her body leaning against his own whilst he hummed in pleasure, "I already do, James, you could give me a flower you picked from the grass and it would still be the best present. Please don't spend so much money on me, I don't need it I just need you!"

His heart swelled as he moved closer, connecting their lips once more whilst the others groaned under their breaths, though Remus and Sirius were being completely hypocritical in Bea's opinion, considering neither of the two could keep their hands off of each other.

"Right studying!" Bea grinned, "no couple stuff, remember?"

"Right. No couple stuff when studying. No couple stuff when studying - worst parts of my life!" James grumbled, tapping his hands on the notes she had.

"Come on you can do it for another hour or so and then we can do whatever you want!" she shrugged flipped the page of her notes, "you'll thank me after O.W.Ls James Potter!"

"I suppose-"

"I have a date!" an excited Bertie screeched as he stumbled back over to his friends, falling down next to Bea and cutting James off. He also - accidentally, of course - woke Violet, whose eyes widened at the new-found sound, her heart racing whilst Bertie stuttered out an apology whilst hugging her.

"A date?!" Bea exclaimed, clapping her hands and laughing at Violet's expression, "When?!"

"This Friday. Killian asked me to Hogsmeade and then he kissed my cheek and he hugged me too, can you believe it?!"

"I can believe it because he so likes you!" Bea giggled, ruffling her best friend's hair as he beamed. Bea's eyes scanned around the faces of her friends, seeing the smiles lighting up their faces, she realised that during the full of her school year, she finally got what she wanted.

She finally got to be happy. And that's all she ever wanted.