Chapter 5

"You don't need to pretend like you care about me James," Bea spoke suddenly as she took a seat across from him in the library, watching his head lift from the notes in front of him and to the girl who was trying desperately not to think of their previous encounter a few days ago, and also trying to ignore the fact that she had been avoiding him.

She even failed to show up for their study session, James waited a full half an hour before packing up his things and going back to his dorm. He didn't regret hurting that boy for her, and he would definitely have hurt the others too if she didn't stop him.

"Wha- Bumble I'm not pretending to do anything," he frowned, watching as she made no intentions of getting her things out of her bag, "I hurt them because it was the right thing to do, they were hurting you and I can't have that-"

"Why?" she snapped, trying to keep her voice low, "why can't you accept that, James? We aren't friends, you're my brother's friend and I tutor you in herbology, that's it, you don't need to look out for me as if I'm some weak, frail child."

"Bumble-"

"I wrote out everything you need to know," she whispered, pulling out multiple pieces of parchment paper and handing them over to him, "I don't mind tutoring you, but you're not my friend, James, you can't be-"

"Why not?!" he frowned, thinking before this that they were becoming at least friends, "if it's because of what I did...I'm sorry, but I don't regret it, I don't regret hurting them because I would rather have a bruised knuckle than for you to be in the hospital wing!"

"James, you're going to get us kicked out," she whispered, looking around at the lingering stares, "we aren't even in the same year, James-"

"So?!"

"James why are you so adamant that I am your friend?!" she huffed, running a frustrated hand through her hair, "is it so you can brag about saving me from bullies that I deal with every week?!"

"No-"

"Or so Sirius can wind me up yet again, or so you can go piss my brother off-"

"Why are you so opposed to us being friends?" he asked, his eyebrow raised, "is it because Remus is my best friend?"

She was silent as she sat there, a breath tumbling from her lips, and finally, she spoke, "maybe."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, James," she grumbled, rolling her eyes, "don't you realise how over protective Remus is over me?"

"So? You haven't let that bother you before!"

"I never thought I'd see the day that you were so obsessed with becoming my friend," she scoffed, shaking her head, "Tell me the truth, James, is it to keep an eye on me? Now that you have seen the side that no one sees you suddenly feel the need to protect me, you feel so sorry for the weak girl that you have no doubt.

But then I bet it's for Remus too, cause he doesn't know about this, and you shouldn't either. Maybe one day I'll stick up for myself, maybe one day their punches and their words won't matter cause I'll be able to hit back harder but fighting fire with fire doesn't put the fire out, James, the fire spreads and it hurts more people and it does more damage.

Kill people with kindness, James.

And you all wonder why I don't like your pranks."

She grabbed her things, pointing to the notes to indicate to him to read over them and without so much as a goodbye, she quickly headed out of the library, a sigh tumbling from her lips and a hand quickly running through her hair.

She saw the group that hurt her a few days ago, seeing their lingering glares on her until their stance changed, and they were quick to walk away. She wondered what had suddenly got them so scared until she turned to see James behind her, and the glimmer of hope that she seemed the slightest bit intimidated had soon shattered, sending her quickly on her way again.

"Hi, Bea!" a girl smiled at her, waving, ultimately brightening Bea's mood as she cheerily waved back, sliding to the left when she almost bumped right into someone and soon squeezing their arm in the best attempt at saying sorry.

This was the side to her that everyone saw, the one where she greeted everyone, apologised for slight bumps, made small chatter as she danced down the hallway, she was the brightest girl in the school.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" a first-year girl gasped when she bumped into Bea, her lips almost parted in slight shock to see the kind girl staring down at her, "I-I, uh, I got lost."

"Where were you heading?" asked Bea, crouching down ever so slightly to talk to the girl whose cheeks had changed to a darker red.

"I have to talk to my teacher," the girl whispered quietly, "but I've forgotten the way to the classroom."

Bea smiled softly, her features so terribly kind that the girl's nerves had washed away, and soon did her shoulders slump in relief when Bea spoke, "come on, what Professor is it, I'll take you there!"

"Thank you," she whispered, staying close to Bea in the very busy hallways. They passed by James who was staring intently at Bea, suppressing the smile begging to fall onto his lips.

"So you're a Slytherin, huh?" asked Bea as she walked down the halls, smiling down at the first year.

"Yes," she mumbled, "and I understand if you don't want to take me to the classroom anymore because I know my house doesn't have the best reputation and if you don't want to help me because of that I get it-"

"Hey, hey, hey," Bea laughed softly, stopping in her tracks and gesturing for the girl to stop too, leading them over to the small window seat, "anyone who judges you on the reputation of your house isn't worth your time, uh-"

"Macy."

