Chapter 9

Bea walked into the library, a small smile toying on her lips as she bid a quick goodbye to Bertie, trying to hold her laughter in after their conversation. After their date, the two had become so much closer than before, but not because of their mutual crushes on each other, seeing as they both agreed that that would never happen, instead they spent more time forming a friendship, and a good one they were making.

Bertie had a way of making good out of any situation, so when someone bumped into Bea, ultimately pushing her to the ground, it wasn't even in her mind as she entered the library, seeing as Bertie made it his mission for her to ignore it, not exactly wanting one of his now closest friends to feel miserable, especially since she was going to one of her study sessions with James, and she wasn't happy about it.

She was set on the fact that her brother had put one of his friends up to the task of spying on her, seeing as there was no other way to explain why a stag was staring intently at her from outside the window of The Three Broomsticks, it was almost laughable.

"Evening," Bea spoke quickly, dumping her books onto the table where James sat, sliding into the seat across from him, "did you read over that stuff I gave you on Saturday?"

"Yeah," James nodded, his eyes narrowed ever so slightly at the girl, "alright, Bumble?"

"Fine," she nodded her head, rummaging through her bag for her things, "how are you? took any trips to Hogsmeade lately?"

His eyes narrowed ever so slightly, looking intently at the girl across from him, seeing her tuck the stray piece of hair behind her hair he couldn't help the bubbling feeling of jealousy that swirled in his stomach as he thought back to what he had witnessed.

"I don't know, kissed any fourth years lately?"

Her head snapped up, a look that told him that he shouldn't have said that very evidently across her features, "so it was you, then."

"Yeah," James nodded, "tell me, Bea, how'd you know about the animagus?"

"Wha- of course I know about the animagus I- oh merlin," she clasped her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide, "...what animagus, I don't even know what that is!"

He nodded, an amused smile taking over his features, "uh huh, so that first study session we had when you said it was very hard to become an animagus, was that you actually complimenting me?"

Her head fell onto the table, but James quickly put his hand out so that she would fall onto his hand instead of the hard table, and with a groan, and her voice slightly muffled, she spoke, "well it came up, I wasn't lying, it's very hard to become an animagus, I don't know - you felt stupid for not knowing anything about herbology, I wanted to make you feel good about yourself."

"Really?" asked James, biting back the smile twitching his lips, Bea was something else and he really didn't know how to handle it. It was as though suddenly she was a more prominent part of his life and he couldn't stop it even if he wanted to, and he definitely didn't want to.

He hated to admit that Lily was far from his mind as far as crushes go, and whilst he did like her very much in past years, he was sure he was slowly falling for the girl in front of him, but getting the girl was a different story, he wanted desperately to know what happened with Bertie, but now in her presence, he felt terribly guilty.

Terribly guilty and a little scared at what her reaction would be, because James amidst his jealousy had told Remus of what had happened on Saturday, and to say he wasn't happy was an understatement, but whilst Remus had been looking for Bea, it seemed as though Bea had a way of staying hidden if she really wanted to.

"Yeah," she whispered, lifting her head, "so did Remus put you up to it then, yeah?"

"Wha- oh, Hogsmeade?" he smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck, "well, uh - the thing is...no, he didn't."

"What?!" she exclaimed, quickly hiding her face, "then why did you do it?"

"I needed to make sure my tutor was safe," he shrugged, a look that could only be described as adorable etched across his features, but Bea did not just think that.

"Yeah so you can be guaranteed an outstanding on your O.W.Ls," she scoffed, shaking her head.

"Did you have a good time in Hogsmeade, Bumble?" asked James, trying to act as casual as he possibly could whilst the raging jealous fluttered in his stomach, seeing her run a hand through her hair, she nodded.

"He kissed me to piss Remus off," she chuckled softly, "well not fully, I think we both wanted to kiss each other in a way but there wasn't anything there - I don't really know why I'm telling you this, I know you told Remus cause I've been avoiding him ever since I saw him storming down the hall red in the face but I don't know, he's not a bad kisser or anything but it just wasn't right, but we are still friends though...that's good."

"So, you're not going out?" he asked, watching her furiously shake her head, "that's good."

Her eyebrow raised to see the look on his face, her head titled, "good?"

"Generally speaking," he blurted out, his eyes wide when he realised he had spoken aloud, "I mean- you wouldn't want uh, Remus! Yeah, you wouldn't want Remus to be all protective I suppose."

"Oh yeah," she nodded slowly, biting her lip to stop herself from smiling at how flustered James was becoming, she didn't want to admit to herself that he looked adorable, seeing as it wasn't the first time she thought that, but the thought was floating around her head with every second passing.

"So Herbology!" Bea finally spoke, allowing James' shoulders to slump at the subject change.

-

"Oh, look it's my sister who likes to go and kiss boys!" Remus exclaimed, standing suddenly from the couch when James and Bea entered the Gryffindor common room.

