Chapter 39

It was hard for James to fully comprehend much that Bea was actually his, it was kind of as though he was living in a dream and that it was next to impossible that Bea actually loved him as much as he loved her, but she did. She loved him more than what she thought possible, loved him more than she ever thought she would love anyone and even though her world was hurting, he managed to make her feel happy, to forget that she didn't have her best friend, for just a few moments in order for her to relax.

She was sitting on his lap in the common room of the Gryffindor tower, all surrounded by their friends as Bertie told them how Killian finally asked him to be his boyfriend and Killian tightly kept hold of the boy's hand whilst Bea's heart swelled at the sight. Bertie deserved someone who was falling in love with him, and she knew that he found that in Killian, it was always lovely that the two had each other.

She was laughing as she sat on James, absentmindedly trailing her fingertips over the skin near his neck just to feel him beneath her, to touch him and know he was there, and he was basking in his time spent just staring at her, a small smile almost permanently on his lips and his eyes filled with adoration.

He leaned forward in his seat, pressing his lips to her cheek for a lingering moment and smiling wider than before when she stopped what she was doing in order to turn to him, giving him her full attention and also a smile that made his heart race wildly in his chest.

"What was that for?" she asked, a hum leaving her lips when he mimicked his previous actions, though this time on her mouth.

He merely shrugged though attempted to pull her closer to him but it was barely possible, she was so close to him that his breath fanned her skin and his glasses almost nudged her face if she moved, "I'm just so lucky," he whispered in her ear, kissing the skin of her earlobe and trying his best to nibble at it whilst she squirmed and laughed.

She flipped the page of the book resting on her leg, though she wasn't paying much attention to it with James wanting her full attention and her wanting to give him it, "to have you, bloody hell, I'm the luckiest boy in the world."

She smiled, shifting her body so that she could comfortably stare at him and slowly pressed her lips to his own. His hand snaked around to the back of her neck so that she wouldn't pull away but that very thought was so far from her mind until their friends started protesting around them.

"Can you two maybe...get a room?!" Peter groaned, making a noise as though he was being sick whilst the couple rolled their eyes and Bea threw a pillow at him, "Public displays of affection are only cute for the participants."

"Yeah, and I think it's about time you found someone to participate with you," Bea teased, earning a glare from the boy leaning with his legs over the armchair.

"Girls are lining up to date me, it's just picking which one," Peter teased, earning a loud scoff from Sirius who was then thrown a glare.

"The only girls lining up in front of you Pete are the ones trying to get to Sirius," Remus joked, earning a look from Bea.

"That was just mean!" Bea exclaimed, though it was obvious even to Peter who was holding in his own laughter and trying to look offended, that she was dying to laugh.

"He knows I'm joking," Remus grinned, nudging on Peter's head who pushed the boy's leg away, "Wormy just needs to realise that if he wants to go about snogging people he needs to talk to them first."

"Oh yeah did that work for you when you fancied Sirius?" Bea asked eyebrow raised whilst her brother merely glared.

Sirius reached for Remus' hand, his legs sprawled over the taller boy and his head on his shoulder and spoke, "Remus didn't need to talk to me, it was a mutual discussion."

"Yeah, you just kissed him instead," Bea laughed.

Her friends had fallen silent around her and she wondered why for just a second until she noticed Remus' eyes on the stairs behind her and turned to see Violet walking down them. She looked ill in a way, to Bea. It was obvious that she was exhausted from lack of sleep, and the evident bags under her eyes were a clear sign of no sleep, and Bea was worried.

The wave of sadness managed to leave Bea had fallen over her in a wave of pain as she stood from James' lap and stared at the girl who had fallen to a stop. She wanted to run to Bea, just to hold her and be normal again, they only had two days left until they would be going home and she knew Bea would feel distraught but she had everything planned out.

She couldn't face Bea, and it was truly selfish of her and she knew that but she had written a four-page letter that she would send to the Lupin house during summer and what Bea wished to do with her apology in the letter, at least Violet wouldn't see the emotion on Bea's face and the pain in her eyes.

"Vi," Bea whispered. She took a step forward, though she wavered when Violet turned the other way, bowing her head and rushing out of the tower without a word leaving her lips and her heart aching with every step she took.

"Time, Bumble," James whispered quietly, leaning over and taking her hand and soon guiding her to sit back down on him, "I know that it's bloody painful for you but you are best friends and she loves you far too much."

"Doesn't bloody look like it," Bea whispered, her voice almost breaking and the tears welling in her eyes near to spilling.

Though she didn't let them.