"Macy," Bea smiled, nodding, "they aren't worth your time, alright? you are lovely and no stereotypes are going to make me think any differently. There is good and bad in all houses, and you don't deserve to be put into a category that you don't fit in just because of the colour that goes along with your robes.

The house traits for Slytherin aren't being evil, they are ambition and cunning and resourcefulness, and maybe Salazar Slytherin favoured purebloods but that doesn't mean you do too, please don't feel anything but pride for the house colours you wear," Bea grinned, patting her head.

"Thank you," she nodded, both girls pushing themselves up from the seat to continue to the Professor that Macy needed to see.

-

"Oh Merlin, Bea, please do-" Violet was unable to finish her sentence when Bea placed the small flower crown that she had made from the daisies growing in the grass by the black lake atop of Violet's head. it was originally supposed to be a daisy chain for Violet to wear around her wrist but that idea quickly vanished when it kept falling off.

"It looks lovely!" Bea grinned, clapping her hands together excitedly whilst Violet tried her best not to let her smile shine through.

"It takes away from my badass look," Violet frowned, unable to stop her chuckles when Bea's head fell onto her shoulder, "how was your study date then? Seeing as you have been avoiding the poor boy."

"I don't want to be the one who needs a knight in shining armour to protect me every time I get bullied, I'd rather take a beating than having my friends think I'm weak," she frowned, "of course I'd much rather love to be my own knight in shining armour."

"Bebe," Violet trailed off, her eyebrow raised as she played with her best friend's hair, "you do realise you just called James your friend, right?"

Bea couldn't help but groan, her head falling off of Violet's shoulder and onto her lap, her eyes closed whilst she ran a hand through her hair, "it was so odd today, Vi, he was basically insisting that we were friends!"

"Why are you so adamant that you're not?" asked Violet, "huh? He's not as bad as he seems, Bebe, especially with the things you have told me - I mean, not many people would go out of their way to fight a whole group of people."

"But that's the thing, Vi, I don't really want him to," she whispered, "I am happy having one best friend and a billion acquaintances that I can say hi to, I don't need any more friends!"

"Bea, it's nice to have other friends," she laughed softly, "and don't think I'm not off the topic of helping you, Bea, it's okay to need help sometimes, it's okay to rely on other people and just because you are so opposed to that idea doesn't mean I'm not going to be there to help you, and I doubt James is either, whether you are friends or you're not, he's going to look out for you."

"I barely know him, Vi," she whispered, frowning, "he is my brother's friend and I don't care about his teasing or his annoying nickname, but I never thought I'd ever had this conversation...with anyone! That suddenly James Potter is now insisting that we're friends, that is just odd!"

"Odd or not it's happening," Violet laughed, "and maybe in the middle of all of this, you can set me up with your hot as hell brother."

"Or you can piss off cause he is my brother, do you have any idea how weird it is for me?" she asked, turning to see the slight frown on Violet's lips, "you are just joking, right? It's just you teasing me, isn't it?"

"What that I like your brother?" she whispered, feeling the heat rising to her cheeks, "and that maybe I have liked him since first year."

"What?!" Bea screeched, wide eyes, suddenly sitting up, "but you, no - but what about all of those dates you go on, and the girls you have kissed and the boys you drool over?!"

"I don't know!" she exclaimed, groaning, "I thought it was just that I fancied him a bit, I mean I fancy a lot of people and I liked the girls that I dated and the boys, and I like kissing people and the thought of nice people - but it just, I don't know, I mean I haven't really talked to Remus unless you're there but every time I don't like someone he just takes up my mind again with his adorable sweaters and kindness and he lent me a pen one time in second year and I still remember, I don't have any idea, Bea why I like him and I promise you it's not to annoy you and if I could stop liking him then I would but-"

"Merlin, Vi, take a breath!" Bea whispered, laughing and soon clasping her hand over Violet's mouth, "why didn't you tell me that you really liked him, Vi, I thought it was a joke!"

"I didn't want to upset you," she whispered when Bea took her hand away from her mouth, her shoulders slumping, "I know how protective you are of Remus, for some reason and you don't even realise it, he could trip and the world would stop just so you could make sure he's okay, I thought you knew I was being serious."

"Well that's the thing," Bea chuckled, "I would've thought Sirius was more your type, Remus isn't exactly the type of people you go for Vi."

Violet couldn't help the blush that darkened her already red cheeks, "I thought going for the opposite of what he was would help me get over him."

"You are truly the biggest head case I have ever met," Bea shook her head, "if I'm not the maid of honour I don't approve."

"Oh shush," Violet groaned, throwing her arm around Bea, she spoke, "who bloody else would be maid of honour?"