Chapter 7

"You alright, Bea, you look particularly distracted?" asked Violet as the two sat in potions, nudging her best friend who was barely even listening to a word she spoke, instead her eyes were on the boy a few tables down from where they sat, completely distracted with the way he ran his hand through his hair, or his wide smile as he spoke to his two friends.

"Wha- uh, hmm, yeah," Bea nodded, not exactly sure what Violet said, her head resting on her best friend's shoulder as she watched the boy take his seat, covering his hand over his mouth to stop his loud laughter.

"Are you seriously drooling over Bertie Burns?" asked Violet, unable to keep herself from groaning, "what kind of sick people name their child after a sweet!"

"Oh, don't be so mean, Vi," Bea whispered, smacking her best friend's arm, "Bertie is lovely," she shrugged, ducking her head when his eyes trailed over to her.

"Think he heard you," Violet smirked, patting Bea's head who soon pushed the girl so hard she fell off of her seat.

"Miss Brown, the floor is not a place to sit," Slughorn spoke as he walked through the door, laughing quickly as though he had just spoke the funniest joke in the world.

"Sorry, Professor," Violet grumbled, glaring right at a smirking Bea who in turn blew her a kiss, tapping her quill on the parchment in front of her.

"Now, can anyone tell me what the girding potion is used for?" asked Professor Slughorn, turning from his desk and to the class, soon flicking his wand so the potion was written on the chalkboard beside him.

Bea yelped quietly when Violet roughly nudged her side, allowing her hand to move ever so slightly as though she was raising her hand, "yes, Ms Lupin?"

Bea's eyes widened when she realised what Violet was doing, her eyes snapping around to see the amused smirk wide on her best friend's lips. She had no idea what the girding potion was used for, she was completely clueless in Potions, not exactly understanding anything to do with it.

But she realised quickly that Violet was just trying to get her back for pushing her.

"Uh, th-the girding potion is-"

"Is used to give the consumer extra endurance, Professor!" a voice spoke suddenly, allowing Bea to avoid the embarrassment of not knowing what the potion was or what it was used for. Her eyes scanned the classroom, catching none other than Bertie Burns who sent her a small smile, which she gratefully returned, knowing that it was him to help her out.

"Well...done Mister Burns," Slughorn nodded, "I will make sure to keep note to call you Ms Lupin next time!"

"Oh bless, your second boyfriend is helping you," Violet teased, nudging Bea's arm who couldn't help but roll her eyes, "I'm sure your boyfriend will be very upset."

"My boyfriend?" asked Bea, turning to Violet with her eyebrow raised, swinging her legs ever so slightly from where she sat on the stool of the classroom, "care to elaborate?"

"Maybe the boy you have been spending a lot more time with," Violet smirked, "are you sure your Ms Lupin, or maybe Mrs Potter?"

"Are you sure you're Ms Brown, or maybe dead?" Bea retorted, rolling her eyes, "James is barely my friend, but he's not too bad."

"Boyfriend material," Violet sang, both girls completely oblivious to Bertie's eyes lingering on the sandy brown-haired girl who scoffed at Violet's comment.

"I think you have forgotten that James is completely head over heels for Lily Evans," Bea chuckled, clasping her hands together on the desk whilst Slughorn over excitedly asked someone else what the main ingredients of the girding potions were.

"I think you have forgotten that the only gossip about James Potter right now is why he beat up a group of people for yo-"

"It was one person!" she huffed, ducking her head when Slughorn turned around, quickly picking up her quill so that it looked like she was doing at least some work, "Vi, I think we should be focusing on your love life instead of my non-existent one."

"Oh, trust me, mines is so more non-existent than yours would ever be," Violet scoffed, reaching for Bea's hand who laughed as the two intertwined fingers, "our pact should be considered a little earlier."

"Oh yeah," Bea nodded enthusiastically, "what about after school today?"

"Sounds like a plan, future wife," Violet smirked, allowing the two girls to burst into a fit of giggles.

Bea couldn't help but hear a scoff from behind her, entirely curious she was met with a look that could only be read as judgment from the table behind her, and soon did the girl closes to her speak, "are you two...dating?"

Violet's head snapped around when she heard what sounded like disgust laced in the girl's voice, eyes narrowed to slits, she spoke, "so what if we are?!"

"Well it's just a bit...weird," the girl shrugged, giggling with her friends, "I mean you're both-"

"What, girls?" asked Bea, shocking herself and Violet that she had raised her voice, "I don't think you should be calling anyone weird with a nose like that."

Her head snapped around to face Slughorn when the girl's face contorted to shock, feeling her cheeks heating read, she couldn't help but feel terribly guilty that she had just insulted the girl, but of course, the girls was clearly insinuating what she thought and her views weren't remotely something Bea wanted to think about.

Violet beside her couldn't help but be extremely proud of her best friend who had tightened her grip on her hand, her heart beating drastically in her chest and butterflies swarming in her stomach that she had actually defended herself. She didn't think it was very fair that the girl thought she was allowed an opinion on what was weird, when girls dating was anything but.

"You completely shut her up!" Violet beamed, dancing around the hallway whilst Bea rushed to catch up with her, twirling under Violet whilst the two of them laughed excitedly, "she didn't even stand a change - Phoebe Lupin you better start sticking up for yourself more often if that is the outcome!"

"I can't believe I did that!" she squealed, throwing her arms around a grinning Violet, "can you believe it?! I actually did it, I stuck up for myself!"

"I know, I'm so proud of you!" Violet laughed loudly, high fiving Bea who was already greeting students as they walked down the hallway, "you deserve jelly slugs!"

"I don't have any," she frowned, clutching her bag tightly over her shoulder, "maybe we could go o-"

"Bea!" she turned at the sound of her name, unsure if luck was on her side when she came face to face with Bertie, "hi!"

