𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐈𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐄 [𝐣.𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫]

13: 𝔴𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔦𝔰 𝔩𝔬𝔳𝔢, 𝔦𝔣 𝔫𝔬𝔱 𝔥𝔬𝔯𝔪𝔬𝔫𝔢𝔰 𝔭𝔢𝔯𝔰𝔢𝔳𝔢𝔯𝔦𝔫𝔤?

hearts brimming with adoration
they smiled their bright smile
for this love they shared, this beautiful
all-consuming warmth,
was the realest
in all the world's surrealities

-Me lol. Idk, I feel poetic.

Students gathered around the Room of Requirement 'inconspicuously'.

As far as Brigitte could tell, no one had even tried to keep its whereabouts a secret. She'd already declined many poorly-intentioned offers from her male classmates to escort her, in case she didn't know where the Come and Go Room settled.

She always offered them a noncommittal head shake, replying evasively so as to not hurt their delicate male pride. Actually, that was quite redundant. Male pride was just another synonym from delicate. Regardless, she decided it was safest if she didn't cause any trouble.

The last thing she needed was to get cornered by some butthurt classmate, shocking at such a tragically heartbreaking rejection. Truth be told, Brigitte hadn't had the slightest idea where this "Room of Requirement" resided, seeing as the Marauders had collectively decided she already received this knowledge elsewhere. However, it only took a game of following the gaggle of students to reach the Seventh Floor Corridor next to a tapestry of Barnabus the Barmy.

James and Lily had gone on a date a few days previously, and grudges aside, Brigitte was delighted that James was going with someone he genuinely loved. It took an extremely special person to cancel out the effects of Veela magic. What started out as puppy love had blossomed into so much more- true devotion.

Lily and Brigitte didn't get along amazingly well, but acquaintances were better than enemies, or for that matter, acquainted enemies. Lily, in all of her glory, had made it a personal goal to engage the two of them in painstaking small talk, as well as the arduous task of introducing Brigitte to her (many) friends. Whether this was more tiring for Lily, who dragged her around Hogwarts at a rapid pace, or Brigitte, who was uncomfortably made a spectacle of mild interest, she wasn't quite sure.

Despite Lily's admirable tenacity, Brigitte drew the line at Severus Snape, whose disgusting views matched her family's, which in turn matched the state of his oily locks.

Not that she would've been welcome, anyway.

Regardless, Lily had foraged on bravely, or so she intended. He had scowled greasily (if anyone could turn the word grease into an adjective, it would be Severus Snape), and muttered something about Half-breeds that made Lily glare daggers and walk away.

As far as Brigitte could tell, their relationship had been strained for weeks now, and a few days after the mortifying incident, James Potter asked Lily out to Hogsmeade, and to everyone's surprise, Lily Evans obliged.

Brigitte's Hogsmeade trip had been quite uneventful, despite James telling her he'd meet her at The Three Broomsticks after the date was over. As admirable as this inclusive gesture sounded, Brigitte had to resist the ever-growing urge to strike the oblivious boy across the face.

Instead, she taught him the rules of courtship. The first and most important rule being:

Don't meet up with another girl after you've finished a date unless she's your grandmother, sister, or first cousin. Mothers want to go straight to marriage and their harping will leave you with capricious attitudes, but most especially, don't follow up a date with Lily Evans by meeting a Veela at a pub.

Had he never done this before?

Looking back, he probably hadn't, seeing as he's been waiting for Lily Evans since age eleven, finally old enough to grasp the concept of dating. Pheromones, hormones, and other terrifying chemicals were to blame.