Bea gasped over dramatically, clutching her chest and soon falling into James' arms who quickly held her up, "the horror!"

"Bea-"

"You're acting as if I tried to end the world, Remus," she scoffed, sitting her bag down beside the couch and sitting beside Violet who was too busy with the book resting against her lap to notice her best friend.

Bea frowned when the girl didn't greet her, and soon let her head fall onto Violet's lap, in front of her book so that she would give her attention, grinning sheepishly at Violet who simply glared at her.

"Hi," she greeted, an amused smile begging to break through, "have fun at your study date?"

"Oh yeah, so romantic," Bea teased, sitting up and pushing her hair out of her face, "James and I apparated to Paris and I taught him herbology as we overlooked the city from the top of the Eiffel tower."

"You had to be there," James joked, taking a seat on the armchair whilst Remus' eyes narrowed to slits and his face turned redder.

"Do you actually get anything done at these study sessions?" asked Remus, his eyebrow raised, "I have so many questions right now, one, James, why you felt the need to stalk my sister on Saturday, two, why you kissed a boy and didn't tell me, Bea! And three, I really need chocolate right now!"

"James was just looking out for me, Remus, no big deal," Bea scoffed, shaking her head, and gesturing for Violet to help him, but she was too busy with her book, "second of all, Bertie actually kissed me...I didn't kiss him, and three, sorry big bro but I don't have any."

"Any what?" Violet suddenly piped in, catching a particularly angry Remus' eye which very subtly softened at the sight of her.

"Chocolate," Bea spoke, watching Violet nod and soon did she rummage through the pocket of the jumper she had on, "there you go, Remus."

"Am I the only one who thinks that jumper looks very familiar?" asked James, eyeing Violet who looked down at the jumper she wore, only to have her face heat bright read. Bea's eyes trailed to Remus who had stopped eating the chocolate to realise that the girl was, in fact, wearing his jumper.

And he couldn't deny that he liked it.

"Yeah, it's Remus'," Bea shrugged, leaning over to look through her bag, her eyebrows knitted in confusion until she caught James eating her jelly slugs. She glared in his direction, pushing herself off of the couch and over to him, ready to grab the bag of her jelly slugs from his hand when he casually pulled them out of reach.

"James, give me them," she huffed, leaning over him for her jelly slugs only to have him pull them the other way, resulting in her landing, quite literally on top of him. A squeak left her lips as she fell forward, landing in his lap with her jelly slugs landing in hers.

"Am I missing something?!" Remus shrieked, his face still hot with anger, snapping out of his daze of realisation, he turned to see Bea biting the head off of a jelly slug, still sitting in James lap.

She had to admit that he was comfortable bur her purpose of sitting on him was to make Remus angry, it was very amusing.

And well, she didn't intend to fall into his lap.

"I was getting my jelly slug, geez, Remus, calm down," she chuckled, failing to ignore the goose bumps that travelled over her waist when James accidently brushed the exposed skin with his fingers. She pushed herself up quickly, making her way over to the couch that Violet sat on.

"Alright, here is the deal," Bea spoke, munching contently on her jelly slugs whilst she leaned her head on the couch, "Violet has your jumper cause I gave it to her, I mean, what do you expect Remus, they are much too comfortable to keep to yourself. Secondly, I didn't mean to sit on your best friend's lap, Remus, I fell into it, there's a difference, and quite honestly, I am willing to do anything when jelly slugs are involved."

She watched Remus frown, running a frustrated hand through his hair, he spoke, "I'm not doing this to annoy you, Bea, or push you away but-"

She reached for his hand, pulling him down beside her and soon leaning her head on his shoulder, "look Remus, I know you have a reason to be protective, or what you think is a reason but I'm okay, I'm alright, I'm a big girl and can take care of myself, so please stop worrying about me.

I know you're not actually going to stop worrying cause I know you, but I worry about you too, Remus, I worry about you all the time and how you are and we both have our reasons and you will always be my big brother, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to look out for you.

Bertie kissed me to piss you off, we are just friends and only friends and that's it, okay? I had a great time with him, it was lovely and yeah he's a good kisser - okay, you didn't need to hear that, sorry that was my fault, I'm sorry, but yeah, we are just friends and I was mad because I thought James was there because you told him to be."

She made sure to keep out the part of knowing of animagus, partly because Violet was at the other end of the couch and she only knew that Bea was an animagus, "for fun," but Remus' lycanthropy was still very much a secret.

"So, you're telling me that if James wasn't there, then you would still be my innocent baby sister?" asked Remus, turning to look at her and seeing the amused smile twitch the corners of her lips.

"Define innocent-"

"Please just answer yes for the sake of my sanity," he mumbled, listening to the sound of her laughter fill the common room.

"Alright, yes, I would be your innocent baby sister if James wasn't there," Bea nodded.

"Bea!"

"James," Remus spoke calmly, cracking his knuckles, "you have three seconds to run."