𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴- 𝘑𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘗𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳

♡32♡

"Sorry, James, but I gotta borrow my best friend for a minute," Cameron said as he stopped Thea with him and watched as the rest of the marauders walked ahead of them. James puzzled, shrugged and waved Thea goodnight, exchanging a knowing smile with her that even a blind man could see.

When the boy was out of earshot, Cameron, with raised eyebrows, whistled. "What was that?" he questioned the brunette in front of him. Thea, with red cheeks, tried to play it cool, but in front of him? She could never hide a lie. 

"What? pshh you are seeing things Cammy bear. You are spending too much time with Regulus, and now you are seeing non-existent things just like him." She said, praying that he would let it go. 

"Tsh back bitching about me to my boyfriend? Didn't take you for being someone like that, Thea." Regulus said. 

The pair of best friends shrieked at the presence of the younger Black brother. "Where did you come from?!" The two said simultaneously one with horror and the other with lovey daze. 

"What? Can't I have a lovely talk with my boyfriend?" Regulus said, stealing a kiss from the older boy and leaving him a bit dazed.

 "Even a blind man could see what happened. So tell us what went down?" Regulus asked, leaning on the wall while the other two sat on the bench. 

"Nothing happened. You guys are seeing things." Thea muttered. Cameron shared a look with Regulus, and a look of mischief covered them.

"You know James broke up with Lily today," Cameron said, waiting for the brunette in front of him to jump in happiness. 

But only to his shock, she nodded her head. "Yeah, I know," Thea mumbled, rubbing her nails nervously. The two boys were shocked instead of seeing a happy shrieking Thea, they were met with an anxious girl. 

"James broke up with Lily. L I L Y. Like Lily Evans, the Lily Evans. Your best friend, the said love of your life, Ja-" Thea rolled her eyes, cutting the long speech of Regulus. 

"I heard him the first time, Reg. I know that they broke up. Now come on, let's go to bed. I'm exhausted." 

"Nuh-uh." Cameron was quick to pull her back down on the bench, not caring about the way she was burning holes into his head. "What happened? You tell us now." Camron demanded, Thea contemplated within herself. 

She knew she would never be able to hide things from Cameron, so she stopped protesting and gave in. 

"Okay, fine, we kissed." Upon receiving blank looks from the two boys, she elaborated. "James and I kissed, and we declared our love. And we are currently waiting for each other, we don't want to get into a relationship that quickly." 

Thea covered her ears when the two boys hollered in joy. 

"Fucking finally it was tiring and so irritating to see the two of you pinning for each other in the most oblivious ways," Cameron said and happily wiped his tears away like a proud mom. 

Thea cursed at the boy, but the smile escaping her lips gave her happiness away. 

"Ugh, finally. Now we can finally go on a date alone." Regulus said and hugged two of his favourite people. 

"Oi, I don't crash your dates." Thea protested, Cameron and Regulus shared a knowing look. 

"Yeah, right." 

"Of course not," 

The two boys grinned when the girl punched them playfully. Their laughter echoed in the lonely hallway. 

While Thea had a nice time gossiping and giving details to two of her friends, James was crushed between Sirius, Remus, and Peter. The three boys interrogate him as if he were a criminal and not their friend. 

"For once, you are doing something sensible, I think it's a good decision for you two to remain as friends for now," Peter spoke from his hour-long vow of silence. 

 Sirius, who was seated across from James, shot his friend a grin. "I am happy for both of you," Peter said, his eyes finally meeting James's. 

Peter always had a special place in his heart for Thea. Not just because she was a good friend of his mates, or that she always tagged along with them giving excuses as to why she was with them. It was more because the two understood each other in their own ways. 

The two shared a connection of common loneliness. While being surrounded by people, the two knew how lost and alone they felt; they understood the loneliness that hung around them even when sitting in a room full of people they knew. 

To Peter, she wasn't just the girl who always hung out with them for no apparent reason. 

But it was because he knew how lonely she truly was. While yes, she had friends. There was Cameron, Sirius, him, Remus and obviously James. But the urge to hang out with the girls in her dorm, the group that accepted her but never truly included her. 

Peter had known that feeling for too long. And he had noticed the way Thea felt around her other friends. He saw himself in her. Peter loved his friends, he did, but being called dumb and not attractive enough doesn't give you a boost of confidence. 

He had no reason to be hated or disliked by his friends; they just never showed much interest in him. 

They found him boring is what he always told himself. But Thea was there, to listen and to understand. He would pour his heart out to her, finding comfort in her as if his sister. 

"You are just reversed, Pete, you gotta open up more. I know it is hard, but I promise you no one hear thinks that you are boring. You are very special, Pete. Who cares what others think anyway? I think you are very special, and you, Pete, are very dear to me." 

And her words stuck with him, a surge of confidence and self-assurance. And for that, he was thankful. He never questioned why she chose to hang out around the boys all the time, he just accepted her lingering presence. 

"Just don't break her heart," Peter said, smiling at his mate and congratulating him. The room soon erupted with laughter as the three teased the boy. 

"Damn, I owe Cameron," Remus muttered under his breath remembering the ongoing bet he had with him.

 While his insides were relieved that he would no longer have to name his kid Teddy, his heart seemed to disagree. All he needed was a look from Sirius to know that his future child would surely be teddy.