-

"I'm very much looking forward to your essays after summer," Professor Sprout called out from the closet in her classroom. She was looking for something for Bea to give her as a "you are my favourite student but I can't say it out loud" gift, but she was having a bit of trouble, and no matter how much Bea said she didn't have to give her anything, she was insisting that she must.

"Oh, me too," Bea laughed softly, leaning against the table. It was a day before she was going home and considering she always seemed to leave packing to the last minute, she decided to hand in her very last essay for Professor Sprout today.

"It's a pity that you couldn't do them over the summer, but of course you have to relax at some point," Sprout tutted, "of course I know you would love that but it's not a good idea for me to give you topics, and well, you work so hard you do deserve a break."

"Thank you, Professor," Bea smiled widely, "I'm rather looking forward to spending time with Remus and my friends too, also I wondered, of course, it's really no problem but will I continue to tutor James next year?"

"Well he has drastically improved," Sprout nodded, "I was thinking, actually, that if you could get him to improve - and don't get me wrong when I say that, he is an incredibly bright student though he just had trouble concentrating, then maybe it would be a rather good idea for you to start a study group?

You have your O.W.Ls next year which are incredibly important but Professor McGonagall was telling me you have improved very much in transfigurations, a subject James excels in, I'm sure that combined, you two could create a group of struggling students needing some help."

"That is a wonderful idea!" Bea beamed. She loved the thought of creating a group to help students, especially with James helping her too. James was incredibly smart, so smart that it was actually surprising to her, she never realised at first how smart he was until he was able to recite perfect spells and transfigure complex objects with a flick of his wand as though it was nothing.

It was as though he dumbed himself down like he didn't truly believe in himself enough to really believe he could do it, but Sprout was right, she knew she was improving in Transfigurations because although McGonagall was a wonderful Professor, James taught her in a way that helped her understand.

Just like she did for him with Herbology, she was able to describe it in more detail and spend more time with him until he had learnt everything he needed to and that was why it was so nice for them both to have each other to help.

But she loved the thought of helping other students who found it hard to pick up in class what they needed to do, and if she could help them then she would look forward to after summer, she was excited for it, actually, and she really couldn't wait to tell James about it.

"Really?" the professor beamed, the short woman always so cheery, "that's great news, I'm sure students of all houses would love some additional help."

"I'm always glad to help, you know this, Professor," Bea teased a kind smile on her lips for the woman who nodded enthusiastically.

"Oh, I know, Phoebe, I do, you're a magnificent student of mine," it was as though she was getting emotional, and she was. She felt as though she had truly succeeded in teaching someone the arts of herbology and shaped them into loving it and she had, Bea's knowledge and love of herbology grew from watching the Professor ramble on passionately about each plant that she wandered to the library and studied it more in depth.

"Please Professor, I will tell you this a million times, call me Bea!" she laughed, taking the chirping plant that Professor Sprout was handing to her.

"Yes, yes, Bea," Sprout nodded, "the most melodic plant there is, Bea, very hard to maintain but I'm sure you would very easily be able to do it."

"Professor!" Bea gasped, wide-eyed, "are...are you sure?!"

"I'm positive," Madam Sprout nodded, her eyes crinkling with delight and watching Bea sit down the plant, she threw her arms around the teacher.

"Thank you, Professor, really," she whispered, "I'll see you after summer."

"Oh yes," Sprout nodded, dabbing at her tears, "have a good break, Bea, you certainly deserve it!"

"You too, Professor," Bea whispered, a smile wide on her lips as she bid her one last goodbye and exited the classroom.

She was just about to turn to walk down the hall when she was surrounded by the very familiar group of bullies who had stopped her plenty of times to count, "look at that, she even goes to class on the last day!"

"Second last," Bea rolled her eyes, trying her hardest to shield the plant in her arms though they had quickly caught sight of it.

"Where is your little boyfriend huh? Or that friend of yours?" the girl scoffed, moving to push her but with a glare, Bea stepped back, "they aren't here to stick up for you now."

"No, they're not," Bea spoke, sitting down her bag and grabbing her wand, "but they don't need to be here. I have myself."

Her anger for the countless times she had allowed herself to stay silent shone through as she raised her wand. The girl who liked to talk far too much was thrown against the wall and covered in long twisting vines that were shielding her from moving. The boy who liked the throw punches was hanging from the ceiling by the same vines, though his had thorns.

And the two boys that restricted her and held her in place for the pain she went through were tied together, writhing about on the floor, all of them rather shocked but unable to speak from the pain she had placed them in. The vines would retract in five minutes time, though she really couldn't bring herself to care for the boy who would fall to the floor.

It wouldn't even be a sting next to what he had put her through.

And although she knew she had her friends there at her beckon to defend her.

She truly didn't need them.