"Oh, hi Bertie," she smiled softly, lifting her head to stare at him, "you alright? you look particularly out of breath!"

"Oh well," he couldn't help but blush, running his hand over the back of his neck, "I was trying to catch up with you, but you rushed out of the classroom before I could talk to you."

"Oh merlin, Bertie, I'm sorry," she squeaked out, "me and Vi like to miss the first years."

"Understandable," he laughed, nodding his head, catching Violet's eye, he waved slightly, "hey Violet, how's operation date coming along?"

"Operation what?!" asked Bea, looking between the two and seeing Violet's eyes narrow at Bertie.

"Well step 'tell his sister that I actually like him' is complete," Violet joked, watching the realisation fall over Bea who couldn't help but laugh out loud, "went pretty well actually."

"I'm the maid of honour!" Bea piped in enthusiastically, seeing the amused smile on Bertie's lips, "...if they ever get married."

She felt as though she was embarrassing herself with every moment she spent in Bertie's presence, she had always felt as though he was lovely, and couldn't deny that she fancied him just a bit, but she was more of an 'admire from afar' type of girl, so she couldn't exactly say she was the best when it came to romance.

"I'll leave you two to talk," Violet smirked, "see you back at the dorm, Bea!"

"Vi-" she cut herself off when Violet turned, walking away as quickly as she could and ultimately leaving Bea and Bertie on their own, "so you wanted to talk?"

The two started to walk down the hallway in the direction Bea was going, elbows brushing together, both of their cheeks drastically heated up as they pushed themselves past the students scattered around the hallway.

She was trying her best to ignore that her brother was at the side of the hall with his friends, but it was hard to ignore his hard glare on both her and Bertie, especially when Bertie made sure to look the other way, resulting in Bea grabbing his arm and pulling him out onto the courtyard.

"Sorry about my brother," she sighed, knowing full well that she wasn't the only one uncomfortable with his staring, "he can be...protective."

"No, it's alright," he smiled, laughing softly, "I just, well I wanted to ask you something."

"Yeah?" she raised her eyebrow, "I hope it's something good, Bertie, you've built this up a bit," he was rather thankful that she was joking with him, seeing as his nerves where fluttering around his stomach like butterflies.

"Well I hope it is," he nodded, running a hand through his hair and soon stopping in the cold, and soon did she stop in front of him, "I was wondering if, maybe you wou-"

"Oi, Bumble!" her eyes automatically narrowed at the sound of the nickname and of the boy who it belonged to, knowing full well that it was just her brother trying to get her away from Bertie.

"Oh merlin," Bea whispered, turning back to Bertie, "please continue."

"Alright," Bertie laughed, "do you wanna-"

"Bumble!"

"I'm sorry," she groaned.

"It's okay, I'm just gonna come out and say it-"

"Bumble!"

"Do you wanna go to Hogsmeade with me?" he asked, rushing out his words so that James couldn't interrupt him, and it seemed he didn't want to, hearing clearly what the boy said, he just wanted to know Bea's response, "this Saturday."

"Oh well - yeah," she nodded, smiling widely, and watching the boy's shoulders visibly slump in relief, "I'd love to go to Hogsmeade with you, Bertie, could've just asked."

"Oh, ha ha," he scoffed, shaking his head, "I thought you wouldn't want to."

"Of course, I do!" she nodded, her smile turning into a grin, "I think I should go see what James wants but I'll see you on Saturday - well, I'll see you before Saturday but I'm looking forward to Saturday - you know what, I'm just going to go before I embarrass myself anymore."

Bertie couldn't help but laugh, seeing the girl stare at him for a few seconds, he was unsure what was going on in her head but his cheeks couldn't help but tinge a deeper shade of red when she pushed herself onto her tiptoes, pressing a lingering kiss to his cheek before bidding him a quick goodbye, her voice squeakier than usual.

"What the bloody hell was that?" asked James, pulling on Bea's arm who looked more than confused at his tone of voice, "who the bloody hell was that?!"

"Yeah, I would like to know too!" Remus exclaimed when Bea turned the corner with James.

"Bertie," she shrugged, "my date to Hogsmeade on Saturday."

"What?!" Remus screeched, sharing a look with James whilst Bea rolled her eyes.

"What's the big deal?" asked Sirius, his eyebrow raised, "she's not bloody five I think she can go to Hogsmeade with some random boy."

"Yeah but he's some random boy!" Remus growled, "I forbid it!"

"Okay, wow, calm down please before that vain in your neck explodes," Bea scoffed, earning a high five from Sirius, "I can't believe I'm actually saying this but thank you Sirius."

"My pleasure," Sirius nodded, "it was quite literally my pleasure when you kissed my neck."

"I didn't kiss-" she glared at the boy, "I was just starting to like you, you arse!"

"Can we get back to the more important subject?!" James snapped, "we don't even know that boy and you just expect us to let you go to Hogsmeade with him."

"Jealous, James?" asked Peter, snickering with Sirius whilst Remus smacked him over the head.

"I am rather curious to know why you suddenly care about my love life?" asked Bea, "since I don't meddle in your non-existent love life with Lily!"

"B-"

"You aren't the boss of me Remus - none of you are, I can date whoever I want, I can kiss whoever I want, I can do whatever I want, and whatever that is, is up to me, now I hope you two are happy that you have ruined my great mood," she grumbled, pushing past Remus who went to grab her arm, only to have Sirius stop him.

"She's a big girl, Remus, whether she is your sister or not, let her make her own decisions," he sighed, patting the boy's shoulder who couldn't help but shake his head.

"She's my baby sister, though," he frowned, "if I'm not there for her, then who will be?"

"You can still be there for her, Moony," Peter sighed, "but it looks more like you're pushing her away."